SCISA sets tournament brackets for all four classifications

Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • February 14, 2025

Girls first-round games on Friday, boys games set for Saturday

         Sumter – The South Carolina Independent School Association has released the boys and girls basketball state tournament brackets for each of its four classifications.


The first-round games for the girls in each of the four classifications are set for Friday, while the boys games are set for Saturday. The girls contests will be played at Cardinal Newman in Columbia, Cathedral Acaemy in North Charleston, Northwood Academy in Charleston and Wilson Hall and Sumter Couty Civic Center, both in Sumter. The boys games will be played at Wilson Hall, Sumter County Civice Center, Cathedral Academy and Calhoun Academy in St. Matthews.


        There are 15 teams in both the AAAA boys and AAAAA girls tournaments. There are seven first-round games with the No. 1 seed in each tournament getting a bye into the quarterinals. Augusta Christian School is the boys top seed, while Trinity Collegiate is the girls No. 1 seed.


         Hilton Head Christian Academy, which has won six straight state titles, still has a chance to make it seven in a row after being selected to the AAAA field. The Eagles, who won four straight 2A state titles and the last two AAA crowns, are in their first year in AAAA. They are 4-17 and will play First Baptist on Friiday at 3:30 p.m. at Cathedral Academy.


          Both of the AAA tournaments have 12-team fields. In the girls field, Orangeburg Prep and Pee Dee are the No. 1 seeds while Hilton Head Prep and Spartanburg Christian are the No. 2 seeds. Defending state champion Hilton Head Prep and defending state runner-up Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach are the boys No. 1 seeds with OP and Pee Dee the No. 2 seeds. All of those teams will receive first-round byes and begin play in the quarterfinals.


          In AA, the girls tournament will have 12 teams and the boys tournament will have 15. The No. 1 seeds for the girls are defending Class A state champion Cross Schools and Dorchester Academy with Lee Academy and Laurens Academy the 2 seeds. They will receive first-round byes into the quarterinals. The top seed for the boys is Catehdral Academy, the defending AA state champion..


          The Class A boys ournament has 12 teams with defending state champion Curtis Baptist and Ragin Prep the No. 1 seeds. The No. 2 seeds are Jefferson Davis Academy and Richard Winn. There are just six teams in the girls field. Curtist Baptist and Wardlaw Academy have byes into the semifinals.    


 

First-Round Games

Friday, February 14

Girls Games
At Cardinal Newman (in Columbia)
3:30 p.m. -- Thomas Sumter vs. Greenwood Christian (AAA)
5 p.m. --  Laurence Manning vs. Northside Christian (AAAA)
6:30 p.m. -- Ashley Hall vs. Heathwood Hall (AAAA)
8 p.m. -- Wilson Hall vs. Augusta Christian (AAAA)

At Cathedral Academy (in North Charleston)
3:30 p.m. -- Hilton Head Christian vs. First Baptist (AAAA)
5 p.m. -- Our Lady of the Rosary vs. Cathedral Academy (Class A)
6:30 p.m. -- Ben Lippen vs. Palmetto Christian (AAAA)
8 p.m. -- Porter-Gaud vs. John Paul II (AAAA)

At Northwood Academy (in Charleston)

5 p.m. -- Holy Trinity vs. Charleston Collegiate (Class A)
6:30 p.m. -- Cardinal Newman vs. Northwood Academy (AAAA)\

At Wilson Hall (in Sumter)
Gym A
5:30 p.m. -- Holly Hill vs. Jefferson Davis (Class A)
7 p.m. -- Carolina Academy vs. Oakbrook Prep (AA)
 Gym B
5:30 p.m. -- Conway Christian vs. Andrew Jackson (Class A)
7 p.m. -- Spartanburg Day vs. Patrick Henry

At Sumter County Civic Center
4 p.m. -- Mead Hall vs. Richard Winn (Class A)
5:30 p.m. -- Calhoun vs. Florence Christian (AAA)
7 p.m. -- Colleton Prep vs. First Presbyterian (AAA)

 

Saturday, February 15

Boys Games
At Cathedral Academy
Noon -- First Baptist vs. Pinewood Prep (AAAA)
1:30 p.m. -- Hilton Head Christian vs. Porter-Gaud (AAAA)
3 p.m. -- Cross Schools vs. Bethesda Academy (AA)
4:30 p.m. -- Conway Christian vs. Thomas Heyward (Class A)

At Calhoun Academy (in St. Matthews)
Noon -- Laurens Academy vs. Faith Christian (AA)
1:30 p.m. -- Patrick Henry vs. Calhoun Academy (AAA)
3 p.m.-- Our Lady of the Rosary vs. Charleston Collegiate (Class A)
4:30 p.m. -- Anderson Christian vs. Holly Hill Academy (Class A)

At Wilson Hall
Gym A
Noon -- Cardinal Newman vs. Wilson Hall (AAAA)
1:30 p.m. -- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton vs. Newberry Academy (Class A)
3 p.m. -- Lee Academy vs. Andrew Jackson (Class A)
4:30 p.m. -- Spartanburg Christian vs. Florence Christian (AAA)
6 p.m. -- Dillon Christian vs. Spartanburg Day (AAA)
Gym B
12:30 p.m. -- Wardlaw vs. Mead Hall (Class A)
2 p.m. -- Cambridge vs. Marlboro (Class A)
3:30 p.m. -- Beaufort Academy vs. Oakbrook Prep (AA)
5 p.m. -- St. John’s Christian vs. Greenwood Christian (AAA)

At Sumter County Civic Center
Noon -- Laurence Manning vs. Northside Christian (AAAA)
1:30 John Paul II vs. Heathwood Hall
3 p.m. -- Northwood Academy vs. Hammond (AAAA)
4:30 p.m. -- Trinity Collegiate vs. Ben Lippen (AAAA)
6 p.m. -- Dorchester vs. Carolina (AA)

 

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

AAAA

Boys

First Round

Saturday, February 15

Upper Bracket

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 1 -- Northside Christian vs. Laurence Manning, noon

At Cathedral Academy

Game 2 -- Pinewood Prep vs. First Baptist, noon

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 3 -- Wilson Hall vs. Cardinal Newman, noon

Lower Bracket

At Cathedral Academy

Game 4 -- Porter-Gaud vs. Hilton Head Christian, 3:30 p.m.

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 -- Heathwood Hall vs. John Paul II, 1:30 p.m.

Game 6 -- Hammond vs. Northwood, 3 p.m.

Game 7 -- Ben Lippen vs. Trinity Collegiate, 4:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Monday, February 17

Upper Bracket

Game 8 – Augusta Christian vs. Game 1 Winner, TBA

Game 9 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBA

Game 11 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, TBA

Semifinals

Wednesday, February. 19

Upper Bracket

Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 13 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, TBA

Championship

Semifinal Winners, TBA

 

AAAA

Girls

First Round

Friday, February 14

Upper Bracket

At Cardinal Newman

Game 1 – Ashley Hall vs. Heathwood Hall, 6:30 p.m.

At Cathedral Academy

Game 2 – John Paul II vs. Porter-Gaud, 8 p.m.

Game 3 – First Baptist vs. Hilton Head Christian, 3:30 p.m.

At Cardinal Newman

Game 4 – Augusta Christian vs. Wilson Hall, 8 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Cathedral Academy

Game 5 – Palmetto Christian vs. Ben Lippen, 6:30 p.m.

At Northwood Academy

Game 6 – Carinal Newman vs. Northwood, 6:30 p.m.

At Cardinal Newman

Game 7 – Northside Christian vs. Laurence Manning, 5 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Monday, February 17

Upper Bracket

Game 8 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, TBA

Game 9 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Trinity Collegiate vs. Game 5 Winner, TBA

Game 11 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, TBA

Semifinals

Wednesday, February. 19

Upper Bracket

Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 13 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, TBA

Championship

Semifinal Winners, TBA

 

AAA

Boys

First Round

Saturday, February 15

Upper Bracket

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 1 – Florence Christian vs. Spartanburg Christian, 4:30 p.m.

At Wilson Hall Gym B

Game 2 – Greenwood Christian vs. St. John’s Christian, 5 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 3 – Spartanburg Day vs. Dillon Christian, 6 p.m.

At Calhoun Academy

Game 4 – Calhonn Academy vs. Patrick Henry, 3:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, February 18

Upper Bracket

Game 5 – Game 1 Winner vs. Hilton Head Prep, TBA

Game 6 – Game 2 Winner vs. Orangeburg Prep, TBA

Lower State.

Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs. Christian Academy, TBA

Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs. Pee Dee

Semifinals

Thursday, February 20

Upper Bracket

Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, TBA

 Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, TBA

Game 11 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, TBA

Championship

Saturday, February 22

At Sumter County Civic Center

Semifinal Winners, TBA

 

AAA

Girls

First Round

Friday, February 14

Upper Bracket

At Cardinal Newman

Game 1 – Greenwood Christian vs. Thomas Sumter, 3:30 p.m.

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 2 – Florence Christian vs. Calhoun Academy, 3:30 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 3 – Colleton Prep vs. First Presbyterian, 7 p.m.

At Wilson Hall Gym B

Game 4 – Patrick Henry vs. Spartanburg Day, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Monday, February 17

Upper Bracket

Game 5 – Game 1 Winner vs. Orangeburg Prep, TBA

Game 6 – Game 2 Winner vs. Hilton Head Prep, TBA

Lower State.

Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs. Pee Dee, TBA

Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs. Spartanburg Christian, TBA

Semifinals

Thursday, February 20

Upper Bracket

Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, TBA

 Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, TBA

Championship

Saturday, February 22

Game 11 -- Semifinal Winners, TBA


AA

Boys

First Round

Saturday, February 15

Upper State

At Wilson Hall Gym B

Game 1 -- Oakbrook Prep vs. Beaufort Academy, 3:30 p.m.

At Cathedral Academy

Game 2 -- Thomas Heyward vs. Conway Christian, 4:30 p.m.

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 3 -- Carolina Academy vs. Dorchester Academy, 6 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Cathedral Academy

Game 4 – Bethesda Academy vs. Cross Schools, 3 p.m.

At Calhoun Academy

Game 5 – Charleston Collegiate vs Our Lady of the Rosary, 3 p.m.

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 6 – Andrew Jackson vs. Lee Academy, 3 p.m.

At Calhoun Academy

Game 7 – Faith Christian vs. Laurens Academy, noon

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, February 18

Upper Bracket

Game 8 – Game 1 Winner vs. Cathedral Academy, TBA

Game 9 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, TBA

Lower State.

Game 10– Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBA

Game 11 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, TBA

Semifinals

Thursday, February 20

Upper Bracket

Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 13 – Game 10 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, TBA

Championship

Saturday, February 22

Game 14 -- Semifinal Winners, 1 p.m.

 

AA

Girls

First Round

Friday, February 14

Upper Bracket

At Wilson Hall  Gym A

Game 1 – Oakbrook Prep vs. Carolina Academy, 7 p.m.

At Cathedral Academy

Game 2 – Cathedral Academy vs. Our Lady of the Rosary, 5 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Wilson Hall Gym B

Game 3 – Andrew Jackson vs. Conway Christian, 5:30 p.m.

At Northwood Academy

Game 4 – Charleston Collegiate vs. Holy Trinity, 5 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Monday, February 17

Upper Bracket

Game 5 – Game 1 Winner vs. Cross Schools, TBA

Game 6 – Game 2 Winner vs. Lee Academy, TBA

Lower State.

Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs. Dorchester Academy, TBA

Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs. Laurens Academy, TBA

Semifinals

Thursday, February 20

Upper Bracket

Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, TBA

Championship

Saturday, February 22

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 -- Semifinal Winners, 1 p.m.

 

Class A

Boys

First Round

Saturday, February 15

Upper Bracket

At Wilson Hall Gym B

Game 1 – Mead Hall vs. Wardlaw Academy, 12:30 p.m.

Game 2 – Marlboro Academy vs. Cambridge, 2 p.m.

Lower Bracket

At Calhoun Academy

Game 3 -- Holly Hill Academy vs. Anderson Christian, 4:30 p.m.

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 4 – Newberry Academy vs. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Upper Bracket

Game 5 – Ragin Prep vs. Game 1 Winner, TBA

Game 6 – Jefferson Davis vs. Game 2 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 7 – Curtis Baptist vs. Game 3 Winner, TBA

Game 8 – Richard Winn vs. Game 6 Winner, TBA

Semifinals

Upper Bracket

Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, TBA

Lower Bracket

Game 10 – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, TBA

Championship

Saturday, February 22

Game 11 -- Semifinal Winners, TBA


Girls

Quarterfinals

Friday, February 14

At Wilson Hall Gym A

Game 1 – Jefferson Davis vs. Holly Hill Academy, 5:30 p.m.

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 2 – Richard Winn vs. Mead Hall, 4 p.m.

Semifinals

Tuesday, February 18

Game 3 – Curtis Baptist vs. Game 1 Winner, TBA

Game 4 – Wardlaw Academy vs. Game 2 Winner, TBA

Championship

Friday, February 21

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – Semifinal Winners, 4 p.m.

First Baptist athletes competing well this spring

By David Shelton • April 19, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer James Island – With the SCISA state playoffs just around the corner, now is the time for athletes and teams to hit their peak level of performance. That’s the goal for the spring sports athletes at First Baptist School as several teams look forward to a postseason opportunity. Both of the First Baptist varsity soccer teams have posted winning seasons to date. The regular season will conclude in less than two weeks. The boys team is in position to claim a region championship if they can finish strong. As of April 13, the Hurricanes were 8-2 overall with a 3-1 record in region play. That lone defeat came to rival Porter-Gaud, 2-1, and the Hurricanes get a rematch on April 22. First Baptist also has two key region contests remaining with Pinewood Prep on April 15 and April 24. Most of the 2025 roster is comprised of underclassmen. In fact, 10 of the rostered players are either sophomores or freshmen. The team has solid senior leadership, however, and those seniors are key factors. The seniors include goalkeeper Thomas Sanders , defenders Parker Thomas and Joshua McClain , and midfielders MacLain Luke and Camp Oliver . The girls soccer team won seven of their first 12 matches and appear headed for a third-place finish in the very competitive region that is controlled by Porter-Gaud and three-time defending state champion Pinewood Prep. Senior Fynn Domrese is the team’s leading goal scorer with 12 tallies, including a hat trick in a win over Northwood Academy. Sophomore Reese Tipton has seven goals and six assists while sophomore Britton Lempesis has a pair of goals. Like the boys team, the girls roster is very young with Domrese the only senior. She and junior midfielder Wells Griffin are the team captains. First Baptist recently restarted the softball program. The program was a dominant winner in the 1990’s but faded as the game changed to fast pitch. The program has a rebirth under coach Katelyn Powell , a former all-state player at Northwood Academy. There were teams dating to 2000-01 but not every season. Interest appears high as the school is fielding a b-team and a junior varsity team this spring. First Baptist has experienced some success with four victories early on. Some of the key players this season include Trissa Medlin, Addison Townsend, Bailey Millemad, Lulu Mayo and Izzie Tracy. The boys golf team is preparing for the SCISA state tournament in late April. Members of that team include sophomore Graham Edwards , junior Bates Walpole , freshmen Jack Finuca n, Slate Shope , William Askins , Elijah Crawford and Banks Cordray ; eighth-grader Tucker Mappus and sixth-grader Will Mappus . The baseball team sits in second-place in the region standings, posting a 12-6-1 overall record as of April 14. The Hurricanes have three region losses, all to Pinewood Prep, with a key three-game series with Porter-Gaud at the end of the regular season.

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.
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