SCISA AAA, AA boys and girls, Class A boys semifinals Thursday in Sumter

Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • February 26, 2026

View Thursday's schedule, Tuesday quarterfinal roundup and updated brackets

       Sumter – The semifinal games for AAA and AA boys and girls and the Class A boys in the SCISA state basketball tournaments will be played on Thursday in Sumter.

 

           The AAA games will be played at Sumter County Civic Center. A new state champion will be crowned for both boys and girls.

 

           The first game will have the Florence Christian School girls taking on Hilton Head Prep beginning at 3:30 p.m. That will be followed by a boys contest between Florence Christian and Greenwood Christian School slated to start at 5.

 

           The second girls semifinal will pit Orangeburg Prep against St. John’s Christian Academy at 6:30. The other boys semifinal will have Calhoun Academy meeting Spartanburg Christian Academy.

 

           The AA semis as well as the Class A boys semis will both be played at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center with both of its gymnasiums being utilized.

 

           The girls contests will have Dorchester Academy taking on Lee Academy at 5:30 p.m., and defending state champion Cross Schools meeting the team it beat for the title, Laurens Academy at 6 p.m. The boys showdowns will have Bethesda Academy facing Charleston Collegiate at 7 p.m. and 2-time defending champ Cathedral Academy meeting Laurens Academy at 7:30 p.m.

 

           The Class A boys semifinals will open play at Wilson Hall. Defending champion Ragin Prep will take on Marlboro Academy at 4 p.m., while Newberry Academy and Ridge Christian will tip off at 4:30 p.m.

 

           One of the championship matchups has been set – the Class A girls, which will have Wardlaw Academy taking on Richard Winn Academy on Friday at 4 p.m. at the civic center.

 

           Wardlaw, which lost to Curtis Baptist in the title game a year ago, got a measure of revenge on Tuesday with a 42-27 triumph in the semis. RWA advanced with a 50-42 win over Holly Hill Academy.

 

TUESDAY ROUNDUP

Florence Christian 59

St. John’s Christian 57

 

Sumter -- Taylor Greene drained a deep 3-point shot with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game to lift Florence Christian to a 59-57 victory over St. John’s Christian in the quarterfinals of the AAA boys tournament on Tuesday at the civic center.

 

FCS improved to 21-4 on the season. SJCA finished with a 20-10 mark.

 

The game was tight throughout as the Cavaliers led 18-13 after one quarter before Florence Christian took a 30-27 lead into the locker room. The contest was tied at 46-46 entering the final stanza.

 

           Greene paced the Eagles with 21 points with 12 of them coming off of four 3-pointers. Riley Minton added 17 and Brayden Berry had 10. Hayes Hamilton added four.

 

           Tradd Law led the Cavaliers with 15 points. Dor Reichley finished with 13, Aiden McCoy had eight, and Jacob Glover, Isaiah Antley and Thomas Hester had six apiece.

 

           Calhoun Academy 48

           Williamsburg 45

 

           Sumter – Calhoun Academy outscored Williamsburg Academy 18-12 in the fourth quarter to pick up a 48-45 win in the AAA boys quarterfinals at the civic center.

 

           CA improved to 23-5 while the Stallions finished 12-12.

 

           Nick Lindsey led the Cavaliers in scoring with 19. Crews Felder added 10, Colt Layton had nine, and Dayton Birkland and Hatcher Thornburg had four apiece.

 

           Charlie Caulder led the way for WA with 13 points. Ethan Jones added 12, Rylan Berry had eight, Micah Balder had six, and Marlin Morris had four.

 

           Laurens Academy 49

           Faith Christian 45

 

           Sumter – Laurens Academy rallied from an early 10-2 deficit to beat Faith Christian 49-45 in the AA boys quarterfinals at Nash Student Center.

 

           The Crusaders improved to 17-11 while the Knights finished 4-19.

 

           Garrison Vaughan led LA with 17 points. Caleb Hardy added nine, Braydon Burke and Chesney Watkins both had eight, and Micah Strait finished with seven.

 

           Bryce Coleman led Faith with a game high 20. Daniel McClary had 18.

 

           Greenwood Christian 44

           Colleton Prep 42

 

           Sumter – Greenwood Christian advanced to the AAA boys semifinals with a 44-42 quarterfinal win over Colleton Prep Academy at the civic center.

 

           GCA, which improved to 15-10, was led by Ty Kennedy with 23 points. Leland Reed had eight, Scott Palacios added seven, and Bryson Dixon had six.

 

           Mateo Castillo led 19-6 CPA with 15 points. Collin Hiers had 11, Perry Corbett eight and Charlie Walker six.

 

           Richard Winn 50

           Holly Hill 42

 

           Columbia – Richard Winn advanced to the Class A girls championship game with a 50-42 win over Holly Hill Academy at the Cardinal Newman gymnasium.

 

           The Eagles will take a 12-7 record into the title gme. HHA finished 8-13.

 

           Abby Lewis and Ada Bass led a balanced RWA scoring attack with 10 apiece. Kate Baker had seven, Charlotte Lewis six, Mary Swearingen and Haley Autry five apiece and Kalia McLean four.

 

           Milly Kate Prescott led the Raiders with 19 points. Essie Wolpert added nine, while Kaley Bell and Caitlyn Crisp had five apiece.

 

           Ragin Prep 85

Richard Winn 52

 

           Sumter – Ragin Prep raced out to a 46-18 halftime lead on the way to an 85-52 triumph over Richard Winn in a Class A boys quarterfinal at Nash Student Center.

 

           The Rams improved to 16-12 while the Eagles finished 11-11.

 

           Kden Shannon led Ragin Prep with 32 points. Kavontay Rose had 22, Kayshaun Rutherford added 15, and Zymir Robinson had 10.

 

           Bennett Nicholson led RWA with 15. Flynn Berry added nine, Walker Blackwelder and Grayson Young both had six, and Eli Smith and Sevy Swearingen both had four.


Thursday’s Tournament Schedule

AAA Semifinals

At Sumter County Civic Center

3:30 p.m. – Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Prep (Girls)

5 p.m. Florence Christian vs. Greenwood Christian (Boys)

6:30 p.m. – Orangeburg Prep vs. St. John’s Christian (Girls)

8 p.m. – Calhoun Academy vs. Spartanburg Christian (Boys)

 

AA Semifinals

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

5:30 p.m. – Dorchester Academy vs. Lee Academy (Girls)

7 p.m. – Bethesda Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate (Boys)

Gym B

6 p.m. – Laurens Academy vs. Cross Schools (Girls)

7:30 p.m. – Cathedral Academy vs. Laurens Academy (Boys)

 

Class A Boys Semifinals

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

4 p.m. – Ragin Prep vs. Marlboro Academy

Gym B

4:30 p.m. – Newberry Academy vs. Ridge Christian

 

 

SCISA STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

 

AAAA

Boys

Semifinals

Wednesday, February 25

Game 9 – Heathwood Hall 52, Laurence Manning 39

Game 10 – Pinewood Prep 80, First Baptist 45

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Heathwood Hall vs. Pinewood Prep, 7:30 p.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Wednesday, February 25

Game 9 – Northwood Academy 57, John Paul II 37

Game 10 – First Baptist 70, Ben Lippen 47

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Northwood Academy vs. First Baptist, 6 p.m.

 

AAA

Boys

Tuesday, February 24

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – (Upper 1) Calhoun Academy 53, (Upper 5) Williamsburg 45

Game 6 – (Upper 3) Spartanburg Christian 52, (Upper 2) Christian Academy 51

Game 7 – (Lower 4) Greenwood Christian 44, (Lower 1) Colleton Prep 42

Game 8 – (Lower 3) Florence Christian 59, (Lower 2) St. John’s Christian 57

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 9 – Calhoun Academy vs. Spartanburg Christian, 8 p.m.

Game 10 – Greenwood Christian vs. Florence Christian, 5 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6:30 p.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 9 – Orangeburg Prep vs. St. John’s Christian, 6:30 p.m.

Game 10 – Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Prep, 3:30 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 5 p.m.

 

AA

Boys

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, February 24

Game 6 – (Upper 1) Cathedral Academy 56, (Upper 2) Andrew Jackson 44

Game 7 – (Upper 1) Laurens Academy 49, (Upper 3) Faith Christian 45

Game 8 – (Lower 1) Bethesda Academy 69, (Lower 2) Dorchester Academy 55

Game 9 – (Lower 2) Charleston Collegiate 58, (Lower 1) Carolina Academy 36

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Gym B

Game 10 – Cathedral Academy vs. Laurens Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Gym A

Game 11 – Bethesda Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate, 7 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 12 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 2:30 p.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Gym A

Game 9 – Dorchester Academy vs. Lee Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Gym B

Game 10 – Laurens Academy vs. Cross Schools, 6 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m.

 

Class A

Boys

Quarterfinals

Game 4 – (Upper 1) Ragin Prep 85, (Upper 5) Richard Winn 52

Game 5 – (Upper 3) Marlboro Academy 54, (Upper 2) Cambridge Academy 34

Game 6 – (Lower 4) Ridge Christian 82, (Lower 1) Curtis Baptist 63

Game 7– (Lower 3) Newberry Academy 47, (Lower 2) Mead Hall 21

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

Game 8 – Ragin Prep vs. Marlboro Academy, 4 p.m.

Gym B

Game 9 – Ridge Christian vs. Newberrt Academy, 4:30 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 10 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 11 a.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Tuesday, February 24

Game 3 – (Upper 1) Richard Winn 50.(Upper 2) Holly Hill Academy 42

Game 4 – (Lower 2) Wardlaw Academy (Lower 1) Curtis Baptist 27

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – Richard Winn vs. Wardlaw Academy, 4 p.m.

 

Saluda Football Uses Spring To Build Depth

By Dennis Brunson • July 3, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Saluda – The Saluda High School football team will have a good amount of experience returning for the 2026 season. The Tigers have six starters back on offense and eight on defense from a team that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the AA state playoffs. However, they didn’t get a lot of work in during spring practice because many of them were on the school’s baseball and track and field teams that made deep runs in the postseason. Saluda head coach Greg Woerner found a silver lining in that though. “We were only able to get eight days of spring practice in and made the most o it and got better learning the offense and defense and developing some depth with the younger guys,” said Woerner, who will be in his second season as head coach. “A lot of our returning starters were making playoff runs in baseball and track, so we got a good luck at our depth.” Saluda returns four players who were selected to the All-Region 2-AA team last year. They are rising junior placekicker Ericson Vasquez , senior running back Tristan Daniels, senior tight end Jahmeer Myers and junior defensive back Ceddion Springs . Vasquez was named the Region 2 Special Teams Player of the year. Woerner is hoping the Tigers can be productive in the month of July leading into the start of fall practice. “For the remainder of the summer we’re really just looking forward to continuing to get stronger but also focusing in more on football,” Woerner said. “We had a good June competing in 7-on-7s (competitions) and getting better at our passing game and pass defense. July will focus more on getting better at the whole game.” The Tigers completed their 7-on-7 competition in June. Their first scrimmage will be on August 6 at Woodland before coming home to scrimmage Gilbert on August 10. Saluda is scheduled to open its season on August 21 at home against Abbeville . The Tigers will be part of a new region in Region 4-AA. The region will include two old Region 2 foes in defending state champion Strom Thurmond and Pelion to go with American Leadership Academy , Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Silver Bluff . MILLER MARTIN SELECTED TO AA ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM Sophomore pitcher Miller Martin , a key figure for Saluda’s AA state championship softball team, was selected to the AA All-State softball team announced by the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports . Martin had a 15-3 win-loss record and struck out 248 batters in 139 2/3 innings while posting a 0.70 earned run average. At the plate, Martin had a .308 batting average with five home runs and 32 runs batted in. Martin was also named the Region 2 Co-Player of the Year. Martin was joined on the All-Region team by Amy Sorcia , Zoey Springs and Nyla Jordan . Tigers head coach Hannah Towery said the program’s first ever state title sets a precedent for the future. “Future players will walk on to that field knowing a championship can be achieved because this team proved it,” said Towery, who guided Saluda to a 29-3 record. “The banner will hang, the trophy will be displayed, and the record books will always show who did it first. “History remembers champions, but it especially remembers those who paved the way. This team just didn’t win a state championship – they built a legacy.”

Jefferson Davis football focusing on the basics over the summer

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 3, 2026
Raiders return everyone along the line from 8-4 team that reached 8-man semifinals

OCA Football Sets Sights On Four-Peat

By David Shelton • July 2, 2026
Oceanside's rising senior QB, Aiden Manavian is nearing 10,000 career passing yards and threw 42 touchdown passes last season.

W W King Holds Spring Athletic Banquet

By Gerald Doolittle • July 1, 2026
By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer, HSSR Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. -W.W. King Academy held its Spring/Winter Athletic Banquet in mid-May to honor their 2025-26 athletic efforts. All the Knight teams were very competitive in their SCISA Class A region where they competed against Wardlaw Academy, Newberry Academy, Cambridge Academy, Richard Winn Academy and Anderson Christian . The Varsity Baseball team won the SCISA Class A Title . The Varsity Softball team was very competitive in the playoffs. Coach Jessica Anderson presented the Varsity Girls Basketball Awards . Blythe Buzhardt won the All-Around Excellence Award. Kenzie Morse won the Defensive Player-of-the-Year Award. Coach Dennis Gibson presented the Varsity Boys Basketball Awards. Spencer McCormick received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Brady Goff received the Sharp-Shooter Award. Coach Allen Guy presented the Varsity Softball Awards. Blythe Buzhardt received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Abby Aull received the Leadership Award and Kenzie Morse received the Iron Athletic Award. Coach Zach Matthews presented five awards to his Varsity Baseball State Champion players. Elijah Hutto received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Luke Harvey received the Defensive Player of The Year Award. Wyatt Burbank, Zed Watkins and Smith Kirby shared the Team Leadership Award. Athletic Director Kathy Gibson assisted in presenting the Senior Awards. Smith Kirby and Abby Aull received the Senior Student Athlete of the Year Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie Morse received the Athlete of the Year Award. Spencer McCormick and Abby Aull received the Christian Leadership Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie received the Varsity Year-Round Athletes Award.

Florence Christian football team lost a few players to more than just graduation

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 1, 2026
Eagles do return Region Defensive Player of the Year in Hayden Schwab

Lodge Begins Fourth Season As Berkeley Coach

By David Shelton • June 30, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – After a pair of six-win seasons in his first two years , Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall. Lodge is hoping and expecting to see continued growth and development in 2026 and recently put his prospective team through spring drills. The purpose of the spring is to identify roles and hopefully find rising talent that can assist either as backups or starters this fall. “Our spring is about evaluating kids, all of them, to see where they fit in,” Lodge said, “Those practices are very important to the growth of the program. We get everyone involved amd work to get them up to speed. Once we get into the summer, we are working hard to get stronger in the weight room along with seven-on-seven stuff.” Lodge says most of the returning experience is on the offensive side and the Stags should be explosive. Henry Rivers , a senior, will be a fourth-year starter and rates as one of the best in the state. Hethres for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, adding 803 rushing yards and 16 more scores. Returning at receiver are John Cleveland, Eli Mitchell and Johnathan Mitchell, who combined for more than 60 receptions last season. Anchoring the running game are returners Lawrence Washington, Bryson McGee and Jesse Brown . That trio will work behind a revamped offensive line but Lodge sees potential in the developing unit up front. “I like our depth at running back and receiver, and of course we have a veteran leader at quarterback,” said Lodge. There are significantly more holes to fill on defense. The Stags lost an all-state tackle and three starting linebackers that were three-year starters. There also are three holes to fill on the back endd. “We have identified some young men who we feel will step in and be solid players for us,” Lodge said. “Replacing the experience is tough but we have some guys who will learn and grow over time. We’re not new to having young guys on the field. The talent is there and there are opportunities for guys to get on the field.”

Pinewood Preparing To Move Up A Class

By Roger Lee • June 29, 2026
Expectations are high for Pinewood Prep quarterback Silas Brawner.

Cane Bay Football Looking To Get Back On Track

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – The last two football seasons have been sub-par for the Cane Bay Cobras but veteran head coach Russell Zehr believes the pieces are in place for a potential resurgence. The Cobras finished the last two seasons with three wins each but did win a region championship in 2024. Zehr and his staff have worked hard in the offseason to develop some up and coming talent. They did so through the weight room and spring practice. “We had a good spring overall,” Zehr said. “We were missing a handful of guys due to track but we had good numbers. We spent a lot of time getting everyone up to speed. It was an opportunity for us to see younger kids that are coming up and find out who can help us this season. We had about 80 kids during the sprng and about 75 of those have been consistent in their workouts over the summer.” The Cobras will have a new quarterback this fall. Zehr says senior Coran Houp e is moving from running back to run the option offense this season. Returning in the backfield are Mayson Samuel and Sam Rolston , with some talented backs coming from the lower levels. The offensive line returns two starters, Isaac Siefken and Eli Taylor . Junior JJ Rose is back as the leader along the defensive front, with ends Devin Cobbs and B rennen Shokes also returning. The linebackers will be new starters with only Jackson Williamson returning with experience. The secondary could be a strength with returners Tyrell Bess, Zion Bryant and Caeden Wilson . The kicking game is a solid strength with senior Aiden Thorne returning. Thorne is a deep threat on kickoffs and field goals. “He’s got a leg and can be a real weapon for us,” Zehr said. Cane Bay participated in weekly 7-on-7 passing league scrimmages during June and will play at The Citadel event in July.

Mckoy Continues To Build A Winner At James Island

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
Head football coach at James Island, Jamar McKoy has worked to build his program into one of the more consistent programs in the state.

Red Fox Football Putting In The Work For 2026 Season

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – As he embarks on his 22 nd season as the head football coach at Hartsville High, Jeff Calabrese is anxiously anticipating the upcoming 2026 season. Calabrese, with more than 200 career coaching wins, sys his team has put in good work in the offseason and appears focused on bettering last year’s 7-5 record. “We had a good spring practice, a good offseason all together really,” the coach said. “The numbers were maybe a little down but not far off. We spent a lot of time evaluating every position. If we needed to make a change we did. The focus in the spring and summer is making sure we have the right guys in the right spots. We basically are trying to get everyone on the same page.” Like all the schools in the state, the Red Foxes put in training four days a week from 8:30 to 11 am. Calabrese says this summer has been especially important as four new coaches have joined the program, including new defensive coordinator Neil Smith . “Really excited to have coach Smith. He brings a ton of energy and experience and he has really adapted well here,” Calabrese said. In terms of personnel, the Red Foxes have experience returning in several areas, starting with quarterback. Junior Ford Wallace is back as the starter and continues to develop in his role as a leader on the offense.. Returning at running back is Trace Hillian with CJ Hickmon moving from receiver to the backfield. Anchoring the offensive line is two-time all-region performer Fred Turner . Other returning linemen, who could end up on either side of the ball, include Creighton McKnight, Jake Williams, Jaquan Samuel and Pat Rhode. Rod Cranford returns in the back seven as a third-year starter. Zi’Yon Mason is moving from the secondary to linebacker, as is Jamario Scipio-Bishop. Devaris James and Deon McCall are players to watch in the secondary. “At a school our size, sometimes you have to move some kids around to make it all fit,” Calabrese said. “That’s why the summer is so important, to get those kids a lot of reps, good group to work with. We just need to build some depth.”
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