Don't Miss a single moment of the best prep coverage in South Carolina in print and on the web! Two For ONE!
Get HSSR ONLINE AND 12 Issues of The Sports Report FOR ONE Price $40! Click here to subscribe online!

click to return home page

click to return schools page

Two Hilton Head Christian coaches defend state titles

By Stephen Prudhomme

Staff Writer

Hilton Head Island - Hilton Head Christian Academy has two coaches who will be defending state titles in the upcoming school year.

Tommy Lewis led the football team to a 12-1 record last season, culminating with a 33-14 victory over defending champ Northwood Academy in the SCISA AAA state championship game.  For the Eagles, it was their second state title in four years.

For Lewis, who came to the school in 2003 after playing at William & Mary and embarking on a coaching career that included a stint at Hampden-Sydney, it was a lesson in perseverance after his inaugural campaign with the Eagles produced a 1-9 record.

Before he came to Hilton Head, Lewis served as head coach at at Greenbriar Christian Academy and offensive coordinator at Norfolk Academy. A family man with a strong faith, Lewis had left college coaching because it didn’t fit in with his life at home.

Hilton Head lost a number of seniors, including wide receiver Ethan Gort, linebacker Michael Hull, free safety James Berl and receiver/running back Zac Lenns, but it does return senior quarterback Luke Sirgo, who passed for 2,332 yards and 31 touchdowns and led the team in rushing with 467 yards and nine touchdowns.

The school’s other state championship came in baseball, under coach Trevor Creeden.

The Eagles posted a 14-6 record, with their last two victories coming in the best two-of-three state finals against Northwood Academy.  Hilton Head edged Northwood in the first game, 5-4. Northwood took the second game 6-4, setting up the third and deciding game.

In other tight contest, Hilton Head prevailed 10-9 and brought home the school’s second championship trophy of the year. Sirgo, who plays first base and other infield positions, will have the opportunity to duplicate his two-peat and end his high school career in a blaze of glory. Other players returning for their final year of high school ball and a shot at defending their state title include senior infielders/outfielders JaBrook Tucker, Ryan Emery and Luke Fuller. 

In boys’ basketball, coach Mike Colella did not win a state championship, but he did lead the Eagles to a 20-5 record and a run deep into the playoffs. Colella, like Lewis, will lose the services of Gort and Lenns, two of his top players from last year.

In girls’ basketball, under coach Joanie Colburn, Hilton Head finished with a 6-13 record.

Fifth-year tennis coach Eric Wammock continued to develop his young players and predicts the Eagles will be strong in the coming years. They’ll need that strength, competing in a region featuring traditional tennis powerhouses Hilton Head Prep, Pinewood Prep and Porter-Gaud.

Roel Harsta coaches the boys’ soccer team and almost took Hilton Head to the playoffs last season before it lost to Porter-Gaud in a qualifying game. The third-year coach returns with two top players, junior goalie Mike Ritterback and senior midfielder Peter Savarese. Rodney Fisher heads up the girls’ squad. Making sure the golf team stays in the swing of things is coach Doug Langhouse. 

 

 

, noting that nine colleges, including USC, have expressed interest in Gort as a basketball player. "Along with averaging 11 points and six rebounds a game, he's also averaging three assists. That indicates he's mature enough to look for others out of the double team. He also hates to lose, and he's not afraid of contact."
Senior center Chris Ferraro skipped football this season so he could concentrate on basketball. That decision paid dividends early in the season, with the 6-7 Ferraro averaging a team-leading 13 points and eight rebounds a game.
"Chris is one of the most improved players I've coached," says Colella, noting that Ferraro was named MVP of the Christmas tournament.  "He's been more physical and aggressive. He's been a killer on the offensive boards."
"The Future," as he was dubbed in the seventh grade, is 6-4 sophomore forward Taylor McDonald. "He's a gym rat," Colella says. "He jumps out of the gym and is an incredible offensive player. We want to make his defense better. Although it's good at the moment, it's not at the level of the seniors."     
Playing in SCISA Region 3-AAA, HHCA is competing against state champion Pinewood Prep and Porter-Gaud, which defeated Hilton Head Christian in last season's quarterfinals of the state tournament. It's a constant challenge for these three teams to maintain their winning ways against opponents who have the added motivation of trying to knock off the best.
"Everyone who plays us will be fired up," Colella says. "We can't have any letdowns. We have to make sure we come out every single game and play to our level."

Hilton Head Christian girls start season with two wins
By Stephen Prudhomme
Special Writer

Hilton Head Island (12/21/09) The Hilton Head Christian Academy girls' basketball team played only two games before the holidays and won't return to the court until Jan. 5, when it takes on Thomas Heyward Academy in a SCISA 3-A Region III game.
The Lady Eagles, coached by Joni Colburn, will face the Lady Rebels with a perfect 2-0 record. Thomas Heyward has won three games in a row and has an 8-1 record. The Lady Rebels are averaging 52 points a game while holding opponents to an average of 34 points per contest. HHCA has a slightly higher point differential of plus-20, scoring an average of 59 points a game and surrendering an average of 39 points per contest. In its second game of 2010, on Jan. 12, Hilton Head Christian will face Hilton Head Prep, which is averaging 55 points a game and giving up an average of 27 and has an 8-1 mark.       
In its opening game of the season, on Dec. 11, Hilton Head Christian crushed Beaufort Academy, 68-32. After outscoring Beaufort Academy 19-12 in the first quarter, HHCA stepped up the intensity in the second quarter at both ends of the floor, outscoring Beaufort Academy 26-4 to put the game out of reach. In the second half, Hilton Head outscored Beaufort Academy, 23-16.
In its second game of the season, a league contest the following night against Ashley Hall, Hilton Head faced a much tougher challenge before emerging with a 50-46 victory.  
Running the offense for the Lady Eagles is point guard Ellie Patterson. Other players in the backcourt are Addison Bensch, Lauren Davis, Katie Woods and Brittany Chisholm. Anna Bensch plays both guard and forward.
The team's forwards are Erika Sonberg, Lizzie Pugatch and Janel Requet.