Emerald junior QB Beau Hite led his team to produce 274 points in just five games during this season.

Bamberg-Ehrhardt's Chaz Breeland in action about to split the uprights again.

Nothing but region contests in SCHSL this week with 7 Thursday games, including Indian Land at South Pointe

Indians using more of a run-oriented attack to better utilize talent

Saints play host to Carolina Academy in region opener on October 9

Bulldogs after eighth straight year with at least nine victories

Bears drop first two games before reeling off three straight wins entering region play

Sophomore Jayce Edwards is in his first season starting at quarterback for Panthers

Running back Bryson Crawford runs for 247 yards and 5 TDs in 49-20 win over Dixie

By: Gerald Doolittle The South Carolina Independent Schools Association enters October with teams now playing for playoff seeding. Last seasons Champions in Class 3A (Pinewood), Class 2A (Bethesda) and Class 1A (Williamsburg) all moved up a classification in the new alignment. Can Northwood repeat in 4A and can W.W. King repeat in 8-Man? The top 2026 contenders in Class 4A are Hammond (6-0), Pinewood Prep (6-0), Ben Lippen (4-1) and Laurence Manning (3-1). Defending Champion Northwood Academy (4-2) and Porter-Gaud (4-2) could sneak into the finals. The top 2026 contenders in Class 3A are Northside Christian (6-0), First Baptist (5-1), Hilton Head Christian (5-1) and Bethesda (3-1). Florence Christian (4-2) and Wilson Hall (4-2) could determine who make the finals. Class 2A will be a four- way battle between Calhoun Academy (6-1), Colleton Prep (6-1), Greenwood Christian (4-1) and Patrick Henry (4-1). Williamsburg Academy (3-1) will have say on who makes the finals. Class 1A will be a battle between Dorchester Academy (5-1) and Dillon Christian (4-2) SCISA 8-Man will have Jefferson Davis Academy (6-0), Laurens Academy (5-0), W.W. King Academy (4-1) and Newberry Academy (4-1) working hard to win the Title. Wardlaw Academy (2-3) can be a sleeper to pull off a surprise finish. The top rushing leaders leading into October are Jordan Blackmon (Dillon Chr) 935 yds, Isaiah Scott-Palacos (Greenwood Chr) 871 yds, Joseph Morse (W W King) 857 yds, Reed Almers (Dorchester) 839 yds, B J Suits (Northside Chr) 712 yds, Parker Kizer (Holly Hill) 673 yds, Derrick Porter (First Baptist) 683 yds, Michael Polite (Northwood) 583 yds, Kai Sobey (Patrick Henry) 558 yds, Caleb Hardy (Laurens Ac) 533 yds, Grant Smalls (Williamsburg) 480 yds and Ethan Porter (Augusta Chr) 447 yds. The top passing leaders going into October are Silas Brawner (Pinewood) 1898 yds, Cam Werntz (Porter-Gaud) 1387 yds, Cale Owens (Colleton Prep) 1312 yds, Kres Langhals (Hilton Head Chr) 1297 yds, Gibbs Isom (First Baptist) 1256 yds, Ethan Collins (Laurens Ac) 1110 yds, Harris Janik (Augusta Chr) 1070 yds and Kevin Johnson (Northwood) 1053 yards. The top pass receivers going into October are Amir Chisolm (Porter-Gaud) 742 yds, Tre Green (Pinewood) 687 yds, Drew Wolfe (Northwood) 640 yds, Lavoris Lucas (Pinewood) 612 yds, Thomas Corbett (Colleton Prep) 540 yds, Joshua Bradley (First Baptist) 507 yds, Jackson Richardson (Hilton Head Chr) 489 yds, Jimmele Smith (Ben Lippen) 447 yds, Wilson Yarborough (Porter-Gaud) 415 yds and Gray Easterling (Dillon Chr) 404 yards. The top tackle leaders going into October are Jacob Bussey (W W King) 73, Mac Strickland (Orangeburg Prep) 72, Allen Chisolm (Porter-Gaud) 66, Luke Sobey (Patrick Henry) 65, Stone Porter (Ben Lippen) 59, Davis Padgett (Palmetto Chr) 58, Eli Seigler (Greenwood Chr) 57, Chandler Rogers (Dillon Chr) 57, Lincoln Dial (Dillon Chr) 57, Zach Weatherford (Holly Hill) 54, Jake Harrington (Jefferson Davis) 53, Scooter Brown (Porter-Gaud) 52 and Eli Garrett (Laurens Ac) 50.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – By the time the November issue of the High School Sports Report goes to press in early November, the pairings and seedings for the AAAAA state football playoffs will be known.  The regular season ends on Oct. 30 with round one of the postseason set for the first Friday night in November. Thus begins the five week trek to the state championship game. Class AAAAA has a clear favorite to win the state title. Defending champion Dutch Fork has shown to be a dominant team with a great defense and an offense that routinely puts up big numbers. Senior quarterback Jaxon Knotts has evolved and matured into one of the state’s top passers, and receiver Maleek Miller is just one of several perimeter weapons. While the Silver Foxes are certainly the team to beat, there are a handful of teams that have the personnel and coaching to put some pressure on Dutch Fork. Northwestern won the last two Division II state titles but that division is no more. Thus, coach Page Wofford and multi-talented quarterback Xavier Means are hoping to contend again. Northwestern has rolled through opponents, scoring at least 50 points in five straight games. The Trojans face a region showdown with Dorman on Oct. 9. The Cavaliers are 6-0 and have shown a steady hand to win close games. Region 2-AAAAA is clearly the top league this fall. Joining Dorman and Northwestern are 5-1 Rock Hill , 5-1 Boiling Springs , and 5-1 Fort Mill . If any of those teams are the “sleeper” in the Upper State it would be Rock Hill. River Bluff and Byrnes should be listed as teams with a chance to advance at least into round three but neither is a true title contender. Undefeated James Island is the top team in the Lower State and, with a weak region, should enter the playoffs with a perfect record. The Trojans have great balance offensively with several playmakers, while the defense is strong at all three levels. Other teams in the Lower State with potential to advance include Ridge View, Sumter, Summervill e and of course Berkeley. Berkeley’s lone loss was to Northwestern. Carolina Forest could also be a team to watch and plays Berkeley in a key region 6-AAAAA clash on Oct. 9.

Daniel senior Jace Grass delivers a pass behind the protection of junior Koda Crocker.

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Goose Creek – The class AA top ten is full of perennial state powers as well a couple of surprises in second ranked Mid Carolina and 10 th ranked Battery Creek, however, looming on the horizon is defending state champion Strom Thurmond. The Rebels are currently 6-0 after defeating AAAA Aiken 28-14.They have dominated their first six opponents by outscoring them 215 to 47. The defense has been especially stingy as they have held four of their opponents to 7 points or less while offensively the Rebels are hitting their stride. They have gotten off to the great start despite only returning 10 starters from last year’s team.  “The standard is the standard. We have good players, some are playing for the first time - it's our job to get those guys ready to play. Our seniors set a goal in the spring to win it again and we are working as hard as we can to help them accomplish their goals,” said head coach Andrew Webb. Coach Webb continued “We have guys who have been in big games and tough situations and their leadership helps us tremendously. They help us to just keep focusing on the next play. Our defense has been very consistent for us and our offense continues to improve.” Wy'Trayvious Dugar, Kaden Wigfall, Gregory Moore, and Bralen Searles are the corner stones of the “Blue Steel Defense.” They are all returning All-Region performers with Dugar and Wigfall being three-year starters. Moore and Dugar are one/two in tackles on the team with 34 and 46, respectively. Wigfall has moved to safety from linebacker, he is also the Rebels second leading rusher with 479 yards, and he is tied for the team lead with 9 touchdowns. Newcomer Mekhi Quiller has been strong at corner with a team high six passes defended. Offensively, junior Zy Rouse has been a jack of all trades as he has played RB, WR, QB and Safety in the first six games. He leads the team in rushing with 559 yards and ha has scored 9 touchdowns. He was a key player in last years run to the championship said coach Webb. Transfer quarterback AJ Hillary continues to improve for us at QB. He has had some games where he has been really sharp. He has thrown for 535 yards and three scores. Returning along the offensive line are seniors John Laster and Hezekiah East . They are the leaders of an offensive line that has paved the way to over 1400 yards rushing as a team. Senior Jakari Gordon is the team’s top receiver with 13 catches for a 227 yards and a score. Junior Preston Holmes has touched the ball 24 times for 367 yards and three touchdowns. “We have to continue to get better in every phase of the game. We have seen growth in a bunch of areas and there are things that we are still working relentlessly at to improve,” said coach Webb. “The Good Lord has blessed us to allow us to play football where football is important. We take a lot of pride in representing the people from the Peach Fields.” The Mid-Carolina Rebels check in at number two as they have gotten off to 5-0 start as they head into region play. Offensively, they are averaging over 40 points a game led by seniors quarterback Davis Ruff , running back Ryker Woolstenhulme and wide outs Cash Knight and Kayden Trappier. Defensively, the Rebels have posted two shut-outs and are allowing only 11 points per game. Woolstenhulme is the teams top tackler while senior defensive lineman Connor May has controlled the line of scrimmage and leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss. They open region play on the road at Chester (2-3). Third ranked Marlboro County moved to 5-0 as they held off Conway 33-30. They are averaging over 38 points a game behind junior quarterback Tre Blakeney as he has accounted for over 1400 yards of offense and 15 scores. Senior linebackers Jamorie Williams and Myjae McCoy have been the leaders on the defense that is allowing 16 points a game. They will host Waccamaw (2-3) in their region opener. They will tangle with 4 th ranked Dillon in four weeks in a game that could determine the region title, provided neither team slips up. The Wildcats of Dillon are 3-1 on the season after an opening game loss to Camden they have won three straight as they get set to host Lake City in their region opener. The Cats are averaging 35 points per game. Seniors Noah Singletary has been the leader on offense while senior linebacker and strong safety Kelvion Manning has been the leader on defense. That unit is giving up 16 points a contest. 10 times state champion Woodruff is ranked number 5. They are 3-2 after dropping their last game to undefeated Chapman. The Wolverines are led by senior Connor Davis, who leads an offense averaging 37 points per game. The Defense is still rounding into shape and is giving up 26 points per. The unit is replacing 10 starters. They will host Landrum (3-2) in their region opener. The sixth ranked Tigers of Saluda are coming a 55-54 loss to Emerald (5-1) that dropped their record to 3-2. They are five points from being undefeated. They are putting up 44 points a game while allowing 26 points but they have played much better. Senior running back Tristan Daniels leads the offense while the defense is led by twin brothers Jayden and Jahmeer Myers. The Tigers will open region play by hosting American Leadership Academy (2-3). The 7 th ranked Woodland Wolverines (4-1) are hosting pre-season top ten Philip Simmons (2-3) in a big region opener for both teams. The Wolverines have played outstanding defense holding four of their five opponents to less than 10 points. Linebacker George Perry (HSSR #94) leads the defense while HSSR’s #79 player quarterback Jervaze Salley leads an offense averaging 31 points a game. The Clinton Red Devils (3-2) check in at number 8. They will host Southside Christian (3-2) in their region opener. The Red Devils are averaging 34 points per game while they are giving up 27 points per game. Senior quarterback Owen Glen leads the offense and senior linebacker Ajavian James is the leader of the defense. Checking in at number 9 are the Eagles of Chesnee, they picked up their fourth win on the year beating Blue Ridge (1-5) 35-19. They will be on the road in their region opener against Mountain View Prep (2-3). Senior quarterback Evan Lawte r leads an offense that is averaging 40 points per game. Defensively, they are giving up 15 points a game. Rounding out the top ten is the surprise team of the year the Battery Creek Dolphins. They are sitting at 5-0 after beating area rival Beaufort 42-18. They will travel to Academic Magnet (4-1) in their region opener. The Dolphins are averaging 37 points per game and allowing 16. They are led by seniors Michael Cohen and Eddie Heyward?

Bamberg-Ehrhardt senior Brian McMillian in the 2025 state title game.

Morris passes for 245 yards and 2 TDs in 42-8 victory over Orangeburg Prep

Demons' Tiyon Fanning, EJ Richardson two of 13 AAAA players selected to Shrine Bowl team

Bruins' Cameron James goes over 1,000 yards; West hands North Myrtle Beach 1st loss

Eagles' Quintin Jackson having big season running and catching football

Crusaders off to a 12-2 start as they chase the SCISA AA state championship

Cavaliers still off to an 8-5 start despite having just two returning starters

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Moncks Corner – The St. John’s Christian Academy finished 14-9 last season earning a trip into the second round of AAA SCISA playoff but they also graduated five seniors so with just two returning players new head coach Trenton Eden knew this would a rebuilding year for the Cavaliers. “My goal as a coach coming into a new program is to always keep expectations at a minimum since it is hard to understand exactly what you will be inheriting. One of the things that I knew would be unavoidable to expect was the idea that a new culture was inevitably going to be created with the addition of three new coaches in myself, Dan Owens, and Dr. Madeline Pinson. We all knew early on that this would be a growth year, and a true test of how the girls would create a cohesive unit and come together, even when the odds were stacked against them,” said coach Eden. Coach continued, “I think one of the most difficult things for us this season is that we have many girls across different grade levels and it has made it a challenge to communicate and form our identity as a group. I have constantly reiterated the need for grace and communicating with a proper tone and it is something the girls are still working on.”  Juniors Lily McKnight and Raleigh Jackson are the only two players that returned to the varsity lineup from last year. They were voted as the teams captains by their teammates. McKnight, an outside hitter, is a returning all-region performer. Last season she finished the year with 26-kills, 31-assists, 14-blocks, and 72-digs. “Lily has been a cornerstone of the team for culture and for performance. She carries herself with a stature of fearlessness and leadership. The other girls like to emulate her in execution and work ethic,” coach Eden said. Jackson is coming off a solid sophomore season where she 18- kills, 26- assists, 17-blocks, and 23-digs. She stepped up to take over the setters role and showed her leadership skills by mentoring the Cav’s younger setter Lily Brindel. She is also an outside hitter. “ Raleigh embodies passion, and grit,” coach Eden said. The rest of the starting lineup consist of middle hitter Allie Sherrill, right side hitter Kyndree Dinkens and libero Nola Hill Sherrill is the team’s most improved player. She has given the Cav’s a presence at the net has been a huge asset. “Allie is eager to learn the game, constantly asking how she can improve, and her attitude has created a position where she is emerging as a natural leader,” says coach Eden. Coach said of his team, “The biggest thing that we need to work on is playing together as a team: understanding that we are not individuals on the court and when we are at our best, we are cohesive and not divisive. I think one of the most difficult things for us this season is that we have many girls across different grade levels and it has made it a challenge to communicate and form our identity as a group. The girls' have every capability and the right toolset to win. They have been prepared and they put in a lot of hard work every week.”

Kaden Conner is a junior and a three-sport athlete at Marlboro Academy, where she plays volleyball, basketball, and golf.

Marlboro Academy senior Colt Stillwell earned All Region and All State honors playing Soccer and, in the classroom, he carries a 5.23 GPA.

The sister duo of Grace and Abigail Hough again leads the Summerville Girls Tennis team.

Camden's senior QB Grayson Rimpf from earlier this season in their win over Dillon.

Logan Rodriguez makes a dig for Fort Dorchester.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - With Gray Collegiate Academy’s volleyball team entering the second half of Region 4-AAAAA play, the War Eagles (18-4, 5-0) are in the driver’s seat for a region title, provided they can hold off Blythewood (11-11, 4-1).  “We’re rolling around this time of year, in the second half of region play,” head coach Shonda Wallace said. “We’re looking to finish strong.” Gray last won a championship in 2023, back when the War Eagles were at the AA classification. Now in AAAAA, the War Eagles are excelling. The team lost Courtney Burgess , who now plays at Virginia Tech , and two other seniors. Burgess had 219 kills (3.3 kills per set), 57 blocks and 53 aces last year as the team went 22-5 and a second-place (13-1) finish in Region 4-AAAA. While Burgess left, five out of six starters returned and, with two transfers, have brought the program to a higher level. “Fans will always wonder if we’re as good (without Burgess) because we lost an impact player,” Wallace said. “But I think we’re just as good if not better with our returners and transfers. We’re playing really well together.” The team showed its togetherness early. Gray started the season using a 6-2 offense (two setters, back row only; six hitters) until one of the setters, sophomore Ela Perez , broke her arm. The War Eagles had to return to a 5-1 offense (one setter; universal) with senior Colby Branham as the setter and didn’t miss a beat “She’s used to running the 5-1 from league volleyball and a lot of the girls were used to playing in that offense,” Wallace said. “She’s our setter, and setters don’t get a lot of the glory but they do a lot of the work. They’re the ones who touch the ball every single time. Branham is getting close to 1,000 career assists since becoming a starter in 2025, with 806 as of Oct. 2. Middle hitters Sadie Williamson , a sophomore, and junior Olivia Ford provide a dynamic boost as well as hitting efficiency. Williamson has 96 kills to Ford’s 95, and Ford has 35 blocks to Williamson’s 32. Junior Libero Haylen Lawson battled injuries last year but has played steady, with a team-leading 206 digs to go with 22 aces and 43 assists. Junior Emily Burgess , Courtney’s sister, is a jack-of-all trades on the court. She has 126 kills, a team-leading 163 rotation points, 243 service attempts, 154 digs, and 246 service receptions. “She does everything for us,” Wallace said. “She has to hit, serve, play defense, and she does all of it well.” Junior transfer Peyton Capps , who leads the team in kills with 163 and has 12 blocks, 92 digs and 151 service receptions, provides an extra punch in the lineup. “She is a super dynamic offensive player,” Wallace said. “Really solid for us and adds to the culture.” Senior outside hitters Brianna Jones (31 kills, 29 blocks) and Sasha Hughes (23 kills, 12 blocks) have come into their own this year. “Brianna’s a 6-footer and right-side attacker, and I enjoy seeing the strides she has made,” Wallace said. “She embodies what the right side does, she has to block at the net and she has to put the ball away.” Hughes, who has been on Wallace’s teams since she was a freshman. “She was an integral part in the 6-2 offense, but when the team had to go back to the 5-1, she had to take a lesser role,” Wallace said. “It’s just the way the offense had to change. She has been extremely patient and learned to be OK with her new role, which is when we need her on the court as an offensive threat. She has been such a good teammate through it all.” With just a few games left in the season, Wallace appreciates the team’s focus at this point in region play. “Our goal from the beginning of the year was to win region, but it’s a game-by-game process,” she said. “we’re playing our best volleyball of the season and we’re working to solidify all of our goals that we wanted to reach by the end of the season.”

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – The run goes on for the Heathwood Hall girls cross country team.  The Highlanders, who won five straight SCISA state championships, got off to a great start in trying for a sixth. The girls took first place in the season-opening Skyhawk Invitational Aug. 15, with a total of 67 points. Junior Annabel Martin finished in sixth place with a time of 19 minutes, 14.84 seconds. Junior Lydia Smith took seventh place, followed by freshman Cate Leppard at 12 th place and sophomore Haley Hicklin at 27 th place. “We got off to a really good start,” Heathwood Hall head coach Willis Ware said. “We finished first at the Skyhawk Invitational and we did really well in the Heathwood Halll Invitational (Aug. 29), where we had several girls set some PRs there and in the Mike Moore Classic (Sept. 12).” Heathwood Hall, which was the only event this season where all seven of the team’s fastest runners competed, finished second in the Invitational it hosted Aug. 29, behind the state’s top girls cross country team, Chapin . Dorothy Hutchins , who did not run in the Skyhawk Invitational, came in third with a personal best, sub-18-minute finish with a time of 17:58.86. Martin bettered her time with a fifth-place finish at 18:29.70 and Smith came in 11 th with a time of 18:58.01, and Leppard finished 39 th at 20:04.46. At the Mike Moore Classic at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, the Highlanders finished second behind Chapin again. Hutchins finished third, and Leppard improved her time to 19:45.90 and finished 11 th . “We have not had my all seven of my fastest girls run together since the Highlander invitational mainly because of alternating runners in events to give some girls a rest and letting some of the other girls run,” Ware explained. “They’re all off to a really good start and I’m really proud of the good job the girls have done with their standing not just in SCISA but also competing hard against Chapin, which is the best cross country team in the state.” The team, with a completely different lineup, finished fifth among the 27-team field in the Hare & Hounds Invitational Sept. 18-19. Aimery Coffey finished 11 th with a time of 18:40.20, followed by Emma Nelson’s 20 th -place finish at 19:22.90, Mikayla Freeland’s 56 th place finish and Carmella Hayes’ 73 rd place finish. Heathwood Hall ran in the Alexander ( Brian Robinson ) Invitational in Douglasville, Ga., last Saturday and will run in the Bob Jenkins SCTCCCA Coaches Classic in Newberry this Saturday. Ware said all of his top runners will be competing there. After those events, the Highlanders will split their roster to run in the Lights Out Invitational at Blythewood and at the VA XC Showcase in Mechanicsville, Va. Both events play out Oct. 17. Two weeks after that comes the SCISA State Cross Country Championships at Heathwood Hall Oct. 31. Naturally, the focus will be whether the home team can walk another trophy into the school and put it in the trophy case. Ware is quick to emphasize that no state title is merely given to the team that’s expected to win it.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – Region 3-AAAAA play has thus far been a challenge for the White Knoll volleyball team. The Timberwolves (12-6) got off to an 8-0 start before stumbling against region foe River Bluff Sept. 15, and later dropped a tournament game and two region games to Lexington , and another game against Chapin . “We’re playing decent as a whole group, but we’re just making simple mistakes that need to be fixed in practice,” head coach Amber Derrick said after her team’s third loss to the Wildcats Oct. 1. “I feel like they can beat any team in our region but it’s just the mental space that we have to be in to be able to do that.” Derrick is not leaning on coach talk. The Timberwolves have already improved over last year’s 8-19-2 mark, which was itself an improvement on the team’s 4-15 record in 2024. She attributes the team’s growth into this year to the Timberwolves’ seven seniors, libero and outside hitter Addisyn Fernandez , libero and defensive specialist Taylor Clariday , defensive specialist and setter Madison Lindler , right-side hitter Marissa Clarke , and middle hitters Natalie Harris , Jayla Taylor , and Samantha Keller . “This group is incredible. I’ve got a lot of leadership on the court,” Derrick said. “My group of seniors is probably one of the best that I’ve had in the past three years. I couldn’t ask for a better group to be leading right now, but we’ve just have to get into our head and make a place.” Fernandez, the primary Libero, keeps the team alive on the floor. “Addy is amazing,” Derrick said. “She can pass, she can set, she can hit, she can do everything. She’s a big key to our success.” As a middle hitter, Harris keeps the volleys going on the court, but Derrick values her as a team mentor. “She has a big impact leadership wise, she takes the girls under her wing and tries to help them as much as she can with her knowledge in the sport as well.” Junior outside hitter Alyssa Hendrix isn’t overshadowed by the seniors. So goes Hendrix, so goes the team, Derrick said. “She’s a key player as well, the team relies on her a lot to gain points and succeed on the court. If she’s having a bad day then we all kind of shut down.” With four games left in the regular season as of Friday, the Timberwolves look to get at least a couple more region wins to help them secure a good postseason berth.  “I sure hope so,” Derrick said. “As long as we show up and play our game anything can happen. We always have our days, which every team does, but most of the time they’re driven and they’re ready to go.”

The Ashley Ridge swim teams placed first in both the boys’ and overall divisions at the 5A Region 5 Swimming Championships.

East Claredon's win over Manning improved the Wolverines to 4-2 in the region

Monarchs use 3-prong rushing attack of Stevenson, Thames, Baxter in comeback

Previews: Boiling Springs-NW; Dorman-Fort Mill; North Augusta-Irmo; Hanahan-OCA; Pinewood-Ben Lippen; Dorchester-CPA

South Carolina has another outstanding staff coaching our 2026 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas Sandlapper team.

SC Commitment Jackson Ross With Hammond Head Coach Jon Wheeler After 17-10 Win Over Northwood Academy.

"I truly don’t care who we’re playing. We need to be the best version of us.," Gilbert head coach Ozzie Exume said.

New Rankings for SCHSL and SCISA Football!

SCHSL region play begins in earnest this week with only three non-region games on the slate