LORENCE, S.C. — In the span of one week, South Florence and West Florence did more than drop from SCHSL 5A to 4A for 2026-28. The Knights and Bruins also landed in a tentative region (7-4A) that includes fellow Florence One School, Wilson, and several beach-area schools.
Region 7-4A is proposed to consist of South, West, Wilson, Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and St. James. Schools have until Feb. 1 to state they will appeal their placements.
But South A.D. Cody Slaughter and West A.D. Greg Johnson are happy with their athletic programs’ region placements.
“I love having Florence One Schools back together in the same region,” Slaughter said. “It also brings some familiar teams back in from two years ago in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. I believe that Conway and St. James will also be great additions.
“Geographically speaking, it works well for us,” he added. “And I think baseball is going to be a lot of fun.”
Johnson agrees.
“We have been with those guys so long. All of those ADs are really good guys,” Johnson said. “And (Slaughter and Wilson athletic director Derrick McQueen) are so good. The quality of competition is excellent.”
It could be especially fun in football as West and South could return to playing each other at regular season’s end. During the past two years, when South and Wilson were in 4A and West was in 5A D2, the Knights and Bruins played each other in the first week.
And because they can be in the same region again, starting this fall, all three F1S schools will again be required to play each other since their matchups count toward region standings.
South and West were originally classified as 5A in December. Their appeals to the SCHSL’s executive committee fell flat, but they had one more chance in front of an appellate panel.
After the Bruins made their case to the appellate panel, they were one vote from having to stay in 5A. But after the vote was 2-0 in favor of South in 5A, the next three of the 5 appellate panel members voted for South to be in 4A.
West presented its case next and also dropped to 4A on a 3-2 vote.
TENTATIVE REGIONS FOR 2026-28
CLASS 5A
Region 1: Byrnes Eastside, Hillcrest, JL Mann, Mauldin, Woodmont
Region 2: Boiling Springs, Dorman, Fort Mill, Northwestern, Rock Hill, Spartanburg
Region 3: Chapin, Dutch Fork, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll
Region 4: Blythewood, Gray Collegiate, Ridge View, Spring Valley, Sumter
Region 5: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, James Island, Stall, Stratford, Summerville, West Ashley
Region 6: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Carolina Forest, Goose Creek, Socastee, Wando
CLASS 4A
Region 1: Easley, Fountain Inn, Greenwood, Laurens, TL Hanna, Westside
Region 2: Gaffney, Greenville, Greer, Riverside, Travelers Rest, Wade Hampton
Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Clover, Lake Wylie, **Legion Collegiate, Nation Ford, South Pointe, York
Region 4: AC Flora, Dreher, Indian Land, Lancaster, Lugoff-Elgin, Richland Northeast, Westwood
Region 5: Aiken, Fox Creek, Irmo, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken
Region 6: Beaufort, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head, Lucy Beckham, May River
Region 7: Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, South Florence, St. James, West Florence, Wilson
CLASS 3A
Region 1: Berea, Daniel, Pickens, Seneca, Southside, Walhalla
Region 2: Belton Honea, Path, Emerald, **Legacy, Palmetto, Powdersville, Wren
Region 3: Blue Ridge, Broome, Chapman, Christ Church, Union County
Region 4: Airport, Brookland-Cayce, Camden, Gilbert, Lower Richland, Swansea
Region 5: Bishop England, Georgetown, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate
Region 6: Atlantic Collegiate, Aynor, Crestwood, Darlington, Hartsville, Lakewood, Loris
CLASS 2A
Region 1: ** Brashier MC, Crescent, Carolina, **Green Upstate, **Greenville Tech, Liberty, Pendleton, St. Joseph’s, West-Oak
Region 2: Chesnee, Clinton, **Greer MC, High Point, Landrum, Mountain View Prep, Southside Christian, Woodruff
Region 3: Andrew Jackson, Chester, Columbia, Keenan, Mid-Carolina, Newberry, York Prep
Region 4: American Leadership, **Horse Creek, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, Pelion, Silver Bluff, Strom Thurmond, Saluda
Region 5: Academic Magnet, Battery Creek, **Bridges Prep, Lake Marion, Philip Simmons, Timberland, Woodruff
Region 6: Dillon, East Clarendon, Lake City, Marlboro County, Manning, Waccamaw
CLASS A
Region 1: Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Dixie, McCormick, Ninety Six, **SC Deaf and Blind, Thornwell, Ware Shoals
Region 2: Batesburg-Leesville, CA Johnson, Clear Dot Charter, Eau Claire, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Whitmire
Region 3: Blacksburg, Buford, Fairfield Central, Great Falls, Lewisville, **Midlands Stem, **Riverwalk
Region 4: Barnwell, Blackville-Hilda, Calhoun County, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, **North, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko
Region 5: Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, **Governor’s School, Lamar, Lee Central, McBee, North Central
Region 6: Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Bethune-Bowman, Branchville, Denmark-Olar, Edisto, Scott’s Branch
Region 7: Allendale-Fairfax, Hampton County, Hardeeville, ****Polaris Tech, Ridgeland, **Royal Live Oaks, Whale Branch
Region 8: Baptist Hill, Burke, **Charleston Charter, Cross, **Lowcountry Leadership, Military Magnet, **Palmetto Scholars, St. Johns
Region 9: Andrews, Carvers Bay, Hannah-Pamplico, Hemingway, Johnsonville, Kingstree
Region 10: ****Coastal, Green Sea Floyds, Lake View, Latta, Marion, Mullins, **Virtus Academy
January 23, 2026 | Morning News (Florence, SC)
Author/Byline: Scott Chancey | Section: Sports