By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – After the first-round of the AAAAA state playoffs went about as expected, round two may offer a few more eyebrow raising results. However, expect most of the favored teams to move on to round three. Upsets can and will happen but after 11 weeks of games, we all have a pretty good idea of who the best teams are this season. The only true upset of the first round was Blythewood’ s comeback win over Clover. In Division, defending state champion Dutch Fork had a bye in round one and should be poised for a repeat run. If we have learned anything over the last decade, it’s Tom Knotts doesn’t lose much after November 1. Dutch Fork will be favored in every playoff game but the most intriguing matchup would be if Dorman can reach the Upper State finals against the Silver Foxes. Remember though, Ridge View is a sleeper and already played Dutch Fork close earlier this season. On paper, the Lower State of Division I may be more wide open. The favorite has been Summerville b ut the Green Wave are far from a shoo-in. Summerville gets a shot at revenge when they visit Ashley Ridge in round two. Ashley Ridge dominated the Green Wave during the regular season meeting, 42-19. Plus, this is already a very big rivalry game. The 9-1 Sumter Gamecocks host the 10-1 James Island Trojans in round two. Sumter eliminated James Island from last year’s playoffs so the revenge factor is alive and well. Carolina F orest and Stratford are coming off byes and both are heavily favored in round two. A dark horse in the Lower State of Division I may be Stratford , with a 9-1 record. The Knights have a winning quarterback in Shrine Bowl selection Jachin Davis and also have a big-time running back in Maliq McGowan . Division II The Division II ranks are the deeper of the two divisions with more serious title contenders. Most of the top teams reside in the Upper state but the conversation starts with last year’s two finalists, Northwestern and Irmo . Both teams are as good as they were a year when Northwestern beat Irmo with a last second field goal. Both teams entered the season having to replace big-time quarterbacks and Northwestern’s Xavier Means and Irmo’s Devron Dobson have not missed a beat. Both offenses are explosive and high-scoring so some team will need a great night offensively to keep up. Greenwood and Gaffney , two storied programs, will clash in the second-round with a good team packing up after Friday night. Greenwood has been good all year but can Shrine Bowl quarterback Tristian Lewis , a South Carolina commit as a defensive back, do enough to advance. Speaking of Gaffney, the Indians went through some adversity early but seem to be hitting their stride after a quarterback change. The Indians clearly have the talent to win the Upper State. Two teams to keep an eye on are T.L. Hanna and Hillcrest but both would be dark horses. The Hillcrest at Indian Land game is one to watch in round two. The Lower State probably doesn’t have a team capable of beating Irmo. If there is team to watch it would be Berkeley. The Stags are very good defensively and run the football well . If the Stags can cut down on penalties, they could be around for a while. Lucy Beckham, Lugoff-Elgin and Myrtle Beach have solid teams but taking down Irmo is a tremendous challenge. Second-round Division I-AAAAA matchups Boiling Springs at Dutch Fork Rock Hill at Byrnes Spartanburg at Ridge View Blythewood at Dorman Fort Dorchester at Carolina Forest Summerville at Ashley Ridge James Island at Sumter River Bluff at Stratford Second-round AAAAA Division II Catawba Ridge at Northwestern Gaffney at Greenwood Hillcrest at Indian Land Greenville at T. L. Hanna Lugoff-Elgin at Irmo Lucy Beckham at White Knoll West Florence at Myrtle Beach Westwood at Berkeley

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - If there is such a thing as a dynasty in the early years of boys volleyball in South Carolina sports, Dorman has become one. With a 3-0 sweep of Carolina Forest Saturday at A.C. Flora High School , the Cavaliers won their fourth straight state championship, third straight state title sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League , and second straight 5A Division I crown. The win for Dorman (31-0) was also the 73 th straight victory of a streak dating to Sept. 16, 2023. Head coach Andrew Copeland said that while the match goes down in the books as a 3-0 win, he recognized a lot of fight and talent on the Panthers side of the court. “We knew that it was going to be a tough match,” Copeland said. “We knew that they were a scrappy team, so with their backs against the wall they were going to come out ready to play, ready to give us a little pushback, and so they got up on us but our guys they trust each other, they have a lot of grit, they have a lot of heart, they don’t want to lose this game, and so you saw that they responded later.” Both teams battled evenly until in the final stretch Dorman won the last four points and closed out the set 25-18. It was the second set where the Cavaliers main weapon, Lucas Helle , began to break the game open. Helle, a Long Beach State commit and opposite/outside hitter who also plays for the U19 national team peppered Carolina Forest with spikes and blocks. “He is one of the best players in the state if not the country. He’s a phenomenal athlete,” Copeland said. “He is a one in a generation athlete and it is a blessing to have him not only because of his leadership but for his play as well. What he gives to this team is unmatched.” Helle’s kills, along with Marcus McCullough - Bryant’s , pushed Dorman to a 25-17 win in the second set. The Panthers (27-6-1) did a better job defending Dorman’s front-row hitters, but the Cavaliers finished the match with a 25-20 win in the third set. Carolina Forest head coach Joe Goodwin , “Coach Goody” as he’s commonly known, is a former safety and football coach who later got into beach club volleyball in Myrtle Beach. He signed on to coach the Panthers in June, and since then he said it’s been a great ride. “I’ve known these kids for years. It was exciting for me coming towards the tail end of my career to get to do this with this group of kids,” Goodwin said. “This was the goal from the beginning, to get here and win of course, but you had to get here. They did awesome. They got us here and we were a No.3 seed, which was not something we were used to so we had to get on the road, but the boys battled hard, and we lost to a great team. They’re obviously a great team for the past four years and No.1 in the country. But we’re holding our heads high as we leave and I’m proud of these guys.” Dorman, ranked No.1 in the state and No.1 in the nation on MaxPreps graduates nine seniors. Most programs may consider the next year a rebuilding year, but Copeland, who openly remembered when he and his players “were literally celebrating getting three hits and getting it over the net” and comparing it to the present time, said he’s not worried about that. “We have some guys on our bench who if they were at another school would be starters,” he said. “With the depth that we have across the board at every position, that’s what keeps our team competitive and playing at a high level, they know we have people right behind them that can compete.” Both coaches are excited about the sports growth moving forward. “We actually got our boys coaches association approved this summer,” Copeland said. “And so helping to spotlight and highlight some of the different athletes, we have to show the different opportunities they have to go play at the next level. It means getting more exposure to get not only more guys to join but also to get more people to the games to support them.” Goodwin noted, “I moved to Myrtle Beach in my late 20s, and started playing beach volleyball, and it is just so much fun. I was a football coach at Myrtle Beach High School and ended my career as a volleyball coach. I never would have imagined it. But it’s just because of that reason that it’s going to grow. It’s just a matter of people, getting more kids out. Once they do it, they’re like this is great, this is awesome.”

Dorman Seniors, Nick Means getting the handoff from Meek Slydell in their victory over Gaffney.