Region play has opened for one region in the Upstate already and one Greenville area team got a big win in that regard this past Friday. However, region plays gets in full swing this week around the 864 area code. Region play is where the magnitude of the games increase, because it's the sole determining factor for playoff seeding.
The top 4 from each region go to the playoffs. The region champs get home field for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs, the 2nd place finisher gets a guaranteed 1st round home game. The 3rd place finisher goes on the road in the 1st round to play another region's 2nd place team and the 4th place team goes on the road to play a region champ.
Every Saturday morning from this week until the end of the regular season, you can hear "The Region Round Up" segment in the 8AM hour of the Scramble. As we will, update the region standings and look at the upcoming biggest games that will determine region races across the Upstate. The Scramble will be watching the following region races all season- Region 1 and Region 2 for 5A, 4A Region 1 and Region 2, Regions 1,2,3,4 and for 3A, Region 1 Class 2A and Region 1 in 1A.
Let's start with what I think will be South Carolina's best HS Football region. That's Region 2 5A, that group of teams (in no order yet) is Dorman, Byrnes, Spartanburg, Gaffney and Boiling Springs. Both Spartanburg and Gaffney have played tremendously tough non-region scheduled to be battle tested for region play. There overall records are a bit misleading as they both suffered non-region losses to quality teams.
Byrnes is coming into region play off their 1st loss of the season. Dorman is unbeaten and has solid non-region wins thus far, the latest came over a ranked and previously unbeaten 5A squad in River Bluff. Boiling Springs is a program that is showing signs of progress under 1st year Head Coach Matt Reel, but seems to have a ways to go to get to where the rest of the group is. Gaffney has their bye week this week, as the region has 5 teams.
Byrnes is at Spartanburg and Dorman has Boiling Springs this week to open region play. Both of those games have been moved to Thursday night due to pending inclement weather this weekend.
My projected order of finish for Region 2 5A
1. Dorman
2. Spartanburg
3. Gaffney
4. Byrnes
5. Boiling Springs
The other 5A race I will be tracking is Region 1 5A. That group of teams is Hillcrest, Hanna, JL Mann, Woodmont and Mauldin (in no order yet). Hillcrest has a couple of impressive non-region wins, one specifically a road win over a good Powdersville team. Hanna was handled by cross town rival Westside, but that is their only loss. JL Mann started 3-0 for the 1st time since 2011, but is 1-2 since then. Woodmont is coming off a competitive loss to 3A Seneca at home. Mauldin is looking to find itself, as the Mavs are re-tooling after losing some D-1 talent from last year, they have lost their last 4 straight in decisive fashion.
To open Region 1 5A play this week, Hanna is at Mauldin and JL Mann hosts Woodmont. That game is one of the biggest in that region all season, as it could set the tone for who finishes 3rd-5th. This region looks like it is Hillcrest and everyone else. However, Hanna has a style of play with the option offense that is hard to prepare for.
My projected order of finish for Region 1 5A
1. Hillcrest
2. Hanna
3. JL Mann
4. Mauldin
5. Woodmont
Region 1 4A opens with a bang this week, as Greenville High plays at Westside (that game is still scheduled for Friday). The region includes those two teams, Easley who has won 4 straight, Pickens, Greenwood who has played a tough non-region schedule and Berea. Easley is at Pickens this week in a game, I call "The Battle Of Highway 8. Berea is coming off a blowout loss to TR and is at Greenwood.
Greenville High has talent , they started 0-3 playing all 5A teams who were ranked when they played them. The Red Raiders feature possibly the Upstate's best WR tandem in Tyler Brown and M.J. Bennett both are Power 5 D-1 prospects. They also power 5 prospect Offensive Lineman Blake Franks. Westside has a good young QB in Cutter Woods. He's just a 10th grader and already has offers from Coastal Carolina, Liberty and Miami, Ohio. I give Westside the edge in the region race due to QB play and they get Greenville High at home.
My projected order of finish for Region 1 4A
1. Westside
2. Greenville High
3. Greenwood
4. Easley
5. Pickens
6. Berea
Region 2 4A could well be one of the toughest in the Upstate to get a good read on. No team in the region has a winning record coming in. Greer and Laurens only have one win each, but have played very tough non-region schedules. Wade Hampton is 3-3 which is their best start in sometime. I think the Generals make the playoffs this season, which would be a great accomplishment for Coach Travis Miller. Until winning their 1st game this season, Wade Hampton had not won a game since the 2018 season.
To open Region play this week, Greer hosts Laurens and Wade Hampton is at Riverside. Both of those games could loom large in the region race. Eastside has a bye week this week. My projected order of finish for Region 2 4A.
1. Greer
2. Laurens
3. Wade Hampton
4. Riverside
5. Eastside
Region 1 3A is the group of Daniel, Seneca, Pendelton, Crescent, Walhalla and West Oak. It is simple in this region, as far as who's at the top, it's Daniel and everybody else. Seneca is solid their only loss came to a highly ranked 1A St. Joe's squad that may be playing in late November. Seneca was also playing without standout RB Camsley Campbell in that game. There's no word on whether he will be in the line up Thursday night when they host Crescent to open region play. Daniel is at Walhalla, that game also on Thursday to get ahead of the weather. Pendelton is 4-1, but none of their wins have come over an opponent with a winning record, thus far. The Bulldogs take on West Oak this week.
Projected Order of Finish For Region 1 3A
1. Daniel
2. Seneca
3. Walhalla
4. Pendelton
5. Crescent
6. West Oak
Region 2 3A has a huge game to start that portion of the schedule, as BHP is at Powdersville. Palmetto is now in this region, after being realigned from 4A last year back to 3A. Also, in this region is Wren, Southside and 1st year program Fountain Inn. I see this as a two team race at the top, and a two team race for 3rd place. Coach Robert Mustar has a Powdersville squad that has talent and has been battle tested against some quality opponent in non-region. BHP is unbeaten and has win over Westside. Wren has played a tough schedule, they are struggling and winless. Wren is trying to get their offense figured after Power 5 D-1 prospect QB Gavin Owens transferred in the summer.
Projected Finish
1. Powdersville
2. BHP
3. Wren
4. Palmetto
5. Southside
6 Fountain Inn
Region 3- 3A is another hard region to get a read on. It looks like a probable two team race at the top. However, the region group for the most part has played tough non-region slates, so their records aren't overly impressive. The region opening slate includes, Broome at TR and Chapman at Carolina. Blue Ridge has a bye week. Broome does have an emerging star in 9th grade RB/LB Jalen McGill.
Projection
1. Broome
2. Chapman
3. Blue Ridge
4. TR
5 Carolina
Region 4-3A is an interesting region. Clinton is unbeaten and has won every non-region game by more than 10 points. However, most of their wins don't jump off the page. Chester is 3-3 thus far, but has played a pretty tough schedule in non-region. This week's region matchups include Woodruff at Chester and Clinton at Union County. Emerald has a non-region game with Eastside this week.
Projected order of finish
1. Clinton
2. Chester
3. Emerald
4. Woodruff
5. Union County
Region 2- 2a features traditional 2A power Abbeville. However, this Panther squad has two losses before October for the 1st time I can really remember. Those losses are two larger schools and quality teams in Powdersville and Westside. Abbeville has Liberty this week, Ninety Six hosts Blacksburg and Landrum hosts Chesnee. I have a good idea of who I think will win this region, but how will the rest of the chips fall? That is a great question.
Projection
1. Abbeville
2. Ninety Six
3. Chesnee
4. Landrum
5. Blacksburg
6. Liberty
Last but certainly not least, is Region 1-1A. The SCHSL made one if it's best moves in years to me, when they realigned Christ Church and St. Joe's back to Region 1-1A. That reunited them with rival and two-time defending 1A State Champs, Southside Christian. This region has already started play, as it has 7 teams. Southside Christian upset a previously unbeaten St. Joe's last week 31-14. This region is expected to be hotly contested with a 3 team race at the top. It may not be clear who will finish 1st through 3rd until late October when Southside Christian and St. Joe's both meet Christ Church. To me it's those three teams and then a 4 way dogfight for the 4th and final playoff spot.
Projection
1. Christ Church
2. Southside Christian
3. St. Joe's
4. McCormick
5 Dixie
6 Ware Shoals
7 Calhoun Falls
None of these projections are meant as sort of a slight at any programs across the Upstate. They simply, are the best guesses I can put together based on following Upstate High School Football. I am sure I will get a portion of this wrong, but listen to me on the Saturday Morning Scramble every weekend from 8-10 AM on The Fan Upstate and we will go through all of it. I will own up to it, if I am wrong, so let's find out together.
