The best football in SC was played in......
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:29 pm
Every year we have some people who make claims about the dominance of their region or geographic area over others based on the championship games won by a small handful of teams over a period of years or decades. Two years ago I decided to evaluate ALL teams, in the CURRENT year, to better gauge which regions or areas are the strongest overall. This year's numbers are in.....
Once again I used the Maxpreps (CBS Sports), Freeman Ranking System ratings. To make the numbers more meaningful I adjusted the scale to give the best team in the state a score of 100, the worst a score of 0.
Then I grouped the teams into regions to determine each regions' cumulative score. Lastly, I calculated the cumulative score of the 3 geographic divisions that exist in 4A.
SCORE --- TEAM
100.0 --- Northwestern
87.25 --- plus 2 standard deviations
81.43 --- Dutch Fork
81.30 --- Byrnes
76.22 --- plus 1.5 standard deviations
76.01 --- Stratford
73.92 --- Goose Creek
72.32 --- South Florence
71.22 --- North Augusta
70.36 --- South Pointe
68.63 --- Spring Valley
67.40 --- York
65.19 --- plus 1 standard deviations
61.25 --- Summerville
59.16 --- Lexington
57.07 --- Sumter
55.84 --- Boiling Springs
55.84 --- Gaffney
54.24 --- Hillcrest
54.16 --- plus 1/2 standard deviations
53.51 --- Dorman
53.01 --- Fort Dorchester
49.82 --- Beaufort
49.32 --- Spartanburg
46.00 --- Mauldin
45.39 --- Nation Ford
45.39 --- West Ashley
44.65 --- Irmo
44.53 --- Greenwood
44.40 --- Blythewood
43.13 --- Mean ---- Median: 42.99
41.57 --- South Aiken
41.45 --- West Florence
40.22 --- Ashley Ridge
39.24 --- Wando
38.62 --- Rock Hill
36.41 --- Fort Mill
36.04 --- White Knoll
35.06 --- Laurens
33.21 --- Bluffton
32.10 --- minus 1/2 standard deviations
29.64 --- Ridge View
28.29 --- Conway
26.94 --- Clover
26.08 --- Easley
24.97 --- Colleton County
24.23 --- Wade Hampton
24.23 --- Aiken
22.26 --- Hanna
21.07 --- minus 1 standard deviations
17.96 --- Woodmont
16.97 --- Cane Bay
16.11 --- Lancaster
15.25 --- Richland Northeast
14.88 --- Lugoff-Elgin
13.90 --- Carolina Forest
10.04 --- minus 1.5 standard deviations
8.979 --- Riverside
8.118 --- Westside
0.000 --- Mann
REGION SCORING
Region 1
54.24 --- Hillcrest
44.53 --- Greenwood
35.06 --- Laurens
26.08 --- Easley
22.26 --- Hanna
17.96 --- Woodmont
8.118 --- Westside
0.000 --- Mann
26.03 --- Mean
54.24 --- Range
18.12 --- StDev
Region 2
81.30 --- Byrnes
55.84 --- Boiling Springs
55.84 --- Gaffney
53.51 --- Dorman
49.32 --- Spartanburg
46.00 --- Mauldin
24.23 --- Wade Hampton
8.979 --- Riverside
46.88 --- Mean
72.32 --- Range
21.86 --- StDev
Region 3
100.0 --- Northwestern
70.36 --- South Pointe
67.40 --- York
45.39 --- Nation Ford
38.62 --- Rock Hill
36.41 --- Fort Mill
26.94 --- Clover
16.11 --- Lancaster
50.15 --- Mean
83.89 --- Range
27.34 --- StDev
Region 4
68.63 --- Spring Valley
44.65 --- Irmo
44.40 --- Blythewood
29.64 --- Ridge View
15.25 --- Richland Northeast
14.88 --- Lugoff-Elgin
36.24 --- Mean
53.75 --- Range
20.62 --- StDev
Region 5
81.43 --- Dutch Fork
71.22 --- North Augusta
59.16 --- Lexington
41.57 --- South Aiken
36.04 --- White Knoll
24.23 --- Aiken
52.28 --- Mean
57.20 --- Range
22.00 --- StDev
Region 6
72.32 --- South Florence
57.07 --- Sumter
41.45 --- West Florence
28.29 --- Conway
13.90 --- Carolina Forest
42.61 --- Mean
58.43 --- Range
23.04 --- StDev
Region 7
76.01 --- Stratford
73.92 --- Goose Creek
45.39 --- West Ashley
39.24 --- Wando
16.97 --- Cane Bay
50.31 --- Mean
59.04 --- Range
24.88 --- StDev
Region 8
61.25 --- Summerville
53.01 --- Fort Dorchester
49.82 --- Beaufort
40.22 --- Ashley Ridge
33.21 --- Bluffton
24.97 --- Colleton County
43.75 --- Mean
36.29 --- Range
13.46 --- StDev
SUMMARY OF REGION SCORES
52.28 --- Region 5
50.31 --- Region 7
50.15 --- Region 3
46.88 --- Region 2
43.75 --- Region 8
42.61 --- Region 6
36.24 --- Region 4
26.03 --- Region 1
Region 5 steps-up and grabs the title of "Overall Best" from region 7 who won for the last two years.
Region 8 was the Most Competitive this year with the smallest range and standard deviation.
SUMMARY OF GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
46.73 --- Low Country (Regions 7 & 8)
43.77 --- Midlands, Pee Dee & Horry Co. (Regions 4, 5 & 6)
41.02 --- Upstate (Regions 1, 2 & 3)
For the 3rd consecutive year the Low Country is the best geographic area. Somewhat surprisingly, the rise of some teams in region 5 and the decline of some in region 1 dropped the Upstate into 3rd place.
Once again I used the Maxpreps (CBS Sports), Freeman Ranking System ratings. To make the numbers more meaningful I adjusted the scale to give the best team in the state a score of 100, the worst a score of 0.
Then I grouped the teams into regions to determine each regions' cumulative score. Lastly, I calculated the cumulative score of the 3 geographic divisions that exist in 4A.
- Upstate - Regions 1, 2 & 3
Mid-state - Regions 4, 5 & 6
Low Country - Regions 7 & 8
SCORE --- TEAM
100.0 --- Northwestern
87.25 --- plus 2 standard deviations
81.43 --- Dutch Fork
81.30 --- Byrnes
76.22 --- plus 1.5 standard deviations
76.01 --- Stratford
73.92 --- Goose Creek
72.32 --- South Florence
71.22 --- North Augusta
70.36 --- South Pointe
68.63 --- Spring Valley
67.40 --- York
65.19 --- plus 1 standard deviations
61.25 --- Summerville
59.16 --- Lexington
57.07 --- Sumter
55.84 --- Boiling Springs
55.84 --- Gaffney
54.24 --- Hillcrest
54.16 --- plus 1/2 standard deviations
53.51 --- Dorman
53.01 --- Fort Dorchester
49.82 --- Beaufort
49.32 --- Spartanburg
46.00 --- Mauldin
45.39 --- Nation Ford
45.39 --- West Ashley
44.65 --- Irmo
44.53 --- Greenwood
44.40 --- Blythewood
43.13 --- Mean ---- Median: 42.99
41.57 --- South Aiken
41.45 --- West Florence
40.22 --- Ashley Ridge
39.24 --- Wando
38.62 --- Rock Hill
36.41 --- Fort Mill
36.04 --- White Knoll
35.06 --- Laurens
33.21 --- Bluffton
32.10 --- minus 1/2 standard deviations
29.64 --- Ridge View
28.29 --- Conway
26.94 --- Clover
26.08 --- Easley
24.97 --- Colleton County
24.23 --- Wade Hampton
24.23 --- Aiken
22.26 --- Hanna
21.07 --- minus 1 standard deviations
17.96 --- Woodmont
16.97 --- Cane Bay
16.11 --- Lancaster
15.25 --- Richland Northeast
14.88 --- Lugoff-Elgin
13.90 --- Carolina Forest
10.04 --- minus 1.5 standard deviations
8.979 --- Riverside
8.118 --- Westside
0.000 --- Mann
REGION SCORING
Region 1
54.24 --- Hillcrest
44.53 --- Greenwood
35.06 --- Laurens
26.08 --- Easley
22.26 --- Hanna
17.96 --- Woodmont
8.118 --- Westside
0.000 --- Mann
26.03 --- Mean
54.24 --- Range
18.12 --- StDev
Region 2
81.30 --- Byrnes
55.84 --- Boiling Springs
55.84 --- Gaffney
53.51 --- Dorman
49.32 --- Spartanburg
46.00 --- Mauldin
24.23 --- Wade Hampton
8.979 --- Riverside
46.88 --- Mean
72.32 --- Range
21.86 --- StDev
Region 3
100.0 --- Northwestern
70.36 --- South Pointe
67.40 --- York
45.39 --- Nation Ford
38.62 --- Rock Hill
36.41 --- Fort Mill
26.94 --- Clover
16.11 --- Lancaster
50.15 --- Mean
83.89 --- Range
27.34 --- StDev
Region 4
68.63 --- Spring Valley
44.65 --- Irmo
44.40 --- Blythewood
29.64 --- Ridge View
15.25 --- Richland Northeast
14.88 --- Lugoff-Elgin
36.24 --- Mean
53.75 --- Range
20.62 --- StDev
Region 5
81.43 --- Dutch Fork
71.22 --- North Augusta
59.16 --- Lexington
41.57 --- South Aiken
36.04 --- White Knoll
24.23 --- Aiken
52.28 --- Mean
57.20 --- Range
22.00 --- StDev
Region 6
72.32 --- South Florence
57.07 --- Sumter
41.45 --- West Florence
28.29 --- Conway
13.90 --- Carolina Forest
42.61 --- Mean
58.43 --- Range
23.04 --- StDev
Region 7
76.01 --- Stratford
73.92 --- Goose Creek
45.39 --- West Ashley
39.24 --- Wando
16.97 --- Cane Bay
50.31 --- Mean
59.04 --- Range
24.88 --- StDev
Region 8
61.25 --- Summerville
53.01 --- Fort Dorchester
49.82 --- Beaufort
40.22 --- Ashley Ridge
33.21 --- Bluffton
24.97 --- Colleton County
43.75 --- Mean
36.29 --- Range
13.46 --- StDev
SUMMARY OF REGION SCORES
52.28 --- Region 5
50.31 --- Region 7
50.15 --- Region 3
46.88 --- Region 2
43.75 --- Region 8
42.61 --- Region 6
36.24 --- Region 4
26.03 --- Region 1
Region 5 steps-up and grabs the title of "Overall Best" from region 7 who won for the last two years.
Region 8 was the Most Competitive this year with the smallest range and standard deviation.
SUMMARY OF GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
46.73 --- Low Country (Regions 7 & 8)
43.77 --- Midlands, Pee Dee & Horry Co. (Regions 4, 5 & 6)
41.02 --- Upstate (Regions 1, 2 & 3)
For the 3rd consecutive year the Low Country is the best geographic area. Somewhat surprisingly, the rise of some teams in region 5 and the decline of some in region 1 dropped the Upstate into 3rd place.