Class 5A Upper State Playoff Preview

Jed Blackwell November 1, 2021 @ 10:00 AM

The Upstate landscape looks a little different as the 5A playoffs get started. Gone is the sense of dominance surrounding just about any program. Gaffney is the lone unbeaten team in the bracket, but would have to run an absolute gauntlet to advance to the Upper State title game. Two one loss teams are just behind, and played for last year's Upper State crown. Northwestern lost early and T.L. Hanna lost late, which would put them on a quicker course toward each other. And across the bracket, Spartanburg is back on top in Region II, and has Spring Valley and an upstart Hillcrest team to contend with down the road if higher seeds hold. Here's a look at the entire Class 5A Upper State field. No. 4 Riverside (7-3) at No.1 Hillcrest (7-2) Riverside put together a solid season led by QB and WR . The Warriors will travel to face Greenville County rival Hillcrest. Anthony Frate’s team is paced by QB Bennett Judy, WR/KR Avery McFadden, and a defense that authored one of the biggest upsets of the regular season last week, knocking off previously unbeaten T.L. Hanna. No. 3 Ridge View (4-4) at No. 2 Clover (4-4) The Blazers faltered a bit after a hot start, but and Marcus Kelly make Ridge View dangerous and hard to defend. Clover held off Nation Ford for a second place finish. and Demarco Evans help make Brian Lane’s offense go. No. 4 Woodmont (5-5) at No. 1 Spartanburg (6-3) JuJu Stewart and AJ Hackett have helped lead the Wildcats back to the playoffs. They’ll travel to face the Vikings, who have been lights-out since ’s return from an early season injury. The Vikings’ defense has played well in Region II-4A, led by standout . No. 3 Nation Ford (4-5) at No. 2 Spring Valley (6-2) Falcons QB has helped lead Nation Ford to a third place finish and a berth in the playoffs, with Kenan Bowman as one of his main targets. has led the Vikings, as he’s effectively directed the passing game and is second on the team in rushing yards as well. No. 4 Rock Hill (2-6) at No. 1 Gaffney (10-0) The Bearcats struggled last week against arch rival Northwestern, but they’ll try to make a run behind North All-Star , who’s done a little bit of everything including offense, defense, and blocking kicks. Gaffney completed an undefeated regular season for the first time since 2011. They’ve been led by , , and a stingy defense spearheaded by and Landon Bullock. No. 3 Dorman (4-5) at No. 2 T.L. Hanna (9-1) This is a matchup that many expected to come much later in the playoffs, and to be between No. 1 seeds. Dorman has looked spotty on offense, and when the Cavaliers have won it’s been due to a stout defense led by and Bo Roseborough. Hanna faltered at the worst possible time, losing the Region I-5A title to Hillcrest. The Yellow Jackets use multiple running backs in their vaunted Wing offense, but senior (pictured) is the rock. No. 3 Mauldin (6-3) at No. 2 Byrnes (5-5) This might be the most intriguing matchup of the first round in the Upper State. Mauldin’s do-everything defensive backs and , both ranked in Prep Redzone’s Top 20, have done double-duty, with both playing a lot of offense for the Mavericks. They’ll need to keep their defensive focus, because Byrnes’ Gabe Rogers is a bona fide stud: he’s thrown for 3,126 yards and 31 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Behind him, the Rebels average 39 points and 500 yards of offense per game. No. 4 Boiling Springs (1-9) at No. 1 Northwestern (9-1) The Bulldogs struggled all year on the offensive side of the ball, notching their only win in Week 9 to take a No. 4 seed. But the emergence of Kam Williams and Carmelo Martin at running back have boosted Boiling Springs’ offensive fortunes, and the defense has played well in spots. They’ll need to again on Friday, as Northwestern boasts North All-Star QB , who’s thrown for 2,173 yards and accounted for 38 touchdowns.