By David Shelton Senior Writer Ridgeland – Nearing the end of her second season as head coach, Thomas Heyward Academy volleyball coach Alicia Crosby has her 2024 team in a good place. As the regular season winds down, the focus will turn to the upcoming SCISA state playoffs and the Rebels hope to make a postseason splash. As of Oct. 4, Thomas Heyward was 11-3 on the season. “We look forward to a good showing at state,” Crosby says. “This team has a lot of fight and have worked hard in the offseason in the weightroom. We are faster and stronger.” The volleyball program struggled to field a competitive varsity in recent years but it is rebuilding with good numbers from the middle school program to the varsity. Crosby oversees the middle school and junior varsity teams as well. This year’s varsity roster has only two seniors – captains Brooke Smith and Natalie Amerson . Smith is a key middle blocker while Amerson is an outside hitter. Sophomore Errolyn Smith also works in the middle and is a key performer, while junior Cayleigh Smith is an outside hitter. Working at setter are sophomores Olivia Meador and Abaigail Kidwell . Junior Presley Ballagh is the Libero. Rounding out the 2024 squad are junior Abby Rowell , junior Abigail Hansen , sophomore Cadence Graham , and sophomore Cayden Keiffer . Football Update Another team aiming for a strong playoff run in the football team. The Rebels won four of their first five games, losing only to Williamsburg Academy by two points. The running game continues to excel offensively. Quarterback Tony O’banner has 681 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He averages 10.8 yards per carry. Colton Young has added nearly 200 yards and Nicholas Robinson is closing in on 300 yards after five games. Eli McLemore is the team’s leading receiver with nine catches. Linebacker Beau Pinckney leads a strong defensive team effort with 43 tackles and six tackles for loss. Angus Crider has tallied 32 tackles and Mitchell White has 36 total hits. Dawson Drew , Kelan Fripp and Josh Gibson also rate as key defensive performers.

NETC Male Student Athlete of the Month: Dillon Christian's Jackson Outlar

NETC Female Student Athlete of the Month: Dillon Christian's Molly Andrews

Oceanside Collegiate's senior WR Gavin Gaspar

By David Shelton Senior Writer Pamplico – Building quality depth is difficult, even more so on the Class A level where numbers are significantly thinner than those at the bigger schools. Hannah-Pamplico head football coach Trey Woodberry has worked hard to establish some consistent, dependable second and third-team personnel but has not been very successful. Nonetheless, the Raiders’ starting 22 has been pretty good, winning four of their first six games. But a key injury at a key position has Woodberry hoping for improved health before the end of the season. “I would put our starting 22 up against any team in Class A,” the coach said. “When the right guys are on the field, we are as competitive as any team. But, some of those go both ways and it’s tough at times. We’ve tried to get some other guys some experience but we’re not there yet. The other option is stay healthy.” In the Raiders’ loss to Lake View on Oct. 4, their first region loss of the schedule, Hannah-Pamplico lost veteran starting quarterback Wade Poston early in the second half. The game was tied 7-7 at the half but the offense stagnated and the result was a 31-7 loss. “We need Wade on the field for us to be effective but we’re going to have to work without him for a few weeks,” Woodberry said. “We couldn’t do anything offensively with Wade out. They put nine in the box to stop the run and we just didn’t have an answer.” Poston, through five and a half games, has passed for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for nearly 400 yards and six scores. The heavy lifting in the run game falls on all-state candidate Jamarcus Williams , who has rushed for 887 yards and six touchdowns. He also is an effective receiver. Another key performer is two-way starter Tylin Jenkins , who plays receiver and cornerback. He leads the team in receptions (15) and yards (298) and has been a lockdown corner, according to Woodberry. Starters along the offensive line include returning starters Mason Hanna , Will Faulkenberry , Brandon Cox and Dewey Kimbrough . Faulkenberry is a fourth-year varsity player and Hanna is a third-year starter. Avery Lyerly and Khi Brown also get reps. Cox, a linebacker as well, has been a leader defensively. The Raiders have region games remaining with Green Sea Floyds (Oct. 11), Latta (Oct. 25) and Hemingway (Nov. 1). They have a bye on Oct. 18. The hope is that Poston can return by the Latta game, which could decide second-place in the region standings.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - Well into SCISA Region 4A competition, Hammond football is hitting all of its marks. The Skyhawks’ dominance was in full view Friday at homecoming, when the perpetual SCISA 4A state champions handled 2023 state runner-up Laurence Manning 65-14 at Edens Stadium. Quarterback Andrew Turner led the Skyhawks (6-0, 3-0) with 200 yards passing, two touchdowns through the air and two more on the ground. He needed just 10 completed passes to give Hammond a decided edge. Five Skyhawk rushers had 181 yards and six touchdowns. Aspen Brooks hit a field goal and defender Preston Springs pounced on a loose ball in the end zone after a high snap on a punt. “It was exciting to see the execution offensively and defensively,” Skyhawks head coach Jon Wheeler said. “You’ve got to hand it to their offensive coordinator Patrick Anderson , he did a heck of a job with shifts and motions, different formations and they made some good plays, but I feel like our defense handled it well for the most part. I’m very proud of our guys.” The Skyhawks essentially knocked out an opponent early in the game, but Wheeler said that the final score concealed the need for the team to grow and gel for the postseason. “There were a couple of drives where we hurt ourselves defensively, there’s some execution stuff that we can clean up defensively,” Wheeler said. “Offensively, we’ve got to punch it in early, instead of a field goal. But you know, not too many complaints about that. After that, it was boom-boom-boom. I’m very proud of them.” Hammond outscored opponents 300-92 this season, with four games to go. The Skyhawks face Augusta Christian Friday, travel to Northwood Academy Oct. 18, Ben Lippen Oct. 25, and are at Cardinal Newman Nov. 1. In cross country , the Hammond girls are running strong behind sophomore Megan Joye and junior Emme Crosland . Joye and Crosland led the girls team to a fifth-place finish in the Skyhawk Invitational Aug. 17, with Crosland finishing in fourth place with a time of 19 minutes, 31.0 seconds and Joye finishing sixth with a time of 19:34.06. The boys finished the event in 10 th place with sophomore Charlie Webb as top finisher with a 28 th -place time of 18:27.72. At the Lake Murray Invitational Sept. 21, the girls took 19 th place and the boys finished 22nd. Joye was the top finisher at 18 th with a time of 19:28.19. Webb finished a team-high 66 th with a time of 17:54.29. The Pelion Invitational Sept. 25 th was a pleasant surprise for both teams. The girls finished third and the boys finished ninth. Joye took second place with a time of 20:07.47, followed by junior Crosland at sixth with a 20:33.36 time. Webb led the boys with a 10 th -place finish at 18:02.05 . “Last night was a really good night for the girls, and Charlie had a great finish in a really big race,” head coach Noelle Schuch said.” The girls team finished fifth and the boys finished 11 th in the Highlander Invitational at Heathwood Hall Saturday, a precursor to the SCISA 4A state meet that will be held at the school Oct. 26. Before then the Skyhawks will run in a region meet Oct. 15.

Gaffney's senior DB Jayden Sims

Dutch Fork senior WR, K.J. Smith looking for more yardage.

Christ Church junior WR Jude Hall

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Lake City – Lake City High School football head coach Jamison Estep understands the adage, “You are what your record says you are.” Still, he would beg to differ just a little bit. “We’re 1-5, but we could easily be 5-1 with a play here and a play there,” said Estep, who is in his second season as acting head coach due to major injuries suffered by head coach Ronnie Baker in an automobile accident. “We’ve really been self-sabotaging.” Estep had to look back no further than the Panthers’ 16-14 home loss to Kingstree played in a downpour on September 26. “We thought we had a game-winning touchdown but it was taken away on a holding call,” he said. “We keep tripping our own selves up.” The only blowout loss for AA LCHS was a 41-6 defeat to AAAA May River . Lake City lost to AAAAA Myrtle Beach 21-6, Class A Lamar 21-14 and Region 7-AA foe East Clarendon 28-12 and Kingstree, another region foe. The most points the Panthers have scored came in their only victory, 28-26 over AA Timberland . “We’re disappointed definitely, frustrated,” Estep said. “The kids have, talent, have the ability. It just seems we take one step forward, another step back. We can’t get out of own way at times.” LCHS is averaging just over 200 yards of total offense a game. Quarterback Amari Hanna has completed 55 of 97 passes for 710 yards and five touchdowns. Blayne Edwards has all of the touchdown catches on 17 overall catches for 397 yards, an average of 23.4 yards per catch. Fernandez Witherspoon has 12 catches for 141 yards, and Treshon Burgess had 13 catches for 75 yards. Lake City is averaging less than 100 rushing yards a game. Raheem McCray had 165 yards and a TD on 23 carries. Hanna had 139 yards and four scores on 30 carries. Estep said the Panthers have to get better in the trenches if they hope to make a run into the playoffs. “It starts up front,” he said. “You win and lose with the bigs. We’ve got to get better on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to clean up some minor details. We’ve got to be able to finish. In five of the first six weeks, we just didn’t finish.” Shayon Shavers led Lake City in tackles with 20 through six games. Hunter Blanchard had two tackles for loss, a quarterback sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Kenjae Burgess had 15 tackles, one TFL, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dorchester — Wylie McCall is in her first year as the head volleyball coach at Woodland High and even though the Lady Wolverines are 2-5 over-all the coach is proud of the work ethic of her young team. Two of the team’s three wins thus far this season were over Barnwell. “The girls have worked hard all season buying into our culture,” said Coach McCall recently. “My assistants are Sommer Troutman and Sara McClellan and they have been a great example, and continue to buy in to our program as well. “We have truly come together as a team this season and we have emphasized the importance of commitment to leadership, mentorship and high standard of excellence,” said Coach McCall. The team stats leaders going into the final three regular seasons games are: Izzy Lopez and Lenaya Ross —Hits , Keelie Downs -Digs, Jordan Gokey -Assists & Aces, Taniyah Davis -Blocks. Downs is a senior team captain and the team’s Libero. “Keelie is the leader of our defense and continues to have great poise under pressure,” said Coach McCall. Carlie Dantzler i s also a senior team captain. “Carlie is a a right-side hitter and she comes every day with a positive attitude and a hard work ethic,” said Coach McCall. Davis is a junior captain and middle hitter. “She is a hard worker with a determined spirit,” said Coach McCall. Some key reserves contributing include: Freshman Josie Mitchum , Katey Westbury , along with Addyson Waggoner. Other developing players include Ivy Moorer , Emily Neuhaus , Brinhnna Simmons , and Paisley Wolfe . “Our goals are to continue to implement our new culture and expectation of excellence on and off the court,” said Coach McCall. “We plan to continue to support our middle school team and mentorship. By aligning the goals and expectations across all of our teams, my staff and I hope to inspire younger players to stick with the sport of volleyball. “The sense of family and team unity is expected to translate into stronger performances on the court as the season progresses,” said Coach McCall. “We are getting better every day as a team.” The Woodland volleyball team will close out the regular season with a home game against Academic Magnet (Oct. 8), a road game at Timberland (Oct. 10), and they conclude the season at Andrews (Oct. 17).

Ashley Ridge co-captain Reece-Bellush

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – With the regular season winding down, the fall sports teams and athletes at Ashley Hall are gearing up for the 2024 SCISA postseason. By the first of November, SCISA will have crowned state champions in all of their fall sports, except for football. Thus, the athletes at Ashley Hall are laser focused on being at their best in crunch time. The volleyball program has won 12 state championships and is almost always among the last teams standing in the playoff bracket. While teams like Cardinal Newman and Porter-Gaud are routinely winning the state title in SCISA over the last decade, Ashley Hall continues to be a competitive team. As of Oct. 4, Ashley Hall had posted an overall record of 10-14-2 against a highly competitive non-region schedule that includes many of the state’s top teams. The Panthers split their first six region contests. Again leading the team this fall is returning all-state setter Charlotte Strickland . The junior has nearly 450 assists and 200 digs this season. She now has 2.370 career assists. Sophomore Liza Hood leads the team in kills with 156 while also recording 130 digs. Senior Spencer Edgerton has 130 kills and 17 blocks in the middle while Ellen Lesemann adds 65 kills and 20 blocks.  Among the defensive leaders are Iris Stiegman (240 digs), Parker Gragg (123 digs) and Amelia Finnegan (108 digs). Leading the way this fall on the cross country team is Natalie Bennett . Ireland Evans-Langdale , Eliza Willis , Nyla Jenkins and Lilla Hand also have competed among the top five for most of the fall. Sophia Schauer , Bryn Wildstein and Na’Zyia Jenkins add depth and look to contend for one of the top five positions. The cross country team has run nearly 10 events this fall and competed in the Lowcountry Invitational meet, one of the state’s largest and most competitive regular season meets, on Sept. 30. Bennett was Ashley Hall’s top finisher, running in 62 nd place overall. The tennis team was a state finalist in 2023 and aims for another shot at the title. The tennis playoffs were slated to begin on Oct. 8. Members of the team this fall include seniors Nina Abracos-O’Neel ; juniors Adeline Kreise , Emma Kate Schimming , Madeline Schimming , Kate Strenck , Lily Sloan , Grace Taylor and Emma Tedford ; sophomores Gigi Powell and Lillie Jackson ; freshmen Charlotte Guffey and Bella Gray McCurry ; and eighth-grader Bridgette DeWolf .

Dillon's Jamarion Fling

Summerville's Jayven Williams AAAAA Player of the Week

Daniel's Spencer Conn in the 2023 Championship game.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – While much of the focus during October, in regards to high school sports, centers on region play for football, the rest of the fall sports teams around the state are focusing in on their respective upcoming state playoffs. October is certainly a busy month as non-football sports will begin and even conclude their playoffs during the month. Girls tennis, volleyball, swimming, girls golf and cross country are in the final stages of their regular season. As of this year, Myrtle Beach High is a member of Class AAAAA, up from AAAA. The competition level will increase but the Seahawks are expecting to compete in every sport during the postseason. The girls tennis program was a perennial state title contender in AAAA and should have a team capable of challenging in AAAAA. The best part about this team is their overall youth, which could make them a factor for years to come. This year’s team does have two starting seniors. Julianna Merritt plays No. 2 singles and Elizabeth Raynor plays the No. 5 singles. Sitting atop the singles ladder is sophomore Mary Hannah Morrison . Eighth-grader Elena Barnes plays the No 3 singles and sophomore Ava Anthony plays No. 4 singles. The volleyball team is in contention for a region title, sitting one game behind North Myrtle Beach . The Seahawks won six of their first seven region games, losing to their rivals from the North. Leading as seniors this season are Blake Carter , Sarah Lirijoni, Madison Brown and Sophia Fogarty . Juniors on the roster are Margaret Truluck , Trinity Owens , Samantha Scholz and Makenzie Trisler . Gabriella Fogarty and Emily Mullinix are the sophomores on the team. Rounding out the roster are freshmen Gianna Petruzzello and Anna Trisler , along with eighth-grader Dylan Roberts . In cross country, Anna Sedeska anchors the girls team as the top runner this fall. Riley Clements , Katherine Cooke and Isabelle Lowry round out the top four runners. Kai Wilmot is the top runner on the boys team, with Thomas Smith , Liam McGuire , Carson McGee and Ahmed Rahmouni rounding out the top five runners this season. Meanwhile, in football, the Seahawks began region play on Oct. 4 with a 36-6 win over St. James . That win improved the Seahawks to 3-3 overall this season. The Seahawks were slated to play Conway on Oct. 11.

LMA's junior CB/WR Zy Dennis

Daniel's sophomore defensive back Christian Chancellor Jr.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Summerton – After having a turnaround season in Shannon Corbett’s first year as the Clarendon Hall volleyball head coach, Year 2 hasn’t gone quite as well. The Saints were off to just a 2-13 start after going 14-8 last season and making the AA state tournament. That was Clarendon Hall’s first tournament appearance in at least five seasons and it went 2-2. ` Even with the struggles this year, Corbett believes the program is moving in the right direction. “With a year under my belt I am still trying to learn,” she said. “We have more girls coming out for volleyball at Clarendon Hall than we have had in a while. We were even able to start a B team this year, which is a great thing, getting more girls involved and continuing to build the program up.” Corbett said inconsistency has been the biggest hindrance for the Saints. “This year's team has been a roller coaster,” she said. “Our record is not great, but we played a lot of super-close games that we were just now able to close out. We would jump ahead of a team and then get caught making a few too many mistakes that would hurt us in the end. “We have just been a little too inconsistent on some things. I know there are a few games we wish we could get back in the early part of the season that we let slip away from us.” Clarendon Hall returned three starters from last season in senior Brooke Corbett , senior Ashlee Berry and senior Maggie Harrington . The other two returning players are seniors as well in Hanna Ridgeway and Dhara Patel . “Those five played a lot for me last year, rotating in and out and even starting some games,” Coach Corbett said. “We had three girls move up from JV (junior varsity) and another girl that rejoined the team this year.” The returning player is senior Skylar Dymond . The newcomers to the roster are sophomore Allison Truett , freshman Brynli Brewer and freshman AJ Clark . “The strength of this team is they really do play well with each other, that they enjoy being on the court together,” Coach Corbett said. “We have really focused on making sure we are serving the ball well. That has kept us in a lot of games, not hurting ourselves by not getting the ball over the net.” Coach Corbett spoke highly of the performance of three of her seniors. “ Ashlee Berry and Brooke Corbett have been a huge part of this team over the past two years,” she said. “They both give great effort on the court at all times. Hanna Ridgeway really worked hard at the beginning of the season, and I have seen a big difference in her serves this year.” It remains to be seen if Clarendon Hall can work its way into the AAA state tournament, having moved up due to reclassification. The Saints are part of Region 1 along with Orangeburg Preparatory School, Thomas Sumter Academy and Calhoun Academy . The state tournament is set for October 18-19 in Myrtle Beach. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, Coach Corbett is already looking ahead to next year. “I have six seniors on my team so next year's team will be a total new look for us,” Coach Corbett said.

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Greenville – The Cavaliers of Christ Church athletics were having a good fall season until everything came to a halt with the arrival of Hurricane Helene to the upstate. The Cross-Country teams are having a good year. The boys team is led by senior Elliot Jeray , junior Ben Faulk , sophomore Eli Stone and eighth grader Max Delfino . Delfino finished 16 th at the state meet last year and has personal best of 17:40.52. The girls team is led by senior Eliza Roy and sophomore Margaret Mullen . In last years state meet Roy finished 5 th and Mullen was 17 th . Roy has a personal best of 19:42.20 while Mullen has a personal best of 21:12.80. In Volleyball the Lady Cavs have an uphill climb as they have two of the top AAA teams in the state in region 1AAA in Powdersville and St. Joseph Catholic . Powdersville won their most recent state championship in 2020 while St. Joseph won their most recent title in 2021. The Lady Cav’s are currently in third place with a good chance to make the AAA playoffs. The Lady Cav’s are led by senior Caroline Johnson and juniors Brooke Byxbee and Khloe Chappell . Johnson leads the team in kills with 42 while Byxbee leads the team in blocks and Chappell leads the team in assists with 69.

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – Heading into the 2024 season Andrews head coach Joy Weisner knew she wanted to take her program in a new direction and to do that they needed to improve in a few areas such as floor coverage, communication and becoming more aware on the court. “We are a young team as we lost five seniors but we are a much-improved team despite our youth,” said coach Weisner. “We are trying to build a program where the girls work hard, are good teammates and good people. We are getting there.” Coach continued, “We are covering the floor better than we did last year. The girls are communicating better which has made us better. The thing I like the most is how versatile this team is on the court. I have several girls that can play anywhere on the court.” Senior Captain Samiyah Hollaway is the leader of this young squad. She is a lefthanded hitter that plays all the around the court. The teams top player is junior middle hitter Davis Addyson . She is one those versatile players that coach Weisner spoke about. Not only does Addyson lead the team in kills and is tied for the team lead in digs, but she is also second in aces and third service receiving. Haleigh Port, a junior setter, is one of several players that have moved up from the JV team and can do several things for the Lady Yellowjackets. She is the team leader aces and second in assists. She is a very good setter; she can get to every ball and makes excellent passes. Also, up from the JV is the teams libero and captain Sarah Jennings . She has great floor coverage Juniors Briana Walker and Emmalee Lambert are middle/outside hitters. Lambert leads the team in service returns and is not afraid to go to the floor while Walker is second in kills and is on the team’s top servers. Two young players that have made an impact are sophomore Cloe Skipper and freshmen Tori Smith . Smith leads the team in assists and is tied with Addyson for the team lead in digs and is third in aces while Skipper has shown her all around skill with being among the leaders in several categories. Rounding out the Lady Yellowjackets are senior Makagen Dangerfield , juniors Savanna Powell , Grace Bratcher , and Brianna Nesmith . Bratcher has seen the most minutes of the bench. The Lady Yellowjackets have moved into a new region this season with two Charleston area powers in Academic Magnet and Phillip Simmons . They will have to play their best volleyball to pull off an upset of one those two teams. “The girls have really bought into what we are trying to do and to what is expected of them on the court. We have gotten stronger and faster on the court and we just need to keep getting better,” said coach Weisner.

Gaffney's Jamarcus Smith on the carry.

Manning's senior QB Jarae Mitchell moving the team down the field.

Big gamble on fourth and 12 helps Knights to victory

Four more weeks left in regular season

Orangeburg Prep's Annabelle Hunter ready to set

May River QB Tanner Macy under center ready for the snap.

Gaffney's Jaiden McDowell on the carry.

Loris RB Deuce Stephens

Barnwell's Cameron Austin

Lewisville WR Jacorreun Howze on the run after a catch.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt — During the summer, the Andrew Jackson Academy volleyball team, including some junior varsity players, attended a skills camp at Wofford College and it appears that experience has helped build record success for both teams this season. Zach Boltin is the new varsity head volleyball coach for the 2024 season at Andrew Jackson Academy. As of October, 4 th the Lady Warriors were (13-2, 5-1) with a strong goal of winning the school’s first region title in volleyball in recent memory. (Maybe ever). Some of the varsity wins have come over Thornwell , Chester , Strom Thurmond , Jefferson Davis , Dorchester Academy , Holly Hill Academy (twice) Cross Schools , and Thomas Heyward Academy . At the same time, the junior varsity team, head coached by former Wade Hampton High School stand-out Carmen Mixon , is currently (11-1, 4-1) and also enjoying the best volleyball record in recent memory. Coach Boltin is assisted by Kaylee Carter and Mixon. “ McKinley Beard is our 5-10 sophomore outside hitter and she is the player we like to get the ball too,” said Coach Boltin. “In our game last night (October, 3 rd ) against Holy Trinity (won 3-0) she had 16 kills which gives her 201 kills for the season. “She strikes the ball very well and she has great movement on the court,” said Coach Boltin talking about the team’s top player. “Our setter Bella Carrigg had 18 assists in the same game and she set up the majority of Beard’s Kill shots.” Carrigg is a sophomore middle blocker who had a team leading 211 assists going into the game with Holy Trinity. Carrigg also has 19 serving aces top her credit. Beard is one of the captains along with senior middle hitter Ryleigh Trivette . “Ryleigh does a good job on the front row with 38 blocks so far this season,” said Coach Boltin. Trivette had 31 kills going into the match with Holy Trinity. Senior Ryleigh Barnes has been in the program for five years. “Ryleigh is our Libero and she plays very good defense on the back row,” said Coach Boltin. Barnes had 56 digs and 9 assists for the season, prior to the matches with Holy Trinity. Freshman Harlo Sease is another talented freshman who is a defensive specialist for AJA. Sease went into the Holy Trinity match with 54 kills and 10 blocks and she is very aggressive at the net. Sophomore Mary Grace Hiers starts in the back row as a defensive specialist and she averages one dig per set. Carrigan Moore is a talented sophomore middle hitter who is also a next level softball prospect. Moore had 22 serving aces going into the match with Holy Trinity. “Carrigan is a very good all-around player for us,” said Coach Boltin. Sophomore Kingslee Carson starts as an outside middle hitter. Carson had 38 digs prior to the Holy Trinity match as the HSSR was going to press. Junior Carly Smoak is a defensive specialist who has 24 assists on the season. Junior Alex Johnson is also a defensive specialist averaging nearly one dig a set. Sydney Crosby is a senior defensive specialist and she is usually the first player who come sin off the bench. AJA has six varsity players involved with outside AAU volleyball programs. They are Sease, Beard, Carrigg, Hiers, Carson, and Moore. The varsity has remaining games at Patrick Henry (Oct.-7), host Beaufort Academy (Oct. 9), play at Colleton Prep (Oct. 10) and complete the regular season at home against Colleton Prep (Oct. 14). The state tournament will take place once again starting on October, 19 th in Myrtle Beach. “Last year was the first time the volleyball team at AJA had made it to Saturday, with the tournament starting on Friday,” said Coach Boltin. “I feel like if we keep playing together, and stay focused on being fundamentally sound, that we have a chance to compete for a state title. “We still have a lot of improving to do but when we play together, with good communication on the court we are hard to beat,” he said. “We have never won a region title in volleyball and that is our strong goal this season.” Turning to the up- and- coming junior varsity program , Coach Mixon is proud of the effort of her team so far in the 2021 season. “First of all, I have enjoyed working with Coach Boltin and Kaylee to help improve the success of both our varsity and junior varsity volleyball programs this season,” said Coach Mixon. “All three of us are young ourselves (mid 20’s) so we have very good communication with our players. “Taking the teams to the skills camp at Wofford College for three days this summer was a great thing for the advancement of our volleyball program at AJA,” said Coach Mixon. “One day the girls were working on individual skills relative to their positions and on the third day we got to see them in team competition where they were able to put what they had learned into action on the court. “It was a very positive learning experience for the girls and it was certainly a learning experience for the coaches as well,” said Mixon. “Both teams have worked very hard. I feel like the success of the junior varsity team will help build the depth on the varsity for the few years also. “Our communication on the floor this season has been much improved with both teams,” said Coach Mixon. “The girls are very coachable and they all get along very well.” (On a side note, folks travelling on I-95 at Exit 38 need to exit and travel a few miles to Shuman’s Stop & Shop for the best boiled peanuts in America! Coach Mixon owns this country store and the home-made egg salad sandwiches are fantastic also). Three of the junior varsity players participate on year- round AAU teams. This includes sophomore setter Izzie Brandt , 8 th grade setter Amiah McClung , along with freshman Libero, Peighton Jones . Other hard-working members of the junior varsity include: Kylie Hiers (7 th -DS), Bhrettlee Hutto (8 th -MH), Adalyn Crosby (7 th -OH, DS), Braelyn Hall (10 th -MH), Madison Lyons (9 th -DS), Delane Bessinger (10 th -DS), Nala Tuten (8 th -DS), Connelly Smoak (10 th -OPP), Chloe Musser (10 th -DS), Delanie Bessinger (8 th -DS, S), Adalyn Westberry (9 th --OH), Abby Ayer (9 th -OH), and Kiley O’Herien (8 th -DS).

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – After winning just four of 17 games over the two previous seasons, the Fox Creek High School football team has already matched that total this year through its first five games. It just remains to be seen how that translates when it comes to playing its Region 4-AAA schedule. The Predators are 4-1 on the season, playing their final game against Williston-Elko on Wednesday, September 25, just over a day before Hurricane Helene cut its destructive path in the counties along the Georgia-South Carolina state line. They won that game 42-14. Fox Creek had to back out of its game against Orangeburg-Wilkinson on October 4 because of the recovery effort. The Predators are supposed to start their region schedule with a road contest at Newberry on October 11, but it remains to be seen if that game will be played. Fox Creek is then scheduled to travel to Columbia to face Keenan on October 18. Its final two region games will be at home against Swansea on October 25 before closing out the regular season against fellow Aiken County school Silver Bluff . What makes things interesting in regards to the Predators is they moved up to AAA from AA due to reclassification. They didn’t make the AA state playoffs last year, but are assured of making the playoffs this year since the 5-team region has five playoff berths. The Predators did not play a school in its classification in its non-region schedule. They faced three Class A teams and two AA teams in Glenn Hills and Josey from across the state line in Augusta in their games. Along with the victory over Williston-Elko, Fox Creek defeated McCormick 49-0, Glenn Hills 44-6 and Josey 47-0. The Predators are actually on a 4-game winning streak, having lost to Dixie 34-24 to start the season. The win over Williston-Elko was actually homecoming for Fox Creek. After a scoreless first quarter, the Predators took a 14-0 lead into halftime. Nate Owens caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Devonta Holmes with Jacob Spinks adding the extra point. W-E turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and Fox Creek turned it into a 3-yard scoring run by Mike Grigg , the first of three for him on the evening. The Blue Devils cut the lead to 14-7 at the start of the third quarter. However, Manny Abro broke off a 42-yard scoring run for the Predators. Holmes then returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown and a 28-7 lead. Grigg had touchdown runs of 20 and four yards in the final stanza.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Abbeville – The fall of 2024 will long be remembered for Hurricane Helene, a powerful and destructive storm that left portions of the midlands and upstate of South Carolina in shambles. The storm did most of its worst damage in the western part of North Carolina and is responsible for more than 200 deaths across its path. Abbeville was one of several areas hit with significant issues in the wake of the storm. Power outages and downed trees on homes were easy to spot on a trek through town. As one might expect, the damage caused cancellation in schools throughout the Lakelands area, which also mean the cessation of any and all athletic activities. Slowly, things are returning to normal for the athletes at Abbeville High. The team is expected to play Calhoun Falls in a region contest on Oct. 11. Due to an earlier scheduling quirk, the game will be Abbeville’s first since playing Ninety Six on Sept. 13. After the game with Ninety Six , Abbeville had their normally scheduled bye week but due to a cancellation, the break ended up being a double-bye. Then came the storm and the Panthers were forced to postpone the Oct. 4 region game against McCormick . “It has been a challenge but the focus is on getting the community back together and we will play football when we can,” Abbeville coach Jamie Nickles said. “We’re doing much better but there’s still some folks dealing with a lot of stuff. But we are better off than some of our neighbors and we are certainly thankful.” When the football season resumes, the Panthers will be 3-1 overall with the lone loss coming to Batesburg-Leesville . In his assessment of his team, the coach says the Panthers will need to improve defensively and become more consistent along the offensive line. The strength of the team continues to be the skill position players. Running backs Karson Norman and Jha’Louis Hadden , along with quarterback Demarcus Leach have been solid in their production early on. On defense, seniors Altavious Patterson and AJ Speech are anchoring the front, with junior Cole Driggers and Kamryon Jones working in the front four as well. Starting linebackers to open the season include Gage Evans (hybrid), Kendall Cole , Levi Paul and sophomore Zack Jordan . Anchoring the secondary are Justin Rollerson and Jakwon Elmore , with Jaylen Baylor and Leach also starting on the back end. The Abbeville volleyball team also is having a great season and looks forward to a return to action. Abbeville won 10 of their first 11 contests, including a 9-1 record against region competition, at the time of the storm. This year’s squad is fairly young overall but with promising potential to be a force in the future. There are no seniors on the roster this fall. Players on this year’s team include juniors Kaylee Bundrick , Ella Atkins and Lucy Kolloran sophomores Rylee Tiller , Lauryn Murray , Laylan Yates and Jaylin Vickery ; freshman Bella Evans , and eighth-grader Sarah Gulley .

Game set for December 21 in Spartanburg

By Rob Gantt Special to the HSSR GOOSE CREEK – The Stratford High School football team fought hard in its Region 7-5A opener and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback, but the Knights had to settle for a 30-22 loss at Berkeley High School Oct. 4 in Moncks Corner. The Knights are the defending league champions and will try to get on track Oct. 11 at home against visiting Lucy Beckham , which moved into the region from Class 4A. They go to Cane Bay Oct. 18, host Wando Oct. 25 and Goose Creek Nov. 1. The Berkeley loss dropped Stratford to 2-4 overall. The Knights were coming off back-to-back wins against Socastee (23-17) and Colleton County (41-14). Junior quarterback Jachin Davis continued a strong season against the Stags, rushing for two scores and passing for another. He reached paydirt on the ground from 1 and 28 yards out and connected with senior Kerwin Squire on a 46-yard touchdown pass. Davis passed for 145 yards and finished with 108 yards on the ground. Stratford trailed 30-12 with under two minutes left, but mounted a rally to scare the home team. Senior linebacker Javien Salters broke through to record a safety and the Davis-Squire hookup pulled the Knights within 30-22. They then got the ensuing onside kick and moved into Berkeley’s 4 before Berkeley’s interception in the end zone on the final play. Heading into the Lucy Beckham contest, Davis has passed for 1,016 yards and rushed for 359 yards, combining for 12 touchdowns. Squire leads the Knights on the ground with 459 yards, while junior Francis Lloyd has chipped in 230 yards rushing. Junior receiver JQ Crosby has been a reliable target for Stratford, hauling in 22 passes for 385 yards. More targets are sophomore Jayden Lee , senior Jacob Deacon , senior Freddie Alston and junior Shawn Harris . In the win over Colleton County , Davis passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns. He connected with Crosby on three scores and Lee on the other. On the ground, Davis scored twice. Against Socastee , Davis tossed a touchdown pass to Crosby, while senior kicker Tyler Stament made three field goals. Running back Malachi Breland also reached paydirt for the Knights.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – It wouldn’t have been a surprise if the Wilson Hall volleyball team took a little dip this year. After all, the Lady Barons lost four major contributors in Maggie Norris , Sullivan Jarecki , Aubrey Payne and Rylee Bath from a team that went 36-8-1 on the season and went 1-2 in the SCISA AAAA state tournament. If there’s been a dip, however, it hasn’t been much of one. Wilson Hall is 26-6 overall and 3-4 in Region 3 with just two regular-season matches remaining. The Barons rebounded from a 0-3 start in region play. They lost to Trinity Collegiate , Hilton Head Christian Academy and John Paul II before beating Laurence Manning Academy twice and getting revenge against Hilton Head Christian in the rematch. Wilson Hall lost the second meeting to John Paul II. The Barons had a non-region match against Pinewood Prep on October 10 before closing out the regular season and the region schedule against Trinity Collegiate on October 14. The top returning player from last season is senior middle hitter Olivia Cogswell . She has 157 kills, 21 service aces, 80 digs, 18 assists and is tied for the team lead in blocks with 40. The main standout for Wilson Hall is an eighth-grader in setter/outside hitter McKinley Bath . She leads the Barons in kills with 257 and digs with 263 and is tied for second in aces with 58 and assists with 258. Sophomore middle hitter Beaty Zeigler shares the lead for blocks with Cogswell, while senior rightside hitter Molly Jones and senior middle hitter Anna Kate Coker both have 14 and Bath 13. Jones has 120 kills and Coker has 104. Senior defensive specialist McKenzie Gray Mills leads in digs with 352 while junior defensive specialist Addie Griffin has 147, sophomore setter/defensive specialist Natlie Hawkey 143 and sophomore defensive specialist Savannah Wells 134, Hawkey is the assists lead with 320 while Mills has 77. Mills is far and away the leader in serves received with 434 to go with just 49 receiving errors. Wells has 200 serves received, Griffin 147 and Hawkey 145. Other members of the team are senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Camryn Wilmes , sophomore outside hitter Mary Todd Champion and junior defensive specialist Adalin Brown . ` Wilson Hall will be competing in the AAAA state tournament in Myrtle Beach on October 18-19.