Trio of area gridiron squads look to punch postseason ticket this week

Time seems to fly when you’re having fun.

It may prove hard to believe, but the Friday night lights will soon dim for a number of teams statewide, a portion of which will hail from the Grand Strand. On the other hand, some clubs can clinch an extended stay, punching their ticket to the postseason.

With a victory over Latta on Friday night, Carvers Bay could clinch the Region VII-2A title. The Bears have run roughshod through competition since enter league play, outscoring opponents by a score of 124-12.

If Latta can pull the upset, however, it creates a logjam atop the conference, putting quite the emphasis on the season’s final two weeks.

In Region VII-4A, two teams have the opportunity to qualify for postseason play.

North Myrtle Beach has the simplest road, needing only a victory over St. James to get the job done. A Chiefs win would do nothing but help Myrtle Beach’s pursuit of postseason play, who with a Sharks’ loss and a victory over Wilson would also clinch a playoff spot.

Though making it to the tournament is one of the chief goals of all teams, it is not the one which Mickey Wilson and his group of Seahawks seek.

“The biggest thing is that it is a region game, and all of those are important,” he said. “Winning those gets you closer to a region title, and that certainly is a big deal when it comes to the playoffs, seeding and home field advantage.”

A host of other games this Friday night will help bring clarity to the playoff picture. Among those are:

— Conway at Carolina Forest: Rivals seek to continue their own individual pursuit of a Region VI-5A crown.

— Loris at Aynor: Knowing there is a logjam atop the Region VI-3A standings, Loris can put a stranglehold on the last playoff spot allotted to the league with a win.

— Hannah-Pamplico at Green Sea Floyds: The Trojans have been close, so could this be the week they earn that elusive statement win?

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Trio of area gridiron squads look to punch postseason ticket this week."