By CT McDonald
The 2020-21 lacrosse playoffs head into the second-round competition this week with local teams still in the mix.
Dutch Fork’s boys’ team defeated Socastee 16-0 in the first round home game on Tuesday to advance to today’s, Thursday’s, second round at Wando.
It should look like a playoff re-match. The Silver Foxes were state runners-up behind Wando in the 2017-18 state finals and faced the Warriors the following year in the state semifinal round where they lost 17-5.
Wando went on to become state runner-up behind Fort Mill in the 2018-19 playoffs, and there were no playoffs last year because of the virus pandemic.
So we pick up where we left off two seasons ago in the Foxes – Warriors playoff battle. This time these two get that done in the second round rather than later. One will advance, the other will wrap up its season.
Chapin and Dutch Fork’s girls’ lacrosse teams completed the regular season at No’s. 1 and 2, respectively, in 5A lower District 4, and they both also kicked off the playoffs on Tuesday.
The Lady Foxes completed their season with a 2-goal (14-12) loss to Carolina Forest at home in the first round, and the Lady Eagles defeated Spring Valley 22-1 to advance to Thursday’s second round against St. James at Chapin. The winner of today’s game will advance to the semifinal round against either Wando or Carolina Forest on Monday.
In the 4A-1A league playoffs, Irmo’s boys’ team was to open it with a first-round game at Christ Church on the road on Wednesday as this article went to press.
The winner of that game will advance to Saturday’s second round against May River or Hilton Head Island.
Since the lacrosse season starts before the other spring sports seasons, those playoff games will reach their peak in the state finals round at about the time other spring sports teams are just getting the playoffs underway.
There is still a lot of high school sports action about to happen just outside the spotlight of today’s news highlights.
