Chesterfield girls shake off slow start to earn playoff shot By David Shelton Senior Writer  Chesterfield – A strength of a good coach is patience, not panic. When teams start slow, the right coach can calm the waters and keep the team focused on daily improvement. When his 2024-25 team got off to a slow start this season, Chesterfield girls coach Nick Jolly stayed the course. The Rams went 1-7 in non-region play during the first month of the season but Jolly knew his young team needed some time to develop the right chemistry. Things improved drastically in region 4-AA play as the Rams piled up nine league wins against three losses. Two of those losses came to defending state champion Andrew Jackson. Chesterfield split two games with Cheraw and is slated to play the Braves on Feb. 14 to settle the No. 2 position in the region standings. “We weren’t winning games early but we were competitive,” Jolly said. “We just weren’t consistent and we weren’t closing out games. We led in most of our games. I saw potential this team and felt we would do well in our region.” This year’s team is a mix of seniors and underclassmen with the younger players carrying a heavy load. Freshman Reagan Rivers is averaging nearly 15 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She recently recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in the win over Cheraw. Another freshman, Terrahjah Robinson is averaging 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Seventh-grader Le’Asia Brown joined the team at mid-season after dominating the middle school level. Brown is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. Senior Temia Chapman averages 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds and senior Trinity Turnage adds 5.1 points per game. Senior Kai Pace is a strong defender while averaging about five points and five rebounds per contest. Remaining members of the team include senior Jalah Carter ; juniors Justice Sellers, Jaylen Evans and Jordan Evans ; and freshmen Aiivia Honeycutt and Taylor McCoy . “We are excited about the playoffs,” Jolly said. “We feel we can compete with any team we might see and we are playing our best right here at the end. This team can win some playoff games.”

Rams start off 3-8 overall, but 2-1 in region play

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

Willie Kennedy from South Florence, MLB with 29 tackles this season.

Dillon FB players at the HSSR Media Day 2024

Chesterfield – As the 2024-25 school year begins, there will be a few new faces in charge of some athletic programs at Chesterfield High. Athletic director Kevin Kenny had to make a big hire, late in the spring, to fill an unexpected opening for the head coaching position in football. Former coach Jonathan Eason announced in May that he was accepting a head coaching spot at his alma mater, Central of Pageland. Kenny had to hustle to find qualified applicants for the job, not an easy task heading into the crucial summer months. Luck, however, was on his side. Kenny was able to hire Matt Quinn as head coach, pulling him away from his post as athletic director at Marlboro County High. “We were very fortunate to find such a highly qualified candidate so late in the game,” Kenny said. “Certainly the timing to bring in a new football coach after spring practice is not ideal but it worked out for us. Matt is a very successful coach and he had a desire to get back into coaching. We got lucky but some luck is life is a good thing.” Quinn has previous head coaching experience at several schools, including Westwood High in Columbia and North Augusta High, as well as a stint in North Carolina. He is graduate and former player in one of the state’s elite programs, Byrnes High. Two of Eason’s assistant coaches also left Chesterfield but Quinn was able to maintain most of the coaching staff. “They’ve been hitting the ground running since day one,” Kenny said. “They are working hard and the kids are responding. They’re starting behind in some areas but they are catching up. The coaches are doing a great job.” Kenny also announced a change in volleyball. Junior varsity softball coach Courtney Vanderpool will take over the volleyball program this fall. In track and field, Kenny pulled off a coup in attracting long-time coach James Wall to take over his program. Wall enjoyed great success in North Carolina, winning multiple state championships before retiring in the Tarheel state at Anson County High. “Again we are very lucky,” Kenny said. “He is a proven winner and leader of young people and we are excited about what he can do with our track program. Our athletes will benefit greatly from his knowledge.”