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Warhorses remain undefeated in Region 6-AA with come-from-behind win
Devore gets called third strike to end game with tying run on base
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — The Barnwell softball team went into Spring break (10-1, 4-0) ranked number three in the first HSSR softball statewide AA ranking of the 2024 season. In the Lady Warhorses claimed a 5-2 win over Wagener-Salley just before Spring break on March, 26. In that win talented junior Jaidyn Devore had 14 strike-outs and hit a two-run homer to key the win. Going into the break head coach Mike Beasley told the HSSR, “Our team really played well before our Sprin break; the pitching was good, the hitting was good, and defensively we played well and these factors helped us compile a 10-1 record,” said Coach Beasley. “When we come back together, we have some games that will help us move towards the State Play-offs. “We scheduled to challenge us, and push us, so we can better prepare for the post season ,” said Coach Beasley. “All of our players have been working hard to improve their skills and it strengthens our team to be competitive. I’m extremely proud of our players and what they accomplished over the first half of the season. We appreciate all the support we have received from our parents and the community. It takes all of us to build a championship caliber team.” On March, 19 the HSSR covered the game between Barnwell and Aiken. A year ago, Aiken beat Barnwell 4-0. One year later, Barnwell dominated in a 18-0 three inning mercy rule win. .After the win over Aiken, Barnwell head coach Mike Beasley , shared his thoughts with the HSSR, “We didn’t know what to expect from Aiken, other than they had beat us last year, but they did have some graduation losses, and their top pitcher is currently out with an injury,” said Coach Beasley (230-121) now in his 25 th season as a head varsity softball coach. “I am pleased with our start for this season, and we hope to keep improving. Our number one goal to finish strong and win a region title, and make a dep run in the play-offs.” Against Aiken, junior power pitcher Jaidyn Devore had all of her pitches working well. In three innings of work she tossed a no-hitter while striking out 7 of the 10 batters she faced in the game. At the plate she was 2-for-2 with two RBI’s and one double. Other top hitters against Aiken included junior third baseman Brooklyn Gordan who had three hits and two doubles in the game along with senior catcher Bre’anna Buckmon who went 2-for-3 with three RBI’s including a double. Five other players each had one hit in the game. They included sophomore right fielder Abigial Corley , freshman center-fielder Kendall O’Berry , senior left-fielder Kahmiyah Williams , sophomore outfielder Layla Bishop , and junior utility infielder/pitcher Tiera Arnold . Freshman second baseman Laney Grubbs scored two runs with one RBI against Aiken and she is the team’s number two pitcher. Freshman shortstop Kaylen Mayes scored two runs in the win. Jessica Williamson scored one run in the game. Senior outfielder Jamicka Jenkins is also a contributor to the team along with sophomore outfielder Bri Croft , who scored one run and freshman Molly Wilson who can catch and play second base. “It all starts in the circle and the catching spot,” said Coach Beasley. “If you are strong at those two positions, and can hit the ball a little bit, and we had 12 hits tonight, with an average of 9 or 10 hits per game thus far this season, along with averaging 10 runs then you should win most of your games with these kinds of numbers. “Our team assessment is good pitching from our top three pitchers along with good hitting right now,” said Coach Beasley. “ Jaidyn Devore currently has five college offers and she was the Region Player of the Year as a sophomore. Her fastball has been clocked as high as 68 mph which is outstanding. “ Tiera Arnold is our second pitcher and she started at first base tonight,” said Coach Beasley. “Our third pitcher is freshman Laney Grubbs who started at second tonight. All three of our pitchers have no-hitters so far this season and they have each performed well. We are trying to bring all our pitchers along this season but when you have a Jaidyn Devore throwing in the 60’s it is a big adjustment for opposing batters to adjust to our other two pitchers when we bring them having to adjust 68 to a 55 miles per hour pitching.” Buckmon is a four- year starter behind the plate with a strong delivery to second. Buckmon and Devore comprise one of the strongest batteries in the SCHSL AA softball ranks in South Carolina. Going into Spring break, six players are batting .300 or better for Barnwell, and the team batting average is an impressive .355. Devore is at the top of the hitting index at .645 including a team leading 19 RBI’s along with four doubles and three triples. Corley is at .550 with seven RBI’s with one double and two triples. Grubbs is hitting .435 at the break three RBI’s and one double. Arnold is hitting .375 with 9 RBI’s and 2 doubles. Buckmon is at .333 with 9 RBI’s, including two doubles and two triples. Williams is hitting .300 with seven RBI’s followed by Croft (.286), Jenkins (.273) and Gordan (.269) round out the top 9 hitters on the team. In the circle, Devore went onto the break with a 6-1 record. She has an incredible 95 strike-outs in 45 innings of work with a superb 0.31 ERA. Davore has great command of both her screw ball and curve ball. Grubbs and Arnold are both 2-0 and both have 0.00 ERA’s. Grubbs has 10 strike-outs in five innings of work while Arnold has mowed down 13 batters in her six innings of work. Barnwell’s 10 wins this season have come over Williston-Elko (11-3), beat Ridgeland-Hardeeville twice (16-0, 10-0), beat Branchville (5-4), and Silver Bluff (2-0), Aiken (18-0), Edisto (12-1, 15-0) and Wagener-Salley (5-2). The team’s only loss was to Colleton County 8-6. “Our top goal is to win the region again this year, advance in the playoffs, win the district, and that will give us an opportunity to play for the lower state,” said Coach Beasley. “This team last won a lower state title in 2011. We were 14-2 last season and we had a lot of rain-outs at the end of the season that hurt us going into the playoffs. “This season we are playing 25 games and we have several strong teams scheduled to play just before we enter the playoffs at the end of the regular season,” said Coach Beasley. We have already had two-rainouts this season.” After Spring break, Barnwell has beefed up their schedule on the back-end with 11 games on the schedule. They resume play against Woodland at home on April, 9 then host Swansea the next day. The team plays at Woodland on April, 12. The rest of the schedule they will play Hampton County twice, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, R-S-M, Aiken, Williston-Elko, and Silver Bluff. Barnwell concludes the regular season hosting Branchville on April, 26.
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — Going into Spring break the Barnwell Warhorse baseball team, now head coached by Barnwell native Cody McCollum , used a (10-3, 3-0) first half of the season work-sheet to earn a number 13 AA ranking in the first HSSR baseball ranking of the 2024 season. “I am pleased where we are at this point in the season,” said Coach McCollum, beaming with pride with the birth of his first child recently. “We obviously have a lot more games left to play. All of our goals are still within our reach and we look forward to the challenges remining.” The top two hitters for the Warhorses at the break are two-hole hitter, junior third baseman Jaevin Santos who is hitting .571 and 18 runs scored with 9 RBI’s, and lead-off batter, junior Cameron Austin is batting .436 with 23 runs scored. Trey Boleman is batting .350 at the break with 17 RBI’s and 14 runs scored followed by Case Davis at .345. and 8 RBI’s. Hayden Pierce is batting .315 at the mid-season with 14 RBI’s. Catcher Kaleb McCormick , one of the most improved hitters on the team over last season, is batting .286 to date. Austin (R-R) is having a stellar year on the mound. He is 3-0 with one save and an ERA of .525. Austin has 31 strike-outs in 27 innings of mound duty. He has only allowed one earned run over the past 27 innings. Number two pitcher Case Davis is 2-1 with one save and a 2.92 ERA including 20 strike-outs. The team’s number three pitcher is Trey Boleman who is 1-1 with 18 strike-outs to date. Barnwell defeated Edisto (6-4) in their last game before the break, on March, 25. In that win Santos and Boleman each had a hit and scored two runs. Austin came in the game in relief and allowed just one hit while striking out five in earning the save. After the break, Barnwell will have six regular season games left before starting the AA play-offs. They host Woodland on April, 9, then are at home the next day with Williston-Elko. The team plays at Colleton County on April, 17 and host Horse Creek Academy on April, 23. The team will conclude the regular season on April, 25 hosting Bamberg-Ehrhardt.
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — One year later, the Barnwell (6-1) softball team avenged a 4-0 loss to the Aiken Green Hornets during last season, with an 18-0 three -inning mercy ruling win at home on March, 19. After the win, Barnwell head coach Mike Beasley shared his thoughts with the HSSR, “We didn’t know what to expect from Aiken, other than they had beat us last year, but they did have some graduation losses, and their top pitcher is currently out with an injury,” said Coach Beasley (226-121) now in his 25 th season as a head varsity softball coach. “I am pleased with our start for this season, and we hope to keep improving. Our number one goal to finish strong and win a region title and make a deep run in the play-offs.” Against Aiken, junior power pitcher Jaidyn Devore had all of her pitches working well. In three innings of work she tossed a no-hitter while striking out 7 of the 10 batters she faced in the game. At the plate she was 2-for-2 with two RBI’s and one double. Other top hitters against Aiken included junior third baseman Brooklyn Gordan who had three hits and two doubles in the game along with senior catcher Bre’anna Buckmon who went 2-for-3 with three RBI’s including a double. Five other players each had one hit in the game. They included sophomore right fielder Abigial Corley , freshman center-fielder Kendall O’Berry , senior left-fielder Kahmiyah Williams , sophomore outfielder Layla Bishop , and junior utility infielder/pitcher Tiera Arnold . Freshman second baseman Laney Grubbs scored two runs with one RBI against Aiken and she is the team’s number two pitcher. Freshman shortstop Kaylen Mayes scored two runs in the win. Jessica Williamson scored one run in the game. Senior outfielder Jamicka Jenkins is also a contributor to the team along with sophomore outfielder Bri Croft , who scored one run and freshman Molly Wilson who can catch and play second base. “It all starts in the circle and the catching spot,” said Coach Beasley. “If you are strong at those two positions, and can hit the ball a little bit, and we had 12 hits tonight, with an average of 9 or 10 hits per game thus far this season, along with averaging 10 runs then you should win most of your games with these kinds of numbers. “Our team assessment is good pitching from our top three pitchers along with good hitting right now,” said Coach Beasley. “Davore currently has five college offers and she was the Region Player of the Year as a sophomore. Her fastball has been clocked as high as 68 mph which is outstanding. “ Tiera Arnold is our second pitcher and she started at first base tonight,” said Coach Beasley. “Our third pitcher is freshman Laney Grubbs who started at second tonight. All three of our pitchers have no-hitters so far this season and they have each performed well. We are trying to bring all our pitchers along this season but when you have a Jaidyn Devore throwing in the 60’s it is a big adjustment for opposing batters to adjust to our other two pitchers when we bring them having to adjust 68 to a 55 miles per hour pitching.” Buckmon is a four- year starter behind the plate with a strong delivery to second. Buckmon and Devore comprise one of the strongest batteries in the SCHSL AA softball ranks in South Carolina. Coming out of the Aiken game, 8 players are batting .300 or better for Barnwell. Devore is at the top of the hitting index at .632 including a team leading 9 RBI’s along with three doubles and one triple. Corley is at .455 with three RBI’s and one triple. Mayes is hitting .400 with one RBI and one double. Arnold is hitting .357 with 5 RBI’s, and 2 doubles. Buckmon is at .348 with seven RBI’s, including a double and one triple. Williams is hitting .333 with four RBI’s followed by Gordan (.312), Croft (.300) and O’Berry is at .273. In the circle, Devore is 4-1 with an incredible 60 K’s in 31 innings of work with a 0.45 ERA. Davore has great command of both her screw ball and curve ball. Grubbs and Arnold are both 1-0 with 7 K’s each over three innings of work and both have a 0.00 ERA. So far this season Barnwell has win over Williston-Elko (11-3), beat Ridgeland-Hardeeville twice (16-0, 10-0), beat Branchville (5-4), and Silver Bluff (2-0). The team’s only loss was to Colleton County 8-6. Barnwell will travel to Wagener-Salley on March, 20 before hosting Bamberg-Ehrhardt on March, 22. After hosting Edisto on March 25, and W-S on March, 26 the team will close out the month with an away game at Edisto March, 27. “Our top goal is to win the region again this year and advance in the playoffs to win the district and that will give us an opportunity to play for the lower state,” said Coach Beasley. “This team last won a lower state title in 2011. We were 14-2 last season and we had a lot of rain-outs at the end of the season that hurt us going into the playoffs. This season we are playing 25 games and we have several strong teams scheduled to play just before we enter the playoffs at the end of the regular season. We have already had two-rainouts this season.” Aiken High is head coached by Coven Smith , now in his second season as the head coach. He told the HSSR after the game, “We graduated five players off of last year’s team and we have been hurt by some injuries this season also,” said Coach Smith. “We are building culture in our program and we are on the right path. “Our two seniors on the team are senior shortstop Elaina Parrott and Emily Gossett and Emily is out with a shoulder injury right now,” said Coach Smith. “We are getting better every single day and we are looking forward to the future.” Against Barnwell Kate Weimer started in center while Madsion Zeigler was behind the plate. Maddie Hopkins held down third base while Parrott was at short. Summer Tucker started at second while Lyndin George started at first. The outfield corner spots were held down by Lizzie Barry in right while Audrey Hembree was in left. The starting pitcher was Parker Campbell .
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 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 Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — With five sophomores and four freshmen making up the core of his varsity girls’ basketball team, Barnwell head coach William Hammonds III knew it was going to be a rebuilding season. “I have coached with a lot of patience this season,” said Coach Hammonds. “This is my 7 th season coaching in Barnwell and this will be our first losing season. “The positive thing is that the majority of the team has made improvement from the start of the season until now,” he said. “A lot of the players are playing less timid and with more confidence. “We have basically been like a junior varsity team playing a varsity schedule,” said Coach Hammonds. “If all our young players stick with it, we will be a much-improved team next year.” With just four games remaining in the season the Lady Warhorses are 1-13. They have games remaining with Blackville-Hilda , Ridgeland-Hardeeville , Woodland and Hampton County . Their win came over Wagener-Salley earlier in the season 27-26. The leading scorer on the team is sophomore shooting guard Kaylen Mayes averaging 10 points a game. In a recent game against Edisto , she scored a season high 23 points. “She can be a really good player if she keeps focused,” said Coach Hammonds. The second leading scorer on the team is senior guard J’Niyia Caree who has been hampered by a high ankle sprain most of the season. Caree is averaging 8.6 points a game. Freshman shooting guard Savannah Roundtree is averaging four points a game. Sophomore Madeline Brown (5-10) starts at power forward and freshman Gracyn Carter starts at a small forward slot. Junior forward Eriana Abney recently tore her ACL after being a starter for most of the season. Gabby Thomas has stepped up and she is averaging 5.2 points per game late in season. Other players on the team include: Junior center Ad’Myre Caldwell , sophomore Brianna Croft , senior wing Kardaiza Washington , sophomore forward Skyler Pacheco , freshman forward Juliyah Brown , along with Lakayla Glover and Kalieha Caldwell . Coach Hammonds sis assisted by April Robinson and Alicia Davis .
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — The Barnwell boys’ basketball team (6-10, 2-3) picked up two wins over Edisto (46-45) and Blackville-Hilda (56-47) to gain some needed momentum going into the final week of the 2023-24 regular season. Against Edisto, on Senior Night, sophomore Vashahd Scofield had 15 points and 12 rebounds while Cedric Hart had 8 points and one assist. Jayden Pickney also added 8 points and contributed four assists in the winning effort. “We just want to keep our head downs and finish strong,” said head coach Mike Beasley. “Many of our players will return for next season so we hope to win a few games at the end of the season to build some confidence for next season. It would also be great to make the playoffs also.” To date Scofield, just a sophomore, is leading the team in scoring at 11.2 points and 10 rebounds a game. Captain SG Jayden Pickney is averaging 9.2 points a game as the second leading scorer on the team. “We only have three seniors on the team,” said Coach Beasley. “We are loaded up with 9 th and 10 th graders and they are showing vast improvement with every game we play.” Senior point guard Cedric Hart has been on the team three years and junior Antonio Miller starts at one forward position. The 5 th starter is 6-2 freshman forward Henri Creech , plays solid defense and rebounds well. Sophomore forward Jamarcus Coleman is a good three-point shooter while junior guard Mican Bradley has hit 20 three pointers this season. The sixth man of the bench is usually senior guard Kristopher Bennett . Nehemiah Brown , Landon Godina , Jonavan Minor , and Damahiai Devoe are key reserves on the team working hard. Barnwell has three games left in the regular season. They play at Ridgeland-Hardeeville on Feb., 2 before hosting Woodland on the 5 th . They then conclude the season on the 7 th at Hampton County .
HSSR Class AA - Sweet 16 Football Poll 1. Gray Collegiate 2. Oceanside Collegiate 3. Abbeville 4. Woodland 5. Hampton County 6. Saluda 7. Marion 8. Fairfield Central 9. Silver Bluff 10. Strom Thurmond 11. Barnwell 12. Ninety-Six 13. Edisto 14. Andrew Jackson 15. Andrews 16. Lee Central Congratulations to these two Class AA athletes selected selected to represent the state of South Carolina in the 87th edition of the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas . Marion High School - Quay'Sheed Scott , DB Silver Bluff High School - Jayden Fuller , DL The game, which pits the best from the Palmetto State against the best from North Carolina , will be played on Saturday, December 16 , at Spartanburg High School . Top AA Ranked Gray Collegiate Playing Nationally Ranked Teams To Get Ready For AA State Title Run By Billy G. Baker Publisher Moncks Corner — With region play starting those teams who played a very competitive non-region schedule are likely to be rewarded in upcoming games where fourth quarter conditioning, and limited penalties, are rewarded with close wins in toss-up games. Whether you lose by one point, or 30 points, you still lost. Preparing for success by competing against a strong non-region schedule gives most teams a competitive edge. As the late John McKissick always said, “Winning is positive and losing is negative. Give me players who will stick their noses in the briar patch and we will find a way to win.” (That sounds painful, doesn’t it?) The HSSR’s top three teams in AA have been consistent from week-to-week since early in the 2023 season. Talking about a tough schedule let’s justify why we have Oceanside Collegiate (4-2) ranked number two behind sister charter school Gray Collegiate (8-1), even though the Land Sharks have two losses. Oceanside’s two losses were to top ranked South Florence (28-6) on August, 25. On September, 22 head coach Chad Wilkes took his team to his old work place Sumter High and the Land Sharks went toe-to-toe with a AAAAA team, before losing 17-10. Oceanside has also defeated the consensus number one Class A team in South Carolina, the Lewisville Lions by the score of 24-7. Strength of schedule benefits Oceanside for sure. So, the HSSR feels strongly that Oceanside Collegiate is ready to make a run in their region and another deep run in the AA playoffs. Abbeville , ranked number three in AA defeated Powdersville (35-34 in OT) and then played a competitive game against a 5-1 Westside team before suffering their only loss of the season 48-13. Abbeville, ranked number three, has also gained valuable experience from having played a tough non-region schedule. The Panthers defeated Powdersville and their only loss was to Westside (5-1). The HSSR’s top ranked AA team, Gray Collegiate , is mired in a charter school controversary with all fellow member schools in Region 4-AA. In an exclusive interview with Gray Collegiate head coach and athletic director Adam Holmes on October 1st, he told the HSSR, “We appealed the decision of schools in our region taking volunteer forfeits (without penalty) not to play us, to both the SCHSL and the Appellate Panel, and neither body chose to make a ruling, or get directly involved in finding a solution to what created the problem. “In all honesty, I am most surprised as to why a very competitive football program like Fairfield Central (currently 5-1) would not want to play us with a chance to win a region title and get four home games in the playoffs as region champions,” said Coach Holmes. “They are losing a lot of money and having to go on the road at some point in the playoffs.” Coach Holmes told the HSSR that Gray Collegiate has asked to be moved up to the AAA classification with realignment happening for the 2024 season. It is unclear, at this point, what controversy might lie ahead for Gray even if they move up to AAA next season. “The whole issue could be solved with an amendment to the SCHSL by-laws that would prevent any league member from participating in the play-offs in any sport if they voluntarily forfeit a region game,” said Coach Holmes. “Right now, there is no provision in the by-laws for teams who forfeit region games and hopefully after the season this situation can be reviewed.” Gray Collegiate will play a Top 70 nationally ranked team Clearwater Academy International from Clearwater, Florida on October, 6 th . The conflict forced Gray to find new teams to play, which the SCHSL has allowed. They recently travelled to Top 30 national power St. Johns High in Washington DC on September, 16 and lost 42-28. On September, 29 they Gray defeated Portal High , from Georgia 56-35. Earlier in the season Gray hosted three home games on their brand new on-campus artificial turf field with wins over Christ Church (49-21), Crestwood (62-20) and Camden (30-12). They won an away game at Hammond 52-14. Counting their forfeit wins, they are currently 8-1 on their way to play Clearwater Academy in Florida. “We are getting paid to play these out-of-state nationally ranked teams, so we are still making money,” said Coach Holmes. “We feel good about having several home games in the playoffs and we hope to compete for a state title.” Coach Holmes said that beyond the game with Clearwater this week no other games have been picked up just yet. Coach Holmes is still trying to complete a schedule to keep the team prepared for the upcoming playoffs. One idea could be to challenge the IMG Academy team in Bradenton, Florida and that team is among the best in the nation.
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