Ashley Hall athletes priming for playoffs

David Shelton • October 16, 2024

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By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Charleston – With the regular season winding down, the fall sports teams and athletes at Ashley Hall are gearing up for the 2024 SCISA postseason.

By the first of November, SCISA will have crowned state champions in all of their fall sports, except for football. Thus, the athletes at Ashley Hall are laser focused on being at their best in crunch time.

The volleyball program has won 12 state championships and is almost always among the last teams standing in the playoff bracket. While teams like Cardinal Newman and Porter-Gaud are routinely winning the state title in SCISA over the last decade, Ashley Hall continues to be a competitive team.

As of Oct. 4, Ashley Hall had posted an overall record of 10-14-2 against a highly competitive non-region schedule that includes many of the state’s top teams. The Panthers split their first six region contests.

Again leading the team this fall is returning all-state setter Charlotte Strickland. The junior has nearly 450 assists and 200 digs this season. She now has 2.370 career assists.

Sophomore Liza Hood leads the team in kills with 156 while also recording 130 digs. Senior Spencer Edgerton has 130 kills and 17 blocks in the middle while Ellen Lesemann adds 65 kills and 20 blocks.

Among the defensive leaders are Iris Stiegman (240 digs), Parker Gragg (123 digs) and Amelia Finnegan (108 digs).

Leading the way this fall on the cross country team is Natalie Bennett. Ireland Evans-Langdale, Eliza Willis, Nyla Jenkins and Lilla Hand also have competed among the top five for most of the fall.

Sophia Schauer, Bryn Wildstein and Na’Zyia Jenkins add depth and look to contend for one of the top five positions.

The cross country team has run nearly 10 events this fall and competed in the Lowcountry Invitational meet, one of the state’s largest and most competitive regular season meets, on Sept. 30. Bennett was Ashley Hall’s top finisher, running in 62^nd place overall.

The tennis team was a state finalist in 2023 and aims for another shot at the title. The tennis playoffs were slated to begin on Oct. 8.

Members of the team this fall include seniors Nina Abracos-O’Neel; juniors Adeline Kreise, Emma Kate Schimming, Madeline Schimming, Kate Strenck, Lily Sloan, Grace Taylor and Emma Tedford; sophomores Gigi Powell and Lillie Jackson; freshmen Charlotte Guffey and Bella Gray McCurry; and eighth-grader Bridgette DeWolf.

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First Baptist Hires New AD and Football Coach

By David Shelton • July 30, 2025

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.