A look at playoff scenarios for Midlands HS football teams as season hits homestretch

High school football in South Carolina is nearing the end of the regular season.

With two weeks left on the schedule — and several games around the state moving games to Thursday this week to beat expected rain — it’s a good time to take a look at the region races around the Midlands.

Each region has a different amount of guaranteed playoff spots, ranging from at least four all the way to six for bigger regions. There are at-large spots in Class 5A and 4A because of an uneven amount of regions.

Here are the latest playoff scenarios for Midlands teams. Region records are in parentheses:

Class 5A

Region 3: Clover and Rock Hill lead the region at 3-0 and play next week. Clover has Fort Mill this week, and Rock Hill is at Blythewood. There is a three-way tie for third between Blythewood (1-2), Nation Ford (1-2) and Fort Mill (1-2). Spring Valley (0-3) is sixth. The top five teams in the region earn playoff spots.

Region 4: White Knoll (3-0) has clinched a share of the region and can win it outright against Chapin on Thursday. Lexington (2-1) is in second place by a half-game over Dutch Fork (1-1). Those two teams play next week with second place likely on the line. River Bluff (0-2) and Chapin (0-2) play next week with a possible fourth and final automatic spot on the line. The fifth-place team could earn one of the three at-large spots. The first- and fourth-place teams in the region are in the lower state bracket, with second and third place in the upper state.

Class 4A

Region 4: Irmo (3-0) has clinched a share of the region and can win it outright against Westwood (0-3) on Friday. Richland Northeast (2-1) and Ridge View (2-1) are tied for second and play this week. RNE can clinch second with the win. RV would need to beat RNE and then A.C. Flora next week to finish second. Lugoff-Elgin (1-2) and A.C. Flora (1-2) are tied for fourth and play this week. There are only four playoff spots from the region.

Region 5: Midland Valley (2-0) and North Augusta (2-0) are tied for first and play for the region title next week. South Aiken (1-1) can wrap up third place with a win over MV or Aiken (0-3) in its final two games. Airport (1-2) has clinched the region’s fourth playoff spot.

Class 3A

Region 5: Gilbert (3-0) and Brookland-Cayce (3-0) are tied for first, with the region title likely decided next week when they meet at B-C. Dreher (2-1) can clinch the third playoff spot with a win over Gilbert or Lower Richland (1-2) in its final two games. Lower Richland can clinch third by beating Orangeburg-Wilkinson (0-3) and Dreher in the final two games. Swansea (0-3) is tied with O-W, and they will likely decide the fourth playoff spot next week when the two teams play.

Region 6: Crestwood (3-0) and Camden (3-0) are tied for first and play this week at Zemp Stadium. The winner will clinch the region championship. Lakewood (2-1) is third and has games with Darlington (0-3) and Crestwood left. Marlboro County (1-2) is fourth with games against Lake City (0-3) and Camden left.

Class 2A

Region 3: Strom Thurmond (3-0) is in first place and can clinch the region with a win over Silver Bluff (2-1). Saluda (2-1) is tied with Silver Bluff for second but holds the tie-breaker over the Bulldogs. Pelion (1-2) and Batesburg-Leesville (1-2) are tied for fourth and play each other this week. Fox Creek (0-3) needs to defeat B-L next week and have the Panthers lose this week to have a shot at the fifth and final playoff spot in the region.

Region 4: Gray Collegiate (6-0) has clinched the region title by virtue of all other teams in region forfeiting their games against the War Eagles. Newberry (3-1) and Fairfield Central (3-1) are battling for second and play next week. Keenan (2-2) is in fourth place followed by Mid-Carolina (1-3), Columbia (1-3) and Eau Claire (0-4). Six of the seven teams in the region make the playoffs.

Region 5: Andrew Jackson (3-0) leads the region and wins the title with a victory over North Central (2-1) on Thursday. North Central is tied with Cheraw (2-1) for second and holds the tiebreaker over the Braves. The Knights play AJ and Central to close the season. The fourth playoff spot will likely be decided between Chesterfield (1-2), Central (1-2) and Buford (0-3.).

This Week’s Schedule

All games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted

Thursday

Porter-Gaud at Cardinal Newman, 6:30 p.m.

Andrew Jackson at North Central, 7 p.m.

Aiken at Lexington, 7 p.m.

Gray Collegiate at IMG Academy (Fla.), 7 p.m.

Chapin at White Knoll

Friday

Andrew Jackson at North Central

Batesburg-Leesville at Pelion

Ben Lippen at Augusta Christian

Crestwood at Camden

Dreher at Gilbert

Fairfield Central at Eau Claire

Irmo at Westwood

Keenan at Mid-Carolina

Lower Richland at Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Lugoff-Elgin at AC Flora

Newberry at Columbia

Newberry Academy at Laurens Academy

North Augusta at Airport

Palmetto Christian at Northside Christian, 10:30 a.m.

Richard Winn at Wardlaw

Ridge View at Richland Northeast

River Bluff at Dutch Fork

Rock Hill at Blythewood

Saluda at Fox Creek

Spring Valley at Nation Ford

Swansea at Brookland-Cayce

Wilson Hall at Heathwood Hall