Lower Richland loses final appeal to move athletics regions. Here’s why, what’s next
Lower Richland lost its third and final appeal to move regions in the latest South Carolina High School League realignment.
On Thursday, the league’s appellate panel voted 7-0 to deny Lower Richland desire to move from Region 5-4A to Region 3-3A. The appellate panel was the final part in the appeals process. The Class 4A executive committee and the SCHSL executive committee already denied Lower Richland’s request to move regions.
Lower Richland is assigned to be in Region 5-4A, which has no Columbia area schools and is made up of Sumter County schools Crestwood and Lakewood as well as Florence and Darlington County schools Darlington, Hartsville, South Florence and Wilson.
It was wanting to go to Region 3-4A with fellow Richland County schools A.C. Flora, Dreher and Richland Northeast as well as Camden, Lancaster, South Pointe and York.
Realignment happens in the state every two years, shifts teams up or down in classification and is done to help level the competitive playing field among schools.
One of the biggest reasons for Lower Richland’s appeal was the travel time associated with the proposed region. LR officials also cited the fact they are the only Richland County school in the region, making it difficult with other schools operating on different academic calendars as far as spring breaks and holidays.
“This would put is in a bad situation for the next two years,” Richland One athletic director Bob Matz said during meeting.
Lower Richland assistant principal Mitch Moten said the move to the region also would increase the school’s athletic budget by 30 percent.
But Lower Richland didn’t have the approval from region they were placed in and also from the region they were wanting to go into.
With realignment officially done, the next phase is for each classification to determine the structure for its playoffs, with the biggest change coming in Class 5A. The classification has the most teams (54) and is expected to split into two parts: the biggest 5A schools would make up one division, with smaller 5A schools forming another group. Each would compete for its own state championship.
According to sources with knowledge of the process, the bigger Class 5A division will have 26 teams, and the smaller one will have 28. There is still a lot to figure out as to how the playoff teams and postseason byes will be determined.
A final proposal is expected to be voted on at the annual athletic directors conference in Charleston on March 10-13.
Lucy Beckham wins appeal
The appellate panel voted 7-0 in favor Lucy Beckham’s boys lacrosse to have a full 16-game season and be allowed in the postseason.
The panel also agreed to fine the school $2,500 and suspend the coaches for four games and go through a training period in a four-week period.
The SCHSL executive committee voted to impose the sanctions, which included a postseason ban and being only to play 12 games instead of full 16 game seasons. Lucy Beckham is the two-time defending school champion.
Many players from the team played in offseason tournament in Florida, which school equipment more than 10 players from the school were used in the tournament.
SC athletic regions for 2024-26
Here are the SCHSL’s proposed regions for the upcoming realignment for 2024-26 school years
Class 5A
Region 1: Easley, Greenville, Greenwood, Hillcrest, JL Mann, Mauldin, TL Hanna Woodmont
Region 2: Boiling Springs, Dorman, Eastside, Gaffney, Byrnes, Riverside, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton
Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Clover, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Nation Ford, Northwestern, Rock Hill
Region 4: Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll
Region 5: Blythewood, Lugoff-Elgin, Ridge View, Spring Valley, Sumter, Westwood, West Florence
Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, St. James
Region 7: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Lucy Beckham, Stratford, Wando
Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, James Island, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley
Class 4A
Region 1: Emerald, Fountain Inn, Laurens, Southside, Westside, Wren
Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Daniel, Greer, Pickens, Seneca, Travelers Rest
Region 3: AC Flora, Camden, Dreher, Lancaster, Richland Northeast, South Pointe, York
Region 4: Aiken, Airport, Brookland-Cayce, Gilbert, Gray Collegiate, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken
Region 5: Crestwood, Darlington, Hartsville, Lakewood, Lower Richland, South Florence, Wilson
Region 6: Beaufort, Bishop England, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head Island, May River
Class 3A
Region 1: BHP, Crescent, Pendleton, Walhalla, West-Oak
Region 2: Carolina Academy, Christ Church, Palmetto, Powdersville, Southside Christian, St. Joseph’s
Region 3: Broome, Chapman, x-Greer MC, Mountain View, Union County, Woodruff
Region 4: Fox Creek, Keenan, Newberry, Silver Bluff, Swansea
Region 5: Aynor, Dillon Georgetown, Loris, Marlboro County, Waccamaw
Region 6: Battery Creek, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate, Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Class 2A
Region 1: Blacksburg, x-Brashier MC, Chesnee, x-Greenville Tech, x-High Point, Academy, Landrum, Liberty, Clinton (football only)
Region 2: American Leadership, Batesburg-Leesville, Ninety-Six, Pelion, Saluda, Strom Thurmond
Region 3: Chester, Clinton, Columbia, Eau Claire, Fairfield Central, Mid-Carolina
Region 4: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, North Central, x-York Prep
Region 5: Barnwell, x-Bridges Prep, Edisto, Hampton, County, Lake Marion, Whale Branch
Region 6: Academic Magnet, Andrews, Burke, Philip Simmons, Timberland, Woodland
Region 7: Atlantic Collegiate, East Clarendon, Kingstree, Lake City, Manning, Marion, Mullins
Class A
Region 1: Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Dixie, x-GREEN Upstate, McCormick, x-SC Deaf and Blind, Thornwell, Ware Shoals, Whitmire
Region 2: CA Johnson, x-The Governor’s School, Great Falls, Lamar, Lee Central, Lewisville, McBee, x-Midlands STEM, x-Riverwalk
Region 3: Blackville Hilda, Calhoun County, Hunter-Kinard Tyler, x-Horse Creek Academy, North, Ridge Spring Monetta, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko
Region 4: Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Denmark-Olar, Hardeeville, x-Polaris Tech, Ridgeland, x-Royal Live Oaks
Region 5: Baptist Hill, Bethune Bowman, Branchville, x-Charleston M&S, Cross, x-Lowcountry Leadership, Military Magnet, x-Palmetto Scholars, Scott’s Branch, St. John’s
Region 6: Carvers Bay, Green Sea-Floyds, Hannah-Pamplico, Hemingway, Johnsonville, Lake View Latta
x-Doesn’t have a football team
