High School Football has become synonymous with the phrase "Friday Night Lights", this Friday the lights were even brighter. At this point in the season only the best of the best remain and every play becomes that much more magnified. Friday's Upper State Title Games now set the table for the brightest lights of them all at the high school level, the State Finals.
In 5A Division I, Spartanburg High and their Head Coach Mark Hodge had one of the toughest tasks in all of the state, trying to knock off powerhouse Dutch Fork. It wasn't meant to be for Coach Hodge and company, as Dutch Fork's defense swarmed them all night. The Silver Foxes shutout Spartanburg 24-0. Dutch Fork will now look for their 3rd straight State Title and their 8th in the last 9 years. Gaffney is the only team to knock them off in the postseason (2021 State Finals) in that stretch.
Speaking of Gaffney, the script going into Friday night's Upper State Title Game in 5A D-II read like one from Hollywood. You've got "Title Town" one of the best high school football towns in the State again playing for a shot at State. Added to that was the fact that the program's all time winningest Coach Dan Jones had already announced his retirement to take effect when this ride was over. In Hollywood, the team playing the Gaffney role would win with a late comeback and send the legendary coach off into the sunset.
However, this is real life and Northwestern Rock Hill had other plans. Gaffney's defense could not find an answer for Northwestern's high octane offense. The Trojans dropped Gaffney 58-40 in by far the highest scoring Upper State Title Game on Friday's slate. Coach Jones retires with 140 wins and 2 State Titles at the helm for the Tribe. In High School Football in South Carolina, you always know that the Road to State starts when you see the "Big Ole Peach" from I-85. Will that continue to be the case and who will be the man tasked with keeping Gaffney in elite status? Only time will provide those answers.
In 4A, The Westside Rams will be defending their State Title next week. Westside had very little trouble with South Pointe- Rock Hill cruising to a 35-14 win. Before winning State last year, 1969 had been the last time the Rams won it all in football. Now 35 years after their 1st State Title, the Rams will look for their 1st ever back-to-back State Championships. Westside has now won 27 games in a row and will look to their QB and South Carolina Gamecock Signee Cutter Woods to lead the program to brand new heights.
Many of us who follow high school football in the Upstate, myself included expected the 3A Upper State Title Game to be the "game of the night" and it delivered. BHP met 1st year program Mountain View Prep or as some around the game call it "Transfer High". MVP led 16-7 at the half, I am not sure what BHP Coach Russell Blackston said at the half, but it lit a fire under the Bears. BHP came out in the 2nd half and outscored MVP 23-6 to win 30-22. BHP will now make its 1st trip to the State Finals since 2004. The Bears fell just short last year losing in the Upper State Finals to eventual champion, Daniel. RB Marquise Henderson has been a major piece in the resurgence of BHP as a State Contender. The Clemson signee has been nothing short of spectacular over the last two seasons.
Clinton is another one of the great high school football towns in South Carolina. I can recall years ago, going to Presbyterian College Basketball Games to cover them and I would always see more Clinton Red Devil Football merch in the stands than PC gear. The Red Devils last State Title trip came in 2009, now 15 years later Clinton is back.
The Red Devils downed Fairfield Central 32-21. I remember a couple of years ago asking Clinton Coach Corey Fountain what is it that made the Clinton program special and he said "As coaches we can do all these things to develop players, but God makes the really good stuff". I think I speak for many people around the game that were convinced once the SCHSL dropped Clinton down to 2A from 3A, that they would be exactly where they are at this point.
Next to death and taxes, Abbeville being in the State Finals is as close to an absolute, as you can get. Like Clinton, Abbeville was moved down a class in this year's realignment. Although the Panther Athletic Department asked to stay in 2A, they still got moved to 1A. You take a program that is a powerhouse already, move their closest competition to higher classes (Oceanside and Gray Collegiate from 2A Up, South Christian Christ Church who between them had won the last 4 straight 1A Titles up to) and you've opened the gateway of dominance.
I said back in Spring, that 1A Football will be the "Abbeville Invitational" for as long as the SCHSL keeps them in that class and keeps the realignment as is. That looks to be coming to fruition. The Panthers cruised past Lewisville 42-18 to win the Upper State Title. The Panthers have won 8 State Titles in the last 14 seasons in 2A. They now look for their 9th title in 15 seasons and their 1st in the 1A class.
The State Finals will be held on campus at SC State in Orangeburg again this year. Below is the schedule.
2A Clinton vs Barnwell Thursday at 2PM
1A Abbeville vs Cross Thursday 7PM
5A Division I Dutch Fork vs Summerville Friday 2PM
4A Westside (Anderson) vs South Florence Friday 730PM
3A BHP vs Oceanside Collegiate Saturday Noon
5A Division II Northwestern-Rock Hill vs Irmo Saturday 6PM
