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By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 19 Mar, 2024
Bulldogs are off to 7-3 overall start and are 1-0 in Region 6-AAA
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 18 Mar, 2024
Seniors Paige Shelton, Krystal Judy lead Raiders
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 17 Mar, 2024
Cavaliers have five seniors; off to 1-2 start
By Dennis Brunnson hssr.com Associate Editor 15 Mar, 2024
McDonald's All-American one of three vying for honor
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 14 Mar, 2024
OP's Payton Schurlknight tosses 1-hit shutout
By Billy Baker 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Cheraw - Entering his 25th season as the head baseball coach at Cheraw High , new town “Mayor” David Byrd (440-201) has a good blend of pitching and hitting returning for a potential deep run in the Class AA playoffs this season. The Braves (18-12, 8-4) placed third in a very competitive region last year. They won three straight play-off games before being eliminated by Andrew Jackson (6-0) and North Central (5-1) in the double elimination playoffs. The Braves began the season participating in the Coastal Invitational hosted by Waccamaw High March 1-3. “Check out who we have to play in the Coastal Invitational,” said Coach Byrd who was elected mayor of Cheraw back in the fall. “We will be playing Fort Mill, Socastee and North Myrtle Beach , and we are told the Chiefs have four pitchers throwing over 90. We will find out in a hurry what kind of team we have playing against this type of competition.” Prior to the tournament Cheraw took a 6-5 win over South Florence in mid-February. Good news for the Braves this season is gaining the services of Marlboro County transfer Gunner Jordan who made the HSSR all-state team last season. “He has hit several home runs in our scrimmages and his power is a big-plus to our line-up,” said Coach Byrd. “Gunner can play first or third for us.” The Braves return pitcher/second baseman Jackson Byrd described as the hardest worker on the team. “Jackson is my nephew but regardless no one on our team out-works him,” said Coach Byrd. “He’s a versatile player who hit .300 last year. He was a god relief pitcher and had a good glove starting at second d base.” Kaden Johnson (R-R) is a returning all-region junior third baseman (batted .275) who bats lead-off for the Braves. On the mound he throws 82-84 with good command. Junior Brayden Michaels is an all-region returning pitcher/outfielder who has been throwing 85-87 in the pre-season on the mound. “Braydon had a good summer and fall and we expect him to have success on the mound for us,” said Coach Byrd. “He also hit around .330 for us last year.” Junior Will Quick will see action at third base. Quick batted around .300 last season and he will also be a relief pitcher. Senior first baseman Landon Sellers could be at the top of the pitching rotation (82-84) and he is also a designated hitter. Behind Sellers in the pitching rotation comes Johnson, senior Aiden Nolan , 6-6 junior Charlie Phillips, and Michaels. Freshmen Brenden Pace returns to start at catcher where he has been a fixture the past two seasons. Another hard worker on the team with great potential is soph outfielder Tyler Tolson . Senior Austin McIntosh starts in center field (6.9-60). “Austin has worked hard in the off-season and he is our best all-around outfielder,” said Coach Byrd. He has improved his hitting and he is a hard worker.” Junior Aiden Boan can play either in left or right field. He is a solid .300 hitter who has worked hard to improve his hitting over the off-season. Freshman Anthony Strong is among the top five pitchers on the team and he should see spot duty in the infield depending on pitching assignments. “We are excited about Anthohy’s potential,” said Coach Byrd. The team’s back-up catcher and designated base runner is speedy Demaris Ellerbe , a three- sport athlete at the school. After returning from the Coastal Invitational Cheraw will begin the regular season hosting county rival Chesterfield on March 5 and two-day slater they are at the Rams. The following week they play a two-game series with York Prep on Tuesday and Friday. Coach Byrd is assisted by Devin Hardee, Jordan Melton and Rodney Byrd. The varsity pitching coach is former HSSR all-state player Tristen Campbell who also serves as the head jayvee coach.
By Billy Baker 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — Former Barnwell High baseball player, Cody McCollum , who spent the past three seasons as the head baseball coach at Wade Hampton High (now Hamton County ) has returned to his alma mater as the new head baseball coach for the Warhorses. Former head coach, Will Gee , is now working in the baseball program at Berkeley High after getting married, and moving to the Charleston area after last season, where his wife is in her final year of medical school. “Although I coached over at Wade Hampton for five seasons (two as an assistant) I continued to live in Barnwell, so I have followed the program here for quite some time,” said Coach McCollum, who mentored under Charlie Assey , and his son, at several high school programs in the Columbia area after graduating from USC. “My philosophy, and my approach to coaching the game, is rooted from my experience working with Coach Assey, and his son at White Knoll, Cardinal Newman and Gray Collegiate ,” said Coach McCollum. “I learned a lot about the game of baseball from Coach Assey and the younger Assey.” On the back of the Barnwell practice jerseys this season, the mantra of the head coach is firmly inscribed, “Play In May.” “You are going very deep in the play-offs, and you certainly can not compete for a championship, if you are done playing by the end of April,” said Coach McCollum. “We need to be reminded about this fact, each and every day in practice.” The foundation of any baseball team starts with a strong pitching staff, and Barnwell has one of the top junior pitchers in the state back for his third season on the varsity in Cameron Austin , (L-R) also a top flight quarterback prospect, who was named to the HSSR all-state football team after this past season. “In our first game in a pre-season tournament against Philip Simmons , Cameron had seven strike-outs, allowed four hits, two earned runs and at the plate, and he drove in two runs,” said Coach McCollum. “We won the game 7-2 to get the season started off right.” Austin is the lead-off batter, and when not on the mound, he starts in center field where he has excellent defensive instincts. In the same game, junior shortstop Trey Boleman went for 3-for-four at the plate with one RBI. “Trey bats in the two-hole and he is a solid hitter,” said Coach McCollum. “He is also a very effective right- handed pitcher.” After being mainly, a D-H last year, junior Jaevin Santos is now playing third base and batting in the three-hole. Kaleb McCormick , an outstanding defensive receiver behind the plate, returns to once again start behind the plate. “Kaleb has always been a solid defensive catcher and he has worked hard to improve his hitting, and we are expecting a big season out of him,” said Coach McCollum. Junior Hayden Pierce is a first baseman who bats in the clean-up slot and he was slowed by a shoulder injury last season. Case Davis is an 8th grader starting at second base, and Coach McCollum calls him a “gamer”. “Case is a real “dirt bagger” and to be such a small kid physically he comes to work hard at practice every day,” said Coach McCollum. “He has a solid glove batting in the 5-6 hole.” Joining Austin in the outfield is either Colten Rhoad or junior Bradley Richardson in right field and Colten Bradley and Kiez Roberts competing for playing time in left field. Junior Lane Evans will also see action in the outfield and senior Ethan Renew will also see time in the outfield. J Huggins is also working hard for playing time. The starting pitching rotation will consist of Austin, Boleman (78-80), and Baxley. Richardson will assume the role of closer. Santos could be used as a middle reliever also. “In our program I am asking for commitment, sacrifice, and discipline, from all our players,” said Coach McCollum. “We want to play as long as we can and as hard as we can. Number one, you want to win a region title to get home games in the play-offs. You hope to win your district and move on to the Lower State series and eventually compete for a state title. “We will play hard, smart and aggressive,” said Coach McCollum. “Your players will always react, how you react as the coach, and the three things I just mentioned are how we hope to play the game.” In Barnwell’s first three games of the season, they are 2-1 having also defeated Timberland and their lone loss came against Hilton Head. In those three games Barnwell stole 35 bases. “Until your hitting improves you can play small ball and win games also,” said Coach McCollum. “Against Phillip Simmons we laid down seven bunts.” Barnwell will start the regular season hosting Silver Bluff on March, 4, and travel to Williston-Elko the next day. On March, 8th they host Colleton County . Coach McCollum is assisted by Lonnie Boleman and Barnwell legend Britt Pender .
By Jay Hendrix 09 Mar, 2024
By: Jay Hendrix Special to HSSR Batesburg-Leesville wrapped up the basketball season with both the boys and girls teams finishing fourth in Region 3-AA. Both teams lost in the first round of the Class AA playoffs as the boys lost at Newberry and the girls fell at Saluda. The boys basketball team placed two sophomores on the All-Region team as guard Ta’Maj Gilliam and forward JR Stewart were both selected. Gilliam, who was a preseason All-Region projection, lived up to the hype as he finished the season as the team’s leading scorer with 15.6 points per game to go with 2.4 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists and steals per game. Stewart emerged during region play as a low post threat as he averaged 8.9 ppg and was second on the team with 4.2 rpg. For the girls senior forward A’Miracle Singley was the only selection. Singley led the team in rebounding with 8.8 rpg to go with 5.2 points. The Panthers leading scorer early in the season Zoey Rowe was lost for the season midway through the year while averaging 9.3 ppg. With the weather turning warming Panther fans are turning their attention to the spring sports. The only region championship in the spring in 2023 was the boys tennis team which has won back to back region titles. The Panthers are led by a returning quintet of all-region selections led by Region 3-AA Player of the Year Hollis Ruff who was 11-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. To go with Ruff, Head Coach William Ash , has Gavin Penny, Liam Truitt, Anthony Holmes Jr. and Riley Kirkland returning after earning all-region honors last season. Expectations are high for the baseball team, under Rob Bouknight in his 12th season, as they return numerous starters from last season. Seniors Cole Price and Tucker Bolen return with Price playing shortstop/second base and pitching while Bolen’s versatility will see him in several spots including second base, outfield and pitcher. Price will split shortstop duties with junior Braydon Hallman , who was all-region last season, who will also pitch and play up the middle. Senior John Sawyer will anchor first base again with junior Tanner Watkins roaming centerfield with Michael Lorick, Brody Leaphart and Tyler Kneece also seeing action in the outfield. Gavin Parrish will hold down the hot corner of third base while Preston Smith will start at catcher. Carter Bouknight will also find time at pitcher with Watkins and Kneece. In softball Amber Hartley returns for her second season as head coach and will be looking to the veteran leadership of three returning starters; Riley Bouknight, Keslyn Fink and Zoey Rowe . Bouknight is a junior who will split time between pitcher and third base while Fink, a senior, will play in the middle infield at shortstop and second base. Rowe, a junior, will play leftfield. Senior Laiken Brock will take over the starting catching duties for a team that features numerous you players as these four players are the only juniors and seniors on the roster. The boys soccer team has opened the season 4-0 by outscoring opponents 16-2. The are led by Abner Madrid who was the Region 3-AA player of the year last season as well as three other returners who were all-region last season, Felipe Juarez-Diaz, Jorge Torres and Tanner Fulmer . They are joined by Brian Hinson to create a formidable team in Head Coach Logan Koon first season. The girls soccer team is coached by the veteran Bob Roudybush who is in his second season leading the girls team. The girls are young this season but will look to improve with senior goal keeper Reagan Minick , a USC Lancaster signee, leading the way. Jordyn Cushman was the Panthers only all-region selection last season and will return as a veteran leader to go with a core of Arden Etheredge, Claire Cogdill, Madison Herbert, Kim Balderas-Martinez and Jackie Villaseca-Balderas . In golf the Panthers placed 10th in the state and return all-region selection Nathan Ott. Junior Carson Luckadoo has shown improvement to go with sophomores Jackson Shealy, Wyatt Hendrix.
By Gerald Doolittle 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker HSSR Publisher Barnwell — The Barnwell Warhorse (14-4) softball team will be ranked near the top of the HSSR SCHSL AA softball rankings, when they are released on March, 15, supported by the fact the team returns six starters, led by highly valued junior pitcher Jaidyn Devore (R-R) who had 135 strike-outs in 65 innings of work a year ago when she earned all-state honors with the HSSR. Head coach Mike Beasley (220-120 career) is starting his second year as the head softball coach at Barnwell High, after spending 21 seasons in a similar role at Blackville-Hilda . Coach Beasley was not happy at all about what happened to his team a year ago when they bowed out of the AA playoffs (as a number one seed) in back-to-back home losses against Cheraw and Andrews . “Last year we had real bad luck with bad weather cancelling some games late in the regular season, coupled with an early Spring break,” said Coach Beasley. “This unfortunate situation hurt our rhythm entering the playoffs, in all aspects of our game. We have a later Spring break this year, and we have scheduled more games at the end of the season, with teams like Branchville, Silver Bluff, Swansea and Wagener-Salley . “The real challenge for us, is that we will have a key region game with Woodland , after our Spring break this season,” said Coach Beasley. “We have had a lot of rain so far this season in our scrimmage games, so we are going to have to do a say-ounce against having so much rain. Our dug-out at home games does not hold water well when it rains” In an early season scrimmage, Devore whiffed 11 of the 12 batters she faced. “Coming into her junior season she has five firm college offers,” said Coach Beasley. “She can throw all the pitches for strikes, but the screw ball is probably her best pitch. She has improved her velocity a lot over last season and she had got a lot stronger also.” At the plate Devore batted .429 last season. Barnwell will be strong up the middle with the return of Bre’anna Buckmon , a four- year varsity catcher back behind the plate. Buckmon batted .435 last year with 11 RBI’s. “Very few teams even tried to steal against her last season,” said Coach Beasley. “She has a strong arm and is a very good defensive catcher.” Junior third year team member Brooklyn Gardner has been moved from third base to short-stop this season after batting .429 with 11 RBI’s a year ago with an OBP of 512. “Brooklyn is very athletic who hits for power and she has a strong arm from short to first,” said Coach Beasley. Versatile freshman Laney Grubbs will use her speed to start in center field and she is the team’s number two pitcher behind Devore. Grubbs batted .583 with seven RBI’s including an impressive .722 on-base-percentage. “Laney has pitched very well also in the pre-season,” said Coach Beasley. “She also has a solid bat at the plate.” Freshman Kendall O-Berry has moved from short to right field this season. “We expect Kendall to be among our most improved hitters this season,” said Coach Beasley. “She is very patient at the plate and she had a .500 OBP last year.” Sophomore third baseman Abigail Corley is one of three left-handed hitters on the team. “We have moved her from the outfield to third base and she can both slap and hit away,” said Coach Beasley. “She is a solid all-around player.” Returning player, junior Tiera Arnold can play either first or third base, and she will serve as the Warhorses third pitcher also. “Arnold is a power hitter with a strong arm,” said Coach Beasley. Three players will be starting on the varsity for the first time. Sophomore Kaylen Mayes can start in the out-field or at third base and she is very athletic with a strong bat. Senior Kah’Miyah Williams will start in left- field and she is a switch hitter who can slap or hit away from the right side. Freshman Molly Wilson up from the junior varsity and she begins the season starting at second base and she can also catch, if needed. “As far as I am concerned, all 14 of our players can start at various positions from game-to-game but the difference will be who is hitting well at the plate,” said Coach Beasley. Four players who will contribute during the season include sophomore outfielder Bri’Anna Croft (L-L) who started a lot as a freshman and she is also a good slapper at the plate. Freshman Layla Bishop will see action in the outfield and she has a lot of speed to contribute. Senior Jamicka Jenkins will see time in the out-field and she is described as a strong hitter. Freshman Jessica Williams returns to the varsity and brings good hitting and defense to the team.” “We are trying to create a championship atmosphere at all of our home games this season,” said Coach Beasley. “We will have “Special Recognition Nights” at most home games honoring former players, local rec teams, and even current players, for a job well done. We have walk-up music for all our varsity players when they come to bat also. “Our goal is to playing our best softball at the end of the season, compete and win a region title, compete and win our District in the play-offs, and then compete for a state championship,” said Coach Beasley. “Pitching will be our strong suit coming into the season but I also expect us to be a solid hitting team. “If we have a challenge, it is to make sure we have the right personnel in the right positions on the field,” said Coach Beasley. “Playing solid defense is very important also.” Barnwell played in two scrimmage games at the “Grand Slam” event hosted at Colleton County in the pre-season. The regular season will start on March, 4th at Williston-Elko before playing at Colleton County on March, 6. The first home game of the season will be against Colleton County on March, 8. Coach Beasley is assisted by Rick and Rose Arnold , who are also the head coaches for the junior varsity team.
By Rob Gantt 09 Mar, 2024
By Rob Gantt Special to The HSSR HANAHAN - The Hanahan High School baseball team made it all the way to the Class AAA state championship series last spring, ultimately settling for the runner-up trophy. With seven seniors on the roster and some key newcomers ready to make an immediate impact in 2024, the Hawks are back in the conversation for the big trophy again. First-year Hawks coach Skylar Hunter, a former HHS and Citadel standout, recognizes his team’s ability. They were tabbed Class AAA’s No. 1 team by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association in late January. “Everybody can look around and see the talent level is obvious,” Hunter said, “but it’s doing all the little things right every day and not getting too far ahead of yourself. We’re on the same page. They’re competitive kids but they know it’s not about rankings or outside perception. It’s about how good we play and how we go about our business. We don’t want to be No. 1 on Jan. 22. We want to be No. 1 on May 25.” The Hawks return plenty of talented players from the 2023 squad and have six players with college destinations already picked out. On the mound, seniors Gabe Dotterweich ( Florence-Darlington ), Hunter Gomes ( Francis Marion ) and Porter Sprovero ( USC Lancaste r) are a solid set of arms coming back. In the field, senior Landon Gomes ( Francis Marion ) is back in the outfield and three of four infield spots have starters returning: senior first baseman Hunter Gomes , senior second baseman Jacob Bunting and senior third baseman Riley Turner. New shortstop Oakley Aguilar, who transferred in from a baseball academy, is a senior headed to Radford . Dotterweich sees time in the outfield and on first base, too. Another key newcomer is sophomore Sterling Coaxum , who can play on the outfield or infield. The Clemson commitment transferred in from Oceanside Collegiate . Sophomore Bo Brabham is another pitcher and sees time at third base. Sophomore Hudson Sprovero handles the team’s pitchers from the behind the dish. Junior Joe Furse starts in the outfield. The Hawks open the regular season March 5 at Fort Dorchester . They went 3-1 in the Shipyard Showdown by Prep Baseball Report Feb. 29-March 3. The Hawks knocked off Legion Collegiate (7-1), Riverside (6-1) and Lucy Beckham (14-2). The lone blemish was a 10-4 loss to James Island , ranked seventh in Class 4A. In the win over Legion, Hunter Gomes collected three hits and Turner drove in three runs. Against Riverside , Coaxum collected three hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot as the designated hitter. In the win over Lucy Beckham , Turner had three hits and two RBIs. Bunting added two hits and three RBIs. Landon Gomes knocked in two runs against James Island . Dotterweich, Brabham and Sprovero earned pitching victories in the preseason tournament.
By Billy Baker 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Lewisville — Blake Barron is starting his 5th season as the head baseball coach at Lewisville High , a Class A school who has won seven state baseball titles in their storied history. Last year, the Lions won two playoff games and they were 6-0 region champions after posting an over-all record of 17-11. Coach Barron, who graduated from East Clarendon in 2003, is only the third head baseball coach at Lewisville High since 1983, following in the footsteps of Bennie McMurray and Billy Keels . Keels coached the last state title in baseball at the school in 2017. “Our number one goal is to play well-enough to win a state title,” said Coach Barren. “My next goal is for our players be the best players they can be, and to excel in all three phases of the game. We need to improve on defense, and that was a major weakness of ours last season.” Lewisville returns four starters from last year’s team, but Clover transfer and Clemson baseball signee, Dion Brown gives them a 5th starter returning. Brown will bat lead-off and start at shortstop for the Lions. He is also the team’s ace (R-R) pitcher. As a junior, Brown batted .464 with six RBI’s and three doubles with a .929 fielding percentage. His fast-ball topped out at 89 mph last season and so far in pre-season scrimmages he has been in the 85-87 range according to this coach. “Thus far, in my coaching career, Dion Brown is the smartest baseball player I’ve been around,” said Coach Barron. “I mean, he see’s things in real time, and in the moment, and processes reactions and what to do very quickly,” said Coach Barron. “He is literally like having a coach on the field.” One unfortunate football injury could potentially hurt the team’s chances at a coveted Class A state title this season. South Carolina LHP pitching prospect signee, Cade Pilgrim (low 90’s) was injured early in the football season and may or may not be cleared to return to baseball around April, 1. Pilgrim transferred to Lewisville from Clover also. “We were hoping to get Cade cleared by the start of the season but he has not been cleared yet by the doctors and to be honest we do not want to rush him back into the game until he is 100 per cent ready,” said Coach Barron. “Of course, we would love to have him at some this season but we are not counting on it.” After two games of the season Lewisville is 1-1. They defeated South Pointe (10-7) and lost to Lancaster (10-0). They will play Andrew Jackson on February, 29 before playing two games against Union County and former coach Billy Keels on March 5 and 7. The team’s number two pitcher will be senior righty Joaquan Howze , who has been in the program all four years. Howze earned all-region honors as an outfielder last year when he batted .316 and scored 26 runs. The number three pitcher is freshman Dylan Good who will also start at catcher. Trey Smith will bat in the three hole and start at first base after batting .304 with 16 RBI’s last season. Sophomore Silas McFadden , who batted .373 with 15 RBI’s a year ago, will start at second base. Gavin Reynolds returns to start at third base after producing 23 RBI’s last season. The outfield has four regular starters that varies depending on pitching assignments. Senior Curtis Brown , a four-year team member, is a gold glove who also runs bases very well. Junior newcomer Jon Seegars sees time in left field and he is also a relief pitcher. Junior Zack Rogers last played two years ago but is back seeing action in right field. Howze also starts a lot in right filed when not pitching. Junior Ian Grissom , who recently visited Marshall on a football visit, is the team’s DH. Sophomore Bryson Shavers , the team’s 5th infielder, should start every third game. Sophomore Ethan Currence is a reserve outfielder while Caithen Flores is a reserve sophomore catcher. Junior Tanner Good is a reserve infielder along with freshman Ty Orr . Aiden Smith is a junior reserve outfielder. Coach Barron is assisted by Brian Good, Rusty Ruff and Jamie Harris .
By Rob Gantt 09 Mar, 2024
By Rob Gantt Special to The HSSR MONCKS CORNER - The St. John’s Christian baseball team is off to a 3-1 start on the diamond. The Cavaliers count experience as a strength for the 2024 season, returning seven players who saw substantial action last spring. In 2023, St. John’s Christian finished 15-7 after falling in the opening round of the SCISA playoffs to eventual state champion Patrick Henry . “I think we’ve got a chance,” Cavaliers coach Stewart Pierce said. “We’ve just got to put a lot of pieces together. Pitching is my biggest concern. We have some pretty good pitching, but is it enough?” The Cavaliers bring back three of their better hitters: junior infielder Sumter Moorer , senior infielder Shane Rusch and junior infielder Landon Chipman . Moorer batted .311 and knocked in 12 runs as a sophomore. Rusch batted .288 and Chipman scored a team-high 21 runs as a sophomore. On the mound, the Cavaliers return experienced hurlers in Moorer, junior Tyler Black , junior Mason Ritter and senior Leonard Huxford . Black posted a 3-1 mark in 2023. “You’ve got to have a different mindset if you’re going to be the No. 1 or No. 2,” Pierce said. “It’s looking like they will accept the role. We’ll see what happens.” Both had strong first outings this spring. The Cavaliers blanked First Baptist 4-0 and Thomas Sumter 2-1 in their first two games Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. Ritter fanned nine batters over six innings of two-hit ball to garner the win on the mound versus First Baptist and drove in three runs. Huxford knocked in the other run. Black struck out nine batters over five innings against Thomas Sumter. Reliever Reese Allen hurled the final two innings, becoming the winning pitcher when Rowdy Langdon pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice play. The Cavaliers were short-handed in a game at Holly Hill Feb. 27, and lost in a slugfest, 13-12. Huxford was 2 for 5, knocked in five runs and scored three in the loss. Sophomore catcher Will Rusch added two hits and scored twice. Sophomore outfielder Isaiah Antley chipped in two RBIs, and sophomore infielder Jacob Glover scored twice. The Cavaliers edged Holly Hill, 11-10, on Feb. 29. Shane Rusch and Will Rusch combined for five RBIs. Shane Rusch lifted a fly ball to the outfield to push across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. They open SCISA Region 1-AA play March 5, at Clarendon Hall . The Cavaliers step out of region play at home against Williamsburg Academy March 7, before Clarendon Hall visits Moncks Corner March 8.
By Rob Gantt 09 Mar, 2024
By Rob Gantt Special to The HSSR GOOSE CREEK - Stratford’s boys soccer team has a great deal of experience on the pitch for the 2024 campaign. The Knights have 10 seniors and eight juniors, many of whom were on the previous two squads that shared region titles with Wando. They are taking dead aim at the outright region crown and more for this season. “A lot of these guys play on high-level club teams,” said Stratford coach Jessie Stament , the Knights’ leader since 2016-17. “They’ve been in our program for a year or two. They know what we’re capable of. It’s just a matter of them being a tight-knit group and keeping team cohesion. If we play our game for 80 minutes, we’re a very good team.” The returning crew is led by senior striker Jackson McNeil , the region’s player of the year last spring. Senior midfielders Vinny Teixeira and Nathan Arroyo and senior goalkeeper Enzo Mori are three more all-region selections coming back. Also, senior midfielder Terence Seals was the squad’s Golden Boot Award winner as a junior with 10 goals and three assists. McNeil found the back of the net a team-high 11 times as a junior. Teixeira dished out a team-high eight assists as a junior. “The biggest thing for our team is how we handle pressure and adversity if we are down or behind,” Stament said. “We have to have the belief we can come back and compete with anybody. We have to keep that mentality and control the things we can control.” Two more returning starters, senior Rodney Miller and junior Harold Carranza , distributed six assists each in 2023. Junior defenders Tyler Stament and Chris Diaz , along with sophomore midfielder Silas Miller, have starting experience, too. Sophomore Brandon Martinez and Rodney Miller booted in four goals last season. The Knights began the regular season Feb. 28 with a 1-0 win at Fort Dorchester , getting a goal from McNeil, and traveled to Lexington March 2, before hosting defending state champion Ashley Ridge March 5. In the 1-0 win over Lexington, Silas Miller recorded the lone goal for the Knights. “I feel really good about what our chances are (to compete for a region championship) and what our ceiling is,” Stament said. “We want to find our stride in these non-region games, find our rhythm and keep fine-tuning as we prepare for the region. We’re trying to tinker with things and see the best lineups and formations. Hopefully, we’ll get all that sorted out.”
By Gerald Doolittle 09 Mar, 2024
By: Gerald Doolittle Batesburg-Leesville , S.C. – The 2024 Baseball and Softball seasons at W.W. King will be a season of foundation building for both sports that will also have new head coaches leading the rebuild.  The Knights varsity baseball rebuild will be led by new head coach Brian Kneece who replaces long time head coach Zach Matthews . However, Matthews will still be around joining Matt Buzhardt and Michael Kinard as assistant coaches. Coach Kneece has eighteen on his roster to start the rebuild with. The three seniors are Jesse Parrish, Jonas Amick and Layton Carmean . The five juniors are Connor Shealy, Colton Buzhardt, Noah Ott, Andrew List and Tyler Ramirez . The five sophomores are Smith Kirby, Zed Watkins, Dallas Hill, Wyatt Burbank and John Lederhaus . The five freshmen are Elijah Hutto , Colton Black, Landell Anderson, Casen Buzhardt and Ty Doolittle . The Knight baseball program has a very athletic group at the middle school level to build the future varsity on. This group went undefeated in football and only lost two games in basketball. Coach Scott Buzhardt middle school team will be led by 8th graders Bubba Buzhardt, Joseph Morse, Greyson Rikard, Colby Buzhardt, Kai Hoover and Joshua Oswald . The 7th graders are Isaiah Doolittle, Miles Atkins, Tucker McGinty, Jackson Hutto, Drayton Wannamaker and Brady Goff . Rounding out the middle school roster is 6th graders Berton Aull, Aidan McGee, Amz Dowling, Nichols Ott, Walker Buzhardt and Luke Holmes . W.W. King will not field a varsity softball team this season. Instead, Coach Doug Massey will start the softball rebuild with a JV team. Coach Massey’s roster will be Kenzie Morse (so), Chloe Frye (9th), Olivia Miller (8th), Grace Black (8th), Alivia Anderson (7th), Harper Watkins (7th), Caroline Pickens (7th), Emily Bergeron (6th), Blythe Buzhardt (6th), Emma Enlow (6th), Lilly Claire Matthews (6th), Aiden Amick (6th), Shayla Bedenbaugh (6th) and Brianna Hartley (6th). Coach Massey is being assisted by Allen Guy and Kathy Gibson .
By Billy Baker 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Lexington — As Seth Cooper begins his third season as the head baseball coach at White Knoll, he says the Timber Wolves are still in a rebuilding mode, but he sees no reason why his team can’t make the playoffs and improve on the five wins they had a year ago. “We return four senior starters, and we have a little more depth this season, but we are still rebuilding the program,” he said. “Making the playoffs is certainly one of our top goals.” The team has started out 1-3 thus far but they were encouraged by a 9-1 win over South Aiken on March, 3rd to record their first win of the young season. In the win over SA senior ace pitcher Bailey Buol scattered five hits and recorded 3 strike-outs in the win. “Bailey has signed to play baseball at Morris College and he is our number one pitcher and we are expected big things from him this season,” said Coach Cooper. “Last season he pitched 28 innings and had 16 strike-outs.” The top hitters against South Aiken were senior third baseman/pitcher Hunter Hoffman who went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI’s. Hoffman has signed to play baseball at Limestone College and he batted .308 as a junior. Freshman right fielder Denzel Posey was hot at the plate also going 3-for-four and junior first baseman Jason Evans went 2-for-2 with wo RBI’s. Posey and sophomore center fielder Jeremy Powell will be 2-3 in the White Knoll pitching rotation. Powell batted .290 last season and had a .424 on-base-percentage. Chance Culley starts at shortstop and he also pitches. “Chance is our leader of the infield,” said Coach Cooper. “He’s bats in the 5-6 hole right now and he will play in every game. He batted .,270 last year with 9 RBI’s.” Senior Emanuel Sanquintin starts in left field and moves to the infield depending on pitching assignments. Senior starting second baseman Robbie Murphy has signed to play at USC Union . He bats in the two hole and last season he batted .270. Wyatt Bowen is a junior starting in right field for the first time. Thus far, in the 2024 season Brett Cassan and freshman Alan Moore are sharing catching duties. Cassan played first a season ago. Senior Hayden Weider is a first- year senior and he is a reserve outfielder who will also run bases. Braydon Hoffman (L-L) is up from the junior varsity and he will mainly be a relief pitcher. First year junior Allan Morales Suarez (L-L) will also work as a relief pitcher. White Knoll will start the regular season on March, 8 hosting Swansea before playing at RNE on Saturday. Coach Cooper is assisted by Chandler Moore , Steven Estep , and Jaylin Jennings . April Farr Begins 11th Season As White Knoll Softball Coach With the “Varsity Blues” Pre-season tournament pretty much rained out, the White Knoll softball team has only played one official game this season, a loss to Saluda. “We are extremely young in the pitching area this season working with an 8th grader and two freshmen,” said head coach April Farr. “The 8th grader is EG Birchmore and the two freshmen are Lexi Burkard and Adelynn Lewis . They all have potential but just need varsity experience.” One huge surprise for the team early on has been the emergence of 7th grader Melinda Veller who is has a solid glove in left field and she is batting .333. “We are pleased and shocked to see a 7th grader playing so well in the field and batting really well behind the plate,” said Coach Farr. The team leader is sophomore catcher Mackenzi Bradley who batted .338 with 15 RBI’s last season. “Mackenzi is a strong all-region candidate for us this season,” said Coach Farr. The only all-region returner to the team that competed for a District championship last year is junior shortstop Nikki Gallardo who batted .350 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 26 RBI’s. She recently attended a softball prospect camp at Syracuse University .  White Knoll will begin the season with two games against Westwood starting on March, 6.
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
Mullins girls finish 6-13, return to playoffs
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
Bulldogs' Israel Macklin selected to AAA boys All-State team
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
Marion girls player Jaeda Davis an All-State selection
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
PHA girls reach semifinals, boys advance to quarterfinals
By Billy Baker 09 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dorchester — The familiar drive down Highway 78, on the way to Woodland High in Dorchester County, remains a two- lane venue, dominated by dense Pined woods adjacent to the Norfolk Southern train tracks that deliver goods from the massive inland port in Greer; every day to the port of Charleston. The purpose of the drive is to meet Woodland High’s new head boys’ soccer coach, Jeff Beckworth , who just happens to also be the Dorchester Four Superintendent of Education. Beckworth is a former college soccer player from Chowan College in North Carolina where he came South from New York back in the day to fulfill his goal of playing college soccer, and also to get a college education. Arriving on the campus of Woodland High on February, 29 it is 79 degrees at 4:45 in the afternoon and Spring sports teams can be seen working out all over the land scape. The teams look vibrant, alive, energized, and hundreds of student athletes are being mentored by their coaches. Driving towards the football stadium, we can see “Coach Beckworth” busy working out 18 varsity soccer players on the turf of the football stadium. Not too far away the Woodland High baseball team is fully engaged, putting on a pre-season Wooden bat tournament involving 12 teams under the direction of Wolverines head coach Keith Lowman. The track teams (under the direction of Chaves James ) are working out 120 boy’s and girl’s track candidates, and the girls’ soccer team (coached by Wendy Lynn Riley and Andrea Stanley ) is busy practicing on a near-by field with another 20 student athletes. The softball practice, with Kim Reeves pitching batting practice in the cage, is a blend of 40 junior varsity and varsity candidates. Hannah Reeves is back home from having finished college and she is “live pitching” very hard to batters on the softball field. With all that is going on this is the greeting from Coach Beckworth when he approaches him at soccer practice: “Thought about having a drone fly over and getting some video of all our student athletes and coaches preparing their teams to participate in Spring sports,” he said greeting this reporter. “Isn’t this great. It looks like we have 50 per cent of our student body out here this afternoon.” It was a decade ago that Coach Beckworth was an elementary Principal in the area when he started a hugely popular elementary school soccer program at his school. After getting the soccer program started, he left for a few years, to pursue other educational opportunities. So, last April when he was named Superintendent in DD-4, he just knew in the back of his mind he would enjoy reuniting with many of his former elementary soccer players, who were now juniors and seniors in high school, by becoming the head soccer coach. It just seemed like the right thing to do. The 2024 Woodland High soccer team is comprised of 18 players and it is made up of six seniors, six juniors and six sophomores. They were scheduled to play in a soccer pre-season tournament hosted by Whale Branch Feb., 29-March, 2, as the HSSR was going to press. Coach Beckworth explained why he feels it is important to get out and mingle with student athletes in his role as Superintendent in DD-4. “It is all about being hands on and there is no better way to understand what the needs are of your school district then being right in the thick of things,” said Coach Beckworth. “Being out here, working with the soccer team amongst our other dedicated coaches working with their student athletes is a very positive and meaningful endeavor. “Right now, on the track, Coach Chaves James is working with 120 track athletes and his teams compete for championships year-end and year-out,” said Coach/Superintendent Beckworth. “The track team is hosting an event here this weekend involving 35 teams from all over the state with 1,400 athletes coming to our campus. Student athletes will come out and participate in sports when the coaches are good and we have some excellent coaches in all our sports at Woodland High School.” “Our baseball team (head coached by veteran Keith Lowman ) has been hosting a Wooden bat tournament the past week with 14 teams involved,” said Coach Beckworth. “There has been a lot of activity on our baseball field. “Our girls’ soccer team is busy getting ready for the season and they are coached by Wendy Lynn Riley and Andrea Stanley .” said Coach Beckworth. “Our softball team is over there working hard right now and they under the direction of Kim Reeves once again. “I can’t say enough about our hard-working athletic director Ty Sibert . We will be starting a new wrestling program next year and he will be the head coach.” Turning back to boys’ soccer; what are the goals and expectations for the boys’ soccer team this season? “You always want to compete for a region title first and foremost,” said Coach-Superintendent Beckworth. “You hope to advance past the region and compete well in the playoffs also. Success will build continuity in the program. “Right now, we have a lot of younger kids on the varsity and we have several good players coming along in our middle school soccer program right now,” said Coach Beckworth. “We need good feeder programs to be able to replace seniors when they graduate. Our varsity team this year is spread out evenly between seniors, juniors and sophomores. We have a good group of kids to work with on the varsity.” Coach Beckworth cited the names of a few of the players he helped introduce to the sport of soccer when he worked at the local elementary school a few years back. “Current players like Sideek Neals , Keyonta Britt . Alquan Cobbs , and Chance Green are a few of the players I was involved in earlier and it is great to see that they have stuck with the sport,” said Coach Beckworth. “Many of these athletes also travelled around with me in AAU basketball in the summers.” Coach Beckworth said he started in the education system as a physical education teacher. “Back in the day, here as a teacher and administrator, I felt it was important to get young students involved in sports because that is how I grew up myself,” said Coach Beckworth. “It is so important to get young people involved in after school activities, and getting them involved with coaches is so important in helping their over-all development.” Some of the team’s early soccer matches will come against Charleston Math & Science , Whale Branch , and Timberland and then region play begins. The team will also play Gray Collegiate later in the season. “The biggest challenge is to get your players to communicate well once they get on the field,” said Coach Beckworth. “They like to talk off the field but not so much on the field. They just kind of make the play and move on right now.” The team captains this season are senior marking back Chance Green and senior forward/defender Cooper Glazer . This is Glazer’s first year on the team. “It is a lot of fun playing varsity soccer for the first time and I love running around all the time, never sitting still,” said Glazer who was a quarterback on the football team in the fall. “My goal is to have a good time and win some games. “Coach Beckworth has taught me how to move my feet better and he has helped me strengthen my legs which are important for soccer,” said Glazer. “He has also worked hard with everyone on the team to improve our conditioning. You have to be in shape to play soccer effectively.” Co-captain Chance Green started playing soccer in the third grade up in Pennsylvania and he moved to the area in the sixth grade. “I play center back which is the center of the defense,” said Green. “My role is to control the entire defense and observe the entire field from the back side. I communicate with players to tell them where they need to be at on the field. “My role as co-captain is to be able to make sure my teammates are where they need to be and make sure they are doing what they need to be doing,” said Chance. “We need to make sure that we are keeping good team chemistry and not arguing amongst each other.“ Chance has been on the varsity at Woodland for four seasons. “We had a lot of seniors graduate so we are starting with a lot of younger players, so the only way for us to go is up,” said Green. “Coach Beckworth is doing a great job keeping us focused.” The starting goalie for the Wolverines soccer team will be sophomore Giovanni Hernandez. “He started in goal last year as a sophomore so we are excited to have him for the next two years,” said Coach Beckworth. “He is sort of self-taught.” Hernandez commented after one recent practice to the HSSR, “I first started playing with Coach Beckworth in elementary school,” said Hernandez. “My goal is to see the entire field and prevent goals from being scored. My job is to help out my teammates with good communication skills. I try to help them make the right plays. I have been playing for a long time.” The starting group in the midfield will be patrolled by sophomore Brayan Vivas Sanchez , junior Sideek Neals , and senior Jonathan Brown . The marking backs on defense will be led by junior Keyonta Britt , senior Alquan Cobbs as forward defenders and senior captain Cooper Glazer will hold down a Forward/Defense position. In the team’s first match of the season (Feb., 27) they played a better competitive game against Charleston Math & Science before losing 1-0. “We found out last night (versus C-M-S) that we have to strengthen the back of our line-up,” said Coach Beckworth. “We are still maneuvering guys around and we didn’t have any scrimmages so last night was our first time playing on a full field. We gave up one goal in the first minute and that was all the scoring there was in the game so we ended up losing 1-0.” Senior captain Chance Green will be a leader on defense along with Quantez White and Logan Miller . The fourth defender is still up in the air but Cooper Glazer has played in the back also. Coach Beckworth indicated he might move Glazer up more on the offense to attack. Alquan Cobbs might also see action in the back also. “Nobody is really stuck on a certain position this early in the season, so there will be a lot of versatility in our line-up from game-to-game as we look for the right combinations,” said Coach Beckworth. Bryson Cummings , is a newcomer junior forward who talked about what he has learned from Coach Beckworth after a recent practice. “He helps us with special skills like dribbling and passing the ball when we are on the run,” said Cummings. “He pushes us to do better every single day in practice. He has been teaching us a lot about how to play soccer at a higher level.” Other members of the team include: Sophomore forward Ismael Silva , sophomore mid-fielder Jaiden Dunning , sophomore mid-fielder/forward Jorge Garcia , and sophomore Midfield/Defense performer Jamie McCarthy . Juniors Logan Miller , Quantez White , and Andrew Hayes will support the team on defense. Chandler Bowman is a senior Defense/Midfield performer and junior Keyshon Westbury will see action in the Midfield while junior Bryson Cummings will hold down a forward spot. Next month the HSSR will report on the Woodland High baseball, track, and softball teams and we had a visit with all three coaches recently. Spring is nearing: time to play ball!
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
De'Angelo Bryant steps down as football coach for Gray Collegiate
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 09 Mar, 2024
Golden Eagles win SCISA Region 2-AAA tournament, finish 15-10
By Worthy Evans 08 Mar, 2024
Final Top 10 girls and boys ranked below story
By Staff Reports 08 Mar, 2024
Bennettsville - Taniyah Houston has been kept “very busy and focused” pursuing her interests in basketball, golf and soccer during her four-years of attendance at Marlboro County High. She has even found time to be a member of the Marlboro County Marching Band, where she plays the flute and piccolo. This past season she averaged 10 points, two rebounds and one assist a game as a senior leader on the varsity girls’ basketball team. In the fall she was a key member of the golf team, and this Spring she will participate in soccer “as a striker” for the third season in a row. Houston has recently signed on to play college basketball at St Andrews College in Laurinburg, NC. “I love scoring points,” said Houston, who is a shooting guard. For all her hard work in both athletics and academics Houston has been chosen the February “ NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month. This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects. These online course credits can be transferred to college credits after a student’s enrolls in college after high school graduation. While being heavily involved in athletics, Houston is also a top student academically at her high school, carrying a 4.4 GPA. She is ranked number 17 out of 176 seniors enrolled at Marlboro County High School. Houston says she has benefited from taking 16 online dual credit courses through NETC during her high school academic journey. They include: American History, Psychology, American Government, Sociology 101, English Composition I & II, Algebra, Public Speaking, Introduction To Computers, Music Appreciation, Western Civics, Spanish 101, Biological Science I and II, along with Theatre, and Macro Economics. Houston said that over her four years of high school 50 per cent of her academic work has been achieved from taking online dual credit courses offered by NETC. “The hard work I invested in taking 16 online dual credit courses helped boost my GPA and class standing a lot,” said Houston. “The experiences taught me to discipline myself, and to focus on getting these online courses done on time. “It does take time to grasp all the information presented to you,” said Houston. “You are required to write reports to verify what you have learned. I feel like the challenge of taking dual credit courses through NETC was also a great opportunity and benefit to me in my pursuit of academic scholarships also. “I am certainly prepared more than ever for college having taken 16 online courses though NETC,” she said. “I honestly feel like it would be of great benefit to all high school students in the region to talk with their academic advisers about this very worthwhile academic program.” Houston hopes to become an Athletic Trainer after graduating from college.
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 08 Mar, 2024
Blazers' Makayla Dukes All-State, Region Player of the Year
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor 08 Mar, 2024
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By Larry Gamble 08 Mar, 2024
Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Photos from the SCHSL Basketball Tournament, from the Florence Center for the Camden HS vs Wren HS girls in the Class AAA Championship basketball game on Saturday. High resolution prints and digital downloads from this event are available at www.LarryGamble.com by clicking this link to the photos.
By Staff Reports 08 Mar, 2024
Bennettsville — Marlboro County junior wrestler Jamison Bethea competes in the 106-pound weight class but don’t let his small stature fool you; 18 of his 33 dual meet wins this season was by pins, often very early in the competition. Bethea was just one win away from the Lower State finals and he finished with a 33-11 record following his third season of competing on the Bulldog wrestling team. Bethea is also in his third year as a center mid-fielder on his high school soccer team. For his dedication as a student athlete, who also excels in the class room, Bethea has been named the February “NETC Male Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various academic subjects. These online course credits can be transferred to college credits after a student’s entrance to college, after their high school graduation. Bethea explained why he enjoys being a high school wrestler. “I just enjoy competing against other people my same weight and the sport challenges you both physically and mentally,” he said. “The sport can test you, up to and beyond your limits. I also enjoy making friends with other wrestlers not in my weight class.” On the soccer field, Bethea explains his role as a mid-fielder in these words: “You run, run, and run some more,” he said. “You are never sitting still and the sport has kept me in shape.” Mid-way through his junior year, Bethea has benefitted from taking six online dual credit courses through NETC. They are Psychology, Medical Terminology, Western Civilization, Introduction to Computer Science, Biology and Economics. “Taking online courses through NETC has helped me become better organized, has helped me focused on improving my time management skills, and the experience has given me a glimpse of how the academic challenges will be for me once I enroll in college.” Bethea carries a 4.7 GPA in his academic course work and he is currently ranked number 12 among 173 students in the junior class at Marlboro County High. “My goal is to attend Duke University after high school and work towards a degree in Health Science,” said Bethea. “I hope to become either a Pediatrician or an ophthalmologist.”  Bethea said it would be in the best interest of all high school students in the Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon Counties, served by NETC to talk with their school academic advisers to find out more about the dual credit online courses offered by NETC. “Taking online courses through the NETC, has helped boost my GPA and has helped me achieve higher academic standards, that will help me secure academic scholarships to colleges,” said Bethea. “I would encourage all my fellow students in the area to take dual credit online courses of their choice through NETC. The program has been of great benefit to me personally.”
By Billy Baker 08 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Gaffney - The Gaffney boys’ basketball team finished (15-10, 5-3) during the 2023-24 season under first year head coach Charles Blue , and the coach is very excited about the future of the program. “In all honesty our main goal this season was to teach our team how to play man-to-man pressure defense and we feel like we are better prepared for next season having that part of our rebuilding mission complete,” said head coach Charles Blue. “It had been four or five years since the Gaffney boys had played much man-to-man and it took a while to get them use to our new system this season.” The team finished tied for second in the region and made the playoffs. They lost in the first round to highly respected Riverside 71-68. Three Gaffney players earned all-region honors. They are senior Markell Hollis who averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and two steals a game. He had 24 points in the season ending loss against Riverside. Freshman Rickey Littlejohn earned all-region honors after averaging 11.9 points and five assists a game. The third Indian to earn all-region honors is junior forward Kaleb Phillips who averaged 10.1 points a game. Junior big man and big-time offensive lineman recruit Sheldrick Sarratt (6-5, 310) finished with an average of 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, Sarratt had 11 points in the Riverside game. Junior point guard Londin Bailey will also return next year after averaging 6.3 points and 2,3 assists a game. Two seniors, Judd Price and Derek Kennell averaged 5.5 and 4.7 points per game respectively. Coach Blue said the Gaffney jayvee team was 15-3 on the season and led by three forward types all in the 6-3 to 6-4 range. “We should have moved a couple of them up to varsity for the playoffs and that was an honest mistake on my part,” said Coach Blue. “We have several outstanding players moving up to the varsity and in looking back a couple of them should have played with us this season. “Our expectations for next season are a deep play-off run,” said Coach Blue. “During the off-season we are working on understanding man-to-man defense and we are focused on press and switch techniques.”
By Neill Kirkpatrick 08 Mar, 2024
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR St. Stephens – Over the past three season Timberland has established themselves as one of the top-class AA wrestling programs in the lower state finishing with a lower state title and a lower state runner-up finish in that time while Head Coach Ryan Rhodes has had to tweak and reload his roster each year. “I really didn't know what to expect with only one returning state qualifier and a lot of first and second-year wrestlers,” coach Rhodes said. “We were a work in progress as a team for most of the year, as half of our starters were inexperienced and our schedule this season was rigorous, as we wrestled a lot of 5A and 3A/4A schools.” Coach continued, “Overall I am incredibly happy with the season. The guys understood it would take a lot of work and sacrifice if we were to have a successful season.” The Wolves entered the state dual tournament as the number four seed. After a bye in round one they beat Cheraw 58-24 and then dominated the top seed North Central 51-18 to advance to the lower state finals. Unfortunately, they in the lower state finals to Buford 39-30. Leading the way for the Wolves was senior Alex Rush at 120. He won his second consecutive state title in dominating fashion posting the fastest pin (19 secs) and winning the championship match 14-1. Along the way he set a school record for most wins in a season with fifty-one and career wins with fourteen. Senior Gavin Lewis (126) had a solid year and won a match at the state individual meet while fellow Senior Robert Brown Jr. placed fourth at state individual meet in a very tough 138-pound weight class Seniors Robert Munn (144), Nicholas Shurlknight (152), and Caden Hawkins (157) also were starters and provided leadership all year while senior Steven Prioleau (175) was a big surprise as a first-year wrestler. Hawkins was a state qualifier. Coach Rhodes has solid group returning in juniors Avery Thames (132) and Nickolas Musgrave (215), and Aiden Shelley (113), Nicholas Ireland (165), Aiden Berrios (175) and Jerek Brixey (Heavyweight). All were experienced coming into the year except Shelley who was in his first year. Musgrave was a state qualifier. Other first year wrestlers are freshmen Avery Thames (106), Antaun Faison (150), Micah McHoney and Anthony Peeples (165), sophomore Owen Berrios (132/138) and eighth graders Lloyd Bone (135) and Michael Middleton (190). The Wolves had four female wrestlers this year Samantha Williams (106), Brooke Brown (113), Riley Morris (113), and Zyona Bartley (165). Coach is roaming the halls looking for more girls so they can have their own team. “I was happy with the season and am looking forward to the challenge of building a team with a new roster for next season. I have a good group returning, so hopefully we can surprise a lot of people next year too,” the coach said.
By Neill Kirkpatrick 08 Mar, 2024
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Mt. Pleasant – Palmetto Christian Academy head coach Raygon Hendrix Jordan knew she had a solid squad but depth could pose a problem for her seven-girl team as the season progressed, but those seven young ladies formed a cohesive team to put together a 16-7/4-2 season and their first trip to the SCISA AAA final four. Unfortunately, that is where their season ended at the hands of six-time state champion Hilton Head Christian Academy 64-39. Along the way to the semifinal appearance, they had seven games and a four-game winning streak during the year. “We knew it would be a possibility to run into HHCA in the final four and knew it would be hard to overcome them. They have really good players and are very well trained, said coach Jordan. Despite the loss coach Jordan was excited for the year the Lady Eagles put together. “We had a much better season than anyone anticipated other than myself. I knew how hard that girls had worked in the off season and during the year, so I had a lot of confidence when the season started. I am immensely proud of them and excited to see where we are headed as a program,” said coach Jordan. The Lady Eagles are led by one of the top players in SCISA in junior wing player Cokey Suddeth . She led the team in scoring (24.4 pg), rebounding (11.4 pg), steals (2.9 pg) and blocks (1.9 pg). While those are gaudy numbers for sure, it is the way she looks for her teammates and gets them involved in the game. “Cokey has really grown as a teammate this year. She loves to celebrate her teammates and join in on their success. That has made us a better team. As her coach, I could not ask for more,” Coach Jordan said. The team’s other junior Scotty Wrenn led the team in assists at 2.4 per game. She is also a leader on the team. Sophomores Avery Clark , Josie Hurley and Alden Baugh all played solid minutes and improved throughout the year. Clark averaged over six points and seven rebounds a game. Freshmen Adelaide Suddeth , and Audrey Bright showed that the future is bright for the Lady Eagles as they averaged over fourteen points per game between them and Suddeth pulled down 8.3 boards a game with half of them being on the offensive end. “I am very thankful to have the opportunity to coach these girls. We have everyone coming back next season and of course we are hoping to add some more to our squad. We are excited to rise to the level of 4A SCISA and looking forward to seeing how we can shake some things up next year,” said coach Jordan.
By Neill Kirkpatrick 08 Mar, 2024
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Varnville – Hampton County’s first season on the hardwood was a success as both boys’ and girls’ teams made the Class AA playoffs with the girls advancing into the second round and the boys team advanced to the lower state championship game. The Lady Hurricanes finished second in region 6 AA with a 6-2 record, and it was good for a first round playoff game. They hosted Timberland in round one and came away with a 54-36 win. They travelled to Kingstree in round two and that is where their season ended with a 55-30 loss. They finished their first season with a 16-11. The Lady Hurricanes were a young team with only two seniors in low post players Laira Garvin and Aljanae Morton . They will return seven players including recently named SCBCA Class AA All State freshman guard Lyric Jones . The boys’ team made a run to the lower state finals before falling to Oceanside Collegiate 62-46. They finished the year 25-6/8-0 with a region 6AA championship in their first year. Head Coach Roman Gray will say goodbye to nine seniors. Senior power forward Kavon Chisolm did his best Julius Pepper’s (Former Carolina Panther Star) imitation by being named to the SCBCA AA All State basketball team after being named to the SCFCA AA All State football team in the fall. This past season Chislom lead the Hurricanes in scoring at 15.2 ppg and rebounding at 7.3 pg. Devon Allen and Xavier Garvin averaged over fifteen points a game together. They both finished their high school careers with over five hundred points scored. Also playing valuable minutes during the year were Cameron Roberson, Antwan Crittington and Hector Rakes . Roberson and Crittington provided the Hurricanes with solid defense in the paint while Rakes pressured the ball. Senior Ian Lawton was the team’s inspirational leader, and he will be missed. Jontae James and Trevelyan Hamilton round out the senior class. The Hurricanes will return some talented young players who gained experience this season in junior Joshua Goodman and sophomores Darius Brooks and Ja’mere Martin . Martin was the team’s top three-point shooter knocking down thirty-five on the year at a 45% clip and the top free throw shooter art 73%. All three players averaged over six points a night and give Coach Gray a solid group to build around. “I knew we had some talented players but to watch them come together as team and to see them to continue to grow was special. I believed this team would take the region title and move on to the Lower State Championship game. They accomplished that and have set a standard for the teams to come,” coach Gray said.
By Rob Gantt 08 Mar, 2024
By Rob Gantt Special to The HSSR GOOSE CREEK - Goose Creek High School’s girls basketball program seems to be back among the state’s best in Class AAAAA. The Lady Gators won almost 20 games for second-year coach Jabari Deas and finished the season in the third round of the Class AAAAA playoffs, their best campaign on the hardwood in four years. They captured the Region 6-AAAAA crown along the way, accomplishing one of their big team goals. “Yes, the future is bright,” Deas said. “It’s a good thing to build upon, be excited about that with the group. I think we have some promising things ahead of us.” Deas’ bunch finished 19-9 after a 13-point loss to Summerville in the third round. He admitted the playoff defeat stung at the moment. Still, the roster makeup and potential on paper should soften the blow as time passes. Everybody on the roster can return next winter, and most will be back for multiple seasons. “Our defense is our calling card,” Deas said. “If we get out there and play good defense, we can make our offense a little easier. That’s what we do well that gives us a chance.” In the playoffs, the Lady Gators knocked off White Knoll and Carolina Forest before encountering the Green Wave. Both leading scorers are sophomores, all-state selection Aiyanna Moses (10.8 ppg) and Demi Gray (8.1 ppg), as is leading rebounder Natalia Madison . Madison and junior Gabby Curtis are all-region selections with Moses. Junior Saniya Sanders (7.4 ppg) was the third leading scorer. Freshman Jalaiya Jacobs was a consistent contributor on the scoreboard and finished second on the team in steals behind Moses. Six more lettermen can come back, too. Goose Creek played for six state titles, winning four, and captured 14 region championships under Deas’ predecessor, Tim Baldwin . Baldwin’s tenure included a string of 17 consecutive 20-win seasons. The Gators won their more recent state title four years ago, though. Baldwin’s final two teams missed the postseason, and Deas’ first team dropped its playoff opener in 2022-23, finishing 10-15.
By Billy Baker 08 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Gaffney - If anyone needed assurances that Gaffney head girls’ basketball coach Mark Huff could coach well when Plan A got tossed out the window due to injuries; be assured that his 21 wins and a region championship earned by Gaffney during the 2023-24 season will long be cherished and remembered by all who follow the Lady Indians program. Near the end of Gaffney’s huge win over Dorman on January, 19, leading scorer Shiriah Harris broke her foot and was lost to the season. Her 18.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, two steals and two assists a game were gone with her season ending injury. (Coach Huff quickly went into Plan B mode for sure). “We moved sophomore guard Korbyn Lydia from wing to the post and then we took our sixth person off the bench, junior Izabella Sarratt and moved her to a wing after the injury to Harris,” said Coach Huff. “In all my years coaching I had never lost a leading scorer to a season ending injury that late in the season. “Everyone responded well to the challenges we had after the injury and I am very proud that this team was able to beat Byrnes at the end of the regular season (53-33) that clinched the region title for us,” said Coach Huff. “Our man-to-man defense just kept getting better as the season went along. We actually held Byrnes scoreless in the second quarter of that game.” Earlier in the season, at Byrnes on January, 23, (four days after Harris’ injury) the Lady Rebels had defeated Gaffney 62-55 at home. The 20-point win for Gaffney in the final game of the regular season against Byrnes was very special indeed for the program. After the lost to Byrnes earlier in the season, Gaffney reeled off seven straight wins with the adjusted line-up. They defeated Hillcrest (55-16), Spartanburg (53-45), Boiling Springs (38-23), Dorman (48-47), Byrnes (55-33), Nation Ford (51-26) and Spring Valley (70-63). The wins over Nation Ford and Spring Valley were playoff wins. “We lost to JL Mann twice during the season but the 57-40 lost put us out of the playoffs,” said Coach Huff. “You just never know how far we might have gone had Harris not been injured. I do know that I am very proud of how the team stepped up and played all season and after the injury.” Numerous post-season honors came to several players. Freshman Tianah Hopper (5-10) earned Region Player of the Year honors after she finished with 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals a game. Harris earned all-region honors. Freshman guard Lauren Mathis earned all- region honors after averaging 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals a game. Hopper and Harris were also named to the SCBCA AAAAA All-state team. They will both be named to the HSSR all-state team also when it is released on March, 15. Junior Foreign Exchange Student Elena Bedana will be returning to Italy in June. Bedana averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 assists per game. The only senior on the team was 6-1 post reserve Diamynd Buckson who averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds a game. “We will return four starters to the team next season and if we can stay healthy, we should have an opportunity to make a deeper playoff run,” said Coach Huff. “We were really young this season with two freshmen, two sophomores, and one junior starting.” Coach Huff plans to take the team to a team showcase event in Rock Hill June 14-16 in which college colleges are allowed to observe. “Over the summer you are allowed to compete in 10 different games over 10 days with your team,” said Coach Huff. “We went to a one- day camp at South Caroliina last summer and there are several one-day camps we attend put on by various high schools in the area that we attend.” Other members of the team expected to return include junior forward Kymoroa Pearson and junior guard Kaylin Houze . Coach Huff is closing gout his third season as the Gaffney girl’s coach and he has a 49-24 record in those three seasons. On the boy’s side of his coaching resume he has a career record of 536-208. He just closed out his 38th year as a head high school basketball coach.
By Roger Lee 08 Mar, 2024
Jordan Wright is one of two Fort Dorchester players named to the 2024 Region 7-AAAAA Boys Basketball All-Region Team.
By Billy Baker 08 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dillon - The Dillon boys’ basketball team, head coached by Bryan Grice , concluded the 2023-24 season with a 18-7, 8-2 record and the Wildcats finished second in the region. After a first round win over Beaufort (73-40), in the first round of the AAA playoffs, the Wildcats were eliminated from the playoffs by Crestwood (73-40) on February, 16. Dillon had three players earn all-region honors led by sophomore guard Zay Robertson who averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals a game. Robertson was the team captain. The other two all-region players were seniors Ta’Norre Monroe and Shawn Samuel who averaged 7.3 and 5 points a game respectively. Samuel also led the team in rebounding at 8.3 boards a game. Robertson will be named to the HSSR-All-State AAA boys’ team when it is released March, 15. The team consisted of six seniors, 9 juniors, and one sophomore. “We should have a strong team once again next season with Zay back along with Jamarion Fling , Rahmond Hamilton , and Jazier Walker ,” said Coach Grice who completed his 5th season as the head coach at Dillon. “Our challenge is that we do not a true big time big-man. At this level of basketball that would be a big-plus. “What will probably do is play Hamilton and Walker at the four spots and have them in the game at the same time after alternating them a lot this season,” said Coach Grice. “Hamilton is 6-2 and Walker is 6-4 and they will be our inside guys.” Dillon’s two region losses came to region champion Loris . Dillon lost their game at Loris by three during the season (78-75) and by 13 when they played Loris at home on January, 26 (57-44). Additional players returning to the team next season include: Zephaniah Campbell , Jafari Jones , Jacob Hunt , Daquavious Williams , Michael Williams and Kyheim Lester. Additional seniors graduating include: Ian Meyers , L’nauhre Bethea , Nionkuru Patrick , and Jayden Benjamin .
By Billy Baker 08 Mar, 2024
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dillon - Okay Dillon girls’ basketball fans and players, the rest of us know what you are already thinking about as you forward to the 2024-25 basketball season in Class AAA in South Carolina for next year. Your team did an excellent job finishing (19-6, 9-1) while winning a region title with no seniors, so the 13 hard-working players on your 2023-24 team will all return next season, with one more year of experience. The young team that beat you in the playoffs, Crestwood , have been realigned to Class AAAA, and this year’s AAA champion Camden is graduating McDonald’s high school All-American Joyce Edwards and her 31 points per game to South Carolina . Head Dillon coach James McMillian tells the HSSR, “I view having everyone back as both a good and bad situation,” he said. “First of all, everyone in our community is going to put a lot of pressure on the team, telling us that we should compete and win a state title no problem. It is almost expected that we be in the conversation for the girl’s AAA title next season and I understand that. “As a head coach I certainly have to stay ahead of those conversations, and remind my team that schools like Oceanside Collegiate are moving up to AAA, and that over at Keenan will be a contender as the younger Fulwiley sister moves up to her freshman or sophomore as a special player also.” Coach McMillian is planning to take his team to a team camp at USC in June. He is also taking his team to the “NCAA Live Event Showcase” scheduled in Rock Hill this June 13-15. Teams will compete over this three- day period and college coaches are allowed to come and watch the games. These two factors alone should serve as motivating factors for his team between now and June. Dillon has been led on the hardwood the past two seasons by 8th grader Treasure Davis , a 5-7 combo guard, who has 654 points in two seasons. She could score her 1,000th career point before she completes her freshman season. “Treasure is truly a special talent,” said Coach McMillian. “Her father is 6-2 so I can see her getting to 5-9 or 5-10 by her senior year. She is going to get stronger to because all of our players are involved in weight lifting. “Treasure is more than a scorer and she is getting better and better at managing the game while she is on the court and making her teammates better also,” said Coach McMillian. “One area she needs to get better in is being a vocal leader on the court and I thin that will come as she grows older.” Davis, who will be named to the 2023-24 HSSR all-state team when the team is released around March, 15 averaged 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4,8 steals and 2,4 assists a game this season. Junior guard Mariah Campbell , one of the hardest workers on the team, has also been named to the 2023-24 HSSR all-state team after averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals a game. Freshman guard Khwnylah McKinnon who averaged 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.3 steals this season has earned a spot on the HSSR all-rookie team. Junior guard Ayonna Lester was also named all-region after averaging 4,6 points and six rebounds a game. The team was comprised of three juniors, three sophomores, three freshmen and one 8th grader. Other players returning next season include soph F Jiana McGil , junior F Zadaiya Moody , soph G Zynijah Pernell , freshman G A’Zyriah Ford , freshman G Jaziyah Leggette , junior F Kiasia McLeod , soph F Leah Bethea , freshman F Katlin Leslie and soph F Alyssa Lee .
By Neill Kirpatrick 08 Mar, 2024
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Denmark – The Denmark-Olar Vikings were coming off two consecutive trips to the Class A upper state finals as well as the loss of 70% of their scoring off last season’s team so coming into the 2023/24 campaign head coach Hercules Davis knew there would be some growing pains. Coach Davis found out quickly that he had competitors on his squad as the Vikings won nine of their first eleven games on their way to a 19-6/12-3 record and a second-round playoff appearance. Their season ended at McCormick 75-62. The Vikings jumped out to a 12 -point lead in the first quarter and led by two at 30-28 at the half. However, the second half belonged to the Chiefs as they outscored the Vikings 47-32 in the second half. The Vikings will say goodbye to six seniors in Trevon Hinton , Stephon Duley , Evan Carr, Eric Carr, Jamarion Wise, and Kelveon Adams . Hinton only played in twelve games, but he made an impact when he was on the court. He averaged 12.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds. He was second on the team in steals (2.4 pg) and assists (2.3 pg). Evan Carr had his best season as a Viking averaging five points per game and pulling down four rebounds a night. Wise was third on the team in rebounding as he pulled down 7.3 boards per game with four coming on the offensive end of the court. He also chipped with 8.3 points per game. While their season ended earlier than the Vikings wanted, they will be one of the favorites in class A next season as they return the bulk of their scoring in juniors Terrance Hinton, Tykeem Ross, Robert Bovian and Shamorion Palmer . Ross averaged a double-double with 16.2 points per game and he cleaned the glass at a team high 11.4 a night. Ross should score his 1000 career point next season as well as grab his 800th rebound as a Viking. Terrance was named to the SCBCA Class A All-State team and he led the team in scoring at 18.2 points per game, assists at 4.2 per game and steals at 3.2 per contest. He has an outside chance at joining Ross in the 1000-point club next season. He hit a team high 25-threes while shooting 54% from behind the arc. Also averaging a double-double for the Vikings was Bovian as he knocked down 10.4 points per game and grabbed ten rebounds. Palmer tied for second on the team in three-point shots knocking down twenty-one and shooting 60% from downtown.
By Worthy Evans 08 Mar, 2024
By WORTHY EVANS HSSR Contributing Writer Columbia - Hammond School' s boys and girls basketball teams saw their season come to an end in the SCISA 4A basketball tournament Feb. 19-24. The Hammond boys beat Ben Lippen 59-55 in the opener at the Sumter Civic Center Feb. 19, but on Feb. 21 Cardinal Newman rallied past the Skyhawks (14-9) 51-43. The Cardinals eventually beat Augusta Christian 71-61 Feb. 23 for their 10th state championship and first in Class 4A. Hammond had a 6-point lead on Cardinal Newman late in the third quarter, but Cardinal Newman outscored the Skyhawks 25-11 from there to the final buzzer. The Skyhawks led 15-11 after the first quarter, but Cardinal Newman took the lead by the end of the second quarter—before Mike Tyler’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Hammond a 26-24 lead at intermission. The Skyhawks held a 32-26 lead by the 3:11 mark of the third quarter. Cardinal Newman freshman Luis Echevarria came off the bench and sank three 3-pointers to close out the third, and drained a fourth 3 early in the fourth quarter to put the Cardinals ahead for good. Juniors Mike Tyler and Jaiden Haltiwanger had 10 points apiece to lead Hammond, which loses no players to graduation this year. The team roster includes seven juniors, a sophomore and two freshmen. Like the boys, the Hammond girls (15-6) reached the second round of the tournament, with a 62-44 win over Augusta Christian Feb. 19. And like the boys, the Skyhawks found an exit Feb. 21, with a 57-41 loss to Northwood Academy . Unlike the boys, the Hammond girls fell behind from the start as Northwood led the game wire-to-wire. “You gotta put the ball in the hole. We struggled with that today,” Hammond head coach Roshan Myers told the Columbia Star. “We had a lot of turnovers, a lot of forced turnovers, and we didn’t convert on the easy baskets and we missed quite a few free throws, so we were never really able to catch any momentum. Northwood, give them credit, they came out with a great defensive scheme and executed well.” Northwood (26-3) went on to battle Heathwood Hall for the 4A state championship Feb. 23. The Highlanders bested the Chargers 58-56 for their second straight state title. Senior Samira Khalil scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Skyhawks. Senior Anna Katherine Adams added 10. Khalil and Adams are two of the team’s five seniors that include Rebecca Waites, Kayce Hyman , and Lauren Vincent .  “Those five girls have been great contributors to the team, so you know it’s going to be tough moving on without them,” Myers said. “They’re all going to go on. KC will play in college, Samirra will play in college, and the other ladies will go to college and have fun and be professionals. For the most part it’s bittersweet. When you lose some of your kids and you’ve known them for so long, you watch them grow up. Rebecca and AK have been here since the sixth grade, so I’ve seen them develop from middle school all the way up to seniors in high school.”
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