There will be a couple of new state basketball champions this week, as three defending boys champs were knocked off in the first week of the playoffs.
MaxPreps South Carolina boys basketball playoff bracketsThe biggest upset was handed out in a game that pitted two football rivals. Byrnes and Gaffney have given football fans excellent games in the past decade, but the basketball teams stole the headlines last week.
The Indians, the defending state champions and second-ranked 4A team in the state, hosted the Rebels, who had lost handily in two regular season games to the Indians.
Byrnes (Duncan) finished fifth in its region and barely made the playoffs, but the Rebels made the most of the experience, as they knocked off Gaffney 61-54 in overtime in the opening round. Marquise Sims, who had 18 points, hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring in overtime and the Rebels never let go of the lead.
"I'm a pretty good historian of Byrnes basketball. I'm not going to say this is the greatest win ever, but it ranks up there," Byrnes coach Layne Fowler, the first-year coach who played for the Rebels, told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "It's an unbelievable feeling knowing what (Gaffney coach Mark Huff) has done winning all those state titles. But I'm going to give my guys a lot of credit. They worked really hard and fought. I told them we had yet to play four quarters all year long, and we finally did tonight."
Daniel, the 3A champions, also won't get to repeat, as the Lions dropped a 68-58 decision to
Southside (Greenville) in the second round.
Five Southside players, led by
Jakoye Pinson's 20 points, were in double figures during the road upset. Southside shot 10 of 18 from the free throw line in the final three minutes to secure the win.
In 1A action, Hemingway lost 76-72 in the first round to
Scott's Branch (Summerton).
There will also be a new girls champion, but not because someone lost.
Southside (Greenville), last year's 2A state champions, aren't in the 2A classification anymore, having moved up to 3A in the last reclassification. The Lady Tigers have won their first two 3A playoff games.
CHESTER GIRLS FORFEIT FIVE GAMESThe S.C. High School League handed out a decision last week that cost Chester's girls five games and a $1,125 fine, according to the Rock Hill Herald.
MaxPreps South Carolina girls basketball playoff bracketsThe Lady Cyclones played ineligible players, which resulted in the forfeits and fine. The violation was brought to the school's attention and it reported the problem to the league office.
"We did an investigation and discovered a rule had been unintentionally violated,'' Chester athletic director Ricky Campbell told the paper. "Before this year we played JV girls games the day before our varsity games and could dress a JV on the varsity.
"This year our JVs play region games the same nights as the varsity. When we dressed them out after for the varsity, it was a violation. Our coach (Marilyn Milton) didn't realize it but that's no an excuse. I hate it for our girls, but we have to follow the rules.''
Chester was 9-0 in region play prior to the five forfeitures. They still made the playoffs, but were a four seed instead of a first seed out of Region IV-3A.
Being the first seed would have given the Lady Cyclones an easy first round game, instead they traveled to
Greenville, the Region II-3A champion, and lost 49-47.
Jason Gilmer is an award-winning writer who has covered football in South Carolina for more than a decade. He does a statewide high school football blog on GoUpstate.com. You can reach him at palmettofootballtalkblog@gmail.com.