Northwestern Misses No. 1 By One Point In State Football Media Poll

Northwestern High School finished one point short of the top spot in Class 5A in the latest South Carolina Prep Football Media Poll, while Fort Mill High School moved up two places to No. 7 after beating Rock Hill High School.

The weekly poll, released Tuesday, Oct. 20, ranks the top 10 teams in each of the state’s five classifications based on votes from 16 sportswriters and broadcasters. Four York and Lancaster County schools are ranked this week, two in Class 5A and two in Class 4A, with two more teams receiving votes.

Northwestern Edged For First

Northwestern (7 and 1) and Dutch Fork (8 and 0) each received eight first place votes in Class 5A. Dutch Fork kept the No. 1 ranking by a single point because one voter placed Northwestern at No. 3, according to The State.

Fort Mill Up, Rock Hill Out

Fort Mill (7 and 1) beat Rock Hill 9 to 7 last week and climbed from No. 9 to No. 7.

The loss dropped Rock Hill out of the top 10. Ridge View, which has won five straight games, took the Bearcats’ place at No. 9. Rock Hill remains among the teams receiving votes, along with Carolina Forest, Lexington and Summerville.

South Pointe And Indian Land Hold In 4A

The Class 4A rankings did not change from last week.

South Pointe High School in Rock Hill is No. 6 at 5 and 2. Indian Land High School is No. 8 at 6 and 2, down from the No. 3 ranking it held in the Oct. 6 poll.

Lancaster High School was the only 4A team listed as receiving votes.

Clover, Nation Ford, Catawba Ridge and York did not appear in the rankings or among the teams receiving votes.

Local Voices On The Panel

Three of the 16 voters cover York County sports: Mac Banks of Fort Mill Prep Sports and Tyler Cupp and Chris Miller of WRHI, the Rock Hill radio station. The rest of the panel includes reporters and broadcasters from The State, SC Prep RedZone, WSPA and other outlets across the state.

The media poll is updated weekly through the end of the regular season.

S.C. Prep Football Media Poll, Oct. 20

Season records and first place votes are in parentheses.

Class 5A

1. Dutch Fork (8 and 0) (8)
2. Northwestern (7 and 1) (8)
3. James Island (8 and 0)
4. Dorman (7 and 1)
5. Berkeley (7 and 1)
6. Byrnes (6 and 2)
7. Fort Mill (7 and 1)
8. Boiling Springs (6 and 2)
9. Ridge View (5 and 2)
10. River Bluff (6 and 2)

Others receiving votes: Rock Hill, Carolina Forest, Lexington, Summerville

Class 4A

1. Westside (7 and 1) (13)
2. Gaffney (7 and 1) (3)
3. TL Hanna (7 and 1)
4. North Augusta (7 and 1)
5. Hilton Head Island (7 and 1)
6. South Pointe (5 and 2)
7. Lugoff Elgin (7 and 1)
8. Indian Land (6 and 2)
9. South Florence (6 and 2)
10. Irmo (5 and 3)

Others receiving votes: Lancaster

Class 3A

1. Daniel (8 and 0) (15)
2. Wren (8 and 1)
3. Chapman (8 and 0)
4. Camden (6 and 2)
5. Oceanside Collegiate (5 and 3)
6. Bishop England (7 and 1)
7. Hanahan (8 and 1)
8. Emerald (6 and 2)
9. Loris (6 and 2)
10. (tie) Pickens (7 and 1)
11. (tie) Belton Honea Path (5 and 2)

Others receiving votes: Gilbert, Hartsville

Class 2A

1. Strom Thurmond (8 and 0) (15)
2. Marlboro County (8 and 0)
3. Dillon (6 and 1)
4. Mid Carolina (8 and 0)
5. Southside Christian (6 and 2)
6. Saluda (6 and 2)
7. Crescent (6 and 2)
8. Orangeburg Wilkinson (7 and 1)
9. Chesnee (6 and 2)
10. Keenan (6 and 2)

Others receiving votes: Battery Creek, Woodland, Philip Simmons, St. Joseph’s

Class A

1. Fairfield Central (8 and 0) (16)
2. Central (8 and 0)
3. Bamberg Ehrhardt (7 and 1)
4. Lamar (7 and 1)
5. Abbeville (6 and 2)
6. Hampton County (6 and 2)
7. Blackville Hilda (7 and 1)
8. Carvers Bay (7 and 1)
9. Lake View (8 and 1)
10. Wagener Salley (7 and 2)

Others receiving votes: Johnsonville, Scott’s Branch, Calhoun County, C.A. Johnson, Ninety Six, Cross

Source: S.C. Prep Football Media Poll released Oct. 20, 2026,