A few thoughts...

The Wando v Academic Magnet game on May 1 will give us a good comparison between Wando and Fort Mill. Fort Mill beat AM in PKs in the viking cup so how Wando does will say a lot about how Wando and FM might line up.

Dorman and Wade Hampton play this week with their region championship on the line. Dorman looks to have the up hand based on their previous win over Hampton.

Mann and Fort Mill shouldn't be challenged until playoffs.

So... unless Lexington can pull an upset for the ages I would expect Wando to win the lower.

In the Upper it looks Fort Mill and Mann are on a collision course for the Upper State championship.

I think that game comes down to home field. Remember Fort Mill went to Mann last year in the playoffs and nearly played Mann to a tie. The game winning goal was scored with about 20 mins left and the difference turned out to be a PK off an inadvertent hand ball in the box. So these were two very evenly matched teams last year. And Fort Mill is a better team this year than last year. (No diss on Mann they may be better too, I don't know.)

I think the turf field could be a factor too. FM has played 10 of its last 11 games on turf and only has one more grass game left so by time they get to the Upper state that will be 17 out of 19 games on turf. Teams that play on grass tend to struggle on turf with their passing because surface is faster and they tend over kick it, plus the field is wider. Unless they changed since last year Mann plays on grass and I don't recall it being a wide field (correct me if I am wrong on either account) So in a tight game turf could be the difference between winning and losing.

Overall I think a Mann v Fort Mill game should be a very good game, last years game certainly was one. FM's only goal came on a goalie v player collision with the ball trickling through in slow motion. And it took Mann 60 minutes to get their only field goal (not counting the PK) so I would expect this to be another very close hard fought battle between two of the best teams in the state.

After that the winner can try and beat Wando.

At 3a its gonna be an Eastside v Hilton Head rematch again, four straight for Hilton Head?

2a Academic Magnet, who could could lay claim to being the best team in the state if they beat Wando next week. Although they do play a pretty weak schedule.

Last edited by Pjay; 04/22/14 06:10 PM.