Sumter – Wilson Hall advanced to the SCISA AAA state championship game where it lost to Hilton Head Christian Academy 28-6. Considering the Barons had to deal with a batch of major injuries from the beginning of the season until the end, head coach Adam Jarecki couldn’t ask for much more.
“I'm proud of the effort,” said Jarecki, whose team finished the year with a 10-3 record. “I’m proud of the way they overcame the injuries. It was a super fantastic season.”
Linebacker and leading tackler Owen Meyers was lost for the year in the second game of the season. Slade Custer, a starter on both sides of the line, was lost for the year in the sixth game. Quarterback Clark Kinney was injured early in the eighth game and missed the next two. He returned for the first round of the playoffs, but running back Dylan Jones suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The Barons were led by seven players who made the AAA All-State first team in Kinney, Jones, Blake VanPatten, Cooper Scott, Grayson Alexander, Landon Gilley and Jackson Bonser.
Kinney, a senior quarterback, completed 76 of 127 passes for 1,222 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 255 yards and 10 TDs on 77 carries.
Jones, a senior running back who missed the final two games with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, rushed for 1,327 yards and 19 touchdowns on 113 carries in 11 games. He also caught 12 passes for 101 yards.
VanPatten, a senior wide receiver/cornerback, had 36 catches for 842 yards and 10 TDs. Defensively, he had 21 tackles and two interceptions he returned for scores. VanPatten also returned a kickoff for a score.
Alexander, a senior, started at left guard on the offensive line, while Scott, a junior, started at center. Alexander started at linebacker and had 76 tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Gilley, a senior free safety, led the Barons with five interceptions to go with 86 tackles and four TFLs.
Bonser, a junior LB, had team highs in tackles with 102 and TFLs with eight to go with three sacks. He was the kicker as well, connecting on 48 of 55 extra points attempts and 6 of 10 field goals while averaging 33.0 yards per punt on 22 attempts.
Senior Miles Van Patten and junior Carson Wilsey made the second team.
VOLLEYBALL
Seniors Rylee Bath, Aubrey Payne, Maggie Norris and Sullivan Jarecki were selected to the AAAA All-State team.
Bath had a team high 129 service aces and 417 digs to go with 191 kills. Payne had a team high 408 kills, 295 digs and 87 aces. Norris had a team high 880 assists, 230 digs, 126 kills and 57 aces, and Jarecki had 288 digs, 82 kills and 69 aces.
Bath was selected as the Region II-AAAA Player of the Year. Along with the four seniors, juniors McKenzie Gray Mills and Olivia Cogswell were named to the All-Region team.
Cogswell had a team high 48 blocks, 189 kills and 39 aces. Mills had 172 digs and 33 aces.
CROSS COUNTRY
Caulder Williamson, Emmie Williamson and Mary Ellen Thorne earned AAAA All-State honors for the girls while Abel Ayres made All-State for the boys.
Caulder Williamson was the Region 2-AAAA Girls Runner of the Year. Joining her on the All-Region team were Thorne, Emmie Williamson, Mary Foley and Bailey Flemming.
Joining Ayres on the boys All-Region team were Cordin Nattrass and Ben Rabon.
SWIMMING
Sterling Tindal and Cliff Bath were the Wilson Hall swimmers who earned All-State honors.
GIRLS GOLF
Mary Katherine Dutcher was the Region 2-AAAA Girls Golfer of the Year. She was joined on the All-Region team by Bella Grudzinski.
GIRLS TENNIS
Caroline McElveen and Claudia Rhodus were selected to the All-Region 2-AAAA girls tennis team.
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