Panthers' Pat Eidson adds to state record with 954th victory

Lady Barons awaiting playoff fate

Owen Meyers Region Defensive Player of the Year

Barons to face Pinewood Prep in second straight state championship contest

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – It wouldn’t have been a surprise if the Wilson Hall volleyball team took a little dip this year. After all, the Lady Barons lost four major contributors in Maggie Norris , Sullivan Jarecki , Aubrey Payne and Rylee Bath from a team that went 36-8-1 on the season and went 1-2 in the SCISA AAAA state tournament. If there’s been a dip, however, it hasn’t been much of one. Wilson Hall is 26-6 overall and 3-4 in Region 3 with just two regular-season matches remaining. The Barons rebounded from a 0-3 start in region play. They lost to Trinity Collegiate , Hilton Head Christian Academy and John Paul II before beating Laurence Manning Academy twice and getting revenge against Hilton Head Christian in the rematch. Wilson Hall lost the second meeting to John Paul II. The Barons had a non-region match against Pinewood Prep on October 10 before closing out the regular season and the region schedule against Trinity Collegiate on October 14. The top returning player from last season is senior middle hitter Olivia Cogswell . She has 157 kills, 21 service aces, 80 digs, 18 assists and is tied for the team lead in blocks with 40. The main standout for Wilson Hall is an eighth-grader in setter/outside hitter McKinley Bath . She leads the Barons in kills with 257 and digs with 263 and is tied for second in aces with 58 and assists with 258. Sophomore middle hitter Beaty Zeigler shares the lead for blocks with Cogswell, while senior rightside hitter Molly Jones and senior middle hitter Anna Kate Coker both have 14 and Bath 13. Jones has 120 kills and Coker has 104. Senior defensive specialist McKenzie Gray Mills leads in digs with 352 while junior defensive specialist Addie Griffin has 147, sophomore setter/defensive specialist Natlie Hawkey 143 and sophomore defensive specialist Savannah Wells 134, Hawkey is the assists lead with 320 while Mills has 77. Mills is far and away the leader in serves received with 434 to go with just 49 receiving errors. Wells has 200 serves received, Griffin 147 and Hawkey 145. Other members of the team are senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Camryn Wilmes , sophomore outside hitter Mary Todd Champion and junior defensive specialist Adalin Brown . ` Wilson Hall will be competing in the AAAA state tournament in Myrtle Beach on October 18-19.

By: Gerald Doolittle Goose Creek, S.C . - The South Carolina Independent Schools Association is preparing to open its 55 th football season with a new two-year alignment. Can Hammond (4A), Hilton Head Christian (3A), Bethesda Academy (2A), Patrick Henry Academy (1A) and Jefferson Davis Academy (8 Man) defend their 2023 titles? Hammond will be playing for their 8 th straight title in Class 4A. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 4A : 1. Hammond 2. Laurence Manning 3. Porter-Gaud 4. Northwood Academy 5. Cardinal Newman. Laurence Manning was runners-up to Hammond in 2023. Augusta Christian, Ben Lippen and Heathwood Hall will earn a playoff spot by finishing in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 3A : 1. Hilton Head Christian, 2. Wilson Hall, 3. Pinewood Prep, 4. Florence Christian and 5. Trinity Collegiate. Hilton Head Christian defeated Wilson Hall for the 2023 title. John Paul ll, Palmetto Christian and Camden Military will earn a playoff spot if they finish the regular season in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 2A : 1. Bethesda Academy, 2. Clarendon Hall Academy, 3. St. Johns Christian, 4. Orangeburg Prep and 5. Pee Dee Academy. Bethesda Academy defeated Williamsburg Academy (now in 1A) for the 2023 title. Greenwood Christian, Spartanburg Christian, Calhoun Academy, Dillon Christian, Thomas Sumter Academy, Hilton Head Prep and Christian Academy all will earn a playoff spot by finishing in the Class 2A top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Class 1A : 1. Williamsburg Academy 2. Patrick Henry Academy 3. Lee Academy 4. Dorchester Academy 5. Thomas Heyward Academy Patrick Henry Academy defeated Lee Academy for the 2023 title. Colleton Prep, Beaufort Academy, Faith Christian, Andrew Jackson Academy, and Carolina Academy can get playoff spots by finishing in the top eight. The top five pre-season ranking for Eight Man are: 1. Jefferson Davis Academy 2. Holly Hill Academy 3. Richard Winn Academy 4. Wardlaw Academy 5. Laurens Academy W.W. King Academy, Newberry Academy and Oakbrook Prep can earn playoff spots by finishing in the top four of Region One. Cathedral Academy, Cross Schools and Conway Christian can earn playoff spots by finishing in the top four of Region Two. The Kings Academy is a new comer Region Two moving to 8-man play this season.