Realignment kind to WHS; RV joins BHS in Region 4-5A

COLUMBIA – With the latest realignment proposal by the South Carolina High School League, Westwood High School will get a significant break in travel time.

For the past two seasons, Redhawks teams had been hitting Interstate 77 to York, Lancaster and Rock Hill’s South Pointe for Region 3-4A games, in addition to playing Richland District 2 rivals Richland Northeast and Ridge View.

For the 2020-2021 school year, Westwood, along with Richland Northeast, will move into Region 4-4A, a move that will keep the Redhawks close to home. They’ll take on District One’s A.C. Flora and Dreher, and Lugoff-Elgin, which moves down from 5A. Westwood’s main Region 3 rival, Ridge View, moves up to Class 5A and is now in the same region as Blythewood, Region 4-5A.

“I like it, I like the proximity of all our opponents,” said Westwood football head coach Matt Quinn, going into his second year as head coach. “Going into York and South Pointe, those types of trips are tough, especially for the JV kids. Now we’ve got closer travel, a district (two) opponent in RNE, and a new rivalry with AC Flora and my old coach Dustin Curtis.”

Curtis, who was an assistant at Flora before coaching the Redhawks from the 2016 to 2018 seasons, returned to Flora to be head coach and Athletic Director.  Curtis led the Falcons to a 10-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in Region 4-4A.

In his first year, Quinn led the Redhawks to an 8-4 overall record and a 3-2 finish in Region 3. He added that the new rivalry with A.C. Flora will be a popular thing among students and coaches alike.

“Coach Curtis and I still have a great relationship,” Quinn said. “It’s going be great coaching against each other. It’s a game that’s’ going to mean a lot to the kids, and it’s probably going to have really big implications, depending on how each team stays healthy. We’re excited about the proximity and the rivalry.”

Blythewood, on the other hand, will be re-introduced to I-77. The Bengals will remain in the 5-team Region 4-5A, but Sumter, Lugoff-Elgin, and Irmo, which moves down to 4A, will be gone. In their place will be Rock Hill and Northwestern, and District 2 rivals Spring Valley and Ridge View—which shares District 2 Stadium with the Bengals.

Blythewood finished 5-6 overall and 1-3 in Region 4, including a 14-0 shutout of the Blazers to open the 2019 sesaon.

Fairfield Central, which finished 5-8 overall and 2-2 in Region 4-3A last year, stays in the region along with Chester  and Keenan. Indian Land, and Catawba Ridge move up to Class 4A, and Camden moves into a Pee Dee centered Region 6-3A that includes Crestwood, Lakewood, Lake City, Manning, and Marlboro County.

 Lower Richland moves down from 4A to join the region, along with Mid-Carolina, which was in Region 3-3A. 

2020-2021 SCHSL Realignment

Class 5A
  • Region 1: Hillcrest, J. L. Mann, Mauldin, T. L. Hanna, Woodmont
  • Region 2: Byrnes, Dorman, Riverside, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton
  • Region 3: Boiling Springs, Clover, Fort Mill, Gaffney, Nation Ford
  • Region 4: Blythewood, Northwestern, Ridge View, Rock Hill, Spring Valley
  • Region 5: Chapin, Dutch, Fork, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll
  • Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, St. James, Sumter
  • Region 7: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Stratford, Wando
  • Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley
Class 4A
  • Region 1: Easley, Pickens, Travelers Rest, Walhalla, Westside
  • Region 2: Eastside, Greenville, Greenwood, Greer, Laurens
  • Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Indian Land, Lancaster, South Pointe, York
  • Region 4: AC Flora, Dreher, Lugoff-Elgin, Richland Northeast, Westwood
  • Region 5: Aiken, Airport, Irmo, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken
  • Region 6: Darlington, Harstville, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, South Florence, West Florence, Wilson
  • Region 7: Beaufort, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head Island, James Island, Lucy Beckham, May River
Class 3A
  • Region 1: Belton-Honea Path, Daniel, Pendleton, Seneca, West-Oak, Wren
  • Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Carolina, Palmetto, Powdersville, Southside
  • Region 3: Broome, Chapman, Clinton, Emerald, Union County, Woodruff
  • Region 4: Chester, Fairfield-Central, Keenan, Lower Richland, Mid-Carolina
  • Region 5: Brookland-Cayce, Fox Creek, Gilbert, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, Strom Thurmond, Swansea
  • Region 6: Camden, Crestwood, Lake City, Lakewood, Manning, Marlboro County
  • Region 7: Aynor, Dillon, Georgetown, Loris, Waccamaw
  • Region 8: Academic Magnet, Battery Creek, Bishop England, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate
Class 2A
  • Region 1: Abbeville, Christ Church, Crescent, Greenville Tech, Liberty, Ninety Six
  • Region 2: Blacksburg, Brashier MC, Chesnee, Greer MC, Landrum, Legion Collegiate, St. Joseph
  • Region 3: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Legion Collegiate, North Central, York Prep
  • Region 4: Batesburg-Leesville, Columbia, Eau Claire, Gray Collegiate, Newberry, Saluda
  • Region 5: Barnwell, Edisto, Pelion, Silver Bluff, Wade Hampton
  • Region 6: Burke, Lake Marion, Philip Simmons, Ridgeland-Hardeeville, Timberland, Woodland
  • Region 7: Andrews, Kingstree, Latta, Lee Central, Marion, Mullins
Class A
  • Region 1: Calhoun Falls, Dixie, High Point Academy**, McCormick, SCSDB**, Southside Christian, Ware Shoals, Whitmire
  • Region 2: CA Johnson, Governor’s School**, Great Falls, Lamar (football only), Lewisville, McBee, Midlands Stem**, Riverwalk Academy**
  • Region 3: Blackville-Hilda, Calhoun County, Denmark-Olar, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, North, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko
  • Region 4: CE Murray, Carvers Bay, East Clarendon, Hemingway, Scott’s Branch
  • Region 5: Coastal Leadership**, Green Sea-Floyds, Hannah-Pamplico, Johnsonville, Lake View, Lamar, Timmonsville
  • Region 6: Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Bethune-Bowman, Branchville, Bridges Prep**, Estill, Polaris Tech**, Royal Live Oak**
  • Region 7: Baptist Hill, Charleston Math & Science, Cross, Low Country Leadership**, Military Magnet, Palmetto Scholars**, St. John’s, Whale Branch

** denotes no football

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