Underdog Clover upsets top-ranked Wando to win AAAAA Division I boys soccer state title

David Shelton Senior Writer • June 9, 2026

Blue Eagles' Evan Trubilio’s goal in second overtime leads to 1-0 triumph

Columbia – Not many outside of the Clover High School soccer community felt their Blue Eagles could upset the top-ranked team in the state, Wando, in the AAAAA Division I state championship game.

 

Games are not played on paper though and desire and intensity cannot be measured. Clover suffered through a 3-hour rain delay and went to overtime before Evan Trubilio’s goal in the second overtime proved to be the game winner, 1-0, at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 23.

 

The loss ended Wando’s winning streak at 23. The Warriors lost their opener and their finale. Wando played shirt-handed in the later stages of the game after red cards sent two players to the bench.

 

For Clover, head coach Todd Sykes felt all along that his 2026 team could be a contender but realized things had to go its way. His team was not intimidated by the powerhouse.

 

“They were super confident going into the finals,” said Sykes, who is in his second season as head coach but has 27 years of experience coaching in Clover’s club program. “We had not allowed a goal through the playoffs and we had nine clean sheets during the season. We knew we could hang with them, but we just couldn’t give up an early goal.

 

“We did great scouting to help us prepare for how they play. These boys have all played a high level through club for many years so they knew what it would take.”

 

Clover won 16 games last year and had decent experience returning. As the team learned to play as one, there were some losses along the way. However, Sykes saw his team gradually turn the corner.

 

“We knew we had the ability to play with anyone coming into this year,” he said. “We were young and we just needed the time to come into our own and play our style. The goal from the beginning of the season was to make it to the finals. We were very good but we needed a little time to gel. We played a very tough schedule so we took some losses. But we learned from each loss and things started to come together over the last 10 games (nine wins).”

 

Sykes credits the leadership of two senior captains, Tubilio and keeper Cohen Brinkley. Tubilio scored the game winner and Brinkley’s incredible save on a wide- open shot with 40 seconds to play preserved the win.

Varsity Football Players from around the state are invited to the Jeri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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High School Sports Report 40th Annual Prep Football Media Day set for Wednesday, July 22, at USC's indoor practice facility

By Staff reports • July 15, 2026
Players from around the state are invited to the Jeri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saluda Football Uses Spring To Build Depth

By Dennis Brunson • July 3, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Saluda – The Saluda High School football team will have a good amount of experience returning for the 2026 season. The Tigers have six starters back on offense and eight on defense from a team that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the AA state playoffs. However, they didn’t get a lot of work in during spring practice because many of them were on the school’s baseball and track and field teams that made deep runs in the postseason. Saluda head coach Greg Woerner found a silver lining in that though. “We were only able to get eight days of spring practice in and made the most o it and got better learning the offense and defense and developing some depth with the younger guys,” said Woerner, who will be in his second season as head coach. “A lot of our returning starters were making playoff runs in baseball and track, so we got a good luck at our depth.” Saluda returns four players who were selected to the All-Region 2-AA team last year. They are rising junior placekicker Ericson Vasquez , senior running back Tristan Daniels, senior tight end Jahmeer Myers and junior defensive back Ceddion Springs . Vasquez was named the Region 2 Special Teams Player of the year. Woerner is hoping the Tigers can be productive in the month of July leading into the start of fall practice. “For the remainder of the summer we’re really just looking forward to continuing to get stronger but also focusing in more on football,” Woerner said. “We had a good June competing in 7-on-7s (competitions) and getting better at our passing game and pass defense. July will focus more on getting better at the whole game.” The Tigers completed their 7-on-7 competition in June. Their first scrimmage will be on August 6 at Woodland before coming home to scrimmage Gilbert on August 10. Saluda is scheduled to open its season on August 21 at home against Abbeville . The Tigers will be part of a new region in Region 4-AA. The region will include two old Region 2 foes in defending state champion Strom Thurmond and Pelion to go with American Leadership Academy , Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Silver Bluff . MILLER MARTIN SELECTED TO AA ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM Sophomore pitcher Miller Martin , a key figure for Saluda’s AA state championship softball team, was selected to the AA All-State softball team announced by the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports . Martin had a 15-3 win-loss record and struck out 248 batters in 139 2/3 innings while posting a 0.70 earned run average. At the plate, Martin had a .308 batting average with five home runs and 32 runs batted in. Martin was also named the Region 2 Co-Player of the Year. Martin was joined on the All-Region team by Amy Sorcia , Zoey Springs and Nyla Jordan . Tigers head coach Hannah Towery said the program’s first ever state title sets a precedent for the future. “Future players will walk on to that field knowing a championship can be achieved because this team proved it,” said Towery, who guided Saluda to a 29-3 record. “The banner will hang, the trophy will be displayed, and the record books will always show who did it first. “History remembers champions, but it especially remembers those who paved the way. This team just didn’t win a state championship – they built a legacy.”

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W W King Holds Spring Athletic Banquet

By Gerald Doolittle • July 1, 2026
By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer, HSSR Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. -W.W. King Academy held its Spring/Winter Athletic Banquet in mid-May to honor their 2025-26 athletic efforts. All the Knight teams were very competitive in their SCISA Class A region where they competed against Wardlaw Academy, Newberry Academy, Cambridge Academy, Richard Winn Academy and Anderson Christian . The Varsity Baseball team won the SCISA Class A Title . The Varsity Softball team was very competitive in the playoffs. Coach Jessica Anderson presented the Varsity Girls Basketball Awards . Blythe Buzhardt won the All-Around Excellence Award. Kenzie Morse won the Defensive Player-of-the-Year Award. Coach Dennis Gibson presented the Varsity Boys Basketball Awards. Spencer McCormick received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Brady Goff received the Sharp-Shooter Award. Coach Allen Guy presented the Varsity Softball Awards. Blythe Buzhardt received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Abby Aull received the Leadership Award and Kenzie Morse received the Iron Athletic Award. Coach Zach Matthews presented five awards to his Varsity Baseball State Champion players. Elijah Hutto received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Luke Harvey received the Defensive Player of The Year Award. Wyatt Burbank, Zed Watkins and Smith Kirby shared the Team Leadership Award. Athletic Director Kathy Gibson assisted in presenting the Senior Awards. Smith Kirby and Abby Aull received the Senior Student Athlete of the Year Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie Morse received the Athlete of the Year Award. Spencer McCormick and Abby Aull received the Christian Leadership Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie received the Varsity Year-Round Athletes Award.
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