For 10 Chronicle Country teams, it’s now ‘Win or Go Home’.

The 2nd season of the S.C. High School League playoffs officially kicks off this Friday. At least 1 Lexington County team is guaranteed to see its season end with a loss, but that’s only 1 of 5 prominent story-lines:

THE DRIVE TO 4-PEAT

Defending 3-time Class 5A champion Dutch Fork showed no signs of slowing down after a 2nd straight undefeated regular season. The Silver Foxes enter the post-season riding several winning streaks;

- 35 straight games without a loss.

- 34 consecutive wins against South Carolina-based teams.

- 22 wins in a row on the road.

- 15 straight post-season victories.

1ST ROUND REMATCH

Chapin High School earned an at-large Class 5A playoff berth over White Knoll based on the head-to-head tiebreakers.

The Eagles now find themselves headed to Irmo to face fellow Lexington/Richland District 5 school Dutch Fork for the 2nd time this season.

The Silver Foxes won the 1st meeting 55-10 on Oct. 4.

NOTE: According to Matt Barber of dixiefriedsports on Twitter, Chap-in is the 1st school in S.C. High School League history to qualify for the post-season in a sport in 5 different classifications.

HOME AGAIN

For the 2nd straight year, River Bluff will open the Class 5A playoffs in The Swamp. A week after defeating archrival Lexington to clinch 2nd place out of Region 5-5A, the Gators will play host to another set of Wildcats from West Ashley.

1ST ROUND BYE

Brookland-Cayce defeated Airport 21-0 to win the Region 5-4A title on the road. While both teams were assured a 1st round home game, the Bearcats ended up with a 1st round bye as a result of no at-large team placing a berth for a playoff seed. It will open the playoffs against the Hilton Head/Wilson winner.

HOME FOR THE PLAYOFFS

Both the Gilbert and Gray Collegiate football teams will enjoy homefield advantage through its respective Lower and Upper State finals. In order to reach that goal, each may have to upend a traditional power in the 3rd round. Possibly awaiting the Indians at Leonard Price Field is Dillon, which defeated them 2 years ago in a 3rd round contest in Gilbert, or Wade Hampton, coached by 5-time state championship head coach Jerry Brown. For the War Eagles, they appear on a collison course with 4-time defending Class 2A champion Abbeville at Midlands Sports Complex.

TEAM OF THE WEEK - Batesburg-Leesville

The Panthers quickly put themselves in position to clinch 2nd place in the ultracompetitive Region 2-2A. They rallied from 10 points down in the 4th quarter to defeat 7th ranked Saluda 28-24 to finish 4-1 in region play. They will open the Class 2A playoffs at home against Central.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Jalin Hyatt (Dutch Fork)

The senior wide receiver is 1 of 7 players competing for the “Mr. South Carolina Football” award to be announced Dec. 14 in at the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl in Myrtle Beach. Hyatt added to his credentials with 4 touchdown receptions in the 41-14 win over White Knoll. He finished with 7 receptions for 115 yards.

WEEK 10 GRIDIRON GIANTS

Tre Robinson (Batesburg-Leesville) - 175 passing yards, TD

Amah-Dre Leaphart (Batesburg-Leesville) - 104 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Dylan King and Jake Himes (both of Chapin) - 12 tackles each

Roger Pedroni (Chapin) - 353 total yards, 5 TDs (3 rushing, 2 passing)

Zavier Short (Chapin) - 5 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TDs

Conner Lehmann (Chapin) - 118 rushing yards, TD

Ty Olenchuk (Dutch Fork) - 199 passing yards, 5 TDs

Jy Tolen (Gilbert) - 205 passing yards, 5 TDs

Ty Walker (Gilbert) - 156 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Hunter Helms (Gray Collegiate) - 379 passing yards, 4 TDs

Omarian Dollison (Gray Collegiate) - 160 receiving yards, 2 TDs

K.Z. Adams (Gray Collegiate) - 100 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Gray Collegiate defense - 4 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries.

Josiah Schrodt (Lexington) - 11 tackles

Ahmad Bynem-Scott (Lexington) - 191 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Jacob Osmanski (Pelion) - 151 total yards, 2 TDs

Braden Walker (River Bluff) - 185 rushing yards, 4 TDs

Adam Molnar (River Bluff) - 10 tackles

Mikey Reed (Swansea) - 159 total yards, TD

Pryce Whitten (Swansea) - 188 passing yards, 2 TDs

Kenya Macon (Swansea) - 8 tackles, 3 sacks.

Jaelin Gray (White Knoll) - 145 total yards, 2 TDs (1 passing, 1 rushing)

COLUMBIA METRO BOWL

For the 2nd straight year, All-Stars from the Midlands will close out the 2019 football season in Chronicle Country for the Columbia Metro Bowl.

The contest will take place this year at Fort Knox on the campus of Brookland-Cayce High School on Dec. 20. It’s the day before the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford College. The East and West

teams will be led by Gilbert High School alumnus. Dreher’s Treigh Sullivan will lead the East team with players mostly from Richland County, while current Indians’ head coach Chad Leaphart is in charge of the West team with players from Lexington, Newberry, Saluda, Calhoun and Orangeburg Counties.

The West players chosen were Markco Gilmore (Airport), Roger Pedroni (Chapin), Jon Hall, Jarvis McClurkin and Anthony Demasi (all of Dutch Fork), Tristan Allen (Lexington) and Ahmad Bynem-Scott (Lexington), Deonte Baker, Byran Mims, Demanti Jones and Malachi Brown (all of Brookland-Cayce), Shauntrel Hendrix, Darrius Dennis and Vernard Ramage (all of Batesburg-Leesville), Trenton Higgins, Wheslen McLeod (Gray Collegiate), A.J. Farchione, Tyson Trottier, Shaq Garvin and Lindan Colter (all of River Bluff), Jy Tolen, Matt Reed, Deandre Harris, DeAndre Crook and Drew Howell (all of Gilbert), Kenya Macon (Swansea), Shelton Bibbs and Jajuan Johnson (both of White Knoll), Niko Austin (Pelion) and Jabari Avery (Irmo).