Raiders reach third round of Class A state playoffs

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Cross – Momentum in any football game can change in the blink of an eye, Friday night at A.E. Ravenell Stadium on the campus of Cross High School it took 1:59 for the homestanding Trojans to completely change their third-round match up with Hannah-Pamplico as they forced two turnovers that led to two scores on their way to a 12-7 win over the Raiders. The Trojans (11-2) will host the Lake View Wild Gators (11-1) a 42-32 winner over Bamberg Ehrhardt . The HSSR’s number three (Lake View) and number four (Cross) teams have met several times in the Class A playoffs with the Trojans defeating the Wild Gators 21-8 in their last meeting in 2022. “I told the kids all week to play for four quarters. Do not worry about the score, do not worry about the clock just keep playing play after play and we did that. Our defense is as good as it comes in one A and hats off to our guys to keep fighting and we came out on top,” said Trojan head coach Shaun Wright . About Lake View coach Wright said, “We figured that we would play Lake View and that is what we wanted. We wanted to be one of the last four teams playing in Class A and now we have a big challenge ahead.” The Raiders finished the year at 9-3 with their only losses coming against Lee Central a play-off team and the Class A lower state finalist Cross/Lake View. Raider head coach Trey Woodberry told his team after the game, “Very proud of the effort that his team played with all night long. Tough lose but it did not take away from the season.” Cross and Hannah Pamplico came into Friday’s contest with offenses averaging over 30 points per game but it was the defenses that took center stage as only 19 points were scored in the contest. On their first possession the Trojan’s with Karmello Jones running behind Marquis Pringle, Michael Bennett, Jailyn Broughton, David Wigfall, Dakari President, and Andrew Hocket moved the ball down the field reaching the Raiders 35-yardline. After picking up a first down on a fourth and five on a completion from Tyler Harris to Caden Ramsey to the Raider 20-yard line. Jones was injured a play earlier and with him out the Raider defense stiffened as William Faulkenberry , Kain Calcutt and Jaquann Bryant put pressure on Harris forcing back-to-back incompletions and they turned the Trojans over on downs. The drive took 8:14 off the clock with no score. Taking over at the 18 the Raiders also moved the ball down the field with quarterback Wade Poston connecting on two of three throws with a 23-yarder to Tylin Jenkins that gave them a first down at the Trojan 27. However, on fourth down the Blue Steel defense rose to the occasions as Wigfall burst through the line and sacked Poston for a ten-yard loss and a turnover on downs for the Trojans. Defense dominated the rest of the first half as the Raiders would turn the Trojans over on downs and then the Trojan defense forced a punt. The Trojans got the ball back with 1:01 to go in the first half. Jones ripped off a 25-yard run to give the Trojans a first down at the Hannah Pamplico 48-yard line. After Harris spiked the ball to stop the clock. Harris attempted to hit Ramsey deep down the right side but the Raiders Demarion Amonte Sparks went high and made the pick to stop the drive and send the teams to the half tied at 0. The Raiders received the second half kickoff and after Aveion Wells returned the ball 24-yards to the Cross 43. On first down, Poston his Sparks for an eight-yard gain and he ripped off a 14-yard run. A facemask penalty moved the ball to the Cross 19. Poston then hit Jenkins with a 10-yard pass to a first and goal at the Cross nine yard. Then momentum turned on Hannah Pamplico as Jones broke through the line, hit Chris Eldridge, and ripped the ball out. He then picked it up and took off on an 84-yard touchdown fumble return. The two-point conversion was no good but the Trojans led 6-0. The Raiders were unfazed as Poston hit Sparks on first down for a 23-yard gain to the 46. After an incompletion disaster struck again for the Raiders when Poston’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and into the waiting arms of Ramsey for a turnover. Starting at the Hannah Pamplico 49, the Trojans handed the ball off to Jones who gained 22 yards to the Raider 27 and chop block called on the Raiders moved the ball to the 12. Harris then hit Ramsey down to the two and Jones finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. The two-point was no good but the lead was 12-0. “What can you say about Karmello, he stripped the ball and then picked the ball up and went the distance. He is a great football player on both sides of the ball. We are just waiting for him to get some offers,” said coach Wright. The Trojan defense forced a quick three and out and appeared poised to break the game open. Starting at the Raiders 45, Harris moved the Trojans down the field by completing three passes, two to Lavell Joyner setting up a first down at the Raiders 16. The Raider defense then stepped up as the Trojans bobbled the hand off and the ball hit the ground where the Raiders Xavier Self fell on the ball at the Cross 14. Poston then led the Raiders on an 86-yard march in 10-plays to get the Raiders on the board when he connected with Jenkins on a three-yard scoring pass on the first play of the fourth quartet. The point after by Lazaro Santiago cut the Trojan’s lead to five at 12-7. The Trojans appeared to have put the game away on their next play as Jones started right, then cut back left and went untouched for a 69-yard touchdown run. However, behind the play a flag was thrown for holding wiping out the touchdown jaunt. The Trojans would run over four- minutes off the clock before they punted for the first time all game. The Raider started off the next drive off just like the previous drive as Poston hit Jenkins and Keimonti Wilson moving the ball into Trojan territory to the 35. The Trojan defense would not allow the Raiders to go any further and they forced a turnover on downs. “Our defense has been outstanding all year. Our coaches do a great job of getting the guys prepared and ready each week,” said coach Wright. “This was the best quarterback we faced all year and he made some plays but at the end we were able to make enough to win.” The Trojan got the ball back with 4:38 left. They gave the ball to Jones on 7 of 8 plays and carried it for 37 yards but more importantly they ate up over four minutes on the clock before the punted the ball away to the Raiders with less than 20 seconds to go.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The regular season in high school football is always special, but there is nothing that compares to the postseason. Looking at the brackets, seeing what has to happen for this particular matchup to happen, the anticipation of said matchups and the excitement that builds up as teams try to make a run toward a state championship. With the reclassification put forward by the South Carolina High School League for this year, all of the classifications will have a different vibe. Class A no longer will have Christ Church , Southside Christan School and St. Joseph’s because of the multiplier rule, but it does have a new dominant force in Abbeville . The Panthers, long a force in AA, is now in Class A and has to be seen as the prohibitive favorite. Still though, you’ve got to play the games and see what happens. We can’t do that, but we can fill out the bracket to see who we have facing off for the championship in Orangeburg the second week of December. WHO’S IN: Upper State Region 1 : 1. Abbeville 2. Ware Shoals 3. Whitmire 4. Dixie 5. McCormick 6. Calhoun Falls Region 2 : 1. Lewisville 2. Lamar 3. Lee Central 4. McBee 5. C.A. Johnson Region 3 : 1. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler 2. Blackville-Hilda 3. Calhoun County 4. Ridge Spring-Monetta 5. Williston-Elko Lower State Region 4 : 1. Bamberg-Ehrhart 2. Ridgeland 3. Denmark-Olar 4. Hardeeville Region 5 : 1. Cross 2. Branchville 3. Baptist Hill 4. Scott’s Branch 5. Military Magnet 6. Bethune-Bowman Region 6 : 1. Lake View 2. Hannah-Pamplico 3. Latta 4. Carvers Bay 5. Johnsonville 6. Green Sea Floyds FIRST ROUND Upper State C.A. Johnson (2-8) at Abbeville (8-1) Dixie (7-2) at Blackville-Hilda (8-2) McCormick (3-7) at Lamar (7-3) Calhoun County (3-7) at Lee Central (5-4) McBee (4-5) at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler (9-1) Williston-Elko (2-7) at Ware Shoals (4-5) Calhoun Falls (1-8) at Lewisville (9-1) Ridge Spring-Monetta (5-5) at Whitmire (3=7) Lower State Green Sea Floyds (1-9) at Cross (8-2) Scott’s Branch (4-6) at Ridgeland (6-4) Military Magnet (2-6) at Hannah-Pamplico (7-2) Carvers Bay (4-6) at Denmark-Olar (3-6) Hardeeville (3-7) at Lake View (8-1) Johnsonville (4=6) at Branchville (8-2) Bethune-Bowman (1-9) at Bamberg-Ehrhardt (6-2) Latta (5-5) at Baptist Hill (6-3) The first round of any high school sports playoff is usually filled with blowouts, and that could easily be the case with these 16 games. However, there are intriguing matchups in this group. While Blackville-Hilda has to be the favorite with an 8-2 record, it will take on a 7-2 Dixie squad. Ridgeland finished second in a weak Region 6, while Scott’s Branch came on strong down the stretch to go 4-6. Carvers Bay is 4-6 and will play at 3-6 Denmark-Olar . Latta at Baptist Hill will be an intriguing matchup because the Vikings pound the ball while Baptist Hill pushes the ball through the air. Johnsonville may be just 4-6 and going against an 8-2 Branchville squad, but Johnsonville is the 2-time defending lower state champion. Don’t look for them to go down easy. First-round winners: Upper State: Abbeville, Blackville-Hilda, Lamar, Lee Central, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Ware Shoals, Lewisville, Ridge-Spring Monetta. Lower State: Cross, Scott’s Branch, Hannah-Pamplico, Carvers Bay, Lake View, Branchville, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Latta. SECOND ROUND Upper State Blackville-Hilda at Abbeville Lee Central at Lamar Ware Shoals at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Ridge Spring-Monetta at Lewisvlle Lower State Scott’s Branch at Cross Carvers Bay at Hannah-Pamplico Branchville at Lake View Latta at Bamberg-Ehrhardt This is the round where the fun starts to kick in with matchups of teams with gaudy records and outstanding reputations. Also, with the Class A regions so widespread, you can easily get pairings of teams that aren’t geographically close, thus leading to first-time matchups. The two most noteworthy showdowns in this round would be 2-loss Blackville-Hilda playing at 1-loss Abbeville. The Panthers will be favored and are led by Damarcus Leach . He will be going up against a future teammate at South Carolina in B-H’s Jaquel Holman . The best lower state matchup will have 2-loss Branchville at 1-loss Lake View . Second-round winners: Upper State: Abbeville, Lamar, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Lewisville: Lower State: Cross, Hannah-Pamplico, Lake View, Bamberg-Ehrhardt THIRD ROUND Upper State Lamar at Abbeville Lewisville at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Lower State Hannah-Pamplico at Cross Bamberg-Ehrhardt at Lake View You’ve got the three champions of the upper state regions and the three region champions from the lower state still alive. The other team in the upper state is No. 2 seed Lamar , while No. 2 seed Hannah-Pamplico is the fourth lower state team. In years past, a matchup between Lamar and Abbeville would be a premier showdown. While Lamar is still a top program, Abbeville is simply a cut above. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler has had a great season, but Lewisville has been on a mission after going out in the second round last season. These lower state matchups would be fun to watch as the pairings have two teams that go about their business in different ways. Third-round winners: Upper State: Abbeville, Lewisville Lower State: Cross, Bamberg-Ehrhardt SEMIFINALS Upper State Lewisville at Abbeville Lower State Bamberg-Ehrhardt at Cross This would be the “collision course” game of the upper state bracket. Lewisville and Abbeville have been dominant all season. The lower state game will be a pairing of two teams that like to pound the football. However, Bamberg-Ehrhardt has senior quarterback Chanston Crosby to give it a better passing option. Semifinal winners: Abbeville, Bamberg-Ehrhardt STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Abbeville vs. Bamberg-Ehrhardt The Red Raiders will present a physical challenge, but Abbeville has tremendous throughout its roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, I go back to what I said at the beginning of the story. Abbeville has to be considered the favorite to win until someone beats it. Your state champion: Abbeville

By David Shelton Senior Writer Pamplico – Building quality depth is difficult, even more so on the Class A level where numbers are significantly thinner than those at the bigger schools. Hannah-Pamplico head football coach Trey Woodberry has worked hard to establish some consistent, dependable second and third-team personnel but has not been very successful. Nonetheless, the Raiders’ starting 22 has been pretty good, winning four of their first six games. But a key injury at a key position has Woodberry hoping for improved health before the end of the season. “I would put our starting 22 up against any team in Class A,” the coach said. “When the right guys are on the field, we are as competitive as any team. But, some of those go both ways and it’s tough at times. We’ve tried to get some other guys some experience but we’re not there yet. The other option is stay healthy.” In the Raiders’ loss to Lake View on Oct. 4, their first region loss of the schedule, Hannah-Pamplico lost veteran starting quarterback Wade Poston early in the second half. The game was tied 7-7 at the half but the offense stagnated and the result was a 31-7 loss. “We need Wade on the field for us to be effective but we’re going to have to work without him for a few weeks,” Woodberry said. “We couldn’t do anything offensively with Wade out. They put nine in the box to stop the run and we just didn’t have an answer.” Poston, through five and a half games, has passed for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for nearly 400 yards and six scores. The heavy lifting in the run game falls on all-state candidate Jamarcus Williams , who has rushed for 887 yards and six touchdowns. He also is an effective receiver. Another key performer is two-way starter Tylin Jenkins , who plays receiver and cornerback. He leads the team in receptions (15) and yards (298) and has been a lockdown corner, according to Woodberry. Starters along the offensive line include returning starters Mason Hanna , Will Faulkenberry , Brandon Cox and Dewey Kimbrough . Faulkenberry is a fourth-year varsity player and Hanna is a third-year starter. Avery Lyerly and Khi Brown also get reps. Cox, a linebacker as well, has been a leader defensively. The Raiders have region games remaining with Green Sea Floyds (Oct. 11), Latta (Oct. 25) and Hemingway (Nov. 1). They have a bye on Oct. 18. The hope is that Poston can return by the Latta game, which could decide second-place in the region standings.

Lewisville WR Jacorreun Howze on the run after a catch.

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

Pamplico – After winning the Class A state championship in 2023, the 2024 version of the Hannah-Pamplico softball program has not been able to sneak up on any opposing team this spring. The Raiders entered this season as one of the favorites in Class A so every opposing coach and team immediately had respect for the champs. Through the regular season, the Raiders suffered just one loss in 16 games, that coming to AAA Aynor early in the schedule. Since that loss, coach Amber Knight has seen a determined and focused squad. The Raiders are off to a good start in their chase for a repeat as state champions. Hannah-Pamplico opened the four-team district bracket with an easy win over Whale Branch and followed with a win over Carver’s Bay. Those two wins put the Raiders in the district finals and some team would have to beat them twice (unlikely). The next round will be the Lower State final four bracket with the survivor advancing to the state championship series. Knight said early on that this year’s team was full of young talent and would not rest on their laurels. “We have worked to establish the team as their own identity for the 2024 season, not a continuation of the 2023 State Champions,” she said. “Our team looks different both in the field and at the plate, but as I have told the girls many times, different doesn't mean bad. We have a strong junior and sophomore class and two phenomenal pitchers that we think can take us back to the state championship playoffs.” Kadence Poston and Isabella Davis are the two pitchers that shoulder the load inside the circle. Poston has a 0.39 earned run average with 115 strikeouts while Davis has a 0.70 earned run average and 68 strikeouts. Offensively, Jadan Lee hit .500 with five homers and 29 RBI during the regular season. Savannah Owens hit .390 with 10 RBI and Chloe Cooper hit .351 with 14 RBI. Poston added 12 RBI at the plate and Payten Poston hit .294 with 11 stolen bases. Hannah-Pamplico posted a regular season team batting average of .304. The baseball team also made the Class A state playoffs, finishing second in the region and winning 10 games. The Raiders opened the playoffs with a win over Branchville before a loss to East Clarendon. At press time, the Raiders were set to play an elimination game against Branchville on May 4 with the winner taking on East Clarendon in the district finals. The Raiders got a late season boost with the return of junior centerfielder Jamarcus Williams, who missed most of the season recovering from a knee injury sustained in football. Williams has made an immediate impact on the lineup. Other offensive leaders include Boone Johnson, Logan Bass and Daniel Chandler. Payton Farmer and Mason Smith have done quality work on the mound. 

By Billy G. Baker Moncks Corner - All signs point to number one HSSR rated Hannah-Pamplico , the defending Class A softball champions in South Carolina, eventually engaging with a rematch in the state finals against Lewisville when the gold medal round starts later in May. Last year it took a third game neutral site tie-breaker at McBee High for the winner to be crowned. Hannah-Pamplico earned the school’s first ever state softball championship with an 8-4 win over Lewisville. The Lady Raiders hit four home runs in the third game with three of them being two-run homers and the victory celebration on the field registered like low level seismic activity. Anything can happen in this competitive world of high school sports but H-P and Lewisville have dominant pitching, consistent hitting throughout their line-ups and good coaching staffs. H-P has steam-rolled over their first two playoff opponents Whale Branch (17-0) and Carvers Bay (10-0) and they should little problems winning their district on May, 8. H-P is head coached by alumni Amber Knight . “Our focus right now is being all-business and staying focused on our goals,” said Coach Knight. “I will put up op our top four to six batters against anyone’s in the state. We have never worked harder and everything is all about taking care of business. “I hope we have good weather throughout the playoffs,” said Coach Knight. “Having a bunch of rain slows down your momentum. We know what is in front of us. No softball team in Class A is fortunate to have two quality pitchers like the Lady Raiders who are 18-1 on the year with their only loss to Aynor early in the year. Sophomore Kadence Poston is 9-0 in the circle with a sterling .036 ERA. Poston, who would love to play at Clemson one day, has 126 strike-outs in just 57.2 innings of work with only 14 walks. She and fellow senior pitcher Isabella Davis alternates at first base. Davis is 8-0 with 76 strike-outs in 45 innings of work. At the plate K. Poston is hitting .289 with 14 RBI’s and four home runs. Davis is at .317 with 11 RBI’s. Junior Jaden Lee is a complete shortstop for H-P both in the field and at the plate. She is batting .510 with 33 RBI’s including four doubles six triples and 5 home runs. Lee has speed with 14 stolen bases also. Next on the hit index is soph left fielder Savannah Owens at .364 with 10 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. Soph third baseman Chloe Cooper is at .340 with 10 RBI’s. Speedy junior center fielder Peyton Poston is batting .315 with six RBI’s and she has 14 stolen bases. Meredith Stone is the sophomore catcher batting .283 with 7 RBI. Senior RF Karah Turner is hitting .271 with 11 RBI’s. The HSSR recently talked to Lewisville head coach Jerry Thomas after his team’s two play-off wins over Thornwell (15-0) and R-S-M (19-5). “Losing to Hannah-Pamplico last year ,in a very competitive three game series, does not haunt us, and we are not seeking revenge on anyone,” said Coach Thomas, who has been the Class A runner up the past two seasons after the Lady Lions won the school’s only state softball championship in daughter when his daughter was the Class A Player of the Year. “You certainly have to have a dedicated team with solid pitching, hitting and defense, but a little luck and getting a break at the right time is a huge part of winning championships also.” The team’s only senior starter is shortstop Saleen Rollins and she is currently batting .492 with 22 stolen bases and three home runs. “She’s our team captain,” said Coach Thomas. “She’s either broken or is about to break the school’s all-time stolen base record. I know she is well over 70 stolen bases right now.” She’s a hard worker and I promise you she experienced some hurt feelings over being in the runner-up spot the past two seasons,” said Coach Thomas. “She is focused on her main goal of leaving Lewisville with a state championship.” Sarah Owens is the Lion’s sophomore pitcher. To date she has hurled 152 strike-outs in 96.7 innings of work with a 1,68 ERA. At the plate she is hitting .431 with 31 RBI’s and two home runs. “She has worked hard at becoming a good pitcher and her goal is to continue to develop towards her focus on being a pitcher at the next level. She is more balanced and focused in the circle this year and she keeps improving all the time.” Championship teams need a good battery and junior catcher Jordyn Miller is starting for the second year behind the plate. She is batting .400 with 17 RBI’s. All-region junior Sydney Rollins is a gold glove type center fielder and after two games of the playoffs she is batting .395. Other starters of the Lewisville team include first baseman Aubrey Smith (.340/15 RBI’s), freshman RF Laney Lambert (.320/10 RBI’s), freshman LF Kylee Waggoner (.255/6 RBI’s) and Kylie Flecther holds down third base (/264/11 RBI’s). The D-H is 8 th grader Kinley Lambert (.278). Abby Barnes is a gold type second baseman who tracks down bunts very well. The team's only other senior, who starts as a flex sometimes, is hard-working Emma Dorsey . “Right now, we are sitting back waiting on who wins between Dixie and Wagener-Salley on Monday,” said Coach Thomas. “If we win on Wednesday (May, 8) it looks like we will be playing either Whitmire or McBee next, depending on what they do.” Class A is divided into 8 four team districts for the play-offs. At press time McBee was in the winner’s bracket in District 1. Whitmire was in the winner’s bracket in District II followed by Lewisville in District III. Dixie was in the winner’s bracket in District four to complete the upper state bracket. In the Lower State, Lake View was in the winner’s bracket in District 5 while Hannah-Pamplico had the upper hand in District 6. Johnsonville was in the winner’s bracket in District 7 and Latta was in the winner’s bracket in District 8. HSSR-SCHSL Class A Softball Ranking - (As Of 5-3-2024) 1. Hannah Pamplico 2. Lewisville 3. Latta 4. Dixie 5. Lake View 6, Whitmire 7. McBee 8. Johnsonville 9. Green Sea Floyds 10. Bamberg Ehrhardt 11. Branchville 12. East Clarendon 13. Lowcountry Leadership 14. Wagener-Salley 15. R-S-M

Defending Class A state champion Lady Raiders top East Clarendon 16-5