Nineteen high school football teams in the Upstate have made it to the second round of the South Carolina High School League playoffs. That includes six of the remaining eight in the Class AAAAA and Class AAA Upper State brackets, respectively. There are five matchups between Upstate teams. Here’s a closer look at those and some predictions.
Spartanburg (6-5) at J.L. Mann (9-2)
Don’t let that record fool you. Spartanburg is a No. 4 seed nobody wants to play right now. The Vikings went 1-3 in Region 2-AAAAA, losing three straight, but were competitive in all and lost only 19-14 to Gaffney. Spartanburg beat rival Doman by three touchdowns in the regular-season finale and then went on the road to knock off No. 2 seed Rock Hill. The Vikings in the past seven games (4-3) have outscored opponents, 212-91. Spartanburg is 6-2 in the past three postseasons. J.L. Mann, meanwhile, is trying to get to the third round for the first time since 2001. The Patriots struggled for nine straight years, going 10-82 from 2012 to 2021. Scoot Watson’s fourth year as coach is already historic. It could end up being monumental.
Prediction: J.L. Mann 21, Spartanburg 20
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Hillcrest (9-2) at Byrnes (10-1)
Bennett Swygert already has done something that no other first-year coach for the Rams has ever done: win the playoff opener and make it to the second round. The list of those who were unable includes all-time greats Anthony Frate (now at Wren) and Greg Porter (now at Greenville), who won a state title there. The Rams have star power with offensive playmaker Avery McFadden, a finalist for South Carolina’s Mr. Football. Byrnes was the best team in the best region in the state. The Rebels under coach Reggie Shaw are on a nine-game winning streak and looking to get past the Upper State semifinals, where they lost last year to region rival Gaffney.
Prediction: Byrnes 31, Hillcrest 21
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Greenville (8-3) at Greer (6-5)
It feels like something similar to last season is happening for Greenville. The Red Raiders started 0-3 but got stronger every week in 2022, winning 10 straight to make the Upper State semifinals. Greenville was a mediocre 3-3 this season but has won five straight, including a 63-7 statement in the first round against South Aiken. Meanwhile, Greer lost five of its first six, had key playmakers injured and was forced to shuffle guys into new positions to find the right formula. The Yellow Jackets found it and went unbeaten in Region 2-AAAA to get a No. 1 seed. Last week’s squeaker, 29-28 against Indian Land, is cause for some concern, though.
Prediction: Greenville 38, Greer 31
Pendleton (9-2) at Belton-Honea Path (11-0)
This is a matchup between teams that were region foes just two years ago before Belton-Honea Path was moved from 1-AAA to 2-AAA. It won’t bring back many good memories for Pendleton, which was routed four straight times by BHP from 2018-21 and is 0-12 all time against the Bears. What’s more, they might be better now than they were even in the 2004 state championship season. Belton-Honea Path’s closest game this season was a 15-point win against Westside, which is seeded third among 16 teams in Class AAAA Upper State playoffs. Since then, the average margin of victory has been 34.8 points. They’ve set a program record with 581 points.
Prediction: Belton-Honea Path 49, Pendleton 21
Wren (6-5) at Daniel (11-0)
Daniel was on target for a third consecutive Class AAA state championship last season when it stumbled in the quarterfinal round, losing by a point to Powdersville. Remarkably, that has been the Lions’ only loss in the past four seasons (47-1). Wren won a state title in 2019 before Daniel began its run. The Hurricanes have scored at least 40 points in five of the past six games. The defense, however, has allowed 139 points in the past three games (46.3 average). It will be difficult to match Daniel’s intensity and focus this late in the season, especially on the road.
Prediction: Daniel 42, Wren 28
2023-11-08 10:16:34
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