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It's the last chance to dance, so to speak, for area high school football teams as we enter the final week of the regular season.
There's a lot riding on this week's action, from region championships at stake to playoff seeding on the line to the opportunity of just getting into the postseason, where everyone's record resets to 0-0 in the chase for a state championship.
The possibilities this week aren't exactly endless, but there are still plenty of different routes popping up on the GPS for area teams eyeing South Carolina State's Oliver C. Dawson Stadium as their mid-December destination.
Of course, some of those routes changed to some degree following the results of this past week's games.
The annual city rivalry between Aiken and South Aiken had playoff-like intensity, with South Aiken striking for two huge plays late after Aiken had driven inside the T-Breds' 10-yard line with just over a minute to play down by six. A Nick Starlings interception and a 96-yard Jevon Edwards touchdown run followed, giving South Aiken its eighth consecutive win in the series - the Hornets last beat the T-Breds in 2015, and the teams didn't play in 2020. The heartbreaker extended Aiken's overall losing streak to 24.
South Aiken extends win streak over Aiken with big plays late
Another rivalry that hasn't lacked in intensity is the one between North Augusta and Midland Valley. It had been a one-sided series for more than two decades before Midland Valley broke through last year for a 49-48 victory that ended the Mustangs' 24-game losing streak to the Jackets. This time around, though, North Augusta made sure a new streak wouldn't be started at its expense with a 45-21 win that sets up a Region 4-AAAA championship game Friday with Gray Collegiate, also atop the region standings at 6-0, coming to town.
North Augusta football gets revenge over Midland Valley with 45-21 win on Friday
One region championship is already in the books for an area team, as Barnwell held off Whale Branch for a 21-14 win to wrap up the Region 5-AA title. The Warhorses knew coming into region play that they needed four wins to get what they wanted, and they accomplished that goal. The prize? Homefield advantage through the Lower State championship game, should the Warhorses advance that far. Up next is a visit from Academic Magnet on Nov. 15 in the first round of the playoffs.
Silver Bluff continued its strong form in recent weeks, beating Fox Creek for its second consecutive win to give the Bulldogs a shot at the Region 4-AAA title this Friday at home against Newberry. Newberry is a game ahead in the league standings, but a Silver Bluff win would tie them at the top and give Silver Bluff the head-to-head tiebreaker. A loss would put Silver Bluff in a three-way tie for second with Swansea and Keenan. Fox Creek finishes fifth in region and will be on the road in the first round of the playoffs at Region 6-AAA champion Oceanside Collegiate.
Prep Football Roundup for Week 11
Strom Thurmond kept alive its hopes of forcing a Region 2-AA tiebreaker, bouncing back from a loss to Saluda to beat Ninety Six 21-7. Up next for the Rebels is a visit from undefeated Batesburg-Leesville, and a win could result in a three-way tie at the top with Batesburg-Leesville and Saluda, which is facing winless American Legion Academy this week.
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler wrapped up the Region 3-A title with a 60-8 win over Ridge Spring-Monetta. The top spot is sorted out, but there's still plenty of room for the volatility that always seems to occur within this region. Blackville-Hilda is alone in second after a 20-6 win over Williston-Elko, and the Fighting Hawks can go ahead and lock up that spot this week against RS-M - but if RS-M wins, that leaves those two and Calhoun County in a three-way tie at 3-2. Williston-Elko wrapped up region play at 1-4, while Wagener-Salley fell to 0-4 with a 37-0 loss to Calhoun County.
This week's schedule
Wednesday
Gilbert at Aiken, 7 p.m.
Thursday
Airport at South Aiken
Friday
Gray Collegiate at North Augusta
Newberry at Silver Bluff
Batesburg-Leesville at Strom Thurmond
Blackville-Hilda at Ridge Spring-Monetta