By Billy G. Baker
Moncks Corner—Another prep football season has come and gone in the state of South Carolina where 20 football teams were crowned state champions from the SCHSL and the SCISA organizations from among the 254 teams that began competition back in the hot sun of August.
This writer witnessed his first prep football game in August of 1969, as a freshman at Summerville High. So inspired by the Green Wave football team that night, and just 24 hours removed from the John De La Howe Children’s Home in McCormick S.C., I sought a position on the school newspaper staff on the first day of my high school experience. My home room teacher, who was also the sponsor for the school newspaper “The Pine Log”, challenged me with this response after asking for a show of hands of who might like to join the school newspaper. (I was the only soul in her class who raised my hand telling her, I I really enjoyed my observation of the football team’s recent big win, and that I really wanted to meet the head football coach, John McKissick).
“You can only become a member of the school newspaper if you demonstrate the ability to go down and knock on Coach McKissick’s door this afternoon, when the final bell of the day rings at 2:40, and prove to me that you can set up an interview time with Coach for a story on the team,” she said. “No interview, you can’t be on the school newspaper.”
Needless to say, that meeting with Coach McKissick, as emotional as it truly was, as I reflect back on it, changed the direction of my life. Coach delivered me from “darkness to the light” in our 30- minute conversation. It was the only practice he was ever late for in the 63 years of his world record coaching career. We bonded like glue when he told me, “I have been needing a new little buddy,” he said. “Please bring your lunch to my office tomorrow and I will have a card table set up for you to look at 16 years of my wife’s scrap books she has been keeping on the team.”
Coach McKissick often told me that he felt like God had Called him to coach high school football. In all honesty, I have always felt that God also Called me to seek a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina that helped prepare me to create and sustain the only full-time statewide sports publication focused on all varsity sports, on a statewide basis, in any one state in America! Against all odds “We” began “The High School Sports Report” in December, 1986, and despite challenges, we still exist as you are reading this column. (Glory be to God!).
In 2023, let the record reflect that Dutch Fork (10-5) won the SCHSL Class AAAAA state football title over region foe White Knoll, 21-6. Tom Knotts won his 8th state title with the Silver Foxes after his team over-came injuries earlier in the season. Coach Knotts now has a career coaching record of 461-91 (second only to McKissick in SC). Knotts now has 14 state titles when you include his years as a coach in North Carolina.
(All SCHSL & SCISA state football title games are covered elsewhere in this issue).
The SCHSL Class AAAA title game, with all games being played at South Carolina State, was one of the most exciting games of all five classifications. Westside (14-1) overcame a two- touchdown deficit entering the fourth quarter to win their second state title in school history with a touchdown pass from junior Cutter Woods to NC State bound Jimmar Boston, with 15 second left to claim a 34-32 win over South Florence (14-1).
In Class AAA, the Daniel Lions (15-0) continued to be the most dominant football program in the entire state, over the past six seasons, with their 49-48 hard-fought over-time win over Camden (11-4) in the state finals. Head coach Jeff Fruster has coached the Lions to a 73-4 record since 2018, including five region titles and three state championships. The Lions were the only undefeated SCHSL team in the state at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
In the Class AA SCHSL championship game, charter schools Gray Collegiate (14-1) and Oceanside Collegiate (12-3) played a highly competitive game with the Landsharks rallying in the fourth quarter to take a 35-28 win.
In the Class A finals Manning native Quin Hatfield, coached Christ Church (13-2) to their second straight title state title with a 67-21 win over Johnsonville. The Flashes over-came the loss of a big senior class to also earn their second straight trip to the goal medal round. Hatfield concluded his 4th season with the Cavaliers with a 42-9 record over the span.
A special shout-out is extended to the top scoring teams and the top defenses in the SCHSL this past season. Best teams in scoring included:
Westside (715), Daniel (714), Northwestern (687), BHP (675), Christ Church (659), Irmo (644), Summerville (634), Camden (619) and South Florence (610).
In fewest points allowed, the SCHSL top defenses included:
Lewisville (64), White Knoll (113), James Island and Lucy Beckham (114 each), Irmo (116), and Whale Branch (123).
In SCISA state championships, Hammond won their 20th state football title since 1972 with a hard-fought 28-21 win over Laurence Manning at the Class AAAA level. The Skyhawks actually trailed 14-0 after the first quarter at Charleston Southern University but rallied for the win. Hammond head coach Jon Wheeler concluded his third season at Hamond with a 35-4 record over the three-year period that includes three state titles and three region championships.
In SCISA Class AAA action, Hilton Head Christian (11-2) won their third state title in four seasons under head coach Ron Peduzzi with a 28-6 win over Wilson Hall (10-3). In 8 seasons at HHCA, Coach Peduzzi is now 60-12 including four region titles.
In SCISA Class AA, two undefeated teams met for the state title in Williamsburg Academy (12-1) and Bethesda Academy (13-0) from Savanah, Ga. This highly competitive game was won by Bethesda, 18-17 when the Blazers scored with 52 seconds left in the game. The Stallions put together a drive in the final seconds of the game but a missed field goal at the end of the game gave Bethesda the state title. Antwain Turner is the veteran head coach of Bethesda.
In SCISA Class A action the HSSR salutes upstart Patrick Henry (11-2) for a thrilling hard-fought win over Lee Academy (10-3), 35-28. Lee Academy, coached by veteran David Rankin won the Class A state title a year ago and the Cav’s graduated 15 seniors from that team. Patrick Henry rallied from a 21-6 deficit to win the game behind the stellar play of quarterback Hugh Fairy who accounted for more than 300 yards of offense in the game.
In 8-man action, Holly Hill Academy was going for their fourth straight state title. However, upstart team Jefferson Davis Academy won the game 20-14. Both teams came into the game having split games against each other prior to the rubber match in the finals. JDA QB Paxton Wall scored on a 65-yard scamper late in the game to lift the Raiders to the big win.
For the 2023 season these were the top scoring teams in SCISA as well as the top defenses:
Holly Hill Academy (559), Richard Winn (551), Jefferson Davis (510), Williamsburg Academy (504), Cardinal Newman (484), Pinewood Prep (477) and Porter-Gaud (469.)
The top defenses in fewest points allowed included:
Bethesda Academy (90), Williamsburg Academy (138), Hilton Head Christian (138), and Clarendon Hall (153).
Time to hit the weigh room and get ready for the 2024 season!
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