NOVEMBER 1 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HONOR ROLL

From staff reports • November 6, 2024

Irmo quarterback AJ Brand AAAAA Player of the Week

SCHSL

AAAAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: AJ Brand Irmo 18-26 passing, 196 yards, 5 TDs; 11 carries, 263 yards, 2 TDs, 1 catch, 42 yards, 1 TD

 

ASHLEY RIDGE

MJ Respass 20 tackles

Trevor Kalisz 359 passing yards, 3 TDs

BOILING SPRINGS

Kyle Patterson 3 catches, 112 yards, 1 TD

John Michael Simmons 1 TD INT return

BYRNES

Tre Segarra 24 carries, 147 yards, 2 TDs; 1 TD catch

CHAPIN

Stone Furrey 9 catches, 125 yards, 2 TDs

CLOVER

Carson Pinti 13 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 PBUs

DUTCH FOK

Maurice Anderson 15 carries, 71 yards, 2 TDs; 6 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD

Ethan Offing 21-27 passing, 417 yards, 4 TDs; 2 punts, 45.5 average, 1 inside 20

Boykin Bickley 7 catches, 187 yards, 1 TD

KJ Smith 4 catches, 83 yards, 2 TDs

Jayden Westbrook 6 punt returns, 67 yards

Julian Walker 11 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs

Justin Welch 5-5 PATs; 2-7 KO touchbacks

EASLEY

Jojo Coleman 20-34 passings, 298 yards, 3 TDs; 8 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD

Matthew Hillstock 9 catches, 165 yards, 1 TD; 2 carries, 2 yards

Aaron Tolbert 10 carries, 26 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 36 yards

Kobe Preston 18 tackles

Evan Massey 5-5 PATs; 2 punts, 35.0 average

IRMO

Donovan Murph 11 catches, 115 yards

Joey Albritton 2 TD catches

Anton Jones 170 rushing yards

MYRTLE BEACH

Israel Brown 2 INTs, 78 TD INT return

Jamarc Carroll 49 TD INT return

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

Drew Prince 37 carries, 190 yards, 1 TD

John Simmons 8 catches, 147 yards

NATION FORD

Carson Sanford 19-28 passing, 249 yards, 2 TDs

NORTHWESTERN

Zyier Gordon-Miles 11 carries, 101 yards, 3 TDs; 1 catch, 1 yard

Finley Polk 14-18 passing, 196 yards, 2 TDs; 3 carries, 14 yards, 1 TD; 1 punt, 38.0 average

Jayden Nichols 5 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD

Matthew Fish 6-6 PATs; 2-6 KO touchbacks

Dmitri Putnam 5 tackles, 2 ½ TFLs

RIDGE VIEW

Spencer Bobian 18 carries, 125 yards

Khristian Jackson 59 TD punt return; 2 catches, 65 yards, 2 TDs

RIVER BLUFF

Blaine Fowler 12 tackles, 2 TFLs

Hayden Myers 25 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 12 yards

Tripp Bryant 7 punts, 36.6 average, 1 inside 20; 3-3 KO touchbacks

SPARTANBURG

Trenton Lynch 8 carries, 92 yards, 4 TDs

SUMMERVILLE

Jayden Cummings 203 passing yards, 1 TD; 83 rushing yards, 4 TDs

Jayven Williams 124 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Jaiden Kelly-Murray 7 catches, 134 yards, 1 TD

SUMTER

John Peeples 12 carries, 120 yards, 2 TDs

Kam Fortune 7 carries, 111 yards, 3 TD

Franklin Richardson 4 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD; 5-5 passing, 115 yards, 2 TDs

Jeremiah Burson 12 tackles, 2 TFLs

Tymaries Durant 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR

Anthony Addison 11 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 2 ½ TFL

WOODMONT

Ezekiel Belcher 28 carries, 345 yards, 4 TDS

 

AAAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Grayson Clary Daniel 20-24 passing, 354 yards, 5 TDs

 

A.C. FLORA

Roper Wentzky 3 TD passes

BISHOP ENGLAND

Quinn Mahoney 306 passing yards, 3 TDs; 1 TD run

Zach Balog 6 catches, 128 yards, 1 TD

BLUE RIDGE

KB Henderson 25 carries, 280 yards, 4 TDs

BLUFFTON

Aedan McCarthy 16-23 passing, 227 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 62 yards

BROOKLAND-CAYCE

Tyronne Jackson 2 TD runs; 1 TD catch

Dre Dopson 3 TD passes, 1 TD run

CAMDEN

Wyatt Thompson 6-8 passing, 120 yards, 3 TDs; 11 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 40 yards; 5 tackles, 1 sack, 4/5 passing, 86 yards, 2 TDs; 84 rushing yards, 1 TD

Logan Freeman 6 tackles, 1 TD INT return

CRESTWOOD
Jeremie Richardson 12 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 17 yards, 1 KO return, 36 yards

Da’Shan Scriven 3 INTs, 1 TD INT return, 4 tackles, 1 PBU; 2 catches, 8 yards

Jorge Hernandez-Lara 6-6 PATs; 4 punts, 41.8 yards, 2 inside 20; 1-7 KO touchbacks

GRAY COLLEGIATE

BJ Montgomery 14 carries, 134 rushing yards, 3 TDs

GREER

Nick Holmes 24 carries, 169 yards, 2 TDs

HARTSVILLE

Da’Marion Coe 75 TD KO return; 75 TD INT return

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Troy Timko 21 carries, 136 yards, 2 TDs

MAY RIVER

Brad Lowery 10 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack

NORTH AUGUSTA

Corey Tillman 4 TD passes, 1 TD run

SOUTH AIKEN

Jevon Edwards 29 carries, 338 yards, 4 TDs

SOUTH FLORENCE

Evan Holland 5-5 PATs

Avan Rosado 10 tackles

Gerkiem Hall 12 tackles

Warnell Prew 10 tackles

Linnex Valarie 6 catches, 86 yards

Tre’ Leonard 19 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD

Zion Gilbert 16 carries, 124 yards, 3 TDs

 

AAA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Aiden Manavian Oceanside Collegiate 29-38 passing, 387 yards, 6 TDs

 

BELTON-HONEA PATH

Marquise Henderson 97 TD punt return; 1 TD run

KJ Miles 1 TD INT return

Tajeh Watson-Martin 72 TD punt return; 1 TD catch

BROOME

Ty’Qwon Booker 20 carries, 142 yards, 1 TD

Brayden Simpson 9 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD; 94 TD KO return

CHAPMAN

Justin Dawkins 25 carries, 186 yards, 2 TDs

Josiah Moore 13 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD; 10-14 passing, 103 yards, 2 TDs
 DILLON

Zamarious Robertson 2 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD; 2 tackles

Ejan Green 2 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD; 1 INT

Jotavious McAllister 2 INTs, 1 FR

Stephen Rojas 6-6 PATs

LORIS

Jacobien Grim Lewis 2 catches, 114 yards, 2 TDs

HANAHAN

Travis Neal 112 rushing yards, 1 TD

Tripp Gallus 218 passing yards, 3 TDs

Dru Goldsmith 6 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD

NEWBERRY

Kenton Caldwell 10-11 passing, 297 passing yards, 3 TDs

ST. JOSEPH’S

William Gillespie 16 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD; 15 tackles, 1 sack

WOODRUFF

Aiden Gibson 19 carries 189 yards, 2 TDs; 4 catches, 89 yards, 1 TD

 

AA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tyleek Dukes Kingstree 16 carries, 204 yards, 3 TDs, 2 2PT runs; 1 catch, 21 yards; 2 tackles

 

BARNWELL

Nehemiah Brown 22 carries, 121 yards, 2 TDs

BATESBURG-LEESVILLE

Amadre Wooden 31 carries, 175 yards, 2 TDs; 1 catch, 31 yards

Tanner Watkins 13-18 passing, 181 yards, 2 TDs; 9 carries, 17 yards, 4-4 PATs

Jamerius Clark 6 catches, 86 yards

KD Whitt 5 catches, 55 yards, 2 TDs

CHERAW

Justyn Joint 4 TD runs

CHESNEE

Braylon Blanton 5 catches, 144 yards, 3 TDs

EAST CLARENDON

Colby McKenzie 10 tackles, 2 TFLs

Mike Woods 4 TFLs

Hunter Mixon 11 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD; 9 tackles, 2 TFLs

Takoda Cornelius 8 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD; 5-9 passing, 109 yards, 1 TD, 1 2PT pass

Whit Nesbitt 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU; 3 catches, 69 yards, 1 TD, 1 2PT catch

EDISTO

Terrell Thomas 133 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 4-7 passing, 86 yards, 1 TD

Khamanti Kennedy 102 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 5 tackles, 1 INT

Zack Jamison 10 tackles, 1 sack

FAIRFIELD CENTRAL

Ty Grier 8 carries, 156 yards, 4 TDs

KINGSTREE

Xavier Dukes 53 TD INT return, 4 tackles

Javian McCrea 65 TD INT return, 1 tackle; 11 carries, 86 yards

LAKE CITY

Kenjae Burgess 2 TD catches

MANNING

Jeffery Ceasar 6 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD; 1 KO return, 79 yards, 1 TD; 4 tackles, 1 FF

Lamar Hilton 13 tackles

Jaylnn Coard 7 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 FF; 7 carries, 23 yards, 2 TDs

MID-CAROLINA

Jamarian Dewalt TD INT return

Ryker Woolstenhulme TD KO return

PELION

Jamie Johns 34 carries, 244 yards, 1 TD

PHILIP SIMMONS

Tavien Orellana 242 passing yards, 3 TDs

Brody Tonon 12 tackles, 2 TFLs

SALUDA

Jordan Hagler 12 tackles

Devon Wallace 12 tackles, 1 sack

SILVER BLUFF

Jordyn Givens 3 sacks

Drelyn Brown 1 TD punt return; 1 TD run

STROM THURMOND

Shaheed Williams 14 tackles

Gregory Moore 13 tackles, 1 sack

Tranquilis Mathis 9 carries, 126 yards

TIMBERLAND

Deontae Cleveland 19 carries, 151 yards

Montez Addison 11 carries, 64 yards, 3 TDs

 

CLASS A

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Karmello Jones Cross 18 carries, 150 yards, 2 TDs; 4 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR

 

BAMBERG-EHRHARDT

Marcus Cann Jr. 4 catches, 98 yards; 23 rushing yards, 1 TD

BRANCHVILLE

Seth Shaw 4-6 passing, 64 yards, 3 TDs

Daniel Jennings 2 TD catches; 1 INT

Caleb Smith 102 rushing yards, 1 TD

CALHOUN COUNTY

Chris Glover 131 rushing yards, 2 TDs

CROSS

Caden Ramsey 3 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD, 1 2PT catch; 3 carries, 4 yards, 2 TDs; 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR; 1KO return, 22 yards

Willam Grant 12 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack

HANNAH-PAMPLICO

CJ Woodberry 2 TD catches, 2 TD runs

Daniel Chandler 1 TD fumble return

HUNTER-KINARD-TYLER

Stetson Stack 2 TD runs; 1 TD INT return

LAKE VIEW

Tyrell Foxworth 126 rushing yards, 1 TD

Lance Jackson 136 receiving yards, 1 TD

LATTA

Makinley Wallace 4 TD runs

LEE CENTRAL

Shadrach Williams 11 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 sack

SCOTT’S BRANCH

Quintin Jackson 10 tackles, 2 PBUs, 2 INTs

 

SCISA

11-MAN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jeremiah Singleton Pinewood Prep 283 rushing yards, 2 TDs

 

BEAUFORT ACADEMY

Dietrich Shuford 14-23 passing, 172 yards, 2 TDs; 15 carries, 186 yards, 1 TD

BETHESDA ACADEMY

Raleigh Wesley 2 catches, 40 yards; 3 catches, 76 yards; 4 tackles, 1 TFL,

Jordan Cheever 8 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD, 2 2PT runs; 5 tackles, 1 INT

Assir Best 7 carries, 92 yards, 3 TDs, 1 2PT run; 5 tackles, 1 FF

Jordan Turner 3 carries, 46 yards, 1 TD, 1 2PT run; 5-8 passing, 109 yards; 1 punt, 38.0 average, 1 inside 20

CALHOUN ACADEMY

Colt Layton 4-6 passing, 127 yards, 1 TD; 132 rushing yards, 2 TDs

C-Rob Thornton 13 tackles

Asher Ficek 13 tackles

CARDINAL NEWMAN

Caleb Ford 31 carries, 255 rushing yards, 2 TDs

DORCHESTER

John Whetsell 19 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD

John Quattlebaum 17-26 passing, 216 yards, 2TDs

Abe Shuler 6 catches 123 yards, 1 TD

FLORENCE CHRISTIAN

Andrew Miller 103 rushing yards, 1 TD

Josh Davis 46 TD INT return

HAMMOND

Andrew Turner 13-18 passing, 235 yards, 3 TDs; 4 carries, 43 yards

Jack Croft 5 catches, 108 yards, 2 TDs

Manny Johnson 127 rushing yards, 1 TD

Jackson Ross TD INT return

HEATHWOOD HALL

Heyward Belser 16 tackles, 2 TFLs

HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN

Harrison Arnholt 11 tackles

Ian Kelly 5-5 PATs; 2 punts, 44.0 punt average; 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 TD; 1 2PT run

Kris Langhals 8 carries, 54 yards, 2 TDs; 3-3 passing, 35 yards; 1 catch, 15 yards, 1 TD

Reid McCollum 10-21 passing, 194 yards, 3 TDs; 5 carries, 40 yards

Harrison Arnholt 11 tackles

LAURENCE MANNING

Grainger Powell 3 TD passes

NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN

Sam Burks 15 carries, 193 yards, 3 TDs; 52 TD punt return; 2 tackles, 2 TFLs

JR Kinard 8 carries, 104 yards; 5 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 INT, 2 QBPs

Logan Taylor 95 TD fumble return, 1 FF, 7 tackles

Mani Lee 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs

Hudson Shick 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 TFLs

NORTHWOOD

Kevan Ford 241 rushing yards, 4 TDs

PEE DEE

Colby Richardson 7-9 passing, 229 yards, 1 TD; 6 tackles, 1 TFL

11 carries, 75 yards, 3 TDs

Ryan Small 8 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles

Miles Trussell 3 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry 21 yards; 1 tackle; 1 punt, 46.0 average; 5-7 PATs

O’Maury McKelvey 2 INTs, 2 tackles

Tristan Heckman 9 carries, 63 yards, 3 TDs; 3 tackles

PIINEWOOD PREP

Asa Windham 169 passing yards, 3 TDs

PORTER-GAUD

JJ Fludd 210 rushing yards, 4 TDs

THOMAS HEYWARD

Tony O’Banner 10 carries, 178 yards, 2 TDs

Donovan Robinson 13 tackles; 7-7 PATs; 1 punt, 30.0 average, 1 inside 20; 1 catch, 8 yards, 1 TD

Beau Pinckney 16 tackles

Mitchell White 11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL

Owen Palazzo 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 PBU, 2 QBPs

WILLIAMSBURG

Grant Small 13 carries, 79 yards, 3 TDs; 2 catches, 93 yards, 2 TDs

Micah Balder 10-14 passing, 221 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 39 yards

WILSON HALL

Jackson Bonser 48 FG, 6-6 PATs; 7-8 touchbacks; 1 punt, 38.0 average; 7 tackles

Andrew Segars 4 tackles, 2 sacks

Owen Meyers 7-10 passing, 150 yards, 1 TD; 4 carries, 19 yards; 5 tackles, 1 TFL

 

8-MAN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Garrett Murphy LAURENS ACADEMY 22 carries, 277 yards, 5 TDs; 3 catches, 51 yards; 9 tackles, 2 TFLs

 

JEFFERSON DAVIS

Nasir Void 15 carries, 80 yards; 5 tackles, 1 INT

LAURENS ACADEMY

Caleb Hardy 10 tackles, 2 TFLs

Nathan Bell 15 tackles, 1 ½ TFLs

Hack Hardy 15 tackles, 5 TFLs

Garrison Vaughan 26 tackles, 10 TFLs

RICHARD WINN

Charlie Bonds 3 TD passes; 1 TD run

Josh Tyndall 2 TD catches

Bennett Nicholson 1 TD catch; 1 TD INT return

THE KING’S ACADEMY

Lucas Fields 154 rushing yards, 3 TDs

Jackson Alexander 144 rushing yards, 2 TDs

WARDLAW

Colt Bailey 3-5 passing, 72 yards, 1 TD; 14 carries, 74 yards; 2 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD; 4 tackles

Laurence Manning baseball, softballt teams having trremedous seasons

By Dennis Brunison hssr.com Associate Editor • April 18, 2025
Lady 'Cats gearing up for another run at SCISA AAAA state title

Emerald Baseball Focused On Strong Finish In Pursuit Of play-off Berth

By Billy Baker • April 18, 2025
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Greenwood — Emerald head baseball coach Mack Hite knew if he could ever get talented freshman Beau Hite back on the mound that his confidence would be restored and positive things would emerge. Hite has been able to bat all season, but an injury prevented him from pitching until recently. “Beau has been able to throw an inning here and there recently, and he had a big strike out against a highly regarded prospect at Laurens who is going to Georgia. Big moments like that have helped him get his confidence back,” said Coach Hite. “It has also helped him increase his hitting average at the plate also.” Hite is now batting .438 with 9 RBI’s, including five doubles and a triple. Hite also has 8 stolen bases. He is a three-sport athlete at Emerald where excels in football and basketball also. One bit of recent bad news for the team was losing the pitching services of LHP and PC commitment Tucker Meredith . “He is still able to play a position and bat, so not all is loss,” said Coach Hite. Other top hitters to date for the Vikings include freshman Ethan Metts at .375 along with sophomore Eli Swancey who is at .400 with five TBI’s including an excellent .978 fielding percentage. Finn Howard is at ,367 with four RBI’s while junior Aaron Polly is hitting .351 with 9 RBI’s. Freshman Coleman Marino is at .360 with six RBI’s. With Meredith off the rubber, Hite, Howard, Marino, and Swancey have all stepped up to share pitching duties. Howard has become the work horse and he is 2-1 with 32 K’s in 28.2 innings of work. As of April, 11 the Vikings were in 5 th place in the region. “I think as competitive as our region has been this season, with so many good teams, that we should have a good case to possibly qualify for an at-large play-off berth,” said Coach Hite. “In the mean time we just need to keep playing with grit and toughness and win as many games as we can. “We have been hitting well is spurts, but we can’t seem to get a timely hit with runners in scoring position,” said Coach Hite. “Hopefully our luck will change as we enter a crucial part of our schedule.” The team had seven games left as of April, 14 when they played at Ware Shoals . Hey have region games against Westside on April 15 and 17. They next play region games against Laurens on April 22 and 24 before hosting Abbeville on the 30 th . They close out the season at home against Ware Shoals on May, 1. Emerald Softball Very Young This Season  Tiaria Agnew is in her fourth season as the Emerald High girls’ softball coach and her team is very young and rebuilding this season. The Lady Vikings are made up of one 7 th grader, three 8 th graders, two freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors and just two seniors so a youth movement has certainly hit the program. The team was 5-3, 2-6 entering the final two weeks of the season. They recently had two confidence wins over Southside (16-1, 20-0). The young team is being led by senior LHP Bria Jones, sophomore Paydyn Stafford and freshman utility athlete Caitlyn Hackett.

Dorchester softball team having a great season

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • April 18, 2025
Raiders off to an 11-4 start as SCISA AA state playoffs draw near

Spring sports hitting the final stretch of regular season play

By Billy Baker • April 18, 2025
Spring sports hitting the final stretch of regular season play By David Shelton Senior Writer Lake City – Don’t look now but the 2025 spring sports season is nearly over and the athletes at Carolina Academy are prepping for the stretch drive. The spring has been a mixed bag of success to date but all of the teams are looking to finish strong. The baseball team has had a tough go, winning four of their first 15 games. Several losses were close games so the team has been competitive at times. On the mound, getting work are Walker McCutcheon, Bennett Mathews, Hampton Kirby Ryker Rhodes and Ryan Cox . McCutcheon, Rhodes and Matthews have seen time behind the plate as well. Kirby has seen time at short, along with Matthews, while Parker Miles , Carson Hanna and Holden Carsten are seeing time at the corner infield positions. Cox, Tanner Floyd and Kingston Cox are working in the outfield. The boys golf team has had some success this spring and will be playing in the SCISA state tournament on April 26 th in Conway. The Bobcats played in the region tournament on April 10.  The team has a bevy of seniors who are playing in the top group. Seniors include Thomas McDaniel, Cam Porter, Mason Huggins, Michael Wyatt, Blanding Franks, Jamison Andrews and Drake Morri s . Also playing are Landon Crosby , eighth-grader Grady Long , and seventh-graders Braeden Morris and Kohl Elmore . The Carolina Academy softball team has had better luck so far this season, winning nine of their first 12 games to put them in contention for a region title. Coach Scotty Philips felt his team had what it takes to challenge for a state championship if things continue to progress. “I see a lot of potential with this team but they have to focus and continue to work,” Phillips said. The strength of the 2025 team is inside the pitching circle. Junior Raylee Frye is a third-year performer who is as good as any hurler in SCISA when she brings her “A” game. Freshman Ella Ham will log innings at pitcher as well while also playing centerfield and first base. Lauren Sims also will pitch and share third base duties with Frye. “We have three good pitchers, dependable,” Phillips said. “I feel good giving the ball to any of them.” Handling the catching duties is returning starter Carlie Ann Smith , a junior who has been impressive behind the dish early on. Sophomore Jaylyn Davis will play most of the innings at first base while eighth-grader Natalie Braveboy will move from left to second base to replace McCutcheon. Three eighth-graders, Paisley Coker, Kayley Lyerly and Emma Amos are working in rightfield, with Ham also getting reps. Rounding out the varsity roster this season are Katherine Holiday, Lexi McCutcheon, Sarah Emma Garris, Savannah McCUtcheon, Jennifer Vargas and Hannah Grace Matthews.

Panthers enter HIT as region champs

By Roger Lee • April 18, 2025
Max Poulakis has been key to Pinewood’s success this season as a pitcher, infielder and batter.

Baseball, softball struggling this spring

By David Shelton • April 18, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Bennettsville - The 2025 season has been a rough ride for the baseball and softball teams at Marlboro County High . With the top four teams in each region of Class AAA qualifying for the Lower State playoffs, both of Marlboro County’s teams are in jeopardy of not making the cut. Both need a strong finish in the remaining region 6-AAA games to earn their postseason opportunity.  The baseball team has been a regular in the postseason and was expected to be a top four team in the region this spring. As of April 7, the Bulldogs were 2-8 overall with three of those early losses by two runs or less. Coach Ryan Pierce has mixed and matched his lineup this season, searching for the right combination of players that can yield success. Senior Cam Hunt is arguably the top overall player on the roster as a shortstop and pitcher. Tristan Quick plays mostly third base and is another arm on the mound. Others who have seen time on the mound include Zach Hardee and J ameson Bradshaw . Hardee also does work defensively as a corner infielder. Patrick Stubbs mans centerfield in most games while Layton Chavis handles most of the catching duties. Jayden Chavis plays second base while Ty Kickery , Tim Sloan and Landon Sweatt are working primarily in the outfield. Justin Haithcock and Khalil Sloan have seen time as the designated hitter, and Greir Norris has spot time at first base. Rounding out the roster are RJ Hale, Coy Preston and Jake Sloan . Entering the first full week of April, the Marlboro County softball team was 0-7 in region play and 3-13 overall. In recent years the Bulldogs have been region title contenders but have not been able the get it going this spring. One player who is playing at a high level is sophomore shortstop Addison Skipper , who is hitting .618 with five homeruns and 15 runs batted in through 15 games. Sophomore Ruthie Grooms hit .344 with nine RBI in the first 15 games while junior centerfielder Amir Bridges is hitting ,316 on the season. Eighth-grader Kaylee Sweatt is hitting ,296 and senior Abby Quick is hitting .286.

KNIGHTS BASEBALL GROWING STRONGER

By Gerald Doolittle • April 18, 2025
BY: GERALD DOOLITTLE Contributing Writer Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. – The W.W. King Academy Knights coached by Brian Kneece heads into Spring break with an 5-4 overall record. The Knights still have regular season games left with Greenwood Christian, Ridge Spring-Monetta and Wardlaw Academy. After the regular season games SCISA Region 3-A will have a Region tournament at Richard Winn on 4/21 and at W.W. King on 4/22. With a win over Wardlaw Academy to close the regular season the Knights will have a 4-2 region record which will give them second place behind Richard Winn Academy. The Knights offense has been sparked by Casen Buzhardt (so), Elijah Hutto (so), Joshua Oswald (fr) and Greyson Rikard (fr). These four are followed by Colton Buzhardt (sr) and Zed Watkins (jr). Casen leads with a batting average of .393 and 8 RBIs. And 10 runs scored. Hutto has a batting average of .375, 4 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Oswald has a batting average of .375, 4 RBIs and 8 runs scored. Rikard has a batting average of .375, 8 RBIs and 5 runs scored. Rikard also has 2 home runs. Landen Anderson (so) has four hits that has resulted in 9 RBIs. One of those hits was a home run. Leading the base running stats is Hutto with 14 stolen bases followed by Colton Buzhardt with 6 stolen bases. Oswald follows with 5 and Casen with 4.  Hutto leads the pitching staff with 28 Ks followed by Colton and Casen Buzhardt with 17 each.

With Spring Break Over Gaffney Softball Focused On AS Winning Streak

By Billy Baker • April 18, 2025
By Billy G. baker Publisher Gaffney —The Gaffney Lady Indians softball team went into Spring break at 10-7, and in sixth place in a very competitive AAAAA region, and head coach Maddie Pruitt is very focused on the team having a strong finish to the 2025 season over the next two weeks. “We are coming off Spring break well rested and we are ready to go to work and we are looking forward to finishing the regular season on a high note so we can ride into the playoffs the first week of May with a lot of momentum,” said Coach Pruitt. “We play all the region teams we faced in the first half of the season over the next two weeks. It will be a busy time and our focus is to work hard and have success.” One setback to the team was an injury to talented 8 th grade infielder Maysen Byars who was hitting .514 at the time of her injury. Maysen played second and third base for me and she is a solid infielder and we will miss her so much,” said Coach Pruitt. Over the Spring break Brooklyn Jennings committed to play softball at USC Union . Senior Dacy Phillips has signed with North Greenville and Korbyn Lydia is headed to USC Upstate. Both Phillips and Lydia have been a key part of the Gaffney softball program for five seasons including junior varsity. The team’s ace pitcher this season has been sophomore Ashley Caraway who has a record of 5-2 with an ERA of 2.70. caraway has worked 46 innings in the circle with 41 strike-outs. The leading hitters for Gaffney have been junior Kourtney Caraway who is batting .442. Sophomore Ashley Caraway is batting .405. Lydia is batting .378 and Jennings is at .333. Dacy Phillips is batting .250 and playing solid defense “Dacy has been barreling balls up and good during her at bats, but it’s been right at the defense,” said Coach Pruitt. “Hopefully, she will have a strong finish to the season.” Gaffney has played a very competitive schedule this season and they have defeated some talented teams among their 10 victories. They have wins over: ALA (15-5), Legion Collegiate (7-3), Seneca (4-3), Oceanside Collegiate (6-1), Greenville (14-1 & 5-2), Riverside (7-3), and Wade Hampton (9-2).  Gaffney will play at Spartanburg on April,15 then travel to Eastside the next day before hosting Byrnes on April, 18. The Indians host Boiling Springs on April, 21 and Riverside on April 22. Gaffney is at Dorman on April, 25 before hosting Wade Hampton on April, 29. Chapman comes to Gaffney on April, 30 and then the Indians close out the regular season at home against Eastside on May, 2.

James Island spring sports racking up the wins in 2025

By David Shelton • April 18, 2025
James Island spring sports racking up the wins in 2025 By David Shelton Senior Writer James Island – There has been winning aplenty for the James Island Charter spring sports teams through the first two weeks of April. The move from Class AAAA to AAAAA has not been as difficult as some predicted as several James Island teams are contending for region 8-AAAAA championships. The girls and boys soccer teams are in the thick of the race as the regular season winds down. The girls soccer team won their first six region contests and won 11 of their first 13 matches overall. The boys soccer team is off to a 5-1 start in region play, winning 10 of their first 14 contests overall. Lacrosse continues to grow and gather strength as a relatively new sport at the school. The boys team sits at 9-6 as of April 12 with just a few games remaining. The girls team went 5-10 in their first six weeks of the season. Leading the effort on the girls team is senior Mary Katherine Williams , who has scored 48 goals with six assists. Senior Emma McFall has tallied 20 goals while sophomore Lane Hobey has added 11 goals. Senior Reece Bertschy has nine assists to go with her 10 goals. The softball team is in a little rebuild this spring but has still competed well overall. The Trojans split their first six region games, losing to the top three teams in the region – Summerville, Fort Dorchester and West Ashley. Senior first baseman/pitcher Mary Davis Hancock leads the team in hitting with a .405 batting average. She has eight runs batted in as well while logging 54 innings inside the circle. Senior outfielder Rachel Manchester is hitting .350 and sophomore Caroline Jaruzel is hitting .300 while also working 32 innings as a pitcher. The team’s top returning hurler, sophomore Gracie Sue Billings , has not pitched this season after winning nine games last season.  The baseball team is one of the state’s top five teams in AAAAA and will enter the playoffs seeking a second consecutive state championship. They won the AAAA state title in 2024. The Trojans are 9-0 in region play and 14-3 overall entering spring break (April 13). A devastating and productive top of the lineup has been as advertised. Senior catcher Stow Rogers , junior shortstop Taj Marchand , senior third baseman Jake Amman and sophomore second baseman Trip Ostergard have blistered opponents with each hitting near or better than .400. First baseman Finn Pratt , a first-year starter, also is off to a solid start offensively as is junior outfielder Connor Dantzler . Marchand and Ostergard also have been key performers on the mound, along with senior Collin Anderson and sophomores Dawson Belder and Cooper Jones.

Barnwell Softball Starting Three talented 7th Graders From Ponytails World Championship Team From Last Summer

By Billy Baker • April 18, 2025
Barnwell Softball Starting Three talented 7 th Graders From Ponytails World Championship Team From Last Summer  By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell -Last summer an 11–12-year-old Ponytails softball rec team, from Barnwell County, earned their way to the World Series finals, held in Louisiana, and the team ended up winning a national Championship. Three members of that team are now 7 th grade starters on the Barnwell Warhorse softball team head coached by Michael Beasley, who has nearly 30 years of high school softball coaching experience. “Even in my 22- plus years at Blackville-Hilda I would occasionally have a 7 th grader on the varsity but none of them ever started,” said Coach Beasley. “For us to have three 7 th graders starting, and I mean they are also major contributors, is really amazing I will tell you that.” The top hitter on the entire team is 7 th grade shortstop/pitcher/catcher Kinsey Terrapin who is batting .577 as the team went into Spring break on April, 14. Shalayah Badger is a 7 th grader who is a shortstop/pitcher/catcher and she is batting .500. The other 7 th grade starter is 3 rd baseman Genesis Walker who is batting .417 . “All three of these players have been playing softball for a long time and it is a first- time situation for me to have three 7 th grade starters on a varsity team,” said Coach Beasley. “Kinsley is a natural born hitter and she has had a hot bat all season. Genesis is versatile and she likes playing several positions, but we use her mainly at 3 rd base. Shalayah’s speed and strength for a 7 th grader is quite impressive and she is the fastest player we have on the team.” Barnwell has entered Spring break (13-3, 10-0) and they won the region once again and they have won 29 straight region games in a row going back to the 2022 season. “We feel fortunate to have got all our region games out of the way before Spring break,” said Coach Beasley. “We scheduled a lot more games this season so we have an opportunity to face good pitching by playing 8 non-region games after the break. “We will be playing quality teams like Saluda , Colleton County , Branchville , and Silver Bluff after our Spring break, and we will be playing all 8 games over a two- week period,” said Coach Beasley. “What is also nice about the way we have set things up is that we have five days to prepare for our first home playoff game after we conclude our regular season.” The rudder of the team is senior pitcher Jaidyn Devore who has signed a softball scholarship with Howard University . In her senior season, Devore is currently 6-3 with 92 K’s in 47 innings in the circle with a sterling 0.74 ERA. At the plate she is batting .265 with 13 RBI’s and two home runs. Over her long career in the Barnwell softball program, Devore has 538 career K’s, has pitched 14 no-hitters, and four perfect games in 280 innings in the circle. Her career record is 38-15. “Jaidyn has been a hard worker and very focused player over her entire career at Barnwell,” said Coach Beasley. “She’s battle tested and playing very well in her senior season. “ Sophomore Laney Grubbs is an outfielder number two pitcher for the Warhorses. She went into Spring break batting .436 with 11 RBI’s. In the circle, Grubbs is 3-0 with 21 K’s in 12 innings of work with an ERA of 2.92. “I consider Laney a next level prospect and she is one of our team leaders despite being just a sophomore,” said Coach Beasley. “Everything she does is for the team.” Starting sophomore second baseman, Molly Wilson has a nick name she certainly likes. “We call her “Hitting Machine”,” said Coach Beasley. “She rarely strikes out and she always puts the ball in play.” Senior starting third baseman Brooklyn Gordon is one of three seniors on the team. She is an all-region returner who is currently batting .389 with 10 RBI’s. Sophomore Kendall O’Berry starts in center field and she is currently batting .375 with 11 RBI’s and she leads the team with three doubles. “She is a gold glove type center fielder,” said Coach Beasley. Junior Brianna Croft has been the starting catcher the past two seasons and she comes into the break hitting .278 with 8 RBI’s. “Brianna is probably our best bunter and she makes good contact with the ball.” said Coach Beasley. Abigail Corley is a three starter in right field and she in also a returning all-region player from last season. She is currently batting .241 with 7 RBI’s. Two key reserves who round out the 13-player roster are junior Shaelyn Badger who plays first and third base along with junior Layla Bishop who is an outfielder. “With our young players maturing so quickly this season, and as well as we have been hitting the ball lately, we are certainly hoping for a deep play-off run,” said Coach Beasley. “We have averaged 13 hits a game over our last games. “Our pitching is solid and deep also,” said Coach Beasley. “We hope playing 8 non-region games over the final two weeks of the season will expose us to some good pitching and get us ready for the playoffs.” Rick Arnold is an assistant coach for the team.
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