DA girls win SCISA Region 2-Class A championship

Raiders still young despite returning three starters

Williamsburg Academy's Jr. QB Micha Baulder rolling out looking for a target

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor St. George – Football games have been kind of hard to come by for the Dorchester Academy football team this season. When the Raiders have played, however, they’ve been pretty good. Dorchester is 5-0 on the season but has had three games either postponed or canceled along the way. It started with the season opener against Andrew Jackson Academy , which was initially postponed due to AJA having a COVID outbreak. Dorchester eventually won the game by forfeit. They then ended up with an open date on the schedule when The King’s Academy , originally placed in Region 1-Class A with Dorchester, dropped down to the 8-man classification. DA head coach Michael Nelson couldn’t find someone to play that week. Then the Raiders’ Region 1 opener against Carolina Academy on September 27 was postponed because of Hurricane Helene. “We didn't get to play a whole lot early in the season,” Nelson said. “It's like we can't get in the groove of playing football. The kids were working hard and not getting to play. They were frustrated. You practice two weeks and only play once. They’ve shown a lot of resilience with some pretty convincing wins.” Dorchester may have taken out some of that frustration on Lee Academy in a 44-12 win on October 4 in its region opener. Running back John Whetsell had a monster game against the defending SCISA Class A runner-up with 302 rushing yards and five touchdowns. “He's a horse,” Nelson said of Whetsell. “He loves contact, and he’s running the football behind a great offensive line They’ve put in the work and open holes for him.” Dorchester has a load of experience on the offensive line. The Raiders have three returning senior all-region performers in left tackle Landon Crisp , right tackle Jaxson Kositz and left guard Chantz Judy . The other starters are senior Bryson Connor at center and freshman Jac Carn at right guard.

Senior running back Jayden Acosta chewed up a lot of yards for Ashley Ridge on Aug. 16 during the annual Dorchester County Showdown.

By: Gerald Doolittle Goose Creek, S.C . - The South Carolina Independent Schools Association is preparing to open its 55 th football season with a new two-year alignment. Can Hammond (4A), Hilton Head Christian (3A), Bethesda Academy (2A), Patrick Henry Academy (1A) and Jefferson Davis Academy (8 Man) defend their 2023 titles? Hammond will be playing for their 8 th straight title in Class 4A. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 4A : 1. Hammond 2. Laurence Manning 3. Porter-Gaud 4. Northwood Academy 5. Cardinal Newman. Laurence Manning was runners-up to Hammond in 2023. Augusta Christian, Ben Lippen and Heathwood Hall will earn a playoff spot by finishing in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 3A : 1. Hilton Head Christian, 2. Wilson Hall, 3. Pinewood Prep, 4. Florence Christian and 5. Trinity Collegiate. Hilton Head Christian defeated Wilson Hall for the 2023 title. John Paul ll, Palmetto Christian and Camden Military will earn a playoff spot if they finish the regular season in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 2A : 1. Bethesda Academy, 2. Clarendon Hall Academy, 3. St. Johns Christian, 4. Orangeburg Prep and 5. Pee Dee Academy. Bethesda Academy defeated Williamsburg Academy (now in 1A) for the 2023 title. Greenwood Christian, Spartanburg Christian, Calhoun Academy, Dillon Christian, Thomas Sumter Academy, Hilton Head Prep and Christian Academy all will earn a playoff spot by finishing in the Class 2A top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 1A : 1. Williamsburg Academy 2. Patrick Henry Academy 3. Lee Academy 4. Dorchester Academy 5. Thomas Heyward Academy Patrick Henry Academy defeated Lee Academy for the 2023 title. Colleton Prep, Beaufort Academy, Faith Christian, Andrew Jackson Academy, and Carolina Academy can get playoff spots by finishing in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Eight Man are: 1. Jefferson Davis Academy 2. Holly Hill Academy 3. Richard Winn Academy 4. Wardlaw Academy 5. Laurens Academy W.W. King Academy, Newberry Academy and Oakbrook Prep can earn playoff spots by finishing in the top four of Region One. Cathedral Academy, Cross Schools and Conway Christian can earn playoff spots by finishing in the top four of Region Two. The Kings Academy is a new comer Region Two moving to 8-man play this season.

Deep pitching staff carries Raiders to state title

Raiders beat Calhoun Academy to sweep through postseason