SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final Columbia, SC (12-19-25) -- The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) has finalized the classification placement of all schools beginning with the 2026-27 school year. This classification placement will be in effect for two years. The guidelines established by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee served as the blueprint for schools’ placements. Schools were assigned based on their enrollment count, to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier. Flexibility, as approved by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee, was also used with consideration given to geographics and travel. “Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said Dr. Jerome Singleton, Commissioner of the SCHSL. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.” The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 13-14, 2026, to hear appeals regarding the classification placements. The final reclassifications are attached.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Spartanburg – Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis threw a pair of touchdown passes and South Carolina defeated North Carolina, 17-7, in the 89 th Shrine Bowl all-star game in Spartanburg on December 20. Davis , named the offensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers, completed 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards in the game. He is headed to Liberty University as an early enrollee. “Great experience and great to get a win,” Davis said. “Playing with all of these great players was something I will never forget.” South Carolina dominated the game defensively, allowing only 136 total yards. The Tarheels completed just five of 19 passes. Stratford running back Maliq McGowan , a late addition to the roster, finished as the leading rusher for South Carolina with 42 yards on nine carries. West Ashley’s Bristol Biegenzahn played on the defensive front for the Sandlappers while Berkeley’s Zion Britt started on the offensive line. Cross safety, and South Carolina signee Caden Ramsey , Berkeley linebacker Gehad Sneed , and Timberland offensive lineman Desmond Green, who is headed to Florida, also played for the Sandlappers. “You win all-star games with defense and our defense was outstanding,” said SC head coach Paul Sutherland , who retired as the head coach at Liberty High after the season. “Glad to get the win for South Carolina. The kids were great. I am very blessed to have had this opportunity.” It took less than 10 seconds for the Sandlappers to score the game’s first touchdown as Davis combined with Dillon receiver Zay Robertson , heading to North Carolina , on an 80-yard bomb on the first play of the game for a quick 7-0 lead. Robertson finished the game with four catches for 131 yards. “He’s a great player,” said Davis of Robertson. “Getting that first touchdown was a tone setter.” South Carolina lost fumbles on their next two possessions, the second miscue leading to North Carolina’s game-tying touchdown after a 23-yard drive. Spartanburg’s Will Love , heading to Virginia Tech , kicked a 35-yard field goal late in the second quarter for a 10-7 halftime lead for the Sandlappers. South Carolina’s last play offensive snap in the game was Davis’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Jude Hall of Christ Church with :59 seconds left on the game clock. Chester linebacker Terry Rayford , who had 11 tackles, was the defensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers. Dorman's Kentavion Anderson and Ridge View's Jordan Best recorded interceptions The win gives South Carolina a 48-34 lead in the series. There have been seven ties.

Proposal has AAAAA going from 54 schools to 40 and not being split into divisions

Oceanside senior WR, Terence Johnson, a Shrine Bowl all-star game selection, had 57 catches for 1,153 yards and 17 touchdowns plus 9 rushing touchdowns this season.

Running back Grayson Salego is one of several starters who should return to the Panthers’ football team next season. Photo by Roger Lee. 

Timberland's Zion Prioleau, named on of Class AA's top seniors by the SC Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 2024-20225.

 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The Wilson Hall football team played in its third straight SCISA AAA state championship game in November. And for the third straight year, the Barons came out on the short end of the stick. WH lost to Pinewood Prep for the second consecutive year, falling by a score of 55-13. That being said, Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki could only praise his team, especially the 17-man senior class. “This group of seniors graduates with three trips to the state championship and not many people can say that,” Jarecki said of the Class of 2026, which went 32-7 over that 3-year stretch. “I’m extremely proud of them. They’re our leaders at the school. They’re the influential people at our school. We’d love to see them go out with success in the end, but what they accomplished is pretty special, and they’ve got to take pride in that. “They had a great year (finishing with an 11-2 record for the second straight year) and they’ve had a great career. It’s tough not to come out on top, but they know what it takes to get here and they bought into it.” Six of those seniors were among the eight Barons named to the All-Region 2-AAA team. Leading the way was quarterback Ford Wilder , who was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year. Wilder completed 41 of 79 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 483 yards and 12 TDs on 87 carries. Senior running backs Ben McLaurin and Milling Galloway were selected. McLaurin rushed for 1,234 yars and 16 scores on 121 carries. Galloway rushed for 585 yards and 11 touchdowns 62 carries despite missing three games and the majority of a fourth due to injury. The other senior All-Region picks were free safety Harris Naylor and defensive linemen Walker Wilson and Andrew Howle . Naylor had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass deflections. Wilson had 39 tackles, seven TFLs, two quarterback sacks and one PD. Howle had 28 tackles, a team high nine TFLs and two sacks. The other two All-Region selections were junior defensive lineman Reese Wilson and junior linebacker Peyton Gilley . Reese Wilson shared the team lead in sacks with four to go with 21 tackles, eight TFLs, one PD and one fumble recovery. Gilley had a team high 61 tackles and shared the team lead in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown, to go with three sacks and six TFLs. Along with being All-Region picks, each of the eight were All-State selections and were chosen to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Games.

By Dennis Brunson Hssr.com Associate Editor Bishopville – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lee Academy got off to 1-3 starts, but neither of the head coaches are close to making a determination on what the season holds for their squads. “I am really excited about the team we have for this season,” said boys head coach Kemp DeWitt , who is in his second season at Lee. “We return four players that gave us crucial minutes last season. Brayden Davis , Cain June , Gavin Makela and Paxton Greene give me a solid base surrounded by the new faces we have this season. “We look to find our identity as a team before we head into Christmas break, so we can come out strong when region play starts.” Davis, a sophomore point guard, and June, a senior small forward, are the two returning starters. Davis was averaging 9.3 points per game, while June was scoring at a 9.0 clip. Makela is a junior center while Greene is a senior shooting guard. The other starter is junior power forward Aiden Fitzgerald . Greene was averaging 6.3 points, Fitzgerald 3.5 and Makela 1.6. Other members of the boys team are senior Collins Drayton , junior Cannon Hopkins , who was averaging 5.0, junior Tucker Rodgers , junior James Watson , junior Matthew Inabinet and junior Keegan Gainey . Girls head coach Kim Langston , a decades-long veteran of the SCISA wars, said she hadn’t seen enough of her team to form an opinion. The Lady Cavaliers are young with just one senior starter in Mazie Tomlinson . The other starters are junior Mallori Frye , sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Kaisley Melton and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside . Karagan Melton was the leading scorer with a 9.5 average to go with 3.8 rebounds. Tomlinson was averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 steals, 4.3 assists and 9.5 boards, Whiteside was at 5.0 points, 1.0 blocked shots and 6.8 rebounds, Frye was averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, and Kaisley Melton was averaging 2.3 steals, 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes sophomore Emma Beasley , senior Sara Bell , senior Zana Brazell , senior Raylee Catoe and junior Addie Grace Wilkes . 4 CAVALIERS FOOTBALL ALL REGION The Lee football team had four players selected to the All-Region 1-Class A team. The selections were wide receiver/linebacker Cain June, senior quarterback/defensive back Andrew Bowers , senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Hampton Layton and senior linebacker/running back Tucker Boyce .

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Goose Creek – The Andrews Yellowjackets girls basketball team has had a tough time since head coach Tevin Wallace took over the program three years ago as they have managed to win just four games in that time but it was also a time that coach Wallace was getting a young team to play hard every time out on the court no matter the score. The lumps they have taken are starting to show the growth of the team as these young ladies have gotten older and stronger as well as the understanding of what coach Wallace expects of them. It has translated into a 4-3 start to the season and expectations “Our growth has been huge. Being thrown into varsity competition so early forced them to learn quickly, and now you can see the difference in their confidence, their decision-making, and their toughness. They understand the speed of the game, they communicate better, and they’re starting to take ownership as leaders,” said coach Wallce. “The physical development has been noticeable too—stronger, faster, and more comfortable under pressure.” Coach continued, “This year, I expect us to take a major step forward. We’ve spent the last two seasons rebuilding, and now the experience is finally catching up with the talent. My expectation is that we compete every night, play with discipline, and show the maturity we’ve been developing. I believe this group is ready to turn the corner and establish a new standard for our program.” The Yellowjackets top three returning players have plenty of varsity playing experience despite all being under classmen in juniors Chole Skipper and Camaria Gibson and sophomore Makayla Singleton . Gibson currently leads the team in scoring at 15.7 ppg. And in steals with 10 on the year. She is a very versatile player who handles the ball, can defend and impacts the game in several ways. Singleton is second in scoring on the team at 11.1/ppg. Coach Wallace says she improved in her ability to score and defend. She has become a steady presence on both ends of the court. One of the team’s top three-point shooter has been Skipper. She brings leadership and consistency to the team. She is averaging 7.9ppg. Joining the Yellowjackets top three players are several other players who have started during the year in seniors Ariel Holloway, Jade Wallace and Miracle Myers , junior forward Christin Cooley and eighth grader Nyla Brown. Wallace is the teams top rebounder at 4.3 a game. Rounding out the Yellowjackets roster are junior Christin Cooley and freshman Elisa Dunmore. Coach said this about his teams playoff chances this year, “Absolutely. I believe this is the year we put ourselves back in that conversation. We’ve taken our growing pains, but now the experience and chemistry are in place. If we stay healthy and continue to buy in defensively, we can compete for a playoff spot and surprise some people along the way.”

Wardlaw Academy senior Taylor Hill during the 2025 championship game.

Thomas Heyward's Tony O'Banner closes his high school FB career with 8,019 all-purpose yards and 96 career TDs.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer  Columbia - Last season the White Knoll girls basketball team broke through with 17 wins and made the 5A Division 2 playoffs. Shortly afterward, head coach Coretta Ferguson left to coach the Irmo girls. Also departing the Timberwolves were seniors Shaelyn Hayes , who averaged 14.4 points per game, and Emory Waters - Inman , who averaged 11.9 points. Under first-year head coach Mark Luster , the 2025-2026 White Knoll girls have a lot of returners on the roster, but are considerably young. Even so, Luster is hopeful that the team (2-4) can come together in time for Region 4-5A play. The Timberwolves opened the season with a 63-22 loss Nov. 21 to a powerful Rock Hill team led by senior guard Chloe Hudson , but held their own in a 43-29 loss against another top team, Sumter , Nov. 22 “The Rock Hill game, we got handled, but we played Sumter pretty well,” Luster said. White Knoll scored its first victory of the season with a 65-26 win over Aiken Dec. 1, but a 79-34 loss to Blythewood came Dec. 2 and a 45-27 loss to Lower Richland came Dec. 5. The Timberwolves got victory No.2 with a 50-22 defeat of Aiken Dec. 10. “We’re a young team and we’re still making mistakes, but we’ve played some good competition that’s been a lesson for us,” Luster said. “The good thing about it is that we’re going to see how well we’ve improved when we play these teams the second time around.” Having played Aiken twice, the Timberwolves traveled to Lower Richland Dec. 12 and to Blythewood Dec. 13. White Knoll heads to Laurens Dec. 16 and plays Brookland - Cayce Dec. 19 before opening region play against River Bluff Jan. 9. While losing Hayes and Waters-Inman, White Knoll has a returning leader in senior point guard Sidney White . White has been benched with an ACL injury last year. “She’s one of our better players even though she hasn’t played a game yet,” Luster said. “She’s been practicing with the team and hopefully get cleared if she passes an exam tomorrow (Dec. 12).” Another of the team’s more experienced players is junior guard Jaliyah Daniel , who played on the varsity team her freshman and sophomore years. “She’s our leading scorer right now,” Luster said. “With the ball in her hand as a point guard, she’s stepped up to be a great leader.” With White and Daniel poised to lead the team this season, the rest of the team is competing for starting slots. “Not a lot of the girls have logged varsity time,” he said. “We had some girls play in some spots for a while, but I think we’ve got some girls who can start. Valentina Paniagua is a junior and she stepped up for us and we’re looking for some good things from her. She’s had some injuries but she had a good game last night (the second win over Aiken).” Freshman Center London Thompson is one of the better players in the class of 2029. “She’s come along really well and is a great rebounder,” Luster said. “She’s going to go quite a bit further with her skills development before she leaves us.” Junior guard Desiree Butler has been a part-time starter for the Timberwolves. Luster said she’s struggled a bit but added that he likes what he’s seen from her and will likely be a regular on the floor. “Other than that, we’ve got a lot of little pieces to fit,” Luster said. “We’ve got to figure out what they can do.” White Knoll looks to have as balanced a team as it can be on the court by the time region play opens in 2026. With Luster taking the job so late in the cycle, he said he wasn’t able to put the team through summer and fall camps. “November was the first time I got the team out on the court,” Luster said. “We go out on the court against teams who have had a whole summer and fall, and we’re still installing and learning stuff. We know we’re behind the 8-ballbut we’re playing hard.” Luster said the goal for the team is to be .500 going into region play. By then he thinks the team will be playing its best basketball, and would head into the second round of region play holding it’s own. “It doesn’t get any easier for us, but I like that we have a talented group of juniors and freshmen,” Luster said. “I think we can surprise teams. We have a bright future. We’re excited about the season.” The White Knoll boys are coming off a 13-14 season in which they reached the 5A Division 2 playoffs but lost to Myrtle Beach in the first round. The Timberwolves (5-3) got off to a 1-3 start but have won four straight, including wins over 5A Division 1 state runner-up Blythewood (68-66) Dec. 2 and Lower Richland (70-50) Dec. 5. White Knoll played at Lower Richland Friday and at Blythewood on Saturday, and plays Laurens, Brookland-Cayce, and North Augusta before heading into the Lexington Roundball Classic Dec. 26-28.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – The Fox Creek High School boys basketball team won four of its first six games and is in hopes of having another strong season The Predators have won 39 games over the past two seasons and reached the quarterfinals of the AAA state playoffs both years. FCHS was averaging 69 points a game with three players scoring in double figures. Senior Chanze Allen was leading the way at 14.0 followed by junior Justin Vining at 12.5 and junior Kobe Sims at 11.5 Junior Randy Robinson was the leading rebounder at 5.7 while scoring at a 6.8 clip. Senior Keori Atwell was averaging 6.7. Vining was the assists leader at 3.2. FOX CREEK GIRLS OPEN 4-5 The Fox Creek girls basketball team won four of its first nine games. However, points have been hard to come by for the Predators as they are averaging just 37 points a contest. Fox Creek returns its top three scorers from last season. Junior Jada Jennings , who averaged over 10 a game last season, is leading the way with 9.2 per game. Sophomore Mia Price , who led the team with a 10.6 average last year, is off to a slow start. She is only putting up 3.6 a game. The second leading scorer is senior Avery Schwarz at 8.3 per game. She is also the second leading rebounder at 5.6 The leading rebounder is junior Maya Kryshtalowych at 7.9. As she was last year, Kryshtalowych is the third leading scorer at 5.2. Jennings is averaging 4.2 rebounds. Fox Creek is looking to improve upon a 9-14 overall record and a 4-4 mark in region play. The Predators had to go on the road in the firt round of the playoffs and lost to Hanahan 45-38. 2 PREDATORS SELECTED FOOTBALL ALL-REGION Running back Bryson Crawford and offensive lineman/defensive lineman John Truesdell were the Fox Creek football players selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team. Crawford, who is a junior, had a tremendous season. He rushed for 1,391 yards and 21 touchdowns on 198 carries. He also caught three passes for 21 yards and a score. Truesdell, a senior, finished with 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, a team high six sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Predators who were honorable mention were junior athlete Mehki Quiller , senior outside linebacker Noah Gaines , senior offensive lineman Alec Beck , sophomore outside linebacker Kamal Grant , senior defensive back Riley Howell and junior defensive back Char’tavious Weaver .

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Florence – Florence Christian School junior defensive lineman Hayden Schwab was selected as the SCISA Region 2-AAA Defensive Player of the Year. Schwaub, who was the only returning starter on the D line for the FCS football team, had team highs in tackles with 97, tackles for loss with 11 ½ and quarterback sacks with eight, returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown, caused two fumbles and recovered another. The Eagles finished the year with an 8-3 overall record and reached the semifinals of the state playoffs. Veteran head coach Neil Minton was pleased with the team’s performance. “We had a great season,” Minton said. “We played five games against teams who played for state titles (AAA state champion Pinewood Prep in the semifinals, AAA runner-up and region foe Wilson Hall , AAAA runner-up Heathwood Hall , AA runner-up Pee Dee Academy and Class A state champion Williamsburg Academy ). Our young people battled and competed with great determination and character. I am proud of our growth and will really miss our seniors.” The Eagles were 2-3 in the games against the five title contenders. They beat Heathwood Hall 14-13 and Pee Dee 21-0 while losing to Williamsburg 34-21, Wilson Hall 34-15 for the region title and Pinewood Prep 45-6. Florence Christian had five other players selected to the All-Region 2-AAA team. They were senior Brooks Poston , senior Pierce Boykin , senior Parker Watson and juniors Josh Davis and Andrew Miller . Poston, who started in the secondary on defense, finished with 40 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defended and two fumbles caused. As a wide receiver and running back on offense, Poston caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a score and had 84 carries for 502 yards and seven touchdowns. Boykin had five sacks, 72 tackles and 10 ½ TFLs as a defensive lineman. Davis and Miller both were starting running backs on offense as well as starters in the secondary. Defensively, Davis had 37 tackles, 5 ½ TFLs, one PD and caused three fumbles, while Miller had 37 tackles, five TFLs and three sacks. Miller was FCS’ leading rusher with 884 yards and 14 touchdowns on 143 carries. Davis had 82 carries for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Watson was the starting left offensive tackle and was a 2-year starter. The Eagles look to have eight starters back on defense and six on offense. One of the returners on offense will be sophomore quarterback Riley Minton , the coach’s son. In his second season as a starter, Minton completed 68 of 113 passes for 978 yards and four touchdowns while running for 163 yards and five scores on 45 carries.

Ashley Ridge quarterback Trevor Kalisz threw for approximately 1,900 yards and nine touchdowns this season while rushing for more than 500 yards and a TD. Photo by Roger Lee

 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Honea Path – Belton-Honea Path High School came up just shy of a football state title again this year. The Bears fell to Oceanside Collegiate Academy in the AAA championship game for the second straight season, this time by a 28-7 count. Longtime Bears head coach Russell Blackston said he couldn’t be prouder of his team, the seniors in particular. “I mean they finished 14-1, and I’m so proud of these guys and what they’ve been able to do,” he said. “They have 50 wins in their careers, and the sun’s going to come up tomorrow.” The Bears dominated the awards for Region 1-AAA as well as its All-Region team. Junior Tajeh Watson-Martin was selected as the Region Player of the Year, senior Kylan Dixon was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year, senior Keylan Dixon was the Lineman of the Year, senior Benji Ward was the Special Teams Player of the Year and Blackston was named the Coach of the Year. Watson-Martin was selected to the All-Region team as both a wide receiver and defensive back. He had 58 receptions for 1,101 yards and 11 touchdowns while coming up with 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and four interceptions at cornerback. Kylan Dixon, a defensive tackle, finished with 41 tackles, 14 TFLs and five sacks. His brother, Keylan, was the leader of an offensive line that helped the offense average 45.7 points per game. He was a 4-time All-Region pick. Placekicker Ward scored 89 points, connecting on 80 of his 86 extra point attempts while going 3-for-4 on field goals with a long of 40 yards. The other All-Region selections were senior Noah Thomas both at quarterback and punter, junior Brody Riddle at tight end, senior MJ Earl at running back, junior Jaden Glenn and senior Jacus Paul at wide receiver, senior center Brady Spearman and junior right tackle Carter Burgess on the offensive line, juior noseguard Kamation Glenn and senior ends Ty Rainey and Kanaza Bryant on the defensive line, senior Jakyri Anderson , junior Ty Dubose and senior KJ Miles at linebacker, junior strong safety Dee Chester at defensive back and senior free safety Grady Melton as a defensive all-purpose player. Thomas threw for 2,221 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for 762 yards and 11 scores. As a punter, Thomas averaged 36.0 yards on 22 attempts. Earl rushed for 1,246 yards nd 24 touchdowns, while Jaden Glenn had 25 catches for 339 yards and seven TDs, and Paul had 19 catches for 177 yards and four TDs. On defense, Miles had 66 tackles and nine TFLs, Dubose had 78 tackles, two picks, three sacks and 11 TFLs, Melton had 35 tackles and two TFLs, Chester had 28 tackles, four picks and four TFLs, Anderson had 56 tackles and 10 TFLs, Rainey had 27 tackles, eight sacks and 12 TFLs, Kamarion Glenn had 28 tackles and 11 TFLs, and Bryant had 18 tackles, three sacks and nine TFLs.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt —In his first season as the head girls’ basketball coach at Andrew Jackson Academy, in 2024-25, Zach Boltin coached the team to a respectable 12-12 record but early season injuries have hampered the team’s goals for improvement this season. As of December, 10 the Lady Warriors were 1-6, 0-1 and they had played four games without the services of top player 5-11 junior SF McKinnley Beard, who has been out with a quad injury. “We play a 2-3 defense and McKinnley plays in the middle of our defense, and she does an excellent job for us,” said Coach Boltin. “She is also our top rebounder, so with her out the past four games we have not been as competitive. We expect to have her back in a couple weeks hopefully. “McKinnley has been on the varsity team since the 8 th grade and she was all-region and all-state last season,” said Coach Boltin. “We will definitely be a better defensive team when she is able to come back.” At the time of her injury Beard was averaging 6.3 points, seven rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game. “This team has a lot of potential and I truly feel like we will get better when we get over our injuries and get further along into the season,” said Coach Boltin. “I feel like we can make the playoffs and win a game or two also. We just need to get our younger players more game experience. I feel like we will be a much better team down the stretch after the new year.” Currently the team is led in scoring by second year varsity performer Kinslie Carson . Carson is a junior shooting guard averaging 11 points and 4.3 rebounds a game. “Kinslie is great at driving to the basket where she gets to the free throw line a lot,” said Coach Boltin.  Bella Carigg is a junior point guard averaging 8 points, 3.2 steals and 2.4 assists a game. “Bella is our main shooter,” said Coach Boltin. “This is her third year on the varsity team and she has shown steady improvement.” A third returning starter from last season is sophomore guard Harlo Sease who is in her fourth season on the varsity despite being just a sophomore. She is currently averaging 6.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. “Harlo has been filling in for Beard in the middle of our defense and it is not where she is use to playing on defense,” said Coach Boltin. “Her experience is a big asset to the team.” With Beard sidelined two younger players have been sharing time in the starting line-up. “We have been rotating sophomore Abby Ayer and freshman Brianna Jacques in Beard’s place, and both came into the season with no prior varsity playing experience,” said Coach Boltin. “Ayer starts a little more and Jacques is normally the first person off the bench.” Ayer is averaging 4.1 rebounds a game. The team is comprised of 9 total players. The Lady Warriors start three juniors and two sophomores. Freshman guard Kiley O’herion contributes a lot off the bench. Sophomore guard Scarlett Mixson is a returning varsity player who has also been recovering form an injury. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Johnson rounds out the roster and she plays a lot also. One challenge for the team is that they do not have a true point guard. “Bella and Harlo have assumed the role of point guard for us this season,” said Coach Boltin. “They are doing a good job learning to play a new position.” The season began on a positive note for the Lady Warriors on November, 17 with a 38-22 win over Faith Christian . In that game Carrigg and Carson each had 12 points with Beard contributing seven points and seven rebounds. Carson also has six rebounds in the win. The team will participate in two Christmas tournaments over the holidays. They will participate in the Orangeburg Prep Christmas tournament starting on December, 22 with a game against top ranked O-P. On December 29-30 the team will participate in the Colleton Prep tournament and they play CP in the first game. Prior to these two events the Lady Warriors have games scheduled at Colleton Prep on December, 18 and they are at Dorchester Academy on the 19 th . Their losses have come against Holly Hill Academy , Curtis Baptist (twice), WSAHS , Patrick Henry and Jefferson Davis Academy . Coach Boltin is assisted by Josh Barnes who is the boy’s head coach.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt —After playing for a SCISA AA boy’s state title in 2024-25 the Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors team have been hit by injuries and graduation losses, so this could be a rare rebuilding season for veteran head coach Josh Barnes as he enters his 15 th season as head coach in the program.  “Our basketball team has done well but our current record does not show the progress of this team,” said head coach Josh Barnes, “Playing without Hall ( Sease ) the past few games has been most challenging on the rebounding side of things. “We have challenged others to step up to fill that void and they have responded of late,” said Coach Barnes. “ Elijuh Davis and Ollie Barnes both had 16 rebounds each in Saturday’s (December, 13) double over-time loss to Patrick Henry . Eli Mathys stepped up with double digit rebounds as well. “Hall also leaves a void as a secondary ball handler for the team,” said Coach Barnes. “Will Barnes, an 8 th grader stepped up earlier to help fill this void. Tanner Chassereau has logged in key minutes as well to help fill voids. “I am always proud to see kids filling in other roles other than their usual standard roles,” said Coach Barnes. “It shows growth and maturity of your student athletes when they can step into new roles and help the team and that is one of my primary focuses as a coach. “Davis has provided as inside presence for the team also,” said Coach Barnes. “He is focused on improving every day. I feel that Hall having his unfortunate injury forced us into a fire and caused some to get burned but in the end the team will be stronger for it. We look forward to having Hall back as he is one of our most experienced players who has been through everything with me. “Either my brother, or myself have coached Hall since the 5 th grade and we understand what talent Hall brings to the court,” said Coach Barnes. “One constant has been Ollie Barnes. He is willing to do whatever is asked of him and he rolls with the punches. He is a high character guy on and off the court. He is dependable in all aspects of the game. “My goal is for the team to be completely healthy by January,” said Coach Barnes. “Hall has been out and Ollie has played though an injury that took him off the court this past week,” said Coach Barnes. “Getting those two back to full strength will help us compete in our region. A “Also, Landon Godina , a key transfer starter, has helped the team with high percentage shooting and quality ball handling,” said Coach Barnes. Junior combo guard Ollie Barnes is having an outstanding season as he leads the team in scoring (18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists a game). Barnes has been on the team since the 8 th grade. Sease (6-3, 175) is the team’s second leading scorer to date averaging 14.6 points, 14.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game). Sease has been a varsity player since the 8 th grade. Other starters include junior forward Eli Mathys who is averaging two points and 6.6 rebounds a game. Senior guard Landon Godina is a starter who is averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds a game. The 5 th starter is junior power forward Elizuh Davis (6-4, 175) and he is averaging 8.7 points and 9 rebounds a game. The remaining four contributors on the team include senior forward Tanner Chassereau , junior guard Dylan Mahoney , 8 th grade point guard Will Barnes , and senior forward Tres Mixson . The team started the 2025-26 season 2-0 with wins over Faith Christian (60-58) and Curtis Baptist (75-69). However, the Warriors then lost four games in a row before getting back in the win column with a win over Jefferson Davis Academy (72-22) on December 8. As of December 13, the team had a 3-7 record. Without Sease in the line-up they lost a highly competitive double overtime loss at home to Patrick Henry (66-61) on the 13 th . Against Patrick Henry, Davis stepped up with 24 points and 16 rebounds while Ollie Barnes had 19 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and four steals. Mathys contributed six points and 13 rebounds against Patrick Henry. The Warriors will next play at Colleton Prep on December 18 before playing the next day at Dorchester Academy . They start playing in a Christmas Tournament hosted by Orangeburg Prep starting on December 22 with games TBA.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston - There is no better way to complete an undefeated season than with a state title, and the Ashley Hall tennis team did just that with a SCISA AAAA state championship victory over Trinity Collegiate on Oct. 10. The title win capped a 23-0 season for the Panthers, who successfully defended the state title they won last season. “Just a dream season for a group of girls who work so hard,” coach Charlotte Hartsock said. “We beat a lot of good teams, some public schools as well. This team worked for everything they got and they deserve this.” Highlights were winning the pre-season tournament in Florence, defeating Myrtle Beach, T.L. Hanna and A.C. Flora in that tournament.  “I knew after that tournament that we had a good chance,’ Hartsock said. “You never know how a season will play out but I felt like we had a state championship team.” Ashley Hall also won the Bishop England tournament, posting wins over Charlotte Latin, Mauldin and Wando. The Panthers also beat Lucy Beckham, a state title contender in Class AAAAA of the SCHSL, twice during the season. Hartsock had an experienced team this fall. The starting singles lineup included seniors Lily Sloan , Emma Tedford and Grace Taylor. Sloan, who played the No. 1 singles position, posted a 14-6 record this season and was named the region player of the year. “Lily was on the team for five years and played No. 1 for the last three seasons,” Hartsock said. “She played every team’s best player and she was such a battler.” Tedford played No. 4 singles and had a 21-0 record, while Taylor was 20-1 in the No. 5 singles slot. Kate Strenck was the team’s fourth senior. “We had great leadership from our seniors and they made sure we had the right chemistry,” Hartsock said. Junior Emily Kaye was 19-2 at No. 2 singles and freshman Bridgette DeWolf was 19-1 at No. 3. Sophomore Charlotte Guffey was 13-1 as the No. 6 singles player. “We will miss those seniors but we should be fine next year,” said Hartsock. “We have some good young players in the program and the junior varsity team has some good talent.” Swim team places second at state meet Ashley Hall’s swim team competed in the SCISA AAAA state meet, finishing as the state runner-up in the final team standings. Among the top individual performers was Reves Sidebottom , who took second in the 100-yard freestyle and third in the 50-yard freestyle. Amelia Lennon took third in the 200-yard freestyle and swam fifth in the 100-yard butterfly. Amelia DeWolf placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle and fifth in the 200-yard individual medley. Ella Sidebottom finished fifth in the 100-freestyle. In relay events, Ashley Hall placed second in the 400-yard relay and fifth in the 200-yard relay.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Abbeville – Abbeville High’s boys basketball team enters the 2025-26 season as one of the favorites to win the Class A state title.  The Panthers, coached by Doug Belcher , reached the state championship game last season but lost the final game to Denmark-Olar. Abbeville posted a 23-3 record. Several key players from last year’s team are back this season. Abbeville opened the season with an 88-29 win over Ware Shoals on Dec. 12. Back as the leading scorer is senior Jaden Baylor, who averaged 16.8 points and 7.0 rebounds last season. He scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the season opener. Senior Jaylen Baylor was the leading rebounder last season, pulling down 9.3 boards per game. He averaged 7.3 points as well. Baylor scored eight points and had 10 rebounds in the opener. Sophomore Jamerion Williams scored 23 points in the opener and junior Corde Hadden had eight points, Sophomore Jamiere Killingsworth had seven points in the opening game. Rounding out this season’s roster are seniors Quatavius Silus and Darius Riley , junior Cory Calhoun , sophomore Jamiyus McManus , and sophomore Jaiden Moss. Riley averaged 12.2 points per game last season. Volleyball wins state title; football ends season with playoff loss On Nov. 8, Abbeville defeated Latta , 3-1, to win their first-ever state championship in the Class A finals at Dreher High School. Abbeville’s championship was the perfect ending to a 23-3 season. “I thought at the start of the season that we had a team capable of winning a championship but you just never know,” said second-year head coach Sara Wojtkowski . “We knew we had a great group that would work hard. My goal was to get past the third round and once we got to the finals, we had a chance to win.” The Panthers had just two starting seniors, Ella Atkins and Lucy Kollman , but their leadership was a key factor. “Ella was our energy player and Lucy was like our team mom,” the coach said. “Both were so important because we had a lot of younger girls. We will miss them greatly but I’m so happy they could win a championship.” Other members of the team included middle hitter Lauryn Murray , freshman setter Maddy Beiler , senior defensive specialist Kaylee Bundrick , sophomore setter Bella Evans , freshman OPP Sarah Gulley , sophomore defensive specialist Reese Jones , senior OPP Tielle Killingsworth , freshman Libero Rylee Tiller, and junior hitter Laylan Yates . Abbeville’s trek to the title game was a familiar path. They had to get past Lewisville, the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season, and ended up playing region rival Dixie four times. They beat Dixie in three of the four meetings, including the Upper State championship game. “Beating Lewisville was huge for our confidence,” Wojtkowski said. “Once we got past them, I think our girls started to believe.” No longer the hunter but now the hunted, Abbeville should be a title contender again next season. But, allow the Panthers to enjoy their title for a little while before talking 2026. “We are definitely excited about the future,” Wojtkowski said. “Hopefully we will have the same desire as we had this year.” Abbeville’s football team suffered a heart-breaking loss to Lewisville in the second round of the Class A state playoffs. The Panthers could not hold on to a late lead and Lewisville posted a 29-28 win after converting a game-winning two-point conversion. Abbeville finished with a 9-3 record.

By Roger Lee Contributing Writer Summerville – Dutch Fork has stood in the way of the Summerville Football program’s mission of winning a state championship the last few years, but nothing last forever. The Green Wave (11-3) fell to the Silver Foxes (12-1) 40-20 during the 2025 5A, Division 1 Football Championship at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg Dec. 6. The loss marks the second consecutive year Summerville has fallen to Dutch Fork in the state finals. “You can’t turn the ball over in a state championship game,” said Summerville coach Ian Rafferty . “We turned the ball over three times and they only turned it over once, but I’m proud of our kids. I don’t think the final score indicates what type of game it was. It just kind of got away from us at the end.” The good news for Green Wave fans is Summerville should return some talented starters next season. Junior running back Javyen Williams rushed for more than 2.000 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and had 18 receptions for nearly 200 yards and another two TDs. Senior Cam Grayson rushed for more than 500 yards and 12 TDs. Junior receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray led the Wave receivers with more than 1,000 receiving yards and 14 TD receptions. “Jaiden Kelly-Murray is one of the best athletes on our team,” Rafferty said. “He plays his guts out. A lot of people don’t realize late this season he played almost every single snap on offense and defense and played special teams. He is phenomenal.” Sophomore receiver Teru Davis had more than 500 receiving yards and three TDs. Senior quarterback Max Stafford threw for approximately 2,000 yards and 20 TDs. Senior QB Cooper Kafina threw for approximately 700 yards and five TDs. Junior linebacker Eli Pressley and senior JT Williams were the leading tacklers. Senior Josiah Taylor had a team-high four interceptions. The team’s feeder programs have a long history of preparing athletes for the varsity gridiron.  “Our JV team finished the season 10-0 and outscored their opponents by an average score of 40-6,” Rafferty said. “I feel good about the future of Green Wave Football. We’ll be back. We will get back to work and keep coming until we get a championship. Wave Wrestling Summerville is out to a strong start on the wrestling mat. This month, Green Wave coach Daryl Tucker surpassed the 350-wins bench mark for his wrestling coaching career. As of Dec. 13, he has led Summerville to 359 dual wins. Tucker already had the most coaching wins in program history. “That’s a big number, but I tell people all the time I don’t do this by myself,” Tucker said. “I’ve had a lot of great wrestlers along the way. I’ve had some really good assistant coaches and a really supportive administration.” Summerville placed second during last weekend’s 2025 Cane Bay Duals . The Green Wave defeated Hanahan (63-18), Chapin (47-25) and Wando (53-26) to advance to the semi-finals. There, it defeated rival Ashley Ridge (42-30) to advance to the championship match. In the title match, Summerville fell 44-28 to Lugoff-Elgin . Ashley Ridge is ranked third in the 5A, Division 1 preseason poll while Summerville is ranked sixth. Lugoff-Elgin is ranked fourth in 5A, Division 2. It was the first loss of the season for Summerville, which enters this week with a 10-1 record. “We aren’t going to hang our head about losing to Lugoff,” Tucker said. “They have a really good program and there is a lot to learn from losing to a really good opponent.” The win over the Swamp Foxes is Summerville’s most prestigious of the season. “It was a really good high school match,” Tucker said. “The first three or four matches were decisions so it was tight until we hit 165.” Summerville had one wrestler too sick to wrestle, a few injuries and the members of the team who also play football have only been able to participate in a few practices so overall the team’s performance in the event shows promise. “My 150-pounder, Kayleb Pinckney , is wrestling on another level,” Tucker said. “He has really put some things together and he does things I can’t coach because he is so athletic. Another senior, Brayden Herman , had five wins today. won all five of his matches Ridge Rollison and Mason Whisenhunt stepped up at 157. Right now, we are just trying to get some guys more consistent and get better one day at a time.” Seth Seprish and Dexter Chavous are grapplers expected to make a difference in heavier classes this season. Trinton Morris didn’t participate at Cane Bay, but is expected to help strengthen the middle part of the lineup when he returns from injury.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – High school all-star football games can be vanilla, but this year’s Touchstone Energy Bowl was a surprisingly entertaining game. The 78 th Touchstone Energy North-South all-star game was won by the North, 35-27, on Dec. 9 in Myrtle Beach. The game featured big plays on offense, defense, and special teams with two blocked punts, and a kickoff return for a touchdown. “We just played an all-star game and threw it to the endzone for a chance to go into overtime and that’s what people want to see,” said South head coach Brian Smith of Barnwell. “Nobody wants to see 7-3 or 10-7 game, and nobody wants a game 40-10 either. I think it was an exciting game. Proud of the way our kids played and proud of the way their kids played.” Pickens head coach John Boggs directed the North all-stars. The win for the North gave them a 42-33 edge in the overall series. “What an effort on both sides,” Boggs said. “One team refusing to give up and the other team refusing to give up. Just two teams battling it out. Heck of a football game. Obviously, I am glad to come out on the winning side but just proud of how hard all these kids played.” Bluffton quarterback Aeden McCarthy was named the South’s Most Valuable Offensive Player while South Florence’s Terry Gordon was the South defensive MVP. McCarthy completed seven of 17 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Stratford receiver JQ Crosby had eight catches for 115 yards. Gordon had six tackles. South Pointe running back RJ Brown was the North Offensive MVP and Indian Land defensive end Mike Foster was the Defensive MVP for the North team. Brown had 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Quarterback Roper Wentsky of A.C. Flora completed nine of 11 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. Wentsky connected with Stone Furrey (Dutch Fork) on a seven-yard scoring pass to give the North a 7-0 lead with 7:14 left in the first quarter. The South answered with a McCarthy 34-yard pass to Marcus Cann (Bamberg-Ehrhardt) with four minutes left in the quarter. Brown’s six-yard run in the second quarter pushed the North back in front. South kicker CJ Falatico (Philip Simmons) booted a 25-yard field goal with :15 seconds left in the second quarter to make the halftime score 14-10. With 5:18 left in the third , Ware Shoals running back Jayden Johnson scored on a one yard run to make it 21-10 in favor of the North. A blocked punt by Foster set up another North touchdown as Brown’s two-yard run gave the North a 28-10 lead with 3:21 left in the third. McCarthy hit Carter Coleman on a 13-yard pass to make the score 28-17 early in the fourth quarter. Falatico’s 25-yard field goal pulled the South closer to 28-20 with 8:44 left in the game. Clinton’s Javen Cook returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, giving the North a 35-20 lead. Bishop England quarterback Quinn Mahoney’s eight-yard rushing score with 5:06 left in the game made it 35-27. The South had one last possession in the final two minutes and reached the North 13-yard line but was unable to score. Watkins Named Mr. Football At halftime of the all-star game, the South Carolina Coaches Association named Northwestern safety Tamarion Watkins the 2025 Mr. Football honoree. Watkins has signed with Texas A&M. The other finalists for the award included Zay Robertson of Dillon, Zion Guiles of Carver’s Bay, Kentavion Anderson of Dorman , and J’Zavien Currence of South Pointe . “The opportunity to hold this trophy and know it is mine, I am blessed,” Watkins said. “I just thank my community, coaches and family for everything they have done for me.” Watkins had 80 tackles and three interceptions this season. Northwestern won its second straight AAAAA Division II state title on Dec. 5.

By Roger Lee HSSR, Contributing Writer Orangeburg - Dutch Fork captured its fourth consecutive 5A football championship with a 40-20 win over fellow gridiron powerhouse Summerville . For some of the seniors on the Silver Foxes’ team, the win in the 5A, Division 1 Football Championship at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Dec. 6 puts them in a prestigious group. “Four rings, there aren’t that many people in the country who have done that so it shows what a special group this is,” said Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts . The coach now holds a prestigious spot in South Carolina high school football record books since this championship is his 10 th championship with Dutch Fork. That ties him with former Summerville coach John McKissick and former Woodruff coach W.L. Varner for the most state titles in a career according to Palmetto’s Finest . “Well I think it means I’m old, but that’s pretty cool,” Knotts said. “It’s special and a great tribute to those players and the great group of supporters we have. I have a lot of respect for Coach McKissick. I’ve visited him a couple of times and had a great time with him. I learned a little bit from him and I’m honored to be in his company.”  Dutch Fork jumped out to a strong start as safety KJ Dupree intercepted two Green Wave pass attempts, both after a deflection by a teammate, in the opening quarter to help the Silver Foxes jump out to a 14-0 lead. The picks set up a 33-yard touchdown run by Kye Fulton and a 25-yard pass from quarterback Jaxon Knotts to Wyatt Warner . Summerville regrouped and drove 80 yards on its ensuing possession to score on a 6-yard pass from Max Stafford to Jaiden Kelly-Murray with more than nine minutes remaining in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Dutch Fork blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt and the Silver Foxes took a 14-7 lead into the half. Kellly-Murray got the Green Wave right back in the game in the first two minutes of the third, picking up a Dutch Fork fumble and returning it 43 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Summerville didn’t have as much success running the ball from that point as it did in the first half. “We just played a little more sound defense,” Knotts said. “We had to shut down the run. They were handing the ball off left and right and getting big yardage. Once we kind of shored up the run it made them more one dimensional.” Dutch Fork went on top again when Braydon Johnson took a forward pitch on a misdirection play and dashed 27 yards for a TD. The extra-point kick was wide, leaving the Silver Foxes ahead 20-14. The game was tight up until then, but Dutch Fork scored three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes. The final quarter started with a play that got the Summerville fans riled up as Dutch Fork fumbled the ball on a punt. However, the Sliver Foxes managed to recover the ball and go on to score twice before Summerville could get much going for a 40-14 lead. Knotts rushed for a one-yard TD. Shortly after, Julian Walker recovered a Summerville fumble and returned it 19 yards into the Green Wave end zone. Kyle Henry added a one-yard TD run with 3:01 remaining to seal the victory. “We got some momentum there in the third quarter and we just couldn’t capitalize on it,” said Summerville coach Ian Rafferty . “We had a hard time blocking their guys up front. You know, when you have two Power 4 guys up front it can make it difficult. Still, I’m proud of our kids. We were right there in it and the wheels just kind of fell off.” Summerville had a late touchdown drive that featured a heavy dose of running back Jayvyn Williams . He had a 40-yard run to get the ball inside the 10-yard line and capped the drive with a one-yard TD run. “I told coach Knotts we are going to keep coming,” Rafferty said. “We are going to keep trying.”

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Orangeburg – In the game of football it is the skill players (QB’s, RB’s, WR’s) that are highlighted and talked about but every coach will tell you that it is who wins in the trenches, has the best chance of winning the game. The Strom Thurmond Rebels owned the trenches Saturday afternoon at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on the campus of SC State University as they captured the schools second class AA state championship defeating the Hampton County Hurricanes 26-7. The championship was their third overall and improved their record to 3-5 in state championship game appearances. The Rebels finished the year 13-2/5-0. “This is honestly amazing. I have been doing this for long enough, I have been following the good lord long enough that I know he had a hand in this for our team. When you play Strom Thurmond Rebel football there is a brotherhood that expands beyond these young men. All the guys that came before that made Strom Thurmond football special. It was our job to continue to hold the standard,” said Rebel head coach Andrew Webb . Coach continued, “The key to us winning were the boys up front. Coach Addison did a great job of getting them ready to play. They have gotten better and they played outstanding again tonight.” The Hurricanes were in their first state championship game in just their third year of existence finished the year 11-4/4-0. “Strom Thurmond is a great football team and they were able to control the line of scrimmage. We felt all week that the team that did that would win the game and hats off to them they took it to us,” said Hampton County head coach Rob Hanna . “We also had five turnovers which is not what we do and you can’t win a game doing that against a team like Strom Thurmond. They made us pay for our mistakes.” The game started well for the Hurricanes. After their defense forced a three and out. The offense started at their 24 and moved the ball out to midfield where Jaylen Singletary ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run but the run was wiped out by an egregious penalty on the play. The flag wasn’t dropped until Singletary had reached the 10-yard line. The Canes regrouped and moved the ball down to the Rebel 24. The official’s then sent Singletary to the bench for what coach Hanna said was a mouth piece issue. It also caused a delay of game moving the ball back to the 25. On the next play Cane’s quarterback Tarell Grant took off around the left but as he neared the first down a Strom Thurmond came in with a hard tackle knocking the ball free. It was picked the Rebels Kalib Simpkins and he returned it 63 yards to the Cane’s 30. It was his first big game changing play of the game. After a holding penalty against the Rebel’s gave them a first and 20 at the Canes 40. Deonte Phillips took the hand off up the middle cut to the right and raced to the right pylon for a 40-yard touchdown run. The Rebels missed the PAT but led 6-0. The Rebel’s defense started to gain control of the line scrimmage causing a couple of penalties forcing the Cane’s into a fourth and 20. On the punt the Rebel’s ran over Cane’s punter Rafe Sullivan which liked a certain roughing the punter penalty. Somehow the official felt the hit wasn’t hard enough for the right call. The Rebel’s would take strike again when Bri’shaun Lee threw a beautiful pass down the left side that just dropped into the waiting hands of Simpkins for a 55-yard touchdown. This play was an example of why football is such a great game. Everybody on the play did their job, QB delivered the pass under pressure, the coverage was excellent, the ball was placed perfectly and the receiver finished it off. The Rebels were stopped on the two-point try but led 12-0. After Singletary had a 23-yard kickoff return to the Rebel 47. The Cane’s would move the ball to the Rebel 28 where on fourth and two Singletary was stopped for a one-yard game turning the ball over on downs. The ate of five minutes with no score. The Rebel’s took over at the their 14 and would move 86 yards in 9 plays eating up all but 24 seconds on the clock to take an 18-0 after being stopped on the two-point try, the drive was highlighted by a Lee to Simpkins 50-yard completion to the Canes’s 27. The rest of the drive was Deonte as he scored his second touchdown from the four. “Players make plays and Kaleb and Deonte have come up big for us all year,” said coach Webb. The Cane’s finally got a big play on the kick off when Tyler Davis returned 65 yards to the Rebel 10-yard line. On second down Grant hit Desmond Mathis with a 10-yard touchdown pass as time expired. Sullivan’s PAT made the score 18-7 heading into half team. The Canes would take the second half kick off and drive into Rebel territory but again the Rebel’s would turn them over on downs. The Rebels offense would had the game over to their defense after their next drive. They would drive 51 yards in 12 plays eating up almost seven minutes off the clock. Lee hit Sha Williams with a 11-yard touchdown pass. The Rebels converted the two-pointer making the score 26-7. The Rebel defense would end the next three Cane’s possessions with interceptions. Jaylen Collins would get two of the picks and Williams would and the other. Lee finished the game 5-7 for a 126 yards and two touchdowns while Phillips rushed for a game high 149 yards and two touchdowns. But the stars of the game for the Rebels were Hezekiah East , Amari McCellney , John Laster , Micah Warren, and Carter Boatwright . This group were physical from the start and they won the day for their team. The defensive front of Grayson Smith , Braylon Searles , Gardy Stone , and Kobe Windless also won the battle as they held the Canes to less than 200 yards and Singletary to 141. After the 57-yard run was called back they only allowed three runs of 10 or more yards the rest of the game. They allowed the Rebels linebackers Bryston Coleman and Mason Johnson to roam free and make tackles.

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - The titans of SCHSL Class AAAAA clashed at Oliver C. Dawson stadium and it was a match of skill and determination between Summerville and Dutch Fork . The game was close until the 4th quarter when Dutch Fork capitalized on critical turn-overs to add touchdowns to their score. The Dutch Fork win 40-20 over Summerville belies the three quarters of excellent game play with neither team out of contention to be the winner.

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - The Class AA Championship placed Hampton County against Strom Thurmond in the cold rain at Oliver C. Dawson stadium. The Hurricanes could not outlast the Rebels as they took the state runner up trophy home after the 26-7 defeat.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer HSSR ORANGEBURG – J’zavien Currence and the South Pointe Stallions ran, ran, and ran again on a rainy Saturday afternoon at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Saturday afternoon. All South Florence seemed to be able to do was watch as Currence, a Mister Football finalist who signed with South Carolina three days before, and R.J. Brown , run away with the Bruins’ hopes for a second straight SCHSL AAAA state championship. Currence accounted for 124 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, and 5 tackles on defense. Brown bulldozed past South Florence defenders for a personal best 193 yards and two TDs on 21 carries to lead the Stallions to a 35-14 victory, their first state title since 2021 and eighth state title in South Pointe’s history. “It was a super special week for us,” Currence said about his signing while working to finish the season with a championship. “A week of focus and a week of having fun at the same time. It means everything to me. Going out fighting with the guys I came in with, that’s it.” Brown’s productivity came after a week of focusing on the team’s rushing attack. “We worked for this. I did a lot of film study, I did a lot of work on my body, I worked for this,” Brown said. “It means the world to me and I know it means the world to my teammates and my coaches.” Fourth-year Stallions head coach Bobby Collins praised his team’s year-round work ethic, which showed in the final week of preparation. “These are blue-collar kids. They come to work every day,” Collins said. “No ego guys. Nobody on the sidelines with bad body language, coaches pushing them to the next level, I’m excited for my kids. They deserve this moment.” South Pointe (14-1) limited South Florence (13-2) to 113 total yards. Messiah Jackson , who led the Bruins with 1,628 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in addition to 660 rushing yards and 22 scores going into Saturday, was 8-for-16 with for 36 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Currence, who is set to be in the Gamecocks’ secondary in 2026, had 2,764 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 1,497 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns before Saturday. The Stallions enjoyed a free rushing attack in the first half and finished the afternoon with 316 rushing yards on 47 snaps. “I told every coach on my staff that we’re not throwing this football right now,” Collins said. “It’s either going to be in 0’s (Currence’s number) or 4’s (Brown’s number) hands.” The Stallions opened the game with Currence leading a 9-play, 80-yard scoring drive, and he finished it with a 12-yard touchdown run. Later in the first quarter C.J. Wherry intercepted a Jackson pass in the end zone, and the Stallions kicked off another 80-yard scoring drive, with Brown’s 47-yard touchdown run putting South Pointe up 14-0 with 11:39 in the second quarter. Currence closed out a third scoring drive with 1:31 left in the first half with a 9-yard TD. While the Stallions offense ran wild in the first half, South Pointe held the Bruins to 61 rushing yards and minus-1 yard passing in the first two quarters. The defensive onslaught continued when Kadin Watkins snagged his second interception on the Bruins’ first possession of the second half and returned it 13 yards to the end zone to put the Stallions up 28-0 with 10:23 mark of the third quarter. South Pointe looked to continue the rout, but two Stallions fumbles, both recovered by Bruins Defender Willie Kennedy , put South Florence back into the game. Currence fumbled to set up South Florence at the Stallions’ 29-yard line. Jackson capped the short drive with an 11-yard TD run with 2:59 left in the third. The next turnover came on a bad snap that resulted in Jackson’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Gabe McLaughlin at the 1:10 mark. South Pointe stopped the Bruins rally with a grinding 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ate up most of the fourth quarter. “That last drive, it was all 0. His perseverance on that last run, they stropped him three yards in the backfield, but his legs kept moving.” On the run that Collins described, the Stallions faced a fourth-and-3 at midfield and Currence kept driving his legs over the first-down marker for a 5-yard gain. “He’s the most humble, hardworking kid I’ve ever been around,” Collins said of Currence. “Him making the plays in the end, that was no shock for me, he’d do that every day in practice.” Brown broke free on that drive with a 29-yard run to the 1-yard line, then closed it out on his push through the goal line with 4:54 left in the game. “It was super important to us,” Currence said. “Coach always tells me to be a thermostat, not a thermometer. When times get tough just keep the guys cool and level headed. We had been in moments like these before and we had to rally together to get it done.” After that score South Pointe forced the Bruins to turn the ball over on downs. From there the Stallions ran out the clock. “They’re such a great football team,” South Florence head coach Drew Marlowe said about South Pointe. “Our first-half offense really struggled to do anything. We couldn’t separate from them and couldn’t get away from them. Marlowe, who led the team to the last four 4A state championship games and winning two of them, credits the seniors with finishing their final game as Bruins with a trip to Orangeburg. “It says a lot about this senior class,” Marlowe said. “They maxed out their careers, they got to play in 60 football games and four state championships. They came up short today, but I’m so thankful that the Lord brought me to Florence and has allowed me and us to experience this incredible ride.” South Florence 0 0 14 0 – 14 South Pointe 7 14 7 7 – 35 First Quarter SP - J’zavien Currence 12 run (Lawson Miller kick) 8:04 Second Quarter SP - R.J. Brown 47 run (Miller kick) 11:39 SP - Currence 9 run (Miller kick) 1:31 Third Quarter SP - Kadin Watkins 13 interception return (Miller kick) 10:23 SF - Messiah Jackson 11 run (Coy Joyner kick) 2:59 SF - Gabe McLaughlin 22 pass from Jackson (Joyner kick) 1:10 Fourth Quarter SP - Brown 1 run (Miller kick) 4:54 SP SF First downs 19 12 Rushes-yds 47-316 34-77 Passing yds 18 36 Att-Com-Int 3-2-0 16-8-3 Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-0 Penalties-yds 14-115 4-40 Punts-avg 2-30.0 2-36.0 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING SP - R.J. Brown 21-193, J’zavien Currence 18-124, Rasean Brown 4-32, Zymier Gordon-Miles 1-2, Team 3-35. SF - Messiah Jackson 20-36, Cameron James 8-31, Gabe McLaughlin 6-10. PASSING SP - J’zavien Currence 2-3-0. SF - Messiah Jackson 8-16-3. RECEIVING SP - Dalian Duncan 2-18.  SF - Gabe McLaughlin 1-21, Ja’Aun Perkins 2-9, Malik Robinson 2-5, Cameron James 2-2, Semaj Parker 1-1.

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - The SCHSL Class AAAA title game matched the South Florence Bruins against the South Pointe Stallions in probably, on paper, the closest match up of the weekend so far. Both teams exhibited good discipline fought hard for the yards they got, but the Stallions seemed to find more ways or the extra effort to convert critical plays and find the end zone or turning key turn overs into points, and sealed their win 35-14.

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Orangeburg – After last season’s instant classic in the AAAAA DII state championship game between Northwestern and Irmo many were looking for the same in Friday night’s contest but as coaches will tell you each year is different and this game was as the Trojans scored 35 unanswered points in the second quarter to win their seventh state title 55-13. The Trojan’s evened their state championship record at 7-7 but this was the first time they had gone back-to-back. They also became just the 16 th team in state history with 7 or more state championships joining area rival South Pointe in that group. “To do something that had not been done at Northwestern, I’m still in a bit of shock over it” said head coach Paige Wofford . “This goes beyond description. I never thought that the game would have gone like that. I’m so proud of our players. We had a bunch of new guys when the season started. They worked hard and continued to improve each week and this is the end result.” The Yellow Jackets were looking to win their first state championship since 1980 but this game was all about “Murphy’s Law” for them as nothing they did could turn the tide and stop the Trojan’s in the second quarter. “Sometimes things don’t go your way but you still have to stand by the road,” said Irmo head coach Aaron Brand . “This game doesn’t take away the accomplishment of the season or the last three years. This group has won 37 games in that time which is the best three-year span in school history.” Brand continued, “The team didn’t quit and played hard all night. I’m proud of their effort and fight. This game was a teaching moment. Despite the outcome of the game the sun will come up tomorrow.” The Trojan’s scored on their first two drives of the game going 59 yards and 46 yards to go up 14-0. Xavier Means capped off both drives with runs of three and two yards, respectively. Means hit David Flood for a 29-yard gain on the first drive and then connected with Kameron Vance for 25 yards on the second drive. Irmo would take their second drive and go 84 yards in 13-plays to cut into the Trojan lead at 14-6. Maleek Miller would finish the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The drive was aided by two pass interference penalties on the Trojan. The touchdown brought the Irmo crowd to it’s feet and the Yellow Jackets were back in the game. Then the second quarter began! The Trojan’s began the second quarter by finishing off a 74 yards drive when Mean’s scored his third touchdown of the night from the eight. The score mad it 21-6 Trojans and then the roof fell in on the Yellow Jackets. Irmo punted and the Trojan’s Jonathan Spurgeon returned it 34-yards to the Yellow Jackets 28. Two plays later Means hit Flood from 14 yards out. Then Tamarion Watkins (Texas A&M signee and 17 th ranked player by HSSR) stepped in front of a Dre Dopson pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown. Score 35-6. Next Vance blocked a Irmo punt and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown. The onslaught ended after an Irmo fumble at the 50-yard line which was recovered by Kobe Neely. Means connected again with Flood on a 35-yard pass that gave the Trojan’s a first and goal at the Irmo three. Means finished the drive and the onslaught with a one-yard run and the teams went to the half with Trojan’s lead at 49-6. The Trojan’s Mean’s and Vance hooked up from 10 yards and for Irmo Dopson hit Ethan Singletary from 12 yards out to finish out the scoring. The second half was played with a running clock. Means finished the game going 14-17 for 188 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 60 yards and four touchdown. Nigel Smith rushed for 104 yards and Flood had six receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. For Irmo, Dopson was 12-26 for 124 yards while Amire White rushed for 102 yards. Miller had 6 receptions for 64 yards.

Red Raiders dominate second half to win first titlp since 1990

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - Game three of the SCHSL Football Championship games was a perfect cold and damp evening but without most of the rain coming down at Oliver C. Dawson stadium on the SC State campus. Northwestern took and early lead and never looked back as they defeated Irmo 55-13. 

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - The SCHSL Class A Championship game featured Lamar and Bamberg-Ehrhardt dueling in the rain at SC State University's Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Lamar put points on the board first, but the Red Raiders proved to have the drive to go the distance in their 35-21 victory.

Landsharks top Belton-Honea Path 28-7 for AAA title in contest marred by postgame fight

Larry Gamble HSSR, Photo Editor Orangeburg - Photo gallery from the Oceanside Collegiate vs Belton-Honea Path rematch game this time under the clouds and in rainy conditions at SC State's Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Final score in the rematch, Oceanside 28, BHP 7.

Green Wave gets another shot at defending state champ Dutch Fork in AAAAA DII tilt

Rebels to take on Hampton County for state crown

Hurricanes taking on Strom Thurmond for AA state championship

Stallions to take on defending champion South Florence for AAAA state title