It’s looking like any road to Columbia will not only go through Berkeley and Moncks Corner, but all of Region 7-AAAA as both Goose Creek and James Island advanced with big first round football playoff wins as well.
The Stags rolled over Aiken 56-14, the Gators shut out Lancaster 48-0, and the Trojans edged Wren in overtime 56-55. Three of the final eight teams in Division II action hail from Region 7-AAAA.
In Class AA action Cane Bay fell to Dillon 41-7, which sets up the big rematch from 2008’s Lower State finals that saw the Wildcats nip the Wolves in a double-overtime heartbreaker by virtue of a missed extra point. Dillon went on to win the Class AA state championship.
In Class A play, the Cross Trojans dream season under first year head coach Shaun Wright came to an end, with the squad losing to Lake View 22-15. The Trojans end the 2009 campaign with a region championship banner to hang next year.
In Class AAAA second round play, Berkeley will miss its annual playoff tilt against Beaufort, hosting Greenwood instead who downed the Eagles 37-7.  
Goose Creek hosts North Augusta, and if both area teams win out next week, a Black Friday showdown looms between the Stags and Gators in the Division II Final Four played the day after Thanksgiving.
For Cross, a 22-point deficit proved too much for the Trojans to overcome. Louis Simmons and Randy Levine each scored late-game touchdowns, Simmons from three-yards out and Levine from 10, to close with seven but that was all Cross could muster.
The Trojans end the season with an 8-4 overall record.