Class AAAA has Depth with Quality Teams

Dennis Brunson • August 27, 2025

Gray Collegiate's Michael Boulware.


 

 By Dennis Brunson

           hssr.com Associate Editor

 

           Sumter – South Florence High School has established itself as the best football program in AAAA over the past few years. After all, the Bruins have won two of the past three state championships and missed making it three straight and consecutive 15-0 seasons by just three points.

 

           All that being said, the degree of separation between South Florence and the other top teams in the classification is small. Westside, which beat the Bruins 34-32 to claim the 2023 championship, just missed winning two straight championships by falling 42-41 to the Bruins last year.

 

           SFHS may be the defending state champion, but it isn’t the defending Region 5 champion. That honor belongs to Hartsville, which beat the Bruins convincingly during the regular season only to fall to them in the third round of the state playoffs.

 

           The team SFH beat in the lower state championship game was North Augusta, and that was only by a 27-20 count.

 

           Let’s take a look at each of the teams in the six regions and try to figure out who will be who when the playoffs come around.

 

           REGION 1

`          1. Westside 2. Wren 3. Emerald 4. Fountain Inn 5. Laurens 6. Southside

 

           WESTSIDE

 

           The Rams, who were ranked third in the High School Sports Report AAAA preseason poll, will be having to move forward without Cutter Woods as their quarterback for the first time in three years. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a Woods behind center. Cutter, who is now at South Carolina, is being succeeded by little brother Bear Cutter.

 

           Bear will still have key playmakers Zyon Paul and Kaylan Powell around him for distribution.

 

           WREN

 

           The Golden Hurricanes were ranked 10th in the preseason poll, but is having to replace the quarterback and running back from last year’s dynamic offense. They had a 3-way battle going on for the quarterback job while Jojo Mosley will be the lead ball carrier. 

 

           What Wren does have back, however, is four offensive linemen. Back on defense are cornerback Jacob Lewis, safety Nick Owens  and linebacker Adin Hickerson.

 

           FOUNTAIN INN

 

           The Fury went 6-5 in just their third season of existence, finishing fourth in the region. They return seven starters on defense, including linebackers Chase Lundy and EJ Lundy.

 

           On offense, 1,000-yard rusher Bojack Johnson returns at running back. Junior Sam Holliday is back at quarterback.

 

           EMERALD

 

           Emerald will be looking to take another big step forward after improving to 5-6 last season after going 1-10 in 2023.

 

           The Vikings have sophomore Beau Hite back at quarterback with Chris Dean coming out of the backfield and Camelle Hill and Colton Moreno lining up at wide receiver.

 

           Emerald returns its entire linebacker unit, led by Chris Foster, who finished with 156 tackles.

 

           LAURENS

 

           Laurens will be trying to take a big step forward this year after consecutive 9-loss seasons. The Raiders will have a freshman at quarterback in Logan Bragg. Leading rusher Neno Fernandez will be back.

 

           Laurens will be looking to shore up its defense after allowing an average of 42.0 points per game.

 

           SOUTHSIDE

 

           Ater going 0-10 last season, Southside will be in its first season under the leadership of William “AJ” Mills. `     

           The Tigers will be looking to make drastic improvements on both sides of the football ater allowing 45 points per game while scoring just 13 a game.

 

           Brayson Sullivan and Ashton Pearson are battling for the quarterback job.

 

 

           REGION II

1. Daniel 2. Seneca 3. Greer 4. Blue Ridge 5. Pickens 6. Berea 7. Travelers Rest

 

DANIEL

 

           The Lions are ranked sixth in the preseason poll, but will be moving forward without Jeff Fruster as the head coach. Fruster, who led Daniel to three AAA state titles, has been replaced by Chris Stone, who was the head coach at Walhalla.

 

           The Lions will return 10 starters from last season’s 11-2 squad. The quarterback will be sophomore Jace Grass, who played for Pendleton last season.

 

           SENECA

 

           Seneca is ranked 11th and returns 16 starters, eight on both sides of the football. The Bobcats have Gavin Thomas back for his third year as the starting quarterback to go along with 1,200-yard rusher Amari Verner.

 

           Noah Hamm is one of the leading returners on defense for Seneca, which went 8-3. He had seven interceptions.

 

           GREER

 

           Greer will be looking to get off to a faster starter than last year. The Yellow Jackets lost their first three games before rebounding to finish second in the region and reaching the second round of the playoffs.

 

           Greer is ranked 12th in the poll. It returns 10 starters but will be breaking in a new quarterback in sophomore Dawson Fowler. He will have wide receiver Tucker Hudson, AJ Jackson and Quantez Miller returning.

 

 BLUE RIDGE

 

           After winning just one game in 2023, Blue Ridge won four last season and reached the state playoffs. The Tigers hope to take another big step forward under 3-year starting quarterback Gavin Forrester.

 

           Blue Ridge returns seven starters on defense.

 

           PICKENS

 

           The Blue Flames won five games last season. However, they lost 20 seniors rom that squd.

 

           On the bright side, quarterback Brooks Dow returns for his second year as a starter.

 

           BEREA

 

           The Bulldogs will have to remember how to live life without 4-yeaer starter Amazay Robinson at quarterback. Either Johnny Mitchell or Jayden Scates will be the quarterback, and Berea will be operating out of the Wing-T after running the spread.

 

           TRAVELERS REST

 

           Travelers Rest went just 1-8 last season, losing starting quarterback Colby Epps in the third game. Epps returns this season.

 

           Xavier Hagerman returns at linebacker to lead the defense.



           REGION 3

1. South Pointe 2. A.C. Flora 3. Camden 4. Lancaster 5. Richland Northeast 6. Dreher 7. York

 

SOUTH POINTE

 

The Stallions are a preseason No. 2 pick and that comes despite the loss of 2,600-yard rusher Mason Pickett-Hicks. However, they do return senior quarterback Cameron McMillan, who tossed 31 TD passes against just four interceptions.

 

           South Pointe, which played for the upper state title, has South Carolina commitment J’Zavien Currence back in the secondary along with heavily recruited junior transfer Kaiden Watkins.

 

           A.C. FLORA

 

           Senior Roper Wentzky is back for his third year starting at quarterback for the Falcons, who were the preseason No. 8. He threw for 2,684 yards and 28 touchdowns.

 

           Flora also has Wentzky’s favorite target back in senior Kendall Byrd. He had 83 catches for 1,104 yards and 10 touchdowns.

 

           CAMDEN

 

           The ninth-ranked Bulldogs will have junior Greyson Rimpf, the son of head coach Brian Rimpf, back in his first full year as the starting quarterback. Tylin Drakeford will return at wide receiver after coming up with 56 catches for 938 yards and 11 TDs.

 

           Camden was 9-4 last season and reached the third round of the playoffs after starting 4-3. It returns 12 starters, including all of the offensive backfield and four seniors on the defensive line.

 

           LANCASTER

 

           The Bruins went 4-7 last year and were close to being much better. They lost 1-score contests to both A.C. Flora and Camden. Lancaster also reached the state playoffs.

 

           Lancaster will be trying to get the ball into the hands of Anthony Williams as much as possible. He splits time between quarterback and wide receiver.

 

           RICHLAND NORTHEAST

 

           For the first time in fou7r years, Richland Northeast will not have Will Wilson taking snaps at quarterback. He is now at North Carolina State.

 

           However, the cupboard isn’t bare for the Cavaliers. Senior Kamarion Willingham and sophomore Isaac  Austin were battling for the QB job, and whoever wins it will have plenty of receiving options along with most of the offensive line.

 

           DREHER

 

           The Blue Devils are coming off of a 3-7 season that came up just a few points short of a .500 record. Dreher will have Walker Rowe and Chris Baker both seeing time at quarterback. They were splitting time last year before Baker was lost for the year in the early going with an injury.

 

           Dreher has a massive offensive lineman to run behind in 6-foot-5-inch, 325-pound senior Chanston Evans.

 

YORK

 

           York went just 2-8 last season, missing out on the state playoffs. That’s something that doesn’t sit well with veteran head coach Dean Boyd.

 

           The Cougars return Tyson Freeman at quarterback.

 


           REGION 4

1. North Augusta 2. Gilbert 3. Gray Collegiate 4. Midland Valley 5. Brookland-Cayce 6. South Aiken 7. Airport 8. Aiken

 

NORTH AUGUSTA

 

           The Yellow Jackets were ranked fifth and had 1,800-yard rusher Michael Dow among many key returning players from last year’s 12-2 squad. Colin Tillman and AJ Hillary were vying for the quarterback job.

 

GILBERT

 

 Gilbert was ranked 14th. The Indians return just three starters on offense but have eight back on defense. That includes senior defensive backs Wynn Meetze, RJ Kearse and Demarion Brown and senior linebacker Gray Gunter.

 

           GRAY COLLEGIATE

 

           Gray Collegiate will be trying to rebound from a season that ended with it forfeiting all of its victories for the use of an ineligible student-athlete and the suspension of first year head coach DeAngelo Bryant for recruiting violations.

 

           The War Eagles will be led defensively by linebacker Michael Boulware.

 

           MIDLAND VALLEY

 

           The Mustangs had all of its wins from a year ago come in region play, which was good for third place. Brent Dorn returns for his first full season as head coach, having served in an interim capacity last year. Also back is junior quarterback Xavier Geter.

 

           BROOKLAND-CAYCE

 

           Former Camden offensive coordinator Louis Clyburn is now in charge of the Bearcats, inheriting a 4-7 team. He has Andrew Frick at quarterback. Running the offense will be former USC assistant coach GA Mangus.

 

           SOUTH AIKEN

 

           The Thoroughbreds are coming off of a solid 6-5 season, but they are having to replace a slew of outstanding seniors. That list includes 2,400-yard rusher Jevon Edwards and quarterback Tucker Bryan.

 

           Junior WR Kyson Mcleod is back after coming up with 42 catches for 580 yards and seven TDs.

 

           AIRPORT

 

 The Eagles will be in their first season under head coach Chris Napier after going 2-9 last season. Junior Talon Harlin is the quarterback.

 

           AIKEN

 

           The Fighting Green Hornets will be trying to win a game on the field this season for the first time since 2022. Last season’s triumph came via Gray Collegiate’s forfeit.

 

           Steve Hibbitts is in his first season as head coach and inherits a lot of returnees on both sides of the football. Tanner Padgett returns at quarterback.

 


           REGION 5

1. South Florence 2. Hartsville 3. Crestwood 4. Darlington 5. Lower Richland 6. Lakewood 7. Wilson

 

SOUTH FLORENCE

 

           The Bruins have gone 41-4 the past three seasons and are in position for another strong season. Messiah Jackson returns at quarterback ater passing for 2,080 yards and 30 TDs last season.

 

           Linebacker Terry Gordon returns after coming up with 87 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. Fredrick Cooper  is back to lead the secondary.

 

           HARTSVILLE

 

           Hartsville has six starters returning on offense and just our on defense from the region title team. Kylif Miller and Tristan Spann will be focal points on offense while Chris Price, Rod Cranford and Ziyon Mason will lead the way on defense.

 

           CRESTWOOD

 

           Crestwood went 5-6 last season after having to replace a load of experience. The Knights will be young again but talented with only 13 seniors on the roster.

 

           Sophomore Jayden Martin returns after moving around the offense last season between quarterback and wide receiver. Freshman Brayden Boults will make his debut and already has some Football Bowl Subdivision offers after summer amps.

 

           The defense is experienced and is led by defensive back Da’shan Scriven, who had five picks last season.

 

           DARLINGTON

 

           The Falcons return a combined 14 starters from last year’s 6-win team that reached the second round of the state playoffs. Nine of those starters are back on defense and are led by Oreion Small and Adarius Martin.

 

           Quarterback Jaylen Augustus is back on offense.

 

           LOWER RICHLAND

 

           The Diamond Hornets won five games last year and have a senior-laden team this year. They return all five starters on the offensive line in Chama Sabb, Jeremiah Goodwin, Adrain Davis, Tyler Robinson and Zayair James.

 

 The defense returns practically its entire unit led by co-leading tacklers Ophir Hill and Daniel Gee.

 

           LAKEWOOD

 

           Lakewood is in its third season under head coach Willie Offord. The Gators went 2-9 last season.

 

           Brian Brooks will bounce around the offense, including quarterback. Kaiden Brown will likely see a lot o time at quarterback. The offensive line is experienced with Calvin Wells, Keytrelle Griffin, Connor Lee and Charlton McLeod returning.

 

           WILSON

 

           Wilson went just 1-9 and is being led by former Sumter assistant Brian Wilson this season.

 

           Tristen Howard will be the quarterback while senior Myquan McWhite will be a key performer at running back. Senior defensive back Aiden Mack will lead the defense.

 

           REGION 6

1. Bishop England. 2. Bluffton 2. Hilton Head Island 3. May River 4. Beaufort 5. Colleton County

 

BISHOP ENGLAND

 

           The Battlin’ Bishops hope to build on last year’s surprising 9-3 season in its firt year under head coach Logan Hall.

 

 Quinn Mahoney returns at quarterback. He is committed to        Mahoney was a threat with his passing and running ability as he collected 2,950 yards in total offense and accounted for 30 touchdowns.

 

 The top returners on defense include linebacker Hunter Alex  and lineman Matthew Ponkow.

 

Alex was in on 113 tackles and recorded 11.5 tackles for a loss. Ponkow had a remarkable sophomore season last year with 98 tackles. He logged 23 tackles for a loss, including 11 sacks.

 

 BLUFFTON

 

 Bluffton was ranked seventh in the preseason poll after going 6-5 last season. North Carolina commit Carnell Warren is back at wide receive3r and will have quarterback Aedan McCarthy throwing to him.

 

 HILTON HEAD ISLAND

 

Hilton Head was ranked 13th after going 9-3 last season despite starting 10 sophomores. The Seahawks allowed just 14.5 points per game and were led by senior linebacker Will Jimenez.

 

           MAY RIVER

 

           May River was ranked 15th but has just four starters back on offense and three on defense from a 9-3 team. The Sharks return tailback Andrew Johnson and halfback Sean Mitchell on offense. The defense is led by senior end Zavier Polite.

 

 BEAUFORT

 

The Eagles had their first losing season since 2019, going just 2-9. However, they return a load of experience with 25 seniors.

 

           That being said, the offense is inexperienced. The defense is led by junior linebacker Colton Freeman, and senior linebacker James Thomas.

 

 COLLETON COUNTY

 

           Adam Kinloch returns for his third season as head coach of the Cougars. They will be looking for improvement after going 1-9 and not winning a region contest.

 

           Colleton County will be looking to get the football into the hands of wide receiver Keandre Allen as much as possible.

 

 

     

SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final

By Staff Reports • December 22, 2025
SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final Columbia, SC (12-19-25) -- The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) has finalized the classification placement of all schools beginning with the 2026-27 school year. This classification placement will be in effect for two years. The guidelines established by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee served as the blueprint for schools’ placements. Schools were assigned based on their enrollment count, to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier. Flexibility, as approved by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee, was also used with consideration given to geographics and travel. “Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said Dr. Jerome Singleton, Commissioner of the SCHSL. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.” The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 13-14, 2026, to hear appeals regarding the classification placements. The final reclassifications are attached.

Stratford’s Davis Leads South Carolina to 17-7 Win in 89th Shrine Bowl

By David Shelton • December 21, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Spartanburg – Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis threw a pair of touchdown passes and South Carolina defeated North Carolina, 17-7, in the 89 th Shrine Bowl all-star game in Spartanburg on December 20. Davis , named the offensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers, completed 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards in the game. He is headed to Liberty University as an early enrollee. “Great experience and great to get a win,” Davis said. “Playing with all of these great players was something I will never forget.” South Carolina dominated the game defensively, allowing only 136 total yards. The Tarheels completed just five of 19 passes. Stratford running back Maliq McGowan , a late addition to the roster, finished as the leading rusher for South Carolina with 42 yards on nine carries. West Ashley’s Bristol Biegenzahn played on the defensive front for the Sandlappers while Berkeley’s Zion Britt started on the offensive line. Cross safety, and South Carolina signee Caden Ramsey , Berkeley linebacker Gehad Sneed , and Timberland offensive lineman Desmond Green, who is headed to Florida, also played for the Sandlappers. “You win all-star games with defense and our defense was outstanding,” said SC head coach Paul Sutherland , who retired as the head coach at Liberty High after the season. “Glad to get the win for South Carolina. The kids were great. I am very blessed to have had this opportunity.” It took less than 10 seconds for the Sandlappers to score the game’s first touchdown as Davis combined with Dillon receiver Zay Robertson , heading to North Carolina , on an 80-yard bomb on the first play of the game for a quick 7-0 lead. Robertson finished the game with four catches for 131 yards. “He’s a great player,” said Davis of Robertson. “Getting that first touchdown was a tone setter.” South Carolina lost fumbles on their next two possessions, the second miscue leading to North Carolina’s game-tying touchdown after a 23-yard drive. Spartanburg’s Will Love , heading to Virginia Tech , kicked a 35-yard field goal late in the second quarter for a 10-7 halftime lead for the Sandlappers. South Carolina’s last play offensive snap in the game was Davis’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Jude Hall of Christ Church with :59 seconds left on the game clock. Chester linebacker Terry Rayford , who had 11 tackles, was the defensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers. Dorman's Kentavion Anderson and Ridge View's Jordan Best recorded interceptions The win gives South Carolina a 48-34 lead in the series. There have been seven ties.

SCHSL releases proposed reclassification for 2026-27, '27-28 school years

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • December 20, 2025
Proposal has AAAAA going from 54 schools to 40 and not being split into divisions

Hilton Head Christian Overcomes Adversity

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Bluffton – The 2025 football season was an unusual one for the Hilton Head Christian Academy football team. The Eagles, who had won three SCISA state titles in the five previous seasons, got off to a 2-5 start. On top of that, starting quarterback Reid McCollum left the school in the middle of the season. With the reshuffling, Hilton Head Christian lost its first game. However, the Eagles responded with four consecutive wins, including a 42-20 win over Trinity Collegiate in the first round of the AAA state playoffs. The season came to an end the next week with a 50-29 semifinal loss to Wilson Hall . Eagles head coach Ron Peduzzi is happy with the way his players rebounded to finish with a 6-6 record. “I was really proud of our guys, the way they rallied around the team and each other,” Peduzzi said. “They literally battled the second half of the year every play. “It was a very tough season. A lot of guys stood up and elevated their games. They had to stand up and become leaders also, so I was really happy with that.” HHCA had four players selected to the All-Region 1-AAA offensive first team in junior wide receivers Joey Houpt and Jackson Richardson , sophomore wide receiver Sam Strom and senior kick returner Tommy Gehm . Those on the first-team defense were sophomore defensive lineman Hayne Burden , junior linebacker Kres Langhals , sophomore linebacker Chase White and senior linebacker Finn Ussery . Houpt, who was named HHCA’s outstanding offensive contributor, was the leading pass catcher with 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns. Richardson had 45 catches for 645 yards and five scores, while Strum had 31 catches for 415 yards and five scores. Gehm returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 21.1 yards per return on 24 attempts. He returned six punts for 46 yards. Burden, who was named Hilton Head Christian’s outstanding defensive contributor, led the team in tackles with 105, tackles for loss with 13, quarterback sacks with four and quarterback hurries with 21. Langhals, who was the quarterback in the second half of the season, had 39 tackles, five TFLs, 2 ½ sacks, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries. White, who received HHCA’s Sledgehammer Award, had 82 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception. Ussery, who received the team’s Captains Award, had 87 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception.. Ussery and Gehm played in the SCISA North-South Seniors All-Star Game, while Houpt, Richardson, Strom, Burden and Langhals played in the Futures contest. Senior running back Hudson Baker , sophomore offensive linemen Caleb Altizer and Josh Koepke and sophomore cornerback Keyvon Aiken were selected second-team All-Region. Baker received the team’s Coaches Award and Burleson Award, and freshman Max Zwilsky earned the Lunchpail Award. Peduzzi believes good things await the Eagles in 2026. “We have a very large sophomore class that will be juniors next year, so I look forward for to next season,” he said. “We do need to elevate the number of players in our program playing, so that’s something we’ll be working on.”

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 .

Hartsville Boys Basketball Looks To Be Improved This Season

By David Shelton • December 18, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – Now in his third season, Hartsville High boys basketball coach Jason Earle feels his rebuilding project is starting to see positive results. The Red Foxes won four games in Earle’s first season and improved to six wins last season. The 2025-26 season saw Hartsville win their first three games, giving Earle a reason to be optimistic about the chances of improvement. “Most of these guys have been playing for me now for three years,” reports the coach. “We have continued to get better each year. The expectation that I have for this team is to play really hard and make the playoffs.” Most of the heavy lifting this season comes from seniors and juniors who have gained experience while taking their lumps. Junior guard Kayson Dawson and junior forward Derion Gattison are setting the early pace as scoring leaders. Dawson is averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game early on while Gattison is at 13.5 points and nearly five boards per game. Dawson averaged 11 points per game a season ago while Gattison scored 5.1 points per game. Senior Zaries Huggins is a starting guard, averaging 7.5 points early on. Senior Tristian Spann also starts as a wing and senior Dorian Mason starts at forward and contributes 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the early going. Earle says the leadership this season comes primarily from Dawson, Gattison and Mason. Sophomore CJ Hickmon is first off the bench and can play guard or forward. Remaining players include junior Kelly Price , junior Zi’yon Mason , junior Karmelo Pooler , junior Jamyari Scipio-Bishop , junior Justin Hines and junior Eli Lynch . Hartsville competes in region 6-AAAA, a highly competitive basketball league. Earle sees Crestwood and Wilson as two of the top teams and is hopeful his team can join in the mix for the region title. “The region should be a real battle every night,” the coach said. The girls team opened the season at 1-1 and also looks to contend for a playoff berth this season. The top returning player this season is junior guard Nay Gibson , who is averaging 17.4 points per game early on. Senior Sha’Niyah Richardson contributes offensively as well, along with junior Ariel Leatch , each better than six points per game.  The only other senior on the girls roster is Kamori Williams . Juniors are Aniyah Robinson, Zariyah Spann, Makayla Chapman, Brianna Watson and Chaniyah Thompson . Rounding out this year’s team are sophomores Zanaya Blakney and Trinity Thomas , and freshman Chassidy Johnson.
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