Flashes get playoff victory, push Lake View to limit in 5-7 season

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

Lewisville WR Jacorreun Howze on the run after a catch.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Johnsonville – Johnsonville High girls tennis coach Brian Welch works hard to foster a competitive environment while also building strong team chemistry. Welch has been successful in both goals over the years as the Johnsonville program continues to compete well among its peers in Class A. While winning the state championship is the ultimate goal, Welch feels developing the overall student-athlete is his primary role as a teacher and coach. “We try not to focus very much on results, but on the journey that we are taking. If we work hard, do things the right way and treat everyone with respect, then the results will take care of themselves,” Welch said during last season. “Results will not define you years from now. People forget accomplishments and awards. We want to focus on representing our program, school and families the right way. “ The 2024 Johnsonville team is again among the top Class A programs in the Lower State. The road, however, has not been an easy ride this fall. Welch has put his team through a very competitive non-region slate of matches in hopes of building for a strong playoff run. “The team has played a tough non-region schedule to prepare for the region and playoffs,” Welch reports. “We played Aynor, Georgetown, East Clarendon and Carolina Academy in non-region. These are all very talented teams and playing this great competition hopefully has helped us to grow and improve as a team.” Welch says the team also has had a few injuries to deal with this season, including an injury to junior Lexi Hanna, who would have been a key contributor in the singles lineup. Hanna has missed most of the 2024 season. “Not having her as certainly impacted the team,” Welch said. Nonetheless, the rest of the roster is putting in the work and showing improvement with every contest. Many of the top performers are underclassmen so the future looks strong. The lone two seniors on the team this fall are Lauren Newell and Ansley Wise , who are seeded seventh and eighth respectively in the team singles order. Junior Lilly Margaret Driggers plays No.1 singles, with freshman Juliana Owens working at No. 2 singles. Driggers played No. 2 singles last season while Owens played five singles. Junior Ada Howell sits in the third singles spot and sophomore Sophia Cook plays No.4 singles. Rounding out the top six are junior Lucy Truesdale and sophomore Mallory Prosser . Junior Maddie Windham , eighth-grader Haidyn Carter , and seventh-grader Sara Boyd round out the 2024 roster. “This is a great group of young ladies who are putting in the work and effort that it takes to excel,” Welch said. “I am very proud of what they have accomplished thus far and equally excited for what they are going to do.” Football Update The early part of the 2024 season has been a roller coaster ride for the Johnsonville football team. After playing in the last two Class A state championship games, the Flashes are going through a rebuilding season this fall. Injuries to key performers and a lot of inexperience at some positions has led to a 3-4 overall record this season. The Flashes won one of their first three region games as they look to fight for a state playoff berth down the stretch. Offensively, the top returning rusher, sophomore Zaghe Davis , has not been able to get going this season. The leading rushers early on have included Jay McFadden , Bricen Howell and Ja’Mere Ross . Sophomore quarterback Larkin Powell is a first-year starter and has experienced the growing pains that come with being a new varsity quarterback. But he is improving as he gains confidence. When healthy and available, the offensive line can be a team strength. Senior Bubba Tapia is a third-year starter at left tackle. Juniors Jason Brigham and Brayden Baxley are returning starters and sophomore Daniel Ortiz gained experience as a freshman. KC Davis is the first-year starter at center. Tight end Dylan Smith and guard Chase McDaniel also have starting experience. Defensively leaders include linebacker Landyn Cribb , Howell at linebacker, and Tayshawn Brown at safety.

Abbeville is the clear cut "team to beat" in Class A football in 2024!

Johnsonville – Having won back-to-back Class A Lower State championships, but coming up short in the state finals, the 2024 Johnsonville High football team is already hard at work to ensure a different result this fall. Coach Ken Cribb does not place a lot of emphasis on spring practices in May, not like he used to. With a year-round football class period, the Flashes get plenty of work and have an opportunity to learn the fundamentals. “We only did three days really this spring,” Cribb said. “We had a lot of guys in track and baseball. We’re fortunate to have most of them in football class so we find ways to get it done. Mostly what we do is try to find guys for the right spots so we can develop them during the summer.” Cribb has to replace eight seniors from last year’s team and several of those seniors were multi-year performers on the varsity level. Arguably the biggest loss is at quarterback where Malik Shippy was a four-year starter and produced more than 2,000 yards last season. Looking to step into the role is sophomore Larkin Powell, who was Shippy’s understudy as a freshman. Cribb feels Powell will grow into an effective player. “The biggest thing is for Larkin to be Larkin, don’t try to be Malik,” the coach said. “Larkin is going to be a good player. We have confidence in his abilities. He just needs some game experience. He will figure it out.” Powell will have the advantage of an experienced unit along the front. Senior Bubba Tapia will be a third-year starter at left tackle. Juniors Jason Brigham and Brayden Baxley are returning starters and sophomore Daniel Ortiz gained experience as a freshman. Tight end Dylan Smith and guard Chase McDaniel also have starting experience. “That will be our strength, we hope,” Cribb said. Sophomore Zaghe Davis is expected to recover from a knee injury sustained last season and will be the top running back. He was the second-leading rusher as a freshman, gaining nearly 700 yards. The defense will return several key player. Senior linebacker Landyn Cribb finished last season with 118 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss. Returning at strong safety is Taysawn Brown, who tallied 110 tackles with 29 tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Bricen Howell posted 88 tackles (10 for loss) as a sophomore, while rising junior free safety Clovell Woodbury had 82 total tackles last season. Senior corners CJ Woodbury and Quantrell Woodbury also were starters as a juniors. Senior Jaiden McFadden will be a key returner along the defensive line. “We have some experience back on defense but we need them to work hard this summer and improve,” Cribb said. “The summer is all about getting stronger and improving.”

Johnsonville – With the start of postseason competition, the spring sports teams at Johnsonville High are experiencing a great deal of success. The baseball and softball teams reached the district finals of their respective playoff brackets with an opportunity to advance to the Lower State finals. The track and field program won the region 5-A championship with bevy of athletes qualifying for the Class A Lower State meet. The boys golf team finished its regular season with an 11-2 record and won the region championship. The Flashes were preparing to play in the Class A state tournament on May 7 in Hartsville. The five performers in the region tournament included seniors Wyatt Griffith, Taylor Davis and Payne Alford, along with eighth-graders Wes Sylvester and Baxley Roberts. “I am very proud of the hard and effort that these young men have put into elevating our program,” coach Brian Welch said. “This shows that when you focus on the daily habit of getting better, the big things take care of themselves. “We are very proud of the region championship but that does not define us. What we do on a daily basis and trying to do it at an elite level defines us. The state tournament will be a huge test but we are excited for the opportunity to represent our school and community against the best teams in the state. Win, lose or draw, I couldn’t be prouder of the young men they are becoming, and being good golfers is just a bonus.” The baseball team entered the district finals with an 11-4 record this season, which includes two playoff wins over Palmetto Scholars Academy and Latta. In softball, Johnsonville has an 11-6 record as they prepare for the district finals. The Flashes defeated Charleston Math & Science, 20-1, and Green Sea Floyds, 6-4, in the first two playoff games. The win over Green Sea Floyds came after a three-run sixth inning that erased a 4-3 deficit. Senior Nicole Cook and junior Blair Coker have been two of the offensive leaders this spring. Coker was hitting .409 with 13 RBI after the regular season while Cook was hitting .415 with two homers and 11 RBI. Freshman Peyton Wall sported a .433 batting average heading into the postseason while freshman Mallory Prosser was hitting .361. Sophomore pitcher Natalee Taylor was hitting .308 and had three hits and three RBI in the win over Green Sea Floyds. She also tossed a three-hitter with six strikeouts from the circle and has a 2.90 earned run average. Sophomore Allison Eaddy batted .379 through the regular season and sophomore Brianna Lawrimore was hitting .303. She delivered two RBI in the playoff win over Green Sea Floyds. Region track championships Harmony Gregg led a strong effort by the girls track team at the region 5-A meet. Gregg captured three region championships, winning the 100, 200 and 400 meter sprint events. Shy Alston finished third in the 100 and Peyton Singletary was third in the 200. L’Asia Nesmith was the region champion in the 100 meter hurdles and Emily Travaglio was the champion in the 400 meter hurdles. Abigail Lambert won the high jump and triple jump while placing fourth in the long jump. Katelyn Fleming was the long jump region champion and Faith Bardon was the region champ in the discus while finishing second in the shot put. Michelya Doctor won the region title in the javelin. Bonnie Travaglio won both the 1600 and 3200 meter championships, placing fourth in the 400. Hollisyn Stone was third in the 800 and Ozbeidy Trujillo was third in the 1600 and third in the 3200. The girls 400 relay team also finished first while the 4x400 and 4x800 each finished second. In the boys meet, Jamere Ross was first in the 200, second in the 100 and second in the long jump. Skylar Montgomery won the region title in the triple jump and Rondrell Livingston was third. Daniel Ortiz finished second in the javelin and Kethan Timmons was second in the high jump. In hurdles, Jarell Johnson was second in the 400 hurdles and Levon Nesmith was fourth in the 110. Ben Eaddy finished second in the 3200 meter run and Emery Harris ran fourth. Jahkeem Hampton finished third in the 1600 meter run. Johnsonville’s 4x100 relay team won the region title and the 4x800 unit finished second. The Flashes were third in the 4x400.

Johnsonville – A 3-3 start to the regular season, along with a championship in a preseason tournament, has Johnsonville High softball coach Walter Clark feeling good about his team’s chances of being a strong contender in the Class A postseason. “We’re good enough to be competitive with every team that we play,” Clark said. “We have some good players back so experience is a strength for us. Offensively I think we can hit enough to create some runs. We seem to be solid defensively and we have solid pitching.” The Flashes split two key region games with East Clarendon, leaving the teams in a tie for the region lead. It’s not likely either will lose a region game the rest of the way. “We had two really close games with them,” Clark said. “They beat us by two runs and we beat them by a run, We led the game we lost in the sixth inning so we had a chance. They are a good team and we competed with them down to the end.” After spring break, Johnsonville will test themselves against the defending Class A state champions from Hannah-Pamplico, which Clark says will be good preparation for the state playoffs. Clark entered the season having to replace four seniors and has infused some young talent with a handful of veteran performers. Two of the three starters in the outfield – leftfielder Kristin Smith and rightfielder Chloe Cribb – are seniors. Sophomore Brianna Lawrimore is the starter in center. Freshman Payton Wall is starting behind the plate and was a starter last season. Wall is hitting .476 early on this spring. Freshman Mallory Prosser is playing first base and is hitting .432 with two homeruns early on. Sophomore Allison Eaddy is starting at second and has shown potential offensively. Junior Blair Coker is a third-year starter at shortstop and a returning all-state selection. Coker is hitting .410 early on. Senior Nicole Cook hits leadoff and plays third base. Cook was the starter in centerfield last spring but has been strong defensively in her new position while hitting .438. Inside the pitching circle, sophomore Natalie Taylor is the number one performer, posting a 1.56 earned run average early on. Prosser and Wall also see time as pitchers but Taylor and Prosser are the top two. “I am excited to see how far we can go with this team,” Clark said. “Hopefully we can continue to improve and be playing our best ball when it counts. There are some good teams to contend with in the Lower State but I feel like we can compete with anyone if we play to our potential.”