Andrews Yellow Jackets
Chesterfield's junior Guard Marquan Blount.
Joy Weisner begins her fourth year at Andrews High School and her third as the head coach of both the volleyball and softball teams.
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – The Andrews Yellowjackets had three teams make the playoffs during the spring sports season with baseball making it to lower state championship tournament, softball making the finals of the district eight tournament and boys soccer making it to the AA playoffs. On the diamond the Yellowjacket nine went 13-12-2/ 5-3 to finish second in region 6AA. That earned them a spot in the district 5 tournament and for the second consecutive year they won their district and advanced to the lower state baseball tournament. They won their first game this season before bowing out of the tournament. “This group has played a lot of baseball together. They don’t get down and they play hard every game. They have ” said head coach Richie Poston . The Yellowjackets were led by senior Sloan Harper. He was recently named to the AA all-state team and was named all region for the fourth consecutive year. He led the team in hitting at .338, in hits with 26, and triples with two. He finished his career with a .376. Junior Jaxon Baker was second the team in hitting at .333 and in hits with 25. He led the team in doubles with seven. On the bump he led the team in innings pitched at 60.2 and in strike outs with 68 with an ERA of 3.00. Senior Maddox Cooper also hit over .300 at .324 and was second on the team with 21 RBI’s while Reece Barrineau was 5-0 on the hill. The Yellowjacket softball team went 13-7/6-1 winning the region 6AA championship. They made the district 8 tournament before being eliminated in the championship game. The team loses only one senior so the expectations will be high entering the 2026 season. “ My expectation for this team is to continue to build a strong program, and to play further in to May than we did last year,” head coach Joy Weisner told the HSSR. Leading the Yellowjackets was junior Addyson Davis . She was recently named to the AA all -state team after hitting .388 and leading the team in doubles with eight. In the circle she had a team best ERA of 1.96. The outfield consisted of all juniors in Sarah Jennings (CF), Emmalee Lambert (LF) and Briana Walker (RF) had a big impact offensively and defensively for the Yellowjackets. Lambert led the team in hitting at .585 while Jennings led the team with 17 RBI’s and tied in home runs with Walker, each hitting two. Jennings and Walker were flawless in the field at 1.000 while Lambert fielded the ball at .909%. Also hitting over .400 were junior Chloe Skipper and freshmen Tori Smith. The boys soccer team finished 5-7/ 3-5 in third place in region 6AA securing a first round play-off spot.
Andrews softball looking to capture region 6 AA title. By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – When you think High School softball in the state one school that probably does not cross your mind: the Yellowjackets of Andrews High School. Andrews is fifth all-time in state history with five state championships (Last one in 2018), they have also finished runners-up three times and in fact won the first two class AA state championships (80&81) over 19 times state champions Crescent. The 19 titles is a national record. Last season the Yellowjacket’s finished second in region 8 AA which earned them a spot in the district 8 tournament where they finished 1-2 to end their season. Head coach Joy Weisner only lost three seniors from that team so expectations are higher heading into this season with a lot of talent returning. “ My expectation for this team is to continue to build a strong program, and to play further in to May than we did last year,” said coach Weisner. Andrews is currently ranked sixth in the HSSR class AA poll and can wrap up the region 6 AA title with wins over Woodland in their next two games. They are loaded with underclasswomen talent as the entire starting line up is made up of that talent. Starting in the circle is junior Addison McCants. She continues to get better each game and leads the team in innings pitched and strikeouts. She has a solid been solid at the plate hitting around .300. Junior Addyson Davis and freshmen Tori Smith have also started pitching some games. Which gives coach Weisner a solid rotation. “They both work hard and bring competitiveness to the mound that is unmatched,” coach said. Davis and Smith’s man the left side of the infield and shortstop and third, respectively. Davis led the team in almost every offensive category last season and has picked up where she left off. She is hitting at a .500 clip and has a team high four doubles. She is tied for the team led in runs scored with 11. She is tied for the team lead with Smith in runs scored. In the field she has been solid and a team leader. Smith has been on fire at the plate this season, leading the team with a .611 average. She has also been solid in the field committing only one error this season. She led the team in steals as a freshmen and is tied for the team high in steals with Davis and the team’s lone senior Samiya Holloway. The right side of the infield is held down by freshmen second basemen Emalyn Cooper and sophomore first basemen Karaline Gainey. Both are hitting over .300. They have been a great surprise in their first year on the varsity level. Behind the dish is the team’s leader in sophomore Chloe Skipper. She is hitting .474. She has been almost flawless behind the plate committing just one error all season. The outfield consists of all juniors in Sarah Jennings (CF), Emmalee Lambert (LF) and Briana Walker (RF). They have been on fire at the plate with all hitting over .500. Lambert leads the group at .611 while Jennings leads the team in RBI’s, triples and is tied with Walker in home runs with two. She is tied for the team lead in hits with Lambert and Davis. “We are hitting the ball well and we are playing great defensively to back up our pitchers. I feel that Andrews High School can compete for the region championship, but we have to keep working hard and getting better every day to achieve it,” said coach Weisner.
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – The last two years head coach Richie Poston has watched his young squad capture back-to-back region 8 AA titles as they have matured so with a veteran group returning the Yellowjackets have an eye on a third straight region title despite moving into a new region, 6 AA. Last season the Yellowjackets used their region championship to spring board them into the Class AA playoffs where they captured the district 8 title to advance to the lower state final four. The Yellowjackets have five returning All- Region selections in seniors Sloan Harper and Khalil Dorsey , juniors Jaxon Baker and Riley Jordan and sophomore Brycen Cannon. Jordan was named All Region in 2023 after his freshman season where he hit .439 with 24 RBI’s and a team high 8 doubles. He was injured during the 2023 football season and sat out last baseball season doing rehab. He has picked up where he left off as he leads the team in hitting with a .375 average in the early season. Harper and Doresy have had outstanding careers for Andrews. Harper’s All Regions selection was his third in as many seasons. He has a career batting average of .380 after leading the team in hitting the past two years. Last season he had a team high 9 doubles. He has gotten off to a slow this year but expect him to hit up as the weather warms. He also has an .857 career fielding percentage from shortstop. Dorsey will be playing at the next level but it won’t be in baseball despite making All Region last season. He is a two-time AA All State selection at tight end. He was second on the team in batting last season at .326. He has also gotten off to a slow start this spring. Baker does it all for the Yellowjackets since he stepped on campus. He hit .340 as a freshmen and has a career average right at .300. In the field he has over a .900 fielding percentage. On the hill he has a career 2.79 career era and this year he has been better with 1.24 era. He has 89 career strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched. The team’s top returning pitcher is Cannon. He went 5-2 last season with a 3.38 era. At the plate he is a career .300 hitter but like his teammates he has struggled at the plate in the early going. Seniors Maddox Cooper and Aden Cooper along with Levi Marlowe , Colby Marlowe , Reece Barrineau, Wyatt Bass, Carter Casselman, Caiden Thomas, Avery Durham and Jackson Parmly round out the roster. Barrineau has the team’s lone win this season and has stuck out 10 in 9 innings. “We have to be a solid defensive team and pitch well to keep other teams off the scoreboard, but for us to contend we have to hit the ball more consistently and we have struggled in the early part of the year,” said coach Poston.
Andrews Lady Yellowjackets working for the future By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Andrews – The Andrews girls basketball program has been a work in progress in Head Coach Tevin Wallace first two years and while the wins have been hard to come the Lady Yellowjackets are becoming more competitive through hard work and learning the system coach Wallace is implementing. “My expectations coming into this year were to be competitive, learn how to play together as a team, and build comradery amongst each other. We are a very young team with only 1 senior this year so we have some talent that we can build on for the next 2 to 5 years,” coach Wallace said. Coach continued, “Even though this year we did not win like we thought we could, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our girls are ready for the off season so they can work on not just individual games but to work together as a team. I like where we are headed and if we continue to work hard we will get there.” The Lady Yellowjackets start all underclassmen in junior Briana Walker, sophomores Camaria Gibson and Chloe Skipper and freshmen Railey Gibson and Makayla Singleton. Gibson is the team’s point guard and leads the team in scoring (12.4), rebounds (5.6) and steals (2.7). She is the engine and continues to get better each day. Singleton has made a big impact in her first year on the varsity. She is second in scoring at 5.5 ppg. and in steals at 2.6 per game while fellow freshman Gibson has also shown her all-around game. The team’s lone senior Shanya Coachman has played solid in the paint and is second on the team in rebounding, grabbing over four boards a game. Junior Jade Wallace, sophomores Tyler George and Armani Williams, freshman Ana Kate Lambert, eighth grader Elisa Dunmore and seventh grader Nyla Brown 7 th round out the Lady Yellowjackets roster. Wallace has been solid off the bench. “The biggest area my team has improved on since the start of the year is confidence in their own play. I am starting two freshmen and at the beginning of the season it showed. The speed on the varsity level and the tough team that we played at the beginning of the year such as Berkeley, Kingstree, and Carvers Bay just to name a few really tested them. They responded by working harder in practice and getting better. We are headed in the right direction,” said coach Wallace.
By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – At long last, the regular season came to an end and the Class AA state playoffs are upon us. The brackets are set and the fans of the favorites are hoping to make plans in mid-December for Orangeburg and the state finals scene. Who are the favorites in AA? Is there a sleeper or two that may surprise everyone and get to the title game. Most of the time, the teams that survive the grind and reach the fifth week of the playoffs, the title game, are teams that everyone who follows the sport predicts will be there. Let’s have a little fun and handicap the AA field. My process is to list my top four teams in the Upper State bracket and top four in the Lower State, as I see it. Any team not in my top four would be considered a sleeper to make it through the bracket. But, it can be done. In the Upper State, my No. 1 team is Batesburg-Leesville . I know, shocker. The 10-0 Panthers have answered every challenge and have proven to be quite formidable. They allow seven points per game with a defense that has speed and physicality. Nearly half of the total points they have allowed in 10 games came in one game, to Abbeville, in a two-point win. Abbeville is the top-ranked team in Class A and their coach , Jamie Nickles , is a believer. “They are certainly capable of winning the state championship,” he said. Running back Amadre Wooden and quarterback Tanner Watkins are a solid one-two punch offensively. Wooden has rushed for more than 1,500 yards and Watkins has passed for more than 1200 yards. My No. 2 pick to win the Upper State is Clinton. The 7-2 Red Devils have lost only to Woodruff and Daniel. Each of those teams has just one loss this season. The tough non-region schedule makes me feel the Red Devils are battle-tested for close, big games. Quarterback Tashawan Richardson makes it all go for the offense with James Cook adding a major threat in the run game. My No. 3 pick in the Upper State is Fairfield Central . The Griffins lost their season opener to Ridge View and have won nine straight games since. The scouting report needs just one word – speed. The Griffins can run and are explosive. Running back Tydarion Grier has gained more than 1.400 yards and averages 9.3 yards per carry. And, my No. 4 is Saluda . The Tigers’ only loss came to Batesburg-Leesville and they would love another shot at their region rivals. Saluda is another of the top defensive teams in AA and defense wins championships. Tahe your pick as the favorite in the Lower State cause several teams have a shot. My No. 1 going in is Barnwell . While not flashy or dominant, the Warhorses are solid and athletic. Senior Cameron Austin is a great leader at quarterback and if they have success on the ground, game over. No. 2 is Barnwell rival Hampton County . Again, the Hurricanes run the football and have good solid play at quarterback. They made a good run a year ago and I think their confidence level is high. The last two favorite picks are difficult and I ended up with three teams for two spots. At No. 3 I am going with Cheraw . The 8-2 Braves are not great at anything but very solid at most. Running back Cam McClendon is a threat to score from anywhere and the defense gets after it pretty good. For No. 4, I am sharing the spot between Manning and Philip Simmons . Manning has just one loss, the season opener to Crestwood, but their schedule and region was not overly difficult. Philip Simmons went undefeated in a tougher region and seems to be peaking at the right time. The Iron Horses have a veteran quarterback and they really play hard on defense. Class AA state playoff first-round pairings Upper State Pelion at Clinton Strom Thurmond at Chester Columbia at Batesburg-Leesville Andrew Jackson at Liberty Chesterfield at Fairfield-Central Ninety Six at Chesnee Landrum at Central Mid-Carolina at Saluda Lower State Academic Magnet at Barnwell Lake City at Timberland Edisto at Cheraw Andrews at East Clarendon North Central at Manning Woodland at Hampton Co. Mullins at Philip Simmons Kingstree at Whale Branch