Bluffton – Even though Hilton Head Christian Academy had three key starters returning from the SCISA AAA girls basketball state championship team that gave the school its fifth consecutive state title, there was still going to be some major inexperience with seven newcomers to the varsity roster.
“We knew early on it was going to be tough,” said Eagles head coach Bobby Thompson, who was beginning his second season. “We had to figure our out what we were really good at. We had to take our time and figure out what works and what doesn't,
“We played in a couple of good tournaments in Savannah (Georgia) and in Charleston.
This is where we could see where we were good and see where we needed work at. To me, it was more important to see who we really were.”
That means Hilton Head Christian suffered an uncharacteristic number of losses early in the season, starting the year with an 8-6 record. However, when it really counted, the Eagles won nine of their final 10, including beating John Paul II 68-44 for the AAA state title.
While Thompson saw the development of his team as a whole, it was the senior trio of Devon Yarde, Mya Hutchinson and Morgan Scott that carried the bulk of the weight for HHCA. Each of the three were named to the All Region 1-AAA team.
Yarde, who has been a part of five of the six state championships, was selected as the Region Player of the Year. She averaged 13.3 points per contest to go with 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals.
Hutchinson, a part of three of those teams, led the team in scoring at 20.0 and steals at 5.4. She also averaged 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Scott, who won her second ring, averaged 12.5 points, a team high 9.0 rebonds and 2.8 steals.
“They meant everything to this team. It's about the Jimmys and the Joes, not the Xs and the Os. Their skill level makes any coach look good,” said Thompson, who was selected as the Region Coach of the Year.
"It’s great when your best players are your hardest workers and that’s them. Whether the gym is open or not, they'll find a way in. They are great leaders. They lead by example.”
Junior Macey Langhals was selected to the All-Region second team. She averaged 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds.
While there weren’t any other consistent scoring threats, Thompson said there were others who brought a lot to the table defensively.
“We saw a couple of the younger girls give us some real good minutes on the defensive end in those tournaments. They may not have been the best on offense, but they helped us take our defense to another level, getting loose balls, rebounding.”:
The other members of the team are sophomore Anna Kate Taylor, sophomore Caitlyn Jackson, senior Keely Langhals, senior Elizabeth Minton, sophomore Emma Thompson, junior Alyssa Young, junior Grace Avert and junior Sophia Blackwell.
While obviously pleased with their success on the court, Thompson said he is more concerned about who his players become.
“We’re worried about the kind of people they become when they leave us,” said Thompson, who is a pastor. “We’re more concerned about them being Godly women and leaders. I’m thankful to be part of it,”
3 HHCA BOYS NAMED TO ALL-REGION TEAMS
Senior Elijah White and senior Isaiah Anderson were selected to the All Region 1-AAA boys basketball first team, while sophomore Harrison Skinner was a second team selection.
White averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, while Anderson averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Skinner was the leading scorer for the Eagles, who finished with an 11-15 record, with 15.0. He also averaged team highs in assists at 3.7 and steals at 3.9.
Other top performers for Hilton Head Christian were senior Qayden Turner and senior Dylan Sampson. Turner averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.4 blocked shots. Sampson averaged 5.7 points and 2.5 assists.
Hilton Head Christian lost to Greenwood Christian School 72-66 in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Skinner led the way with 29 points.
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