Continuity in coaching staff key to Wolves succes

Neill Kirkpatrick • August 5, 2024

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR


St. Stephens – The 2023/24 saw eight Timberland high school athletic teams make the playoffs and while no team won a region championship two teams did reach the finals of their tournaments.


The Wolves wrestling team reached the lower state final match in class AA dropping the close match 39-30 to Buford. The previous match saw coach Ryan Rhoades team dominate top seed North Central winning the match 51-18.


Alexis Rio led her softball team in the district 5 finals for the second year in a row. The Lady Wolves caught fire at the end of the year and road that momentum into the playoffs.


Athletic Director LeShonda Reed, who is entering her sixth year at Timberland, said “I have a great staff and they work hard for our athletes. The one thing about coaching as a head coach or assistant is the love of the game each person has, but more importantly they bring something positive to our athletes and program.”


Her vision is not only to keep the Wolves as one of the top-Class AA programs in the state but to find the right coaches for the school and community.


           Reed said, “The shared vision is that we have student/athletes who compete on the field, in the classroom and help within the community. While we may disagree at times as a staff, we still need to maintain that that commitment to our kids and my staff always puts them first.”


           The Wolves cross country teams started the year off right as the girl’s finished 11th and boys team finished in seventh place at the class AA state meet. The boys’ team is coached by Fritz Hodges and the girls’ team is coached by Tracy Hodges.


           Volleyball head coach Shandell (Suzi) McKinney finished fourth in region 7AA play. They upset the number one seed from region 6AA and area rival Woodland in the first round 3-0 to advance into the second round of the playoffs. She also coaches the girls track and field team which finished 19th.


           Head football coach Greg Wright led his team into the second round of the class AA playoffs. Coach Wright has a good group returning so his Wolves will be looking to have a longer stay in the playoffs.


           Eddie Lambert led the boys’ soccer into the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The girls’ team is coached by Jadin Sorce and while they did not make the playoffs they played their best soccer at the end of the year.


           Long time head boys’ basketball coach Jerome Stewart had a difficult start to the year but his team got better to finish third in region 7AA and grab a playoff spot.


           “Coach Stewart has been a valuable resource for all our coaches because he has been here for a while, and he understands the demands of coaching at Timberland,” coach Reed said.


  Allen Gether’s girls team also made the playoffs after suffering through some growing pains early in the year..


          Baseball head coach Steven Davis’s nine made it into the district 6 bracket.

           

           Golf is coached by John Potter and the boys’ track and field team is coached by Marcus Haynes and they finished 19th at the state meet.

     


By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 30, 2025
Indians play host to Pee Dee on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
By Larry Gamble April 30, 2025
Manning - Laurence Manning hosted Hilton Head Christian in the SCISA baseball playoffs. Enjoy this sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery.
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 30, 2025
Elimination games in AAAA, AAA on Wednesday; Lee, Andrew Jackson, Jefferson Davis win series
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 30, 2025
Jackson Richardson's 3-run double leads to 4-run ninth
By Staff Reports April 29, 2025
Powdersville senior pitcher Landon Fowler
By Staff Reports April 29, 2025
Barnwell senior pitcher Jaidyn Devore
By Billy Baker April 28, 2025
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Moncks Corner —With thanks to the web site “High School Football America’s Draft Tracker” the HSSR is very proud of the 8 young men who played high school football in the state of South Carolina who had their names called in the recent NFL draft, held in Green Bay Wisconsin. While we already knew the majority of these athletes drafted, based on watching the draft in real time, this wonderful “High School Football America’s Draft Tracker” allows us to verify which states had the most players drafted, and share our own feelings about how the state of South Carolina stacks up against the rest of the nation based on sheer population numbers among other factors. In the recent draft the top 10 states in players drafted from high schools in each state included: Texas (36), Florida (24), Georgia (22), California (15), Virginia (10), with Michigan , Alabama , and North Carolina next with 9 each, while South Carolina and Maryland closed out the nation’s top 10 states at 8 each. As someone who has followed the NFL draft closely for the past 40 years, this reporter was a bit surprised at some of the NFL numbers produced by states who use to average more drafted high school players, than they produced in the 2025 draft. For example, the state of Ohio, with a population of 11.88 million people had just seven home grown players drafted in 2025. Pennsylvania, with a population of 13.8 million people had just five former high school players drafted! The 8 players from South Carolina include three from the Gamecocks. They include former Irmo FS Nick Emmanwori , (pick 35 by Seatle), former Marion star DL T.J. Sanders (pick 41 by Buffalo), and former Conway stand-out Tonka Hemingway (pick 135 by Las Vegas). Former Hammond five-star rated DL Jordan Burch , who spent the past two seasons at Oregon, after starting his career with South Carolina was pick 78 by Arizona. Former Clover High WR and Virgina Tech player Jaylin Lane went to Washington with the 128 th pick. Louisville’s Quincey Riley, a CB who played at AC Flora was drafted by New Orleans with pick 131. Former Gaffney stud and Georgia DL Tyrion Ingram - Dawkins was chosen by Minnesota with pick 139. The 8 th and final player drafted from the state of South Carolina was former Rock Hill and current Alabama tight end Robbie Ouzts. Based on a per capita formula, factored mainly on population and number of high schools in each state fielding a varsity football team, the state of South Carolina must be considered one of the top states in the nation for producing NFL talent year-end and year-out. Let’s compare the bordering states of North and South Carolina to document real data. The state of North Carolina produced 9 NFL signees in the recent draft, one more than South Carolina. They have a population of 11 million people, with nearly 525 high school varsity football programs. (Both public and private schools) The state of South Carolina has a population of 5.4 million people with around 252 public and private varsity football programs in the Palmetto State. On this per capita formula one would have to give the edge to South Carolina is the actual production of NFL talent based on the criteria used. The aforementioned information is a key reason the HSSR continues to complain about the accuracy of national recruiting services, who put out lists, in advance of the upcoming May Evaluation football recruiting period. As of April, 27 th 247 Sports listed 15 2026 players from the state of North Carolina in their national Top 247 Player list while only listing three players from the state of South Carolina! If this does not confirm a bias towards the state of South Carolina we hardly know what would! The facts are the facts. Going back 40 years there has only been an average difference of around two players a year difference between the two states in prep players going on to be drafted in the NFL despite the fact the state of North Carolina has twice the population and twice the number of high schools playing football. If you currently have 15 players in their Top 247 from North Carolina, the state of South Carolina should have at least 12 players in the current 2026 class on their list based on real data over time! The three prep players listed from South Carolina include South Pointe FS J’Zavien Currence , committed to South Carolina and Dorman FS Kentavious Anderson , a hard lean-to Clemson, along with Dutch Fork DE Julian Walker who is uncommitted. Numerous players in South Carolina, with 10 or more major college offers did not make the national 247 list headed up by Timberland OL Desmond Green who will come into the May recruiting period with 21 major college offers. Finally, there are only 20 players from South Carolina currently listed on the 247 state-by-state list, despite the fact the Palmetto State had 40 players sign on with major college football programs in 2025! At the same time, 247 Sports lists 54 players on the North Carolina state-by-state list for May evaluation. Does this seem fair? Three months ago, the HSSR pointed out that six of the 80 players invited to participate in the Next Level Under Armour All-American game, for rising freshmen were from the state of South Carolina. This all-star game was played in Orlando, Florida and witnessed by numerous national scouting services, If the 2030 football class from South Carolina does not have five or six players on All National Top 300 list we should all throw up our hands and wonder who is behind a bias that is not properly promoting the talent level of high school football in South Carolina.
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 28, 2025
State championship series for each of the four classes set for May 12, 13, 15
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 26, 2025
Patriots will play host to Spartanburg Christian on Monday in AAA playoff opener
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor April 26, 2025
Both teams 9-1 heading into final region series of the year
More Posts