Shortened SC football season means loss of marquee games for Midlands teams
Dutch Fork will get a chance to go for its fifth straight Class 5A football championship this season, but it won’t get to play in some of its marquee games on the schedule.
The S.C. High School League Executive Committee approved a proposal in a 14-2 vote Wednesday to move the start of fall sports competition until September because of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposal calls for a seven-game schedule, three fewer than normal. Under the plan, teams are to play region games first, with the flexibility to add non-region contests later in the season if desired (and if possible).
The loss of games puts a damper on the Silver Foxes’ non-region contesting including the previously scheduled season opener against North Carolina 4AA champion Vance at the Matthews Sportsplex, and the matchup against preseason No. 1 IMG Academy at Cam Newton Classic in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend.
As it stands now, S.C. teams’ first games won’t be until Sept. 11.
“We aren’t scared to challenge ourselves,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said of the IMG matchup back in January.
Dutch Fork is coming off its fourth straight Class 5A state championship and enters the season with a 40-game unbeaten streak. The Silver Foxes finished the season ranked No. 9 in MaxPreps Top 25 and 15th in USA Today’s Super 25 poll.
This will be the third straight year one of Dutch Fork’s high-profile games is canceled or suspended. In 2018, Dutch Fork’s game against Mallard Creek in Charlotte was canceled because of rain. Last year, the two teams met in nationally-televised game on ESPN2 at Dutch Fork. But the game was stopped late because of weather and the score tied 27.
Dutch Fork isn’t the only Midlands football team losing out on a big-time, non-region matchup. Spring Valley also was scheduled to play in the Cam Newton Classic against Carver High out of Columbus, Georgia.
“It stinks for the players and everyone because it was something we were looking forward to playing,” Spring Valley coach Robin Bacon said. “We have been trying to play in one of these big events and were finally able to get it scheduled but now we won’t be able to do it.”
Both Spring Valley and Dutch Fork have been told they can in play in next year’s Cam Newton Classic, which is put on by the former Carolina Panthers and current New England Patriots quarterback’s foundation.
Some of the other big matchups involving Midlands teams wiped out because of the shortened schedule including
▪ Buford (Georgia) at Ridge View
▪ Class 3A champion Chapman at Brookland-Cayce
▪ Cross Creek (Georgia) at Gilbert.
Heathwood Hall had its game against Christ Church canceled and replaced the Cavs with Porter-Gaud. Hammond’s game against Charlotte Country Day also is in doubt.
Some non-region rivalry matchups should remain somewhere in the new schedules, including AC Flora vs. Chapin, Gilbert vs. Lexington, Brookland-Cayce vs Airport and Blythewood vs. Westwood. Those games might be canceled, however, if the high school football schedule is forced to start later than Sept. 11.
