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WEEK 8 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HONOR ROLL

From staff reports • October 23, 2024

Laurens Academy's Ethan Collins 8-man Player of Week

SCHSL

AAAAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Henry Rivers Berkeley 294 rushing yards, 4 TDs

 

BERKELEY

Kevin Boone 5 catches, 154 yards, 2 TDs

Bryson McGee 143 rushing yards, 1 TD

CANE BAY

Jamari Blandin 2 INTs; 99 TD KO return

CLOVER

Landon Stone, 31 carries, 157 yards, 1 TD

DORMAN

Brice O’Neal 8-8 passing, 128 yards, 2 TDs; 3 TD runs

DUTCH FORK

Ethan Offing 19-28 passing, 301 yards, 3 TDs

Boykin Bickley 7 catches, 105 yards

Isaac Shine 6 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD; 11 carries, 46 yards, 1 TD

Jayden Westbrook 5 punt returns, 82 yards, 52 TD return

Daniel Williams 6 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks

EASLEY

Aaron Tolbert 5 catches, 29 yards; 16 carries, 71 yards

Kaden Cooper 9 tackles, 2 FF

FORT DORCHESTER

Ryan Campbell 153 rushing yardsa, 1 TD

GAFFNEY

Jamarcus Smith 14 carries, 203 yards, 1 TD; 1-1 passing, 8 yards; 1 KO return, 20 yards

Viante Robbs 75 TD INT return, 4 tackles

Kendaris Bailey 3 sacks, 7 tackles; 6 carries, 32 yards; 1 catch, 8 yards

GOOSE CREEK

Kymani Clary 103 rushing yards; 102 passing yards, 1 TD

Trevon Goss 165 rushing yards, 1 TD

TJ Clary 2 INTs

IRMO

Maleek Miller 5 catches, 71 yards; 2 carries, 69 yards; 2 KO returns, 125 yards; 3 total TDs

A.J. Brand 306 total yards; 1 TD pass; 1 TD run

LEXINGTON

Logan Clarkson 18 tackles, 1 FR, 1 PBU

LUGOFF-ELGIN

Aiden Fitzgerald 16-20 passing, 214 yards, 2 TDs; 2 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD

Eric Richardson 7 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD

NORTHWESTERN

Finley Polk 14-16 passing, 175 yards, 2 TDs; 7 carries, 23 yards, 3 TDs; 1 punt, 34.0 average, 1 inside 20

CJ Broughton 5 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD

Will Massey 12 tackles

RIDGE VIEW

Spencer Bobian 20 carries, 205 yards, 1 TD

Tre Howard 10-20 passing, 109 yards, 1 TD; 3 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD

Issaija Yohannes 5-5 PATs

RIVER BLUFF

Hayden Myers 103 rushing yards, 1 TD

Griffin Linder TD INT return

RIVERSIDE

Somad Eaddy 90 TD INT return, 3 tackles

Mikkel Skinner 6 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD; 8 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD

ROCK HILL

Malik Clark 6 catches, 122 yards

SUMMERVILLE

Jayven Williams 28 carries, 268 yards, 3 TDs; 1 blocked PAT

Jaden Cummings 200 total yards, 3 total TDs

Tyree Patton 20 tackles, 1 FR

Jadin Waring 14 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF

SUMTER

John Peeples 20 carries, 105 yards, 4 TDs; 1 catch, 37 yards, 1 TD

Kam Fortune 10 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 12 yards

Franklin Richardson 9-12 passing, 208 yards, 2 TDs; 8 carries, 26 yards

Jayden Kennedy 3 catches, 131 yards, 1 TD

Anthony Addison 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs

Jeremiah Burson 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 PBUs, ½ sack

T.L. HANNA

Antonio Hatton 98 TD KO return, 70 KO return

WESTWOOD

Angelo Rios 33 carries, 239 yards, 2 TDs

WOODMONT

Austin Luedke 17 tackles, 3 TFLs


AAAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Roper Wentzky A.C. Flora 0-26 passing, 516 yards, 5 TD passes

 

A.C. FLORA

Kendall Byrd 3 TD catches

BLUFFTON

Aedan McCarthy 15-20 passing, 282 passing yards, 3 TDs; 9 carries, 56 yards

BROOKLAND-CAYCE

Dre Dopson 267 passing yards, 3 TDs; 3 TD runs

Tyree Johnson 7 catches, 198 yards, 2 TDs

CAMDEN

Wyatt Thompson 10 carries, 90 yards; 1 catch, 27 yards, 1-1 passing, 54 yards

Tylin Drakeford 6 catches, 84 yards, 2 TDs

Dontrell Wilson 8 ½ tackles, 4 ½ tackles, 2 QBPs

DREHER

Willie Smith 2 TD runs; 1 TD catch

GILBERT

Cooper James 13-17 passing, 236 yards, 6 TDs

Jaylen Jay 136 rushing yards, 1 TD

Trevon Williamson 165 total yards, 3 TDs

Connor Gooding 4 catches, 89 yards, 2 TDs

GRAY COLLEGIATE

Tyler Waller 10-11 passing, 202 yards, 3 TDs

BJ Montgomery 8 carries, 104 yards, 3 TDs

Caleb Raysor TD INT return

Zion Job 4 catches, 71 yards, 2 TDs

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Thaddeus Czarnecki 11 tackles; 9 carries, 74 yards

LAKEWOOD

Cedric Cisse 2 INTs, 8 tackles

LOWER RICHLAND

Christian Wilson 3 TD runs

Rha’Zarie Harris 6 tackles, 2 INTs

HARTSVILLE

Kylif Miller 12 carries, 94 yards, 5 TDs; 1 catch, 8 yards

Dorlan Mason 5 catches, 110 yards

Web Barnes 15 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack

EJ Smith 12-15 passing, 264 yards; 3 carries, 33 yards, MAY RIVER

Will Bostwick 11 tackles, 1 TFL; blocked PAT

NORTH AUGUSTA

Michael Doe 3 TD runs; 1 TD cstch

Jayden Hatcher 3 TDs

OCEANSIDE COLLEGIATE

Aiden Manvian 330 passing yards, 3 TDs

Will Virgilio 177 receiving yards, 3 TDs

SOUTH FLORENCE

Messiah Jackson 12-14 passing, 183 yards, 4 TDs

Tre’ Leonard 9 carries, 181 yards, 1 TD

Linnex Valarie 6 catches, 113 yards, 3 TDs

Jayden Sellers 65 TD punt return; 2 catches, 51 yards, 1 TD

Amare Reaves blocked punt recovery in end zone

Avon Rasado TD INT return

SOUTH POINTE

Cam McMillon 19-23 passing, 355 yards, 3 TDs


AAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jaylen McGill Mountain View Prep 29 carries, 260 yads, 3 TDs

 

BISHOP ENGLAND

Zach Balog 6 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD

BROOME

Jameson Dearybury 16-29 passing, 204 yards, 2 TDs

Tyqwon Booker 24 carries, 170 yards, 1 2PT run; 1 catch, 16 yards

Tre Suber 6 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 14 yards

Grayson Bradley 5 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD; 3 tackles, 1 PBU

Brayden Simpson 4 catches, 63 yards; 1-1 passing, 16 yards; 8 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 PBU; 2 punts, 28.0 average

DILLON

Jamarion Fling 20 carries, 127 yards, 2 TDs; 1 catch 15 yards; 2 punts, 28.0 average

Daniel Capehart 16 tackles, 1 TFL

Keryien Brown 17 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL

Dan Graves 2 INTs, 53 TD INT return, 2 tackles

Kelvion Manning 40 TD fumble return, 2 tackles

KEENAN

Desmond Washington 19-24 passing, 274 yards, 3 TDs; 12 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD

ORANGEBURG-WILKINSON

Derrick Neals II 13 tackle, 5 TFLs, 2 sacks

Dondre Nash-Perkins 4 punts, 57.5 average; 2-3 PATs

UNION COUNTY

Josh Rice-Brandon 22 carries, 225 yards, 1 TD; 4 tackles

Reid McDade 13 tackles, 2 TFLs

Jakevious Jennings 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL; 15 carries, 79 yards, 2 TDs

WACCAMAW

Bryce Holloway 13 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles, 1 INT

Adrian Grate Jr. 24 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 INT; 1 catch, 26 yards

Kevin Jackson 14 tackles

 

AA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Terry Radford Chester 15 tackles, 8 TFLs, 6 sacks; 1 blocked punt

 

BARNWELL

Nehemiah Brown 29 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD

Cameron Austin 19 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD; 9-15 passing, 132 yards

BATESBURG-LEESVILLE

Angel Garcia 8 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD

Hansel Discua 43 TD INT return

KD Whitt 40 TD punt return

Tanner Watkins 4-4 PATs, 39 FG; 1-1 passing, 61 yards, 1 TD

CENTRAL

Tray Wilson 6 carries. 111 yards, 2 TDs; 3 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD

Kobe Davis 10 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 FR

CHERAW

Cam McClendon 17 carries, 123 yards, 2 TDs

Nick Gordon 3 catches, 63 yards, 2 TDs; 1 INT

LAKE CITY

Amari Hanna 6-7 passing, 148 yards, 2 TDs; 4 carrie 13 yards, 1 TD

Treshon Burgess 82 TD KO return; 2 TD runs; 164 AP yards

Devin Cockfield 9 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 QBP

Rakeem McCray 6 TFLs

Blayne Edwards 2 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD

MANNING

Jeffery Ceasar 91 TD KO return, 67 TD punt return; 2 catches, 4 yards

Dayvon Bannister 92 TD INT return

SALUDA

Brayden Williams 19 carries, 151 yards, 3 TDs; 2 catches, 55 yards, 1 TD

Akiem Mills 12 tackles

Devon Wallace 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs

 

CLASS A

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dresean Blanding Scott's Branch 65 TD INT return, TD FR in end zone; 10 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 PBU

 

BAMBERG-EHRHARDT

Chanston Crosby 10-14 passing, 254 yards, 3 TDs

Demetrius Odom 177 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Anthony Williams 4 catches, 116 yards, 2 TDs

BAPTIST HILL

Brayden Franklin11-14 passing, 276 yards, 2 TDs; 1 carry 14 yards

Ky’Lyn Gordon 4 carries, 38 yards, 3 TDs, 1 2PT run; 2 catches, 54 yards

Martrell Wright 5 catches, 153 yards, 2 TDs, 1 2PT catch

Lamar Singleton 11 tackles

Tay’Von Mann-Geddis 11 tackles, 1 sack

Jamaine Palmer 12 tackles

Jamarie Haynes 11 tackles, 1 sack

Romaine Grant 2 INTs, 4 tackles; 2 punt returns, 67 yards; 2 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD

Jaden Gadsden 12 TD fumble return

BLACKVILLE-HILDA

Samari Williams 10 carries, 147 yards, 3 TDs; ; 1-8 passing, 33 yards, 1 TD

Jaquel Holman 17 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD; 71 TD run; TD INT return

C.A. JOHNSON

Jeremiah Knightner 11 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 21 yards; 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TD fumble return

LAMAR

Nyshaun Quillen 13 TD INT return; 1 catch 55 yards, 1 TD

Zori Pierce 12-21, 157 yards, 2 TDs; 6 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD

Nygel Eaddy 12 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD

LAKE VIEW

Terrell Foxworth 101 rushing yards, 3 TDs

RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA

Jaiden Holloway 22 carries, 195 yards; 9-17 passing, 129 yards, 1 TD

Bam Robinson 13 tackles, 3 TFLs

Jarvis Bush 11 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 FF, 1 FR

Jabarius Brunson 17 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 1 FF

De’Arie Kinard 5 tackles, 3 ½ TFLs, 3 sacks

 

SCISA

11-MAN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jackson Ross Hammond 70 TD INT return, 12 tackles, 2 TFLs; 35 FG; 3 punts inside 5

 

BEN LIPPEN

Michael Traynum 5 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD

Jamere Crooks 2 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD; 8 carries, 66 yards; 1-2 passing, 25 yards, 1 TD; 4 tackles

Drake Porter 13 tackles, 1 TFL

Jojo Conner 9 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack

Josh Cobbs 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack

Kellen George 5 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 ½ sacks

Austin Huff 8 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 ½ sacks

DORCHESTER ACADEMY

John Whetsell 35 carries, 209 yards, 3 TDs

Wynn Kuskey 5 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD

Abe Shuler 5 catches, 66 yards

Layton Wimberly 10 tackles

Warren Judy 3 tackles, 2 sacks

LEE ACADEMY

Cain June 94 TD KO return

NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN

Sam Burks 13 carries, 167 yards, 3 TDs

NORTHWOOD

Will Watts 12 tackles

THOMAS HEYWARD

Tony O’Banner 14 carries, 230 yards, 1 TD; 6 tackles, 3 TFLs

Colton Young 14 carries, 182 yards, 2 TDs

Kelan Fripp 13 tackles, 2 TFLs

Beau Pinckney 10 tackles

Joshua Gibson 2 INTs, 8 tackles; 73 TD punt return; 1 catch, 22 yards, 1 TD

TRINITY COLLEGIATE

Mac Burch 12 tackles, 1 TFL

Robert Mack 8 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack; 1 catch, 22 yards; 1 2PT run

Davidson Lynch 13 carries, 81 yards; 6-9 passing, 71 yards; 2 punts, 47.5 average; 1-1 KO touchbacks

 

8-MAN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ethan Collins Laurens Academy 19-22 passing, 276 yards, 4 TDs

 

HOLLY HILL

Ashton Soles 6-7 passing, 153 yards, 5 TDs; 5 carries, 64 yard, 1 TD

Jody Gilliam 4 catches, 92 yards, 3 TDs; 1 PBU; 2-3 PATs

Camdin Harmon 12 carries, 146 yards, 2 TDs; 2 catches, 62 yards, 2 TDs; 2 tackles; 1 punt return, 12 yards+

Parker Kizer 16 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD; 1 punt return, 16 yards; 5 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR

Mason McGriff 2 FRs, 3 tackles

Brady Garing 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack

LAURENS ACADEMY

Garrett Murphy 12 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 111 yards, 3 TD, 1 2PT catch; 8 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 FF, 1 FR

Caleb Hardy 8 catches, 61 yards; 2 carries, 28 yards, 1

2PT run; 13 tackles, 1 TFL

Anthony Candelas 3 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD, 1 2PT catch; 5 tackles, 3 TFLs

Nathan Bell 8 tackles, 3 ½ TFLs

Garrison Vaughan 6 tackles, 3 ½ TFLs

THE KING’S ACADEMY

Lucas Fields 119 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Kip Pekins 165 rushing yards, 3 TDs

WARDLAW

Colt Bailey 20 carries, 305 yards, 5 TDs, 2 2PT runs; 1-3 passing, 35 yards

Josh Bailey 13 tackles

Ryan Rosier 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR

Aiden Rodgers 15 tackles, 1 TFL

PHOTOS: Mar 8th SCHSL BB Championship - Greenville vs Goose Creek

By Larry Gamble • March 10, 2025
Photos from March 8th, the SCHSL Class AAAAA Div. 2 Boys Championship Game between Greenville and Goose Creek . Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery

PHOTOS: Mar 8th SCHSL BB Championship - Greenwood vs Berkeley

By Larry Gamble • March 10, 2025
Photos from March 8th, the SCHSL Class AAAAA Div. 2 Girls Championship Game between Greenwood and Berkeley . Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery

PHOTOS: Mar 8th SCHSL BB Championship - ACA vs HPA

By Larry Gamble • March 10, 2025
Photos from March 8th, the SCHSL Class AA Boys Championship Game between High Point Academy and Atlantic Collegiate . Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery

PHOTOS: Mar 8th SCHSL BB Championship - AJ vs EC

By Larry Gamble • March 10, 2025
Photos from March 8th, the SCHSL Class AA Girls Championship Game between Andrew Jackson and Eau Claire . Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery

Greenville outlasts Goose Creek in two overtimes to capture the AAAAA Division II Title

By Neill Kirkpatrick • March 10, 2025
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Florence – Since February 28 th, the Florence Center played host to the best SCHSL basketball teams in the state as it ended the best game was saved for last, not only did we get a great game between Goose Creek and Greenville but it took two extra periods for the Red Raiders to finally prevail 81-71 to capture their first AAAAA state championship. The state championship is Greenville’s sixth overall moving them into a tie for fourth on the all-time state championship list with Lower Richland , Gaffney , Irmo and fellow Greenville County school Southside . They won five at the AAA before moving up in classification. They finished the year 28-2. “This is special is very special to me but I am just happy for the guys. We ask a lot of them year-round sometimes it is not fun and it is hard. We have been chasing this moment for a long time,” said Greenville Head Coach Mike Anderson . “It was a heck of a game Goose Creek wouldn’t go away and we made a couple of mistakes. But in the end they were able to make the plays to win the game.” The Gators end the year at 25-4 with their fifth lower state championship in school history but for senior Shane Potts and junior Ja'Quell Brown it was bitter sweet as they were part of the team that came up short against Dorman 2022-23 season. “It is disappointing ending to the season but I am very proud of my guys. They are champions on how they behave in the community, on campus and on the court. I love this guys and the result of a game does not change that,” said Goose Creek head coach Blake Hall. The two biggest difference in the game both went Greenville’s way as they dominated Goose Creek on the boards, out rebounding the Gators 39-18 with half being on the offense. The second was the foul discrepancy and free throw shooting. The Gators were whistled for 29 fouls while the Red Raiders were whistled for 13 despite being the more physical all night. Greenville shot 36 free throws to Goose Creek’s 16 and the Red Raiders made 27 of those free throws which turned out to the difference in the game. Goose Creek made more threes and two-point basket but the free throw line was the difference in the game. If you were a Gator fan you thought the officials were wearing red and white striped shirts instead of black and white. Gator head coach Hall said, “You can’t beat a team when they shoot almost 40 free throws. I told our guys you have no control over the officiating but you have to play through it. For the most part I thought we did but it was too much to overcome.” The first quarter was a harbinger of how the game would play out. Goose Creek’s points came from the field as they hit three-pointers with Ja'Quell Brown nailing two of them. Meanwhile the Red Raiders went 8 for 10 from the line as Caden Coleman went 3 for 4 from the line and had a two-point basket to help the Red Raiders lead after one 14-13. The second quarter saw the Gators continuing to hit three pointers as they had for in the quarter with Shane Potts hitting two and Brown and Terrell Johnson Jr. hitting the other. They helped the Gators go on an 8-0 run to start the quarter to go up 24-16. For Greenville, they countered by going inside to Franklin Whitley and Roman Cooley scoring 13 of the Red Raiders 16 points in the quarter and lead them on a 9-0 run to wipe the Gator lead. The teams went to the half with Greenville still on top by one at 30-29. The third quarter was the only one where the Red Raiders did not go to the free throw. Instead, they attacked on the inside for all of their points in the quarter. Potts dominated the third quarter for the Gators scoring 11 of his game high 29 points and Johnson Jr. added another three as the Gators took a 45-42 lead into the fourth quarter. Leading by three the Gators took their biggest lead of the game after Potts scored in the paint at 47-42. From there you saw Greenville march to the free throw line for most of the quarter as they scored 9 of their 16 points from the charity stripe. The biggest shot of quarter came from Greenville senior Israel Deaver. Setting up in the left corner he hit the first three of the night for the Red Raiders to tie the game. Also, Coleman had a big quarter scoring seven points helping them to a three-point lead 58-55 with 10 seconds remaining in the contest. Needing a three to tie the game and force overtime coach Hall called time out to set up a final play for the Gators. They were inbounded the ball under Greenville’s basket and after getting the ball past half court they ran a play for Brown, who dribbled to the left and then launched a three the hit nothing but the bottom of the net to tie the game at 58-58. Greenville was unable to get a shot up and we were headed to overtime. The Gators found themselves down by three at 65-62 but Potts scored down low and then hit a free throw to send the game into a second over time. The second overtime was all Red Raiders as Deaver hit his second three, this time from the right side to start a 7-0 Red Raider run that the Gators had no answer for the run. The Red Raiders would hit 9-10 free throws to close out the game and bring the championship trophy back to Greenville. Greenville was led by Whitley with 24 points while Coleman dropped in 23 and Coleman and Tucker Scholl scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Brown finished with 27 points to join Potts as the only Gators in double figures.

Berkeley tops Greenwood 60-54 to win AAAAA Division II girls basketball state title

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • March 10, 2025
Stags become first AAAAA Division II champion with first ever state crown

Ridge View surges past Blythewood for 5A D1 state crown

By Worthy Evans • March 9, 2025
By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer FLORENCE – Ridge View’s boys basketball team had played Region 5-5A rival Blythewood twice before—two double-digit victories punctuated the Blazers’ region season in early February. On Friday night, the Blazers added a third victory over the Bengals, a 71-47 win that secured the 5A Division 1 state championship at the Florence Center. “I’m really happy for the young men because they bought into what we’re doing,” Ridge View head coach Josh 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 and Yale Davis led the way for the Blazers (23-7). 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. He was 8-for-11 from the floor and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line, and got a team-leading seven rebounds and four steals.  “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.” The win is the second straight state championship for Ridge View, which won the 4A state title last year before moving to the 5A classification. It’s the fifth state championship for the Blazers since 2018. Ridge View jumped to a 7-0 lead off of a Corbett jumper, two foul shots from Malachi Cooper and one foul shot from Treyvon Smith , and a basket from Reginald Mack . Blythewood finally got on the scoreboard with Torrean Sims’ 3-point play at the 4:05 mark of the first quarter. Sims later scored on a dunk to make it 7-5, and Mujahid Jones drained a 3-pointer with 2:58 left to give Blythewood an 8-7 lead. It was the Bengals’ only lead of the game. Seven seconds later, Corbett went to the foul line and sank two free throws to give Ridge View a 9-8 lead. From that point Ridge View’s furious man-to-man coverage flustered Blythewood’s offense. The Bengals shot just 17-for-54, or 31.5 percent. The Blazers ended the first quarter with a 17-11 advantage and outscored the Bengals 13-7 in the second quarter to carry a 30-20 lead into intermission. In the second half Blythewood lost two players to foul trouble—Sims, who fouled out at the 4:25 mark of the third, and Kemuel Little , who fouled out in the 6:42 mark of the fourth. Starting forward Tyler Stephens played with four fouls on him since early in the third quarter. Even with being in foul trouble, the Bengals kept trying to get the ball in the net. At the start of the fourth quarter Little’s layup cut Ridge View’s lead to 46-35. Seeing a score to start the fourth quarter may have given some hope for Blythewood fans, who saw the Bengals rally late for a 46-45 upper-state victory over Dorman the week before. Ridge View blotted that hope out awfully fast. The Blazers went on a 20-4 scoring run to take a 66-39 lead with 1:50 left, and afterward brought in the second-stringers to finish the game. “That’s how you prepare. You prepare to play a whole game, and the work you put in comes out in moments like this,” Staley said. Davis, who scored all his points in the second half, said he put the pressure on himself to improve over the third and fourth quarters. “In the first half I knew my shots weren’t falling, so I had to get to the rack and get my teammates involved,” Davis said. “I just did what I needed to.” Senior T.J. Lewis 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,” head coach Zeke 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 Fairfield Central boys (3A) in 1998 and with Chester girls (3A) in 2004. Blythewood 13 7 13 14 – 47 Ridge View 17 13 16 25 – 71 B – T.J. Lewis 17, Tyler Stephens 6, Torrean Sims 6, Kemuel Little 5, Mujahid Jones 5, Terrion Mack 4, Eugenio Bandini 2, Elijah Major 2. R – Korie Corbett 23, Yale Davis 13, Malachi Cooper 9, Talon Staley 8, Robert Wylie 7, Brayden Mack 5, Reginald Mack 3, Joshua Vankallen 2, Treyvon Smith 1.

Blythewood girls capture first state crown

By Worthy Evans • March 9, 2025
By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer FLORENCE – Around this time three years ago, the Blythewood girls basketball team finished the season 0-19. On Friday night at the Florence Center, the Bengals won the 5A Division I state championship with a 62-59 victory over lower-state champion Summerville . “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,” Williams said. “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.” It was a Williams-Thomas-Hightower show against the Green Wave (24-4) in the first half. The veterans got around Summerville’s 3-2 zone by hitting six 3-pointers in the first half, which was just enough to help the Bengals to a 29-25 halftime lead. Thomas had just four points in the first half, a free throw and a 3-pointer. Williams had 14 points in the first half, but just one layup to join her four 3-pointers. “She stepped up big in the first half,” Schaeffer said of Williams. “She had the first six points of the game from that corner. The corner 3, that’s her shot.” Hightower scored nine points in the first half—a 3-pointer, two foul shots, and two layups. Hitting baskets from behind the 3-point line has been a trait for all Blythewood players this year, and Friday’s 3-pointers—four from Williams, one from Thomas and one from Hightower, proved to be the difference. “I play a little team. We have a lot of guards so we rely on that,” Schaeffer said. “We shoot a lot in practice. We knew they would come out in a zone and I told the girls to occupy the guards, get it to the corners and let us shoot the ball.” While the Green Wave’s zone prevented a lot of easy baskets, Blythewood did just enough in the second half to keep Summerville behind. “Like I told the girls, basketball is a game of runs,” Schaeffer said. “When teams go on runs you’ve got to be able to control those runs. You can’t let the atmosphere take over, because in this kind of atmosphere here, the crowd’s gonna be involved. I think we did a good job of responding to their runs.” Aniyah Guerrero sank the first basket of the second half to give the Bengals a 31-25 lead, but Cailah Tucker and Molly Daugherty put up baskets to cut that margin to two. Williams made good on a jumper and a foul shot, and a jumper from Hightower brought Blythewood’s lead back up to 36-29 at the 4:53 mark of the third quarter. The Bengals outscored Summerville 9-8 the rest of the way to end three quarters of play with a 45-37 lead, even with senior point guard Sharron Waters on the bench in foul trouble. Without Waters, who’s a consistent 3-point hitter as well as a good ball-handler, the team relied on Thomas in the paint and at the free-throw line, and Daniella Bosmans who had nine points in the game, as the game drew to a close. “Our team is more than one person,” second-year head coach Emily McElveen-Schaeffer said. “We rely on each other and Chase had to do her role tonight, and in the fourth quarter they went man, and we could open up against what we’re used to playing all year, and that just shows that all five on the court can go.” Bosmans’ basket early in the fourth gave the Bengals a 47-37 lead, the first double-digit lead of the game. Thomas, who had a 3-point play in the third quarter, made good on another 3-point play in the fourth quarter that put Blythewood up 57-45 with just over three minutes to go. She scored 11 points—seven from foul shots—in the final quarter to help preserve the win. Tucker’s 3-pointer with 19 seconds left was the last score of the game, and as Molly Daugherty’s 3-point attempt failed at the buzzer, Blythewood players cleared the bench in celebration of closing out the season with a victory. Molly Daugherty scored 22 points and Tucker had 18 points to lead Summerville. “One of the things I felt that hurt us was that we had like 10 days off,” Green Wave head coach Calvin Davis said. “But we gave it our all, we left it all on the floor. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but in the end they grew, and they became special in that sense of being developed.” Summerville’s five seniors, tucker, Lavassar, Emma and Molly Daugherty, and Madison Thomas , provided a strong foundation for the team over the past three years. “Three of them will go on to play at the next level, and the other two might,” Davis said. “They’re very special to me. They’ve been with me for at least three to four years. I love them, they grew up as my leaders.” Blythewood 16 13 16 17 – 62 Summerville 13 12 12 19 – 56 B – India Williams 22, Chase Thomas 18, Hayley Hightower 11, Daniella Bosmans 9, Aniya Guerrero 2. S – Molly Daugherty 22, Cailah Tucker 18, Jayden Bennett 5, Emma Daugherty 4, Madison Thomas 3, Krissa Lavassar 2, Destinee Grant 2.

Atlantic Collegiate Academy holds off High Point Academy 58-52 to claim first state championship

By Neill Kirkpatrick • March 8, 2025
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Florence – When you have two evenly matched teams a lot of times it is the little things that make the most impact in a game such was the case in the Class AA state championship game between Atlantic Collegiate Academy and High Point Academy . Second year Atlantic Collegiate Academy was able to make more plays and hit their free throws as they knocked off High Point Academy 58-52 Saturday at the Florence Civic Center to capture their first state championship. “This is the guys championship. They earned it. They put in a lot of time and effort at work end in a championship. That is what I’m most proud of with this team, ” said Atlantic Collegiate head coach Tanner Massey . The Armanda went 20-2 last year in their initial season beating some the best teams in the state so this run to a championship was not unexpected. This team was ranked number one in class AA all season and they proved they were the best. They finished the year at 24-3. “The rankings proved right as the two best teams battled for the title. I would put my team up against anyone,” Coach Massey said. The Grizzlies were looking for their second state championship and first at the AA level. They won the class A title in 2019. They finish the year 27-4. “We made two many mistakes and didn’t take advantage of our opportunities at the line but they forced us into some of the mistakes so give them a lot of credit,” said High Point head coach Lee Sator . The opening quarter was back and forth with High Point leading by one at 16-15. Senior Chonci Miller led High Point with five point while Atlantic Collegiate was led by Jaylen Bellamy, who also knocked down five points in the quarter. The second quarter was much like the first with neither team gaining control of the contest as they were tied at 21 when a TV time out stopped play. After the timeout, the Armada took control as they went on an 11-0 run to end the quarter and take a 32-21 lead into the half. Bellamy continued to lead the Armada as he had six points in the quarter with Jamie Brooks and Justin Bellamy combining for 8 points. High Point came out on fire in the third quarter as Trapp Morman nailed to three-pointers and Miller had a basket for an 8-0 run to start the quarter cutting the Atlantic lead to three at 32-29 with 5:54. Causing coach Massey to use a time out. “We knew they would come out strong in the third quarter. We called the timeout to settle us down and I put Justin back in the game because he is our defensive stopper and as soon as he went in he forced a turnover,” coach Massey. After Justin Bellamy forced the turnover the Armada went on a 5-0 run to regain control of the game. They would finish the quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 11-6 taking a 43-35 into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter High Point cut the lead to four at 46-42 with 2:01 to go but they would got 4 for 10 from the line in the quarter while Atlantic Collegiate would knock down 13 of 22 attempts from the line to maintain their cushion and ultimately close out the game 58-52. Free throw shooting proved to the biggest difference in the game as the Armada went 17 for 25 while the Grizzlies were 13 for 26. The Armada and the Grizzlies were about even in every other category but the free throws were the difference. The Armada was led by Jaylen Bellamy, who had a game high 20 points to go with six rebounds and a team high four steals. Brooks had 14 points and team three blocks while Clayton Hemingway chipped in 9 points. The Grizzlies were led by Morman with 16 points. Also, scoring in double figures were Jaden McNeil with 11 and Miller with 10.

Andrew Jackson wins second consecutive AA girls basketball state championship

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • March 8, 2025
Volunteers blow game open in 2nd quarter on way to 89-36 triumph over Eau Claire
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