Football playoff scenarios shape up for Midlands teams

It’s stretch run time in the high school football season.

Teams are scrambling for playoff positions, and some scenarios can’t be determined because several schools have as many as three games remaining.

Here’s a look at possible playoff scenarios for Midlands teams:

Class 4A

REGION 4-4A

Leader: Westwood (3-0)

In the hunt: Dutch Fork (2-1); Ridge View (2-1); Spring Valley (1-1); Blythewood (0-2)

Westwood clinches the region with a win on Friday over Dutch Fork. But if Dutch Fork wins the next two, it has a shot to win the region title. If Westwood, Dutch Fork and Ridge View are tied, a tie-breaker would be used to determine seeding for the playoffs.

Ridge View clinches a playoff spot with a win in one of its final two games. The Blazers have Spring Valley this week and close against Blythewood.

Both Spring Valley and Blythewood have three region games left and play in the final game of the season Nov. 13. If neither finishes in the top three, both have a good chance to make it on points.

REGION 5-4A

Leader: Lexington (3-0)

In the hunt: River Bluff (2-1), Irmo (2-1), White Knoll (1-2)

Lexington can clinch the region championship with a win over South Aiken. River Bluff or Irmo can clinch second with wins the next two weeks. The two teams meet at River Bluff next week.

White Knoll is in the mix for a top-three spot in the region or an at-large spot. The Timberwolves play River Bluff on Friday and Lexington next week.

Class 3A

REGION 4-3A

Leader: Chapin (3-0)

In the hunt: Dreher (2-1); Richland Northeast (2-1); A.C. Flora (1-2); Camden (1-2); Lower Richland (0-3)

Chapin can clinch a region title with a win Friday at Camden.

Dreher and Richland Northeast control their own fates and can wrap up the No. 2 seed and a home playoff game with wins in the last two games. Dreher plays A.C. Flora on Friday and Richland Northeast in the season finale. RNE plays Lower Richland on Friday.

A.C. Flora plays Dreher on Friday and Chapin in the regular-season finale. Camden finishes its season at Lower Richland.

REGION 5-3A

Leader: Midland Valley (4-0)

In the hunt: Airport (3-1); Aiken (3-1) Brookland-Cayce (2-2)

Midland Valley wins the region with a win over Aiken on Friday. If Aiken wins and Airport defeats Brookland-Cayce, that would create a three-way tie for first place and the tiebreaker would be the points given up in the matchups between the three teams.

If Brookland-Cayce defeats Airport and Midland Valley defeats Aiken, there would be a three-way tie for second and the same tie-breaker would be used.

Only the top three spots are guaranteed to make the playoffs but the fourth-place team has a good chance to get one of the three at-large spots for the 3A lower state playoffs.

Class 2A

REGION 2-2A

Leaders: Strom Thurmond (3-1); Abbeville (3-1)

In the hunt: Batesburg-Leesville (2-2); Saluda (2-2); Ninety Six (2-2)

Strom Thurmond wins the region and will be the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A Division I upper state playoffs with a victory Friday.

Batesburg-Leesville will finish third in the region with a win at Saluda and will likely be the No. 4 or 5 seed in the Class 2A Division II upper state playoffs.

REGION 3-2A

Leader: Fairfield Central (5-0)

In the hunt: Newberry (4-1); Mid-Carolina (3-2); Keenan (2-2); Eau Claire (2-3)

Fairfield Central has clinched the region and can get the top seed in Class 2A Division I upper state playoffs with a win Friday against Mid-Carolina and a Strom Thurmond loss.

Newberry has clinched No. 2 seed from region and is looking like No. 4 seed for the Division I upper state playoffs.

Mid-Carolina has clinched a playoff spot and will finish either third or fourth in the region. Keenan, which has two games left, could finish as high as the three seed or miss the playoffs. The Raiders would get the third spot if they defeats Pelion on Friday and Eau Claire next week but would be out if they lose both.

Eau Claire makes it to the playoffs with a win over Keenan next week.

SCISA

CLASS 3A

Leader: Hammond (5-0)

In the hunt: Cardinal Newman (2-5); Ben Lippen (1-5); Heathwood Hall (1-5)

All four Midlands teams in the region have clinched playoff berths. Hammond has clinched the region title and can complete an unbeaten season with a win over Heathwood Hall.

Ben Lippen can tie Cardinal Newman by defeating Augusta Christian by at least 14 points on Friday. If that happens there will be a tiebreaker to determine who the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. Cardinal Newman’s game against Ben Lippen wasn’t made up because of the flood so the teams might have to play an overtime-type scenario or a coin flip to break the tie.

Heathwood Hall has clinched the No. 8 seed and likely would play Hammond again in the first round of the playoffs next week.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 9:04 PM.