Berkeley Advances In AAAAA Div. II Girl’s Basketball With 53-36 Win Over Goose Creek

Billy Baker • February 26, 2025

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Berkeley junior, Aiyanna Moses finished with a team-high 15 points for the Stags. (Photo courtesy Rob Gantt)

By Billy G. Baker

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Moncks Corner—The Berkeley High girls’ basketball team defeated rival Goose Creek 53-36 Monday night (Feb.,24) to win the Div. II AAAAA Berkeley County Championship with confetti reigning down on the court as the game ended.

The Lady Stags will now prepare for the Lower State championship against North Myrtle Beach who defeated Westwood 53-42 to advance on Monday night as well. That game is scheduled for March, 5^th at the Florence Civic Center.

After the win Berkeley head coach Crystal Peace was excited and emotional at the same time. “My mother passed away a year ago and I just wish she could have been here tonight to share in the celebration,” said Coach Peace at the end of the post-game interview. “We have not played for a Lower State championship since the 2002-03 season. We know we still have unfinished business. This win tonight means a lot to our program.

“I am proud of all of my players, but junior Aiyanna Moses (15 points) is one of our leaders along with sophomore captain Amani McCray (8 points) who hustles all over the court,” said Coach Peace. “Freshman Alaina Carter (13 points) is just a freshman and she is a key player for us as well.”

Several other key players for Berkeley in this gamer were junior forward Madison Thomas who had three points in the game along with sophomore 5-11 captain Imani Levey who is a strong rebounder who had 8 points in the game. Natalie Madison-Ladson is a junior forward captain playing well also.

Berkeley started the first quarter up-tempo on offense as they built a 14-1 lead with two minutes left in the opening period. Carter and Moses scored six points each in the first quarter that Berkeley led 14-7.

Goose Creek rallied back in the second period to cut the deficit to 25-19 at the half. Madeline Dates led the Gator’s second quarter rally with a steal and a lay-up, a basket from the corner, and a deep three to account for seven of her team’s 12 points scored. Celeste Griffin began the quarter with a three-point basket for Goose Creek.

Berkeley pulled away with a strong third quarter effort as they led 38-28 entering the final quarter. All five Stag starters contributed points in the third period when they out-scored the Gators 13-9.

In the final period the Stags out-scored Goose Creek 15-8 for a final score of 53-36. During the game Berkeley scored 14 points off steals that resulted in transition lay-ups.

Griffin, just a freshman, led Goose Creek with 15 points and Dates, only an 8^th grader, had 12 points.

“We are a very young basketball team with only two seniors on our roster,” said Goose Creek head coach JabariDeas wrapping up his third season as the head coach. “We made some mistakes that young teams make tonight but we have a very bright future going forward.”

Note: On Monday night Greenville High advanced to the Div. II AAAAA upper state finals with a 61-55 upset win over top seeded Gaffney. Greenville will now face Greenwood at the Florence Civic Center in the upper state finals after their 59-53 win over Riverside Monday night.

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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.