Future looks bright for Laurens Academy girls basketball

SCISA BASEBALL TEAMS PREPARE FOR PLAYOFFS By: Gerald Doolittle Goose Creek, S.C. – With spring break over for most SCISA schools the 2025 baseball season heads into the sprint for playoff seedings. Can Augusta Christian (4A), Hilton Head Christian (3A), Dorchester Academy (2A) and Richard Winn Academy (1A) defend their 2024 Titles? Can Cardinal Newman (4A), Pee Dee Academy (3A), Calhoun Academy (2A) and Holly Hill Academy (1A) make the finals again? At this writing the leading contenders for Class 4A are Pinewood Prep (16-2), First Baptist (12-4-1), Ben Lippen (7-2), Laurence Manning (6-1) and Hammond (6-2). The top five contenders in Class 3A are Hilton Head Prep (19-2), Orangeburg Prep (16-2), Oakbrook Prep (15-1 ), Calhoun Academy (15-6) and Pee Dee Academy (11-3). The top two contenders in Class 2A are King’s Academy (10-2) and Andrew Jackson Academy (9-5). Do not count Dorchester Academy and Thomas Heyward Academy out. Class 1A will be a battle between Jefferson Davis Academy (8-7), Holly Hill Academy (4-3), Richard Winn Academy (4-3), W.W. King Academy (5-5) and Wardlaw Academy (3-9). Some of the Class 4A offensive leaders are Luke Bohnsack of Northside Christian batting .538, Grady Fuller of Pinewood Prep batting .532, Matthew Bishop of Ben Lippen batting .529, Finley Taylor of Pinewood Prep batting .511. Other Class 4A leaders are Mason O’Cain of Ben Lippen batting .476, Grayson Crim of Northside Christian batting .455, Will Spotts of Northside Christian batting .435 and Sean Lee of Ben Lippen batting .400. Class 3A offensive leaders are Matty Lyle of Spartanburg Day batting .556, Sam Hatcher of Oakbrook Prep batting .514, Lavonte Henders of Spartanburg Day batting .471, Dallas Collins of Oakbrook Prep batting .438, Sumter Moorer of St. Johns Christian batting .425 and Sims Brunson of Patrick Henry batting .421. Other 3A leaders are Bryce Kinard of Colleton Prep batting .390, Brycen Moore of Greenwood Christian batting .390, Leland Reed of Greenwood Christian batting .381, Bryton Peeples of Patrick Henry batting .355, Greyson Martin of Colleton Prep batting .341 and Rylin Brunson of Patrick Henry batting .341. Class 2A and 1A offensive leaders are Colton Young of Thomas Heyward batting .571, Jack Walling of Andrew Jackson batting .489, Kaiden Kinard of Andrew Jackson batting .488, Colson Loadholt of Jefferson Davis batting .480, Hayden McClung of Andrew Jackson batting .417, Casen Buzhardt of W.W. King batting .400 and Charlie Bonds of Richard Winn batting .400.  Other 2A and 1A leaders are Greyson Rikard of W.W. King batting .389, Joshua Oswald of W.W. King batting .370, Bennett Nicholson of Richard Winn batting .360, Keeler Dineen of Beaufort Academy batting .350, Turner Burchell of Richard Winn Academy batting .333, Channing Terry of Andrew Jackson batting .333 and Dalten Martin of Thomas Heyward batting .333.

Barnwell Track Teams Busy Preparing For Upcoming Region Championship Meet By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell —As the Barnwell boy’s and girl’s track team prepares for the upcoming region track meet 14- year coaching veteran Thomas Davis is focused on getting both teams ready for their best performances of the season. The region meet will be hosted at Whale Branch High on April, 30. “I've been the head track coach at Barnwell for the past 14 years, and it's been a rewarding experience watching our athletes grow and succeed,” said Coach Thomas. “Regarding the upcoming region meet, we are a young team, and while it will be challenging to win a region title, we are hopeful and will give it our best effort.” Some of the better times and performances turned in from Barnwell’s better track athletes this season include: Tavion Johnson has run a 21.75 in the 200 meters and he has jumped 22-5 in the long jump. . Kazeer Wesley has jumped over 20 feet in the long jump.  Damaijah Devoe , a football prospect at defensive back, has jumped over 21 feet in the broad jump. Ashley Barret has jumped over 15 feet in the long jump from the girl’s team. Johnson is the lone returning All-region champion from Barnwell last year. Johnson is a strong contender to place first in the region in both the 200 and the long jump events. The Barnwell boy’s 4x100 meter relay team has been clocked a time of 44.1. They have a chance to place at region and are represented by Wesley, Jayden Peoples , Jordan Peoples , and Johnson. The girls' 4x100 relay team has run a 52.4 and will be represented at the region meet by . Danasia Smoaks , Madeline Brown , Zachariah Devoe , and Zaniya Williams and they have a chance to finish at the top of the region in this event. Coach Thomas is pleased to have 38 girls and 33 boys as members of the 2025 track program at Barnwell High. “We have competed in meets at Calhoun County , Edisto , and Bamberg-Ehrhardt this season ,” said Coach Thomas . “ Our top three performers at these meets have been Tavion Johnson , Jordan Peoples , and Madeline Brown. “While no school records have been established this season so far, every time you enter competition the opportunity to establish new records at your school exists,” said Coach Thomas. Coach Thomas is assisted by Rokeem Williams .

SCISA SOFTBALL TEAMS SEEKING PLAYOFF SPOTS  By: Gerald Doolittle Goose Creek, S.C. - With most schools returning from spring break SCISA softball teams will be working hard to clinch playoff spots for the 2025 season. Will Laurence Manning (4A), Pee Dee Academy (3A), Clarendon Hall (2A) and Jefferson Davis Academy (1A) defend their 2024 titles? Can Hammond (4A), Orangeburg Prep (3A), Colleton Prep (2A) and Cross Schools (1A) make another run for the title? At this writing the top contenders in Class 4A are Laurence Manning (14-2), First Baptist (5-1), Augusta Christian (6-4) and Hammond (6-3). The top contenders in Class 3A are Pee Dee Academy (13-1), Dillon Christian (12-4), Calhoun Academy (8-0), Orangeburg Prep (8-5) and Clarendon Hall (5-2). The top contenders in Class 2A are Dorchester Academy (9-1), Carolina Academy (4-1), Marlboro Academy (6-5) and King’s Academy (3-2). The top contenders in Class 1A are W.W. King Academy (6-0), Holly Hill Academy (8-2), Cross Schools (7-4), Richard Winn Academy (4-5) and Jefferson Davis Academy (4-6). Class 4A offensive leaders are Bailey Brown of Augusta Christian batting .778, Mckenzie Krebs of Augusta Christian batting .556, Claire Hamm and Avery Schwarz of Augusta Christian batting .500 and Lyra Pricklemeyer of Laurence Manning batting .500 . Other 4A leaders are Laini Kosinski and Marlee Black of Laurence Manning batting .479, Ava Miller of Hammond batting .476 and Gabby Heathcott and Ellie Heathcott of John Paul ll batting .462. Emory Glass of Augusta Christian is batting .429 and Kaylee Parmenter Avins of Laurence Manning batting .417 . Class 3A offensive leaders are Prestan Schurlknight of Orangeburg Prep batting .750, Anslea Aaron of Calhoun Academy batting .667, Hannah Iambrecht of Orangeburg Prep batting .619, Coker Carson of Calhoun Academy batting .619, Adalynne Fallaw of Calhoun Academy batting .577. Other 3A leaders are Mandy Wells of Clarendon Hall batting .571, Maggie Harrington of Clarendon Hall batting .500, Cailin Shirer of Calhoun Academy batting .478, Molly Andrews of Dillon Christian batting .463, Addison Nivens of Orangeburg Prep batting .444, Lauren Ballew of Orangeburg Prep batting .435, Lilli Shooter of Dillon Christian batting .429, Sherrilynn Shannon of Calhoun Academy and Brynli Brewer of Clarendon Hall batting .429. Class 2A and 1A leaders are Madelyn Roscoe of Marlboro Academy batting .667, Ryan Mayers of Cross Schools batting .667, Alaysia Hollings of Cross Schools batting .629, Ansley Nesbit of Lee Academy batting .553, Emery McClure of Dorchester Academy batting .543, Braylee Burke of Laurens Academy batting .517, Sydney Hollings of Cross Schools batting .516, Jameson Collins of Lee Academy batting .500 and Kate Leslie of Marlboro academy batting .500. Other 2A and 1A leaders are Lyla Owens of Dorchester Academy batting .483, Alyssa Grooms of Dorchester Academy batting .469, Lily Canady of Dorchester Academy batting .462, Savannah Hollings of Cross Schools batting .462, MacKenzie Runyans of Laurens Academy batting .448 and Morgan Bolding of Laurens Academy batting .421.

Spring sports hit final phase for Myrtle Beach athletes By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – With state playoff competition looming at the end of the month, the spring sports teams at Myrtle Beach High are aiming for a strong regular season finish. Myrtle Beach has entered the final phase of the region 6-AAAAA schedule and it is likely every team will have a postseason opportunity. Myrtle Beach is classified as a Division II team in AAAAA and will participate in those brackets if they qualify. The baseball team has lacked consistency in the regular season but has shown they can compete. The region is very strong with teams like St. James, North Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest and Conway. The Seahawks entered play on April 7 with a 6-10 overall record and a 3-6 mark in region play. Some of the top performers through16 games include sophomore Rand Thomas , who batted .351 with six runs batted in during that stretch. Junior Sinclair Bolick batted .306 in the first 16 games while senior Jacob Edwards hit .308 with six RBI. Senior Julian Neagles hit .296 with six RBI while senior Gibson Goodroe and sophomore Garrett Mays each had seven RBI early on. Bolick and senior Andy Wells have done most of the heavy lifting on the mound. Bolick has a 3.79 earned run average in 29 innings while Wells has a 1.62 ERA in 22 innings of work. Neagles also gets time on the mound with a 2.15 ERA in 15 innings of work. The softball team won four of its first 13 games with a 2-8 start in region play. Lilly Langway is pacing the team at the plate with a .486 average and eight RBI. Shianne Neagle is hitting .361 with seven RBI, and Trinity King batted .286 with six RBI through the first 12 games, Madison Ashmore is hitting ,306 with six RBI as well. The boys soccer team went 6-7 overall and 3-3 in region play heading into spring break. Senior Juan Rivera has been a key offensive player with 10 goals. Sophomore Yarin Bouskila scored three goals early and senior Matt Moreira had three assists. The girls soccer team has had some tough luck this season, losing four contests by one goal. The team was 2-7-1 overall and 1-4 in region play midway through the schedule.  Senior Hannah Weidner has been a leader this spring with four goals while postig 64 saves as the keeper. Senior Tia Boatwright leads the team in goals with six tallies while freshman Brooke Bary has five goals.

Andrew Jackson Academy Clinches Region Baseball Title With Win Over Beaufort Academy By Billy G. Baker Publisher Ehrhardt —With their 10-0 win over Beaufort Academy at home on April, 10 the Andrew Jackson Academy Warriors baseball team earned a region championship while improving their record to 11-5, 4-0 on the season. Head coach Jason Mathys has seen vast improvement in the AJA baseball team that had not won a region game in the past two seasons, coming into the 2025 season. AJA did win a SCISA Class A baseball state title in 2022, with a win over Richard Winn in the finals when Mathys was an assistant coach. The play of a pair of 8 th graders, Channing Terry and Kaiden Kinard has helped the team have a successful 2025 season, along with the consistent play of senior leader Jack Walling. Channing Terry has worked 30 innings on the mound and he has 33 K’s with an ERA of 2.10 At the plate he has batted .321 with four RBI’s. Kinard, a first baseman, bats in the two-hole and he is currently hitting .467 with 19 RBI’s including five doubles and two triples.  Walling, a shortstop batting third, has been a very consistent hitter over the past three seasons and he leads the Warriors in hitting at .468 including 23 RBI’s, 9 doubles and a home run. “Walling can get hits when no one else can,” said Coach Mathys. “He is a very dedicated baseball player.” Walling has also seen 24 innings of mound duty with 27 K’s to his credit. Another key player has been senior lead-off batter Hayden McClung who started out the season as a catcher, but has recently moved to center field. McClung is batting.442 with 13 RBI’s. “Hayden is not afraid to play anywhere we need him,” said Coach Mathys. “He can play about anywhere on a baseball field. “He even came in the last inning to pitch against Beaufort Academy earlier in the season with our team up by one run when we had made three straight errors to help them load the bases. He had not pitched in three years and he got the batter to pop up for the third out, and get us out of a jam.” Junior Walker Terry is the DH who is hitting .292 with 13 RBI’s in the clean-up slot. Terry has also contributed on the mound with 15 K’s in 17 innings of work. Hall Sease is a solid glove at second base. Sophomore outfielder Eli Mathys bats in the 6 th hole, and he has 8 RBI’s along with one double. Hunter Tucker is a freshman who starts at catcher when Channing Terry pitches. Freshman Jaxson Brandt is having a very good season as an infielder and he is currently batting 333. Landon Johnson bats in the 5 th spot and in 11 innings on the mound he has 24 K’s. Other key reserves include senior pitcher/outfielder Hunter Zorn, senior spot starter Tim Willimas who has seen action in both left and right field, along with base running specialist Grayson Hays. Junior third baseman Conner Mount Brad Hightower round out the 16- member team. “One of my concerns is that we only have two non-region games left against Patrick Henry and Dorchester Academy in the regular season, and then we also have a very late Spring break that starts on April, 21,” said Coach Mathys. “I am concerned about how much quality practice time we can get in with our school on Spring break and many of our players, and their families, already having made Spring break plans before the season started. “We will have some voluntary practices but getting ready for the play-offs is a concern of mine,” said Coach Mathys. Coach Mathis is assisted by Kevin Kinard and Kip Terry .

Lexington's Brandon Cromer

Gray Collegiate sophomore shortstop Aspen Boulware has a .608 batting average, 14 HRs and 33 RBIs.

Catcher Ashton Giet is one of Fort Dorchester’s top hitters and is solid behind the plate.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dillon —Entering the last third of the 2025 baseball season, the Dillon Wildcats baseball team (4-9, 1-7) has been set-back by injuries to key players as head baseball coach Keith Coward continues to work around the situation. “ Hank Grider would be our number one pitcher but he has not thrown yet in a game due to an injury, but he is able to bat and play in the field and we are thankful for that,” said Coach Coward. “We were also counting on the defense of freshman JJ Campbell, who can play second or any position in the outfield, but due to an injury he is being used as a designated hitter.” The leadoff for Dillon is senior Dan Graves who is currently batting .343 with 8 RBI’s. Grider, a junior, bats second and he leads the team at .436 and 14 RBI’s. Junior Jaden Williamson bats in the three hole and he is batting .436 with 8 RBI’s. The clean-up hitter is Austin Miles who is batting .300 with six RBI’s. In the 5 th slot is catcher/first baseman Jamison Pittman who is currently batting .409 with three RBI’s. Cambell, the DH bats 6 th and he is at .300. Freshman Bryson Davis, batting .306 with six RBI’s out of the 8 th spot, provides pitching depth and he usually starts at third base. Eighth grader Aiden McAlister bats in the 9-hole and he is the starting shortstop. “Every team in AAA makes the baseball play-offs and we are hoping Grider can pitch some in the playoffs,” said Coach Coward. “We have seven more games before the play-offs start and our goal is to finish strong and have a good showing in the play-offs.” Dillon will play at Aynor on April 15 th , travel to Marion on the 22 nd , and then host the Foxes the nest day. Aynor comes to Dillon on April, 29. The Wildcats close out the regular season at Latta on May, 1st. Coach Coward is assisted by Coley Bohachic , Steven Reeves , and Austin Moody , Sr.