Playoffs begin Friday as South Carolina high school football state rankings reveal 2026 Top 25 on Nov. 2

Playoff format changes

Class 5A will bring its divisions together after two years of separate competition, with one champion to be decided. Dutch Fork and Northwestern, winners of Divisions I and II, will meet in the Upper State bracket.

Class A now has two divisions, and several teams in that class have byes in the first round. The other classifications also include teams that will not begin play Friday.

Five ranked teams in action

River Bluff is among the five teams in the final SI Top 25 set to play Friday. The Gators host Spartanburg in the Class 5A Upper State bracket, and the winner will visit Dorman in the second round.

The Silver Foxes aimed to complete a seventh undefeated regular season under coach Tom Knotts. The Trojans were pursuing their second undefeated regular season since 2023, while the Indians had gone 15 consecutive quarters without allowing a point over four games.

Season milestones and standings

Jack Grass became the fifth Lions quarterback to pass for 4,000 career yards and the fourth to record 50 passing touchdowns. Trey Wimberly became the second Daniel receiver with more than 2,000 career receiving yards and tied for second all-time with 28 touchdown passes.

The Stallions claimed the Region 3-4A title with a 6-0 record and will have three weeks off before the Class 4A playoffs. Henry Rivers exceeded 2,000 total yards and had more than 20 combined touchdowns this season.

More teams prepare for playoffs

The Yellow Jackets took the Region 5-4A title, recording their highest point total and victory margin of the season. Greyson Rimpf passed 2,000 yards and threw 26 touchdowns; a different Yellow Jackets team finished second in Region 1-4A and earned a first-round bye.

The Rebels enter the Class 2A Lower State bracket as a fourth seed and open at home. The Hurricanes and South Pointe each have a three-week break before postseason play, while the Panthers finished second in Region 6-5A after winning their final three games and earned a bye.

The Landsharks extended their region winning streak to 30 games, and Aiden Manavian passed 10,000 career passing yards. Tripp Gallus has thrown for 2,347 yards and 26 touchdowns in nine games; his Hawks are set for a first meeting with the Tigers. The Bruins will try to regroup after Wilson ended their seven-game winning streak, and River Bluff and the Vikings will also meet for the first time.