Crestwood boys have great season despite missing out on state
Crestwood girls finish strong with run to state quarterfinals
Sumter – After playing for the AAA boys basketball state title last season and despite losing a couple key players, it was obvious what was on the agenda this season for Crestwood High School: get back to title game and win it.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The Knights came up short of the title game, falling to Lower Richland 55-52 in overtime on the road in quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
“I want to congratulate my guys on a great season,” said Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel. “Considering we lost players like Corean Nelson and Justin Rembert from that team, for that team to come back and improve in some aspect was tremendous.
“It was a smooth ride all the way through, maybe too smooth.”
Crestwood was atop the High School Sports Report AAA poll all season. It finished with a 26-2 record and went 10-0 in winning Region 6.
The Knights had four players selected to the All-Region team in junior Teon Tindal, senior Aaron Coleman, junior Xavier Johnson and junior Shannon Davis. The 6-foot-8-inch Tindal was also named to the AAA All-State team by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.
“They were a great group of players,” Samuel said of the quartet. “It’s not very often that you have four players averaging at least 12 points a game in high school basketball, but we did. I’ve been coaching a long time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.
“Shannon Davis did a great job of stepping up and taking over point guard duties. I thought he had that covered. Teon Tindal, the way he was able to control the paint as a shot blocker. He's a true leader. When he plays well, we never lose. Xavier Johnson quietly does his job, and Aaron Coleman is 6-4, but he’s a versatile player. He’s good inside or outside.”
LADY KNIGHTS COME ON STRONG AT END OF SEASON
As a first-year varsity head coach, Bridget Richardson’s start at Crestwood was a little bit rocky.
The Lady Knights started 4-6. However, they finished strong, winning 12 of their final 15 games and reaching the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
Crestwood’s only losses down the stretch were twice to 2-time defending state champion Camden and 55-52 to Darlington in the quarterfinal game.
“Reflecting on the entirety of the season, I believe it was successful,” Richardson said. “We faced formidable opponents early on, such as North Augusta and Gray Collegiate, which I think adequately prepared us for the challenges of region play.”
The Lady Knights went 8-2 in the region, finishing second to Camden. They also beat Darlington twice in the regular season.
CHS opened the playoffs with a 67-43 win over Gilbert before going on the road and beating Region 7 champion Dillon 61-52 in the second round.
“The late-season surge was exciting, especially considering it was my inaugural year coaching at the varsity level,” Richardson said. “The players were genuinely enthusiastic, displaying a high level of focus and commitment in every game. Their attentiveness and hard work paid off.
“Learning to collaborate effectively and building trust among team members early on were pivotal factors contributing to our success in both region play and the late-season playoff run.”
Crestwood was led by junior Saniya Williams, who was selected to the SCBCA’s AAA All-State team. Williams averaged 18.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
She was joined on the All-Region team by junior London Vaughn, junior Javiah Martin and senior Alannah Dixon. Vaughn averaged 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals, while Martin average 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals. Dixon averaged 3.7 points.
Richardson said not only have she and the players learned about each other, she now feels more comfortable in general.
“One notable weakness was my unfamiliarity with the Sumter community, as well as not being acquainted with anyone initially,” she said. “However, the experience turned out to be a good one, and the community's support was invaluable.”
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