Dreher clears first hurdle to playoffs

The South Carolina High School League Executive Committee voted 13-5 on Tuesday to deny Broome’s appeal of seeding in the 3A football playoff brackets.

The ruling allows Dreher to remain in the playoffs for now. The Blue Devils are scheduled to play at Myrtle Beach on Friday.

Broome will get one more appeal before the SCHSL’s appellate panel Wednesday at 10 a.m.

“We are just trying to get closure and trying to get ready to play a football game,” Dreher coach Treigh Sullivan said. “Hopefully, it will end in our favor.”

Broome is appealing the procedure to determine the three at-large berths for the 3A upper state football playoffs. The three upper state at-large qualifiers come from the fifth-place teams in Region I-3A and 2-3A and fourth-place teams in Region 3-3A and 4-3A. Of those four teams, the three with the highest points total based on 3A’s points system earn playoff spots.

Dreher (5-5), which finished tied for fourth in Region 4-3A, earned the final at-large spot and Broome (4-6), which was fourth in Region 3-3A, was behind the Blue Devils.

According to the 3A handbook, “Schools must maximize points on the points system” to determine the at-large berths.

In previous years, teams were allowed to maximize points by “marking-off” games for a loss or a win against a lower classification opponent to maximize points.

However, there is no mention of that in the Class 3A handbook. But it was agreed on by the Class 3A football coaches to use mark-off games, but nothing was written in the handbook.

According to the handbook, the only instances mark-off games would be allowed is in tiebreaker situations. In Dreher and Broome’s case, no tiebreaker was needed.

If no mark-offs are used, Broome has 32.5 points and Dreher 32.4. With a mark-off, Dreher has 29.9 and Broome 29.8.

“We presented all the facts that we had and that we were following the 3A handbook, which is approved by all members of 3A,” Broome principal Rodney Graves said. “The vote didn’t go our way, but we will decide to go forward to the appellate panel.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 9:31 PM.