Panthers win 12 straight games before falling to eventual AA state champion Clinton

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – With the 2024 football season drawn to a close, several Midlands teams had much to celebrate. Region 4-5A rivals Dutch Fork and Irmo reached the two SCHSL 5A state championship games in December. The Silver Foxes celebrated their ninth state championship after beating Summerville 35-21 in the Division 1 game and Irmo fell 34-31 against Northwestern in the Division 2 game. In November SCISA power Hammond won its eighth straight state championship with a 28-21 victory over Porter Gaud in the 4A final game. Richard Winn outplayed Laurens Academy 43-6 for the 8-man state championship, its first since 2014. Other notable playoff performances include Fairfield Central , which reached the 2A upper state championship game at Clinton , and Batesburg-Leesville , which had a surprising 12-1 season following its 5-6 effort in 2023. It was the Panthers’ first winning season since 2019. Dutch Fork claims ninth state championship The Silver Foxes made the regular season and playoffs look easy. With a roster heavy with 31 seniors hardened from a difficult yet successful 2023 state title win, Dutch Fork blew through the competition, never falling behind racking up six shutouts and outscoring opponents 474-73 going into the championship game. Summerville (13-1) gave the Silver Foxes a shock in the 5A Division 1 state championship game Dec. 13 when it went up 14-6 early in the second quarter. “Just stay the course,” Tom Knotts told the team by that point. “We knew there were some things we could do and we were shooting ourselves in the foot, we were letting our emotions take over, and we did some things really I thought were uncharacteristic of the way we played this year. We played in the first half like it was our first game of the year.” Dutch Fork did get things straight. Junior quarterback Ethan Offing connected with senior Boykin Bickley for a 19-yard touchdown pass, and then found Jalen Montgomery in the end zone for the game-tying 2-point conversion. B.J. Platts later powered into the end zone from eight yards out to give the Silver Foxes a 21-14 lead at the half. Offing found Bickley again for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14 in the third quarter. After Summerville responded with a third-quarter touchdown, Platts’ 38-yard TD run with two minutes left in the game secured the win for the Silver Foxes. “This is a very deserving senior group,” Knotts said. “I wasn’t pleased with the way we won, we played with a lot of effort and the game just got a little chippy for my liking but we did come out with a ‘W’ which is always a great thing.” Two senior defenders, Georgia Tech commit and cornerback/strong safety Elgin Sessions and South Carolina commit Josh Smith made the South Carolina Football Coaches Association’s All-Classification All-State team. Four seniors, running back Maurice Anderson , offensive lineman Cayden McFadden , defensive back Derek Smith and wide receiver K.J. Smith were selected to the 5A All-State Team. Late FG lifts Northwestern over Irmo in 5A Division 2 final Much like its crosstown rival, Irmo (12-2) breezed through the regular season under the leadership of passing and running quarterback A.J. Brand . The Virginia Tech commit passed for 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,029 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. The Yellow Jackets’ only slip was a 24-14 loss at Dutch Fork Nov. 8 to close out the regular season. The Yellow Jackets beat Chapin and West Florence convincingly, then hung on to beat White Knoll 29-25 to reach the 5A Division 2 championship game against unbeaten Northwestern Dec. 14. The Yellow Jackets led 17-10 after a Matthew Fish field goal early in the third quarter, but Brand ran for a touchdown to tie the game. After Irmo forced a turnover on downs, Brand rushed 20 yards for another score to put the Yellow Jackets up 24-17 early in the fourth quarter. Irmo’s first and only lead of the game was short-lived. Quarterback Finley Polk connected with Kameron Vance for two touchdowns to take a 31-24 lead with about four minutes to go. Brand, who finished the night 12-for-17 in passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and with 21 carries for 168 yards and two scores, connected with Donovan Murph for the game-tying touchdown pass in the final minute. Murph, who committed to South Carolina Jan. 2, had eight catches for 123 yards and two TDs. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, Polk led the team 70 yards to the Irmo 10-yard line in that time. Fish lined up for a 27-yard field goal and hit it as time expired. “I know they hurt and I hurt also,” Coach Brand said. “We’ve got a bunch of winners. We’ve got a bunch of playmakers and our playmakers made plays. Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough stops and that early turnover. “Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you, and tonight was not our night and they got us at the end,” he added. “There's something to be said about going perfect all year. It is what it is. I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I wish we could get a couple of those drives back.” Murph, who had 1,328 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, made the All-Classification All State team, along with offensive lineman Ryan Love and Brand. Brand was selected for the all-purpose spot because of his passing and running for 4,629 total yards and 57 total touchdowns. Irmo reached the Division 2 championship by eliminating region rival White Knoll 29-25 Dec. 6. The Timberwolves finished the season 8-6. Defensive back Devin Geronomi made the All-Classification All-State team. Quarterback Landon Sharpe made the 5A All-State team. Hammond’s game-winning drive clinches eighth straight state championship The Hammond football team edged Porter Gaud 28-21 in the closing minute of the game Nov. 22 to claim yet another state championship, but the Skyhawks’ eighth straight state title and 22 nd in school history did not come easily. After Porter Gaud’s game-tying score and a Hammond fumble that nearly spelled disaster, the 13-0 Skyhawks made good on Andrew Turner’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Michael Tyler with 45 seconds left. “Just so proud of this group, their resilience, their fight,” Hammond head coach Jon Wheeler said after the game. “We’ve been down at halftime in three of our last four state championship games. This team is battle-tested and they rise to the occasion.” Porter Gaud tied the game at 21 on Tony Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run—the first play of the fourth quarter. The Cyclones drained the clock on that 51-yard drive, using 15 plays to tie the game with just under 12 minutes to go. Hammond lost the football on the next possession, which set Porter Gaud on the Skyhawks’ 17-yard line. Poised to take their first lead of the game, the Cyclones actually had a touchdown play shortly after taking over, but the play was called back for a holding penalty. After that flag, the Hammond defense forced Porter Gaud so far back that it had to punt from the Hammond 38. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a defense because we were outmatched up front,” Wheeler said. “I’ve got to give credit to our defense for just fighting and fighting. I’m just so proud of them.” That stand gave the break that the Skyhawks offense needed to close out the game. They went 80 yards and drained the rest of the fourth quarter on the drive. When it came time for points on the board, Wheeler said he knew what play to run. “We haven’t tried a 40-yard field goal all year. Let’s put it in the hands of our senior quarterback, our senior offense, our skill players,” he said. “Let’s see if we can hit a pass and it’s déjà vu with Mike Tyler. And if we missed it, they’ve got 40 seconds and one time out, and they’re a running team, it’d go to overtime. Mike T and Andrew made a play, the offensive line protected, and that drive was unbelievable.” It was the second straight year that a Turner-to-Tyler connection won the state championship. Hammond beat Laurence Manning 28-21 in 2023. RWA claims first state football title since 2014 Richard Winn Academy’s surprise of a season ended on a happily unsurprising note Nov. 22 with a 43-6 victory over Laurens Academy at Wyman King Academy’s football field. Senior quarterback Charlie Bonds closed out his high school career rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and passing for 155 yards and two scores. As head coach Paul Brigman explained, as Charlie Bonds and his fellow seniors go, so goes the team. “It’s the leadership that we got from those senior guys most of all. Charlie Bonds has been one of our best guys,” Brigman said. “Charlie has led the team from ninth grade on and this group’s been together for a long time. They’ve been a joy to coach and so receptive to coaching and just wanting to get better. In the end it turned out like we wanted it to. It was a great win.” The Eagles (12-0) ran straight through the regular season with none of their games even close. Richard Winn’s dominance throughout the year was reminiscent of the school’s back-to-back 2A state championships in 1995-1996 under head coach David Porter . “We got the ball and scored and went from there. It’s kind of our plan the whole time,” Bonds said. “We couldn’t have done much better, I’ll say that.” Bonds led the offense throughout the year. Bonds went 52-for-69 in passing for 1,406 yards, 23 touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushing 107 times for 1,226 yards and 22 TDs. FC falls to Clinton in 2A upper state championship Fairfield Central’s drive to reach a state championship game for the first time in 27 years fell one game short. The Griffins, who won 12 straight games after a season-opening loss to 5A Ridge View, fell 32-21 to Clinton Friday night at the Red Devils’ Wilder Stadium. “If you would have told me back in May that we would have made it to the upper state championship, I would’ve looked at you like you was crazy,” 14-year head coach Demetrius Davis said about his team’s surprise year in which the Griffins caught fire early and outscored opponents 587-199 going into the Clinton game. “This team played like heck. This defense played, and let me tell you, man, I’m super proud of these kids,” Davis added. Senior running back and Shrine Bowl pick Ty’Darion Grier , who had 1,983 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns going into Friday, led Fairfield Central with 212 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Quarterback Kaden Diggs , who had 655 passing yards and 607 rushing yards before Friday, had a 19-yard touchdown run and 76 yards on 13 carries. B-L falls to Red Devils in 3 rd Round Although falling 31-14 to Clinton in the third round of the playoffs Nov. 29, Batesburg-Leesville celebrated a reawakening of its football team that has won five state championships. Since going 8-8 in 2019, The Panthers have won 15 out of 34 games going into the 2024 season. Greg Lawson , in his third season as head coach of Batesburg-Leesville, saw his team blossom. The Panthers showed themselves to be prolific scorers, outscoring opponents 493-21 on the year. The defense threw six shutouts. Batesburg-Leesville won the Region 2-2A championship easily, and blasted Columbia 42-6 and Andrew Jackson 49-14 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Only Clinton, which went on to rout Barnwell 35-6 in the 2A state championship game Dec. 12, got the best of the Panthers. At 12-1, Batesburg-Leesville’s record is the best since 2013, when the Panthers went 12-2 and won the 2A state championship under Jerry Brown. RNE’s Wilson claims Mr. Football title Will Wilson , a wily and prolific quarterback who singlehandedly led Richland Northeast to an 8-4 record, was selected as the 30 th recipient of the South Carolina Mr. Football award. He is the 11 th quarterback to win the award. Wilson received the recognition at halftime of the Touchstone energy Cooperatives Bowl at Myrtle Beach’s Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium Dec. 21. Wilson, a North Carolina State signee, completed 66.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,482 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,144 yards and 20 touchdowns. He missed two games after having his knee scoped. Other finalists for the award were Westside quarterback Cutter Woods , Rock Hill wide receiver Malik Clark , Belton-Honea Path running back Marquiese Henderson , and Gaffney offensive lineman Shed Sarratt . Midlands Top 10 1. Dutch Fork (13-0, 5-0 Region 4-5A) 2. Irmo (13-2, 4-1 Region 4-5A) 3. River Bluff (10-3, 3-2 Region 4-5A) 4. Batesburg-Leesville (12-1, 5-0 Region 2-2A) 5. Fairfield Central (12-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A) 6. Hammond (13-0, 7-0 SCISA Region 4A) 7. Camden (9-3, 4-2 Region 3-4A) 8. Ridge View (8-5, 5-1 Region 5-5A) 9. Newberry (7-4, 4-0 Region 4-3A) 10. AC Flora (8-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – At long last, the regular season came to an end and the Class AA state playoffs are upon us. The brackets are set and the fans of the favorites are hoping to make plans in mid-December for Orangeburg and the state finals scene. Who are the favorites in AA? Is there a sleeper or two that may surprise everyone and get to the title game. Most of the time, the teams that survive the grind and reach the fifth week of the playoffs, the title game, are teams that everyone who follows the sport predicts will be there. Let’s have a little fun and handicap the AA field. My process is to list my top four teams in the Upper State bracket and top four in the Lower State, as I see it. Any team not in my top four would be considered a sleeper to make it through the bracket. But, it can be done. In the Upper State, my No. 1 team is Batesburg-Leesville . I know, shocker. The 10-0 Panthers have answered every challenge and have proven to be quite formidable. They allow seven points per game with a defense that has speed and physicality. Nearly half of the total points they have allowed in 10 games came in one game, to Abbeville, in a two-point win. Abbeville is the top-ranked team in Class A and their coach , Jamie Nickles , is a believer. “They are certainly capable of winning the state championship,” he said. Running back Amadre Wooden and quarterback Tanner Watkins are a solid one-two punch offensively. Wooden has rushed for more than 1,500 yards and Watkins has passed for more than 1200 yards. My No. 2 pick to win the Upper State is Clinton. The 7-2 Red Devils have lost only to Woodruff and Daniel. Each of those teams has just one loss this season. The tough non-region schedule makes me feel the Red Devils are battle-tested for close, big games. Quarterback Tashawan Richardson makes it all go for the offense with James Cook adding a major threat in the run game. My No. 3 pick in the Upper State is Fairfield Central . The Griffins lost their season opener to Ridge View and have won nine straight games since. The scouting report needs just one word – speed. The Griffins can run and are explosive. Running back Tydarion Grier has gained more than 1.400 yards and averages 9.3 yards per carry. And, my No. 4 is Saluda . The Tigers’ only loss came to Batesburg-Leesville and they would love another shot at their region rivals. Saluda is another of the top defensive teams in AA and defense wins championships. Tahe your pick as the favorite in the Lower State cause several teams have a shot. My No. 1 going in is Barnwell . While not flashy or dominant, the Warhorses are solid and athletic. Senior Cameron Austin is a great leader at quarterback and if they have success on the ground, game over. No. 2 is Barnwell rival Hampton County . Again, the Hurricanes run the football and have good solid play at quarterback. They made a good run a year ago and I think their confidence level is high. The last two favorite picks are difficult and I ended up with three teams for two spots. At No. 3 I am going with Cheraw . The 8-2 Braves are not great at anything but very solid at most. Running back Cam McClendon is a threat to score from anywhere and the defense gets after it pretty good. For No. 4, I am sharing the spot between Manning and Philip Simmons . Manning has just one loss, the season opener to Crestwood, but their schedule and region was not overly difficult.  Philip Simmons went undefeated in a tougher region and seems to be peaking at the right time. The Iron Horses have a veteran quarterback and they really play hard on defense. Class AA state playoff first-round pairings Upper State Pelion at Clinton Strom Thurmond at Chester Columbia at Batesburg-Leesville Andrew Jackson at Liberty Chesterfield at Fairfield-Central Ninety Six at Chesnee Landrum at Central Mid-Carolina at Saluda Lower State Academic Magnet at Barnwell Lake City at Timberland Edisto at Cheraw Andrews at East Clarendon North Central at Manning Woodland at Hampton Co. Mullins at Philip Simmons Kingstree at Whale Branch

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Batesburg-Leesville – Greg Lawson had high expectations for the Batesburg-Leesville High School football team coming into the season. The third-year Panthers head coach had nine starters back on offense and eight on defense. Well, at the midpoint of the season Batesburg-Leesville was 5-0. The Panthers were dominant in four of those victories, but it was the one they barely won in which Lawson saw so much potential. Batesburg-Leesville defeated perennial AA power Abbeville , now in Class A, 37-35 on the road. “We exceeded my expectations a little bit in that game. The Abbeville game was a big step,” Lawson said of AA B-L’s second game of the year. “There were no mistakes. It was just two teams that pounded each other. “That one was one where we exceeded, the kids stepping u0 a little more than I thought. We were never behind, leading from beginning to end.” The Panthers outscored the opposition 218-42 in those five games. They have been able to put points on the board both running the football as well as throwing it. When it comes to getting yards on the ground, Batesburg-Leesville hands it to running Amadre Wooden and lets him run behind a veteran offensive line. Wooden had 90 carries for 824 yards and nine touchdowns. “He’s done real well,” Lawson said of Wooden. “I thought he was a little off in the first half (of a 48-0 win over Mid-Carolina), but he’s been very good. “The offensive line is doing a great job. He’s not doing it by himself. He’s not getting touched until he’s 10 yards down the field a lot of times.” The offensive line has three seniors in tackles Matthew Howard and Ty Anderson and guard Kaleb McKeiver . The other starters are juniors Preston Smith at center and Travis Gates at guard. Quarterback Tanner Watkins has only thrown the football 45 times, but he has made the most of those chunks. He’s completed 36 passes – a completion percentage of 80 percent – for 676 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception. He’s averaging 15 yards an attempt and 18.8 yards per completion. KD Whitt is a big play waiting to happen whether catching the ball or running with it. He has 13 catches for 331 yards and seven touchdowns while running the ball six times for 106 yards and three more TDs. He’s averaging 17.7 yards a carry and 25.5 yards a catch. Whitt has also returned a kickoff for a score. Jamerius Clark had 11 catches for 148 yards and three scores. “Basically we’ve been taking what they give us,” Lawson said. “Sometimes we use the run to set up the pass, and sometimes we use the pass to set up the run. sets up pass. It depends on what they’re playing defensively. “If they’re lined up in man, we feel like KD Whitt and Jamerius Clark on the outside are better than their guys. If they get in our face and challenge us, dare us to throw the football, we’re going to throw it.” The biggest challenge to Watkins came in the Abbeville game. He threw 16 passes, completing 14 of them for 267 yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions. “Our quarterback has done a great job managing the game, doing what we ask him to do,” Lawson said. “He’s good at distributing the football.” Outside of the Abbeville game, the B-L defense has been lights out. It has forced 10 turnovers, recovering six fumbles and coming up with four interceptions. “We’ve got three shutouts, so we’ve done a real good job,” Lawson said. “We rotate a lot of people in. The defensive coaches have done a real good job of preparing them for what’s coming at them.”

Hammond staying atop SCISA Class AAAA

Batesburg-Leesville, Greg Lawson, 3 season as Football Head Coach

Door is Wide Open for Class AA Football State Championship in 2024!

By: Jay Hendrix Two Batesburg-Leesville track and field athletes brought home state championships in the Class AA championships last month. Junior Ja’Quan Corley and Freshman Kiera Frye each won the championship in discus. Corley led the boys team to a 15 th place finish with his winning throw of 47.9 meters. In 2023 Frye placed sixth with her sister Keiley Frye placing second. Frye’s winning throw of 37.69 meters helped the Panthers to a 16 th place finish. Frye also placed fourth in the shot put. Kirsharn “K.D.” Whitt also earned all-state honors with his sixth place finish in the long jump. Frye also earned the Region 3-AA female track athlete of the year due to scoring the most points at the region meet after winning both the discus and shot put. Brayan Villaseca-Torres was the boys Region 3-AA male track athlete of the year as he won three individual events at the region meet and was a part of another. Villaseca-Torres won the 800 meters (2:08.58), the 1,600 meters (4:50.18) and the 3,200 meters (11:02.85) and was part of the 4x800 team what won with a time of 8:50.03 along with Wyatt Dismukes , Sawyer Ringer and Cade Long . Ringer also won the pole vault at the region meet. The boys soccer team which claimed the Region 3-AA championship advanced to the third round of the Class AA playoffs before falling to Greenville Tech . The Panthers five on the all-region team with Jorge Torres , Tanner Fulmer , Abner Madrid , Angel Madrid and goalkeeper Felipe Juarez-Diaz . In girls soccer the Panthers placed three on the all-region team in Arden Etheredge , Claire Cogdill, and Gloria McKie . The B-L baseball team finished the season 19-8 overall as they fell to Gray Collegiate 6-2 in the District Two Championship game. The Panthers fell to Saluda in the playoff opener but bounced back to defeat Liberty 11-1 and Saluda 6-0 to advance to the championship. The Panthers were led by sophomore Braydon Hallman who earned All-State and All-Region 3-AA honors and was also named the Region 3-AA player of the year. At the plate Hallman batted .367 with four home runs, eight doubles and a triple to go with 32 RBI and 19 runs. On the mound Hallman led the team with 58 innings pitched and he compiled a record of 9-1 with60 strikeouts and a 1.086 ERA. Hallman pitched a complete game three hitter in the decisive win over Saluda as he struck out 10. Also named All-Region in baseball were Cole Price (.413, 8 doubles, 2 HR, 27 RBI), Gavin Parrish (.337, 11 doubles, 3 HR, 29 RBI), Tanner Watkins (.288, 5 doubles, 15 RBI), Tucker Bolen (4-4 record, 3.098 ERA and 36 K’s) and Carter Bouknight (3-1 record, 1.721 ERA and 29 K’s). In golf the Panthers placed 11 th in the Class AA state championship after finishing runner up in Region 3-AA. At the state meet the Panthers posted a score of 698 with Nathan Ott, who earned all-region honors, led the Panthers with a two-day total of 160. At the Region meet Ott placed second with a round of 80. Jackson Shealy was second for the Panthers throughout the season and shot 85 at region and 167 at state. Carson Luckadoo shot 86 at region and 180 at state with Michael Hendrix and Wyatt Hendrix rounding out the Panthers lineup as they alternated between fourth and fifth on the season. In softball the Panthers finished 11-14 as they were eliminated in the district playoffs. The Panthers placed three on the all-region team in Riley Bouknight , Zoey Rowe and Kate Shealy . Eighth grader Shealy led the Panthers at the plate as she batted .485 with eight doubles, three triples a home run and 20 RBI. Shealy also pitched for the Panthers and recorded a 4.44 ERA to go with 55 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. Bouknight batted .284 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI to go with being one of the two anchors of the Panthers pitching as she finished with a 5.56 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 63 innings. Rowe batted .349 with five doubles, a triple and 14 RBI. As mentioned last month the boys tennis team won the Region 3-AA championship and placed four players on the all-region team with Hollis Ruff , Gavin Penny , Liam Truitt and Dillon Jordan earning those honors. Ruff, a senior, also represented B-L in the Class AA individual state championship tournament.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Hopkins —The Gray Collegiate War Eagles edged out tradition rich Bishop England (75-72) and 30 other AA girl’s track teams, to earn the school’s first SCHSL Track & Field state championship hosted by Lower Richland High School on May, 18. The next 10 teams in the AA girl’s finals were: Fairfield Central (59), Oceanside Collegiate (50), Woodland (48), Hampton County (42), Greer Middle College (38.5) Landrum (36) Mid-Carolina (34.5), Academic Magnet (28), Keenan (24), and Marion (23). Bishop England, coached by Tony Colizzi , had been seeking their 14th state title. Gray Collegiate, won the state title with just 9 state qualifiers. The Griffins are coached by former Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Clemson track athlete Jackie Robinson . “The good thing is that we won as a team, and it was not just from one person,” said Coach Robinson. “It was everybody collectively, and all season long these ladies have sacrificed, and they did not complain while putting in the work. They came to work every practice and it paid off for them today. “To win a state championship it takes a lot of hard work and dedication and you have to put in the hours,” said Coach Robinson. “You have to be disciplined and true to your focus of self-improvement. Getting involved in year-round track programs certainly helps you to become better. Track has become a year-round sport now, and it takes a lot of hard work “I knew coming in we had a chance but only if we had several PR’s in a few events and it trusted each other to do our very best,” said Coach Robinson. “Winning a championship with only 9 state qualifiers is a testament to those young ladies. We have a lot of quality, but not quantity, on both our teams at Gray.” The War Eagles took three first place finishers in individual events from Tresta Miller in the 400 meters (58.33), Aubrey Guy in the 100-meter hurdles (15.42) and Tamara Steward in the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.00). Miller picked up two second place finishes for GC in the 100-meters (12.04) and the long jump (5.51m) producing 16 additional points for her team. Guy was third in the 400-hurdles ((1:08.60) and Steward was 5 th in the long jump (5.02m). Zaria Gaines contributed points in the 100-meters (12,57) and in the 200-meters (26,27) with a 7 th and 8 th place finish respectively. GC placed second in both the 4x100 (48.98) and the 4X100 Relay (3:27.82) to earn 16 total points. The 4X100 was ran by Steward, Gaines, Taylor Jones and Guy. The 4X400 was run by Steward, Amariah Gonzalez , Taylor Jones and Gaines. While Gray and BE competed back-and-forth throughout the even, Fairfield Central senior Sharmelle Holmes was dominating the competition once again, with three individual gold medals and another gold medal as a participant on the winning 4X100 relay. Holmes set a new state record in the 100-meters (11.45). when she ran the anchor leg. Holmes, She was first in the 200-meters (23.57) and took gold in the long jump (19-02.75). Holmes has signed to run track at Kentucky . She produced 32.5 points for her team and is the leading candidate for the 2024 HSSR-SCHSL Miss Track awards in South Carolina. After the majority of the gold medal winners left their moment of honor, on the victory podium at the meet, the HSSR asked them to share how they were able to beat the field in the respective event. Holmes was among the most enthusiastic performers interviewed. “This is the second year that I have won four gold medals and it makes all the hard work worthwhile,” said Holmes. “I participated in four individual events last year and this year I traded out the 100-hurdles to run anchor on the 4X100 relay. It’s a woo-woo moment for me with the state record! “I had hoped to set a state record but I will tell everybody who competed with me that it takes hard work to win gold medals at a state track meet,” said Holmes. “I am really grateful to God for all of my success. I am excited to be going on to the University of Kentucky. Go Wildcats!!” Tresta Miller (Gray Collegiate-junior) won the 400-meters (58.33 and she has a 57.01 personal best earlier this season) and she told the HSSR , “My goal is just to take off fast, maintain a steady speed, and leave something in the tank for a strong kick down the stretch,” she said. “Next year my goal is winning the 200 and the 400 and I hope to run a 55 flat in the 400 next seasons.” Freshman Aubrey Gray of Gray Collegiate won the 100-meter hurdles (15.42). “I would love to set a state record in the 100-hurdles by my senior year,” she said. “I also want to also be a double winner with a win the 400 hurdles in the future.” Batesburg Leesville’s sophomore Ja’Quan Corley won gold in the discus with a personal best of (157.01.75). “I would love to get a track scholarship by my senior year,” said Corley. “My technique is to always turn my left foot and get across the circle.” Oceanside Collegiate senior Joyce Siobhan was a double winner in the 1600-meters (4:59.03) and in the 3200 (11:06.09). She was proud of finally running a sub-five-minute 1600 that had been her goal all season. She will be running track at South Carolina next year. “My strategy is to stay near the front of the pack in either race and then kick it hard at the end,” said . “At South Carolina I will be more of a 5-K runner in cross country.” Oceanside Collegiate junior Kailen Kramer won the pole vault (3.80m). “My winning jump was 12’ 6” and I missed at my personal best attempt at 13’ 1”,” said Kramer. “My technique is not to slow down on my last few steps down the lane and hitting it hard, dropping my shoulders back and shooting for the sky ,” she said. “My goal is 14’ at the state meet next year and I would love to compete in college.” Senior Sinead Joyce of Oceanside Collegiate won the 800-meters (2:18.19) for the second year in a row. “I usually start out not super conservative but at a steady pace, but today I probably started out a little too fast,” she said. “I will be running at South Carolina next season. My goal is to respond to good college coaching and keep improving.” The AA girl’s shot put (10.77m) was won by Eau Claire junior Sytiria Bethel . “If feels great to see all the all- hard work pay off,” she said. “My goal by next year is 38 feet. My technique is using the power throw. I never change my technique.” Senior Sydney Price of Landrum won the Javelin toss (15.66m) for the third year in a row at the AA meet. “I have improved every year but today I threw around 128 feet and my personal best is 134,” said Price. “Everybody thinks it is your arm in throwing the Javelin but it really more the use of your hips and legs,” said Price. “Getting a good block and then throwing your hips into it is very important.” Price has actually signed to play softball at North Greenville College . She is a middle infielder with 30 career home runs. Keenan High senior Lauren Hannibal won the triple jump (11.02m). “I hit the board just right today on my final spring and I knew it was going to be among my best jumps ever and it was,” said Hannibal. “It feels great to go out with a gold medal my senior year.”