Cardinal Newman, Pinewood Prep stay alive in AAAA,St. John's Christian, Calhoun in AAA

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • May 6, 2025

Roundup on all eight games along with complete brackets are available here

Pinewood Prep and Cardinal Newman stayed alive in the SCISA AAAA baseball state playoffs, while St. John’s Christian Academy and Calhoun Academy kept their title hopes alive in AAA with victories on Monday in elimination games. Meanwhile, Lee Academy and Andrew Jackson Academy in AA and Richard Winn Academy and Holly Hill Academy in Class A won opening games in their best-of-3 semifinal series.

 

           AAAA

 

           Cardinal Newman 5

           Trinity Collegiate 3

 

           Columbia -- Alvin Murray III had two home runs, including a game-winning, walk-off, 2-run blast in the bottom of the seventh inning, to lead Cardinal Newman to a 5-3, come-from-behind victory over Trinity Collegiate at the CN field.

 

The Cardinals, who improved to 15-11 on the season, will be on the road on Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. contest against Hilton Head Christian Academy in the championship round of the AAAA lower bracket. If the undefeated Eagles win, they will advance to next week’s state championship series. If Cardinal Newman wins, the teams will meet on Thursday at a neutral site.

 

Murray hit his first home run with one out in the first to give the Cardinals the early advantage. Connor Hooks followed with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Matthew Andrews.

 

The Titans scored three in the second, two earned, against Cardinal starter Cole Dinkins, but Dinkins settled down and did not allow another run. Roland Boyd hit a grounder to third to score Chaplin Cox and tie the score at 3. 

 

Hardt Rowland walked to lead off the inning and Murray hit his second blast. 

 

           The Titans finished with a 15-9 record.

 

           Pinewood Prep 15

           Hammond 2

 

           Columbia – Pinewood Prep avenged a loss earlier in the AAAA upper bracket with a 15-2 triumph over Hammond at the Skyhawks’ field.

 

           Hammond defeated the Panthers 11-6 in their first game of the playoffs.

 

           Pinewood Prep, which improved to 24-4, will come back to Columbia on Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. game against Ben Lippen in the championship round of the AAAA upper bracket. If the undefeated Falcons win, they will advance to next week’s state championship series. If the Panthers win, the teams will meet on Thursday at a neutral site.

 

           AAA

 

           St. John’s Christian 1

           Pee Dee 0

 

           Mullins – Senior Mason Ritter tossed a 4-hit shutout to lead St. John’s Christian to a 1-0 victory over Pee Dee Academy on Monday at the PDA field.

 

           The Cavaliers, who improved to 12-8, will take on Orangeburg Prep on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Orangeburg in the championship round of the AAA upper bracket. If undefeated OP wins, it will advance to next week’s state championship series. If SJCA wins, the deciding game will be played on Thursday at a neutral site.

 

           Ritter struck out seven and walked just two. Senior Tyler Black had a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth inning to score pinch runner Wyatt Williams for the game’s lone run.

 

           Seniors Landon Chapman and William Rusch and freshman Parker Dinkens had the rest of the Cavaliers’ four hits.

 

           The Golden Eagles, who played for the state title last season, finish the year at 15-5.

 

           Calhoun 3

           Williamsburg 2

 

           St. Matthews – Cullen Sightler’s 2-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 11th inning drove in Cael Parler with the winning run in Calhoun’s 3-2 triumph over Williamsburg Academy at the CA field.

 

           The Cavaliers, who picked up their 20th win in 29 games, advanced to the championship round of the AAA lower bracket. They will be on the road against undefeated Hilton Head Prep on Wednesday at a time to still be determined. If HHP wins, it will advance to next week’s state championship series. If Calhoun wins, the deciding game will be played on Thursday at a neutral site.

 

           Layton Morris had a run-scoring double in the top of the third inning to give the Stallions a 1-0 lead. Sightler had a 2-run single in the bottom of the inning to put the Cavaliers on top. WA tied the game in the fifth with an unearned run.

 

           Chase Strickland got the win for CA, working the final three innings while allowing one hit and three walks against four strikeouts. Sightler worked the first eight innings and finished with eight strikeouts while allowing five hits and two walks.

 

           Bryce Blackburn started on the mound for Williamsburg. He worked 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing six hits and two walks. Ethan Jones took the loss in a great performance. He worked four innings and allowed the unearned winning runs while striking out two, walking two and allowing two hits.

 

           Sightler and Turner Hood both had two hits with Sightler finishing with three runs batted in. Morris led the Stallions with two hits.

 

 

           AA

           Lee Academy 11

           Dorchester 1

 

           Bishopville – Freshman left-handed pitcher Brayden Davis tossed a 1-hitter as Lee defeated defending state champion Dorchester Academy 11-1 in five innings.

 

           Davis struck out four and walked two for the Cavaliers, who improved to 14-7. Offensively, Davis had a triple, two runs and two RBI.

 

           Lee had just six hits but took advantage of seven walks, one hit batter and six errors committed by the Rebels. Noah Brazell scored three times and had three stolen bases. Others getting hits were Anrew Bowers, Carson Davis, Landon Olson, Myles Frye and Cash Holloway. Bowers and Olson both scored twice, while Bowers also had an RBI. Tucker Rodgers had a run and an RBI.

 

           Wyatt Byrd had the only hit for DA. Abe Shuler had an RBI.

 

           Game 2 is set for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday in St. George.

 

            Andrew Jackson 5

           Oakbrook Prep 3

 

           Ehrhardt – Andrew Jackson took a 1-0 lead in its series with a 5-3 victory over Oakbrook Prep at the AJA field.

 

           Landon Johnson got the victory for Andrew Jackson, working six innings while striking out 10 and allowing just one earned run. Jack Walling pitched the final inning, striking out two to get the save.

 

           The Warriors, who are 13-7, were led offensively by Hayden McClung. He was 4-for-4 with three runs scored. Walker Terry had two RBI, and Hall Sease had two hits and a run. Kaiden Kinard had a hit and an RBI.

 

           Oakbrook Prep, which fell to 19-5-1, was led by Dallas Collins. He had a hit and scored twice. Sam Hatcher had a hit, a run and an RBI. Bryce Horton and Austin Bright both had an RBI.

 

           The second game will be played on Tuesday in Spartanburg beginning at 6 p.m.

 

           CLASS A

 

           Richard Winn 4

           Jefferson Davis 1

 

           Winnsboro – Charlie Bonds struck out 18 batters in six innings – meaning he recorded each of his outs with a K – and allowed just one hit as defending state champion Richard Winn beat Jefferson Davis Academy 4-1 at the RWA field.

 

           Owen Martin pitched the final inning, striking out two, to get the save for the Eagles, who improved to 14-3.

 

           Jonathan Bonds led the Richard Winn offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Bennett Nicholson scored two runs, Dylan Albert had a hit and a run, Charlie Bonds scored a run and Martin had a hit.

 

           Landon Williams had the only hit for the Raiders, who fell to 13-8. Payton Payne scored the run and Corbin Perry had an RBI.

 

           The second game will be played Tuesday in Blackville beginning at 6 p.m.

 

           Holly Hill 9

           Marlboro Academy 4

 

           Holly Hill – Holly Hill moved within a game of getting back to the state championship series with a 9-4 win over Marlboro Academy at the HHA field.

 

           The Raiders, who improved to 10-8, were led by Tyler Green. He was 3-for-3 with a walk, three stolen bases and two RBI. Ethan Siau and Brodon Murray had two hits apiece.

 

           Ashton Soles got the win, pitching 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and allowed two earned runs.

 

           Marlboro completed its quarterfinal series against W.W. King prior to the opening game of the semifinals at the Holly Hill field, winning 6-3. King had won a protest following Thursday’s game, and the final 1 1/2 innings had to be replayed.

 

           Game 2 will be played on Tuesday in Bennettsville beginning at 5 p.m.


AAAA

Upper Bracket

Monday, April 28

Game 1 – (5) Wilson Hall 7, (4) Porter-Gaud 1

Tuesday, April 29

Game 2 – (3) Hammond 11, (2) Pinewood Prep 6

Game 3 – (1) Ben Lippen 10, (5) Wilson Hall 0

Wednesday, April 30

Game 4 – (2) Pinewood Prep 12, (4) Porter-Gaud 2 (Porter-Gaud eliminated)

Thursday, May 1

Game 5 – (2) Pinewood Prep 5, (5) Wilson Hall 2 (Wilson Hall eliminated)

Game 6 – (1) Ben Lippen 7, (3) Hammond 0

Monday, May 5

Game 7 -- (2) Pinewood Prep 15, (3) Hammond 2 (Hammond eliminated)

Wednesday, May 7

Game 8 – (2) Pinewood Prep at (1) Ben Lippen, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 8

Game 9 – If Necessary at Neutral Site

 

Lower Bracket

Monday, April 28

Game 1 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 9, (5) Augusta Christian 6

Tuesday, April 29

Game 2 – (2) Cardinal Newman 4, (3) Trinity Collegiate 0

Game 3 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 7, (1) Laurence Manning 3 (9 innings)

Wednesday, April 30

Game 4 – (3) Trinity Collegiate 11, (5) Augusta Christian 7 (Augusta Christianeliminated)

Thursday, May 1

Game 5 – (3) Trinity Collegiate 6, (1) Laurence Manning 5 (Laurence Manning eliminated)

Game 6 – (4) Hilton Head Christian 13, (2) Cardinal Newman 6

Monday, May 5

Game 7 -- (2) Cardinal Newman 5, (3) Trinity Collegiate 3 (Trinity Collegiate eliminated)

Wednesday, May 7

Game 8 – (2) Cardinal Newman at (4) Hilton Head Christian, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 8

Game 9 – If Necessary at Neutral Site

 

Championship Series

Best-of-3

May 12, 13, 15

 

AAA

Upper Bracket

Monday, April 28

Game 1 – (4) Patrick Henry 5, (5) Spartanburg Christian 1

Tuesday, April 29

Game 2 – (2) Pee Dee 4, (3) St. John’s Christian 0

Game 3 – (1) Orangeburg Prep 11, (4) Patrick Henry 3

Wednesday, April 30

Game 4 – (3) St. John's Christian 6, (5) Spartanburg Christian 1 (Spartanburg Christian eliminated)

Thursday, May 1

Game 5 – (3) St. John's Christian 3, (4) Patrick Henry 2 (Patrick Henry eliminated)

Game 6 – (1) Orangeburg Prep 2, (2) Pee Dee 1

Monday, May 5

Game 7 -- (3) St. John's Christian 1, (2) Pee Dee 0 (Pee Dee eliminated)

Wednesday, May 7

Game 8 – (3) St. John's Christian at (1) Orangeburg Prep, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 8

Game 9 – If Necessary at Neutral Site

 

Lower Bracket

Monday, April 28

Game 1 – (4) Greenwood Christian 16, (5) Florence Christian 5

Tuesday, April 29

Game 2 – (3) Calhoun Academy 11, (2) Williamsburg 10 (8 innings)

Game 3 – (1) Hilton Head Prep 4, (4) Greenwood Christian 1

Wednesday, April 30

Game 4 – (2) Williamsburg 4, (5) Florence Christian 0 (Florence Christian eliminated)

Thursday, May 1

Game 5 – (2) Williamsburg 6, (4) Greenwood Christian 5 (Greenwood Christian eliminated)

Game 6 – (1) Hilton Head Prep 10, (3) Calhoun Academy 0

Monday, May 5

Game 7 -- (3) Calhoun Academy 3, (2) Williamsburg 2 (Williamsburg eliminated)

Wednesday, May 7

Game 8 – (3) Calhoun Academy at (1) Hilton Head Prep, TBA

Thursday, May 8

Game 9 – If Necessary at Neutral Site

 

Championship Series

Best-of-3

May 12, 13, 15

 

AA

Semifinal Series

Best-of-3

Upper Bracket

No. 2 Dorchester vs. No. 1 Lee Academy

Monday, May 5 -- Lee 11, Dorchester 1 (Lee leads series 1-0)

Tuesday, May 6 – at Dorchester, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 8 –at Lee (if necessary)

Lower Bracket

No. 2 Oakbrook Prep vs. No. 1 Andrew Jackson

Monday, May 5 -- Andrew Jackson 5, Oakbrook Prep 3 (Andrew Jackson leads series 1-0)

Tuesday, May 6 – at Oakbrook Prep, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 8 –at Andrew Jackson (if necessary)

 

Championship Serie

Best-of-3

Monday, May 12 – at Lower Bracket Winner

Tuesday, May 13 – at Upper Bracket Winner

Thursday, May 15 – at Neutral Site (if necessary)

 

CLASS A

Semifinal Series

Best-of-3

Upper Bracket

No. 2 Jefferson Davis vs. No. 1 Richard Winn

Monday, May 5 – Richard Winn 4, Jefferson Davis 1 (Richard Winn leads series 1-0)

Tuesday, May 6 – at Jefferson Davis, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 8 – at Richard Winn (if necessary)

Lower Bracket

No. 3 Marlboro Academy vs. No. 1 Holly Hill Academy

Monday, May 5 – Holly Hill 9, Marlboro 4 (Holly Hill leads series 1-0)

Tuesday, May 6 – at Marlboro, 5 p.m.

Thursday, May 8 – at Holly Hill (if necessary)

 

Championship Series

Best-of-3

Monday, May 12 – at Lower Bracket Winner

Tuesday, May 13 – at Upper Bracket Winner

Thursday, May 15 – at Neutral Site (if necessary)

OCA Wins Third Consecutive State Title with 28-7 Win Over BHP

By David Shelton • December 19, 2025
Oceanside senior WR, Terence Johnson, a Shrine Bowl all-star game selection, had 57 catches for 1,153 yards and 17 touchdowns plus 9 rushing touchdowns this season.

Panthers aim to remain a contender

By Roger Lee • December 19, 2025
Running back Grayson Salego is one of several starters who should return to the Panthers’ football team next season. Photo by Roger Lee. 

Timberland girls basketball team off to torrid start

By Rob Gantt • December 19, 2025
Timberland's Zion Prioleau, named on of Class AA's top seniors by the SC Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 2024-20225.

Wilson Hall senior class 32-7 last 3 years

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The Wilson Hall football team played in its third straight SCISA AAA state championship game in November. And for the third straight year, the Barons came out on the short end of the stick. WH lost to Pinewood Prep for the second consecutive year, falling by a score of 55-13. That being said, Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki could only praise his team, especially the 17-man senior class. “This group of seniors graduates with three trips to the state championship and not many people can say that,” Jarecki said of the Class of 2026, which went 32-7 over that 3-year stretch. “I’m extremely proud of them. They’re our leaders at the school. They’re the influential people at our school. We’d love to see them go out with success in the end, but what they accomplished is pretty special, and they’ve got to take pride in that. “They had a great year (finishing with an 11-2 record for the second straight year) and they’ve had a great career. It’s tough not to come out on top, but they know what it takes to get here and they bought into it.” Six of those seniors were among the eight Barons named to the All-Region 2-AAA team. Leading the way was quarterback Ford Wilder , who was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year. Wilder completed 41 of 79 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 483 yards and 12 TDs on 87 carries. Senior running backs Ben McLaurin and Milling Galloway were selected. McLaurin rushed for 1,234 yars and 16 scores on 121 carries. Galloway rushed for 585 yards and 11 touchdowns 62 carries despite missing three games and the majority of a fourth due to injury. The other senior All-Region picks were free safety Harris Naylor and defensive linemen Walker Wilson and Andrew Howle . Naylor had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass deflections. Wilson had 39 tackles, seven TFLs, two quarterback sacks and one PD. Howle had 28 tackles, a team high nine TFLs and two sacks. The other two All-Region selections were junior defensive lineman Reese Wilson and junior linebacker Peyton Gilley . Reese Wilson shared the team lead in sacks with four to go with 21 tackles, eight TFLs, one PD and one fumble recovery. Gilley had a team high 61 tackles and shared the team lead in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown, to go with three sacks and six TFLs. Along with being All-Region picks, each of the eight were All-State selections and were chosen to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Games.

Lee Academy basketball teams start slow

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson Hssr.com Associate Editor Bishopville – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lee Academy got off to 1-3 starts, but neither of the head coaches are close to making a determination on what the season holds for their squads. “I am really excited about the team we have for this season,” said boys head coach Kemp DeWitt , who is in his second season at Lee. “We return four players that gave us crucial minutes last season. Brayden Davis , Cain June , Gavin Makela and Paxton Greene give me a solid base surrounded by the new faces we have this season. “We look to find our identity as a team before we head into Christmas break, so we can come out strong when region play starts.” Davis, a sophomore point guard, and June, a senior small forward, are the two returning starters. Davis was averaging 9.3 points per game, while June was scoring at a 9.0 clip. Makela is a junior center while Greene is a senior shooting guard. The other starter is junior power forward Aiden Fitzgerald . Greene was averaging 6.3 points, Fitzgerald 3.5 and Makela 1.6. Other members of the boys team are senior Collins Drayton , junior Cannon Hopkins , who was averaging 5.0, junior Tucker Rodgers , junior James Watson , junior Matthew Inabinet and junior Keegan Gainey . Girls head coach Kim Langston , a decades-long veteran of the SCISA wars, said she hadn’t seen enough of her team to form an opinion. The Lady Cavaliers are young with just one senior starter in Mazie Tomlinson . The other starters are junior Mallori Frye , sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Kaisley Melton and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside . Karagan Melton was the leading scorer with a 9.5 average to go with 3.8 rebounds. Tomlinson was averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 steals, 4.3 assists and 9.5 boards, Whiteside was at 5.0 points, 1.0 blocked shots and 6.8 rebounds, Frye was averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, and Kaisley Melton was averaging 2.3 steals, 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes sophomore Emma Beasley , senior Sara Bell , senior Zana Brazell , senior Raylee Catoe and junior Addie Grace Wilkes . 4 CAVALIERS FOOTBALL ALL REGION The Lee football team had four players selected to the All-Region 1-Class A team. The selections were wide receiver/linebacker Cain June, senior quarterback/defensive back Andrew Bowers , senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Hampton Layton and senior linebacker/running back Tucker Boyce .

LADY PATRIOTS READY FOR ANOTHER TITLE RUN

By Gerald Doolittle • December 18, 2025
Wardlaw Academy senior Taylor Hill during the 2025 championship game.

Thomas Heyward’s O’Banner ends stellar career

By David Shelton • December 18, 2025
Thomas Heyward's Tony O'Banner closes his high school FB career with 8,019 all-purpose yards and 96 career TDs.

White Knoll girls a work in progress under new coach

By Worthy Evans • December 18, 2025
By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer  Columbia - Last season the White Knoll girls basketball team broke through with 17 wins and made the 5A Division 2 playoffs. Shortly afterward, head coach Coretta Ferguson left to coach the Irmo girls. Also departing the Timberwolves were seniors Shaelyn Hayes , who averaged 14.4 points per game, and Emory Waters - Inman , who averaged 11.9 points. Under first-year head coach Mark Luster , the 2025-2026 White Knoll girls have a lot of returners on the roster, but are considerably young. Even so, Luster is hopeful that the team (2-4) can come together in time for Region 4-5A play. The Timberwolves opened the season with a 63-22 loss Nov. 21 to a powerful Rock Hill team led by senior guard Chloe Hudson , but held their own in a 43-29 loss against another top team, Sumter , Nov. 22 “The Rock Hill game, we got handled, but we played Sumter pretty well,” Luster said. White Knoll scored its first victory of the season with a 65-26 win over Aiken Dec. 1, but a 79-34 loss to Blythewood came Dec. 2 and a 45-27 loss to Lower Richland came Dec. 5. The Timberwolves got victory No.2 with a 50-22 defeat of Aiken Dec. 10. “We’re a young team and we’re still making mistakes, but we’ve played some good competition that’s been a lesson for us,” Luster said. “The good thing about it is that we’re going to see how well we’ve improved when we play these teams the second time around.” Having played Aiken twice, the Timberwolves traveled to Lower Richland Dec. 12 and to Blythewood Dec. 13. White Knoll heads to Laurens Dec. 16 and plays Brookland - Cayce Dec. 19 before opening region play against River Bluff Jan. 9. While losing Hayes and Waters-Inman, White Knoll has a returning leader in senior point guard Sidney White . White has been benched with an ACL injury last year. “She’s one of our better players even though she hasn’t played a game yet,” Luster said. “She’s been practicing with the team and hopefully get cleared if she passes an exam tomorrow (Dec. 12).” Another of the team’s more experienced players is junior guard Jaliyah Daniel , who played on the varsity team her freshman and sophomore years. “She’s our leading scorer right now,” Luster said. “With the ball in her hand as a point guard, she’s stepped up to be a great leader.” With White and Daniel poised to lead the team this season, the rest of the team is competing for starting slots. “Not a lot of the girls have logged varsity time,” he said. “We had some girls play in some spots for a while, but I think we’ve got some girls who can start. Valentina Paniagua is a junior and she stepped up for us and we’re looking for some good things from her. She’s had some injuries but she had a good game last night (the second win over Aiken).” Freshman Center London Thompson is one of the better players in the class of 2029. “She’s come along really well and is a great rebounder,” Luster said. “She’s going to go quite a bit further with her skills development before she leaves us.” Junior guard Desiree Butler has been a part-time starter for the Timberwolves. Luster said she’s struggled a bit but added that he likes what he’s seen from her and will likely be a regular on the floor. “Other than that, we’ve got a lot of little pieces to fit,” Luster said. “We’ve got to figure out what they can do.” White Knoll looks to have as balanced a team as it can be on the court by the time region play opens in 2026. With Luster taking the job so late in the cycle, he said he wasn’t able to put the team through summer and fall camps. “November was the first time I got the team out on the court,” Luster said. “We go out on the court against teams who have had a whole summer and fall, and we’re still installing and learning stuff. We know we’re behind the 8-ballbut we’re playing hard.” Luster said the goal for the team is to be .500 going into region play. By then he thinks the team will be playing its best basketball, and would head into the second round of region play holding it’s own. “It doesn’t get any easier for us, but I like that we have a talented group of juniors and freshmen,” Luster said. “I think we can surprise teams. We have a bright future. We’re excited about the season.” The White Knoll boys are coming off a 13-14 season in which they reached the 5A Division 2 playoffs but lost to Myrtle Beach in the first round. The Timberwolves (5-3) got off to a 1-3 start but have won four straight, including wins over 5A Division 1 state runner-up Blythewood (68-66) Dec. 2 and Lower Richland (70-50) Dec. 5. White Knoll played at Lower Richland Friday and at Blythewood on Saturday, and plays Laurens, Brookland-Cayce, and North Augusta before heading into the Lexington Roundball Classic Dec. 26-28.

Fox Creek boys hope to continue success

By Dennis Brunson • December 18, 2025
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – The Fox Creek High School boys basketball team won four of its first six games and is in hopes of having another strong season The Predators have won 39 games over the past two seasons and reached the quarterfinals of the AAA state playoffs both years. FCHS was averaging 69 points a game with three players scoring in double figures. Senior Chanze Allen was leading the way at 14.0 followed by junior Justin Vining at 12.5 and junior Kobe Sims at 11.5 Junior Randy Robinson was the leading rebounder at 5.7 while scoring at a 6.8 clip. Senior Keori Atwell was averaging 6.7. Vining was the assists leader at 3.2. FOX CREEK GIRLS OPEN 4-5 The Fox Creek girls basketball team won four of its first nine games. However, points have been hard to come by for the Predators as they are averaging just 37 points a contest. Fox Creek returns its top three scorers from last season. Junior Jada Jennings , who averaged over 10 a game last season, is leading the way with 9.2 per game. Sophomore Mia Price , who led the team with a 10.6 average last year, is off to a slow start. She is only putting up 3.6 a game. The second leading scorer is senior Avery Schwarz at 8.3 per game. She is also the second leading rebounder at 5.6 The leading rebounder is junior Maya Kryshtalowych at 7.9. As she was last year, Kryshtalowych is the third leading scorer at 5.2. Jennings is averaging 4.2 rebounds. Fox Creek is looking to improve upon a 9-14 overall record and a 4-4 mark in region play. The Predators had to go on the road in the firt round of the playoffs and lost to Hanahan 45-38. 2 PREDATORS SELECTED FOOTBALL ALL-REGION Running back Bryson Crawford and offensive lineman/defensive lineman John Truesdell were the Fox Creek football players selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team. Crawford, who is a junior, had a tremendous season. He rushed for 1,391 yards and 21 touchdowns on 198 carries. He also caught three passes for 21 yards and a score. Truesdell, a senior, finished with 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, a team high six sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Predators who were honorable mention were junior athlete Mehki Quiller , senior outside linebacker Noah Gaines , senior offensive lineman Alec Beck , sophomore outside linebacker Kamal Grant , senior defensive back Riley Howell and junior defensive back Char’tavious Weaver .

Florence Christian’s Schwab wins defensive award

By Dennis Brunson • December 18, 2025
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Florence – Florence Christian School junior defensive lineman Hayden Schwab was selected as the SCISA Region 2-AAA Defensive Player of the Year. Schwaub, who was the only returning starter on the D line for the FCS football team, had team highs in tackles with 97, tackles for loss with 11 ½ and quarterback sacks with eight, returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown, caused two fumbles and recovered another. The Eagles finished the year with an 8-3 overall record and reached the semifinals of the state playoffs. Veteran head coach Neil Minton was pleased with the team’s performance. “We had a great season,” Minton said. “We played five games against teams who played for state titles (AAA state champion Pinewood Prep in the semifinals, AAA runner-up and region foe Wilson Hall , AAAA runner-up Heathwood Hall , AA runner-up Pee Dee Academy and Class A state champion Williamsburg Academy ). Our young people battled and competed with great determination and character. I am proud of our growth and will really miss our seniors.” The Eagles were 2-3 in the games against the five title contenders. They beat Heathwood Hall 14-13 and Pee Dee 21-0 while losing to Williamsburg 34-21, Wilson Hall 34-15 for the region title and Pinewood Prep 45-6. Florence Christian had five other players selected to the All-Region 2-AAA team. They were senior Brooks Poston , senior Pierce Boykin , senior Parker Watson and juniors Josh Davis and Andrew Miller . Poston, who started in the secondary on defense, finished with 40 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defended and two fumbles caused. As a wide receiver and running back on offense, Poston caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a score and had 84 carries for 502 yards and seven touchdowns. Boykin had five sacks, 72 tackles and 10 ½ TFLs as a defensive lineman. Davis and Miller both were starting running backs on offense as well as starters in the secondary. Defensively, Davis had 37 tackles, 5 ½ TFLs, one PD and caused three fumbles, while Miller had 37 tackles, five TFLs and three sacks. Miller was FCS’ leading rusher with 884 yards and 14 touchdowns on 143 carries. Davis had 82 carries for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Watson was the starting left offensive tackle and was a 2-year starter. The Eagles look to have eight starters back on defense and six on offense. One of the returners on offense will be sophomore quarterback Riley Minton , the coach’s son. In his second season as a starter, Minton completed 68 of 113 passes for 978 yards and four touchdowns while running for 163 yards and five scores on 45 carries.
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