By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – With the 2024 football season drawn to a close, several Midlands teams had much to celebrate. Region 4-5A rivals Dutch Fork and Irmo reached the two SCHSL 5A state championship games in December. The Silver Foxes celebrated their ninth state championship after beating Summerville 35-21 in the Division 1 game and Irmo fell 34-31 against Northwestern in the Division 2 game. In November SCISA power Hammond won its eighth straight state championship with a 28-21 victory over Porter Gaud in the 4A final game. Richard Winn outplayed Laurens Academy 43-6 for the 8-man state championship, its first since 2014. Other notable playoff performances include Fairfield Central , which reached the 2A upper state championship game at Clinton , and Batesburg-Leesville , which had a surprising 12-1 season following its 5-6 effort in 2023. It was the Panthers’ first winning season since 2019. Dutch Fork claims ninth state championship The Silver Foxes made the regular season and playoffs look easy. With a roster heavy with 31 seniors hardened from a difficult yet successful 2023 state title win, Dutch Fork blew through the competition, never falling behind racking up six shutouts and outscoring opponents 474-73 going into the championship game. Summerville (13-1) gave the Silver Foxes a shock in the 5A Division 1 state championship game Dec. 13 when it went up 14-6 early in the second quarter. “Just stay the course,” Tom Knotts told the team by that point. “We knew there were some things we could do and we were shooting ourselves in the foot, we were letting our emotions take over, and we did some things really I thought were uncharacteristic of the way we played this year. We played in the first half like it was our first game of the year.” Dutch Fork did get things straight. Junior quarterback Ethan Offing connected with senior Boykin Bickley for a 19-yard touchdown pass, and then found Jalen Montgomery in the end zone for the game-tying 2-point conversion. B.J. Platts later powered into the end zone from eight yards out to give the Silver Foxes a 21-14 lead at the half. Offing found Bickley again for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14 in the third quarter. After Summerville responded with a third-quarter touchdown, Platts’ 38-yard TD run with two minutes left in the game secured the win for the Silver Foxes. “This is a very deserving senior group,” Knotts said. “I wasn’t pleased with the way we won, we played with a lot of effort and the game just got a little chippy for my liking but we did come out with a ‘W’ which is always a great thing.” Two senior defenders, Georgia Tech commit and cornerback/strong safety Elgin Sessions and South Carolina commit Josh Smith made the South Carolina Football Coaches Association’s All-Classification All-State team. Four seniors, running back Maurice Anderson , offensive lineman Cayden McFadden , defensive back Derek Smith and wide receiver K.J. Smith were selected to the 5A All-State Team. Late FG lifts Northwestern over Irmo in 5A Division 2 final Much like its crosstown rival, Irmo (12-2) breezed through the regular season under the leadership of passing and running quarterback A.J. Brand . The Virginia Tech commit passed for 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,029 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. The Yellow Jackets’ only slip was a 24-14 loss at Dutch Fork Nov. 8 to close out the regular season. The Yellow Jackets beat Chapin and West Florence convincingly, then hung on to beat White Knoll 29-25 to reach the 5A Division 2 championship game against unbeaten Northwestern Dec. 14. The Yellow Jackets led 17-10 after a Matthew Fish field goal early in the third quarter, but Brand ran for a touchdown to tie the game. After Irmo forced a turnover on downs, Brand rushed 20 yards for another score to put the Yellow Jackets up 24-17 early in the fourth quarter. Irmo’s first and only lead of the game was short-lived. Quarterback Finley Polk connected with Kameron Vance for two touchdowns to take a 31-24 lead with about four minutes to go. Brand, who finished the night 12-for-17 in passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and with 21 carries for 168 yards and two scores, connected with Donovan Murph for the game-tying touchdown pass in the final minute. Murph, who committed to South Carolina Jan. 2, had eight catches for 123 yards and two TDs. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, Polk led the team 70 yards to the Irmo 10-yard line in that time. Fish lined up for a 27-yard field goal and hit it as time expired. “I know they hurt and I hurt also,” Coach Brand said. “We’ve got a bunch of winners. We’ve got a bunch of playmakers and our playmakers made plays. Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough stops and that early turnover. “Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you, and tonight was not our night and they got us at the end,” he added. “There's something to be said about going perfect all year. It is what it is. I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I wish we could get a couple of those drives back.” Murph, who had 1,328 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, made the All-Classification All State team, along with offensive lineman Ryan Love and Brand. Brand was selected for the all-purpose spot because of his passing and running for 4,629 total yards and 57 total touchdowns. Irmo reached the Division 2 championship by eliminating region rival White Knoll 29-25 Dec. 6. The Timberwolves finished the season 8-6. Defensive back Devin Geronomi made the All-Classification All-State team. Quarterback Landon Sharpe made the 5A All-State team. Hammond’s game-winning drive clinches eighth straight state championship The Hammond football team edged Porter Gaud 28-21 in the closing minute of the game Nov. 22 to claim yet another state championship, but the Skyhawks’ eighth straight state title and 22 nd in school history did not come easily. After Porter Gaud’s game-tying score and a Hammond fumble that nearly spelled disaster, the 13-0 Skyhawks made good on Andrew Turner’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Michael Tyler with 45 seconds left. “Just so proud of this group, their resilience, their fight,” Hammond head coach Jon Wheeler said after the game. “We’ve been down at halftime in three of our last four state championship games. This team is battle-tested and they rise to the occasion.” Porter Gaud tied the game at 21 on Tony Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run—the first play of the fourth quarter. The Cyclones drained the clock on that 51-yard drive, using 15 plays to tie the game with just under 12 minutes to go. Hammond lost the football on the next possession, which set Porter Gaud on the Skyhawks’ 17-yard line. Poised to take their first lead of the game, the Cyclones actually had a touchdown play shortly after taking over, but the play was called back for a holding penalty. After that flag, the Hammond defense forced Porter Gaud so far back that it had to punt from the Hammond 38. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a defense because we were outmatched up front,” Wheeler said. “I’ve got to give credit to our defense for just fighting and fighting. I’m just so proud of them.” That stand gave the break that the Skyhawks offense needed to close out the game. They went 80 yards and drained the rest of the fourth quarter on the drive. When it came time for points on the board, Wheeler said he knew what play to run. “We haven’t tried a 40-yard field goal all year. Let’s put it in the hands of our senior quarterback, our senior offense, our skill players,” he said. “Let’s see if we can hit a pass and it’s déjà vu with Mike Tyler. And if we missed it, they’ve got 40 seconds and one time out, and they’re a running team, it’d go to overtime. Mike T and Andrew made a play, the offensive line protected, and that drive was unbelievable.” It was the second straight year that a Turner-to-Tyler connection won the state championship. Hammond beat Laurence Manning 28-21 in 2023. RWA claims first state football title since 2014 Richard Winn Academy’s surprise of a season ended on a happily unsurprising note Nov. 22 with a 43-6 victory over Laurens Academy at Wyman King Academy’s football field. Senior quarterback Charlie Bonds closed out his high school career rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and passing for 155 yards and two scores. As head coach Paul Brigman explained, as Charlie Bonds and his fellow seniors go, so goes the team. “It’s the leadership that we got from those senior guys most of all. Charlie Bonds has been one of our best guys,” Brigman said. “Charlie has led the team from ninth grade on and this group’s been together for a long time. They’ve been a joy to coach and so receptive to coaching and just wanting to get better. In the end it turned out like we wanted it to. It was a great win.” The Eagles (12-0) ran straight through the regular season with none of their games even close. Richard Winn’s dominance throughout the year was reminiscent of the school’s back-to-back 2A state championships in 1995-1996 under head coach David Porter . “We got the ball and scored and went from there. It’s kind of our plan the whole time,” Bonds said. “We couldn’t have done much better, I’ll say that.” Bonds led the offense throughout the year. Bonds went 52-for-69 in passing for 1,406 yards, 23 touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushing 107 times for 1,226 yards and 22 TDs. FC falls to Clinton in 2A upper state championship Fairfield Central’s drive to reach a state championship game for the first time in 27 years fell one game short. The Griffins, who won 12 straight games after a season-opening loss to 5A Ridge View, fell 32-21 to Clinton Friday night at the Red Devils’ Wilder Stadium. “If you would have told me back in May that we would have made it to the upper state championship, I would’ve looked at you like you was crazy,” 14-year head coach Demetrius Davis said about his team’s surprise year in which the Griffins caught fire early and outscored opponents 587-199 going into the Clinton game. “This team played like heck. This defense played, and let me tell you, man, I’m super proud of these kids,” Davis added. Senior running back and Shrine Bowl pick Ty’Darion Grier , who had 1,983 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns going into Friday, led Fairfield Central with 212 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Quarterback Kaden Diggs , who had 655 passing yards and 607 rushing yards before Friday, had a 19-yard touchdown run and 76 yards on 13 carries. B-L falls to Red Devils in 3 rd Round Although falling 31-14 to Clinton in the third round of the playoffs Nov. 29, Batesburg-Leesville celebrated a reawakening of its football team that has won five state championships. Since going 8-8 in 2019, The Panthers have won 15 out of 34 games going into the 2024 season. Greg Lawson , in his third season as head coach of Batesburg-Leesville, saw his team blossom. The Panthers showed themselves to be prolific scorers, outscoring opponents 493-21 on the year. The defense threw six shutouts. Batesburg-Leesville won the Region 2-2A championship easily, and blasted Columbia 42-6 and Andrew Jackson 49-14 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Only Clinton, which went on to rout Barnwell 35-6 in the 2A state championship game Dec. 12, got the best of the Panthers. At 12-1, Batesburg-Leesville’s record is the best since 2013, when the Panthers went 12-2 and won the 2A state championship under Jerry Brown. RNE’s Wilson claims Mr. Football title Will Wilson , a wily and prolific quarterback who singlehandedly led Richland Northeast to an 8-4 record, was selected as the 30 th recipient of the South Carolina Mr. Football award. He is the 11 th quarterback to win the award. Wilson received the recognition at halftime of the Touchstone energy Cooperatives Bowl at Myrtle Beach’s Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium Dec. 21. Wilson, a North Carolina State signee, completed 66.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,482 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,144 yards and 20 touchdowns. He missed two games after having his knee scoped. Other finalists for the award were Westside quarterback Cutter Woods , Rock Hill wide receiver Malik Clark , Belton-Honea Path running back Marquiese Henderson , and Gaffney offensive lineman Shed Sarratt . Midlands Top 10 1. Dutch Fork (13-0, 5-0 Region 4-5A) 2. Irmo (13-2, 4-1 Region 4-5A) 3. River Bluff (10-3, 3-2 Region 4-5A) 4. Batesburg-Leesville (12-1, 5-0 Region 2-2A) 5. Fairfield Central (12-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A) 6. Hammond (13-0, 7-0 SCISA Region 4A) 7. Camden (9-3, 4-2 Region 3-4A) 8. Ridge View (8-5, 5-1 Region 5-5A) 9. Newberry (7-4, 4-0 Region 4-3A) 10. AC Flora (8-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - Winning basketball seasons have been hard to come by recently at White Knoll . This year both the boys and the girls teams are working on fixing that. Neither team has had a winning season since 2019-2020, and the girls have gone 15-69 from November 2020 – February 2023. This season, in the second year under head coach Willie Thomas , the young boys are 7-6 on the eve of Region 4-4A play. The girls team is 9-4. In Thomas’ first year with the boys team, the Timberwolves had just three seniors while several underclassmen got a lot of playing time. White Knoll finished 12-15 and second in the region behind Lexington , which won the 5A state championship. “We kind of got it turned around last year,” Thomas said. “We’re just working. We started with young kids last year, five, six freshman and four sophomores. I think we’re meshing and the focus now is to keep getting better.” Thomas spoke after his team gave perennial favorite Blythewood a run for its money Dec. 3. The Bengals won 55-53 but the Timberwolves held the Bengals to just 8 points in the third quarter. Leading scorer T.J. Lewis (23 points) had just 3 points in the second half. Bryan Schofield , a 6-4 freshman forward, led White Knoll with 16 points and six rebounds, showing a keen awareness under the nets. “Right now we don’t really understand what it is we’re trying to accomplish,” Thomas said. “I can tell them and show them, but it takes time for them to really understand it. Hopefully after Christmas I think we’ll be able to do a lot of things. We just want to have a chance. Like tonight, we had a chance, but the kids made some mistakes right there in the end. It was physical out there.” As basketball wrapped up in December, it appears that the boys team is getting accustomed to each other on the floor. Since dropping the close game at Blythewood, the Timberwolves fell again to the Bengals and lost to Westwood twice, but they also beat Gilbert twice, Lower Richland , and Fort Dorchester . They went 2-1 in the Orangeburg-Wilkinson Christmas Tournament, beating Lake Marion 69-42 Dec. 27, falling 58-51 to Bethune-Bowman Dec. 28, and topping North 78-61 Dec. 30. In 13 games, Schofield is averaging 12.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Peyton Jennings leads the team with a 13.2 scoring average. Senior Ryhan Cepeda averages 10.9 points and 2.2 boards per game. The Timberwolves opened 2025 action against Lower Richland Monday and open Region 4-5A play at River Bluff Friday. The girls team is clearly bouncing back from a 6-22 effort in 2023-2024. The Timberwolves are 9-4 and have won six straight games going into Monday’s non-region game against Lower Richland. Seniors Shaelyn Hayes and Emory Waters-Inman lead the way for the Timberwolves. Hayes is the scoring leader with 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Waters-Inman averages 12.5 points and 7.9 boards.  In football, the Timberwolves finished the season 8-6, falling 29-25 to Irmo in the 5A Division 2 lower state championship game Dec. 6. Defensive back Devin Geronomi made the All-Classifications All-State team. Quarterback Landon Sharpe made the 5A All-State team.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Write CHAPIN – While Region 4-5A contenders Dutch Fork and Irmo were battling for the region championship down I-26 Friday night, another region battle blew up in the fourth quarter at Cecil Woolbright Field. There, fourth-place White Knoll took a 21-7 lead on the Eagles early in the third quarter, but Chapin battled back and eventually defeated the Timberwolves 35-34. Anthony Turnbow scored three touchdowns for Chapin in the second half—a receiving score, an interception return for a touchdown, and a kickoff return for another TD. He had 176 all-purpose yards on the night, from the pick-6, the kickoff return, the touchdown reception, and 37 rushing yards. Besides Turnbow’s effort, Colione Martin rushed 21 times for 132 yards and a score, and quarterback Brady Albro had two interceptions but threw for 159 yards and a clutch TD pass to Turnbow. “Our kids really played really hard, we talked about trusting the process in all phases of the game and they came in together and didn’t give up on each other, which is really good,” Chapin head coach Ryan Cole said. “We had a couple of turnovers we created on defense, which was great, Cole Martin had a really good second half, the linemen tightened down, and Brady led them. I was happy that everybody came together at a time when we needed them to.” That need came after Turnbow’s TD reception and pick-6 tied the game at 21 by the one-minute mark into the fourth quarter. In a fantastic finish, both teams scored four touchdowns within one minute and 20 seconds late in the game. Chapin made it 28-21 on Gavin Stam’s 3-yard TD run at the 4:28 mark. Fifty-five seconds later, Jh’Quez Montgomery broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 28 at the 3:53 mark. Special teams had a moment over the next minute. Turnbow broke free on his 76-yard return that gave Chapin a 35-28 lead with 3:40 to go. Then White Knoll’s Devin Geronomi took the Eagles kick to the end zone on an 85-yard romp with 3:28 left. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, the game came down to extra points. Johnny Aguilera , who was 4-for-4 up until that point, missed the point after. Chapin took yet another kickoff, but this time ran out the clock and sealed its first region win of the year. “I’ve told our kids from time to time that I’ve been waiting for them to put it all together,” Cole said. “White Knoll is a good football team and they do some great things, and I’ll be excited to play them again.” Without senior staring quarterback Landon Sharpe , who did not play Friday, the White Knoll offense sputtered in the first quarter. The Timberwolves defense kept Chapin from capitalizing. Geronomi put White Knoll on the scoreboard with a 45-yard interception return at the 9:37 mark of the second quarter. The Eagles answered that pick-6 soon afterward, recovering a Timberwolves fumble at the White Knoll 34-yard line. Six plays later Martin burst into the end zone from two yards out to tie the game at 7. White Knoll had just two first downs in the game with about two minutes left in the first half, but took over the ball at midfield after a Chapin punt. Jhais McKeiver , a sophomore filling in for Sharpe, seemed to find his stride, connecting with Griffin for 11 yards first, then a 38-yard touchdown connection with Griffin 40 seconds before intermission. White Knoll took a 21-7 lead with McKeiver’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Griffin early in the second half, but Chapin awakened a Senior Night crowd with three Turnbow touchdowns and a wild ending. Montgomery finished the game with 103 yards on 19 carries for the Timberwolves. McKeiver threw two interceptions, but the sophomore passed for 173 yards and two TDs. The game’s result puts White Knoll, Chapin, and Lexington in a three-way tie at the bottom of the region standings. All three teams are 5-5 overall and 1-4 in the region. As Dutch Fork (10-0, 5-0) snapped 9-1, 4-1 Irmo’s 21-game regular-season winning streak dating back to October 2022, River Bluff (8-2, 3-2) finished third in the region with a 24-10 victory over the Wildcats. I’m hoping we’re in and I heard a rumor that we’re matching up with White Knoll again,” Cole said. “But we’re just excited to get the chance to play, and if we get the opportunity, we’ll be looking forward to it.”  White Knoll 0 14 7 13 – 34 Chapin 0 7 7 21 – 35 Second Quarter W - Devin Geronomi 45 interception return (Johnny Aguilera kick) 9:37 C - Colione Martin 2 run (Cooper Derrick kick) 4:39 W - Javon Griffin 38 pass from Jhais McKeiver (Aguilera kick) :40 Third Quarter W – Griffin 15 pass from McKeiver (Aguilera kick) 9:01 C – Anthony Turnbow 43 pass from Brady Albro (Derrick kick) 5:24 Fourth Quarter C – Turnbow 20 interception return (Derrick kick) 11:06 C – Gavin Stam 3 run (Derrick kick) 4:48 W – Jh’Quez Montgomery 62 run (Aguilera kick) 3:53 C – Turnbow 76 kickoff return (Derrick kick) 3:40 W – Geronomi 85 kickoff return (kick failed) 3:28 WK CHS First Downs 9 17 Rushes-yds 29-122 38-195 Passing yds 173 159 Att-Com-Int 18-10-2 29-17-2 Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-yds 7-60 4-20 Punts-avg 6-36. 7 5-26.4 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING W – Jh’Quez Montgomery 20-103, Jhais McKeiver 4-6, Caleb Miller 3-4, Javon Griffin 2-7, James Smith 1-2. C – Colione Martin 21-132, Brady Albro 7-(-13), Anthony Turnbow 3-33, John Rossi 4-37, Gavin Stam 1-3, Team 2-3. PASSING W – Jhais McKeiver 10-18-2. C – Brady Albro 17-29-2. RECEIVING W – Javon Griffin 6-140, Jaylin Prior 2-20, James Smith 1-8, Caleb Geronomi 1-5. C – Khalen Bostic 7-45Stone Ferrey 3-17, Colione Martin 3-26, Connor Finney 2-24, Anthony Turnbow 1-43, Johnathan Sheppard 1-5.

Gaffney's Jaiden McDowell on the carry.

Hammond staying atop SCISA Class AAAA

White Knoll running back Tiyon Fanning

Thomas Grant Special to the HSSR Columbia - When Nick Pelham came over from across Lake Murray from Dutch Fork to Red Bank and White Knoll High School in 2021, he brought with him a winning pedigree. He was the defensive coordinator for the Silver Foxes under head coach Tom Knotts during their historic five-year run as Class 5A champions. Pelham looked to bring those successful ideas and a “gold touch” to both football and the overall sports program as the school’s athletics director. Entering Year Four, the Timberwolves’ program has plenty to “howl” about. The football team is coming off its winningest season ever at 14-1, reaching the state title game for the first time where it lost to Dutch Fork. Pelham’s efforts earned him the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association (SCACA) Football Coach of the Year . This award recognized Pelham’s unwavering dedication, strategic prowess, and leadership in guiding the Timberwolves from a winless team when he took over to a Lower State champion. Pelham’s work has not been limited to improving the football program. He’s overseen the hiring of such heralded head coaches as boys’ basketball coach Willie Thomas while also insuring all of the programs have quality facilities in keeping up with some of its larger county rivals. "I believe the most important determinant of success in high school sports are consistency and continuity, especially when it comes to coaching,” Pelham said. “We are finally getting to the point where we have hired coaches that want to work year around and build their program. But most importantly these coaches want to be at White Knoll High School. “With the momentum that we have gained in a few of our sports I believe that overall success is imminent in all of our sports programs" Pelham’s coaching staff exemplifies his mission at White Knoll. Each of his position coaches are led by men with high credentials both as players and mentoring them: Adam Holmes – Quarterbacks Since entering the coaching ranks, the former University of South Carolina long snapper has enjoyed winning success in both SCISA at Orangeburg Prep and the S.C. High School League where he led Gray Collegiate to a Class 2A title. Justin Crocker – offensive line/strength Since coming over from rival River Bluff , the longtime assistant has built arguably one of the team’s deepest positions. Shaq Young – Offensive Coordinator/wide receivers The former Fairfield Central player and assistant coach is entering his third season with the Timberwolves. Former second team All-State tight end Hasan Lee will also work with Young this season. Brent Wilder – Running Backs The former Swansea head coach also served as a Saluda offensive coordinator and offensive and defensive coordinator at Strom Thurmond . Caleb Clark – Tight Ends He’s also the school’s track and field coach who led the Dreher boys to a state runner-up in 2022. Previous stops were at Union , Swansea , and A.C. Flora Neal Smith and Kyle Kimrey – Defensive Backs Smith was named the S.C. Football Coaches Association’s Class 5A Lower State Coach of the Year. Kimrey has also served as the school’s wrestling coach. Mike Jones – Linebackers Jon Slatten and Martel Luster – Defensive Line NON-FOOTBALL COACHES SOFTBALL – April Farr One of the longest tenured head coaches at White Knoll having started in 2014. She led the Lady Timberwolves to the 2018 Class 5A softball team and has sent numerous players to the college ranks GIRLS SOCCER – Michael Arket He comes over from Richland Northeast where he led the Lady Cavaliers to their first region win since 2019. He’s also coached at Lexington Soccer Academy. BOYS SOCCER – Jeff Freeman Entering his third season with the Timberwolves coaching in arguably one of the toughest soccer regions in the state. BASEBALL – Dolan Crolley He comes over from Lugoff-Elgin , where he served as an assistant coach this past season. Previously, Crolley was an assistant coach and later interim head coach at Blythewood High School for the 2023 season. He led the Bengals to the Class 5A title game. BOYS BASKETBALL – Willie Thomas The longtime prep basketball coach is among the head coaches to take three teams to the state championship game. We won three state titles at Bowman and Holly Hill-Roberts . GIRLS BASKETBALL – Coretta Ferguson GIRLS LACROSSE – Melissa Simkiw BOYS LACROSSE – Brian Simkiw VOLLEYBALL – Becca Burris GOLF – Rocky Burns GIRLS TENNIS – Kristin Wood BOYS TENNIS – Patrick McManus COMPETITIVE CHEER – Breyonna Miller SWIMMING – Louis Biles CROSS COUNTRY – Journey Jones

Class AAAAA will crown TWO state champions in 2024!

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Lexington —The White Knoll softball team is experiencing a rare rebuilding season under coaching veteran April Farr (186-98-1) as the Timberwolves entered the Spring break period with an over-all record of 4-11. The 16- person roster is comprised of two seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, five freshmen, one 8 th grader and one 7 th grader. “We have a very young pitching staff who just lack a lot of experience at the varsity level,” said Coach Farr. “We have a young team in general. We actually have a solid defensive team.” The team returned only one all-region player from last season in junior shortstop Nikki Gallardo . Gallardo came into Spring break batting .310 with 26 RBI’s, including seven doubles and seven home runs. Sophomore catcher McKenzie Bradley is currently batting .327 with two doubles and three triples. Senior first baseman Allie Cole is at .357 with 9 RBI’s including three doubles, one triple and two home runs. Cole has signed with USC- Union . Talented 7 thg grader Mindy Veler is a speedy outfielder who is holding her own with a .257 batting average to date. Sophomore Gracie Fisher is doing a solid defensive job at second base. Junior Allie Roger plays in center field and she is batting .324 with 8 RBI’s including seven doubles and one home run. Roger is a verbal commitment to North Greenville College . With such a young team many positions are being platooned by several players. The remaining players on the roster include: Eighth grader EG Birchmore, Sophomore Caroline Bridges , 9 th grader Lexi Burkard , senior Samantha Carpenter , sophomore Jaden Ekovich , freshman Jaida Gay , freshman Adelyn Lewis , junior Hailey Murray , freshman Lillian Priest , and freshman Abygail White . When White Knoll returns from Spring break, they will have six games left in the regular season. They host River Bluff on April, 12 are at Dutch Fork on April, 16. On April, 18 WK hosts North Augusta and then travel to county rival Lexington on April, 19. They host Chapin on April, 23 and close out the regular season at home on April, 25 against Mid-Carolina.