Hawks aim to finish strong in region

        By Rob Gantt

        Special to the HSSR

HANAHAN – Hanahan High School’s football team improved to 3-3 on the season with a 29-28 victory over Andrews High School Sept. 25 in a non-region clash played two days before impacts from Hurricane Helene.

The Hawks were set to begin the Region 6-3A slate Oct. 4 against Lowcountry power Oceanside Collegiate, which captured a 2A state title in 2023 before moving up in the 2024-26 realignment.

After Oceanside, the Hawks go to Orangeburg-Wilkinson Oct. 11 in their final road game of the regular season. They host North Charleston and Battery Creek and Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

The win over Andrews was the Hawks’ second in a row. Running back Travis Neal continued to make his mark in the ground game, carrying 16 times for 84 yards and two scores (5 and 15 yards). A week earlier, Neal ripped off 120 yards rushing and scored on a 25-yard run in a 23-6 victory at Timberland.

Also against the Yellow Jackets, freshman quarterback Tripp Gallus made his second successful start. He connected on 7 of 11 passes for 97 yards and hooked up with talented receiver Dru Goldsmith on a 33-yard touchdown. Goldsmith finished with six grabs and 96 yards versus Andrews. Tre Shepard chipped in a rushing score for the Hawks.

In his first varsity start, Gallus hit on 11 of 17 passes for 95 yards and connected with Shepard on a 26-yard touchdown catch. Gallus also got loose down the sideline for a 36-yard touchdown versus the Wolves. Goldsmith hauled in six passes for 55 yards against the Wolves.

The Hanahan defensive unit also had a stellar outing against its rival from St. Stephen, producing five takeaways. Antwain Mitchell recovered two fumbles, while Landen Ritchie and Aiden Greenwalt added fumble recoveries. Defensive back Tijae Hartwell snagged an interception for the Hawks.