Woodruff will Compete in Class 2A for First Time Since 2011
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
The last time Woodruff was 2A, the Wolverines’ football team played for the 2011 state championship.
Now, Woodruff High School finds itself in 2A once more, but in a modified setting.
The South Carolina High School League released its latest two-year realignment, which will be in effect from 2026-2028, and due to a restructuring of the league’s divisions, the Wolverine athletic teams will compete in the athletic class they called home for decades.
Based on each school’s 145-day enrollment numbers, sans outgoing seniors, Woodruff landed in 2A in large part because the SCHSL wanted to increase the number of schools in the 1A classification. As a result, the bottom 15 2A teams from the previous realignment were shifted down to 1A, triggering a trickle-down effect that saw several perennial 3A teams move down.
Woodruff was among them.
The new 2A will pit the Wolverines against traditional rivals and restore potential play-off match-ups of old with the likes of Central Pageland, Newberry, Saluda, Strom Thurmond, Mid Carolina, and Dillon in the fold.
As for region placement, those will be released in January, but it seems likely Woodruff could be placed in a region with schools like Mountain View Prep, Chesnee, Landrum, Blacksburg, and High Point Academy.
Based on the numbers, Woodruff High School will be the third-largest school in the new 2A classification.
“I was a little surprised that we actually ended up back in 2A,” said Woodruff athletic director Michael Morris. “I thought we would be one of the smallest 3A schools. We are excited about the move and look forward in the upcoming months to see what our region looks like. We also still look forward to continue playing Chapman, Broome, and Union County, that stayed in 3A.”
While the drop to 2A was a surprise to many, it does not hide the continued growth in the Woodruff community, with much of the increase in student numbers beginning at the primary and elementary schools, which will increase enrollment at the high school level in the near future.
Author: gmitchell85
