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Winter sports winding down at Lugoff-Elgin

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Lugoff – It has been a pretty tough winter for the Lugoff-Elgin High basketball program as both teams continue to adjust to life on the AAAA level.

Unfortunately, Lugoff-Elgin resides in region 4-AAAA, one of the toughest and most competitive basketball conferences in the state.

Region four is home to the defending AAAA state champion in both boys (Irmo) and girls (Spring Valley) and both teams are ranked number one in AAAA as the state playoffs arrive.

Neither the boys team or the girls team from Lugoff-Elgin will be a part of those upcoming playoffs as both teams have struggled in region play this season.

The girls team, coached by Von Duncan, has managed two victories in its first nine region games and posted four wins in the first 17 games overall. Both of the team’s region four wins came against Richland Northeast. The other two victories were against Camden and Indian Land.

Scoring points on a consistent basis have been an issue all season as the Lady Demons average only 39.7 points per game. Only once this season has Lugoff-Elgin scored at least 50 points in a game.

Leading the team in scoring this winter is senior point guard Aneka Dixon, who scores 12.9 points per game and leads the team with 16 made three-pointers.

Junior guard Dahiana Rodriguez averages 7.6 points per game. Senior Cady Murphy is averaging 4.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The boys team has struggled even more against the region competition, losing its first eight games in league play while winning only one game in the first 16 overall.

Junior small forward Bobby Gary is the lone double-figure scorer, averaging 11.4 points per game. Gary also averages 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest.

Junior Michael Sumpter averages 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while senior guard A.J. Timmons averages 6.4 points per game.

Junior Stephan Hunter adds work on the boards, pulling down 4.3 rebounds per game.

Eight of the 13 players on the current roster are underclassmen.

Lugoff-Elgin’s wrestling team is a bit more successful at the AAAA level and is one of the state’s top five ranked teams as the state playoffs approach.

Top performers on the team this season include Brandon Neal (106), Chris Jackson (113), Zach Connell (189) and Allen Jenerette (220).

Others working to be state title contenders include Harrison Kruger (152), Andrew Mills (120), Wes Wagner (145), Tyler Miller (170) and Wade Branham (182).

 

 

a late start, but we're pretty much picked up where we left off last year. This is a fun group to be around and that makes my job a lot easier."
The Demons completed its season sweep of Camden on Dec. 11 at the Bulldogs gym, winning with relative ease, 66-45. L-E got off to a slow start because of poor shooting, but rallied for a 26-18 halftime lead thanks to a 17-6 burst in the second quarter.
Lugoff-Elgin's overall quickness and defensive pressure was simply too much for the rebuilding Bulldogs to deal with.
"We're not tall, but we're real quick. We're at our best when we're pushing the ball on offense and swarming on defense," said McRoy. "Yes, we're off to a nice start, but we played well last year until the end. Maybe our experience will help us this time get over the rough spots that we're sure to encounter along the way."
Last year, the Demons stood at 10-5 overall after opening the Region 4-3A campaign with two wins. A seven-game losing streak doomed the promising season, which ended with a loss to A.C. Flora in a tie-breaking game for the fourth and final region playoff spot.
Senior point guard Jahred Palmer is the man who makes the Demons go. The senior leader, a three-year starter, doesn't score much, but he averaged around eight assists a game last season.
"I've coached some awfully good point guards in my 26 years, but Jahred can do it," said McRoy.
Senior center Shaq Elm and junior small forward Darius Custard and the other returning three-year starters. Elm led the team in scoring last season and was an all-region pick. Senior wing Steven Reed and junior shooting guard Jojo Pellegrino round out the starting lineup. Reed is a three-year letterman, and Pellegrino was a top reserve last season.
Seniors Davonte Alexander, Anthony Myers and Todd Wilson and juniors Rashad Alexander and Tyler Starling are the top reserves. Seniors Julian Baxter, Carlton Baxter and Zach Salmond provided added depth.
Pellegrino paced the Camden sweep win with 20 points and he had double-digit support from Custard and Rashad Alexander, who tallied 12 points apiece. Alexander pumped in 10 points in the key second-quarter move. Pellegrino rang up 19 of his 21 points in the second half.


Loaded Demons set high mat goals again

By John Devlin
Special Writer
Lugoff (11/12/09) Evan Moxie is the new wrestling coach at Lugoff-Elgin, and inherits a well-established, highly successful program that always opens a new campaign with lofty expectations.

Moxie, an Ohio native, wells back the bulk of a varsity team that went 19-4 in dual meets, advanced to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs and finished fourth in the final team standings at the traditional state tournament that closed out the season.

"We have a very experienced, very talented team, and we are looking forward to making a deep run in the playoffs," said Moxie.

Last season, the Demons were surprised by Riverside in the second round, losing 33-32. It marked the first time since 1996 that L-E failed to advance to advanced to the final four phase of the 3A playoffs.

Perhaps, the Demons had their attention on taking on mighty Eastside in the Upper State championship round for the seventh year in row instead of the upstart Warriors.

"One of the things I'm stressing is that we can't have all our focus on one team this year," said Moxie. "To win a state championship, we have to be focused on beating all the teams to get there."

L-E loses only four starters from a year ago, including state champion Justin McClester at 125 pounds.

The returning cast features state qualifiers Will Connell, Stephen Boneparte, Alonzo Grant, Will Myers and Max Fowler.

Connell went 42-7 last season and won the 171-pound state title as a sophomore. He could be at 171 again or even at 160 this season.

Boneparte (24-15) had a great run at the state tournament ? finishing third at 160 after finishing fourth at the Upper State qualifier. He could be at 160 or 171 this time around.
Grant, Myers and Fowler all went 1-2 at state and did not place. Grant will move up to either 140 or 145 this season. Myers will jump to 145 or 152 after being at 140 last season. Fowler could stay at 189 again, or maybe move up to 215.

Sophomore T.J. Branham, junior Tony Murphy, sophomore Zack Connell and senior Jonathan McManus are the other returning starters in tow. Branham and Murphy were big winners in the lower weights, but failed to advance to state. Zack Connell, Will's younger brother, had more than 25 wins last season at 145. McManus is back at heavyweight.

Moxie has high hopes for immediate impacts by freshmen Harrison Kruger (140), Derrick Miller (160) and Allen Jenerette (189) - if they can crack the starting lineup, that is.


 

 

h Salmond provided added depth.
Pellegrino paced the Camden sweep win with 20 points and he had double-digit support from Custard and Rashad Alexander, who tallied 12 points apiece. Alexander pumped in 10 points in the key second-quarter move. Pellegrino rang up 19 of his 21 points in the second half.


Loaded Demons set high mat goals again

By John Devlin
Special Writer
Lugoff (11/12/09) Evan Moxie is the new wrestling coach at Lugoff-Elgin, and inherits a well-established, highly successful program that always opens a new campaign with lofty expectations.

Moxie, an Ohio native, wells back the bulk of a varsity team that went 19-4 in dual meets, advanced to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs and finished fourth in the final team standings at the traditional state tournament that closed out the season.

"We have a very experienced, very talented team, and we are looking forward to making a deep run in the playoffs," said Moxie.

Last season, the Demons were surprised by Riverside in the second round, losing 33-32. It marked the first time since 1996 that L-E failed to advance to advanced to the final four phase of the 3A playoffs.

Perhaps, the Demons had their attention on taking on mighty Eastside in the Upper State championship round for the seventh year in row instead of the upstart Warriors.

"One of the things I'm stressing is that we can't have all our focus on one team this year," said Moxie. "To win a state championship, we have to be focused on beating all the teams to get there."

L-E loses only four starters from a year ago, including state champion Justin McClester at 125 pounds.

The returning cast features state qualifiers Will Connell, Stephen Boneparte, Alonzo Grant, Will Myers and Max Fowler.

Connell went 42-7 last season and won the 171-pound state title as a sophomore. He could be at 171 again or even at 160 this season.

Boneparte (24-15) had a great run at the state tournament ? finishing third at 160 after finishing fourth at the Upper State qualifier. He could be at 160 or 171 this time around.
Grant, Myers and Fowler all went 1-2 at state and did not place. Grant will move up to either 140 or 145 this season. Myers will jump to 145 or 152 after being at 140 last season. Fowler could stay at 189 again, or maybe move up to 215.

Sophomore T.J. Branham, junior Tony Murphy, sophomore Zack Connell and senior Jonathan McManus are the other returning starters in tow. Branham and Murphy were big winners in the lower weights, but failed to advance to state. Zack Connell, Will's younger brother, had more than 25 wins last season at 145. McManus is back at heavyweight.

Moxie has high hopes for immediate impacts by freshmen Harrison Kruger (140), Derrick Miller (160) and Allen Jenerette (189) - if they can crack the starting lineup, that is.