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Playoffs ahead for Palmetto Christian hoopsters

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Mt. Pleasant  - With only a few games left in the regular season, the attention for the state’s basketball teams will soon turn to the state playoffs.

Two teams hoping to be a part of those state playoffs reside at Palmetto Christian Academy.

The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are winding up the regular season over the next week or so and both are projected to be in the class A SCISA state playoff brackets.

Brian Stanley coaches the boys’ team and has the Eagles playing well in region 4-A play. Palmetto Christian carries a 6-2 league mark into its game on February 3rd. The Eagles are 11-9 overall.

Stanley has a fairly veteran group this season and hope to repeat the playoff run of two years ago that led them to the class A state championship. PCA was 22-6 a year ago.

Seniors Connor McClure and Jackson Pinney are showing leadership and production this season. McClure averages 12.9 points and 2.7 steals per game while Pinney averages 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.

Senior guard Micah Vasko is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game overall. Vasko missed some early games with an injury but has returned in conference play.

Sophomore guard J.T. Waters is averaging 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game as a key floor leader. Seniors Josh Mulvaney and Addison King are coming off the bench with solid play, and junior Gabe Hogan has recorded several games in double figures this season.

Miranda Stanley is the head coach of the girls’ program and has the Lady Eagles at 11-7 overall and 3-2 in region play.

Freshman point guard Corey Caulder is putting up all-state numbers this season, averaging 15.1 points, 4.2 assists and 4.0 steals per game as PCA’s floor general.

Junior wing Julia Strout and junior post Haley Hester are doing solid work on the boards. Strout is pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game while Hester is averaging nearly six caroms per contest. Strout also scores about nine points per game while Hester adds about seven points per game.

Sophomore Lizzie Wilson is the starting two guard and averages nearly five points and three assists per game.

Freshman Anna Pascutti is the fifth starter this season.

 

ense had in previous weeks as the Hawks used a strong effort from the offensive line to run past North, 40-20, last week. 

    Desmond Armstrong had 154 yards rushing and two touchdowns to pace the Hawks.  Javaris Dukes also scored a pair of touchdowns and Thomas Holman added another.
    "We have several people that carry the football and this past Friday night and many of those people scored.  Even so, we're still young and we're still making mistakes that we shouldn't be making at this point in the year.  We have to keep improving and keep getting better," head coach David Berry said.
    Leading the way on defense was Elden Kennedy, who recorded seven tackles.  Still, giving up three touchdowns is not the kind of play the head coach expects from his defensive unit.
    "We have to tackle better.  That's one big factor.  Another thing is that we have to play our assignments.  Sometimes we just get out of control," Berry said.
    The Hawks have a chance to continue to make progress and move in the right direction this week when they host region member Ridge Spring-Monetta.
    "Traditionally they've played us well over the past number of years.  They're going to try to control the football and keep it out of our hands.  We're going to have to slow them down and get it away from them," Berry said.


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