The winter portion of the SC High School League athletics schedule is facing a challenging conclusion.

Several basketball and wrestling teams are still looking to complete its respective regular-season schedules before the set deadline.

Wrestling opens its post-season Feb. 13 with the state finals set for Feb. 20. The individual qualifiers will take place Feb. 26-27 and the state finals March 5-6.

The basketball playoffs open Feb. 20 and will conclude March 4-6. No location has been announced for the Upper and Lower State finals or state finals.

Here’s how things stands for Chronicle Country schools:

WRESTLING

The River Bluff wrestling team cleared “Hurdle 1” in its season goals by winning a 5th straight Region 5-5A title on Jan. 27. The Gators defeated defending Class 5A Lower State champion White Knoll on the road 48-18.

“1st and foremost, we’re blessed to have had the opportunity to even get to compete for this,” head coach Joe Cummings said. “With some states not even having wrestling, we’re so fortunate and it’s something that we take advantage of every opportunity that we get to train to get better, to compete. We’ve been very blessed to have the opportunities that we’ve had and we’re trying to make the best of them.”

River Bluff will open at home Feb. 13 against the 2nd place team out of Region 8-5A. To reach a 3rd state final in 5 years, the Gators would have to win twice on the road.

“The way the playoffs are, there are absolutely no walk throughs,” Cummings said. “Every single match you’re going to get is going to be a barn-burner and we’ve got to be ready to go and we’re going to train like every match is a state championship. We’ve got to take 1 at a time and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got and we’re going to fight with everything we’ve got.”

The loss opened the door for Lexington to clinch the 2nd playoff berth out of Region 5-5A. They were scheduled to play host to a tri-match with Dutch Fork and Chapin.

Another defending Lower State champion who were poised Wednesday to clinch its region was Gilbert. The Indians were scheduled to close out the regular season Wednesday against Orangeburg-Wilkinson with the goal of clinching a 3rd straight Region 5-3A title.

BASKETBALL

Cancellations and reschedulings due to quarantines caused by covid-19 have made for a high level of uncertainty for Chronicle Country teams.

Like the fall sports, only 2 teams from each region will qualify for the post-season.

3-time defending Class 2A boys’ basketball champion Gray Collegiate will try to clinch its 5th straight Region 3-2A title this week be without head coach Dion Bethea for its remaining 4 games after he tested positive for covid-19.

Bethea is expected to return for the playoffs.

In Class 5A, the 3rd ranked Dutch Fork boys look to clinch the Region 5-5A title with a win Friday at Chapin. River Bluff looked to claim the 2nd playoff spot with a win Tuesday over the Eagles.

The girls’ bracket has White Knoll with a 1-game lead over Lexington in the loss column. The Lady Timberwolves can clinch the region title by winning their remaining 4 games. It starts with a home game Friday against River Bluff.

White Knoll can also clinch a playoff berth with Lexington if it goes 3-1 in its next 3 games. The Feb. 11 contest between the 2 teams could decide the region title.

In Class 4A, both the Irmo boys and girls basketball teams are battling for a playoff spot.

The 3rd ranked boys are 4-1 in Region 4-4A and have 2 games this week against Lugoff-Elgin and games versus Dreher (Feb. 10 & 12) and at top-ranked AC Flora (Feb. 8).

The 8th ranked Lady Yellow Jackets have completed region play and currently stand in 3rd place behind Westwood, who they defeated 44- 41 this past Friday, and AC Flora, which swept the season series.

The Region 5-3A basketball tournaments are now set for Feb. 12-18 to determine the post-season representatives. The 1st place teams in the region standings will play host to the tournaments.

Gilbert, Brookland-Cayce and Swansea compete in the region. The Lady Bearcats cancelled its remaining schedule 2 weeks ago and the Gilbert boys are currently in quarantine.

See the SC Basketball Coaches Association rankings on B3.