WEEK 4 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

From staff reports • September 24, 2024

Gaffney beats Boiling Springs 28-22 in overtime

         Boiling Springs – Jamarcus Smith scored on a 10-yard run on the first play of Gaffney High School’s overtime possession for a 28-22 victory over Boiling Springs on Friday at the BSHS field.

 

         Gaffney, the top-ranked team in the High School Sports Report AAAAA Division II poll, improved to 4-0 on the season. Boiling Springs fell to 3-1 in the Region 2 opener for both teams.

 

         Smith rushed for 70 yards and the touchdown on seven carries while catching five passes for 119 yards and another TD. Smith also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score.

 

Quarterback Jayvon Gilmore completed 13 of 21 passes for 282 yard and two scores. Chas Smith had four catches for 90 yards and Shane Davidson had a 64-yard TD catch.

 

Lincoln Huskey threw two TD passes to lead Boiling Springs, completing 18 of 36 passes for 112 yards. Huskey threw a 4-yard TD pass to Ry’shaun Morgan and a 5-yard scoring pass to Kyle Patterson. Javen Chhim scored on a 6-yard run for the Bulldogs’ other TD.

 

Kuron Nesbitt had a 53-yard interception return for BHS while Morgan had a 45-yard return. Andrew Ruppe led Gaffney with nine tackles while Josh Corry had two quarterback sacks among his four tackles.

 

Barnwell 14

Swansea 7

 

Swansea -- Barnwell picked up a 14-7 victory over Swansea on Friday at the SHS field.

 

Cameron Austin carried the ball 19 times for 79 yards and the Warhorses’ two touchdowns. He also completed 15 of 23 passes for 165 yards.

 

Jaquan Peeples had eight catches for 100 yards, while Kahzeer Wesley had five catches for 40 yards.

 

DJ Green led Swansea with 11 tackles, two sacks and a tackle for loss.

 

Batesburg-Leesville 60

Calhoun County 0

 

Batesburg-Leesville -- Batesburg-Leesville scored 35 points in the first quarter and rolled to a 60-0 victory over Calhoun County on Friday at the B=L field.

 

The Panthers, who improved to 4-0, led 47-0 at halftime.

 

Amadre Wooden ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries to lead B-L. KD Whitt carried the ball twice for 74 yards, one of them a 70-yard scoring run, and caught a 64-yard TD pass.

 

Jamerius Clark caught three passes for 29 yards and two scores. Quarterback Tanner Watkins completed 4 of 5 passes for 93 yards and three TDs.

 

Jack Bouknight returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown. Christian Burkett returned a blocked punt for a TD.

 

Saluda 19

Southside Christian 14

 

Greenville -- Saluda improved to 4-0 with a 19-14 victory over Southside Christian School on Friday at the SCS field.

 

The Tigers were led by quarterback Brayden Williams. He had nine carries for 81 yards and a touchdown and completed 5 of 12 passes for 97 yards. One of those completions was a 50-yard scoring pass to Victavis Gaines.

 

Saluda’s other touchdown came on a 27-yard interception return by Jayden Foulks, who also had another interception. Jordan Hagler had seven tackles and an interception, while JT Lott had six, three of them for a loss.

 

Jack Criswell completed 20 of 45 passes for 193 yards. Keldin Wrona had five catches for 57 yards and DJ Lee had four catches for 41 yards.

 

Dutch Fork 51

Oceanside Collegiate 0

 

Irmo – Dutch Fork improved to 4-0 with a 51-0 victory over Oceanside Collegiate Academy on Friday at Dutch Fork Stadium.

 

Ethan Offing completed 13 of 16 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown while running for a score. Jayden Westbrook had two catches for 75 yards, one a 63-yard TD. Boykin Bickley had three catches for 70 yards.

 

Westbrook also returned a punt 51 yards for a score. Maurice Anderson had eight carries for 44 yards and three touchdowns. Isaac Shine had 78 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

 

Daniel Williams led the Silver Foxes defense with three tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.

   

Daniel 37

Clinton 12

   

Central – Daniel scored 20 points in the third quarter to break open a close game and go on to a 37-12 victory over Clinton on Friday at Singleton Field.

 

The Lions, who improved to 3-1, led 14-6 at halftime. However, a 70-yard TD run by Spencer Conn and two touchdown passes from Grayson Clary opened the advantage to 34-6.

 

Clary completed 15 of 19 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns. The scoring passes went to four different receivers in Jason Bish, Trey Wimbley, Elijah Lipsey and Christian Chancellor Jr. Bish had five catches for 61 yards, Wimbley four catches for 105 yards, Lipsey two catches for 80 yards and Chancellor a 42-yard TD catch.

 

Javen Cook rushed for 83 yards on 23 carries to lead Clinton, which fell to 3-2. Tushawan Richardson completed 11 of 19 passes for 120 yards.

 

  Sumter 56

         Spring Valley 7

 

         Columbia – Running back Kam Fortune ran for 271 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries in Sumter’s 56-7 victory over Spring Valley on Friday at Harry Parone Stadium.

 

         Sumter scored 35 points in the first quarter and led 49-7 at halftime. The Gamecocks improved to 5-0 in winning their Region 5-AAAAA opener.

 

         Ca’yon Gordon had 50 yards and a TD, and Cory Bailey scored on a 19-yard run. Franklin Richardson completed 4 of 6 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Chris Bentley had a 34-yard TD catch. Bentley also returned a punt 65 yards for a score.

 

         Jeremiah Burson led the defense with nine tackles. He also had two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, a forced fumble a fumble reco er and a pass breakup.

 

         Hanahan 23

‘       Timberland 6

 

         St. Stephen – Hanahan improved to 2-3 with a 23-6 victory over Timberland on Friday at the THS field.

 

         Ethan Milligan led the Wolves defense with 13 tackles. Demarri Middleton had 11 tackles while Carter Hawkins and Josh Ham both had 10. Kaseam Liferidge had seven tackles, four tackles for loss ad one sack.

 

Deontae Cleveland had three carries for 43 yards to lead the Timberland offense. Malyk Goodman threw for 77 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Timmons had two catches for 52 yards and a score.

 

         Andrews 30

         Waccamaw 26

 

         Pawleys Island -- Andrews remained undefeated with a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave it a 30-27 triumph over Waccamaw on Friday at the WHS field.

 

         Zaireon Skinner rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries to lead the 2-2 Warriors. Adrian Grate Jr. and Bryce Holloway both had 13 tackles to lead the defense. Ben King had 11 tackles and Aiden Hastings had 10.

 

         J.L. Mann 55

         Easley 6

 

         Greenville – McLeod Darnell threw four touchdown passes and Ladammian Martin ran for three scores to lead J.L. Mann to a 55-6 victory over Easley on Friday at the J.L. Mann field.

 

         Darnell completed 20 of 26 passes for 220 yards. Dre Huff had four catches for 102 yards and three scores. Caleb Williams had five catches for 58 yards and a score.

 

         Martin ran for 180 yards and also had a 22-yard reception.

 

         Hartsville 38

         Dillon 28

 

         Kelleytown – Hartsville improved to 2-1-1 with a 38-28 victory over previously unbeaten Dillon on Friday at Kelleytown Stadium.

 

         Rahmond Hamilton completed 16 of 27 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown for the 3-1 Wildcats. Jamaurious Robertson had seven catches for 140 yards and one touchdown. Dominick Felton ran for two touchdowns

 

         Keryien Brown led the DHS defense with 12 tackles and two TFLs. Daniel Capehart and Dan Graves had 10 tackles apiece.

 

         Greenwood 25

         T.L. Hanna 21

 

         Greenwood -- Greenwood defeated T.L. Hanna 25-21 in the Region 1-AAAAA opener for both teams on Friday at Babb Stadium.

 

         Greenwood improved to 3-1 overall while the Yellow Jackets fell to 2-2.

 

         Brandon Cunningham passed for 179 yards and three touchdowns to lead T.L. Hanna. KD Patterson, Walker Kelley and Daylin Williams caught the TD passes. Kelley also had two sacks on defense.

 

         Northwestern 67

         Nation Ford 13

 

         Rock Hill – Northwestern scored 57 points in the first half in winning its Region 3-AAAAA opener against Nation Ford by a 67-13 score on Friday at District 3 Stadium.

 

         Finley Polk led the Trojans, who improved to 5-0 overall, by completing 18 of 20 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 54 yards and a TD on six carries.

 

         Eleven different players caught passes for NHS. TaDarrian Knox, Nigel Smith and Daniel Caldwell each caught TD passes.

 

         Qua Mobley and Zymier Gordon-Miles both ran for two touchdowns.

 

         Wilson Hall 42

         Camden Military 0

 

         Sumter -- Wilson Hall remained undefeated with a 42-0 victory over Camden Military on Friday at Spencer Field.

 

         John Land rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense for the Barons, who improved to 5-0. Knox Buxton led the defense with six tackles and an interception.

 

         Chester 54

         Union County 12

 

         Union – Chester picked up its first win of the season with a 54-12 victory over Union County on Friday at the UCHS field.

 

         Trooper Floyd led the Cyclones, completing 12 of 17 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 61 yards and a score on eight carries.

 

         Hudhaifah Taylor ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Omari Pendergrass had five catches for 76 yards and two TDs, while Zeke Evans had four catches for 87 yards and a score.

 

         Terry Radford had 15 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and three quarterback pressures, Zy Whitlock had 12 tackles, six of them for a loss, and Darrriyam Baxley had 17 tackles, and two TFLs.

 

         Northside Christian 54

Spartanburg Christian 19

 

Spartanburg – Northside Christian Academy jumped out to a 20-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back in a 54-19 victory over Spartanburg Christian Academy on Friday at the SCA field.

 

BJ Suits led the Crusaders, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while completing 6 of 7 passes for 75 yards and another score. Jefferson McCallum completed 3 of 4 passes for 147 yards and two scores.

 

Jake Jeffrey caught four passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Adrian Wilson ran for 67 yards and two scores on 11 carries.

 

Lee Central 42

Hardeeville 7

 

Bishopville – Ju-ju Davis ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to lead Lee Central to a 42-7 victory over Hardeeville on Friday at at the LCHS field.

 

Davis ran for 186 yards on seven carries for the Stallions, who improved to 3-2. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 61 yards.

 

Rico Hickman had nine carries for 69 yards and a TD, Demarion Morgan had four carries for 55 yards and a score and Xavier Reed had two carries for 31 yards. Chuck Harry caught two passes for 28 yards and a TD, and Morgan had two catches for 33 yards.

 

Powdersville 40

Broome 21

 

Greenville -- Powdersville improved to 2-3 as it defeated Broome 40-21 on Friday at the PHS field.

 

Tyqwon Booker led 2-3 Wren by rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Jameson Dearybury completed 16 of 26 passes for 162 yards and one TD. Tre Suber had seven catches for 89 yards and the TD.

Denmark-Olar soccer looking to continue success on the pitch

By Neill Kirkpatrick • April 19, 2025
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Denmark – The Vikings are coming off back-to-back region 4A championships and second round playoff appearances but since the end of last season there have been a couple changes in Denmark; one they have a new coach in Xzavier Goldsmith and they have moved to the lower state in realignment but their goals have not. Coach Goldsmith has a veteran squad returning with some of the top athletes at Denmark-Olar at his disposal so his expectations are to continue to build Vikings soccer. “My expectations coming into my first year as the new head soccer coach at Denmark Olar is to build a team first organization and to build off the success of the previous outstanding years..” said Goldsmith. “I feel that we can compete well in the region if play fundamental soccer and compete to the whistle blows. We play some great teams and accomplish programs so we are ready for the challenge.” The Vikings are definitely holding their own as they are 5-4 overall and 2-3 in region 4A play. They have shut outs on the year and are solid position to earn another trip to the play offs. They have three region contest left and a match with another play off bound A team in region 3A Horse Creek Academy. The Vikings are led by seniors in Terence Hinton, Robert Bovain, Tykeem Ross, Reginald Youmans, Carlos Johnson, Charleston Brown, and Amari Keller . Bovain, a striker, is the top returning scorer for the Vikings. He tallied nine goals and seven assists for a total of 25 points. He was named all region last season and recently hoisted the class A State Basketball championship trophy. Hinton missed last season with an injury. “Agent Zero” as he is known as on the football field was the Vikings top scorer as a sophomore while earning all-region honors. He looks to pick up where he left. He was recently named All State in basketball by the HSSR and the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. Keller and Johnson showed they could put the ball in the back of the net last season. Keller scored five goals and had 11 points on the year while Johnson scored three goals. Ross and Brown are imposing figures on the pitch as both weigh over 220lbs a rarity in the beautiful game. They have been solid on the pitch. Ross joined Hinton on the HSSR class A all state basketball team after being named all state in football in the fall. Youmans is the teams keeper. Last season he stopped 116 shots on goal and has three shutouts. He has had three shutouts so far this season. The rest of the Vikings starting lineup are Kenneth Hanberry, Josh Tackett, Geontae Staley, and Nyheeem Brimfield. Brimfield could the next star athlete at Denmark Olar. He started at QB and played a significant role on the basketball as a freshmen.

Spartanburg Day Golfers Focused On Winning Upcoming Region Championship With Eye On State Championships A Week Later

By Billy Baker • April 19, 2025
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —The Spartanburg Day Griffins golf team, under the direction of head coach Travis Linder, are heavily favored to win their SCISA region tournament to be held on April 21 st at the Village Green Golf Course, and one week later, the Griffins are expected to compete very well at the SCISA AAA Golf State Championships to be held once again on the Hackler Course in Myrtle Beach. “We had only two head-to-head matches this Spring because we mainly competed in big tournaments involving larger public schools,” said Coach Linder. “Our best showing so far was in the Spartanburg County Invitational where we competed very well against 14 other teams, including schools like Dorman , Spartanburg , and Gaffney . In the Spartanburg County event, junior Matthew Roff , playing in the number one slot for the Griffins, placed fourth over-all with a round of 75, earning him a spot on the All-tournament team. Eighth grade golfer Kingston Linder was 11 th over-all at the Spartanburg County event when he fired a 77 and just missed earning a spot on the all-tournament team. In most golf matches, or tournaments, a team enters five golfers and the top four scores count. The team’s lone senior is Carter Boyd and he shot a 78 at the Spartanburg County event. Other participants in the county event included 7 th grade golfer Will Miller and freshman Ben Brown . Brown usually shoots in the mid-80’s and he has been on the team for three seasons. Reid Hines is a talented 7 th grader who is the on the varsity team also. The team also participated in the Rebel Invitational hosted by Byrnes High earlier this Spring. The Griffins finished 14th over-all in that event. The top four scorers in that event included Will Miller (82), Kingston Linder (83), Ben Brown (85) and AK Milner (87). The focus now is the upcoming region championship match against region foes First Presbyterian Academy and Spartanburg Christian, scheduled for the Village Green Golf course on April, 21 st . “We will start ramping up our practices to include two 18-hole rounds a week, when at the start of the season we played a lot of 9-hole practice rounds,” said Coach Linder. “These two 18-hole rounds help us determine player seedings for both the region tournament, and if we win the region, we go to state so these matches during the week help us place the players one through for five based on how they are playing at the time. “We are favored to win the region and I was not the head coach last year but I think the team placed third in the SCISA AAA state finals last year,” said Coach Linder. “I think that Matthew Roff’s father told me his son will be playing on the Hackler Course for the 5 th straight year, so being a senior, he will likely play at number one, if we advance to the finals after region as we expect to.” Last year the Griffins shot a team composite of 581 to finish third behind first place Hilton Head Prep (581) and second place Hilton Head Christian (588). Five golfers represent each team and they play two back-to-back 18-hole rounds on consecutive days with the top four lowest scores counting in the team totals. Two golfers return this year to the Griffins who played in the state finals last year. Roff shot 76-80-156 and Boyd shot 78-81-159 last year in the state finals. “In the state finals in May it is usually hot weather, so we start working on our stamina by playing more 18-hole practice rounds later in the season,” said Coach Linder. “Those last six holes on a hot day can be difficult if you do not prepare for them. “I feel like if this young group of golfers stick together, we have the foundation to compete for state championships in the near future,” said Coach Linder. Coach Linder also wanted to cite the talents of two up and coming junior varsity golfers in the Spartanburg Day program. They are 7 th grader Jack Langley and 8 th grader Tab Connor .

Timberland track and field athletes on the move

By Rob Gantt • April 19, 2025
Timberland's Kevin Snwoden on the track.

Cross High athletes having good track season

By David Shelton • April 19, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Cross – With the Class A state track and field meet just a month away, the athletes at Cross High are working hard to be at their peak when the most important meet of the year arrives. Cross has put in a lot of work this spring, competing in several large meets against bigger schools. The hope is that the competition is helping the Trojans improve and see what it takes to be a champion. Cross competed in the Berkeley County track meet, meets at Cane Bay and Timberland, and will have a meet at Woodland on April 23. A lot can happen over the final month of the regular season but it would appear that several athletes will qualify for the state meet. A true state championship contender is Caden Ramsey , a junior three-sport star at the school. Ramsey has earned all-state honors in football and basketball and would like add a gold medal in track. Ramsey’s best event is the 400 meter run where he finished third overall in a highly-competitive Berkeley County track meet. Jonathan Bradley also runs the 400 while William Grant is the top sprinter in the 100 and 200. Corinthian Wilson and Ashton Geathers also work in the sprints. Micah Dukes has been running the 800 and competing in the long jump. Bernard Middleton and Jerry Sweatman are working in the hurdles while Que Taylor and Jeremiah Grant are running the 1600. Jailyn Broughton and Marquis Pringle are tops in the discus while David Wigfall and Dakari President have been best in the shot put. Lavell Joyner has competed well on the long jump and Preston Fuller was fourth in the county meet in the pole vault. Throwing the javelin are Andrew Black and Martrell Forbes . On the girls team, working in the sprints are T aLancia Fuller, Michayla Bennett and Talea Small . Running in the 400 is Aaliyah Davis . In the throws, Caylee Bradley and Abigail Ingram are working the discus and shot put while Tamia McCray is throwing the shot put as well. Competing in the javelin are Milan Davis and Laura Campbell . Davis also has been throwing the discus.

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.
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