Carolina Academy Wraps Up Fall; Looks To Basketball Season
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Lake City – A fall sports season highlighted by a state championship, has ended at Carolina Academy and the focus now turns to the basketball season.
The girls tennis team was the state champion on campus this fall as the Bobcats won their second consecutive title, Carolina Academy won the SCISA Class AA state championship, defeating Lowcountry Prep, 6-0, to claim the top prize. The Bobcats also defeated Lowcountry Prep in the finals of the 2024 state tournament.
Carolina Academy finished the season with a 12-4 record.
The Bobcats were led by three seniors at the top of the singles lineup. Carlie Anne Smith was the No. 1 singles player for the second straight season.
Blythe Smith played the No. 2 singles position and Savannah McCutcheon played No. 3 singles.
Freshman Kaylie Lyerly played in the fourth spot and freshman Madelyn Matthews played No. 5. Freshman Scarlett Evans played No. 6 singles with Kiki Hanna and freshman Mary Kearsten Hanna also getting some time.
Eighth-grader Harper Drew Richardson and seventh-grader Ava Johnson also competed in various roles.
The junior varsity tennis team completed its season with a 6-5 overall record. Anne Scott Johnson played No. 1 singles and Maecy Gamble played No. 2.
Peyton Prosser played three singles while Carly Watts was at number four. Emily Lyerly played five singles and Molly McElveen plays six singles.
Gamble and Johnson combined for No. 1 doubles and Prosser and Watts played two doubles. Lyerly and McElveen were the number three doubles.
Meanwhile, the volleyball team participated in the SCISA state tournament but came up short in their bid for a state title. The Bobcats finished the season with nine wins.
Seniors leading the way this season included Abby McCutcheon, Alana Altman. Raeley Frye and Jennifer Vargas. The rest of the roster is of junior varsity age but that youth is showing a lot of growth.
Sophomores included Lauren Sims, Emma Amos, Lindsey Ward, Abby Walker and Ella Ham. Rounding out the roster were freshmen Paisley McCutcheon and Natalie Braveboy; and eighth-grader Ella Grace Johnson.
The team was coached by Ashley McClam-Todd in her second season as head coach.
The football team closed its regular season with wins over Thomas Heyward (30-27) and Lee Academy (34-23), which evened their 2025 regular season record at 5-5. That was good enough to earn a spot in the state playoffs where they faced a rematch with Thomas Heyward in the first-round game on Nov. 7. The two wins at the end snapped a four-game losing streak and sent the Bobcats into the postseason with a lot of confidence. However, Thomas Heyward got some revenge with a playoff victory.
The other losses this season were to Dorchester Academy, Beaufort Academy, Williamsburg Academy, Calhoun Academy and Pee Dee Academy.
Walker McCutcheon had a solid season at quarterback this fall. Handling the running back duties were Luke Cook, Chandler Prosser and Carson Hanna. Receivers include Cole Tanner, Tanner Floyd and Ryker Rhodes.
Working along the offensive line were tackles Ryan Cox and Dawson Daniel, guards John Cumbee and Charlie Teal, and Kyle Cox shared center duties with Luis Vargas.
Working on the defensive line were Cox, Teal and AJ McDougal, Linebackers include Dawson Daniel, John Cumbee, Hanna, and Prosser.
Henry Campbell started in the secondary, along with Tanner Floyd, Rhodes and Cole Tanner.
