The 2011 South Carolina High School League football playoffs came to an end this weekend with several new champions crowned.
Class A wrapped up their playoffs on Friday, November 25, with Abbeville claiming their second straight Division I state title. In Division II, Christ Church defeated Lake View to claim their first state championship since 1977.
Class AA Division I held their championship game on Friday, December 2, at Benedict College in Columbia, with Timberland nearly shutting out Woodruff 20-3. It was the first state football title in Timberland’s history.
Division II played earlier in the day on Friday, with the Battling Bishops of Bishop England shutting out 2010 Class AA state champs the Central Eagles 10-0. It was Bishop England’s first state football title and their 100th state title overall, as well as the 400th football victory in the program’s history.
It was Central’s third straight trip to the championship game, having fallen to Dillon in 2009 before defeating the Wildcats in 2010.
The Class AAA state championship game was held on Saturday, December 3, at Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium with South Pointe defeating Bluffton 42-27 to earn the state title. South Pointe finished as runner up to Myrtle Beach in 2010.
Class AAAA’s championship games were also held in Clemson on Saturday, with Goose Creek downing Greenwood 37-21 in Division II for their first state title. It was also Goose Creek’s first championship appearance in recent years, having been eliminated in the upper state title game in 2009 and 2010.
For Greenwood, it was their second straight trip to the championship as well as their second straight championship loss. They fell to Northwestern 42-10 in 2010.
In Division I, Byrnes defeated Gaffney 31-24 in Division I to claim their fourth state title in five straight trips to the championship game. Their only loss was in 2009, when Byrnes finished as runner up to Dorman.