Lake City – Long-time head softball coach Scotty Phillips knows his tenure at Carolina Academy is winding down. However, the 61-year old Phillips would love to see his current team through for the next few years. Phillips feels he has a team capable of making a serious run at championships, though it may not be in 2024. The coach has one of the youngest varsity teams in SCISA Class AAA, a roster with no seniors, no juniors and only three sophomores. In fact, Carolina Academy had to petition the SCISA powers that be to allow seventh-graders to participate on the varsity level so they would be able to field a team this spring. “We’re young, really like a junior varsity team playing a varsity schedule,” Phillips says. “Our jayvee team is basically a b-team. We’re very young across the board.” Youthful enthusiasm, says the coach, can be an advantage. “They have a lot of energy and they work and play hard,” the coach said. “They’re a pretty talented little group. I think this team has a lot of potential and I am excited to see where they end up in a year or two. They are competing.” While wins have been hard to come by (the record heading into spring break is 3-6), the Lady Bobcats are competitive in most every game. Among the early wins was a victory over perennial state title contender Williamsburg Academy. Carolina Academy is well-stocked with young pitching potential. Sophomore Raeley Frye is the top performer inside the circle and continues to show steady improvement. “The biggest thing with her is consistency,” Phillips says. “She is really good and can mix up the pitches. When she’s consistent early in the count, she can be very tough. She has a great future.” Eighth-grader Lauren Sims and eighth-grader Ella Ham also get work inside the circle. Sims also plays third base defensively while Ham is the starting centerfielder. Behind the dish is sophomore Carly Ann Smith, a returning starter from last season. Eighth-grader Lexi McCutcheon is starting at first base while seventh-grader Paisley McCutcheon is working at second base. One of the top offensive threats is freshman shortstop Kelsie Smith, who is hitting around .500 with three homers early on. “She’s a player, a really good hitter that’s going to be something to watch for the next few years,” Phillips said. Seventh-grader Natalie Brayboy is starting in leftfield while eighth-grader Paisley Coker and sophomore Jennifer Vargas are sharing time in right field. Sophomore Hannah Grace Matthews also is seeing some work as an outfielder. “This is going to be a good team,” Phillips predicts. “We just need to grow, get stronger and keep improving. Varsity softball is a lot different than junior varsity softball.”

Rankin won 2 state titles, played in four other championship games in second stay at Lee

Lake City – As a first year head baseball coach at Carolina Academy, Lindsey Robinson says he learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a program and trying to put a competitive product on the field. That was 2023. Robinson begins his second season at the helm this spring and says not only has he learned a lot about coaching, but his team seems to have learned a lot about how he wants them to play the game. The Bobcats opened the 2024 season with three wins in a preseason tournament hosted by Lake City High. Carolina Academy posted wins over three public schools, Hannah-Pamplico (6-0), Marion (10-4) and Lamar (15-3). A good start to what Robinson hopes can be a great season as a Class AAA SCISA team. “I think this team has unlimited potential and has a chance to be very competitive,” Robinson said. “It’s a real scrappy bunch. We may not look like much on paper but this team is going to battle every opponent on every pitch. We’re not perfect and we have plenty to clean up, but if we can continue to work on improving every day, we have a chance. I believe this team understands what it’s going to take for us to win.” What it will take for the Bobcats to win is throw strikes, make plays defensively, and execute sharply at the plate and on the base paths. “We’re not going to be a team that hits two or three homers every game,” Robinson said. “We have to focus on doing the little things. We have to move runners, run the bases aggressively, get the timely hits. We have some speed so executing things like a hit-and-run or bunts is going to be very important to us having a chance to win.” Leading the 2024 team is senior Walker Joyner, a returner from last season and the Bobcats’ ace on the mound. Joyner is about 6-4 tall and can play either corner infield position, as well as catcher. He led the team in hitting last spring. Joyner allowed one hit and struck out eight in five innings against Hannah-Pamplico in the season opener. “He’s my guy,” Robinson said. “He’s our leader and as he goes, we go. He sets the bar high for the other players.” Sophomore Hayden Timmons, a transfer from Lamar, looks to be the No. 2 starter while junior David Driggers is expected to be the third starter and will catch some. Robinson says sophomore Walker McCutcheon, one of the top three-sport athletes in the school, also will see time behind the dish as well as third base. Senior Dyson Lamb is a returning starter from last season and works at shortstop, while promising freshman Hampton Kirby in penciled in at second base. Senior Hunter Irwin is a returning starter in left field and senior Cole Bailey is working in right and hitting in the leadoff spot. Senior Tyler Smart commands the outfield defense in center. “I am proud of the guys for the way they have prepared and started the season with some success,” Robinson said. “Our approach at the plate has been good and for the most part we have thrown strikes. Long way to go though. We’re not talented enough at every position to just walk out there and expect to win. We have to go play and play hard for every inning. “I am finally starting to see things click and I am proud of the guys. They are starting to understand the process on a day-to-day basis.” Other seniors on the roster include Micah Springs and Ashton Rambo.

Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Photos from the SCISA Basketball Tournament, from the Beaufort Academy vs Marlboro Academy in their elimination 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.

Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Sumter - Photos from the SCISA Basketball Tournament, the ladies from Hilton Head Prep vs Carolina Academy in their elimination basketball game on Friday. High resolution prints and digital downloads from this event are available at www.LarryGamble.com by clicking this link to the photos.

Lake City – The list of high school basketball coaches in South Carolina high school history that have won more games than Perry Stokes has is a pretty short list. Stokes is nearing his 750 th career coaching victory in his first season as the girls coach at Carolina Academy. A member of two Hall of Fames in the state, Stokes won two state titles (2002. 2012) and earned five state runner-up trophies in his 37 seasons as the girls coach at Timmonsville High. He also spent two seasons at Johnsonville and spent the last three seasons at East Clarendon High. Stokes thought he was officially retired from coaching but felt the tug once more when Carolina Academy came calling. The coach has experienced plenty of adversity over his storied career but admits the challenges at Carolina Academy have been somewhat unique. The 2023-24 roster has just six players, all seniors. There is a major lack of basketball players in grades 9 through 11. “It has been a challenge but I will say these six girls give everything they have,” said Stokes, who also won more than 400 games as Timmonsville’s baseball coach. “ I have zero complaints about their attitude or their effort. They play hard and they compete. From that aspect, they are as good as any team I’ve ever coached.” Despite a lack of numbers and depth, Carolina Academy has indeed been very competitive. Entering play on Jan. 26, the Bobcats were 13-6 overall with key region games filling out the regular season schedule over the last three weeks. While overall Stokes does not have the talent this season that he has had on former teams, he says this team has learned to play with what they have. “In the end, it’s basketball so it’s all relative,” the coach said. “Some of the teams that we play are pretty good. There are plenty of challenges but we just show up and play hard and see what happens.” The team’s leader and most experienced player is senior guard Ruby Kate Amos, who averages about 16 points per game. Amos is a fifth-year varsity player and recently scored her 1.000 th career point. Point guard Zaniya McClam also brings a lot of experience to the floor and is averaging 10.2 points per game. Another starter is senior guard Esther Campbell, who Stokes calls “our sparkplug. She will do whatever is needed and plays with a lot of energy.” Rounding out the starting lineup are seniors Dakota Jernigan and Abbie Turner, with senior Gabby Hewitt coming off the bench at any position needed. Stokes says the program does have a junior varsity team consisting of 6 th -8 th graders. That unit will make up most of the varsity roster next season so Stokes decided to keep them together instead of bringing players up as reserves. However, Stokes is forced to dip into the junior varsity team for at least a game or two. Two of his current six varsity players, including Amos, are nursing ankle sprains. “Pretty tough to be playing these region games short-handed but we will do the best we can,” the coach said. “Hopefully they won’t miss too many games and we can finish at full strength.”

Lake City - For 10 seasons, Robert Phillips guided the boys basketball program at Carolina Academy. The Bobcats were a perennial participant in the SCISA state tournament during his run as coach. After the 2020-21 season, Phillips stepped away from coaching and thought he was done for good. The coach had decided to focus on his work and family and felt content with the decision. Two years later, the coach finds himself walking the sidelines and barking instructions. When Phillips’ replacement, TJ Stack, accepted a coaching opportunity at another school last summer, the former coach was asked if he would come back and take the program again. The Carolina Academy graduate agreed to do so. “The time away was good for me but they (the school) needed a coach so I decided I would come back and coach,” Phillips said. “I obviously still loved the game and I love Carolina Academy so why not?” Through mid-December, the coach is happy that he did return. He has a very competitive team with loads of playing experience. As of Dec. 17, the Bobcats are 9-2 on the season, which includes wins over SCHSL public schools Hannah-Pamplico and Aynor. “We’ve done fairly well so far,” the coach said. “This is a pretty experienced team. We have a lot of seniors and juniors who have been playing. Really, most of last year’s team returned.” The starting backcourt did return as senior Garrett Sauls runs the point and senior Dyson Lamb is starting as the two guard. Both are third-year varsity performers. Sauls currently leads the team in scoring, averaging about 14 points per game. But, the strength of the team is balance. Nine players scored in a recent win over Conway Christian. There have been several different leading scorers already this season. “Pretty much the strength of our team is our offensive balance,” Phillips said. “We have some scoring options offensively. We also have played pretty good defense as a team. No real star players but a bunch of guys who play hard.” Junior wing Landon Turner has been in double figures several times and is averaging about 10 points per game overall, according to Phillips. Sophomore Walker McCutcheon is around eight points per game and brings a lot of energy on the boards and on defense. The fifth starter is senior John Tyler McElveen, who scores about eight points per game. Seniors Collin Epps and Jackson Altman, both third-year varsity players, see a lot of playing time off the bench. Junior Blanding Franks also has worked in the rotation, with juniors Mason Huggins and Thomas McDaniel rounding out the roster. Altman has been a leading scorer off the bench and Franks has produced as well. Following the holidays, the focus will turn to region play. The Bobcats will be contending with the likes of Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach, Williamsburg Academy, Pee Dee Academy and Florence Christian. As Phillips remembers, a very competitive region from top to bottom. “I feel good about this team,” the coach said. “I think we can be a competitive team with everyone on the schedule. We still have work to do, always looking to improve. But it’s a really fun group to coach. They have a good attitude and they work hard. I am having fun with this team.”

Lake City – When veteran coach Al Calcutt accepted the position of head football coach at Carolina Academy , he did so with a solid plan in mind. The coach knew that wins would be hard to come by in 2023 but was confident that the work his team put in this fall would pay dividends in the future. Calcutt says the No. 1 priority in rebuilding the program was to get a junior varsity program back. The school had been without a jayvee for a few years and that has hurt the development of younger players. Carolina Academy fielded a junior varsity team this fall, with a roster of sixth, seventh and eighth-graders. The junior Bobcats did not win any of their five contests but winning in year one was not expected. “The important thing is we got a good group of middle school kids playing on Thursday nights and it created some excitement for those kids and their parents,” Calcutt said. “We saw them improve in terms of just learning the game. Physically, they aren’t mature yet but when they do mature they will have a good idea of football. That’s going to help us down the road.” Calcutt’s varsity team was fairly youthful as well and the result was a 3-7 overall record. Not as bad as it may look, he says. “There were at least two games we had a shot to win and we’d be 5-5,” the coach said. “We certainly did not want to be 3-7 but I felt we showed a lot of improvement. We played a lot of underclassmen and no doubt we got better in some areas. The experience we gained is going to help us next year.” One of the underclassmen that showed great promise was junior running back Josh Brown, who finished the season with more than 1,300 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. “Josh had a very good year and he is going to be a big factor for us next year,” Calcutt said. “He learned a lot this year. He has a better idea of what to do and how to do it, and he already has the speed.” Sophomore Walker McCutcheon threw for nearly 600 yards as the quarterback and also gained valuable knowledge and experience. Junior Caleb Howard gained more than 500 yards on the ground and senior Connor Goldman had more than 300 yards rushing. Howard also had 68 tackles defensively and juniors Mason Huggins and Daniel McKenzie had solid seasons on defense. Senior linebacker Ashton Rambo was the top tackler with 86 total hits. Sophomore Cole Tanner had 42 tackles and two interceptions. In other fall sports, the girls tennis team finished with a 9-4 record and advanced to the state semi-finals of the state tournament. The Lady Bobcats recorded a playoff win over Palmetto Christian. Esther Campbell played No. 1 singles this fall while Carlie Anne Smith played No. 2. Hannah Palmer worked at three singles and Allie Keith Coker played four singles. Blythe Smith and Caroline Cockfield rounded out the singles ladder at five and six, respectively. Campbell and Palmer worked in tandem at No. 1 doubles while Smith and Coker played No. 2. Blythe Smith and Cockfield formed the No. 3 doubles team. The junior varsity tennis team posted a 5-5 record this fall. The varsity volleyball team finished 9-8 and the junior varsity volleyball team won five of their six contests to finish with a 12-8 record.

Lake City – After a 28-year career as a coach in the public school realm, veteran Al Calcutt is taking his talents to the private school level. Calcutt has been hired as the next athletic director and head football coach at Carolina Academy, a Class AA SCISA program. This, he says, is likely his last stop on the coaching circuit. “Been a lot of places but I think this is where I will finish my career,” Calcutt said. “I’m pretty excited about this opportunity. It’s new and different but it’s high school football and high school athletics, just on a smaller scale.” Calcutt was working as a coach at Johnsonville High, his alma mater, for the last three years. He says one day he got a call from a long-time friend, Carolina Academy headmaster Stevie Phillips, who coached a powerhouse track program at Johnsonville before his current job. “I’ve known Stevie for a long time and I was actually honored that he reached out to me about coming here,” Calcutt said. “It was humbling that he would think of me and make that call. The timing was just right.” Calcutt has coached at several schools, both has a head coach and assistant. His first head coaching gig was a three-year stint at Georgetown, starting in 2001. From 2004 to 2011 he was the head coach at Creek Bridge High, After a year as the offensive coordinator and athletic director at Carver’s Bay, Calcutt spent one season as the head coach at Hannah-Pamplico and later, in 2018, was the head coach at Hemingway. “I love coaching, love the work involved and I love being around the kids,” he said. “Coaching is my calling. It’s been a big part of my life and I am glad that I am able to keep doing it a while longer.” The coach inherits a program that has been highly competitive for a number of years but suffered through two tough seasons of late. Calcutt reports that he feels he will have a roster of 29 players, grades nine through 12. He hopes to restart the junior varsity program as well. Carolina Academy has not fielded a junior varsity team in three years. “We have good, hard-working kids here, not a lot of them, but the ones we have are working hard,” Calcutt says. “I’ve been very pleased this summer. It has been better than I expected. I’m really excited to get a jayvee program going again. That’s going to build the numbers and give those younger kids a chance to gain some experience. “I’ve coached with low numbers before. The big thing I feel is to keep things simple. We want to be good at a few things and build as we go. We’re probably going to run the football, some double wing and wing-T stuff. We will try to be good defensively and play with great effort. We will have a lot going both ways so we have to be smart with how we use everyone.” Calcutt will have two full-time assistant coaches on the varsity. Lindsay Robinson will coach quarterbacks and running backs while Tyler McClam will work with the offensive and defensive linemen, Calcutt says Bobby Castles will serve as the junior varsity head coach. “We will all work together and try to be as competitive as we can be,” the coach said. “I’m looking forward to getting started.” Volleyball coach Candace Bradley will serve as the assistant athletic director this fall. She and basketball coach TJ Stack shared athletic director duties during the 2022-23 school year.