Midlands Feature Stories from Around the Area

Worthy Evans • March 10, 2025

Blythewood junior Kaila Spain in tournament's title game.


 

Midlands Top 10 Boys

 

1.    Ridge View (23-7, 12-0 Region 5-5A)

2.    Blythewood (23-6, 9-3 Region 5-5A)

3.    Keenan (22-8, 8-0 Region 4-3A)

4.    Dutch Fork (20-7, 10-1 Region 4-5A)

5.    River Bluff (20-8, 9-2 Region 4-5A)

6.    Gray Collegiate (19-8, 12-2 Region 4-4A)

7.    Brookland-Cayce (19-9, 11-3 Region 4-4A)

8.    C.A. Johnson (19-11, 12-4 Region 2-1A)

9.    Hammond (19-6, 8-2 SCISA Region 1-4A)

10. Westwood (18-9, 4-8 Region 5-5A)

11. Fairfield Central (15-7, 10-0 Region 3-2A)

 

 

Midlands Top 10 Girls

 

1.    Blythewood (29-2, 11-1 Region 5-5A)

2.    Lower Richland (25-2, 12-0 Region 5-4A)

3.    Dutch Fork (22-3, 9-1 Region 4-5A)

4.    Ridge View (20-9, 10-1 Region 5-5A)

5.    Lexington (18-6, 8-2 Region 4-5A)

6.    Heathwood Hall (17-4, 10-0 SCISA Region 1-4A)

7.    Keenan (16-6, 7-0 Region 4-3A)

8.    White Knoll (17-10, 7-3 Region 4-5A)

9.    Eau Claire (18-9, 7-3 Region 3-2A)

10. Northside Christian (23-3, 8-2 SCISA Region 1-4A)

11. Westwood (14-15, 6-6 Region 5-5A)

12. Camden (17-7, 9-3 Region 3-3A)

 


State playoffs, finals dotted with Midlands teams


By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer


Columbia - Several Midlands teams went deep in the state basketball playoffs in late February and early March. Among them, the Lower Richland girls (25-2) fell 42-34 to North Augusta in the 4A lower-state championship game, the Eau Claire girls (18-9) fell 89-36 to Andrew Jackson in the 2A championship game. In SCISA, the defending 4A champion Heathwood Hall girls (17-4), led by Gatorade State Girls Player of the Year Lauren Jacobs, fell 54-52 to First Baptist, and the Hammond boys fell 49-45 to Porter Gaud in 4A lower state championship game.



The big focus on Midlands basketball came in the 5A Division I state championship games March 7. The Blythewood girls beat Summerville to claim their first-ever state title, and in the boys game Ridge View knocked off the Blythewood boys to win its second straight state crown. In the 3A boys state final March 6, Keenan topped Powdersville to win its 10th state championship.

 

Blythewood girls capture first state crown

Blythewood closed out the season March 7 making history at the Florence Center. The Bengals stayed in front of Summerville for most of the 5A Division I state championship game to secure a 62-56 victory and secure the first girls state basketball title in the history of the school.


“Their hard work has definitely paid off,” second-year head coach Emily McElveen-Schaeffer said. “That was what I was most proud of, that they worked hard since June, day in and day out, fall ball, and I’m glad they get to reap the benefit of that.”


Over the past three years India Williams, Chase Thomas, and Hayley Hightower have developed into team leaders, and it showed on the court and in the box score Friday night—Williams led Blythewood (29-2) with 22 points, Thomas had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Hightower had 11 points.


“It means a lot, this is the first state title in, like ever,” said Williams, who made the 5A All State team with Thomas. “It’s a great opportunity to be a part of this, and in only my third year here, it’s incredible. We started off working very hard, and we were like, this is our season, and we definitely came out and performed to that.”


The road to the state championship was long and hard. The girls program had weathered two winless campaigns, 0-18 in 2018 and 0-19 in 2022. In the latter season, the Bengals roster featured four eighth graders: Thomas and her sister Madison, Williams, and Hightower.

They largely sat on the bench and watched every minute of that futile effort, but returned year after year. The next season the freshmen led the team as the Bengals finished 15-14, above .500 for the first time since 2014. Chase Thomas averaged 16.3 points per game, Williams averaged 13.4 points and Hightower 12.1 points that season.


Head coach Steve Inabinet retired after that season, and his former assistant, Schaeffer, stepped in as head coach for 2023-2024. Schaeffer led Blythewood to a 13-9 finish and the team’s second-straight third place finish in the region.


By that point, the Blythewood girls had an effective offense and defense, but no one among the South Carolina basketball world had Blythewood in the preseason top 10, let alone consider the Bengals a state contender.


Blythewood went to work on the court after a strong off-season. The Bengals won their first nine games before falling to Dutch Fork, and finished the non-region schedule 13-1. Rather than flame out in region action, the Bengals hit the accelerator for Region 5-5A. They breezed past crosstown rival and perennial champion Westwood, as they did the rest of the schedule. Their only loss came to Ridge View in the regular season finale, but the team clinched a share of the region title with the Blazers.


That loss turned out to be a hiccup more than anything else. The Bengals got a first-round bye and won their first playoff game since 2013, cruising past Byrnes 63-49 in the second round. In the vast confines of the Florence Center, Blythewood kept their shooting sharp and stayed ahead of J.L. Mann to capture the team’s first ever upper state championship with a 64-59 win.

One week later at the Florence Center, the Bengals won their first state crown.


“We knew from Day One that we were supposed to be here. We’ve been saying that since the first day of practice,” said Thomas, who averaged 23.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season and is a 3-time Region Player of the Year. “We’ve been playing here (at Blythewood) for about two and a half, three years, so we know the system and we’ve been playing together, working hard, and it’s been finally paying off.”

 

Ridge View surges past Blythewood for 5A D1 state crown

The Blythewood boys, maybe catching some of the winning the momentum from the girls team, caught fire in the second game of their Region 5-5A slate, and kept getting better—until running into a Ridge View roadblock at the end of the regular season.

The Blazers beat the Bengals in back-to-back games, with the first game that had been rescheduled twice, first because of the Midlands snowstorm Jan. 21, the second when Blythewood wrestling needed the gym to host the upper-state championship against Boiling Springs.


For the visiting Ridge View crowd, that Saturday afternoon was worth the wait. On Feb. 11, the Blazers (23-7) released the tension from the tipoff. Ridge View blasted the Bengals with a 24-7 run in the first quarter, took a 42-23 lead at the half, and finished with a 64-52 victory.

“We knew it would be tough, Blythewood is well-coached. (Bengals) Coach (Zeke) Washington has been doing this a long time,” third-year Blazers head coach Josh Staley said after that game. “We’ve been in a lot of games like this to get sole possession of first place late in the season. We wanted to come out with some intensity, and we wanted to be able to defend (Blythewood top scorer) T.J. Lewis. We were trying our best to make every shot he got tough, and to defend him at a high level.”


That win clinched Ridge View’s region title on a tiebreak. Six days later, the Blazers’ 77-68 win over the Bengals at home left no doubt that Ridge View had the title and all the momentum going into the playoffs.


The Blazers, who had won five state championships since 2018—four under head coach Yerrick Stoneman and the 2024 4A state title under Staley—got a first-round bye and knocked out Carolina Forest, Summerville, and James Island before zeroing in on Blythewood for their third meeting of the season.


At the Florence Center, the result was very much like the two games played in local gyms.


Ridge View fell slightly behind early but powered through with a 71-47 win that secured the 5A Division 1 state championship.


“I’m really happy for the young men because they bought into what we’re doing,” Staley said. “It’s all about experience when you lead young people, you want to give them experiences to help them grow and be better people, and they bought into the process.”


Junior guards Korie Corbett—the 5A State Player of the Year—and 5A All State Yale Davis led the way for the Blazers once again. Corbett scored a game-high 23 points and Davis added 13 points.


“It was really just rebounds and getting to the basket, being down and dirty with everybody so my team can get the win” Corbett said.

“That’s just who he is. He puts the work in, he’s a humble young man who accepts coaching,” Staley said of Corbett. “He does things like he does tonight and we’re not surprised by it.”


Blythewood (23-6) had also received a first-round bye in the playoffs and beat Byrnes and Clover to reach the upper-state championship against Dorman. There, the Bengals rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to win 46-45 on Lewis’ 3-pointer in the closing seconds and a foul shot with 2 seconds left.


Against Ridge View the next week, there was no such good fortune for the Blythewood boys, who earlier witnessed the girls hold their state trophy high.


Lewis, who made the 5A All State team as well, was the only player who scored in double figures for the Bengals (23-6). Lewis had 17 points, while the rest of his teammates scored six points or less.


“It was a really great run,” Washington said. “We rode our seniors as much as we could. T.J. had a phenomenal year and our seniors played hard. We had some young kids that played hard.”


Friday night was Blythewood’s second state championship game. The Bengals fell to Dorman in the 5A state title matchup in 2017.

Washington won state titles with the Fairfield Central boys (3A) in 1998 and with the Chester girls (3A) in 2004.

 

Keenan takes out Powdersville to regain championship form

Defending 3A state champion Powdersville stayed a few steps behind Keenan, as the Raiders (22-8) closed out the Patriots 58-53 to win the school’s 10th state title and first since back-to-back 3A crowns in 2019-2020.


 “I thought I was snakebit because I’m used to getting there,” head coach Zach Norris said. “The last three years losing in the semifinals that really hurt. To go through this and win it, that’s a blessing.


Keenan, along with Great Falls, are the only two basketball programs in the state with 10 state championship wins.

Norris, who started coaching the Raiders in 1999, won eight of those state titles.


Senior center Brian Sumpter, a Wofford signee who stands 6-8 and averages double figures in scoring and rebounds to lead the team, had 10 points. Antonio Caughman Jr. led the team with 17 points and Nyheim McNeil had 15 points.


In the locker room before the game, Norris showed the team a few of his championship rings to the players.  “It was on my finger and I just had to get one,” McNeil said.


Sumpter was on the other end of the spectrum.


“I didn’t want to touch it,” he said. “Because I wanted to touch my own, get my own, and we got it.”

 

Goose Creek Gators preparing for home stretch in track and field

By Rob Gantt • April 17, 2025
Goose Creek's Julian Whitfield , who finished first in the long jump with a mark of 6.84 meters.

Hampton County girls track and field young but talented

By Neill Kirkpatrick • April 17, 2025
Hampton County girls track and field young but talented By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Varnville – The 2024 track and field season came to an exciting end for the Hampton County girls track and field as they rode to third place finishes and a fourth place in the relay races to finish in the top ten at sixth in the state AA meet. “We had a great finish last year at the State Meet but lost 12 Seniors who were all strong competitors. With a solid core returning, we want to keep improving and building back what we graduated,” said head coach Myrriah Hanna. “We have depth and numbers on our team. I am confident we will do well because of that.” Coach continued, “I feel like we are pretty steady across all events, but the area that has improved the most is the throws. The Hurricanes have depth as coach pointed out but they also return key runners in the sprints, middle distance and distance which will help develop the younger girls Junior Areyana Allen is back after finishing sixth in the 100 meters at the AA state meet last season when she set a new personal best of 12.56. She has already lowered her PR this year to 12.23 at the Iron Horse Stampede where she placed first. She is also the anchor of the 4x100 and runs the 200 with a personal best of 26.44. Taryn Hanna has been going to the state meet since she was an eighth grader in the 3200. The junior has become more of a middle-distance runner, running 800 and 1600 meters. She has also lowered her previous PR’s in both events; 5:44 in the 1600 and 2:34 in the 800. Freshman Chandler Gordon has been working hard since the 7 th grade to improve her 100-meter and 400-meter hurdle times and like her teammates has sent new PR’s in both events. In field events, sophomore Kya McQuire has been dominating shotput and has qualified for the Coaches Classic at Spring Valley with a put of 35.59 feet. She is also strong in disc with a toss of 101.60. A'Brionna Johnson is a sophomore, who is new this year and is one of the Hurricanes fastest girls on the team. She is running the 100-meter hurdles and has posted a time of 18.50 and runs the third leg on the 4x100. Two other newcomers are 7 th grader Mikah Taylor and 8th grader A'riyona Sanders. They have added depth in the sprinting events. Taylor runs the 100-meter hurdles and Sanders runs the 100 meters. “I have a very young team, with only five seniors graduating. These girls want to get better and always willing to step up and run an event for the team. They have been a very easy and hardworking group to coach,” said coach Hanna.

Johnsonville softball looking to peak at end

By David Shelton • April 17, 2025
Johnsonville softball looking to peak at end By David Shelton Senior Writer Johnsonville – Sports is not so much about how you start but more about how you finish. Teams can slug along for most of the season, get hot at the end, and win a championship. The goal of every coach is for their team to be peaking when the games matter most. Johnsonville softball coach Walter Clark is no different. As of April 13, the Flashes were 6-8 overall but seemingly playing better each time out, according to Clark. “We’re doing pretty good, competing very well,” the coach said. “Sometimes its hard to gauge because of how good our region is. We literally could finish anywhere from second to sixth. Any of the six teams can beat another team on a given night. That’s a good thing because I think this region prepares you for the playoffs. We see good pitching every night and the teams are so well-coached. “We were in a different region last year and made the final four bracket of the Lower State. The other three teams were from this region and now we’re in it as well.” The region consists of Latta, Hannah-Pamplico, Lake View, Carver’s Bay and Green Sea Floyds. The Flashes have a win over Hannah-Pamplico and lost to region leader Latta by a run. After some experimenting, Clark feels he has settled on a lineup and that has helped the team perform better. He says defensive improvement has been a key as well. “Playing better defense has been a key of late,” the coach said. Junior Natalee Taylor is back as the team’s No. 1 pitcher and Clark says she has been more consistent this season. Senior Blair Coker is behind the plate and is a two-time all-state selection for Class A. Coker is one of the offensive leaders as well. She delivered a walk-off grand slam in a win over Green Sea Floyds earlier this season. Sophomore Mallory Prosser is playing first base and junior Allison Eaddy plays second base. Eighth-grader Claire Cook is playing shortstop and hitting leadoff while sophomore Payton Wall plays third base and has provided home run power this spring. The team’s other senior, Sadie Stone , starts in right field. She is joined by junior Brianna Lawrimore in center and junior Charley Tippett in left. Junior CJ Smith also has seen action in the outfield. “Our goal is to just keep improving and staying consistent,” Clark said. “We have a competitive group of girls and we just want to be peaking at the right time. I think this team can play with any team in the Lower State.” The baseball team also has sights set on a strong finish and extended playoff run. Second-year head coach Carson Carroll feels the Flashes are in a good place. “I think this team has gelled a little better. We have great leadership and it’s a competitive group. I really believe these guys enjoy each other and they are working hard for the same thing. Having talent is important but I don’t think you can underestimate chemistry.”  The Flashes were 10-4 overall and 7-2 in region 6-A play as of April 13. The Flashes are in the mix for a region title but teams like Latta and Lake View have proven to be strong as well. Senior Landyn Cribb and sophomore Jackson Eaddy have been among the top hitters in the state early on. Eaddy hit .655with 14 RBI early while Cribb is at .654 with seven RBIs. Sophomore Larkin Powell is hitting .464 and senior Cole Dennis is hitting .444 with nine RBIs. Junior Caden Jackson is hitting .346 with 10 RBIs and sophomore Gavin Marlowe is hitting .386 and is the No. 1 starter on the mound.

NMB softball competing well under new coach

By David Shelton • April 17, 2025
NMB softball competing well under new coach By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – Though it has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride, the 2025 North Myrtle Beach High softball team is competing pretty well overall under new head coach Krystal Mante .  Entering play on April 14, the Lady Chiefs were 9-8 overall and 6-5 in region 6-AAAAA. They will be headed to the Class AAAAA Division II state playoffs in early May but have seven games remaining in the regular season. Mante likes the effort her team has given this spring and says the transition to a new coach has gone well. The coach has a handful of seniors that she relies on for team leadership, but also has a solid group of underclassmen that can build the foundation for the future. One of the key seniors is centerfielder Kiera Olson , who is hitting .395 with nine runs batted in this spring. Senior Nealy Lockner is one of two primary pitchers, posting a 1.91 earned run average over her first 40 innings. Two other seniors are outfielder Taylor Alberti and backup pitcher Kirali Altena . The other primary pitcher is junior Sierra Bendik , who has a 2.86 earned run average in 44 innings inside the circle. Also an outfielder, Bendik has 12 runs batted in. Junior shortstop Hadley Leonhardt is hitting .273 with eight RBIs and junior third baseman Izzy Bruno is hitting .325 this season. Behind the plate is junior Sadie Olson , who is hitting .393 with six RBIs through 17 games. Junior first baseman Lilly Carney is hitting .333 with a team-high 12 RBIs. Other juniors getting work in the outfield include Emma Bellamy and Chloe Butler , who also catches. Freshmen infielders Malread Olson and Katy Beth Currie round out the roster. The baseball team sits in good position to win a region title. As of April 13, the Chiefs are 12-4 overall and 9-2 in region 6-AAAAA. They hold a one-game lead on Carolina Forest and split two games with the Panthers. Despite losing four quality pitchers from last year, pitching has again been a strength this spring. Junior Gabriel Priest has a 1.04 earned run average in 32 innings of work. He has recorded five wins. Priest also has contributed at the plate with 13 RBIs. Junior shortstop Sawyer Smith has logged 24 innings on the mound, posting a 0.24 earned run average. “Both can pitch and pitch well,” coach Brian Alderson said. “We didn’t them as much last year but we need them to produce for us.” Jake Finch and Fisher Nichols also have been productive as pitchers. Offensively, senior catcher CJ Oxendine started slow but has picked up the pace of late. He is hitting .425 with 11 RBIs after 16 games. Second baseman Asa Board is hitting .318 and outfielder Brown Reaves is hitting .310 with a team-leading 16 RBIs. Kaden Lank is hitting .357 and Porter Anglin has eight RBIs. Sophomore Payton Gallup mans third base. Working in the outfield are Gabe Kuznik and Carter Helmicki. Other team members who will fill various roles include Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden, Nate O’Connor, Noah Nance, Campbell Kingston, Trevor Mitchell, Andrew Muncy and Espen Thomas.

Abbeville comes off spring break focused on postseason

By David Shelton • April 17, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Abbeville – A spring break trip to Myrtle Beach helped the Abbeville High baseball team take a break from the regular season with plenty of sun and baseball. The Panthers used the trip to see different competition, from out-of-state, winning one of four games but competing well. Now it’s back to work in the regular season and the Panthers are looking forward to being a factor in the Class A state playoffs later this month. Abbeville sports an 11-4 overall record coming out of spring break, this after a 7-0 start. “Expectations are high,” coach Daniel Little said. “We have a chance to be in the hunt. This team will be good enough to compete with any team on the schedule, if we bring our best effort and attitude. We will face some major competition, especially in the playoffs, so we hope to be at our best in the end.” Many of this year’s starters are third-year starters and several are having a good season offensively through 15 games. One of the top returning leaders is catcher Ben Overholt , back for his third season in the lineup. He hit .324 with 11 RBI in the first 15 contests. Senior outfielder Lohen Nickles is setting the pace offensively, hitting .452 with 14 runs batted in. S enior leftfielder Dayne Botts is hitting .344 with nine RBI. Junior Grady Overholt is hitting .400 and senior Adam Beiler is hitting .355 with 16 RBI. Beiler also is one of the top pitchers with a 1.67 earned run average in 29 innings. Overholt also rates as one of the top pitchers. Trey Deason also has been solid on the mound while hitting .300 with 11 RBI. Staten Rice is hitting .308 with nine RBI and Easton Townsend is hitting .290 with 13 RBI. Jake Clemmons has posted a .312 batting average through 15 games. Abbeville’s softball team began the 2025 season with seven consecutive losses, then rebounded to win seven straight games heading into spring break. The Panthers will be headed for the state playoffs but where they finish in the region standings is yet to be determined. Handling most of the pitching this spring is Maddie Beiler , who also plays at third base. Mayson Ashley and Reese Jones also have been in the circle. Kaylee Bundrick has played shortstop and catcher this season with Audrey Graham also seeing time at both positions.  Bella Evans plays second base and Jocelyn Foster is at first base. Working in the outfield are Ella Atkins , Nadia Kimsey , Ny Jackson and Lillie Stone. Rylee Tiller is a utility player. The boys soccer team went 4-6 in their first 10 contests, winning two of their first six region matches. Senior Cameron Allen t allied 20 goals and four assists in those first 10 games. Junior Parker Henderson had six goals and seven assists while freshman Carter Oberholzer had six early goals. Sophomore Yenqui Ortiz chipped in four goals early on.

Third Ranked Barnwell Baseball Clinches Region 5-AA Title With Perfect 10-0 Record

By Staff Reports • April 17, 2025
Third Ranked Barnwell Baseball Clinches Region 5-AA Title With Perfect 10-0 Record From Staff Reports Barnwell —The third ranked Barnwell Warhorse baseball team (17-2, 10-0) has clinched the Region 5-AA baseball title with a perfect 10-0 record and now the team will spend the final two weeks of the regular season getting ready for the AA play-offs. Head coach Cody McCollum is a Barnwell graduate and he himself was once an outstanding player at the school. Barnwell has seven non-region games in a tune-up for post-season play. They are at Batesburg - Leesville on April, 14, host Saluda on the 16 th , travel to Bamberg - Ehrhardt on the 22 nd , before hosting Batesburg-Leesville on April. 23. The remaining games are against South Aiken away on the 28 th and then at home with South Aiken on the 30 th . The team concludes the regular season on May, 1 with a home game against Woodland. After 19 games, USC Aiken commit, and senior leader Cameron Austin is batting .476 with six home runs and 23 RBI’s along with 23 stolen bases. On the mound Austin is 4-1 with 28 and 2/3 innings of work. He is 4-1 with two saves with a .997 ERA and 46-K’s. Hayden Pierce is 5-0 on the hill with 32 K’s and a 2.75 ERA. Trey Boleman is 4-1 on the mound with 22 K’s and a 2.58 ERA. Freshman Case Davis has been used primarily as a closer and he is 1-0 with three saves with 24K’s a 1-0 ERA. Senior Bradley Richardson has been good on the mound also and he is 2-0 with one save and a 1.20 ERA. Other top hitters on the team include Davis who is at .458 with 25 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. Joe Huggins is at .435 and recently had a five-hit game at Edisto. Senior gold glove catcher Kaleb McCormack is bating .324 with 15 RBI’s, and Boleman is at .298 with 22 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.  Barnwell will certainly enjoy home field advantage when the play-offs start in early May and they appear to have hit, pitching, and good defense that often leads to state championships

Gaffney Baseball Facing Uphill Challenge To arn A Spot In AAAAA baseball Playoffs

By Staff Reports • April 17, 2025
Gaffney Baseball Facing Uphill Challenge To arn A Spot In AAAAA baseball Playoffs From Staff Reports Gaffney -—The Gaffney Indians baseball team went Spring break at 6-10 and 3-9 in the region and head coach Jef Mages is hoping the Indians can finish strong over the next two weeks and possibly earn a play-off berth. Entering the break the top hitters were Sylas Gilfillan at .353 with 9 RBI’s including three doubles and two home runs. Sam Smith was at .318 with five doubles. Jace Bradbury is at .296 with 8 RBI’s and two doubles. Ethan Harvey went into the break at .286 and Sam Carroll was at .273 with seven RBI’s and a double. N the mound Scout Gilfillain has been the work horse with 25.1 innings of date with 39 K’s. He has a very good 1.11 ERA. Sam Carroll is 2-2 on the hill with 20.1 innings of mound duty with 18-K’s. The third Gaffney pitcher of note is Brody Bright who in 22 innings of work has 25 K’s. In a big win over Spartanburg back on April, 1 Sam Caroll worked five innings on the mound giving up only two hits and striking out four to earn the win. Sylas Griffith earned a save in the win. At the plate against the Vikings, Sylas Gilfillan went 2-for3 and scored a run. Jace Bradbury was 2-for-four with an RBI. Veteran senior Braden Beattie had a double in the game. Sam Smith added a hit and one RBI and Sam Carroll had an RBI. Brady Smith had a hit and one RBI against the Vikings and Brody Bright collected a hit in the victory. In addition to their win over Spartanburg the Indians have victories over Chesnee (4-0), Blacksburg (13-2), York (8-1), Wade Hampton (5-3) and a huge win over Byrnes (12-2) on March, 19.  They begin a three game region series against Dorman on April, 14. A week later they start a three game region series with Boiling Springs before closing out he regular season with a three games series against Riverside starting on April, 28.

Lake View softball working on peaking in playoffs

By David Shelton • April 17, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Lake View – All six of the schools that play softball in region 6-A will qualify for the Class A Lower State playoffs. Seeding out of the final region standings will be important in terms of who each team competes with in district play but knowing you are in the postseason means coaches can focus on being at their best come playoff time. Region 6-A is easily the most competitive and balanced region in the state. After realignment by the South Carolina High School League for this season, the final four teams in the Lower State last season are now in region six. The region now is comprised of Hannah-Pamplico, Latta, Johnsonville, Lake View, Carver’s Bay and Green Sea Floyds . Lake View won the state title in 2021 and Hannah-Pamplico won the state title in 2023. Latta is also one of top programs in Class A. Lake View’s softball program has been a perennial contender in the Lower State and coach Brandy Huggins has a team this spring that should continue that trend. Despite losing two key seniors to graduation and a starting centerfielder to a knee injury in basketball, the 2025 team has enough talent and experience to be among the teams that have a chance in the Lower State. Lake View entered spring break with a 6-3 regular season record and a 2-3 record in region games. Depending on how they close out the season, Lake View could finish anywhere from second to sixth in the region standings. Lake View has region games remaining with Latta (Apr.23), Hannah-Pamplico (Apr. 29) and Carver’s Bay (May 1). They also play Dillon (Apr. 21) and Dillon Christian (Apr. 25) in non-region games. Huggins is in her 14 season as head coach and has led the program to 212 wins. While the lineup has several underclassmen, those players have experience. The two senior leaders this spring are pitcher Hollie Scott and outfielder Kaylynn Turner . Junior third baseman Kaleigh Blackmon has been a starter since the seventh-grade, along with Scott. “Hollie Scott and Kaleigh Blackmon both have been starters since the seventh-grade and having the most game experience on the team. Both girls have done a great job so far being leaders with our team and young players. Hollie will be in the circle most of the time, while Kaleigh will be still playing third. “We have a lot of leadership returning on the team this year. We are just working to get better each day at practice and each game we play. We are still trying to figure out what works for us this year due to graduating our seniors and losing one of starters to a knee injury.” Sophomore Chloe Cox is making the move from behind the plate to shortstop, but also could play centerfield. Freshman Hanna Coburn is assuming duties at catcher. Freshman Sarah Price and junior Haley Miller are getting some work inside the circle, though Scott gets most of the innings. Price will play some at second and in the outfield while Miller will play some at first and also as the designated player. Sophomore Maddison Strickland also plays first and DP while freshman Carleigh Matthews is working in the outfield. Madison Hunt and eighth-grader Sophia Rogers are getting work in the outfield. Seventh-grader Callie Smith is playing shortstop and seventh-grader Paisley Alford will play second and in the outfield. “We are still trying to figure out what works for us especially with using multiple pitchers. We have a lot of girls who can play multiple positions, so hopefully the more we are able to scrimmage and play we can figure out what works best behind each pitcher.” Rounding out the roster are seventh-graders Summer Hilburn (OF/C), Emalee Miller (2B), and Lilly Hatcher (3B); eighth-grader Brilee Schirra (OF) and sophomore Katina Genwright (1B/OF). Baseball Update Lake View’s baseball team opened the 2025 season with seven wins in their first eight outings and will once again be in the hunt for a region title. The Wild Gators have been led offensively by senior shortstop Kason Herlong , who hit .489 with a .566 on base average, five doubles, a homer, a triple and nine rims batted in. He also has scored 17 runs. Herlong has been solid on the mound as well, posting four early wins and two saves. He struck out 44 hitters and walked just four, posting a 0.78 earned run average. Braden Borders is hitting .372 and Seth Deese is at .333. Chris McGill is hitting .316 with 10 RBI, two homers and 12 walks. Senior Ian Capps is hitting ,314 with 12 RBI and Bryce King is hitting .288. Chase Price also has been effective on the mound, posting a 1.25 ERA with 44 strikeouts to only three walks.

SCISA BASEBALL TEAMS PREPARE FOR PLAYOFFS

By Gerald Doolittle • April 16, 2025
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 Baker • April 16, 2025
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 .
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