The S.C. high school football playoffs are upon us.

The postseason begins around South Carolina on Friday in the public school and private school divisions. More than 30 teams from the Midlands made the playoffs. Here are seven we think have best chance to play for a state championship:

Class 5A

Dutch Fork (9-1): The Silver Foxes have played in six-straight championship games and have the talent to make it seven. Dutch Fork made it through a challenging early-season schedule and battled through injuries to quarterback Aliam Appler and running back Jarvis Green. Both are back healthy, and the defense has given up just 14 points over the final four weeks of the season.

Dutch Fork is in the Upper State bracket for the first time during this run of success. That will make things more challenging with a potential matchup with Dorman or Clover in the second round and a possible game against No. 2 T.L. Hanna in the third round.

Lexington (8-2): Outside of last week’s blowout loss to Dutch Fork, the Wildcats have put together another solid season and can make a deep postseason run. It also helps Lexington to be in the Lower State bracket, which appears to be a little weaker than the Upper State. The catch here is that Lexington might have to be on the road for the duration after the first-round. Lexington made it to the third round last year.

Class 4A

A.C. Flora (10-0): The Falcons finished the regular season as the Midlands’ lone unbeaten team and have home-field advantage through the postseason. A.C. Flora has the pieces to get back to the state championship for the second time in three years. The Falcons have one of the state’s best running backs in Markel Townsend, a massive offensive line and an opportunistic defense.

Being at home definitely helps. The Class 4A Lower State bracket has the potential to be one of the toughest paths to a title game in all classifications. A.C. Flora has the potential of facing Hartsville (second round), West Florence (third round) and South Florence (fourth round).

Class 3A

Camden (7-3): The Bulldogs started slow and made it through injuries, and have won five straight going into the postseason. They’re looking for their third-straight state championship appearance.

Camden has home-field advantage and wouldn’t have to leave the friendly confines of Zemp Stadium. The Bulldogs have a veteran quarterback in two-year starter Grayson White and various playmakers on offense. The defense, which features South Carolina commit Xzavier McLeod, has given up 27 total points over its final five games.

One of Camden’s biggest threats will be a possible third-round matchup against top-ranked Dillon.

Gilbert (8-2): The Indians, the Region 5-3A champions, also are a contender in the 3A Lower State. Gilbert has a fantastic 1-2 punch at running back in pair of 1,000-yard rushers Alias Gtaham-Woodberry and Jaden Allen-Hendrix. The Indians are averaging 347 yards on the ground and 43.2 points a game.

Gilbert should be home for at least the first two rounds with a possible trip to Beaufort, which made it to the championship last year in 4A, looming in the third round.

Class 2A

Gray Collegiate (7-3): The defending Class 2A champs started the year at 0-3 but finished on a seven-game winning streak that included a victory over Camden. The War Eagles lost one of their top running backs Caleb Ford (ACL) but have BJ Montgomery and Blaine Redmond, who had a breakout game last week against Camden.

Unlike last year, Gray Collegiate will have to be on the road for some of the postseason, with possible trips to Strom Thurmond (third round) and Abbeville (fourth round) on the horizon.

SCISA

Hammond (8-2): The Skyhawks are the prohibitive favorites in SCISA 4A to win their sixth-straight state championship. Hammond started slow with tough non-region losses to Prince Avenue (Ga.) and Gaffney but have been dominant since then, winning their final seven games. They have scored more than 50 points in five of those games and have allowed just 32 points during that span.

Midlands playoff schedule, predictions

Game times are 7:30 p.m. unless noted with Lou Bezjak’s prediction in parenthesis

Class 5A

White Knoll at TL Hanna (Prediction: TL Hanna)

Maudlin at Dutch Fork (Dutch Fork)

Spring Valley at JL Mann (JL Mann)

Boiling Springs at Blythewood (Blythewood)

Chapin at Sumter (Sumter)

Wando at Lexington (Lexington)

River Bluff at Carolina Forest (River Bluff)

Class 4A

Wilson at AC Flora (AC Flora)

Lugoff-Elgin at West Florence (West Florence)

North Myrtle Beach at Irmo (Irmo)

Bluffton at Westwood (Westwood)

Richland Northeast at South Florence (South Florence)

Class 3A

Loris at Camden (Camden)

Lower Richland at Philip Simmons (Philip Simmons)

Hanahan at Brookland-Cayce (Brookland-Cayce)

Battery Creek at Gilbert (Gilbert)

Class 2A

Columbia at Abbeville (Abbeville)

Batesburg-Leesville at Newberry (Newberry)

Mid-Carolina at Silver Bluff (Silver Bluff)

Ninety-Six at Fairfield Central (Fairfield Central)

Keenan at Landrum (Keenan)

Fox Creek at Gray Collegiate (Gray Collegiate)

Liberty at Saluda (Saluda)

Class A

Ridge Spring-Monetta at CA Johnson (CA Johnson)

SCISA Class 4A

Augusta Christian at Hammond (Hammond)

Porter-Gaud at Heathwood Hall (Heathwood Hall)

Cardinal Newman at Laurence Manning (Laurence Manning)

Trinity Collegiate at Ben Lippen (Ben Lippen)

SCISA Class 2A

Northside Christian at Colleton Prep (Colleton)

SCISA 8-Man

Jefferson Davis at Richard Winn (Richard Winn)

Holy Trinity at W.W. King (WW King)

Last Week: 19-2

Season Record: 213-52

The State’s Power Rankings

A look at The State’s Top 10 for Columbia-area schools after Week 10:

1. Dutch Fork

Record: 9-1

Last Week: Defeated Lexington, 63-7

2. AC Flora

Record: 10-0

Last Week: Defeated Ridge View, 31-22

3 Gray Collegiate

Record: 7-3

Last Week: Defeated Keenan, 56-34

4. Lexington

Record: 8-2

Last Week: Lost to Dutch Fork, 63-7

5. Gilbert

Record: 8-2

Last Week: Defeated Brookland-Cayce, 35-21

6. Camden

Record: 7-3

Last Week: Defeated Marlboro County, 38-0

7. Blythewood

Record: 9-1

Last Week: Defeated Spring Valley, 16-13

8. River Bluff

Record: 7-3

Last Week: Defeated Chapin, 70-21

9. White Knoll

Record: 7-3

Last Week: Off

10. Hammond

Record: 8-2

Last Week: Defeated Heathwood Hall, 51-0

Dropped out: Ridge View, Brookland-Cayce

Others considered: Brookland-Cayce, Fairfield Central

Lou Bezjak: (803) 771-8419, @LouatTheState

Caption:

Sam Wolfe Special To The State

Markel Townsend (28) of AC Flora fends off the tackle of Matthew Blocker (23) of Irmo at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 14, 2022.