The playoffs for HS Football teams around South Carolina start in all classes in South Carolina. The 4A Upper State bracket is loaded with teams in the GSP area. There are 2 Regions in 4A that we have covered all season, Region 1 and Region 2.
The Greenville Red Raiders won the Region 1 Title in decisive fashion winning every region game by 30 or more. The Region 2 Title came down to a 3 way tie after the regular season finale. Laurens won the tie breaker, Greer finished and Riverside went from the Region's top team to 3rd after their 1 point OT loss to Greer forced the 3-way tie.
Greenville hosts Aiken- The Red Raiders have won 7 straight to close the season after starting 0-3 with losses to Dorman, Hanna and Byrnes. Greenville is the overall #1 seed in the Upper State 4A bracket. Aiken made the playoffs despite winning just one game all season. Greenville is loaded with talent and made the 4A Upper State Title game before falling last year. Coach Greg Porter has won big at every level and we will see if he can lead the Red Raiders to a run toward the title.
Greer hosts South Pointe- Both of these teams are battle tested after playing tough non-region schedules. South Pointe is the defending 4A State Champs and will start their defense on the road. The Stallions finished 3rd in Region 3 4A, which may well be the toughest region in Class 4A. Greer RB Ladainnan Martin is quite possibly the most talented 10th grade Tailback in the state. He ran for over 250 yards last week in the OT win at Riverside.
Riverside at Catawba Ridge- Riverside Coach Matt Rochester has done a tremendous job with that program in just his 2nd season. They had a chance to win a Region Title for the 1st time in over 30 years. They missed on chance by failing to convert on a two point try that would have won the game over Greer. They have to regroup, as they travel to take on a quality Catawba Ridge team that finished 2nd in Region 3.
Easley at North Augusta- Easley finished 4th in Region 1 and was blown out by Greenville High last week. They have a tough draw, as they take the long road trip. North Augusta won the Region 4- 4A title. While North Augusta is quality team, they are probably the least powerful of the 4 Region winners in the 4A Upper State bracket.
Midland Valley at Westside- It'll be electricity in the Electric City on Friday night, as Westside and crosstown rival Hanna (5A) will host playoff games. The Rams have dynamic playmakers at receiver and have one of the most talented Sophomore QB's in the Upstate, in Cutter Woods. He already has some D-1 offers and the recruiting flood gates will likely open for him next summer. Midland Valley is 5-5 on the season, they had a solid non-region win over Strom Thurmond, which is a smaller school (2A) but won their region. MV finished 3rd in Region 4- 4A, but were beaten badly by the top 2 finishers.
Laurens hosts Indian Land- As I mentioned above, Laurens won the Region 2 4A Title getting the edge in the 3 way tiebreaker atop the standings. The Raiders are at home and would be for a 2nd round game as well. They have the best draw of any team in Region 2 due to winning the Region Title. Indian Land is the 4th place finisher from that loaded group of Region 3 teams.
Greenwood at South Aiken- Greenwood started slow this year, playing a challenging non-region schedule. They finished 3rd in Region 1, they were beaten badly by Region Champs Greenville two weeks ago and lost in a competitive game with Westside. Their non-region slate was brutal, but they did get a road win in September over Region 4 Champs North Augusta. South Aiken is the 2nd place finisher in Region 4, they lost in a close one to North Augusta.
Wade Hampton at Northwestern-Rock Hill- The Generals are playing with "house money", but in this case the house is incredibly hard to beat. Wade Hampton Coach Travis Miller has done a tremendous job with that program. Until they broke into the win column this season, the program had not won a game since 2018. So, while yeah I talk about the playoffs being "watered down", making the postseason is a major step forward for the program. Miller could be a coach that some larger schools target if their are job openings in the near future. Northwestern Rock Hill went unbeaten Region 3 and won that title and we mentioned how good that region is. Their only loss is to 5A defending State Champs Gaffney.
The inclusion of 16 teams in the Upper State bracket does indeed water down the playoff fields in all classes and is often the reason the 1st round isn't very competitive. However, there are some games in the 1st round of the 4A bracket that could be compelling and high drama. I think Greenwood at South Aiken could be the "show stealer" of the 1st round.
Hear results, analysis and coaches interviews following each round of the playoffs on the "Upstate's Epicenter For High School Football Talk", the Saturday Morning Scramble from 8-10 AM.
