Photos from March 8th, the SCHSL Class AAAAA Div. 2 Girls Championship Game between Greenwood and Berkeley . Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery

Stags become first AAAAA Division II champion with first ever state crown

Andrew Jackson To face Eau Claire In SCHSL AA Girl’s basketball Finals While High Point Academy Meets Atlantic Collegiate In AA Boy’s Action, In Div. II AAAAA the Berkeley Girl’s Confront Greenwood In The State Finals While The Goose Creek Boys Play Greenville In Div. II AAAAA By Billy G. Baker Publisher Florence —In Div. II AAAAA basketball action on Wednesday at the Florence Center the Berkeley girl’s defeated North Myrtle Beach, 67-32 to win the lower state title while in upper state action Greenwood came back from an early deficit to defeat Greenville in over-time 49-45. In the AAAAA Div. II boy’s lower state game at the same venue Goose Creek defeated Berkeley County rival Berkeley 58-45 to advance to the state finals. Later that day in upper state action Greenville rallied to defeat Fort Mill 46-44 in a game that went down to the wire. The Berkeley girls will now face Greenwood in the Florence Center at 4 p.m. on Saturday March, 8 while the Goose Creek boys will challenge the Greenville boys at 6.m the same day. Goose Creek defeated Greenville at home in a game played back in the early season. In semi-finals SCHSL AA action on Tuesday the Andrew Jackson girls advanced to the finals in SCHSL AA competition with a 96-33 win over Lake City and the Lady Volunteers will face-off against Eau Claire after their come-from-behind win over region foe Clinton , 41-30 to earn upper state AA girl’s honors. These two teams will compete for the AA girl’s state title at noon on March 8 in the Florence Center. In AA boy’s action on Tuesday, Atlantic Collegiate (from Conway) defeated the Andrew Jackson boy’s 45-40 in a highly competitive game to take lower state honors. In the upper state AA boy’s action High Point Academy defeated Cinderella Liberty High 62-41. Liberty came into the game with a record of 13-15 and the Red Devils had caught fire in the play-offs starting with a road win over number one seeded Fairfield Central to start the play-offs. On a side note, High Point is coached by Lee Sartor who won three state championships at Spartanburg Day where he coached former number one NBA pick Zion Williamson . Atlantic Collegiate will compete against High Point Academy in the AA boy’s finals at 2 p.m. on Saturday March, 8 at the same venue. Here are some random quotes from some of the winning coaches on Tuesday and Wednesday: Atlantic Collegiate boy’s coach Tanner Massey : “We get after it with game day practices and we practice hard to get ready to play in games,” he said. “We have six seniors and three of them start so we are a veteran team. Our senior starters are Jaylen Bellamy, Clayton Hemingway and Jamie Brooks and Brooks should be the AA Player of the Year.” High Point Academy’s Lee Sartor : “It is always an honor to get to this point in the season and I am so proud of my team, and so proud of our school,” said Coach Sartor. “We didn’t come here just to play in the upper state championship and win it. We came here to win a state championship. So, we have one more game and we are playing a very talented Atlantic Collegiate team and I know they will be ready and we will be ready.”  Eau Claire, head coached by Ashley Patterson - Gilmore , will be making their first state title appearance since 1998. “We are excited and I am over-whelmed right now,” she said after the big win. “The girls said when the season began, they wanted to go to Florence and compete for a state title. Their work ethic was there all season and now we have come here and we are going to the state finals and our school has not done this since 1998. We are focused on this next game and we are looking forward to the challenge of playing a very talented Andrew Jackson team.” Goose Creek head coach Blake Hall : “I asked the team just what do you want,” said Coach Hall. “Is winning the lower state what you want; is that enough? If you want more we have to play hard in one more game. Really, I think this game (win over Berkeley) was about stamina. Our guys have worked really hard and if your players have to have the will not to give in when you get tired on the court.” Greenville High head coach Mike Anderson: “I am just so proud of our guys and we have been knocking on the door for the past five years being in the game three different times. It was an absolute battle night. Fort Mill is really good and well coached and they controlled most of the game. We have a little bit of nerves early and we tried to clam everyone down. We told them to stay the course and that the game was for four quarters. The game came down to one play and they had a good shot but missed. We are just thankful to be playing one more game.” An emotional Berkely High head coach Crystle Peace after Berkeley’s win: “It’s been a 15- year journey and I am just thinking about my Mom right now (passed away in March, 2024),” said Coach Peace. “I am just thinking about my Mom. ”So many times I wanted to give up and she was there for me. I just feel her presence right now. I am so proud of our group, our coaching staff, and never giving up. Even when I played, we never got to this point so I am just thankful to God and God is so awesome.”

Berkeley junior Donovan Green about make a fade away jump shot.

Berkeley junior Aiyanna Moses launches a three point shot.

Berkeley junior, Aiyanna Moses finished with a team-high 15 points for the Stags. (Photo courtesy Rob Gantt)

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.

By Rob Gantt Special to the HSSR MONCKS CORNER – Berkeley High School’s basketball teams have been ranked inside the top 10 all winter and have backed it up with their play on the hardwood. The Stags’s girls extended their win streak to eight games and improved to 10-2 with an exciting, 57-53 victory at First Baptist Dec. 30, to finish the Carolina Invitational with a 3-0 mark. “It’s about some of them learning me and learning how we operate, learning the system and jelling together,” said Berkeley coach Crystal Peace , whose team is ranked No. 6 in Class 5A Div. II. “There are 12 girls on the roster. There are going to be times when you might be playing tonight, and somebody else plays the next night. It depends on how the game is flowing. I just appreciate the girls for embracing their roles and doing what we ask them to do. I tell anybody I work them hard, and they work extremely hard.” Freshman Alaina Carter paces the Stags on the scoreboard for the season with 12 points per game, while sophomore Amani McCray and junior Demi Gray chip in more than nine points a contest. McCray leads around the glass with 7.4 boards per game, and junior Aiyanna Moses is the steals and assists leader. Moses, sophomore Imani Levey and junior Madison Thomas all average right at seven points. Levey and Ladson grab more than four boards per game. The Berkeley boys won their 11 th straight game Dec. 30, edging Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. Against ELCA, senior Cam Palmer scored a game-high 22 points, and junior Justin Suarez tallied 13 points for the Stags. Deuce Kinloch leads in scoring and rebounding with 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. John Cleveland also reaches double figures in scoring at 13.3 points per game. Jordan Livingston chips in six boards and 1.7 steals per game. “We know we’ve got to keep getting better because what we’re doing now doesn’t matter at the end of the season,” BHS coach Matt Mullins said. “Our defense has been solid since I’ve been here. I think we’ve gotten better offensively. We’re a bit deeper than we’ve been the past couple of years. Some of the guys who have come up from junior varsity have contributed, and we haven’t missed a beat.”

Berkeley senior Reese Watson