And your Class A state champion is …?

  By Dennis Brunson

           hssr.com Associate Editor

           Sumter – The regular season in high school football is always special, but there is nothing that compares to the postseason. Looking at the brackets, seeing what has to happen for this particular matchup to happen, the anticipation of said matchups and the excitement that builds up as teams try to make a run toward a state championship.

           With the reclassification put forward by the South Carolina High School League for this year, all of the classifications will have a different vibe. Class A no longer will have Christ Church, Southside Christan School and St. Joseph’s because of the multiplier rule, but it does have a new dominant force in Abbeville. The Panthers, long a force in AA, is now in Class A and has to be seen as the prohibitive favorite.

           Still though, you’ve got to play the games and see what happens. We can’t do that, but we can fill out the bracket to see who we have facing off for the championship in Orangeburg the second week of December.

         WHO’S IN:

           Upper State

            Region 1: 1. Abbeville 2. Ware Shoals 3. Whitmire 4. Dixie 5. McCormick 6. Calhoun Falls

           Region 2: 1. Lewisville 2. Lamar 3. Lee Central 4. McBee 5. C.A. Johnson

           Region 3: 1. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler 2. Blackville-Hilda 3. Calhoun County 4. Ridge Spring-Monetta 5. Williston-Elko

         Lower State

            Region 4: 1. Bamberg-Ehrhart 2. Ridgeland 3. Denmark-Olar 4. Hardeeville

           Region 5: 1. Cross 2. Branchville 3. Baptist Hill 4. Scott’s Branch 5. Military Magnet 6. Bethune-Bowman

           Region 6: 1. Lake View 2. Hannah-Pamplico 3. Latta 4. Carvers Bay 5. Johnsonville 6. Green Sea Floyds

         FIRST ROUND

            Upper State

           C.A. Johnson (2-8) at Abbeville (8-1)

           Dixie (7-2) at Blackville-Hilda (8-2)

           McCormick (3-7) at Lamar (7-3)

           Calhoun County (3-7) at Lee Central (5-4)

           McBee (4-5) at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (9-1)

           Williston-Elko (2-7) at Ware Shoals (4-5)

           Calhoun Falls (1-8) at Lewisville (9-1)

           Ridge Spring-Monetta (5-5) at Whitmire (3=7)

           Lower State

           Green Sea Floyds (1-9) at Cross (8-2)

           Scott’s Branch (4-6) at Ridgeland (6-4)

           Military Magnet (2-6) at Hannah-Pamplico (7-2)

           Carvers Bay (4-6) at Denmark-Olar (3-6)

           Hardeeville (3-7) at Lake View (8-1)

           Johnsonville (4=6) at Branchville (8-2)

           Bethune-Bowman (1-9) at Bamberg-Ehrhardt (6-2)

           Latta (5-5) at Baptist Hill (6-3)

           The first round of any high school sports playoff is usually filled with blowouts, and that could easily be the case with these 16 games. However, there are intriguing matchups in this group.

           While Blackville-Hilda has to be the favorite with an 8-2 record, it will take on a 7-2 Dixie squad. Ridgeland finished second in a weak Region 6, while Scott’s Branch came on strong down the stretch to go 4-6.

           Carvers Bay is 4-6 and will play at 3-6 Denmark-Olar. Latta at Baptist Hill will be an intriguing matchup because the Vikings pound the ball while Baptist Hill pushes the ball through the air.

           Johnsonville may be just 4-6 and going against an 8-2 Branchville squad, but Johnsonville is the 2-time defending lower state champion. Don’t look for them to go down easy.

           First-round winners:

Upper State: Abbeville, Blackville-Hilda, Lamar, Lee Central, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Ware Shoals, Lewisville, Ridge-Spring Monetta.

Lower State: Cross, Scott’s Branch, Hannah-Pamplico, Carvers Bay, Lake View, Branchville, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Latta.

  SECOND ROUND

  Upper State

              Blackville-Hilda at Abbeville

              Lee Central at Lamar

              Ware Shoals at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

              Ridge Spring-Monetta at Lewisvlle

  Lower State

              Scott’s Branch at Cross

             Carvers Bay at Hannah-Pamplico

             Branchville at Lake View

             Latta at Bamberg-Ehrhardt

This is the round where the fun starts to kick in with matchups of teams with gaudy records and outstanding reputations. Also, with the Class A regions so widespread, you can easily get pairings of teams that aren’t geographically close, thus leading to first-time matchups.

           The two most noteworthy showdowns in this round would be 2-loss Blackville-Hilda playing at 1-loss Abbeville. The Panthers will be favored and are led by Damarcus Leach. He will be going up against a future teammate at South Carolina in B-H’s Jaquel Holman.

           The best lower state matchup will have 2-loss Branchville at 1-loss Lake View.

           Second-round winners:

Upper State: Abbeville, Lamar, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Lewisville:

Lower State: Cross, Hannah-Pamplico, Lake View, Bamberg-Ehrhardt

  THIRD ROUND

Upper State

Lamar at Abbeville

Lewisville at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

Lower State

Hannah-Pamplico at Cross

Bamberg-Ehrhardt at Lake View

You’ve got the three champions of the upper state regions and the three region champions from the lower state still alive. The other team in the upper state is No. 2 seed Lamar, while No. 2 seed Hannah-Pamplico is the fourth lower state team.

In years past, a matchup between Lamar and Abbeville would be a premier showdown. While Lamar is still a top program, Abbeville is simply a cut above.

           Hunter-Kinard-Tyler has had a great season, but Lewisville has been on a mission after going out in the second round last season.

           These lower state matchups would be fun to watch as the pairings have two teams that go about their business in different ways.

Third-round winners:

  Upper State: Abbeville, Lewisville

  Lower State: Cross, Bamberg-Ehrhardt

SEMIFINALS

Upper State

           Lewisville at Abbeville

           Lower State

           Bamberg-Ehrhardt at Cross

           This would be the “collision course” game of the upper state bracket. Lewisville and Abbeville have been dominant all season. The lower state game will be a pairing of two teams that like to pound the football. However, Bamberg-Ehrhardt has senior quarterback Chanston Crosby to give it a better passing option.

           Semifinal winners: Abbeville, Bamberg-Ehrhardt

           STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Abbeville vs. Bamberg-Ehrhardt

           The Red Raiders will present a physical challenge, but Abbeville has tremendous throughout its roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

           However, I go back to what I said at the beginning of the story. Abbeville has to be considered the favorite to win until someone beats it.

           Your state champion: Abbeville