The Upstate has some really good caliber high school football. With that, comes the embrace of high school football in towns and communities around the 864 area code. Having covered High School Football in Oklahoma, parts of Texas, and Iowa prior to coming back home to the Upstate, I was exposed to different landscapes and environments surrounding high school football.
There are some places in the Upstate that have that "Friday Night Lights" type of feel. Below are my top 5 towns for HS Football in the Upstate, plus others under consideration. (Qualifier: only towns and cities under 50,000 people qualified, so you won't find Greenville on this list due to that. Also, in thinking of this it would have been hard to quantify Greenville's embrace of the HS level game.)
Others under consideration (no particular order)
Inman- The folks in that town rally around the home standing Chapman Panthers. The program there has a winning tradition and State Titles in the recent past. They also have great community support.
Duncan- Home of the Byrnes Rebels, one of the state's most storied and highest profile programs. While, the Rebels aren't where they were as a program 10-15 years ago, the community still shows up and shows out at Nixon Stadium on Friday nights.
Anderson- "The Electric City" is home to two very solid HS programs in Westside and Hanna. Both teams are consistently good and that was again the case this year. While the town, is split in its loyalty both programs are well supported both in the stands and in the community.
Powdersville/Piedmont- I include these two separate towns as one. The reason for that is not only are they are about 5 miles from each other, but also because Powdersville area kids used to go to Wren. The Powdersville program is still relatively new, but their incredible run to the 3A State Finals this year, is sure to build the community's football profile. The atmosphere for Powdersville's last two home games vs Daniel and Clinton in the postseason was electric. Wren which is in Piedmont, has a solid football tradition and support in its own right.
Greer- One of the up and coming towns in the Upstate overall, Greer is a town that supports HS football in a major way. The tradition of power is with the hometown Greer Yellow Jackets and what they have done over the years. However, Riverside is in Greer and is coming off their best season in years. They look to be a program on the rise under Coach Matt Rochester.
Greenwood- The 'Wood is a town that rallies around their programs. Greenwood is the top dog there in town, but Emerald also has major local support. The Emerald City is a jewel for the game at the HS level and they come out every Friday Night.
Top 5
5. Woodruff- One of the great HS Football traditions in the Upstate. Woodruff as a community has been packing the stands for decades. Willie Varner is one of the most iconic coaches in the history of South Carolina HS Football. Tony Rice, a Woodruff alum is still revered for his time there and leading Notre Dame to the National Title in 1988.
4. Spartanburg/Roebuck- I included Roebuck in with Spartanburg, as they are 5 miles from each other and technically Dorman High is in Roebuck. The city has a great cross town rivalry with Spartanburg High and Dorman. They have two quality programs and they come out and support both. The Sparkle City is on the rise with two great coaches leading those programs.
3. Clinton- There's a FCS level college program in town, however you wouldn't really know it walking around town. Clinton is the epitome of a HS football town. It has that Friday Night Lights feel to it. Red Devil Football is tradition rich and they are back to prominence under Head Coach Corey Fountain. Clinton will continue to "clear out" and shut down on Friday nights in the fall. as the whole town is at the ball game.
2. Abbeville- There's isn't a ton to do or going on in Abbeville. However, without a doubt there's something going on when the Panthers play at home. Another place that shuts down for the ball game each week. I often say, they do two things in the 'Ville and they are great at both 1. Play Football 2. Deer Hunt. They are back in the 2A State Finals and if they can hang another banner the mystique and support will have another step up the ladder.
1. Gaffney- There's one high school in Gaffney which allows the entire town to focus on the home team. The Reservation as its called, is one of the iconic venues for HS Football in the 864 area code. Opposing fans and teams know when they see the Peach Water Tower that they are in hostile territory. Much like Clinton, Gaffney gives off the "Friday Night Lights" vibe. Not only is the Reservation packed at home games, when the team is playing away it turns into "The Reservation Roadshow". Gaffney fans will travel to the ends of the earth in number to watch support the Indians. It's also not uncommon to see people out in town well after a home game riding around town doing the Tomahawk Chop into the wee hours of the morning.
