Future is bright for Keenan basketball

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Columbia – Keenan high school has won the most combined state basketball championships in state history with 15 (B-9/G-6) so when their playoff runs ended short of a state championship game appearance it could be considered a down year for the Raider programs.

The Lady Raiders bowed out in the third round of the Class AA playoffs losing to Landrum 50-42 while the Raiders dropped a 45-38 decision to defending AA state champion Gray Collegiate in the upper state championship game.

The Lady Raiders finished the year 17-9/6-2. They will only lose two seniors so heading into next season they will be one of the favorites.

“I felt like this team could compete for the region title and make a deep run in the playoffs once we learn to play together. The second half of the season saw the girls come together and play well down the stretch. I am excited for where we are headed,” said head coach Reggie McLain.

The Lady Raider’s will say goodbye to Diamond Harmon and Reanna Kennedy-Grooms. Both played solid minutes off the bench. Harmon scored 43 points, grabbed 49 rebounds and had 22 steals on the year.

Coach McLain will have his top five scores returning next season in eighth grader Taelor Lee-Sutton, sophomores Kristin Brown and Aareonna Caughman, junior Samiyah Hicks and eighth grader Jayle Fulwiley.

Lee-Sutton led the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game, assists at 4.2 per game and steals at 3.4 while Brown was second in scoring at 13.4 points a contest.

Caughman and Hicks were one, two in rebounding at 8.7 and 6.7, respectively.

Coach Zachary Norris losses only one senior off his squad in guard Rashard Robinson Jr. Robinson was solid all year as he scored eighty-six points, pulled down eighty-four rebounds, handed out forty-six assists and had forty steals on the year. His leadership will be missed.

The Raiders will return their top two scorers in juniors Cedric Schofield (13.9 ppg) and Brian Sumpter (12.3). They were also one/ two in rebounding and blocked shots with Sumpter pulling down 9.4 boards a night and swatting away 2.4 shots while Schofield grabbed 7.5 boards and averaged a block a game. Sumpter was recently named to the SCBCA Class AA All-State team.

Sophomore Broderick Anderson Jr scored 7.1 points per game and grabbed 4.5 rebounds a game. He was named player of the game four-times during the season.