A seventh football state championship could be added in South Carolina.
According to a report by the Hometown News in Spartanburg, the 2A athletic directors voted recently to crown two football champions in that classification. Right now, the 1A and 4A classifications already have two champions.
If South Carolina high schools ratify the proposal, 2A would split between large and small schools for the playoffs. The change would also affect the regular season, as it would give schools an 11th game, as every school would automatically qualify for the playoffs.
"There will be two divisions with 24 teams in each," Broome athletic director Skip Frye told the paper. "You'll have 12 teams in the upper state and 12 teams in the lower state in each division. We'll use region records to seed the playoffs, with the top four seeds in the upper and lower state bracket in each division getting a first-round bye."
Not only would the change give more teams a chance to win a state title, but it would help financially, too.
"This would give four teams a chance at a state championship payday," Central coach Joey Mangum told the paper. "There would be eight teams with a chance at Upper and Lower state. It basically doubles the opportunities for teams to make a run at a championship and to make some money in the process."
TWO NEW FOOTBALL COACHES NAMED Battery Creek (Beaufort) and
Marion high schools have named new head football coaches.
Jim Shuman, who spent the last four seasons at his alma mater Wade Hampton, will take over at Battery Creek, according to the Island Packet. Don Cribb, who won almost 400 games as Marion's baseball coach, will now led the football program, according to the Florence Morning News.
Shuman replaces Carlos Cave after the Dolphins went winless in the fall. Shuman plans to use an option offense with one and two backs and utilize a 50 defense.
"I believe in keeping both offense and defense very simple for the kids to understand, so that they have 100 percent confidence in what they're doing," Shuman told the Island Packet.
He's looking forward to turning around the program.
"It could be a quick turnaround; it could take a little longer," Shuman said. "It just depends on getting everything in place as quickly as possible. I firmly believe it's a good opportunity to be successful."
Cribb takes over for Bryan Carfley, who was asked to step down last month. The Swamp Foxes posted a 4-6 season in the fall. Cribb spent 23 seasons as an assistant football coach for Marion but hasn't coached football in three years.
"I love football and have always enjoyed coaching it when I have coached it," Cribb told the Morning News. "I am so much looking forward to this. We are going to be committed to having success being competitive, get into the playoffs and do as well as we can."
CAROLINA TO HONOR FORMER COACHDavid Farnham spent eight seasons as at
Carolina (Greenville) and meant a lot to the school. Before the Trojans' home opener in the fall, the school will name its field after the coach, according to the Greenville News.
Farnham, who also coached at Westminster, Palmetto, Wade Hampton and Blue Ridge high schools, died of cancer in November 2007. He is the school's winningest coach and was 45-44 at Carolina. He led the school to the 3A semifinals in 1985 and 1986.
The school is raising money for a new scoreboard to put the field's name -- David F. Farnham Field -- on.
"We want to present that as a gift to the family in honor of Coach Farnham from the alumni and local community," Carolina coach Mark Hodge told the paper.
Anyone interested in making a donation toward the scoreboard may contact Hodge at 864-355-2314.
FRESHMAN EARNS $5K FOR SCHOOLBlythewood quarterback
Zachary Alexander won a highlight video contest started by PlayNextLevel.com and has earned his football program $5,000, according to The State.
He submitted a highlight video to the site last year and voting began on the top highlight film. The contest was open to all players ninth through 12th grade and there are 47 states and 690 high schools were represented on the site.
Voting began last September and lasted for three months. After voting concluded, 10 high schools were awarded, with Blythewood earning the grand prize.
"We just received the check, and we're thrilled and very grateful," Blythewood athletic director Vince Lowry told the paper. "It's pretty exciting, really. Zach is a fine young man, an excellent student and a pretty good young quarterback."
