By Billy G. Baker Publisher Moncks Corner - This month’s Modern Turf Recruiting Feature will focus mainly on basketball but we will dab a little it in prep football recruiting as well. Twitter was lit up last week with a report that USC women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley was visiting Heathwood Hall . Naturally, everyone wanted to know if she had stopped by to pay a recruiting visit to Heathwood Hall junior point guard Lauren Jacobs who had recently helped the Highlanders win their second straight SCISA AAAA basketball title with a 23-point effort. Heathwood Hall head coach Brianna Zimmerman has “cleared the air” on what actually happened. “Coach Staley was visiting the school with her adult niece, who has a three- or four-year-old child, and they were taking a tour of the school for the possibility of enrolling the young toddler at Heathwood Hall,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Coach Staley is super close to her adult niece and she was just being supportive in visiting the school with her. “Having said that, I will say that South Carolina has told Lauren (5-9 guard) that she is on their radar, but they are focused on closing out the 2024 class, and have not extended many offers at all to 2025 players at this point,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Lauren is certainly interested in the USC women’s basketball program. She does have offers right now from SEC schools Auburn, Florida, and Ole Miss among about a dozen other smaller colleges.” Coach Zimmerman also said that Jacobs is a natural shooting guard for the next level but plays point guard on her team out of need. This past year Jacobs averaged 31.5 points, seven rebounds, 2.1 assists and 4.2 steals a game. He made 50 per cent of her two-point shots from the field (287 of 578) and he also hit 35 per cent of her three-point shots making 59 three-pointers during the season. “I can honesty say that the bigger the moment in a game the better Lauren play,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Whether we need a three-point shot with the game on the line, or a steal to take to the basket like a scoop and score, she is at her best under pressure, We are thankful we have her for one more season.” The HSSR visited with South Carolina junior basketball commitment 6-7 Hayden Assemian after he helped lead Powdersville to the AAA state title against Darlington at the Florence Center on March, 2. Assemian shared some thoughts with the HSSR, “We came out and played hard and executed the game plan very well,” said Assemian who had. “I am a commitment to South Carolina. I chose them over Wake Forest and a few other schools. I still have one more season of high school. I have been recruited as a power forward type for college. It feels great to have helped my team win a state championship.” For the state title game, Assemian had 12 points, making 5-of-7 field goals and grabbing a team high 12 rebounds with two blocked shots. “I like the coaching staff at South Carolina very much and they are having a very good season. I can see myself getting early playing time with the Gamecocks.” Treasure Davis (what a great name for a prospect) of Dillon is a special 8th grade 5-7 combo type guard who is going to make headlines when she visits the Rock Hill Showcase June 14-16 where she is certainly to grab the attention of college coaches allowed to come tan observe teams in action during the open period approved by the NCAA. “Treasure is truly a special talent,” said Dillon head girl’s coach James 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 think 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. Camden High freshman combo guard Braylin Mungo (5-7) has been playing in the shadows of high school All-American teammate Joyce Edwards this season, but she has great potential at the next level also. Mungo scored 9 points in the state title game. This season she has averaged 12.8 points a game along with 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals a game. Speaking of 2025 HSSR football prospects here are our top six players tight now. 1. Amare Adams-South Florence , DL-6-3, 281-Clemson Commit 2. Demarcus Leach-Abbeville -DB-6-3, 190 3. Sheldrick Sarratt-Gaffney -OL-6-5, 310 4. Cutter Woods-Westside -QB-6-2, 195 5. Brady Ambrose-Catawba Ridge -TE-6-4, 230. Note: Top 100 2025 List Released Next Issue Top

SCHSL Tournament action at the Florence Center with DJ Harvey from Christ Church in their game against Bethune Bowman.

Billy Baker Publisher Moncks Corner — Elsewhere in this issue the HSSR has released both our 2023 Spring All-state teams from Spring sports, and our Fall all-state teams from the various sports sanctioned by the SCHSL and SCISA, two outstanding organizations who govern the athletic programs at our public schools, charter schools, and private schools in the Palmetto state. Before I write about what is on my mind, I would like to extend deep, really deep, condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family of Dr. Spencer Jordan of Manning S.C. Dr. Jordan had spent nearly six years as the Executive Director of SCISA where the organization experienced unprecedented growth under his leadership. His passing in early January, from cancer, truly shocked me because Dr. Jordan looked very healthy when we talked for quite some time at the SCISA state football championships held at Charleston Southern back in mid-November. He even thanked the thousands of people who had been praying for him in his Welcome Letter published in the SCISA championship program at the games. He indicated to me that the cancer was in remission and that he was feeling much better. It certainly appeared that he had defeated the dreaded disease of cancer. Never in my recent memory have I attended both a “Visitation and a Funeral” in the same 24-hour period, but I did to honor the life of a truly decent and God fearing American. Mr. Jordan was one of those rare individuals who was totally out-front in his mission to make our world better one child at the time. While he loved athletics, he also embraced his passion for the need for our children to be educated, to be prepared for the challenges of the real world just ahead of them. Dr. Jordan’s funeral service was actually tape recorded for viewing. I would encourage “one and all” to go online, perhaps through SCISA.org and listen to the words of Rev. Wilder and Rev. Lowder as they gave comfort to the family, and the 1,200 people packed into a large community auditorium in Manning. The words of Mr. Jordan’s brother, talking about his love for “my baby brother” pierced the hearts and minds of everyone in attendance. You might think you have a problem or two, or a challenge or two, and we all have to survive in this competitive world, but I say be truly thankful to God if you are blessed with good health. Dr. Jordan, who also pastored two churches, went to be with his Lord and Savior at the young age of 55. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Closer to my own heart, and this is truly a private family issue, my beloved fiancé of 15 years, Berna Noll , had a stroke on December, 29. I was out of town working when it happened and she could not remember what had happened, but I knew something was not quite right. We went to the emergency room and she was admitted to the hospital where an MRI verified what had happened. Her children came up for a few days from Tampa, Florida to comfort her, and help me bring her home from the hospital. We enjoyed four days of a lot of love being shared at our home in Moncks Corner. Between Berna’s stroke and my great friend Spencer Jordan getting “Called Home” home way too early, it has been a challenging month for me personally. Berna is doing much better now and she is finally able to drive a car once again. Glory to be God in all matters! This deadline for the HSSR publication has been challenging but somehow God gave me the strength to pull through it. These 18-hour deadline days can be taxing on a 69-year-old man, but I have a passion for what I do, and I sincerely feel like God has blessed me to have created and sustained the only publication of its kind in the United States. If I live long enough to write a Memoir book, you will understand, in great detail, the role that God , and his Son, Jesus Christ have played in my life, and how they led me to the University of South Carolina School of Journalism where I graduated in 1977. I was going to talk, in detail, about a path for the HSSR to once again conduct statewide all-state sports banquets to honor the hard work of our beloved student athletes, and coaches, all across South Carolina. Space is always an issue, on deadline, so I will limit my thoughts for now. Between 1988, and the year 2020, the HSSR sponsored nearly 100 all-state banquets, honoring an estimated 100,000 student athletes and coaches in our state with beautiful keepsake awards and positive messages from keynote speaker like Bobby Richardson, Lou Holtz , Dabo Swinnie, Steve Spurrier, Phillip Fulmer, Dawn Staley , etc. Think about that for a minute. A 100,000 people are quite a large group that surely have positive memories of being honored for their own investment in the positive world of high school athletics. We live in the greatest country in the world, so why should we allow the Pandemic, and the price increases of awards, and meals for the banquets stand in our way of restarting all-state banquets in the near future? Perhaps it is time to turn the HSSR awards banquets into a 501-C foundation so pro athletes, past and present, can stroke a check to take care of all banquet expenses! Would they rather give the money to the IRS, or take a tax deduction on their donation?? Could Jadaveon Clowney , Darius Leonard , or Zion Williamson etc. afford to help sponsor all-state banquets, and even serve as keynote speakers? They were all once honored at HSSR all-state banquets and certainly benefited from the statewide media coverage we gave their high school careers. The bottom line is the HSSR will never personally charge an honoree to attend an awards banquet. Honorees will never need a guest ticket at a banquet being held in their honor. Never! Their ticket is the name badge they proudly wear during the event. The Pandemic caused the exclusive “one of kind” awards company in Pennsylvania to double the cost of their awards! The Pandemic has forced Seawalls Catering in Columbia to have a 25 per cent increase in the meals they serve on fine China with pressed cloth napkins! So, please write me with your ideas, or suggestions on how “We” (as a community) can pay the “not for profit costs” of having such worthwhile, and meaningful all-state banquets. My address is PO Box, 1607 Goose Creek, SC 29445. You can also call me direct at 843-200.9555. Your thoughts and opinion are appreciated. Sadly, a $50 guest ticket will no longer cover the cost of these all-state banquets. How we at the HSSR were able to pay $100,000 per year to conduct these 100 all-state banquets, (three per year), as I look back, is truly an act from God!

By Billy G. Baker Moncks Corner —Another prep football season has come and gone in the state of South Carolina where 20 football teams were crowned state champions from the SCHSL and the SCISA organizations from among the 254 teams that began competition back in the hot sun of August. This writer witnessed his first prep football game in August of 1969, as a freshman at Summerville High . So inspired by the Green Wave football team that night, and just 24 hours removed from the John De La Howe Children’s Home in McCormick S.C., I sought a position on the school newspaper staff on the first day of my high school experience. My home room teacher, who was also the sponsor for the school newspaper “ The Pine Log ”, challenged me with this response after asking for a show of hands of who might like to join the school newspaper. (I was the only soul in her class who raised my hand telling her, I I really enjoyed my observation of the football team’s recent big win, and that I really wanted to meet the head football coach, John McKissick ). “You can only become a member of the school newspaper if you demonstrate the ability to go down and knock on Coach McKissick’s door this afternoon, when the final bell of the day rings at 2:40, and prove to me that you can set up an interview time with Coach for a story on the team,” she said. “No interview, you can’t be on the school newspaper.” Needless to say, that meeting with Coach McKissick, as emotional as it truly was, as I reflect back on it, changed the direction of my life. Coach delivered me from “darkness to the light” in our 30- minute conversation. It was the only practice he was ever late for in the 63 years of his world record coaching career. We bonded like glue when he told me, “I have been needing a new little buddy,” he said. “Please bring your lunch to my office tomorrow and I will have a card table set up for you to look at 16 years of my wife’s scrap books she has been keeping on the team.” Coach McKissick often told me that he felt like God had Called him to coach high school football. In all honesty, I have always felt that God also Called me to seek a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina that helped prepare me to create and sustain the only full-time statewide sports publication focused on all varsity sports, on a statewide basis, in any one state in America! Against all odds “We” began “ The High School Sports Report ” in December, 1986, and despite challenges, we still exist as you are reading this column. (Glory be to God!). In 2023, let the record reflect that Dutch Fork (10-5) won the SCHSL Class AAAAA state football title over region foe White Knoll , 21-6. Tom Knotts won his 8 th state title with the Silver Foxes after his team over-came injuries earlier in the season. Coach Knotts now has a career coaching record of 461-91 (second only to McKissick in SC). Knotts now has 14 state titles when you include his years as a coach in North Carolina. ( All SCHSL & SCISA state football title games are covered elsewhere in this issue ). The SCHSL Class AAAA title game, with all games being played at South Carolina State , was one of the most exciting games of all five classifications. Westside (14-1) overcame a two- touchdown deficit entering the fourth quarter to win their second state title in school history with a touchdown pass from junior Cutter Woods to NC State bound Jimmar Boston , with 15 second left to claim a 34-32 win over South Florence (14-1). In Class AAA, the Daniel Lions (15-0) continued to be the most dominant football program in the entire state, over the past six seasons, with their 49-48 hard-fought over-time win over Camden (11-4) in the state finals. Head coach Jeff Fruster has coached the Lions to a 73-4 record since 2018, including five region titles and three state championships. The Lions were the only undefeated SCHSL team in the state at the conclusion of the 2023 season. In the Class AA SCHSL championship game, charter schools Gray Collegiate (14-1) and Oceanside Collegiate (12-3) played a highly competitive game with the Landsharks rallying in the fourth quarter to take a 35-28 win. In the Class A finals Manning native Quin Hatfield , coached Christ Church (13-2) to their second straight title state title with a 67-21 win over Johnsonville . The Flashes over-came the loss of a big senior class to also earn their second straight trip to the goal medal round. Hatfield concluded his 4 th season with the Cavaliers with a 42-9 record over the span. A special shout-out is extended to the top scoring teams and the top defenses in the SCHSL this past season. Best teams in scoring included: Westside (715), Daniel (714), Northwestern (687), BHP (675), Christ Church (659), Irmo (644), Summerville (634), Camden (619) and South Florence (610). In fewest points allowed, the SCHSL top defenses included: Lewisville (64), White Knoll (113), James Island and Lucy Beckham (114 each), Irmo (116), and Whale Branch (123). In SCISA state championships, Hammond won their 20 th state football title since 1972 with a hard-fought 28-21 win over Laurence Manning at the Class AAAA level. The Skyhawks actually trailed 14-0 after the first quarter at Charleston Southern University but rallied for the win. Hammond head coach Jon Wheeler concluded his third season at Hamond with a 35-4 record over the three-year period that includes three state titles and three region championships. In SCISA Class AAA action, Hilton Head Christian (11-2) won their third state title in four seasons under head coach Ron Peduzzi with a 28-6 win over Wilson Hall (10-3). In 8 seasons at HHCA, Coach Peduzzi is now 60-12 including four region titles. In SCISA Class AA, two undefeated teams met for the state title in Williamsburg Academy (12-1) and Bethesda Academy (13-0) from Savanah, Ga. This highly competitive game was won by Bethesda, 18-17 when the Blazers scored with 52 seconds left in the game. The Stallions put together a drive in the final seconds of the game but a missed field goal at the end of the game gave Bethesda the state title. Antwain Turner is the veteran head coach of Bethesda. In SCISA Class A action the HSSR salutes upstart Patrick Henry (11-2) for a thrilling hard-fought win over Lee Academy (10-3), 35-28. Lee Academy, coached by veteran David Rankin won the Class A state title a year ago and the Cav’s graduated 15 seniors from that team. Patrick Henry rallied from a 21-6 deficit to win the game behind the stellar play of quarterback Hugh Fairy who accounted for more than 300 yards of offense in the game. In 8-man action, Holly Hill Academy was going for their fourth straight state title. However, upstart team Jefferson Davis Academy won the game 20-14. Both teams came into the game having split games against each other prior to the rubber match in the finals. JDA QB Paxton Wall scored on a 65-yard scamper late in the game to lift the Raiders to the big win. For the 2023 season these were the top scoring teams in SCISA as well as the top defenses: Holly Hill Academy (559), Richard Winn (551), Jefferson Davis (510), Williamsburg Academy (504), Cardinal Newman (484), Pinewood Prep (477) and Porter-Gaud (469.) The top defenses in fewest points allowed included: Bethesda Academy (90), Williamsburg Academy (138), Hilton Head Christian (138), and Clarendon Hall (153). Time to hit the weigh room and get ready for the 2024 season!

Moncks Corner - Since the NCAA approved a one- time transfer rule for college athletes in 2018; that rule change may have benefited some players already in college, but it certainly complicated the recruiting process, particularly for high school football players, engaged in the process of trying to get an opportunity to play at the next level. As someone who observes the recruiting process on the front end, often meeting young aspiring football players, and their families during their freshman season of high school, (if not sooner), I would like to stress this fact one more time: Certainly, feel joy and content once the struggle of hard-work and sweat equity results in a scholarship offer, verbal commitment, or signing on the dotted line, but understand new struggles and challenges await you at the next level also. While you feel rewarded with a next level opportunity, YOUR STRUGGLES IN PROVING YOU BELONG AT THE NEXT LEVEL are about to begin all over again. All those many hours in your high school weight room, or with the added expenses of outside training instruction, are about to become many hours in a college weight room, where you are constantly reminded that winning keeps the head coach from being fired! According to NCAA data, 2,323 college football players on scholarship, entered the “one time transfer without penalty portal” during the academic years of 2021 and 2022. Over this two-year period 54 per cent had enrolled at a new school where they continued playing football. However, 41 per cent were still exploring their options, or had no offers from other schools, as the 2022 football season began. Don’t these statistical facts verify that as one struggle concludes at the high school level, new struggles and challenges begin for so many next level college football players. Boiling it all down, the net effect of the transfer portal complicates matters for college head coaches, and their coaches, who now have to weigh signing a player from the portal, versus signing a player out of high school. As of August, 25 there were 24 senior football players from within South Carolina (Class of 2024) committed to major college football. Reviewing some of the data available within our own research at “The High School Sports Report” , the state of South Carolina normally would have between 26 and 30 players committed to major college football at the start of each football season, going back to the year 2000. Then, the state will usually increase those numbers between 8 to 12 additional players, offered and signed by major colleges by the National Signing day in February of each year. The new important Signing Day is actually in December that allows many seniors to enroll early at their respective college choices. Even with the transfer portal, the state of South Carolina, has remained right at 40 high school players signing major college signees a year, which is remarkable based on how many players get picked up out of the portal. Last year (2023) the state had 38 prep players sign major college football scholarships and here are the 20 major colleges who signed them: South Carolina (6), Clemson (3), Georgia (1), North Carolina (1) North Carolina State (1), Appalachian State (6), UNC-Charlotte (1), Coastal Carolina (1), Virginia (2), Duke (2), Georgia Tech (1), Wake Forest (2), Northwestern (1), East Carolina (3), Texas Tech (1), University of Alabama-Birmingham (1), Georgia State (1), Syracuse (1), and Missouri (1). In the Class of 2022, South Carolina produced 43 in-state players who inked major college football scholarships to 21 different major colleges. This is the break-down: Clemson (6), South Carolina (6), Notre Dame (1), Vanderbilt (1), North Carolina (1), Michigan (1), NC State (2), Virginia Tech (2), Marshall (1), Wake Forest (2), Arkansas (1), South Florida (1), Arizona State (1), Syracuse (1), Virginia (1), Coastal Carolina (3), UNC-Charlote (2), Appalachian State (2), Florida International (1), East Carolina (2), and Georgia State (1). By NCAA rule, major colleges are capped at a total of 85 scholarships, on their rosters, by the start of each season in early August. Due to so many players leaving through the transfer portal the NCAA approved a measure allowing any major college football team the right to replace up to seven players a year, lost through the portal, and these seven players they gain must come from the portal. Any player picked up through the portal will count against the 85 total allowed. Once a player enters the portal colleges are free to communicate with that student athlete. The good news is that while the transfer portal is hurting the number of high school seniors being signed in many states, it has not yet had a serious negative effect on the long-term traditional numbers of major college football scholarships in South Carolina (not yet anyway). Without question, it has affected the amount of evaluations done by college coaches towards some high school players. Before any athlete can be offered a scholarship, they must be evaluated and this process requires time. If a college coach already knows about a player he missed on, a year or two ago, entering the portal, it is almost common sense for him to reach out to that player already knows about, especially if his team is needing certain that position filled. Most football programs have a full-time person just to monitor the portal and often social media lights up when certain high profile athletes enter the portal. Thus, the challenge for high school football players is to embrace the process of bigger, stronger and faster and to truly study your options if you are fortunate enough to have options. There are right at 900 next level college football programs in the United States. They include 133 D-1 FBS major colleges (85 full scholarships per roster) with the next level being 63 D-1 FCS schools who have 65 equivalency scholarships for their roster, that can be given out on a partial basis. There are around 32 D-2 colleges (36 scholarships) and junior colleges are caped at 85 total per roster. Many other levels of college football award scholarships more towards academic qualifications without giving athletic scholarships. An example of this type college would be “ Presbyterian College ” in Clinton. The goal of high school athletics should be learning valuable life lessons from working with a group of teammates and coaches towards goals of success, both on and off the field. One day, when you are hopefully being interviewed for a quality high paying job in your educational field, the HR person will be pleased to read on your resume that you were the captain or co-captain, of your high school football team, or that you earned all-region or all-state honors. Trust me, that could be the difference in you getting the job, everything else equal.