By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – All in all, it was a pretty good season for the Fox Creek High School boys basketball team. The Predators, in their first season back in AAA due to reclassification after a 2-year hiatus, finished the year with a 19-11 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Region 3, good for second place and a home game in the first round of the state playoffs. To make things even better, Fox Creek advanced to the quarterfinals. It defeated Hanahan 88-54 in the opener before knocking off Orangeburg-Wilkinson 68-59 in the second round. The Predators lost to Loris 57-52 in the quarterfinals. And to put the cherry on top, Fox Creek had two players selected to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association AAA All-State team. They are both sophomores, Kobe Sims and Justin Vining . Sims led the Predators in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. He also led the team in steals at 2.2 to go along with 1.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds. Vining was the assists leader at 5.0 while scoring at a 13.2 clip and pulling down 5.0 rebounds. He also averaged 1.6 steals. Senior Brelan Baskett was the leading rebounder at 7.4 and was the third double-figure scorer with a 10.2 average. He also averaged 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals. Sophomore Gavin Baskett just missed out on being in double figures with a 9.4 average. Senior Montez Tillman averaged 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 points in 29 games. JENNINGS, KRYSTALOWYCH GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION PICKS Jada Jennings and Maya Krystalowych , a pair of sophomores, were selected to the All-Region 3 girls basketball team. Jennings averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds Krystalowych led the Predators in rebounding with a 10.9 average while scoring at a 7.3 clip. She also averaged a team high 3.2 blocked shots Freshman Mia Price led Fox Creek in scoring with a 10.6 average and in assists at 2.4. Freshman Mariah Price averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 assists. The Predators finished 9-14 overall and 4-4 in region play. They lost to Hanahan in the first round of the playoffs by a 45-39 count. Head coach Aaron Ray sees the season as a positive step forward for his young squad, which had no seniors and just one junior. “We didn’t have a perfect season, but we grew, we fought and we laid the foundation,” Ray said. “Next season, we build on it -- stronger, smarter and hungrier.”

Predators led by sophomores Kobe Sims and Justin Vining

Tim Butler has Fox Creek boys off to 9-7 start; Fox Creek girls 4-7 under Aaron Ray

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – After winning just four of 17 games over the two previous seasons, the Fox Creek High School football team has already matched that total this year through its first five games. It just remains to be seen how that translates when it comes to playing its Region 4-AAA schedule. The Predators are 4-1 on the season, playing their final game against Williston-Elko on Wednesday, September 25, just over a day before Hurricane Helene cut its destructive path in the counties along the Georgia-South Carolina state line. They won that game 42-14. Fox Creek had to back out of its game against Orangeburg-Wilkinson on October 4 because of the recovery effort. The Predators are supposed to start their region schedule with a road contest at Newberry on October 11, but it remains to be seen if that game will be played. Fox Creek is then scheduled to travel to Columbia to face Keenan on October 18. Its final two region games will be at home against Swansea on October 25 before closing out the regular season against fellow Aiken County school Silver Bluff . What makes things interesting in regards to the Predators is they moved up to AAA from AA due to reclassification. They didn’t make the AA state playoffs last year, but are assured of making the playoffs this year since the 5-team region has five playoff berths. The Predators did not play a school in its classification in its non-region schedule. They faced three Class A teams and two AA teams in Glenn Hills and Josey from across the state line in Augusta in their games. Along with the victory over Williston-Elko, Fox Creek defeated McCormick 49-0, Glenn Hills 44-6 and Josey 47-0. The Predators are actually on a 4-game winning streak, having lost to Dixie 34-24 to start the season. The win over Williston-Elko was actually homecoming for Fox Creek. After a scoreless first quarter, the Predators took a 14-0 lead into halftime. Nate Owens caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Devonta Holmes with Jacob Spinks adding the extra point. W-E turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and Fox Creek turned it into a 3-yard scoring run by Mike Grigg , the first of three for him on the evening. The Blue Devils cut the lead to 14-7 at the start of the third quarter. However, Manny Abro broke off a 42-yard scoring run for the Predators. Holmes then returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown and a 28-7 lead. Grigg had touchdown runs of 20 and four yards in the final stanza.

Baseball's Anderson, softball's Owens All-State selections