Local teams hold on to their spots in S.C. Prep Media Poll
Sumter wide receiver Marcus Lane (1) stiff-arms a Lugoff-Elgin defender during the Gamecocks’ 58-6 victory last Friday. Sumter improved to 6-0 on the season with the win and is still ranked fifth among 5A schools in the latest S.C. Prep Media Football Poll.
Each of the four local high school football teams ranked in the S.C. Prep Media Football Poll last week – Sumter, Laurence Manning Academy, Robert E. Lee Academy and Clarendon Hall – all held their positions in their respective classifications.
SHS remains fifth in the SCHSL 5A poll released on Tuesday, while LMA is second in the SCISA 3A poll, REL still sits atop the SCISA 2A poll and Clarendon Hall is second in the SCISA 8-man poll.
After jumping two spots to No. 5 last week, the Gamecocks couldn’t make a move despite improving to 6-0 on the season with a 58-6 win over Lugoff-Elgin.
The four teams ranked ahead of Sumter – Dutch Fork, Byrnes, Fort Dorchester and Dorman – all remained unbeaten with Dutch Fork staying as the unanimous No. 1. There was a shakeup among the second five, although the same five teams are still ranked.
T.L. Hanna fell from the ranks of the undefeated as it lost to Greenwood 49-22. Hanna dropped sixth t0 10th. Gaffney moved up a spot to sixth, while Clover jumped two spots to seventh. River Bluff remained eighth, while Carolina Forest moved up a spot from ninth to eighth.
Laurence Manning was able to hold on to the No. 2 spot in SCISA 3A and stay undefeated with a 39-31 overtime win over No. 3 First Baptist last week. First Baptist remained at No. 3 despite the loss. Hammond, the 2-time defending state champion, is still the unanimous No. 1.
Robert E. Lee received three of the four first-place votes in the 2A poll, while No. 2 Trinity-Byrnes got the other vote.
Clarendon Hall remains second in the 8-man poll behind Andrew Jackson Academy. AJA is the unanimous No. 1 this week.
There was a change at the top in the SCHSL 1A poll. Lamar fell from first to third after a 28-26 loss to 2A Gray Collegiate. Undefeated Wagener-Salley moved up to No. 1, while defending state champion Green Sea-Floyds moved up a spot to second. Wagener-Salley got seven No. 1 votes, while GSF and Lamar received two apiece.
Myrtle Beach remains a unanimous No. 1 in 4A. Dillon is still atop the 3A poll, getting seven first-place votes to four for No. 2 Chapman. Abbeville got all but one of the first-place votes in the 2A poll with Barnwell picking up the other.
Thomas Heyward Academy is still atop the SCISA 1A poll despite losing to Trinity-Byrnes 55-14. It is not a unanimous pick though as No. 2 Carolina Academy got a first-place vote.