Andrew Jackson beats Landrum 78-60 to capture AA girls basketball state title

Berkeley basketball teams headed into state playoffs By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – As the 2024-25 regular season winds down, the best teams in the state are looking forward to the upcoming state playoffs. The boys and girls basketball teams at Berkeley High are among those teams that will enter the Division II-AAAAA state playoffs with a chance to contend for the Lower State title. Both teams have put together solid seasons and have been ranked in the top 10 all season long.  Girls coach Crystal Peace has worked through some lean years as she rebuilt the program and now has the Stags as a viable product on the floor. As of Feb. 7, Berkeley was 17-5 overall and 6-1 in region 7-AAAAA. The region and regular season wraps up on Feb. 14. Peace is winning with a young roster, which bodes well for future success. Freshman Alaina Carter is the leading scorer at 12.4 points per game. Sophomore Amani McCray averages 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and junior Demi Gray adds 8.5 points per game. Junior Aiyanna Moses adds 7.6 points per game while junior Madison Thomas chips in six points per outing. Sophomore forward Imani Levey anchors the inside with 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds. Levey scored 15 points in a recent region win over Goose Creek. That win on Feb. 4 avenged Berkeley’s only region loss, a 49-48 setback. “I appreciate the girls accepting their roles and doing what we ask them to do,” Peace said. “They work extremely hard.” Matthew Mullins’ boys team put together an 11-game streak in the first month of the season and sat at 15-5 overall and 3-3 in region play as of Feb. 4. The Stags are locked in a battle for second in the standings with county rival Cane Bay and out of region title contention after two losses to Goose Creek. Junior forward Damien Kinloch continues to set the pace in scoring at 14 points per game. Sophomore wing John Cleveland adds about 12 points and senior guard Cam Palmer has been a solid all-around performer. Justin Suarez and Jordan Livingston also have been solid contributors. “We’re a bit deeper than we have been the last couple of years,” Mullins said. “Some of the guys have come up from the jayvee and we haven’t missed a bear.” The duals portion of the wrestling season is complete and the focus now turns to the battle for individual state championships. Berkeley has four wrestlers in contention for the state tournament. All four are ranked in the top 12 in AAAAA in their weight class. Hunter Drawdy is ranked 11 th in the 285-pound class while Landon Jackson is ranked No. 8 at 215 pounds. Aiden President is ranked 10 th at 190 and John Clarke is ranked 11 th at 144 pounds.

Camden's Senior Morgan Champion

Woodland Girls basketball Team Clinches Play-0ff Berth With Win Over Academic Magnet  By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dorchester —The Woodland girls’ basketball team played their best offensive game of the season against Academic Magnet at home on February, 7 th to claim a 54-36 win and clinch a fourth- place play-off spot also. Two returning all-region players for the Lady Wolverines stood out in the big win. Sophomore guard Jalina Goodwin scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds, had four steals and three assists in the big region win. Teammate, senior Makiza White (team captain) scored 12 points, recovered 8 rebounds, and had four assists in the win. Junior guard Carmen Allen contributed 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal in the win over Academic Magnet while 8 th grader Lenaya Ross scored seven points and pulled down 10 rebounds. “We came into the game with Academic Magnet averaging 35 points a game so to have our best game of the season with 54 points is very encouraging,” said head coach Austin Jefferies. “Depending on how the bracket shakes out and I can definitely see us winning one or two play-off games if we continue to play well.” Prior to the game with Academic Magnet the HSSR visited Coach Jeffries in the Woodland gym for some comments on the team. “We work hard on our defense every game, seeing the ball and seeing the man and keeping up with the ball is,” said Coach Jeffries. “We do not have a double figure type scorer like we had last year (Gaddis now at Coker after averaging 17 a game as a senior). “My point guards this season, one is in the 7 th grade ( Essence Walker ) and the other is a sophomore ( Jalina Goodwin ), so we are young there right now,” said Coach Jeffries. Goodwin went into the Academic Magnet game averaging 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds a game along with 1.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Walker was averaging 4.8 points a game. “Jalina is still in that development stage but she has a lot of potential if she will keep working hard,” said Coach Jeffries. “It is a learning process but she is coming along really well.” Woodland starts four guards. One of the first subs off the bench is 8 th grader Brazil Nelson who brings a lot of energy to the court when she comes in. “Brazil is a defensive stopper,” said the coach. Some other key reserves include junior forward Mercedes Breeland , senior point guard Janette Gates , sophomore guard Emani Smalls , senior small forward Linda White , sophomore Makaila Adgerson , sophomore center Sh’mya James , and junior center Alishanee Ford .

Ashley Hall completes another season in basketball By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – While successful in several sports, the Ashley Hall girls basketball program has struggled in recent years to field competitive teams. As an all-girls school with a wide range of academic and extra-curricular activities and challenges, the student population often has very little basketball experience. The program has a new head coach this season as Neshonda Brown takes over for coach Jodie Runner. Despite a lack of talent and experience, Brown has continued to teach and develop the players, realizing that big-time success is not likely. Ashley Hall competes in the same region as SCISA powers Northwood Academy and First Baptist. Ashley Hall managed one win in their first 13 outings. Senior Gates McCants sets the pace for the varsity as the starting point guard and the team’s leading scorer. “She’s a competitor at heart who gets after it on both ends of the court,” Runner said last season. Supporting at the guard position are senior Iris Stiegman , sophomore Molly Mettler . Primary workers in the post include senior Faye Bailey . The team’s other senior is Sims Wadley. Ro unding out the roster are junior Ashley Jackson , sophomores Liza Hood . Mary Collins , Sally Rowson, Kamya Heyward, Minka Tang , Shila Sniderman; and freshman Mollie McDougald .

Andrews Lady Yellowjackets working for the future By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – The Andrews girls basketball program has been a work in progress in Head Coach Tevin Wallace first two years and while the wins have been hard to come the Lady Yellowjackets are becoming more competitive through hard work and learning the system coach Wallace is implementing. “My expectations coming into this year were to be competitive, learn how to play together as a team, and build comradery amongst each other. We are a very young team with only 1 senior this year so we have some talent that we can build on for the next 2 to 5 years,” coach Wallace said. Coach continued, “Even though this year we did not win like we thought we could, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our girls are ready for the off season so they can work on not just individual games but to work together as a team. I like where we are headed and if we continue to work hard we will get there.” The Lady Yellowjackets start all underclassmen in junior Briana Walker, sophomores Camaria Gibson and Chloe Skipper and freshmen Railey Gibson and Makayla Singleton. Gibson is the team’s point guard and leads the team in scoring (12.4), rebounds (5.6) and steals (2.7). She is the engine and continues to get better each day. Singleton has made a big impact in her first year on the varsity. She is second in scoring at 5.5 ppg. and in steals at 2.6 per game while fellow freshman Gibson has also shown her all-around game. The team’s lone senior Shanya Coachman has played solid in the paint and is second on the team in rebounding, grabbing over four boards a game. Junior Jade Wallace, sophomores Tyler George and Armani Williams, freshman Ana Kate Lambert, eighth grader Elisa Dunmore and seventh grader Nyla Brown 7 th round out the Lady Yellowjackets roster. Wallace has been solid off the bench. “The biggest area my team has improved on since the start of the year is confidence in their own play. I am starting two freshmen and at the beginning of the season it showed. The speed on the varsity level and the tough team that we played at the beginning of the year such as Berkeley, Kingstree, and Carvers Bay just to name a few really tested them. They responded by working harder in practice and getting better. We are headed in the right direction,” said coach Wallace.

Coach Hammonds Praises Efforts Of His Young Barnwell Girl’s basketball Team By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — William Hammonds has just concluded his 9 th season as the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Barnwell High, and with a roster full of freshman and sophomores, he is already looking towards the future. “It was a disappointing season but this young group of players never quit and they kept improving all the time,” said Coach Hammonds. “We had 10 freshman and sophomores on our roster this season and this is the youngest team that I have had at Barnwell.”  The managed three wins on the season, beating Edisto twice and Blackville - Hilda once. “We got a late start to the season with our football team competing for a state title,” said Coach Hammonds. ” We kept improving and the other night we lost a heart-breaker to Whale Branch 38-36 when we had every opportunity to win the game. “We have two final season games left against Whale Branch and Bridges Prep and it would be a great confidence builder if we could both these games,” said Coach Hammonds. “We start one senior, two juniors and three sophomores. “We have a good upside for next season with so many young players in our program,” said Coach Hammonds. The starting line-up this season consisted of junior point guard Gabrielle Thomas who averaged around 8 points a game. Junio small forward Madeline Brown was the top rebounder on the team and she averaged three points with 8 rebounds per game. Sophomore 5-11 power forward Sa’Mya Ford was another top rebounder who averaged six points and six rebounds a game. The team’s best on-ball defender was four- year varsity member Eriana Abney who scored three points a game and she led the team in steals. Sophomore guard Savannah Rountree was among the team’s best outside shooters and she averaged around 8 points a game. Senior power forward Sa’Bryanna Smalls was the team’s best inside player and she was effective controlling the paint. Small forward Jakayla Hill was the only other senior on the team. Other juniors returning next season include small forward Ashley Barrett , along with Samarious Mayes , Additional sophomores include guard Kalieh Caldwell who was an early sub this past season with good defensive skills, forward Gracie Carter , Alyanna Palmer , an 5-10 center Sharon Smalls was among the first off, the bench. Juliyah Brown is a forward sophomore with potential to develop also. Taliayh Jones , Bre’Yanna Bostick , and Khamor Washington are current freshmen who should provide depth next season also.

Andrew Jackson Academy Boy’s & Girl’s Basketball Headed To The Play-offs By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt —With five players sitting out for various reasons the Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors had several players step up to defeat Thomas Heyward , 46-45, on February 7 that clinched a three-way tie for the region championship. “Super proud of how our players stepped up and did really well with us short-handed,” said head coach Josh Barnes . “We had three teams all finish 8-2 in the region and the tie breaker favors all three of us depending on what team we compare our scores too.  “Bethesda is 8-2 and Thomas Heyward is 8-2 and I have been coaching for so long I will wait for the bracket to come out Wednesday night and then start getting ready for the team we have to play,” said Coach Barnes. “If you play well you will advance in the play-offs and if you do not you go home and the season is over.” Against Thomas Heyward, with the team’s backs against the wall, Hayden McClung poured in 20 points and Hall Sease scored five points and hauled in a season high 15 rebounds. Ollie Barnes held the Rebel’s top offensive player to three points with his stellar defense and added 9 points on offense. Elijah Davis, a 6-3 Big, had to guard a quicker guard for the first time all season and he held hi sown while contributing 10 points. “We had senior Jacobe Best start and he hustled and played well on both sides of the ball as well,” said Coach Barnes. The team will play a non-region game against Dorche4ster Academy on February, 10 to conclude the regular season. Currently the team has four Warriors scoring in double figures. They include senior combo guard Gage Dicks who is averaging 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, three assists, and 2.6 steals. Dicks is considered a next level prospect. Junior Vashahd Schofield is a 6-3 power forward averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Senior point guard Hayden McClung is at 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds as the regular season ends. McClung is also averaging four assists and 2.7 steals. Ollie Barnes is at 12 points and 1,8 assists a game. Sophomore Hall Sease (6-3, 170) is averaging 8 points and 8.6 rebounds starting the SCISA basketball play-offs. Sophomore guard Colin Carter is averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds a game and senior Carter Brunson - Brown is averaging 7.1 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. Jacobe Best is at two points and 2.9 rebounds a game. Several hard-working reserves include junior forward Tanner Chassereau , junior forward Tres Mixon , and sophomore forward Eli Mathys. “What we really need to do is step up our defense with the play-offs starting and we need to play with better team unity on the floor,” said Coach Barnes. “We tried some different things on defense against Thomas Heyward the other night and holding a team down to 45 points was our best defensive effort of the season. “Once the play-offs start you have to be playing your best basketball or your season is over,” said Coach Barnes. “We have not played our best game yet and I hope that starts happening in the play-offs.” AJA Girl’s 11-10, 4-2 & Will Earn Spot In Play-offs With a 11-10, and 4-2 record the AJA Lady Warriors basketball team, under the direction of head coach Zach Boltin , showed steady progress throughout the 2024-25 season and they will be earning a spot in the upcoming SCISA play-offs. Some highlights to the season included a rare 37-24 win over Patrick Henry back in December and it had been a while since the team had defeated PHA in girls’ basketball. In that signature win sophomore guard Bella Carrigg scored 23 points and freshman Harlo Sease had 13 points. McKinley Beard had seven points and double-digit rebounds while senior Rileigh Barnes and Ryleigh Trivette each contributed two points. In the team’s recent win over HTCC, Kinslie Carson had 14 points while Beard had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Trivette scored 9 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the win. At the end of the regular season Beard is the top scorer at 11 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. Carrigg is at 8.6 points and two assists a game. Sease comes next at 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Carson is averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds an outing. Barnes, a senior team captain, is averaging three points and 3.5 rebounds a game while Trivette is at four points and 5 rebounds per game.

Chapin girls, boys hanging in there By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - The Chapin girls basketball team (11-13, 3-5 Region 4-5A) has been on the losing end more often than not this season, but it’s not because the Eagles haven’t been working. “I’ll be honest, our schedule has been really tough, filled with Top 10 teams,” head coach Chad Boland said. We’ve played Camden , played (1A No.3) Denmark - Olar twice, (5A Division 1 No.2) Blythewood twice, (5A Division I No.9 ) Dorman once, and that was before a tough region schedule. As far as losses, we’ve had more than we’ve wanted, but we’ve been a little bit more competitive than we have been.” Chapin has just two seniors on the team and a lot of young talent that has kept the Eagles afloat through a difficult schedule. Junior Reagan Haggard is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. “Reagan been our leader since eighth grade. I think she’s led us in scoring all four years she’s been here,” Boland said. “She’s an all-around player. She’s played in all five positions, but she needs to be on the wing or in the post. We’ve had her at the point so her stats are a little down, but she can play any position.” Senior guard Brooke Holmes averages 8.7 points and four rebounds per game, and junior center Sami Stephenson , in her third year, averages 6.4 points and 5.5 rebounds and has been effective at getting the ball inside. Another point guard, freshman Mary Ann Woods , has not been a big scorer but she gets the ball distributed well, Boland said. The team’s other senior, guard Keke Wright averages 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds but is the team leader. “Keke is the heart and soul of the team, very athletic,” Boland said. “She’s our best defensive player.” Some up and comers include sophomore forward Ava Love , and 6-foot sophomore center Atyria Douglas. “Ava really gives us a lift. She plays small forward but she also plays everywhere,” Boland said. “Atyria has taken the biggest leap. She’s only played basketball for a few years but she’s started half our games and has come off the bench. She can move people around the court.” Chapin looks to finish strong against Irmo Tuesday and at White Knoll Thursday, and if the Eagles finish in fourth place they may well get into the postseason. Regardless of how they finish, they have a good chance of getting better next season. “There’s no doubt they should be a pretty good team for the next couple of years, that’s the goal,” Boland said. “Yes, they’re young, but I’m tired of saying that. We’ve lost a couple of seniors every year, and it’s not a lie that we’re young, but it’s time to pick it up.”  The Chapin boys (8-15, 1-6) had already won more games than last year (6-18) at the start of region play. Since January the Eagles have had a rough go and are currently in fifth place, playing Irmo Tuesday and White Knoll Thursday.

Christ Church Girls hoops building for the future By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Greenville – Christ Church Episcopal Lady Cavaliers Head Coach Jordan Filiatreau knew moving to Class AAA from Class A could be a struggle for his team especially with only two seniors returning from last season’s third round playoff team. “I knew we would be young and we would go through some growing pains. The jump to 3A has been tough and to get us ready we scheduled 4 and 5A competition in the non-conference. While our record may not show it but our team has not given. They continue to get better every day. Our goals for the rest of the season are to steal a game come playoffs and continue to build culture into the 2025-2026 Season,” said coach Filiatreau. Coach continued, “The biggest area that the team has improved is changing the brand of basketball we are trying to play from Iso ball to consistent ball movement. This has cut down on turnovers and gets more girls involved in the flow of the game.” Seniors Linda Rogers and Caroline Johnson have been sold defensively all year and have been the leaders of the team. Johnson, a three-sport star, leads the team in scoring at 9 points per game, leads the team in three’s with 20 and is second in steals with 2.8 per game. She has over 500 career points and has a shot at getting to 200 career rebounds and steals. Junior Sydney Shaw , Isla Boyd , and Emma Blair Jones have been solid all season and have provided valuable minutes in the paint all year. Coach is excited about his sophomore class as they have contributed all over the court and have Gotten better each day. Saddler Fox , Sopia Mahfood, Katy Cox, Cason McCall, Katie Greco, and Ryan Hunt make up the class. Cox is a three-point specialist and is tied for second on the team with 17. Fox also has 17 three’s on the year. She is second in scoring at 6.5 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 4.6 per game while Hunt leads the team in rebounding at 5.4 a game. Mahfood is the team leader in steals at 3.9 thefts a game. She is also an outstanding soccer player scoring 16 points as a freshman. Freshman Ava Lanzi has played in every game and has provided solid minutes off the bench.