South Carolina high school football rankings: Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 entering 2020 season

Gaffney, Dutch Fork, Fort Dorchester start the season at the top, but don't forget Dorman, Northwestern or Rock Hill.

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Sep 3, 2020, 10:30am
The much-anticipated start to the 2020 high school football season starts Sept. 25 in South Carolina. Many of the same teams that have dominated the state the last decade start near the top of the MaxPreps preseason rankings, including No. 1 Gaffney.

The Indians, after their first state title since 2012, ranked eighth in the MaxPreps football domination in the past decade research and should improve on that with the likes of 6-foot-5, 295-pound senior defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. He's ranked the top senior recruit in the country by 247Sports and currently has 28 college offers, including Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Gaffney averaged 35 points per game last year and with most of its starters back on offense, should improve on that number.

The most dominant South Carolina team of the decade, Dutch Fork (Irmo), starts the season at No. 2 following a 14-0-1 season that included a second straight 5A championship. The Silver Foxes return one of the state's top wide receivers in Elijah Spencer, a 6-2, 190-pound senior who helped the team rack up 46 points per game in 2019.

Dutch Fork, riding a 14-game win streak, seeks its sixth state title since 2011.

Fort Dorchester (North Charleston) opens the season at No. 3 following an 11-1 season. Buoyed by a fantastic defense — the Patriots gave up 12 points per game last year — they hope to win their second state title since 2015.

See the complete list below. Click on team links for schedules, rosters and previews.

South Carolina Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

1. Gaffney, 10-4
2. Dutch Fork (Irmo), 14-0-1
3. Fort Dorchester (North Charleston), 11-1
4. Dorman (Roebuck), 14-1
5. Sumter, 10-1
6. Chapman (Inman), 15-0
7. Greenville, 10-3
8. River Bluff (Lexington), 9-3
9. Dillon 12-2
10. Camden, 12-2
11. Hillcrest (Simpsonville), 5-5
12. Rock Hill, 7-4
13. Wren (Piedmont), 13-2
14. Carolina Forest (Myrtle Beach), 11-2
15. Ridge View (Columbia), 9-5
16. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 11-2
17. Boiling Springs (Spartanburg), 4-7
18. Clover, 12-1
19. Laurens, 9-2
20. Abbeville, 12-1
21. Belton-Honea Path (Honea Path), 7-4
22. Nation Ford (Fort Mill) 6-5
23. Spartanburg, 3-7
24. Northwestern (Rock Hill), 2-8
25. Greer, 4-8
Byrnes and Dorman are not only two of the top teams in South Carolina annually, but they play every season before a packed crowd.
Byrnes and Dorman are not only two of the top teams in South Carolina annually, but they play every season before a packed crowd.

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