Matthews, Wilder join Humphries on All-Region team

Kevin Miller no longer boys basketball head coach

Tigers return 4 All-Region players in Williams, Arant, Shaw, Uhlar

Dakarai Worley selected to SCBCA AA All-State team

Burris, Silver Foxes had success on the field while watching his wife lose battle with cancer

Blazers reach quarterfinals of AA girls basketball playoffs for 3rd straight year

Anna Kate Huggins, Emerson Poston, Demi Greene All-Region picks

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Kaliyah Herman selected as Region 6 Offensive Player of the Year

Orangeburg Prep freshman Landon Kuck 3B and closing pitcher in this game.

Billy Baker Publisher Spartanburg —The Spartanburg Day boy’ soccer program was 1-1 headed into the school’s Spring break and the young men in the program are under the tutelage of head coach Graham Brewer . “We are currently 1-1. with a win against Chesnee High School in penalty kicks,” said Coach Brewer. “Our next game is March 28 against the Curtis Baptist School . “We have a small team made up of 14 hard-working players,” said Coach Brewer. “My hope is that this team will continue to grow and bond as a unit. I hope we are able to compete, and win in our region, with the end goal of securing a playoff berth.” Coach Brewer said the core group of team leaders are made up from senior goal keeper Colin Winkler , junior center back Noah Brush , and junior center back Brice Henderson .  “Colin and Brice have both been involved in the program since middle school,” said Coach Brewer. “Noah has been involved since ninth grade. “Colin transitioned to the position late and has stepped in the last couple years,” Coach Brewer. “He has grown not only in skill but as a leader. His communication and guidance are key to the team’s success on the field. “Brice has been a key member of our defense at the varsity level, starting from 8th grade,” said Coach Brewer. “His intensity and desire to win is next to no one. He elevates the team from a physical perspective and is irreplaceable. “Noah is one of the more technically sound players on the squad,” said Coach Brewer. “He provides a great balance in terms of ability and physicality. His understanding of the game allows him to support the rest of the team.” Spartanburg Day Boy’s Line-up: #0 Colin Winkler, Senior, GK #6 Gleb Varenov, Senior, RB #10, Noah Brusch, Junior, CB #22, Brice Henderson, Junior, CB #11 Jacob Cochran, Junior, LB #7 Liam Mezgar, Freshman, CDM #4 Niles Murphy, 8th Grade, RM #26 Armin Pader, Freshman, CM #12 Aidan Darr, Senior, CM #8 Gavin Mason, Sophomore, LM #9 Reese Cook, Junior, ST Coach Emily Rossie Directs The Spartanburg Day’s Girl’s Soccer Team The Spartanburg Day girls’ soccer team is head coached by Emily Rossi and going into the school’s Spring break the Lady Griffins were 02 but focused on steady improvement. “It's my first year in this role, so I do not know how long many of the players have been a part of this program,” said Coach Rossi. “Our more experienced players on team are senior striker Grace Becker who provides ingenuity on the pitch. Senior mid-fielder Kaytlin McKimpsey displays grit. Both of these players represent determination. “Our main goal is to establish a strong defense that can easily transition to offense,” said Coach Rossi. Other starting members of the girl’s team include: Senior marking back Mya Ferguson , and senior marking back Anna Vincent. Mary Franklin Gilman is a starting mid-fielder/keeper along with junior mid-fielder Vivi Darr and junior striker Aiala Llona. Rounding out the starters are sophomore marking back Hannah Vincent, sophomore marking back/mid-fielder Aishwarya Tuggudemde., sophomore mid-fielder Shan Zhang, and sophomore keeper Kaeleigh Hull. Key back-ups include: senior Charlotte Roark , senior Mirabelle Ferguson junior Leticia Motta , junior Cardie Tan, junior Camille Cleland, sophomore Aroa Sala Iribarren, sophomore Chole Smith, sophomores Maddie Parker and two freshmen Bella and Bentley Cobb. Coach Rossi is assisted by Joe Anderson and Anna Aceto - Korn . The athletic trainer is Jonathan Green .

By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. – Coach Brian Kneece and staff are working hard to whip the Knights into a more competitive team for the 2025 season. The Knights will battle with Newberry Academy, Richard Winn Academy and Wardlaw Academy for the SCISA Region 3-A Title. At this writing, the Knights are 1-2 starting the 2025 season. They defeated Ridge Spring-Monetta 16-8. They lost games to Greenwood Christian (1-14) and Richard Winn Academy (4-14). After three games the offensive leader is Dallas Hill (jr) with a .571 batting average and 4 RBIs. Elijah Hutto (so) follows with a .500 batting average and 2 RBIs. Joshua Oswald (fr) has a .333 batting average. Zed Watkins (jr) and Colton Buzhardt (sr) have a batting average of .222. Cason Buzhardt (so), Colton Black (so) and Wyatt Burbank (jr) each have .143 batting averages with a combined 4 RBIs. Rounding out the Knights roster are Bubba Buzhardt (fr), Smith Kirby (jr), Landell Anderson (so), Joseph Morse (fr), Colby Buzhardt (fr), Greyson Rikard (fr) and Kevin Crapps (sr). The Knights still have two- region games left with Wardlaw Academy and two games with Newberry Academy. Also, they still have a region battle with Richard Winn Academy.  Non-Region games left with Laurens Academy (2), South Aiken Baptist (2), Greenwood Christian (1) and Ridge Spring-Monetta (1).

By David Shelton Senior Writer Ridgeland – Get your licks in now because beating up on the Thomas Heyward Academy softball team will get increasingly harder over the next few seasons.  Coach Jeb Fay has a very young, but talented, team on the rise. Playing a tougher varsity schedule this season may limit the number of wins but Fay feels the building blocks are coming together. The Thomas Heyward program has a strong history, competing for state championships during a good run more than a decade ago. Interest faltered in recent years and the school dropped the program. Fay, a longtime successful travel ball coach, took on restarting the program last season. With a group of very young players, the Rebels played a mixed schedule of varsity and junior varsity teams and had some success. This spring, the team is playing a full varsity schedule and the early showing in terms of success has been limited. “We’re taking some lumps right now,” Fay said. “We are still fairly young overall and playing a tougher schedule has been tough. We have a group of competitive players but we also have a group that’s new to the game. That happens at a small school. We’re just focused on trying to learn and improve every day. The potential to be competitive is there for sure.” Fay says a handful of players are active year-round with travel ball but even those players are young and developing. Of the 11 girls on the roster, there are two juniors. The rest are jayvee aged players. The two juniors on the team are Olivia Meador and Abigail Hansen . Meador sees time as a pitcher and plays shortstop while Hansen is an outfielder. Meador shares the pitching load with sophomore Caleigh Sottile . Behind the plate is eighth-grader Kayley Fay , one of the veteran summer ball players. Freshman Sophia Arzillo is playing first base, joined on the right side of the diamond by freshman Ella Hampton . Hampton has been injured early on so freshman Lilly Gantt , normally an outfielder, is filling in at second. Freshman EK Brown is the starter at third base. Other outfielders include Ruthie Garces, Destiny White and Audrey Eastman. Fay says the team scored a lot of runs last season but the offense has struggled early on against tougher pitching. “I feel like we can hit in some spots but we just need experience,” the coach said. “We have work to do defensively. We have a few in the outfield who struggle with fly balls and that’s not good. But we continue to work on it.” Thomas Heyward also started a middle school program with another crop of solid players moving up in the future.

Ceasar, Carter, Conyers All-Region 7-AA basketball selections

By David Shelton Senior Writer Walterboro – As a former player and graduate of Colleton County High, Jermale Paige is very committed to building a successful baseball program as head coach. Paige is in his ninth season as the head coach and has been able to make his teams competitive overall. The wins and losses (24-53 in last four years), do not tell the entire story. The Cougars have lost a bevy of close games and opposing teams have to show up and play to earn their victories. The last winning season for the program came in 2019 when the Cougars won 12 games. Paige is hopeful that his 2025 team can win more than they lose. The early season has looked promising as Colleton County posted early wins over Woodland and Hampton County, a loss to Berkeley, and ties in tournament play against Goose Creek and Andrews. “Honest expectations are to compete every day, while striving for a playoff spot,” Paige says. “I would like for those guys on my team who aspire to go to college to get the exposure that is needed. We have good senior leadership and more internal drive from our players.” The biggest senior leader, Da’Veon Varner , is also the team’s best player. He is now three-year starter and has batted .350 combined in the last two years. He also is a quality arm on the mound. “He plays the game at a high level,” Paige said. “He is hungry to go to the next level and I am looking forward to him showcasing his talents this spring, while always placing the team first.” Another third-year starter is centerfielder Xavier Oxner , who also is expected to work as the closer on the mound.  Junior catcher Brinton Jerel is back for his third season as a starter. “He has physically grown and is more mature this year. He will command our staff and the defense overall.” Varner and Oxner will hit one-two in the batting order this spring. Sophomore leftfielder Michael Witkin will hit third while sophomore third baseman Galil Frazier hits cleanup. Senior RJ Adams is slated for rightfield and senior Alejandro Marin will play first base. After Jurel, the batting order ends with freshman shortstop Conner Desassure and junior second baseman Kyle Linder . Paige expects Varner, Witkin and Adams to be the top three arms on the mound, with Oxner and Marin filling in their roles. Colleton County will face quality opposition every night of the region 7-AAAA schedule. Perennial state title contender and multiple state champion Bishop England is new to the region. May River and Beaufort also rate as strong contenders. “Every team in our region is going to be able to compete,” Paige predicts.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Manning —Two of the better teams in SCISA baseball, for the 2025 season, Laurence Manning (10-1) and Orangeburg Prep (11-2) faced each other in a non-region game on March, 27 th and the Swampcats took advantage of five errors to claim a 8-2 win. Both teams will be in action 24 hours later. LMA travels to play at Hilton Head Chrisitan while O-P will host Colleton Prep . After the game, veteran LMA head coach Tom Hatfield shared his thoughts with the HSSR, “We are starting to get some kids back who have been dealing with injuries, our pitching staff is solid and out hitting coach Rodney Mooneyham works every day with our hitters and he does a good job. “We just need to be more consistent and I thought we took too many fastballs tonight,” said Coach Hatfield. “Orangeburg Prep is a fine ball club and they came into the game tonight at 10-1. We like challenges in mid-week games. “We used three pitchers tonight, and had them all on pitch counts so we can use them, if needed against Hilton Head Christian tomorrow,” said Coach Hatfield. “I thought they all performed well tonight. “The potential of this team, with the depth we have in our pitching staff, I feel like we can make a serious run in the play-offs,” said Coach Hatfield. “One of our main pitchers ( Braydon Barnhill ) is not back yet but we expect to have him back soon and he was one of our main pitchers last year. I think we can make a run at it (state championship) if we can keep everybody healthy.” Orangeburg Prep head coach Tate Jameson also talked with the HSSR after the game. “We have a packed schedule this season (26 games) and I always like to play more then we practice,” said Coach Jameson. “We have a group of veteran guys whop just love to come to the ball park and play baseball and that is what we are about.” Coach Jameson was complimentary of pitcher Hunter Judy going all seven innings for the Indians giving up 8 hits with five strike-outs and no walks. “We could have brought someone in later in the game but I wanted to give Hunter the peace of mind that I was not giving up on him. I just wish we could have hit better behind him and scratched out a run or two every inning but it didn’t happen. “We talked about not letting errors get the best of you before the game,” said Coach Jameson. “Unfortunately, errors early in the game hurt our chances for a win tonight.” The Indians have seven senior starters, including one junior ( T Riley ) and one 9 th grader ( Landon Kuck ) along with Charlie McCutchen who pitches and catches for us. Bryon Williams is a pitcher, catcher, middle infielder, Judy is a pitcher, catcher, middle infielder, and Riley is in center with Tadd Jameson in left, and Mo Burroughs is at first, and Eli Pantaleon is at short and pitches also. Kuck is our third baseman. “Tonight was a half-way night because we have now played 13 games with 13 more to go in the regular season,” said Coach Jameson. “Hopefully, we can bounce back from this game. Coach Hatfield has an excellent squad and I am glad we were able to compete against them, even though we did not quite measure up to them. I hope we learn something from this game and move on.”  LMA was led at the plate against O-P by Brenston Rembert who had two hits, three RBI’s, including a triple. Starting pitcher Ray Weston had two hits and two RBI’s while working 3.2 innings on the mound. First baseman DJ Balls had one hit and one RBI, Center fielder ZY Dennis had one hit and one RBI and catcher Cade Mooneyham had one hit in the win . The other two LMA pitchers in this game were Seth Witherspoon and Grayson Thornton who had four K’s in two innings of work. Other LMA starters against O-P included shortstop Grainger Powell , second baseman Payton Brown , right fielder Rory Carter , and left fielder Pierson Gamble . O-P was led on offense by Mason Tyler who had two hits, one RBI and two stolen bases. Riley, a gold glove center fielder who has 9 major college football offers to date, contributed one hit, while Jameson had a hit and one RBI. McCutchen, who hopes to play baseball at The Citadel , had one hit, while Williams also had one hit.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Beaufort – With good pitching and an experienced roster returning, the Beaufort High baseball Eagles have high expectations this season. Coach Adam Mullen , in his third season as head coach but with 10 years coaching in the program, says the expectations are to win the region 7-AAAA title and contend for the AAAA state championship. He realizes how competitive region seven is and it has been made tougher with the addition of Bishop England, a program with multiple state titles. “Very tough region this year,” the coach reports. “Bishop England and May River will definitely be tough this year for the region. Both teams are very well coached and have great pitching staffs. Both teams are always in the hunt every year.” Mullen is anxious to see his team compete and loves the leadership of his strong senior class. “They have been deep in the Lower State playoffs the last three years so they know how to compete,” he said. “Our pitching depth should be a strength.” One of the top leaders is senior catcher Hudson Mullen , who coach Mullen feels is among the best catchers, as well as pitchers, in the state this spring. Senior Gunner Hollingsworth will be one of the consistent arms on the mound and can fill a variety of defensive positions. He is slated to start at third base. Senior Will Herron plays second base and should be on the leading hitters. Mullen says he also has become a more vocal leader this spring. Senior Reece Mullen has developed well over the years and will work in leftfield and on the mound. He also is a big team leader. Senior Carter Womack will be a key arm on the mound and will be a designated hitter. Mullen calls Womack “very competitive who hates to lose.” Senior Dylan Rast is the shortstop who also will pitch. He is one of the best base runners with good speed. Another senior starter will be outfielder Samari Bonds . Junior Jayden Davis will be among the top pitchers. Junior Sellers Lynn is working at first base and junior Tanner Altman patrols centerfield. Mullen feels his top four pitchers will likely be Hudson Mullen, Hollingsworth, Womack and Rast but stresses the overall depth in arms as a strength. Mullen is assisted by pitching coach Scott Mullen and Al Wallace .

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell —After winning 230 games as the head softball coach at Blackville - Hilda , Mike Beasley took over the Barnwell High softball program two years ago, and his teams are 36-8 over the past two seasons and the 2025 season could be even more promising. “We had 24 players try out for the junior varsity and varsity softball teams at Barnwell this season and 10 of them were 7 th graders,” said Coach Beasley. “I currently have three 7 th graders on the varsity and two of them are starters. “For the past three seasons this 7 th grade group (Dixie Pony Tails) played for regional championships at the rec level, and last season they went down to Louisiana and won the Dixie Pony Tails world championship” said Coach Beasley. “So, these 7 th graders in our program right now have a lot of potential and the majority of them could be very special players five years from now when they are coming out of high school.” Coach Beasley said he and his staff hosted a “Community Village Meet and Greet” activity before the season began on the softball field. “We primarily wanted to recognize all the youth softball coaches from our community, who have done a fantastic job helping to develop a feeder program for our junior varsity and varsity programs,” said Coach Beasley. “Trust me, it makes your job easier as a high school coach when the majority of the players in your program are already fundamentally sound from having played rec ball and summer ball at an early age. We very much appreciate all these volunteer coaches for the work that they have done working with these young girls that we are fortunate to coach at the high school level.” The team is 2-0 in the young 2025 season with two 15-0 wins over Lake Marion .  The return of two-time HSSR all-state senior pitcher Jaidyn Devore gives the Lady Warhorses fire power in the circle. In the early signing period Devore signed with Howard University as a pitcher. As a junior Devore recorded 197 K’s in compiling a 15-3 record in the circle. She had an ERA of 1.20. “Jaidyn is a much stronger pitcher this season, and she was already a strong pitcher,’ said Coach Beasley. “Her fast ball moves from the mid to the high 60’s. Her out-pitch is her screw ball and it breaks really well. She faced only three batters in the season start against Lake Marion and she struck-out all three baters. We had scored 15 runs in the top of the first so the game was called after one inning.” The team graduated all-star catcher Bre’Anna Buckmon who hit .364. Her replacement this season is junior Brianna Croft who was the back-up catcher last season. Senior first baseman Tierra Arnold has signed with Johnson C. Smith and she has been in the program since the 7 th grade. Arnold batted .288 with 18 RBI’s including five triples. Arnold is also a back-up pitcher and she was 2-0 as a junior with 14 K’s in 8 innings of work. Sophomore Molly Wilson returns for her second season starting at second base. Senior Brooklyn Gordan will return at third base after hitting .305 last season with seven RBI’s and a home run. The shortstop position is being held down by 7 th grader Shalayah Badger who is also a pitcher and catcher. “Shalayah can play just about anywhere,” said Coach Beasley. :She is the true definition of a utility player.” Kinsley Terrapin is a 7 th grader who will share time at shortstop, and she is a promising pitcher who pitched a perfect game against Lake Marion in the second game of the season. The other 7 th grade starter is Genesis Walker who will be the team’s designated hitter. Walker will also see action at first and behind the plate. Sophomore Laney Grubbs begins her third season on the varsity and she will start in left field. Grubbs batted .305 with 10 RBI’s last season. In the circle she was 3-1 and had 20 K’s in 13 innings of work. Junior starting right fielder Abigail Crosby is a returning all-region player who batted .370 with 14 RBI’s and three triples. Sophomore Kendall O’Berry returns to once again start in center field. “We call Kendall the ESPN player on the team because of a shoe string catch she made in a game last year that would have made one of the Top 10 ESPN plays if they could have seen it,” said Coach Beasley. “She has a great glove and runs really well also.” Some key reserve players include returning junior Layla Bishop who will see some action in left field along with junior Shaylyn Badger who will back up first and third base. Barnwell will play a full 26-game schedule in 2025. “We have a strong group of 8 non-region opponents,” said Coach Beasley. “They include Saluda , South Aiken , Bamberg - Ehrhardt , Woodland , Colleton County , Branchville , Wagener - Salley , and Silver Bluff,” said Coach Beasley . ” All three of our teams at Barnwell have been pretty equal but this is the team that has the best blend of talent in all grades. “Our goals are to seek to improve every day in practice while staying focused on winning a region title,” said Coach Beasley. “We hope to advance out of the district in the play-offs, and this has been an issue the past two seasons. Hopefully, we can compete for a state title this season.”

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Gaffney —Early into the 2025 softball season, Gaffney head softball coach Maddie Pruitt is not pleased with the Lady Indians starting out 0-2, but the team has showed steady improvement with an impressive showing in the Tyger River tournament held March, 14-15. “We finished 4-1 in the Tyger River tournament, winning our bracket against some good teams,” said Coach Pruitt. (One of those wins was a 4-3 thriller over Seneca .) “The high school season is a long season, and as a team we have to continue to focus on things we can control in this game,” said Coach Pruitt. “Our team showed growth at the tournament, over the weekend, and I am excited to see how it transfers to the rest of our season. “On March 1 st , we went 1-2 in a pre-season tournament,” said Coach Pruitt. “Following that we opened up region play ( Boiling Springs & Spartanburg ) dropping these two games making us 0-2 in the region right now. I feel like we have a more talented team this season, only graduating two players from last season. Right now, we are struggling to play a clean defensive game.” Gaffney began the season on Feb., 25 with an 8-5 win over Palmetto . Against the Mustangs sophomore pitcher/infielder Ashley Caraway , senior infielder Dacey Phillips , and 8 th grade catcher/infielder Maysen Byars each had two hits. Caraway and Phillips also contributed two RBI’s along with junior catcher/infielder Brooke Smith .  Ashley Caraway was the winning pitcher in the circle against Palmetto scattering six hits while striking out six batters. She currently has a 2.33 ERA. Smith, junior infielder Korbyn Lydia , committed to USC - Upstate , and junior pitcher Kourtney Caraway are three returning all-region players from 2-AAAAA. Smith has contributed two RBI’s to the team early on. Lydia is batting .308 with five RBI’s and two stolen bases and was late joining the team to her all-region play with the Gaffney girls’ basketball team this season. The top hitters to date are Ashley Caraway at .500 including four RBI’s, two doubles, and a .571 on base percentage. Mia Calhoun is an 8 th grade out-fielder batting .500 with four RBI’s, two doubles and a .667 on base percentage. Maysen Byars is hitting .385 with four RBI’s and the team’s only triple. Molly Byars is batting .375 with four RBI’s. Junior outfielder Maddy Burgess is batting .455 with four RBI’s, with a team leading two home runs, and a .500 on base percentage. Phillips is batting .333 and she is committed to play softball at North Greenville College . Kourtney Caraway is at .273 and senior outfielder Brookly Jennings is batting .250. Other members of the team include freshman pitcher/infielder Malorie Wood, along with 8 th grade pitcher/second baseman Allie Parker . The softball team has 8 more games scheduled for the month of March. The Indians are at Greenwood on the 18 th , host Eastside the next day and paly at Byrnes on March, 21 st . On the 24 th they host Dorman , play at Riverside the next day and conclude their March schedule at Greenville on the 28 th .

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – There’s a lot to be said for team chemistry when it comes to winning on the playing field and the Ashley Hall soccer team seems to have plenty of chemistry this spring. Former assistants Kelly Rogers and Allison Andrews have taken over the direction of the program as co-head coaches. Rogers is in her sixth season as coach while Andrews has five years of experience. They are attacking this season with enthusiasm and like the way the team is working to prepare for the season. “Our focus this year is to get better every day we step out on the field. Whether it's practice or a game, our goal is to find a way to find success -- in every way we can,” Rogers says. “That way, by the time playoffs come around, we are in top shape to compete. “We have a strong core group returning this year with a focus on building up play through the midfield. Our team is tight knit and versatile -- with a lot of athletic players who can help us find success from different areas of the field.” Rogers feels the entire roster is capable of contributing to success. But, every team has a core group of leaders that set the tone for the rest of the team. Rogers feels the 2025 Panthers have solid leadership. “Our leaders come in many forms: some show by doing and some show with mentality,” she explains. “Seniors Kate Farr and Dia Timko are the leaders who embody our team's values -- they show up every day with the mentality that they are going to get better and help the team do so along the way. “ Kate Coker and Gates McCants (both seniors) reliably put the energy in this team. I know when they step on the field they are playing their hearts out and that shows through how they hold themselves. “The core players that we always find ourselves relying on are freshman Lynden Taylor and junior Catherine Clark. When these two girls have the ball, there is a sense of calm with the rest of the team. They will defend until they win the ball and distribute out to their teammates consistently to get us out of trouble.” All of the above mentioned players work in the starting lineup. Other starters include senior Iris Stiegman , sophomore Molly Mettler , senior Caroline Rivers , junior Britton Zollweg , freshmen Bea Anderson and Bryn Wildstein , and sophomore Kamya Howard . Rounding out the roster this spring are Bailey Burke, Emily Kaye, Evie Cowan and Gemma Williams. “ This year our sights are set on a successful season to place into the state tournament,” Rogers says. “With two additional teams in our region, but the same amount of spots available, the competition will be higher but we are ready to hold our ground as one of the top schools in our region.”

By David Shelton Senior Writer Chesterfield – With memories of winning the AA state title two seasons ago, the Chesterfield High softball team is looking to make another run at the top prize this spring. The Rams advanced to the district finals of the AA playoffs last year and return a host of players that are ready to make a statement. Chesterfield will be battle-tested all season from a very competitive region 4-AA schedule that includes North Central and Buford, two of the four Lower State finalists last season. Graham Harpe is beginning his second season as the head coach. Harpe likes his team’s overall potential. “We should be very competitive with any team on the schedule,” Harpe said. “We have a lot of pieces back and several have more than a year of experience. If we play to our potential and get everyone going at the same time, we have a chance. It won’t be easy in our region but it never is. We won the state title two years ago and didn’t win the region. The tough region prepares all of the teams for the playoffs.” The Rams are 1-1-1 to start the season, owning a win and a tie against Dillon while losing to Catawba Ridge.  “Little sluggish and sloppy at times but I feel good about what we can be,” Harpe said. “I think this team will hit pretty well and score runs. We scored 14 against Dillon so that’s a good sign.” The top returning player is senior shortstop Kayleigh Eubanks , a returning all-state performer and a fourth-year starter. Eubanks is joined on the left side of the infield by Kai Pace, a senior third baseman, one of the top hitters in the batting order. Taking on duties at second base is sophomore Baylie Harpe , a returning starter as well. Senior K endall Brock returns as the starting first baseman while sophomore Jamison Miles returns behind the plate. “Defensively we should be pretty solid on the infield,” Harpe said. Freshman Trinity Traxler is the team’s No. 1 pitcher but has help. Expected to see time inside the circle are eighth-graders Ashton Cassidy and Sydney Sowell . Sowell also starts in centerfield. “I feel good about all three. Pitching is solid for us,” Harpe said. Seniors Marah Brock, Michaela Lisenby , and Arianna Vanderpool are seeing most of the action in the outfield. Vanderpool is one of the top hitters and has pitched some in the past. Rounding out the roster are Jenna Stafford, Jordan Evans, Justyce Sellers, and Harley Hatcher.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - The Chapin baseball team got the season started with a bang. The Eagles won the IP Classic in Georgetown that played out March 6-9, beating James Island 10-5, Laurens 10-0, T.L. Hanna 8-4, and then beating Daniel 8-6 in the championship game. Senior first baseman Campbell Todd was named tournament MVP, and senior catcher Caden Reeves and senior third baseman/No.1 pitcher Ty Harper made the all-tournament team. Those three seniors lead the Eagles who finished 23-7 last year and look to finish with a run in the playoffs that was longer than last season’s early exit in the district tournament round. “We lost pretty much most of our pitching staff and outfield, all of them signed to play college baseball,” longtime head coach Scott McLeod said. “We’re rebuilding around those three starters, but we really have a good team. We have seven seniors who are good returning guys, guys with a lot of grit and good kids who can play well and pitch. I’m feeling pretty good about the season.” Reeves recently signed to play for Troy in Alabama. “He’s not only a threat with a bat but he’s also a defensive catcher, and I’m a little prejudiced but I think he’s the best in the state,” McLeod said. Harper returns at third and is the team’s ace and Todd returns at first and bats in the middle of the lineup. “Ty was the best pitcher last year and he’s a really good third baseman,” McLeod said. “Campbell’s a big tall kid, hits for average and power.” Senior infielders Bobby Gummere at shortstop and Tillman Scheno round out the infield. “Our infield defense is as good as it’s been, but we’re still putting some pieces together in the outfield,” McLeod said. Pitching is not a worry. Behind Harper on the mound is sophomore lefthander Mac Berry , junior Reese Jolly , junior Griff Harper , sophomore Cooper Derrick and junior Charlie Mejia . “Mac throws really well, as does Griff Harper, who’s a year behind his brother,” McLeod said. “He’s a very solid pitcher who threw well in the classic, along with Cooper and Charlie.” Senior Tyler Graham is the team’s closer. Among others, sophomore Brewer Haggard threw in all four Classic games. “Pitching isn’t an issue, and our infield defense is pretty good, and we can swing it good,” McLeod said. “We’ve just got to figure out the outfield.” The Eagles will find out how they fit in Region 4-5A pretty soon. State champion Lexington looks to return to the final series, while Dutch Fork and White Knoll break in new coaches— Darren Jones for the Silver Foxes and Dolan Crolley for the Timberwolves—look to revitalize those programs. Three teams—Dutch Fork, River Bluff , and the Wildcats—have won state championships since 2019. “Lexington is solid. Brian Hucks always has a good team. They’re always the team to beat in the region, but White Knoll is much improved, and River Bluff and Dutch Fork are good, and Irmo is off to a good start.”

By Billy G. Baker Publisher  Hemingway —Coming out of the gates at 0-2 ,to start the 2025 regular baseball season, was not the plan in the mind of Carvers Bay head coach Shawn Patrick but he is optimistic his team will rebound and find success. “I am convinced that if we start playing up to our potential, we can beat the majority of the teams on our schedule,” said Coach Patrick. “However, now that we are 0-2, we have some catching up to do. “It was a bit unfortunate that we had to start the season against two region opponents,” said Coach Patrick. “We had scheduled three scrimmages to get ready for the season, and then two of them got cancelled due to bad weather so that in itself was a little bit of bad luck. “Errors have been killing our chances for success also and our pitchers are walking too many batters,” said Coach Patrick. “When you walk batters, not only are you giving the opposing team free base runners, you are driving up the pitch counts of your pitchers. We need to start pounding the strike zone.” The Bears began the season with a 7-1 loss to Johnsonville. Then in the second game of the regular season they lost a highly competitive game to Green Sea-Floyds 5-4. “I was very proud of junior pitcher Clark Jones who came into game against Green Sea-Floyds in the middle of the first inning and he pitched 6 2/3 of innings with 14 strike-outs and I was very proud of his efforts on the mound,” said Coach Patrick. C. Jones has 23 K’s in 14 innings pitched so far this season. Clark Jones, (L-R) is also leading the team at the plate with .278 average and he bats in the third slot in the order. He starts at shortstop when he is not on the mound. “Clark is also playing very well on defense, but his pitching has been outstanding,” said Coach Patrick. The lead-off batter for the Bears is senor starting second baseman Kimbell Edwards. Junior Brantley Jones is batting in the two- hole and starting mostly as a catcher but he can also play third or shortstop. “Brantley is starting off the season a little slow at the plate but I expect his bat to get hot any day now and he is one of the best contact hitters on our team,” said Coach Patrick. Sophomore first baseman Myles Matthews bats clean-up. “He can really barrel up the ball well,” said Coach Patrick. “He has great potential to be a good long ball hitter.” Junior center fielder Carson Thompson bats in the five- slot. Thompson leads the team with four stolen bases and he has good wheels in the outfield. Junior Kendall Moore bats in the 6 th hole and he has had some great catches since being recently moved to left- field. Sophomore Bryant Garman bats in the 7th slot in the order and he has caught the Bear’s last two games. “He is displaying solid defense behind the plate,” said Coach Patrick. Sophomore Carson Lewis, batting in the 8th slot, has pitched some this season, and he mainly plays third base. Freshman Landon Marsh starts in right field and bats in the 9th slot. Marsh had a double against Green Sea-Floyds. “We have had a little sickness amongst our players this season and because of this our line-up often varies from game-to-game,” said Coach Patrick. “For example, Edwards got sick right before the Johnsonville game and 8 th grader Nolan Williams went in to play second base and under the circumstances he did a good job.” Sophomore Haden Cooper was recently moved up from the junior varsity and he is providing depth at several positions. First year freshman varsity player Trevion Parrott is a reserve utility player along with junior outfielder/designated hitter reserve Javion Palmer , a junior. “Miles Matthews is filling well at several positions and getting an inning on the mound here and there,” said Coach Patrick. “Also, sophomore Clarkson Lewis has been effective on the mound coming in in relief.” Coach Patrick summed up his feelings about the 0-2 start like this, “I know this team has great potential and while none of us are pleased to be 0-2 right now, we are not in a panic mode either.” Coach Patrick is assisted by Garrett Howard and Rick Smith .

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR  Andrews – The last two years head coach Richie Poston has watched his young squad capture back-to-back region 8 AA titles as they have matured so with a veteran group returning the Yellowjackets have an eye on a third straight region title despite moving into a new region, 6 AA. Last season the Yellowjackets used their region championship to spring board them into the Class AA playoffs where they captured the district 8 title to advance to the lower state final four. The Yellowjackets have five returning All- Region selections in seniors Sloan Harper and Khalil Dorsey , juniors Jaxon Baker and Riley Jordan and sophomore Brycen Cannon. Jordan was named All Region in 2023 after his freshman season where he hit .439 with 24 RBI’s and a team high 8 doubles. He was injured during the 2023 football season and sat out last baseball season doing rehab. He has picked up where he left off as he leads the team in hitting with a .375 average in the early season. Harper and Doresy have had outstanding careers for Andrews. Harper’s All Regions selection was his third in as many seasons. He has a career batting average of .380 after leading the team in hitting the past two years. Last season he had a team high 9 doubles. He has gotten off to a slow this year but expect him to hit up as the weather warms. He also has an .857 career fielding percentage from shortstop. Dorsey will be playing at the next level but it won’t be in baseball despite making All Region last season. He is a two-time AA All State selection at tight end. He was second on the team in batting last season at .326. He has also gotten off to a slow start this spring. Baker does it all for the Yellowjackets since he stepped on campus. He hit .340 as a freshmen and has a career average right at .300. In the field he has over a .900 fielding percentage. On the hill he has a career 2.79 career era and this year he has been better with 1.24 era. He has 89 career strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched. The team’s top returning pitcher is Cannon. He went 5-2 last season with a 3.38 era. At the plate he is a career .300 hitter but like his teammates he has struggled at the plate in the early going. Seniors Maddox Cooper and Aden Cooper along with Levi Marlowe , Colby Marlowe , Reece Barrineau, Wyatt Bass, Carter Casselman, Caiden Thomas, Avery Durham and Jackson Parmly round out the roster. Barrineau has the team’s lone win this season and has stuck out 10 in 9 innings. “We have to be a solid defensive team and pitch well to keep other teams off the scoreboard, but for us to contend we have to hit the ball more consistently and we have struggled in the early part of the year,” said coach Poston.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt —The Andrew Jackson Academy girls’ softball team is headed up by first-year mentor Denise Duncan this season, and after four games of the 2025 season, the Lady Warriors are 2-2 with a focus on daily improvement. “After four games we have two games where we hit the ball well, and two games where we didn’t hit well,” said Coach Duncan. “We are still moving players around, and many positions are still being contested. “Our number one goal is to win,” said Coach Duncan. “Then we want our players to have good attitudes, with good team spirit, and show support for each other. We also want to have good sportsmanship at all times.” The team finished 4-14 a year ago but with the top three hitters all back this season the team should exceed the success of last year’s team. Their other win came over Orangeburg Christian . Their two losses were against Holly Hill Academy and Jefferson Davis Academy . In a recent 22-4 win over Thomas Heyward these three players paced the hitting attack. Sophomore all-region center fielder Carrigan Moore (played catcher as a freshman) had an inside the park home run and a double against the Rebels. Sophomore returning all-region performer McKinnley Beard had two triples against the Rebel’s and she also pitched well with three K’s. Senior right fielder Riley Roe , the team’s clean-up batter, also had several key hits against Thomas Heyward.” Carrigan, McKinnley and Riley are definitely our top three hitters thus far in the season,” said Coach Duncan. “McKinnley is our main pitcher and she can play in center when she is not in the circle,” Coach Duncan. “Carrigan is very fast in the outfield and she is our lead-off batter,” said Coach Duncan. “Last year she was all-region and she was also chosen to play in the all-star game after the season, but I think the bad weather cancelled the event,” said Coach Duncan. “Riley is a solid contact hitter who hits the ball very well.” Senior Sydney Crosby is a returner who starts at second base. Freshman shortstop Harlo Sease is back from last season and she rotates between shortstop and first base with sophomore Braelyn Hall . Senior catcher Ryleigh Trivette has been moved from first base to catching duties for her senior season. Sophomore Mary Grace Hiers is currently starting at third base. Senior Sam Stephens is a first-year starter in left field. Junior Alexandra Johnson is starting in left field. Sophomore Mariya Hiott can play numerous positions in the infield and outfields and junior reserve CJ Ulmer is mainly a right fielder. “It is hard to say what the strength of the team is right now,” said Coach Duncan. “Hopefully, our hitting that we experienced against Thomas Heyward will continue.” Coach Duncan is assisted by Monica Beard , Carmen Mixson and Bill Johnson .

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR  Bamberg – When Spring time approaches it also signals the start of high school baseball season across the country and in South Carolina Spring time is synonymous with 15 times state champion Bamberg Ehrhardt. The Red Raiders haven’t reached the championship series since 2015 and each year when the season starts that is always one of the team goals for the season. Heading into the 2025 season Head coach Gene Schwarting has a young with only two seniors but expectations remain the same. “We play for state championships here, coach Horton coached here 45 years, and you see all the state championships he set the standard. The region championship is the first step. We hope to keep rolling at the end of the year and stay hot in the District, Lower State and then the State,” said coach Schwarting. Coach continued, “We have started off slow in the Wyndham turf (Pelion) pre-season tournament earlier this year but hope to get it going once the regular season starts. We have a solid team that should get better as the season goes and we get deeper into the schedule.” Seniors Weston Stokes and Brent Amaker are the leaders of the team. Stokes is a returning class A All-State selection. He is the ace of the pitching staff and when not on the bump he is the team’s shortstop. Very disciplined hitter, who uses the entire field. He has also been named all-region the past two years. Amaker sees most of his time behind the plate but also plays first base for the Red Raiders. He played in the outfield last season. The rest of the pitching staff are Dakota Black, Cooper Sandifer, Tripp Brewer, Chase Collins, Nasir Singleton, and Davis Ehrhardt. “Our pitching should be our strength this year with most of our pitchers returning from last year, so we will be still very young but they will have that experience and familiarity with each other,” coach Schwarting said. The infield has Collins at first base, Black at second, Singleton at shortstop (when Stokes is on the hill), Wade at third and Amaker behind the dish. Collins and Singleton are eighth graders. Backing up Amaker are eighth graders Asiel Graham and Ehrhardt. Graham will also see time a third for the Red Raiders. Sandifer and Brewer our joined in the starting outfield by BJ Ayer. Each player will also play in the infield when needed . Chaz Breland, Riley Caddell, Reese Caddell and Josh Jennings will help anchor the outfield. “We have only two teams to play in our region this year, so we had to add several non-region teams to fill the schedule. I am Excited for the year and hope to stay healthy, play well and make a run in May,” coach said.

LakeCity junior, Na'Shira Starks claiming a rebound against Andrew Jackson in the playoffs.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Estill – The seasons didn’t go quite as planned for either of the Patrick Henry Academy basketball teams. However, both boys head coach Claude Terry and girls head coach Anthony Creech had no complaints with the effort put forth by their teams. “Although our record didn’t show it, when we played our best basketball we could play with any team in the league,” said Terry, whose squad posted an 8-16 overall record. As for the season, it was good,” Creech said. “It was our first year playing AAA basketball (moving up because of reclassification), and I thought we did a great job every night. Things didn’t go as planned, but overall, we had a great year.” The Patrick Henry girls went 14-8 on the season, reaching the quarterfinals of the state tournament. They beat Spartanburg Day School 56-39 in the first round before falling to Spartanburg Christian Academy 62-48 in the quarterfinals. Both teams had three players selected to the All-Region 4-AAA teams. Making it for the girls were Lillian Lucas, Laney Futch and Emilee Stanley , while the boys picks were Rowen Croft , Daivon Glover and Mikell Tucker Mathis . Lucas, a senior, led the Patriot girls in scoring with a 15.4 points-per-game average, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals. She also grabbed 6.2 rebounds a game. Futch, a senior, led in rebounds with a 12.4 average and in blocked shots at 2.2. She also averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 assists and 3.3 steals. Stanley averaged 72 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 steals. Another key performer for the girls was junior Saquoia Sexton . She averaged 6.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. Croft, a senior, led the PHA boys in scoring at 20.1 to go with 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals. Glover averaged 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals. Mathis led the Patriots in rebounding at 9.5, assists at 3.9 and blocked shots at 1.2. He also averaged 10.9 points. Sophomore Michael Mizzell had a solid season. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds. The PHA boys showed their ability to hang with the top teams in the first round of the state tournament. The Patriots took a 21-win Calhoun Academy to triple overtime before losing 71-68. . “Our seniors and team fought hard with a triple-overtime loss to Calhoun Academy in the first round of the playoffs,” Terry said. “I’m proud of my team.” .

Dillon Christian girls finish 7-17 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Dillon – The season didn’t go quite the way hoped for by the Dillon Christian School girls basketball team. The Warriors finished just 7-17 overall though they did go 4-4 in SCISA Region 3-AAA. That wasn’t enough to earn a berth in the state tournament. Still head coach Kelly McColl was pleased with the development the team showed from beginning to end. “We lost five from our team from last year (which made the AA state playoffs) and two were starters and key players,” said McColl, who just completed her third season as head coach and is assisted by Bridget Elvington and Sidney Harrelson . “We started off out season slow, having to learn each other all over again. They improved greatly over the season and it has been fun to watch. “We moved up to AAA this season so we knew the competition would be tougher, but they have proved they can compete with them. Offensively and defensively, they’ve grown and working more collectively as a team than in past seasons.” The three returning starrers were Lily King , Chloe Powell and Braylin Carter . King, a senior who McColl called her best shooter, averaged 7.5 points per game and led the team in assists. Powell, also a senior, averaged 5.4 points. Carter, a sophomore post player, led in scoring at 12.6 points and was also the leading rebounder. The other two starters were freshman Shelby Dial , who averaged 2.9 points, and senior Molly Andrews , who averaged 1.7 points. Key reserves off the bench were eighth-graders Alyana Locklear ad Fraley Britt . Locklear averaged 4.4 points. The other member of the team was sophomore Lila English .  STONE, OUTLAR BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION PICKS Seniors Thompson Stone and Jackson Outlar were selected to the All-Region 4 boys basketball team. Both also played in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game. Stone led the Warriors in scoring at 20.7 while averaging 4.7 in rebounds, assists and steals. Outlar averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.9 steals. DCS finished with an 11-16 record but made the state tournament. The Warriors lost to Spartanburg Day School 76-59 in the first round. “Our season this year was derailed a bit by injuries,” said head coach Bo Stone . “We knew going in that depth was a possible issue. We lost starting guard Walker Chavis to a season-ending knee injury five games into the season. Then after Christmas, point guard Thompson Stone missed significant time with high ankle sprains, then went out early in the state tournament with another injury to the other leg. “While he was out, freshman guards McKinnon Sampson , Jordan Blackmon and Gray Easterling filled in admirably, which will help them in the future. With center Jasper McIntyre improving, that gives us four freshmen with significant experience to pair with juniors Reese Bracey and Braxton Cummings .”

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – All in all, it was a pretty good season for the Fox Creek High School boys basketball team. The Predators, in their first season back in AAA due to reclassification after a 2-year hiatus, finished the year with a 19-11 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Region 3, good for second place and a home game in the first round of the state playoffs. To make things even better, Fox Creek advanced to the quarterfinals. It defeated Hanahan 88-54 in the opener before knocking off Orangeburg-Wilkinson 68-59 in the second round. The Predators lost to Loris 57-52 in the quarterfinals. And to put the cherry on top, Fox Creek had two players selected to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association AAA All-State team. They are both sophomores, Kobe Sims and Justin Vining . Sims led the Predators in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. He also led the team in steals at 2.2 to go along with 1.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds. Vining was the assists leader at 5.0 while scoring at a 13.2 clip and pulling down 5.0 rebounds. He also averaged 1.6 steals. Senior Brelan Baskett was the leading rebounder at 7.4 and was the third double-figure scorer with a 10.2 average. He also averaged 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals. Sophomore Gavin Baskett just missed out on being in double figures with a 9.4 average. Senior Montez Tillman averaged 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 points in 29 games. JENNINGS, KRYSTALOWYCH GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION PICKS Jada Jennings and Maya Krystalowych , a pair of sophomores, were selected to the All-Region 3 girls basketball team. Jennings averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds Krystalowych led the Predators in rebounding with a 10.9 average while scoring at a 7.3 clip. She also averaged a team high 3.2 blocked shots Freshman Mia Price led Fox Creek in scoring with a 10.6 average and in assists at 2.4. Freshman Mariah Price averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 assists. The Predators finished 9-14 overall and 4-4 in region play. They lost to Hanahan in the first round of the playoffs by a 45-39 count. Head coach Aaron Ray sees the season as a positive step forward for his young squad, which had no seniors and just one junior. “We didn’t have a perfect season, but we grew, we fought and we laid the foundation,” Ray said. “Next season, we build on it -- stronger, smarter and hungrier.”

Dymond's 3 hits leads 17-hit attack as Lady Saints win series 2-1

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Laurens – The future certainly looks bright for the Laurens Academy girls basketball team. The Crusaders, who played for the SCISA AA state championship in their first season in the classification, will return all three players who were selected to the All-Region 4-AA team. That includes a Player of the Year who has five years of eligibility remaining. Seventh-grader Braylee Burke was selected as the Region Player of the Year. She averaged 11.5 points per game and connected on 60 3-point shots during Laurens’ 18-8 season. Joining Burke on the All-Region team were junior Madisyn Graham and freshman Mackenzie Runyans . Graham, the team captain who head coach Jason Marlett calls a versatile defensive player, averaged 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 points. Runyan, who Marlett describes as an excellent defensive guard, averaged 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.0 steals All three played for the North squad in the AA girls SCISA North-South All-Star Game. Marlett said his inexperienced squad exceeded his expectations. “After losing 90 percent of our scoring and eight players off of last year’s team, I was very proud of how our players worked hard to improve and compete all season long,” Marlett said. “We have a young team who adjusted to varsity basketball well and improved their defense each week. “They have grown up together at Laurens Academy and are multisport athletes. With come-from-behind wins in the state quarterfinals and semifinals, they showed their will to compete. We were able to secure our third region championship in a row and first in Class 2A. We have an outstanding group of ladies who are fun to coach, and I am excited to see how they grow and develop into the future.” The Crusaders opened the state tournament with a 49-43 triumph over Charleston Collegiate in the quarterfinals. That was followed by a 44-43 victory over Dorchester Academy in the semifinals. Laurens lost to Cross Schools , the defending Class A state champion, 45-29 in the championship game . Sadie Bruyere led the Crusaders with 10 points. Burke finished with nine, all on 3s, Abby Howard had four, Graham three, Runyans two and Caroline Robinson one. Bruyere and Howard wee selected to the All-Tournament team. VAUGHAN, BURKE PLAY IN NORTH-SOUTH BOYS GAME Braydon Burke and Garrison Vaughan were selected to play for the North squad in the AA boys North-South Game. Burke and Vaughan are both juniors. The Crusaders went 7-18 on the season. The seniors on the roster were Garrett Murphy and Tristan Bates .

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Columbia – The South Carolina High School League crowned its first ever girls wrestling state duals champion on Championship Saturday on February 8 at Dreher High School . And the winner was …? Rock Hill , which beat Greenwood 46-36. The first ever AAAAA Division I and AAAAA Division II champions were crowned as well. Carolina Forest beat Boiling Springs 42-31 to claim the DI crown, while Fort Mill edged Lugoff-Elgin 33-28 for the DII title. May River rallied from a 35-11 deficit to beat Laurens 36-35 for the AAAA championship, West-Oak won the AAA crown with a 58-12 triumph over Aynor , and Chester beat Buford 65-17 for the AA-Class A title. Girls: Rock Hill 46, Greenwood 36 Rock Hill head coach Cain Beard and his Bearcats had been waiting for the opportunity for a long time. This is something that the girls and I have been working toward for the last five years,” Beard said. “We started our girls program during the 2019-2020 season with six girls. It has grown tremendously over the course of the last few years. This season we had 16 girls on our roster. We have several girls coming from our middle schools so I am excited about the future of the program.” Winning matches for RH were Maggie Cogar at 130 pounds, Braylon Adams (135), Alyciah Thomas (145), Riley Faris (170), Brismar Velazquez (190), Kamyla Torres (100), Sirenity Davis (105) and Jenger Rhodes (120). Rock Hill has had singles champions before, but this is something different. “What makes this year different and even more special is that all of our girls got to be a part of the playoff run to win the first ever state dual team title,” said Beard of the 16-team tournament. “From our best girls to our least experienced, all of the girls got to feel what it is like to be the very best wrestling team in their state. That feeling will stay with them for the rest of their lives.” 5A Division 1: Carolina Forest 42, Boiling Springs 31 Carolina Forest finished with a 30-4 overall record in winning the first boys state title in any sport in school history. “It means the world to me,” Panthers head coach Matthew Perdue said. “We were the first ever boys team to win a state title for our school, so it was a big deal, not just for us, but for our whole school. It was on my bucket list so getting one early in my coaching career. was awesome. “We knew this year could be the one. We were returning all 14 starters from the previous year.” Winning matches for CF were Joseph Britt (106), Isaac Demedeiras (113), Calvin Grover (126), Amarius Johnson (138), Josh Brown (144), Preston Crone (150), Brody Bailey (157) and Marshall Deforest (165). 5A Division II: Fort Mill 33, Lugoff-Elgin 28 Fort Mill won its third straight state title with the triumph over Lugoff-Elgin. To get to that match though, the Yellow Jackets ended Eastside’s run of nine consecutive state titles in the semifinals. “Although beating Eastside was a major accomplishment, beating Lugoff Elgin for a third state championship was bigger for our program,” said FM head coach Adam Marullo. “ We knew that both matches would be a challenge, and I have the upmost respect for both coaches and programs. “There was concern about keeping the team focused after beating the 9-time defending champion Eastside. It was such a big win and our kids were so excited, I had to immediately remind them that beating Eastside wasn't our goal, winning another state championship was.” Ted Ernst (215), Jon DaSilva (285), Lucas Van Beynum (113), Cole Wartinger (120), Tucker Gibson (126), Lincoln Greene (138), Jayden Nguyen (144) and Vincent Damico (157) were victorious for FM. AAAA: May River 36, Laurens 35 May River won the final five matches to score 25 points and beat Laurens by a point for its first ever wrestling state title. Beau Gwynn won by technical fall at 285 for five points as did Stephano Caderlon at 106. Ryan Seman at 113 and Marcus Foulk at 120 both won by pins for six points apiece to cut the lead to 35-33. Liam Engblom won by decision at 126 for three points that gave MR the title. Other winners for May River were Danon White (132) and Josh Echeverria (190). AAA: West-Oak 58, Aynor 12 West-Oak won the first six matches for a 27-0 lea and never looked back as it won its fourth consecutive title. “Winning a state title is not something you take for granted,” said West-Oak head coach Derek Strobel. “Each one is special. Each team has to face different challenges that the other teams didn’t. It means a lot to this team to win it because they had to prove themselves. We lost a lot of seniors from last year that you just can’t replace. Our newer guys had to step in and make a name for themselves. “Winning four in a row is an amazing feat. something that hasn’t been done at West-Oak before. These guys really bought in to the system and trusted the coaches. Hopefully we can keep the streak going.” Picking up victories for West-Oak were Marcus Thaxton (144), Sy Strobel (150), John Canfield (157), Gatlin Greer (165), Wyatt Saxon (175), Gage Ballard (190), Gunner Mease (106), Luke McLane (113), Peyton Durham (120), Cason Loven (126) and A.J. DeLaCruz (132). AA-CLASS A: Chester 65, Buford 17 Having lost in the Upper State finals to West-Oak the last two seasons, Chester took advantage of West-Oak’s move to AAA to win its first ever wrestling state crown. “Winning the state title was the next step in our program,” said Cyclones head coach Dennis Jensen “We made the Upper State finals the last two years and lost to West Oak and returned all but two kids this season. It was a historic accomplishment for the school as this is only the second male team state title in the last 40-plus years.” Winning for Chester were Travis James (106), Eduardo De Paz (113), Andre Hall (120), Raheem Rambert (126), Jakobe Starks Wright (138), Omari Pendergrass (144), ZyTavious Whitlock (157, Darriyarn Baxley (165), Eris Steele (175, Zion Carson (190) and Jayren Holly (285).

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Varnville – The Hampton County Hurricanes won their second consecutive region championship in as many years as they finishes year two and the first year under new Head Coach Joshua James with a 20-6 record and 9-1 in region 5 AA. They advanced into the third round of the class AA playoffs losing in overtime to Andrew Jackson 59-54. “My style of play is more up-tempo offense and on defense I want my guys to be in your face. I think the team adjusted to my style of coaching very well and they got better every day. I’m very intense coach and I want my team to play with intensity on both ends of the court. We want to come out and win the first four minutes of the game,” said coach Jones. The Hurricanes will lose their two senior captains in Andre Williams and Joe Gittings but they will return their entire starting five. Williams and Gittings provided leadership and depth to the Hurricane lineup. Coach James returning five starter are Darius Brooks, Jaylen Singletary, Jaquan Solomon , and Desmond Mathis and forward Tyler Davis . Brooks was named to the AA all state team after averaging 17.7 points per game to lead the Hurricanes. He was second the team from behind the arc with 31 made threes. “Darius has been tremendous all year in leading the team. He can play the 1,2 or 3. He is one of the best guards in the state in my opinion,” coach Jones said. Solomon and Davis also averaged in double figures for the Hurricanes at 11.9 and 11 points per game, respectively. Solomon led the team in three’s with 50 while Davis did his damage in the paint. Davis led the team in rebounding with 93. Singletary and Mathis were demons on the defensive end for coach James as they combined for 74 steals. Singletary led the team in blocks with 8. “We are ahead of schedule with this team and we had a good year. I am excited for next year with the group I have returning but we’ll see if they are ready to put in the work to get better,” coach Jones said.

Goose Creek's junior all-state guard Ja’Quell Brown.

 By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – While it is true that the North Myrtle Beach baseball program lost a huge chunk of production from last year’s 26-4 team, veteran head coach Brian Alderson fully expects his 2025 team to be very competitive. Tradition, as they say, never graduates and Alderson has established a winning culture within the program. Alderson entered this season with 176 wins since taking over the program in 2015.The Chiefs have been among the top teams in AAAA the last two seasons, posting 48 wins. “The hope is that our success will carry over with the new, younger guys,” Alderson said. “I think we’re to a point where we can always expect to be competitive against any team we play. But this team is inexperienced in a few areas and we need to grow and develop as we go. But it’s a hard-working group and they have some pride.” Two key returning players this spring are senior catcher CJ Oxendine and junior shortstop Sawyer Smith . Oxendine, a Virginia Tech commit, is a tremendous offensive threat while also rating as one of the top defensive catchers in the state. He hit .545 a year ago and has picked up the same pace in the early part of this season. “He’s our dude,” Alderson says. “Brings it all in every single game, He loves to play and he’s a real competitor.” Smith is a third-year starter at short and verbally committed to North Carolina as a freshman. He is very sound defensively and should be a consistent hitter. He also will see time on the mound. On the mound is where the Chiefs were hit hardest. None of the top four arms are back this spring so there will be a host of new performers getting their shot. In addition to Smith, junior left-hander Gabriel Priest will be a frontline starter. “Both can pitch and pitch well,” Alderson said. “We just didn’t need them as much last year because of who we had. We will need them to produce for us this year. We have some others who will need to step up and fill various roles as well.” Joining Smith as a returner in the middle infield is senior second baseman Asa Board , who is off to a good start offensively this season. Priest will be working at first base while Sophomore Payton Gallup is working at third. Gallup also has gotten off to a solid start at the plate. Gabe Kuznik and Connor Helmicki are slated to start in the outfield. Other team members who will fill various roles include Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden, Nate O’Connor, Kaden Lank, Noah Nance, Campbell Kingston, Porter Anglin, Jake Frick, Trevor Mitchell, Brown Reaves, Andrew Muncy and Espen Thomas. Alderson says this year’s offensive approach will have to be disciplined and must execute. “We have to manufacture our runs, move runners, steal bases, play small ball,” the coach says. “We have some that are capable hitters but overall that won’t be a strength. We have to be creative in our approach. If we pitch and play defense, we will have enough offense to give us a chance to compete.” With a move up to AAAAA, things will be a little different this spring but the region will consist of all Myrtle Beach area schools. St. James, Carolina Forest and Conway have been two of the better teams in AAAAA and will be in the new region as well, along with Myrtle Beach and Socastee. “We have played a lot of them in the past so we know the competition will be heavy every night,” Alderson said.

 By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – Competing in one of the state’s toughest regions will be a challenge for the 2025 Cane Bay baseball team but head coach Shane Todd feels this year’s team has the makings of a solid unit. Cane Bay opened the season by going 4-0 in the Woodland Wood bat invitational, a good start and a way to build some early confidence. “It was good because it showed us that what we had been seeing in the preseason was indicative of the team we have.” The Cobras face tough challenges in region 7-AAAAA from the likes of Stratford , Berkeley , Wando and newcomer Lucy Beckham . Those teams are veteran teams with quality pitching that will challenge the Cobras. This year’s team is a mixture of a handful of returners with several newcomers, either transfers or junior varsity players, expected to make a big impact. “I think this team has gelled and come together,” Todd said. “The seniors are showing leadership and the newcomers have fit right in. The potential to be competitive every night we play is there. We just have to perform.” Leading the way this season are senior catcher Drew Grimm and senior outfielder/pitcher Ethan Dodson. Grimm will be one of the top hitters with two early season homeruns while Dodson is a fifth-year varsity starter. Both are headed to USC Lancaster in the fall. Senior outfielder Chandler Berry, a role player in the past, has earned a starting spot and has been effective offensively early on. Junior shortstop Mitchell Bennett is one of the best all-around players. Bennett makes all the plays at shortstop while being one of the leading hitters and base stealers. He played on the junior varsity last season. Junior Cayden Haught also is up from the jayvee and plays third base while backing up Grimm behind the plate. Junior Jesse Hernandez is the designated hitter and is another hitter with great power and is off to a good start, Starting in centerfield is eighth-grader Tre Lawrence , one of the top players in the country in his class. Lawrence is an accomplished hitter with great power and speed. Rock Hill transfer Quincey Richardson is another capable bat and will work in the outfield in a rotation. Two other transfers making an impact are second baseman Alex Hubbard and first baseman Niko Alvarez , both seniors. Joining Dodson as available arms on the mound are sophomore Lucas Porcelli , junior Kris Poe , senior Isaac Brace , senior Drake Cornelius , and juniors Taylor Herndon and Jason Spurgeon . Hernandez also will see time on the mound.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Greenwood — Emerald athletic director Mack Hite is also the head baseball coach at the school and after six games of the young 2025 season the Vikings are 3-3 and working hard every day to improve. “With realignment this year we are probably in the toughest AAAA baseball region in the state having to compete with teams like Laurens , Westside , Fountain Inn , and Wren ,” said Coach Hite. “Those teams are heavy senior dominated and they all had a lot of players returning. “We are very young with only three seniors on our roster,” said Coach Hite. “Our real goal this season is to the best version of our work ethic and dedicate ourselves to the game with each and every practice, and with each and every game. We will continue to build our baseball program though dedication and hard work.” The Viking’s three wins have come over Ninety - Six (10-7), Clinton (5-2) and Silver Bluff (4-2). Their losses were against Ninety - Six in their first meeting (7-4), Mid - Carolina (4-2) and Ware Shoals (11-8). “Being a young team, I feel like we have to learn how to win, and how to battle through adversity that is a vital challenge in the game of baseball,” said coach Hite. “We have already had some crazy things happen to us in some games this season and we just need to be mentally tough and battle through it. “I love my group of guys,” said Coach Hite. “They are giving it all they got in every game. Winning breeds confidence and we just need to get over the hump, and once we do, we will be a vastly improved team playing in a very competitive conference.” The big stick in the line-up so far this season has been sophomore Finn Howard who bats in the five-hole. Howard is hitting .500 with two RBI’s and he has an impressive .688 on base percentage. On the bump, Howard has worked 14.1 innings with 16 strike-outs and he has a 1.95 ERA. “Finn has always been a great pitcher, and a great defender and this season he has become a very strong hitter as well,” said Coach Hite. “He throws a ton of strikes on the mound. He has been our rock so far this season.” Only 12 per cent of our population are left-handed so having a lefty pitcher like senior Tucker Meredith is a true blessing. “He is committed to playing baseball at Presbyterian College and I feel like when he is on the mound, we have a chance to win, regardless of who the opponent might be,” said Coach Hite. “He had 83 strike-outs last seasons when he earned all-region and all-state honors. He is tough to hit.” Thus far in the season Meredith has pitched 8.2 innings with an incredible 21 strike-outs. He also has an impressive 0.81 ERA. He bats clean-up and has a .308 average with three doubles after six games. Freshman outfielder Coleson Marino bats in the three slot and he is hitting .421 with a home run and four RBI’s. Three-sport varsity athlete Beau Hite is the team’s starting shortstop and he has been on the varsity since the 7 th grade when he batted .302 with four doubles. Hite is currently bating .286 with two doubles and two stolen bases. “Beau just loves competitive sports and he loves anything associated with a ball,” said Coach Hite. “He would play soccer if he could figure out how to play two sports in the same season. “Beau gives you everything he has and he is a great teammate whether he is the quarterback of the football team, a guard on the basketball team are the shortstop on our baseball team,” said Coach Hite. “He is also an excellent pitcher but he is coming back from labrum surgery and we are taking it slow with him. He has pitched bull-pen and we hope to have him on the mound later in the season.” Sophomore catcher Eli Swancey is a three- year starter behind the plate and he is batting .333 with three RBI’s and a .467 on base percentage. Senior Aaron Polly bats in the sixth hole and he has three RBI’s and three doubles to his credit right now. “Aaron has a strong desire to play in college somewhere next season,” said Coach Hite. Seventh grader Holden Syron is starting in right field and he will be putting up some power numbers in the future, according to his coach. Junior Peyton Gillespie starts at second base and he is a good defender who is just getting back from an injury this season. Senior Cody Scott bats in the 9 th slot and he has good defensive skills and tuns well. The team’s number three pitcher is sophomore Thomas Hodges . Some key reserves on the team include junior Colton Knight who plays first base. Freshman Ethan Metts is a pitcher/outfielder who can throw strikes. Seventh grader Bradley Cobb is a pinch runner. For the rest of March, the Vikings are scheduled to play Wren is a three-game region series on March, 17, 19, 21. The Vikings host the first and third games. Then they take to the coast for a game at Andrews on the 22 nd before playing at Georgetown the next day. They close out the month with a three series against Laurens starting at home on the 31 st . Coach Hite is assisted by Ryan Flores and former USC baseball player Aric Hempy .