386 TEAMS CROWNED STATE CHAMPIONS SINCE 1918

[Rebel-Fan-74]

A question that I get asked from time to time and I will tell you now, I do not have the answer...


HOW LONG HAVE THE CHAMPIONSHIPS BEEN DETERMINED BY A PLAYOFF BRACKET AND/OR A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME?

Gaffney fans will tell you that some of the championships they own came from "VOTES" and that there should be at least one or two more from back then based on their record and they didn't get the votes. Before anyone starts, I'm not saying those are not legitimate championships! It was how it was done back then and they are State Championships! Just like a championship in Class A or Class AA are as legitimate of a championship as a BIG 16 championship. If you are considered a Class AA school and you win that bracket, it is a legitimate championship! I don't get into the argument that unless you win the largest classification you are not the real state champion! You play where they put you and if you are the last team standing, you're the champion!

[bringthewood]

1960 is the most likely cutoff date for 'determined on the field'. That is when the classification system came into effect. I think there was some type of classification that was used in the 50's, but it was school to school based or either region to region based and not recognized state wide or systematic.

Though I might be missing some data/facts.

Dave would be the expert but he has been absent from this site for quite a while. I've got a buddy that is an idiot savant on stuff like this, if he will answer my call I'll check in with him.

[CITYSLICKER]

My thoughts and distant memories are from 1916 maybe till 1930 no championships, many claimed to be champs
in like the beginning of 31 or so- they started classes and championships- biggest was class a, next class b and smallest class c.
as skools got bigger , they threw in a bigger class in the 40's maybe of class AA, so class A,B,C,AA
then around the middle of the fifties- added class A, b, c were dropped and it was A,AA, AAA
then the year i graduated in 1968, they added AAAA-so now we A, AA, AAA, AAAAA
then the little skools cried they couldnt beat the bis skools, so in 1980, they made the AAAA-DIV 1 (BIG 16) , AAAAA DIV 2 (SMALL 32)

[Penguin]

In both 1935 & 1945, when Beaufort won State Championships, there were playoffs. Perhaps not the current version of playoffs, but the Champion was crowned on the Field. You also have to consider that there were not nearly as many schools, and during the War years, a lot of High School aged boys were in the service.

[bringthewood]

In both 1935 & 1945, when Beaufort won State Championships, there were playoffs. Perhaps not the current version of playoffs, but the Champion was crowned on the Field. You also have to consider that there were not nearly as many schools, and during the War years, a lot of High School aged boys were in the service.

Yes I think there were games played to decide champions, but it was like the old college D1 bowl system where teams chose/agreed to play a +1 game after the season was over, so I wouldn't consider those chosen on the field.

But still better than the voted ones.

[bringthewood]

My thoughts and distant memories are from 1916 maybe till 1930 no championships, many claimed to be champs
in like the beginning of 31 or so- they started classes and championships- biggest was class a, next class b and smallest class c.
as skools got bigger , they threw in a bigger class in the 40's maybe of class AA, so class A,B,C,AA
then around the middle of the fifties- added class A, b, c were dropped and it was A,AA, AAA
then the year i graduated in 1968, they added AAAA-so now we A, AA, AAA, AAAAA
then the little skools cried they couldnt beat the bis skools, so in 1980, they made the AAAA-DIV 1 (BIG 16) , AAAAA DIV 2 (SMALL 32)

Yes, if I remember right there were those classifications, but it wasn't sorted like they do today by attendance numbers. It was a looser grouping based on size, proximity, who you wanted to play.... plus some schools didn't have football, or basketball was more important.

[CITYSLICKER]

It was always by attendance numbers u getting brain impaired.