James Island – Though both teams came up short in their goal of winning a state title, the future prospects for success in basketball for the boys and girls programs at First Baptist Church School are very good. The boys team, coached by Antoine Saunders, suffered through some early season growing pains as Saunders worked in a bevy of new players into the lineup. The Hurricanes returned two key anchors in 6-8 forward Cooper Kowalski and 6-4 senior guard Taye Robinson. Both players lived up to the expectations this season. Kowalski, who has interest from several Division I colleges, finished with a 21.3 points per game scoring average to go with 12.7 rebounds per game. He was named the region 3-AAAA player of the year. Robinson also was named all-region. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and was the team’s top three-point shooter. Saunders says Robinson also will get an opportunity to play at the college level. The development of several other players on the roster, particularly underclassmen, gives Saunders a reason to be optimistic. “We saw a lot of growth and improvement from a lot of guys as the season went along,” the coach said. Sophomore guard James Pojani was very strong as a perimeter shooter over the last half of the season. Junior Dame Junior became steady as the point guard and sophomore Jordan Aremu was a solid defender and inside scoring threat. The only other senior on the roster was Russell Lee, who came off the bench in most games. Juniors Walker Traxler and Henry Hunt, along with sophomores Avin Harrison, Matthew Roof, Miles Jackson and Hibben Dupre also saw playing time off the bench and will fill larger roles next season. The Hurricanes finished with a 12-11 overall record and were upset in the first-round of the state tournament by Ben Lippen. The girls team, coached by Presley Singleton, played perhaps their best game of the season in an overtime playoff loss to eventual state champion Heathwood Hall. Sophomore small forward Ava Rush, a 6-1transfer from Oceanside Collegiate, was a consistent performer this season, averaging nearly a double-double for the season. She also was one of the top three-point shooters. early on. Senior guard Yannah Seaberry, who will play collegiately at Limestone, was a third-year starter and averaged about 14 points and 3.1 steals per game. Freshman point guard Gabby Moore, who saw major playing time as an eighth-grader, followed up with a strong freshman season, averaging nearly 10 points per game. Rush, Seaberry and Moore earned all-region status this season. Senior Dior Brown was a starter and team leader this season. Seniors Kennedi Ray and Maddy Hawes saw action as starters throughout the season, with another senior, Olivia Acker, coming off the bench as a long-range shooter.

Highlanders will face Northwood again for SCISA AAAA steate championship

Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Photos from the SCISA Basketball Tournament, from the Heathwood Hall vs First Baptist girls in their elimination basketball game on Wednesday. High resolution prints and digital downloads from this event are available at www.LarryGamble.com by clicking this link to the photos.

James Island – After somewhat of a slow start, the First Baptist boys basketball team is starting to hit its stride as the 2023-24 regular season ends. Head coach Antoine Saunders has patiently guided a fairly young team through early mistakes and injuries and his patience seems to be paying off when it counts most. The Hurricanes went 1-6 early on but have picked up wins in the last few weeks, improving to 9-9 overall as they enter February. “We are starting to play better, more consistently, with each game,” Saunders said. “We started the season very inexperienced. We had two guys that had played a bunch but we’re underclassmen heavy. We needed time to gel, to find the right chemistry. Guys had to learn and understand their roles on this team. We have improved in all areas and I am excited about the rest of the season.” First Baptist’s top two returners are senior forward Cooper Kowalski and junior guard Taye Robinson. Kowalski has averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds this season, with four games of at least 30 points and a 22-rebound game. The 6-8 Kowalski is garnering college interest from several Division I and Division II schools. He recently scored his 1000 th career point. Robinson is the team’s top perimeter shooters and one of the best from beyond the arc in the state. He is averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. “We pretty much know what to expect from those two guys every night,” Saunders said. “Where we have grown and improved is with our younger guys. As they have gained experience and become comfortable, they have shown great improvement.” Sophomore guard James Pojani has evolved as a major perimeter shooting threat, scoring in double figures in five of his last six games. Junior Dame Junior has been a steady performer at point guard, with a season-high 11 assists in a close loss to SCISA state contender Porter-Gaud. Sophomore small forward Jordan Aremu has been a top defender, often drawing the opposing team’s top offensive threat. Saunders has four more sophomores coming off the bench and contributing in various roles. Rounding out the roster are senior Russell Lee, juniors Walker Traxler and Henry Hunt, and sophomores Avin Harrison, Matthew Roof, Miles Jackson and Hibben Dupre. “I really like this group, their attitude and their work ethic,” Saunders said. “It has been a fun team to coach and it’s been fun to see them improve every day. We have a way to go yet but I feel like we can continue to gel.”

James Island – Presley Singleton, the varsity girls basketball coach at First Baptist, is downright giddy about the potential of her 2023-24 team. The Hurricanes have high expectations of competing for a state title this winter as Singleton has assembled a talented cast. “This is one of the best teams I’ve had since I’ve been here and we have high expectations,” the coach said. “We have a lot of potential but we also know that we have a lot of work to do. There are some really good teams in SCISA and we know we’ll have to improve as we go through the season.” First Baptist went 7-2 in their first nine games, losing to Riverside and Hammond. The team will be tested over the holidays with a pre-Christmas tournament in Greenville and a post-Christmas event in Charleston. Singleton says the six-point loss to Hammond, another team in SCISA that looks to contend for a title, was an eye-opener for her team. “We weren’t ready to play and I saw it early,” the coach said. “I could see it in warmups. We just went through the motions. I hope it was a lesson learned. We have to be ready to play every time we walk on the floor.” Sophomore small forward Ava Rush, a transfer from Oceanside Collegiate, has been a consistent performer early on. The 6-1 Rush is averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the charity stripe. Senior guard Yannah Seaberry, who will play collegiately at Limestone, is a third-year starter and averages 13.1 points and 3.1 steals per game. Freshman point guard Gabby Moore, who saw major playing time as an eighth-grader, is averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 assists per outing. Senior Dior Brown fills a fourth starting spot and is one of the top vocal leaders on the team, according to Singleton. Kennedi Ray and Maddy Hawes have shared time with several others as the fifth starter. Hawes is averaging 5.3 points per contest. Senior Olivia Acker has provided solid long-range shooting off the bench. “The key for us is to play as a team in every area,” Singleton said. “Rebound as a team, play defense as a team, score as a team. We don’t have a dominant inside presence like we’ve had in the past so we need everyone to step up. I am excited about our potential as we continue to come together.”

James Island – As the new head football coach at First Baptist, Jamaal Birch realizes and understands that his program is in a rebuilding stage. Birch’s first team is quite young and inexperienced overall but the coach feels this year’s team can and will experience success. In their week zero opener against Northside Christian of Lexington, Birch saw a lot of positive things in a 45-42 loss. He also saw a lot of areas for improvement. Such is the case in the current situation. “We only have six seniors on the roster and we play a lot of guys both ways due to a lack of depth,” the coach said. “Those are things we are going to have to live with, at least for a little while as we develop some of the younger guys. We made some mistakes. We had three turnovers and we basically allowed Northside to stay in the game. If we play a little more consistent, we win that game. “I thought our guys showed a lot of heart, a lot of fight. We definitely saw the potential that we have if we just keep working. We have a lot to fix right now.” The first game was not without highlights, especially offensively. Making his first start at quarterback, junior Zacobi Riley threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns while adding a score on the ground. “He is going to get better as he gains experience,” Birch said. “He missed some things but he is learning every day. He made some good throws. We just work every day on being consistent with his eyes.” Junior running back Marik Gibbs tallied 341 all-purpose yards, including 105 yards rushing and a kick return for a touchdown. “Marik is a talented athlete and he’s our big play threat,” Birch said. Receiver Russell Lee totaled nearly 100 yards through the air. Lee and Gibbs also start in the defensive secondary. Working along the front offensively are tackles Nate Karotney and Dawson Troyer, both seniors. Sophomore Caleb Wright starts at center and the guards are seniors Gus Clarke and Will Hutto. Hutto is a key starter at linebacker as well. Karotney and Troyer work at defensive end. The top defender is senior linebacker Ben Bessinger. Bradley Westbury and William Pope also start at linebacker. Tyrik Gadsden and Kelly Niday are the starting corners.

James Island – A new era of First Baptist football is set to begin in 2023 as the program welcomes a new head coach and staff for the upcoming season. First Baptist hired Jamaal Birch to head the program back in February. Birch comes to First Baptist from Providence Day School where he worked under former Oceanside Collegiate head coach Chad Grier. “When I first met coach Birch, I knew he was going to be our next head football coach,” athletic director Graham Haley said. “He has a true vision for our program and our school that will be unmatched on and off the field. His faith, leadership skills and integrity will make him a true difference-maker in the lives of our students. Coach Birch has a contagious energy that will bring our program to the highest level.” Birch got his start in coaching at Oceanside Collegiate under Grier, serving three seasons as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He also coached wide receivers at Providence Day, which won state titles in 2021 and 2022. Birch is excited for his first opportunity to be a head coach and loves the potential at First Baptist. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt the love and commitment from everyone I came in contact with,” Birch said. “Meeting with the administrators, the faculty, the students, it felt like home. This place has an amazing family atmosphere and everyone wants the same thing. First Baptist is a great place for me to grow in my faith and a great place to grow as a coach. I can’t wait to get started.” Before getting started, the new coach was tasked with forming his coaching staff. He feels he has put together a solid staff, which includes coaches with familiarity to the school and to James Island. Birch’s assistant head coach is James Island native Curtis Williams, a sixth-year coach. Williams also will work with the offensive line and will be the co-offensive coordinator. Williams shares offensive coordinator duties with running backs coach Andrew Murphy, a First Baptist alum who played on two state championship teams. Third-year coach Terrell Peal will coach the wide receivers. Peal is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. The Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator is Devin Brown, a former All-American as a kick returner at Coastal Carolina. Brown is a sixth-year coach and a native of James Island. Joel Osteen will work with defensive backs and Rollin Jenkins will coach the defensive linemen. Coaching linebackers is former Hurricane Timmy Campbell, also a member of two state championship teams at First Baptist.