HSSR Class AA - Top 15 Ranking (Pre-Season)

HSSR - Class AA Top 15 Ranking - (Pre-Season)

  1.  Clinton

  2.  Chester

  3.  Strom Thurmond

  4.  Saluda

  5.  Barnwell

  6.  Hampton County

  7.  Phillip Simmons

  8.  Manning

  9.  Ninety-Six

  10. Andrew Jackson

  11. Marion

  12. Cheraw

  13. Whale Branch

  14. Batesburg-Leesville

  15. Landrum

         By Dennis Brunson

           hssr.com Associate Editor

           Sumter – If there has ever been a door left wide open for a school to come out of “nowhere” and win a state championship, it’s this season in the South Carolina High School League’s Class AA football classification.

           After reclassification and realignment, four of the five schools that have competed in the last four AA state championship games – Gray Collegiate Academy, Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Abbeville and Silver Bluff – are no longer in AA.

The only one that remains is Marion, which played for the 2020 state title.

           Oceanside and Gray, sister charter schools, played for the title last year with Oceanside winning 35-28. However, both moved up this season thanks to the multiplier rule that has every student at a school not within its attendance lines count as three in determining enrollment numbers used in reclassification.

           Gray Collegiate, which won the 2021 AA title and did not play any region contests in any sports last season due to region schools protesting citing competitive imbalance, is now in AAAA. Oceanside Collegiate is now a AAA school along with Silver Bluff.

           On the other end of the spectrum is Abbeville, which has dropped down to Class A. Abbeville has been a dominant force in AA under head coach Jamie Nickles, most recently winning titles in 2022 and 2020. The Panthers had won six titles in the past nine years.

           The most recent champion that’s still in AA is Saluda, which claimed the 2019 crown under head coach Stewart Young. Barnwell, which played for state titles in both 2018 and 2019, also remains in AA.

           Add to the mix schools like Chester and Clinton, which have had strong seasons in AAA the past few years, dropping down to join AA and anything can pretty much happen.

           Let’s take a look at what each of the seven regions holds for this season.

           Region 1: Blacksburg, Chesnee, Clinton, Landrum, Liberty

           Clinton under head coach Corey Fountain will be the favorite in this 5-team region. The Red Devils went 34-6 the past three seasons in AAA, reaching the quarterfinals each year and playing for the upper state title in 2022.

           Region 2: American Leadership, Batesburg-Leesville, Ninety Six, Pelion, Saluda, Strom Thurmond

           Saluda has the strongest historical pedigree in this 6-team region, but it is Strom Thurmond which won a Region 3 title that included Saluda and Pelion. The Rebels reached the quarterfinals of the state playoffs, losing to Gray Collegiate 35-28.

           Region 3: Chester, Columbia, Eau Claire, Fairfield Central, Mid-Carolina

           Chester has to be considered the overwhelming favorite in this 5-team region with Fairfield Central providing the most serious competition.

           Under veteran head coach Victor Floyd, the Cyclones went undefeated in winning the 2018 AAA state title. They went 10-3 last season, losing to eventual state champion Daniel, which is now in AAAA, in the quarterfinals. In the three years prior to that, Chester was eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual AAA upper state champion.

           Floyd’s son, Trooper Floyd, returns at quarterback for his senior season. Trooper completed 151 of 235 passes for 2,060 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while rushing for 551 yards and five scores on 132 carries.

           Fairfield Central is led by junior quarterback Cameron McMillon, who will be starting for the third consecutive year. McMillon completed 149 of 213 passes for 2,395 yards and 22 touchdowns during last season’s 9-3 campaign after throwing for 3,319 yards and 34 touchdowns as a freshman.

           Region 4: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, North Central

           This region is a rarity after a reclassification/realignment takes place. The 6-team region remains in tact from last year. The only change is the Region is its number, going from 5 to 4.

           Andrew Jackson went undefeated in the region last year, going 9-4 and reaching the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

           Region 5: Barnwell, Edisto, Hampton County, Lake Marion, Whale Branch

           The Barnwell Warhorses are no doubt in the lead of this 5-team region. They have reached at least the quarterfinals of the AA state playoffs for the past eight seasons.

           Barnwell returns 17 starters from a team that went 8-5 a year ago, losing to eventual state champion Oceanside Collegiate in the quarterfinals.

           “We are excited about our upcoming season,” said second-year head coach Brian Smith. “Our goals have not changed. Our kids have really worked hard this offseason to maintain the level of excellence that Barnwell High School has exhibited for so long. Our kids know that the only way to improve is through hard work and that excellence does not take a day off.”

Region 6: Academic Magnet, Andrews, Burke, Philip Simmons, Timberland, Woodland

           Philip Simmons has to be considered the favorite in this 6-team region after dropping down from AAA. The Iron Horses went 10-2 last season, losing to Brookland-Cayce in the second round. They are 28-8 over the past three years.

           AA holdover Woodland will be the chief competition. The Wolverines are 19-8 the past two seasons, going 8-3 last year and losing to Oceanside Collegiate in the second round of the playoffs.

           Region 7: Atlantic Collegiate, East Clarendon, Kingstree Lake City, Manning, Marion, Mullins

           This 7-team region is an example of what reclassification can do. On one hand, you have Manning and Lake City, who are dropping down from AAA. On the other hand, you have East Clarendon, which is coming up from Class A. Oh yeah, and then you have AA holdovers Kingstree, Marion and Mullins and SCHSL newcomer Atlantic Collegiate Academy to throw in the mix

           This will be a wide-open region, but Manning has to be considered the favorite

           “I think with the team we’ve got coming back, I think we can compete with most 3A schools and some 4A schools,” said Monarchs head coach Reggie Kennedy, who led Manning to a 7-4 record last year. “With the pieces we’ve got coming back, I feel good about our chances coming out of spring as long as we – the coaches – don’t mess it up.”