There is just one week left in the high school football regular season across Lexington County. 

With one game to go, teams will fight for one final win to end the season on a high note and begin the playoffs with momentum. Many playoff spots and a few region titles are still up for grabs. 

Last week saw 10 games featuring all 15 Lexington County teams. Half the games featured local head-to-head games, while the other half pitted Lexington County’s teams against outside competition.

Here are the biggest storylines from week nine of the Lexington County High School football season. 

3 region titles remain in reach

As the final week unfolds, a few local teams will be preparing to compete for their region championship.

The conference title is still in reach for Dutch Fork, Irmo and Swansea. Gray Collegiate locked up its region last week and holds a one-game advantage over North Augusta. The War Eagles beat the Yellow Jackets in region play earlier this season. 

Dutch Fork and Irmo will play each other in a winner-take-all game at the Yellow Jackets' home this Friday. The pair also played for the title last season, with Dutch Fork beating Irmo at their house during the final week of the regular season. 

Both teams enter the matchup (4-0) in region games. Irmo is undefeated for the season, while Dutch Fork has a loss against Oceanside on its record. That game is irrelevant to the region standings, though. 

Swansea will need some help to lock up its region title. The Tigers will first have to knock off undefeated and current first-place Newberry. Then, the team also needs Fox Creek to beat Silver Bluff to avoid a three-way tie. 

Gray Collegiate hosts Gilbert this week. A win or loss will not affect the War Eagles' final placement. But the game does have a lot on the line for current third-place Gilbert.

5 local head-to-heads end in blowouts 

Of the 10 games this past week, five featured matchups between two local teams, and they all ended in a lopsided blowout. 

In the three 5A Region-4 games, Dutch Fork beat River Bluff 37-0, Irmo beat Chapin 48-6 and White Knoll beat Lexington 37-6. 

Gilbert and Airport faced off in a game between two local 4A Region-4 teams. That contest was all Gilbert as the Indians ran away with a 55-3 win. The Eagles are still searching for their first win this season, with a game against Brookland-Cayce left on the schedule. 

Then, down in 2A, Batesburg-Leesville and Pelion went head-to-head. Batesburg-Leesville won the battle of Panthers, beating Pelion 60-14.

Next week will also be full of local head-to-heads. Irmo hosts Dutch Fork, River Bluff welcomes Lexington, Chapin plays White Knoll, Gray Collegiate hosts Gilbert and Airport welcomes Brookland-Cayce. 

Teams looking for 1 last win in final week of regular season 

The final week of the regular season is the final chance for teams to add wins and bolster their playoff resume. 

While only a few teams are still in contention for a region championship, many more are competing for spots lower in the standings. 

Teams like Batesburg-Leesville, Gilbert, River Bluff and Lexington can move up or down the standings based on Friday’s results, as can others. For some, a win or loss is the difference between hosting and traveling for a playoff game.

Then you have teams like Airport and Chapin, who have been winless thus far, and are hoping to steal one before their seasons end. Their playoff lives are on the line, as a winless season could keep both teams out of the postseason.

Last week’s big performances 

Amadre Wooden ran for over 200 yards and became Batesburg-Leesville’s all-time leading rusher in a win versus Pelion. 

Caden Hall had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in Irmo’s win over Chapin. 

Kyle Henry rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in Dutch Fork’s win against River Bluff. 

Kitt McLauchlin had around 150 passing yards and three touchdowns for Gilbert in a win over Airport.

Week 10 games to watch

Irmo vs. Dutch Fork 

Gray Collegiate vs. Gilbert

River Bluff vs. Lexington

Airport vs. Brookland-Cayce

Week 9 scoreboard

Dutch Fork: 37, River Bluff: 0

Irmo: 48, Chapin: 6

White Knoll: 37, Lexington: 6

North Augusta: 58, Brookland-Cayce: 12

Gilbert: 55, Airport: 3

Gray Collegiate: 48, Aiken: 0

Swansea: 24, Fox Creek: 13

Ninety Six: 42, American Leadership: 0

Batesburg-Leesville: 60, Pelion: 14

Florence Christian: 35, Northside Christian: 6