By David Shelton
•
24 Dec, 2023
Beaufort – The Beaufort High boys and girls basketball teams, along with the wrestling program, have embarked on the 2023-24 campaign, hoping to contend for a championship in region 8-AAA. The boys basketball team did, in fact, contend for a region title last season, finishing with a 7-1 league record. The Eagles were 12-12 overall under coach Jeremy Huff. Huff has a handful of returners from last year’s team but entered this season with holes to fill. The roster had seven seniors last season. Entering the Christmas break (Dec. 15), Beaufort had split their first 10 games of the season, very similar to their start a year ago when they were 5-11 in non-region games. The top returning player this season is junior guard Samari Bonds, who quarterbacked the football team in the fall. Bonds played a key role last season, averaging 11.1 points per game and is increasing his production this season. The 6-1 Bonds is scoring 13.9 points per game through the first 10, adding 3.1 steals per contest. Returning senior Naiim Pope is off to a good start as well, averaging 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Junior Amani Cleckley, a newcomer to the varsity, is contributing 7.8 points and 3.8 boards per game, while senior AJ Newton is adding 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. Two other senior contributors are Brandon Blackmon and Guerin Willis. Each is averaging about four points per game while Willis is the team’s top rebounder at 7.2 boards per outing. Other seniors this season include Shagiree Greene, Dorell DePass, Kantrell Legree, E’marion Dean and Dondre Blount. Rounding out the roster are juniors Matthew Phares and Jaemin Odom. The girls team went 10-10 last season but lost several key performers from that roster. The team is out of the gate with a 3-7 record to open the season. All three wins came against Whale Branch. Members of last year’s team that are on the roster this season include seniors Anaiya Houseal and Johanna Laney; juniors Davariyah Smith and Aubree Levi; and sophomores Kimoralee Milton and Carson Crosby. The wrestling team has a new head coach this season as Jake Sowers takes over. Sowers earned his first career win when his Eagles knocked off Cross High. A few key returners to the roster this season include Antonio McKnight, Brandon Bolles, Colton Freeman, Joseph Griffin, Will Codding and Ian Newell. McKnight and Bolles were state tournament qualifiers last season.