Eagles claim back-to-back titles, winning the 2024 AAA championship

Wolverines sweep Saluda for state title

Bobcats claim program's first state championship since 2010

Jernee Ford places in 2 events in Class A girls track and field state meet

Barons boys finish third

Jabria Brunson wins high jump, places in two other events

Eagles shoot 1 under par over 36 holes to win by 16 strokes

Auctioneers went from winless to 7-4 in head coach Marc Lowery's second season

Katelyn Johnson joins Berry on All-State team; Chayse Walters, Paisley Jackson also All-Region

Boyd was an All-State performer under head coach and dad J.R. Boyd

Crusaders finish with 5-11 record but make progress throughout the year

By David Shelton Senior Writer Holly Hill – It was a sour taste that lingered for a year in the mouths of every player on the Holly Hill Academy softball team. Winning is better than mouthwash. The 2025 Raiders completed a 16-4 season by winning the SCISA Class A state championship, defeating W.W. King in two games (6-4, 15-4) in a best-of-three championship series. Holly Hill won their last seven games of the season. The victory makes Holly Hill state champion for the second time in three years but it was not winning the championship in 2024 that fueled the fire this spring. Though heavily favored last season, the Raiders were upset in the state tournament, eliminated by Jefferson Davis Academy. “We didn’t get it done last year but we still felt we were the best team in the state,” coach Kally Knight said. “Losing last year was all the motivation this team needed. They had a great focus all through the offseason and it carried over into the season. We weren’t perfect by any means but the four losses came to good teams and it helped us stay focused.” In the game one win, Holly Hill banged out nine hits. Kaylee Brabham collected three hits and Kloie Mizell had three runs batted in to lead the offense. Pitcher Taylor Wright had two hits and threw a complete game while allowing four runs. The bats stayed hot in game two as the Raiders totaled 12 hits and took advantage of six King errors. King took a 3-1 lead after the first inning but Holly Hill posted eight runs in the second inning and had a five-run fourth inning to close the deal in five innings. Wright had five RBI on three hits, including two doubles. She again tossed a complete game inside the circle. Kaley Bell had two hits and three RBI while Peyton Strickland and Chloe Wren each added a pair of hits and each had an RBI. “We were a good hitting team really all season and a lot of girls contributed from game to game,” Knight said. “We knew if we cut down walks and played good defense, we were going to be tough to beat. “This team deserves this. They worked hard and they built a strong chemistry. It’s great to see them celebrate being champions again.” Rounding out the roster were Milly Kate Prescott , Ariel Stanley , Abby Burleson , Shelby Hanson , Bethany Martin and Kaylee Cuttino . Brabham and Wren are the only seniors on this year’s team so expect the Raiders to be a contender once again.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia – The Hammond girls soccer team (11-7-1) fell short in a controversial 6-0 loss to Porter Gaud in the SCISA 4A championship match May 10. The Cyclones were up 1-0 in a competitive game going into the 47 th minute when senior goalkeeper Maxine Palisin received a red card for an illegal touch, which put her on the bench for the rest of the game. Two substitute goalkeepers, Arrington Earle and Olivia Leavitt , took over, but Porter Gaud scored three goals between the 49 th and 54 th minutes to take a 4-0 lead. The Cyclones scored two more goals before the final whistle. The call irritated first-year head coach and former University of South Carolina football standout Ryan Brewer . “It was crap. It really is,” he said. “You’ve got a senior keeper who comes out and it hits her chest, it could have been a handball, yes, maybe. Whatever. You could have gave her a yellow. The ref wants to make the game about him, and so these young ladies who’ve been fighting their ass off out here, that’s his prerogative, he can do whatever he wants on that, but my girls fought their tails off until that happened.” Despite the season-ending game, the Skyhawks spring was as memorable as it was successful. When head coach Rafael Marquez stepped down in January for personal reasons, Athletic Director Jeff Barnes heard from his old college roommate, Brewer . Better known by USC faithful as a tough, gritty athlete who lined up as a running back and receiver in Lou Holtz’s teams in the early 2000s, Brewer had a personal interest in Hammond girls soccer. Not only were his two daughters, senior Elle Brewer and sophomore Brooks Brewer , on the team, he had also known their teammates since they were kicking soccer balls at an elementary school level. The hire worked out. Brewer’s Skyhawks won Region 1-4A with a 7-0 record. Hammond then beat Hilton Head Christian 6-1 May 6 and Pinewood Prep 1-0 May 8 to reach the championship game May 10 at Cardinal Newman’s St. Sebastian Stadium. The ending is not what Brewer or his team wanted, but Brewer said it doesn’t tarnish his team’s work ethic throughout the season. “It’s a bitter feeling of getting this far, definitely,” Brewer said. “How hard they worked, especially the seniors, from my daughter (Elle), Logan ( Rivers ), Max ( Palisine ), girls I’ve known since they were babies pretty much, and Kate ( Weston ), and Grier ( Eaddy ) and Arrington ( Earle ), the battle they’ve done out there.” He added, “I’ve got three, four real soccer players, everyone else is just a bunch of athletes who’ve battled their tails off. I just wish we could go out with all 11 players and a keeper and see what really happens out there.” The Hammond boys soccer team beat Northwood in the first round of the 4A playoffs May 5, but ended the season falling at Porter Gaud 4-3 May 7. The Hammond softball team (11-10) went 2-2 in the SCISA 4A softball tournament in Sumter May 9-10. The Skyhawks beat Cardinal Newman 15-0 and fell 17-2 to eventual 4A state champion Laurence Manning Academy on May 9. The next day Hammond edged John Paul II 6-5, but saw its season come to an end with an 11-1 loss to Wilson Hall . The Hammond baseball team (13-11) fell 7-0 to Ben Lippen May 1 in the opening round of the 4A playoffs, and ended the season with a 15-2 loss Pinewood Prep May 5.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Walterboro – The 2025 spring sports season at Colleton County High School was again highlighted by a strong season from the softball program. Ranked among the state’s top 10 AAAA teams for most of the season, the Lady Cougars began the season by winning 13 of their first 14 games and five of six in region 7-AAAA. The season took a bit of a downturn over the final few weeks. While they made the state playoffs in class AAAA, Colleton County went 2-2 over their last four region games, finishing with a 7-3 record and in third-place of the standings. In the playoffs, the Lady Cougars notched a win over Airport before losses to May River and Airport ended their season. Colleton County’s final record was 16-7. One thing the Lady Cougars did well this spring was hit the ball at a high rate. Several hitters posted batting averages over .400 for the season. In fact, three players hit over .500. Junior Alexis Eversole led the team with a .565 average and had 22 runs batted in. Junior Brooklyn Holmes finished with a .540 batting average and had 31 RBIs. Senior Lanasia Sanders earned all-state honors for class AAAA. Sanders hit .516 with four homeruns and 35 RBIs. She also did work inside the pitching circle, notching five wins with a 2.68 earned run average. Sophomore McKenzie Cochran batted .358 with 20 RBIs and senior Madison Miller posted a .354 average with 18 RBIs. Colleton County’s future ace pitcher is Brea Gerard . The eighth-grader made her mark this season by posting an 8-1 record and a 1.25 earned run average. She struck out 105 hitters while walking just 21. The boys soccer team finished its season with a 6-16 overall record and 2-8 in a very competitive region seven. Two of the top players this spring were sophomore Dehlani Griffiths (four goals) and senior Jeremiah Howell (nine goals). The girls soccer team finished 4-14 overall. The AAAA state track and field meet was held in mid-May with three individuals from the girls team advancing through qualifying to earn a spot in the state finals. The top performer was Zarione Hudson , who earned a fifth-place finish in the high jump. Akeelyah Daniel finished 13 th overall in the long jump, while Lillian Mitchell ran 16 th in the 100 meter dash. For the boys team, the 4 x 100 relay team qualified for the finals and finished in seventh-place. Members of the relay unit included Daishawn Flanagan, Kenan Koger, Hykeem Ladson and Jayden Nesbitt. In coaching news, the baseball program will be under new direction as former coach Jermale Paige will not return as coach in 2025-26.

By Billy G. Baker HSSR Publisher Moncks Corner —Including the time I wrote for the Hanahan News (at the time the largest weekly paper in the state) between 1971 and 1975, and the four years I served as Sports Editor on high school newspapers at Summerville and Goose Creek High Schools, (1969-1973); the conclusion of the 2024-25 prep sports year in the Palmetto State marks 56 years of keeping up with some awesomely great kids, mentored by some outstanding coaches, and the future looks even brighter! Actually, the best four years of my sustaining journalism career, came about between 1973 and 1977, when an act of God, landed me at the School of Journalism at the University of South Carolina . The following is a true story, and hopefully one day, I can share more stories like this if I find the time to write a Memoir book with 12,000 names in the index! Here is the story:  As I was putting the key in the dorm room door, as I checked in at USC in August of 1973, I thought it was odd that the phone was ringing. Did a dorm room in the Woodrow Tenements actually come with a phone I asked myself? Who in the world would be calling me? How did they even get a phone number to call me? Answering the phone, after it rang 8 times, the caller stated, “I am Bill Mitchell , the Prep Editor at The State Newspaper and I hope that I am speaking to Billy Baker who recently wrote an article in the Hanahan News about visiting Hanahan football Coach Billy Seigler as he laid dying in his hospital bed at Roper Hospital in Charleston; is this you?” I replied: “Yes sir, I got a call from Coach Seigler’s wife (Angela) and she said that he had requested to see me before he passed away, and that he felt like it was very important for us to have one last visit together. Mrs. Seigler said that while only close family members were allowed to visit with him, Coach had got it cleared for me to visit with him, and she asked me to come right away, and to bring a tape recorder.” Mr. Mitchell replied, “I was at football camp in Laurinburg, NC and the Hanahan team was there for a week, and one of their fans gave me the story you had written about your final visit with Coach Seigler. You were put in a tough situation. I enjoyed reading the article and I would like to hire you as a stringer to cover local high school football games on Thursday and Friday nights.” Six days later, there I was at Wildcat Hollow covering Lexington versus Goose Creek for The State, and the Wildcats won the game 14-0. It was great to meet Cecil Woolbright , the head coach of Lexington and Simon Lewis , who coached the Gators. Although the pay was $15, I would have covered that game for free. Having just graduated from Goose Creek High in 1973, my girl friend was a senior and a member of the Pep Squad, so she was going to be at the game cheering for the Gators. My plan was to drive back to The State paper after interviews, file the story, and then drive back to Goose Creek with my girl- friend. Her Mom had told me at least five times, “Have her home by 1 a.m. or you die!” Not ever being on a deadline, at a daily newspaper before, I was about to have a very hallowing experience, to say the least. It was just after 11 p.m. by the time I arrived at the newspaper Mr. Mitchell pointed me to a “type writer” and said, “You have 30 minutes to knock out your story and it needs to be 10 inches long.” While Coach Mitchell was busy talking to a few local high school coaches about their games, for his round-up, he ignored me until 11:25. “Son, you getting close to wrapping it up and who is that girl with you?” This might have been one of those “Come To Jesus” moments in my life. My reply: “Sir, she is my girlfriend from Goose Creek High. She was at the game tonight with the Pep Squad, and her mother said she could ride back to Goose Creek with me tonight, but only if I promised to have her home by 1 a.m., or die! I have the story written out long hand and it just needs to be typed in.” Mr. Mitchell, and I, became close friends that night when he replied: “It’s almost 11:30 now and you have to have her back in Goose Creek by 1 a. m! I will type your story in, but you need to get out of here now! Go!” I put the pedal to the medal driving a six-year-old used Mazda coupe; flying down I-26 as fast as I could push it. At about mile marker 187, the Ridgeville exit, black smoke started coming up from the floor board, the engine light came on, and we rolled to a stop with a blown engine! It was 12:39 and my life was on the line, or I thought it might be. We got out of the car, thinking it might catch on fire. I began waving my arms at passing cars and a man and his wife headed to Charleston from Atlanta stopped. I explained the dire situation and the man replied, “Jump in, time is wasting.” At 12:59 a.m. Libby Goldman was already at the front door when we pulled in the drive way of my girlfriend’s house. I lived on the next street, so I thanked the good Samaritans and went home immediately! I took a city bus to high school football games at near-by Memorial Stadium for the rest of the football season. It took me several months to find a used engine I could afford for the car. Nearly 25 years later, “Coach Mitchell” called me one day and said he had retired from The State, and he wanted to write 8 to 10 stories a month for “The High School Sports Report” to be able to stay in touch with coaches. I felt honored to have his by-line in the HSSR for a couple years until health issues forced him to give it up.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – The track and field program at North Myrtle Beach High is one of the more competitive programs in the Lower State. That fact is evidenced by the number of athletes that qualify for the state championship meet each season. The 2025 track season was representative of the competitive level of the Chiefs’ program as nearly two dozen athletes qualified for and participated in the 2025 AAAAA Division II state meet in Columbia. The girls program produced an individual state champion as Destinee Vereen won the gold medal in the shot put. The top finisher in the boys meet was Dylan Kempf, who finished second in the pole vault competition. Elijah Lewis finished fourth in the 400 meter dash and Ny’Ray Hannah finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdles. Jerell Bellamy finished fifth in the 400 hurdles. Other top performers from the girls team included Janiyah Bragg (fifth in 100 meter dash), Madison Vereen (sixth in 400), Halle Morris (8 th in 400 hurdles) and Lucy Stalvey (6 th in pole vault). Jakira McCullum placed sixth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump and Zoe Green was 10 th in the 100 meter dash. Israfel Thomason was 10 th in the 100 meter hurdles. Baseball, softball teams finish seasons in playoffs Both the baseball and softball teams enjoyed successful seasons this spring, each earning a spot in the AAAAA Division II playoffs.  The softball finished with a 17-12 overall record. They lost to Berkeley, 2-0, in the district finals. Junior Sadie Olson led the team with a .410 batting average and had 20 RBIs, while senior Kiera Olson hit .375 with 12 RBIs. Junior Lilly Carney hit .333 and junior Isabelle Bruno hit .337 with 16 RBIs. Senior Natalie Lockner finished at .295 and had 20 RBIs. Lockner also had six wins as a pitcher, posting a 2.13 earned run average. Junior Sierra Bendik had eight wins with a 2.63 earned run average. The baseball team finished with a 20-8 record, including a 14-3 record in region play. They were eliminated by Berkeley in the district finals. Berkeley went on to win the state championship. “I’m very proud of the fact that we won three straight region titles,” coach Brian Alderson said. “But, our goal will always be to win the district and advance in the playoffs. We had a helluva regular season and I’m real proud of the effort from our players.” The Chiefs won this season with pitching and defense this season and a lack of consistent hitting proved to be to their detriment in the playoffs. Senior catcher CJ Oxendine finished as the team’s leading hitter with a .369 batting average and 17 RBIs. Kaden Lank hit .359 and Brown Reaves hit .312 with 26 RBIs. On the mound, junior Sawyer Smith had five wins and a 0.85 earned run average. Junior Gabe Priest had eight wins with a 1.40 earned run average. Priest also had 21 RBIs at the plate. Jake Frick had three pitching wins and a 1.48 earned run average. The girls soccer team finished its season with an 11-6 record. The Lady Chiefs earned a playoff win over White Knoll before losing 2-1 to St. James in the second round. The boys team finished 8-11 and lost to Irmo, 3-2, in the playoffs.

Ben Milligan is a senior two-sport athlete at Marlboro Academy.

Marlboro Academy’s rising senior Kate Leslie.

Monarchs baseball team makes state playoffs for first time since 2018

JoJo Crim, Sulllivan McKoy Male, Female Athletes of the Year

Blayne Edwards selected to SCBCA All-State baseball team

Jamiere Legette, D arrion Baccus both win events in AA boys state meet

Raiders lose only two starters from 19-6 team that played for AA state championship

Furse comes to Kingstree from Lee Academy as Boyd goes to Lamar

By David Shelton Senior Writer Bennettsville – The goal of every high school athletic team when their respective season begins is for their season to end with an opportunity to compete in the postseason.  Making the state playoffs is a reward for the hard work that athletes put in on a year-round basis. While making the postseason is no guarantee of extended success, every team goes into the playoffs with hopes of making a deep run. Regardless of the results during the regular season, if a team is fortunate to make the postseason, they have an equal chance to win a state championship. The regular season for the Marlboro County baseball and softball teams was not overly impressive, but both teams finished high enough in region play to earn a berth in the Class AAA Lower State playoffs. Once in the playoffs, both teams were able to have some success. The softball team won just three games during the regular season but recorded two wins in the state playoffs, beating Swansea and Battery Creek. The season ended with losses to eventual Lower State champion Aynor. Sophomore shortstop Addison Skipper Class AAA all-state honors by the South Carolina Coaches Association for Women’s Sports. Skipper finished the season with a .569 batting average, belting seven homeruns and 12 doubles and 25 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Ruthie Grooms finished with a .288 batting average and 12 RBIs. Eighth-grader Kaylee Sweatt posted a ,288 batting average and 11 RBIs. Senior Abby Quick batted .267. Quick was one of four seniors on this year’s team. In baseball, the Bulldogs won six games, including two playoff wins over Battery Creek and Loris. In that 2-0 win over Loris, pitcher Jameson Bradshaw went six innings, allowing five hits, to earn the win on the mound. In other sports, the girls soccer team also made the playoffs and finished with a 5-6 record. Members of the track and field program qualified for the AAA state track and field championships. Ledarius Brown was the top performer with a sixth-place finish in the 800 meter run. Cameron Smith finished 12 th in the 110 meter hurdles. For the girls team, Keasia Brown finished ninth in the shot put and Aarin Smith finished 11 th in the shot put. Lytavia Hakel was 14 th in the 100 hurdles and Kiersten Graham finished 15 th in the discus.

John Truesdell places in two events in AAA boys track state meet

Indians' Tadd Jameson selected as Region 1 Player of the Year

Six Cavalier softball players All-Region selections

Eagles have between 75-80 athletes out for spring football practice

Johnson, Huggins, Watson All-Region softball selections

Salters, McDonald place in AA boys track and field state meet

By David Shelton Senior Writer Mt. Pleasant – A fantastic spring sports season saw the Oceanside Collegiate athletes win five state championships. The Landsharks won the AAA girls soccer title, their fifth state championship in a row. “We lost 11 players from last year. This wasn’t supposed to happen,” coach Mark Meyer said. The boys tennis team won their fourth consecutive crown and freshman Luke Skillman won the Class AAA individual singles state title. “This is a special group of young men and they put in the work to be good players,” coach Shawn Harris said. The boys golf team won the AAA state tournament, their third title in four years. The championship capped a great 2025 season that saw the Landsharks win five tournaments, including the state tournament. The Landsharks finished with a team score of 589 through 36 holes, 21 shots ahead of runner-up Christ Church. Sophomore Chase Whittle was the individual medalist in the event, needing a playoff hole to beat Evan Cheek of Southside Christian. Both players shot 144 after two rounds with Whittle winning the first playoff hole. Reed Cook finished third at 146 and Blake Boccell i was sixth overall at 148. “This is a very talented group of players. We are blessed,” OCA coach Rocky Catalano said. The girls lacrosse team from winning their second state title in three years, beating rival Bishop England, 12-8, in the AAAA finals. Two-time All-American Teagan Scott came up big for Oceanside, tallying five early goals and two assists as the Landsharks built a 9-3 halftime advantage. Cadyn Clark’s second goal in the first minute of the third quarter pushed the lead to 10-3 just before lightening and heavy rain halted play. Bishop England came into the contest having won seven of the last eight state titles and with a 16-2 record. Oceanside Collegiate finished with an 18-4 record. It took a little longer than coach Tom Harris expected but the Oceanside Collegiate boys lacrosse team climbed back to the top with a resounding 22-2 win over May River in the Class AAAA state championship contest, played on Monday night. Harris guided the OCA program to state championships in 2018 and 2019 and had reached the state semi-finals three times later but came up empty. The championship win to cap this season’s 16-3 record was quite gratifying, especially after an 0-2 start to the season. “We had such a resilient team. This team accepted the changes that we made after the 0-2 start and just continued to build all season,” Harris said. During their 14-game winning streak, the Landsharks out-scored their opponents, 130-23. Among the leading offensive threats were Carter Gregory and Brody Hollingsworth , who dominated the championship game. Gregory led the team in points and assists this season while Hollingsworth returned from injury to make an impact in the playoffs. He tallied three goals in the championship game. Gregory’s championship performance included five goals and three assists. A strong defensive effort was led by senior Alex Seaton and goalie Gavin Harrison . Seaton scored three goals in the finals.

By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Mt. Pleasant – The 2025 spring sports season was a solid one for the Palmetto Christian Eagles while the records might not reflect that, the interest, participation, and enthusiasm surrounding the athletic programs has Athletic Director Dan Hoover excited for the future. “It has been exciting to see our student/athletes and coaches putting together good seasons. It shows how our programs are growing and getting better. I expect us to give great effort and to compete at a high level as we continue to grow as an athletic program. It is all about getting to the heart behind the jersey and our coaches do a great job of getting the most from our athletes,” said coach. Coach Hoover, besides his athletic director duties he is also the boys and girls head track and field coach. Both his teams are young but preformed well at the state meet and will just get better each year. The boys team brought home the only medals and they were expected. Senior Sam Smith won gold again in the pole vault with a vault of 4.11 meters it was below his personal best of 4.47. Fellow senior Gavin Wease won bronze with a vault of 3.81 meters. He won silver last year at the state meet. He has a personal best of 4.27 meters. “I expected Sam and Gavin to have a good meet. They were ranked one and two all year in the pole vault,” said coach Hoover. Eighth grader Davis Padgett finished fifth in the Javelin with a throw of 41.78 meters.. He has a personal best of 42.98 meters. He currently ranks second in the state among 8th grade boys for Javelin. Sixth grader Evelyn Mercer was the top finisher on the girls side as she placed fourth in the 3200 meters. She was 11 th in the 1600 meters. On the diamond the baseball team was one of the teams that took some lumps but it was a young team and they continued to improve all year. They were led by Ryan Delaney who hit over .300 as did Brayden Doster. On the bump, Jake Taylor led the pitching staff. On the pitch, the girls team was led by seniors Bria Olson , junior Addison Surratt and sophomore Juliet Olson. Olson and Surratt tied for the team lead in goals with 10 and were first and second in points with 24 and 20, respectively. The Eagle golf finished 13 th at the state meet but they improved their score from last season. Jack Semeraro shot 77-83-160 which was a seven-stroke improvement from last year while Eli Batzig finished 88-88-176.

 By Rob Gantt Special to the HSSR ST. STEPHEN – Timberland High School’s boys track and field team ended the spring season with a strong performance during the Class 2A state championship meet May 16 at Spring Valley High School. The Wolves placed fifth, receiving several excellent performances from their top athletes. Sophomore jumper Carter Hawkins powered Timberland with a pair of all-state performances (top 4). Hawkins won the triple jump at 14.05 meters and placed third in the long jump with a mark of 6.75 meters. Five more Wolves reached the awards podium by finishing inside the top eight in individual events along with Timberland’s 4 x 400-meter relay team, which finished third in 3:27.85. Also for the Wolves, senior Malachi Milligan placed third in the 110-meters hurdles. Sprinters Aiden Berrios and Jordan Gorham recorded fifth-place finishes in the 100- and 400-meter dashes. Berrios, a senior, crossed the line in 10.90 seconds and Gorham, a freshman, finished in 50.90 seconds. Junior jumper Kevin Brown was sixth in the high jump with a mark of 1.85 meters and junior hurdler Malyk Goodman placed seventh in the 110-meter event. Sophomore jumper Antaun Faison and the Wolves’ 4 x 800-meter relay team were also state qualifiers for Timberland’s boys. Timberland’s boys finished with 41 points, three points out of a tie for third place. Fairfield Central won with 101 points, followed by Philip Simmons, Mid-Carolina, Academic Magnet and the Wolves. Timberland’s girls were paced by junior Jermanee Washington during their state meet. The hurdler was third in the 400-meter event with a time of 1:08.85. The Lady Wolves’ 4 x 400-relay team made the awards podium, too, finishing sixth in 4:21.21. Sprinter Tiana Jefferson , a freshman, was sixth in the 400-meter dash. More state qualifiers for Timberland’s girls were senior thrower Samyah Faison (javelin and shot put), senior hurdler Tiana Almond (400 h) and middle distance runner Kemani Lampkin (800 m). Lampkin is a seventh grader.

By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer Johnston, S.C. - Wardlaw Academy closed the 2024-25 athletic year with an all- sports banquet to honor all the athletes that played in their sport. Coach Amber Weaghington presented the Cross-Country awards. The Perseverance Award was presented to Collin Holsonback . The Patriot Award was presented to Camden Bracco . The Varsity Cheer Coaches Award was presented to Hailey Holmes and Liz Parks . The Middle School Cheer Coaches Award was presented to Sarah Kate Covar . Nathalie Dorn received the Most Improved Award and Cate Rodgers received the Patriot Award. Coach Ben Bussey and Benji Brown presented the Middle School Football awards. The Most Improved Award was presented to Cole Faircloth . The MVP Award was presented to Jacob Bussey and the Patriot Award was presented to Chandler Bartley . Coaches Mark Rodgers presented the Varsity Football awards. Brody Johnson received the Comeback Player of the Year award. He also made All-Region. Colt Bailey received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. He also made All-Region was also a SCISA ALL-STAR. Aiden Rodgers received the Defensive Player of the Year Award. He also made All-Region and was a SCISA All-Star. Jackson Smoak received the Patriot Award. He also made All-Region and SCISA All-Star. Coaches Lexi Quarles and Katie Yonce presented the Middle School Volleyball awards. Mary Blanche Stark received the Foundation Award. Natalie Fields received the Most Improved Award and Dorothy Kate Kemp received the Coaches Award. Charlotte Grace Culver made All-Tournament. Coach Lauren Givens presented the Varsity Volleyball awards. Layne Kelley received the Most Improved award. Taylor Hill received the Defensive Player of the Year award. McKenna Quarles received the Offensive Player of the Year award. Rese Pruett received the Player of the Year award. Coach Kristina Graves presented the Girls Middle School and Varsity Basketball awards. The Middle School Coaches Award was presented to Savannah McNeill . The Middle School Offensive Player of the Year award was presented to Mary Blanche Stark . The Middle School Patriot Award was presented to Brooklyn Proctor . Katherine Trotter received the varsity Most Outstanding Rebounder Award. Maddie Deloach received the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Most Outstanding Player of the Year Award was presented to Taylor Hill . Hailey Holmes received the Patriot Award. Katherine Trotter, Maddie Deloach and Taylor Hill made All-Region and All-Tournament and SCISA All-Star. Hill was All-Region and All-Tournament Most Valuable Player. Coach Austin Spurlock presented both Middle School and Varsity Boys Basketball awards. Wyatt Jackson received the Middle School Most Improved Award. Camden Bracco received the Middle School MVP and Landon Henerson received the Middle School Patriot Award. Cooper Davis received the Varsity Patriot Comeback Award. Josh Bussey received the Varsity Defensive Player of the Year Award. Noah Harper received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Colt Bailey received the Varsity MVP Award. Coach Morgan Burgess presented both Middle School and Varsity Baseball awards. Braelyn Lewis received the Middle School Most Improved Award. Chandler Bartley received the Middle School Defensive MVP Award. Wyatt Jackson received the Offensive MVP Award. Avon Webb received the Varsity Most Improved Award. Sam Coughenour received the Varsity Patriot Award. Brody Johnson received the Varsity Offensive MVP Award. Jackson Smoak r eceived the Varsity Defensive MVP Award. Jackson Smoak, Brody Johnson and Jake Winn were named All-Region. Coach Burgess was named Region Coach of the Year.

Nikki Gallardo, Ashlyn Blackstone, Jaida Gay, and Jaden Ekovich received Region 4 AAAAA All-Region honors this season.

 By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dorchester —During Spring football drills in May, at Woodland High School, head coach Eddie Ford , and his staff, worked out 47 varsity football candidates, and the coach has a strong goal of improving on last year’s 7-4 record as the Wolverines prepare for the 2025 season. With 13 starters back from last year, and 12 newcomers moving up from the junior varsity with good potential, Coach Ford feels this is the season his team might make it to the third round of the play-offs, which happens to be a strong goal of the team. “I honesty feel like we have a good shot of winning a region title this season,” said Coach Ford. “We have a good mix of older players returning, along with a younger group of players moving up, and we appear to be a closer-knit team coming out of May drills. You have to avoid injuries, and have a little luck but competing hard for a region title will be a strong goal of this team. “This group has a real good work ethic also,” said Coach Ford. “One of our strong goals is to make it to the third round of the play-offs and this bunch has the potential to make that happen.” The player that attracted the most recruiting attention, as college coaches visited Woodand in the late Spring was Jaemin Pinckney (6-5,217) who was an all-region linebacker last season. “Jaemin has good length and a high motor that never stops,” said Coach Ford. “He is a great read and react guy with a very high football I-Q. He possesses good leadership skills as well.” Pinckney has official visits set up with South Florida and East Carolina over the summer. He is currently holding offers from East Carolina, South Florida, Old Dominion , and Appalachian State . There is a real battle brewing for the starting quarterback position coming out of May drills between junior Jervase Salley (6-2, 190) and junior Tarez James . “Right now, it is neck-and-neck between them,” said Coach Ford. “James might be the better passer and Salley the better runner but they are both quality athletes working hard to get better every day.” The team’s top TE candidate coming out of May drills is junior Cross Batten . A solid short yardage running back appears to be junior Torian Britt (5-8,185). “Torian is very good at running through contact,” said Coach Fiord. Junior TJ Lary will be playing some at running back as well. A top wide receiver candidate is Zishawn Majette a good-looking outside receiver. Cameron Howell is another returning receive3r with experience along with junior newcomer Matthew Lockett who was injured and did not play as a sophomore. Majia Wolfe , up from the jayvee, is another good-looking receiver. The majority of the starters back on offense include the return of highly regarded all-region right tackle Tyreon Summerson (6-3, 306) who returns as a three-year starter. Right guard Kobi Doctor (6-2, 315) is also back along with junior left guard Owen Messex (5-10, 220). Sophomore Sam Gadsen is vying for some time in the offensive line also. Sophomore Jordan Ford , up from the jayvee, could land a starting spot at center. On defense Pinckney is joined by five other returning starters in the 3-4 scheme. Up-front in the trenches talented Donovan Miles (6-2, 250) returns at end. “Donovan is very physical and he loves contact,” said Coach Ford. Sophomore Landon Baker (5-10,215) could see time at the other end slot. Doctor will flip from the offensive line to play nose tackle. Senior Isiah Barnes , a transfer from Ashley Ridge , will fill a spot at outside linebacker. Batton could see time at linebacker along with junior Lakye White . Chandler Fogle will also factor into some play at linebacker. In the secondary two-year starter Lavont Furray returns at corner back. George Terry is a returner at free safety and Jamarcus Amaker will be a new starter at free safety. The other free safety could be Wolfe who would flip from offense. The place kicker will be Gibson Kepley who has a range of 40 yards on field goals. The team is still developing a punter. The team will scrimmage Hilton Head and Silver Bluff on August, 7. Their second scrimmage is at Batesburg - Leesville . Woodland will once again participate in the Dorchester County Jamboree hosted by Summerville High on August 15. Woodland will play Ashley Ridge in that event. “We tell our guys they have to work hard and earn everything they get, on and off the football field,” said Coach Ford. “This group seems a little bit closer knit and more focused. We are hoping we can take the program to a higher level this season.”

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Chapin’s girls soccer team came close to winning the 5A Division 2 state championship at Columbia’s Memorial Stadium May 24, but Eastside punched in a tiebreaking goal in the overtime period to win 3-2 and claim its third straight state championship. All State senior Payton Nutzman scored two goals, including the game winner. Senior Camille Carter also scored for the Eastside. “We knew Eastside was a good team, we knew their No.9 (Nutzman) was a really good player,” head coach Chad Bridges said. “We had a game plan to stop her and for the most part I thought we were effective.” Sophomore Mayson Donahue put Chapin on the scoreboard in the 17 th minute of action to give Chapin a 1-0 lead. The Eagles took that lead into halftime. Eastside got goals from Nutzman and Carter to take a 2-1 lead in the second half, but Chapin senior Kat Hagler came through with a goal in the 71 st minute to tie the game 2-2. Nutzman’s overtime goal was unanswered, and Chapin finished as the 5A Division 2 runner-up.  “We had a lead at halftime and they came back and answered,” Bridges said. “We had some good chances but came out a little short in overtime. I’m disappointed in our seniors, but we had a great season. I just hate for them that they didn’t get over the line and finish it. It doesn’t take away what we accomplished and a great season that we had, and Eastside’s a great program, it’s the fourth year in a row that they’ve been here. We’ll continue to get better, continue to grow, we’ve been back now twice, and we’ll see if we can bet back again next year.” Chapin’s boys soccer team (18-6, 10-0) also went far in the playoffs. The Eagles claimed the Region 4-5A championship, and after a first-round bye in the 5A Division 2 playoffs, the Eagles Beat Socastee 8-0 May 10, and Myrtle Beach 1-0 May 14. Eight Chapin players racked up goals against Socastee: seniors Jalen Tucker , Brayden Sipe , Dylan Kingsley , and Nick Brown ; juniors Lucas Rogers and Eli Vance ; sophomore Sean McNeil and freshman Landon Brown . Rogers scored the team’s only goal against Myrtle Beach. Chapin fell 3-2 to Lucy Beckham in the lower state final May 17. In that game the Eagles got goals from Sipe and Rogers. Rogers had an assist, as well as Brown and Vance. Chapin baseball (18-7) finished 6-4 in a hotly competitive Region 4-5A, but received a No.3 seeding in the 5A Division 2 playoffs and a first-round bye in the District 4 tournament. The Eagles beat Lucy Beckham 8-7 in the second round May 10, but fell 6-4 to Florence in the third round May 15. Chapin ended the season with 3-2 loss to Lucy Beckham May 17. Senior and Spartanburg Methodist signee Ty Harper led the team in batting with a .373 average. Junior Weston Plotner hit .361 and junior Felix Flecha - Ruiz hit .357. Senior and Troy signee Caden Reeves led the team in home runs with three, on top of a .305 batting average. Chapin softball (13-11) finished second in the region at 7-3 and a No.4 seeding in the state playoffs. The Eagles got a first-round bye in the District 3 tournament and beat North Myrtle Beach 9-6 in eight innings May 7. They fell 6-0 to Berkeley May 9 and ended the season with a 6-5 loss to the Chiefs May 12.