The Dillon Wildcats were ranked number one in Class 2A in the S.C. Prep Media Football Poll.
The Wildcats are the defending Class 2A Division 1 champs heading into the new season. Dillon will kick off the regular season at home this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against North Myrtle Beach.
Strom Thurmond, who moved down from Class 3A, was ranked second in the poll, followed by Batesburg-Leesville, Timberland, Fairfield Central, Newberry, Chesnee, and Woodruff. Loris and Silver Bluff were tied for ninth, and Cheraw was ranked tenth.
Batesburg-Leesville won the Division II title last season, while Timberland and Silver Bluff were the Division I and Division II state runners-up respectively.
Changes to the Class 2A postseason should streamline the playoffs this year, with only the top four teams in each region advancing. The qualifying teams will still be split into divisions based on school size, with larger schools competing in Division I and smaller schools competing in Division II. No teams will receive byes and there will be no points system.
In Class A, Division I defending champ Christ Church was ranked as the top team, with last year’s upper state runner-up Lamar ranked second. Carvers Bay, the Division 1 state runner-up, was ranked third. Defending Division II champ Hunter-Kinard-Tyler was ranked fourth, and Division I Lower State runner-up Allendale-Fairfax was placed fifth.
Hemingway, Williston-Elko, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Great Falls, and Timmonsville rounded out the top 10. Timmonsville was the Division II state runner-up last season, while Bamberg-Ehrhardt will be moving down from Class 2A.
Lake View received votes in the poll but neither the Gators nor the Latta Vikings were ranked. Both teams made the playoffs last season, with Latta falling to Allendale-Fairfax in the first round and Lake View finishing as the lower state runner-up in Division II. The Wild Gators fell 56-14 to Timmonsville in the lower state championship.
In Class 3A, defending champ Myrtle Beach topped the polls ,followed by South Pointe, Hartsville, Wren, Marlboro County, Daniel, Seneca, Midland Valley, Hanahan, and Greer.
In Class 4A, defending Division I champ Dutch Fork took first place, followed by Division II camp Northwestern. Byrnes, York, South Florence, Boiling Springs, Summerville, North Augusta, Spartanburg, and Goose Creek.
