Bamberg-Ehrhardt defeats Barnwell in Ladies tennis action

McClam Ready For New Role At Carolina Academy

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:46:44 GMT

From reluctant coach when a JV teamed one, to dedicated coach helping student athletes grow is Tyler McClam's way of giving back to the community.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Lake City – The football program at Carolina Academy has been a rotating door when it comes to head coaches in recent years, but the newest hire for the job is hoping to bring stability to the proud program.

Tyler McClam is taking over as the athletic director and head football coach this fall, moving up from his role as an assistant. McClam also coached the baseball team last spring and has been coaching in various roles at the school for the last several years.

“I’ve been here in the program so I feel like that will help in terms of knowing the kids and the kids being comfortable with me,” McClam said. “We’ve had a lot of change in recent years but I wat these kids t know I have their back. They deserve some consistency and I hope to be able to provide that for them. So far, it’s been a good transition. We’re working hard this summer and moving forward.”

McClam grew up in Lake City, graduating from Lake City High in 2010. He was a football and baseball player in high school and played college football at Campbell University .

After college, McClam returned to Lake City and got involved as a claim adjuster for an insurance company.

“I never really wanted to be a coach but I loved sports,” he said. “My daughter was involved in basketball here and one year they needed a coach for the jayvee team so I took it. I got hooked. Being around the kids and helping them grow is very satisfying. It’s my way of giving back to this community.”

Taking on the role of football coach is enough to keep him busy but McCLam also is adjusting to his role as athletic director.

“It has been an adjustment but we are getting through it,” he said. “We have great people here. People always willing to help and answer questions. I just have to be organized and be available when needed.”

As for the football program, McClam has a clear idea of what the expectations are and he will work to get everyone on the same page.

“As far as schemes, we will be a lot like we were under coach Rankin,” he said. “We want to be physical and play with great effort. We want to play with more fire and energy, fly around and play like we want to be there.

“I am very fortunate to have this opportunity. I haven’t always wanted to be a coach but I am 100 percent committed to making an impact for these kids. I’m nervous but excited to get started. I can’t wait to be doing real football things to prepare for the season.”

Athletic Director Cody Slaughter Returns to the Low Country at Beaufort HS

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:27:31 GMT

Cody Slaughter returns to the lowcountry at Beaufort and is getting to know all of his coaches and learning how this district functions.

By Jeff Moeller

Special to the HSSR

Beaufort - Athletic Director Cody Slaughter is literally getting acclimated to his new role with the Eagles’ program.

Slaughter had a previous three-year stop at Bluffton, and a six-year stay at South Florence in the same capacity.

He’s confident he can be settled before the fall season begins. Slaughter replaced Bradley Adams , who stepped down to take the head football coach position at Colleton County.

“I’ve been here a week, so I’m still figuring this out,” stated Slaughter. “Right now just getting to know all of our coaches and learning how the district functions.

“We have great coaches on staff, and I am looking forward to working with them.”

Head football coach Bryce Lybrand is back for his ninth season in charge of the program. The Eagles finished last season with an overall 3-8 record.

Chris Warbington will be the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, and Rob Gorrell will run the defense.

Besides Lybrand, other coaches back in their respective sports are Jeff Abrams, golf; Rocco Russo , boys’ and girls’ tennis; Julie Pike Jones, boys’ and girls’ swimming; Hillary Savarese , cheerleading; - Jeremy Huff , boys’ basketball; Reggie Hones , girls’ basketball; Adam Mullen , baseball; Scott Rast , softball; Jonathan Caratella , boys’ soccer; Jessica Porter , girls’ soccer; Joe Garry , boys’ lacrosse; Megan Whitney , girls’ lacrosse; Reggie Jones , boys’ track; and Herb Glaze , girls’ track.

New head coaches joining the staff are Marlena Pegula , girls’ volleyball; and Brooks Maxwell , boys’ and girls’ cross country. Slaughter is looking to hire a wrestling coach.

Once he gets settled, Slaughter’s goals for the overall program will become quite clear both on and off the courts and fields.

“Our goal is to win championships,” stressed Slaughter . “Our purpose is to develop young people who act with integrity, respect others, and lead with passion inside our building and on their respective teams.”

Bamberg-Ehrhardt Athletics Keep It In The Family

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:05:18 GMT

For 2025/26 athletic season, Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders started the year with a state championship and finished the year with the girls track and field team winning their second consecutive class A state championship.

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Bamberg – The 2025/26 athletic season saw the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders start the year with a state championship and finished the year with the girls track and field team winning their second consecutive class A state championship and in between those championships they enjoyed a lot of success with their other athletic programs.

When talking with head football coach Corey Crosby and head track and field coach Travis Wilson they both say the same thing, “We don’t have boy athletes or girl athletes, we have athletes.”

At the state class A track and field meet coach Wilson said, “I coach the same way regardless of the sport. I’m also the defensive coordinator and I expect the same effort from both teams. I told our girls last year to win a state championship we need dogs and they understood what I was talking about. The girls dug deep and would not settle for second place. ”

The coaches also talk about how important it is to have a staff that is from the area and has roots in the community.

“Our coaches are from here so they have been in the trenches and they understand the hard work that has been put in before now. It means a lot because they coach not just for job or paycheck but for the town and the people around,” said coach Crosby

Athletic Director Robert Williams said, “The one thing about being a small community like ours is athletics is serious business within the community. Our coaches take it seriously, they are dedicated, and they take pride in what they are coaching and the effect they have on our student/athletes.”

Coach Willaims softball had another strong season hosting the district 8 tournament. They fell in the final game.

On the diamond the Red Raiders were back in a familiar spot as head Coach Gene Schwarting had his team hosting the district 8 tournament as the number one seed. They won their first two games and were in the drivers seat before they fell in the finals.

Coach Wilson’s girls team won their second straight state championship and with most of his team back they will be looking for a three-peat next season. The boys team finished in the top ten.

“I could not be prouder of the girls. I told them that we could repeat but we had to recommit to the process that got them here. They worked harder and the results were another state championship,” said coach Wilson.

Mary Templeton ’s boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams had good years with the girls placing fourth at the state cross-country meet while the boy’s finished in 16 ^th place.

In basketball, the boy’s and girl’s teams both advanced into the class A playoffs. Willie Carter led the boys’ team to a region championship with a 16-4/9-1 record while Marcus Cann led the girls’ team to 13-5/7-2 record.

Faron Mixon led the volleyball team to another playoff berth and they advanced into the second round while Terrell Haynes’s wrestling team finished their season in the third round where they fell to lower state champion Edisto.

Jan McCormack and Bryce Compton coached the girls tennis team and boys soccer team, respectively. Both squads reached the second round of the class A playoffs.

Andrew Jackson Academy Football Returns To 8-Man For 2026 Season

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:43:01 GMT

For the 2026-27 season, the Warriors football team is moving back to 8-man football after playing at the Class A level the past two seasons.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Ehrhardt — Andy Palmer will begin his second season as the head football coach, head softball coach, and athletic director at Andrew Jackson Academy, so the veteran coach wears many hats in his day-to-day activities in the Warriors program.

One major change for the 2026-27 season is the fact that the Warriors football team is moving back to 8-man football after playing at the Class A level the past two seasons.

“Our move back to 8-man should be an advantage for us,” said Coach Palmer over the summer. “We go from being one of the smallest SCISA 1-A schools playing football to one of the largest in 8-man based on enrollment.”

Coach Palmer tells the HSSR that the Warriors football team will scrimmage Orangeburg Christian in early August. The Warriors start the season against Jefferson Davis on August 21 .

The summer roster provided to the HSSR showed six returning starters on offense and 9 returning starters on defense.

On offense, senior Ollie Barnes returns at RB/WR along with senior OL Eli Mathys . Senior Jason Tucker returns to the TE position while senior Brad Hightower returns as an RB. Junior Everett Ulmer is back at FB and junior London Johnson returns to provide depth as a WR.

The defense will return to 8 starters from last season. Barnes will flip to start at DB on defense, while Mathis will be a starter in the DL. Johnson will flip to start at LB, along with Ulmer, who will start at LB also. Other defensive starters returning include senior DB Jaxon Tucker , senior RB Brad Hightower , soph DL Noah Riddle , and junior LB Brison Riddle.

Top newcomers include: soph OL/DL Evan Mathys , along with freshman QB/DB Will Barnes , freshman QB/LB Braedon Wilcox, soph WR Cody Guider, freshman OL / DL Robert Stevenson, and freshman OL/DL Bryce Drawdy.

Other members of the AJA football team include senior OL/DL Nathan King and sophomore OL/DL Mitch Ott .

AJA has an excellent football program. Randy Rentz, Bill Johnson, and Robbie Williams work with the junior varsity program. Rentz heads up the 10U football team while Todd Folk coaches the 8U team.

At the school awards banquet in May, Tanner Chassereau and Walker Terry tied for the “Ben Fender Award,” given annually to a Male Student Athlete at AJA who plays at least two varsity sports, with academics and community service weighing heavily into the winners. “The Allison Carter Award,” based on similar criteria, is awarded to a female athlete every year and CJ Ulmer earned that award.

The Dean of Coaches at AJA, in terms of longevity at the school, is head boys’ basketball coach Josh Barnes who will begin his 16 ^th season with the program this school year.

“We had a very active summer with the team,” said Coach Barnes recently. “We participated in the SCISA Live team event at Heathwood Hall in June. We also played in the Denmark-Olar play date where we beat Bridges Prep, but we lost to Midland Valley.

“For the first time ever, we hosted a play date at our place on June 17 ^th ,” said Coach Barnes. “We lost to Cathedral but beat Denmark - Olar and Hilton Head Prep and these games gave us some valuable experience.”

Three key players will return to the AJA boys’ basketball team this season. They include rising senior combo guard Ollie Barnes, rising senior power forward Elijah Davis , and rising freshman point guard Will Barnes .

Ollie Barnes averaged 24.3 points and six rebounds a game as a junior when he went over 1,000 points early in the 2025-26 season. He could become the all-time leading scorer in school history as a senior with a good senior season performance.

AJA will field six varsity sports in the 2026-27 school year including varsity cheerleading. Stephanie Brandt will once again be the varsity cheer coach. The HSSR extends sincere condolences to the Brandt family for the loss of a wonderful husband and proud father Shaun Brandt in early June. Mr. Brandt was a huge supporter of AJA, and he was a star athlete at the school in the 1990’s when he helped lead the football team to a state title.

Danielle Tuten will assist Brandt with the varsity cheer team. Catherine Bessinger and Ashlyn Peters will work with the “B” team cheerleaders. Brandy Smith will coach the mini-cheer team while Brittany Risher works with the Tiny Cheer team.

Zach Bolt returns as the volleyball head coach. Carmen Mixson does an excellent job as the Junior varsity, B team, and C team volleyball coach. Coach Bolt is also the head girls’ basketball coach. Randy Rentz and Jeremy Bessinger work with the lower-level girl’s basketball teams.

The junior varsity boys’ basketball coach is Leonard Carter while Jamee Barnes returns to coach the “B” team. Randy Rentz is the “C” team boy’s coach.

Head baseball coach Jason Mathys earned the Region Coach of the year in the SCISA 2-A region after his team had another winning season that included a region title. Coach Mathys will be returning as head baseball coach at AJA this season. Austin Risher coaches the jayvee baseball team.

Coach Palmer had a very successful season as the head softball coach this past season. He is assisted on the varsity and jayvee by Monica Beard. Bill Johnson, Jeremy Beard, Carmen Mixson , and Denise Duncan help coach the jayvee softball team.

Robbie Williams coaches the Sporting Clays team. Coach Palmer is the speed and strength coach at AJA also.

The Head of School at AJA is Gill Hackney . The Asst. Head of School and Guidance Director is Susan Kinsey . The Booster Club President is Jana Chassereau .

DeAngelo Adams takes over successful Mullins boys baksetball program

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:50:40 GMT

Eric Troy decides to step down after eight seasons and a 127-52 record

Mullins – Mullins High School will have a new head coach in place for its most high-profile sport in the 2026-27 school year.

DeAngelo Adams is the new boys basketball head coach. He is taking over for Eric Troy , who decided to step down after eight seasons in the position. Troy will remain at the school as a teacher.

Troy posted a 127-52 record with the Auctioneers, leading them to the AA lower state championship game on two occasions. One of those came in the just completed season when Mullins went 22-8 overall and won the Region 7 title with an 11-1 record.

Adams comes to Mullins from Williams Middle School in Florence . He was the boys head coach for three years, posting a 40-7 record. He was also head varsity assistant coach for Wilson High .

“I decided Mullin was the right fit for me because it has a strong tradition of excellence, hard work and winning,” said Adams, who played high school ball at West Florence and collegiately at Morris College . “As someone who has played basketball, I know success comes from discipline, teamwork and consistently giving your best effort, qualities that I see reflected in Mullins’ culture.

“I want to be part of a community that sets high standards, values, dedication and is committed to being the best. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to that culture while continuing to grow, both personally and professionally.”

Adams obviously isn’t walking into a situation where a major rebuild is needed. Instead, he is inheriting a program that was one of the four best in AA last season. Adams isn’t in awe of the circumstance.

“There’s definitely some pressure, but not much,” he said. “I see it as a positive. When you join a successful program like Mullins, expectations are high because of the standard that’s already been set. As a basketball player I’ve learned to embrace that kind of pressure. It pushes you to work harder, stay disciplined and bring your best every day.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to that winning culture and do whatever I can to help the program continue its success.”

Lamonte Curry is back for his second season as the athletic director. Marc Lowery will return for his fourth season as the football head coach. The Auctioneers went 3-6 last season.

Mullins will have five returning assistant coaches. Donald Brown will coach wide receivers, Tony Nelson defensive backs, Jeremy Oxendine linebackers and running backs and Mike Davis the defensive line. Johnathan Williams will be back to assist newcomer Matthew Caulder on the offensive line. The other new assistant is RJ Richardson , who will help with defensive backs and wide receivers.

Edward Bears is the only other new coach besides Adams. He will head boys soccer.

The other returning head coaches are Alex White in girls basketball, Cierra Reaves in softball, Johnathan Elliott in baseball. Kireem Liles in volleyball, Taurus Gilchrist in girls track and field and Amara Sturkey in both boys track and cheer.

Aundres Perkins hired as new Marion football head coach

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 22:46:24 GMT

Former Wilson head coach Darryl Page will serve as Swamp Foxes offensive coordinator

Marion – Aundres Perkins knows that the Marion High School football team has gone 1-19 over the last two seasons, including a 0-10 record last year, and is in the throes of an 18-game losing streak.

However, being a native of the Pee Dee and having coached in the area his entire career, Perkins also knows Marion is loaded with plenty of athletes. That, more than anything, is why Perkins decided he wanted the job of Swamp Foxes head coach.

“Marion has been in a lot of growing pains of late,” said Perkins, who was hired in May. “I’m a hard worker, and I believe these young men are hungry. Marion has always had athletes. I’m glad I was lucky enough to get it.”

And it’s not as if Marion has been in an extended state of despair. In the five seasons prior to the 1-9 campaign in 2024, the Swamp Foxes won 41 games and played for the AA state championship in 2020.

Perkins believes the opportunity for a quick turnaround is still there.

“Marion is still Marion; they still have athletes,” Perkins said. “We’re not going to dwell on what happened in the past. We’re just going to get out there and change the culture to where the kids believe in themselves and just get a win.”

Perkins comes to Marion after having served as an assistant coach at Hartsville . Prior to that, he was an assistant at West Florence , his alma mater where he played running back before going on to play collegiately at Coastal Carolina .

Perkins has been a head coach one other time, at Hannah-Pamplico in 2015 and 2016. He posted a 10-13 record during his 2-year stint.

Perkins has his coaching staff in place with Darryl Page as his offensive coordinator. Page led Wilson High to a state title as a head coach.

Darnell Williams and Aykelle Cross , teammates of Perkins at Coastal, are on the staff. Williams will coach the wide receivers and Cross the defensive line. Demetrius Johnson , a holdover from the previous staff, will coach running backs, Denton Graves the offensive line, and Randy Dennison , another returnee, the defensive backs.

“The coaching unit is great,” Perkins said. “We get along well, we challenge each other, we’re all hungry, and I think we’re all on the same page. These men have been around the game on the collegiate level, and they understand what it takes to be great.”

Perkins will coach the linebackers and call the defense. However, Perkins doesn’t see himself as a defensive aficionado or offensive one for that matter.

“I’m a football guy,” Perkins said. “I don’t emphasize one side over the other. I’m a student of the game. I’m always learning, trying to come up with new ideas.”

Perkins is happy with the progress the program has made over the summer.

“It’s going well,” he said “We’re laying things out, setting expectations for the kids. We’re trying to establish culture and getting back to having fun. It’s a kid’s game after all.”

“It’s been good, been positive. We’re giving them the power to the program, ownership, accountability. They’re buying in little by little.”

The Swamp Foxes, who have had 35 varsity players regularly attending summer workouts, open their season on Thursday, August 20, when they play host to Kingstree .

Will Lampkin joins Kingstree football staff as offensive coordinator

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 22:07:19 GMT

Brandon Cantrell returns for second season as Blazers football head coach

Kingstree – Brandon Cantrell got his start as a high school football coach thanks to Will Lampkin . Cantrell’s first job was as an assistant on Lampkin’s Kingstree High School staff back in the mid 2000s.

Fast forward a couple of decades and Cantrell is preparing for his second year as head coach at Kingstree, his first head coaching gig. This year Lampkin will be part of Cantrell’s staff.

Lampkin will be the Blazers’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach as Kingstree will try to improve upon its 4-7 record from a year ago.

“Adding Will Lampkin to the staff will be good for us offensively,” Cantrell said. “He will be in charge of the offense, but I’ll be putting my thoughts on things in as well.

“We have James Price back as our defensive coordinator. We’re going to make some chages in what we do defensively. I know he’ll do a great job. I know I can trust both of them.”

All of the other assistants are returning coaches. Diallo Cooper will coach the running backs, Antawn Brunson will be in charge of the wide receivers, and Richard Montgomery will coach the line.

Price will have Brunson coaching defensive backs, Cooper in charge of outside linebackers, Jason Myers is in charge of the middle linebackers and Sharvis Graham will coach up the line.

Price, who is also Kingstree’s athletic director, likes the football coaching staff that has been assembled.

“I am excited for th 2026-27 football season to begin,” Price said. “We now have a full staff at every posi8tion with plenty of knowledge and experience to share with our Blazer football team.

“They are a committed and hard-working staff that are here not only to build strong football players, but most importantly, they are here to build young men into productive students and citizens.”

Kingstree had several 7-on-7 scrimmages over the summer as well as aan 11-on-11 practice with Georgetown , It will take part in a scrimmage at Manning that also includes Georgetown and Timberland . The Blazers will be playing host to the Lake City Jamboree on August 14 as work on the Lake City High field will not be completed in enough time.

Kingstree will open its season on Thursday, August 20, when it travels to Marion.

As far as the staff of head coaches, there will only be one change. Samantha Segres will be the volleyball head coach.

Price will once again be the girls head coach. The Blazers went 19-5 this past season, finishing second in Region 7-AA and reaching the second round of the state playoffs.

Shawnte’ Evans returns for his third year in charge of boys basketball. Kingstree went 5-19 last season.

Ameisha Owens , who coached volleyball last season, will once again coach softball. Leonard Montgomery will be the baseball coach again.

Myers will be the boys track and field head coach, while Christi English will coach the girls team.

“I am excited for the 2026-27 sports season at Kingstree High,” Price said. “The athletic program is trending in the right direction with a full commitment to improving in all of the sports that we offer. The coaches are working extremely hard to prepare the kids, and I am pleased with what I have seen all summer.”

Marcus Dilligard new athletic director, boys basketball head coach for Hilton Head Christian

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:30:12 GMT

Ron Peduzzi returns as football head coach with veteran staff

Bluffton – Marcus Dilligard is the new athletic director and boys basketball head coach for Hilton Head Christian Academy .

Dilligard takes over as AD from JW Wilkerson and in basketball from Bryan Brown .

Dilligard most recently served as athletic director and boys head coach at Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee , where he led an athletic department that included 17 programs, more than 60 teams and 85 staff members.

Dilligard heard about the job openings through HHCA baseball head coach Jay Scarbro . The two worked together at Grace Christian.

“The opening came up and Jay reached out to me to see if I would be interested,” Dilligard said. “I talked to their people and it worked out.

“lt’s a great place. The people are genuine, they love God, and they work hard. I believe some special things are getting ready to happen beyond what has already taken place here.”

Dilligard inherits a team that went 6-18 last season. He wants to use the basketball program to help build the lives of the student-athletes.

“I want them to play hard, to play hard, to compete and win,” he said. “I want to use the game as a tool for life. We want to develop great camaraderie, expect excellence and the rest takes care of itself.”

At Hilton Head Christian, Dilligard will inherit an athletic department that has 18 programs.

Ron Peduzzi returns as the football head coach. Scarbro has led the baseball team to two of its three consecutive state championships.

Chloe Holtz will coach volleyball, Melanie Hilton will handle boys and girls swimming, John Houpt is the strength and performance coach, Julie Newlands will be back as softball head coach, Katie Likins is the cheer coach, Laurie White will coach up the girls soccer team, while Jacob Deuel will coach boys soccer, Mike Spangler is the boys golf head coach, Parker Collins is the girls golf head coach, Matt Payton is back for his second year as girls basketball head coach, Aaron Mau will be in charge of the boys and girls cross country teams and the boys and girls track and field teams, and Patricio Arquez is the head coach for boys and girls tennis.

Peduzzi has a veteran coaching staff. Five of the seven on this year’s staff were with the Eagles last year.

“Our staff is experienced with over 150 years of playing and coaching combined,” Peduzzi said. “We hold to our mission of providing the necessary tools for our young men in our football program – based on Christian faith, love of family and mentoring to compete every Friday night.”

Matt Smith returns as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He has been coaching with Peduzzi since the 2017 season. Houpt, a former head coach at Bluffton High , will be the offensive coordinator.

Shatone Powers , a former wide receiver at Northen Illinois , will coach wide receivers and defensive backs. Ronnie Coolbaugh will once again coach the defensive line and will coach running backs on offense. Luke Guess , a former offensive lineman at The Citadel , will once again coach the offensive line. Also working with the offensive line is newcomer Wyatt Hill , a former United States Marine Corps staff sergeant.

The other newcomer to the staff is a very familiar face, in particular to Peduzzi. He is John Patrick Peduzzi , the coach’s son.

John Patrick just graduated from Washington & Jefferson College where he was an NCAA Division III All-American wide receiver in 2025. He will coach wide receivers and defensive backs.

Kephart Takes Charge Of AR Boys Soccer Program

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:59:27 GMT

Andrew Kephart has been hired to head the Ashley Ridge Boys Soccer program.

By Roger Lee

Contributing Writer

Summerville – Ashley Ridge faces two head coaching changes for Fall sports next school year and one for Spring sports.

Nate Harris , one of the “OGs” of the school’s coaching staff, stepped down as the head coach for the Swamp Fox Boys Soccer program after last season. One of the few coaches who helped open the school for its first year in 2008 who remained on staff through 2025-26, Harris built the soccer program into a state-championship program.

Taking over for Harris is someone familiar to many on the local soccer scene, Andrew Kephart . A former all-region soccer player for Fort Dorchester who has served as an assistant soccer coach for the Patriots the past few years, has been named the new head coach for the AR Boys.

“We are excited for Coach Kephart to join the Ashley Ridge staff,” said Ashley Ridge Athletic Director Kelly Lewis . “He has many years of experience and is familiar with many of our returning players. We feel he will keep our men’s soccer program competing for the region championship on a regular basis.”

After graduating from Fort Dorchester in 2014, Kephart played for Francis Marion University . He earned his college degree and then served as an assistant soccer coach for the university before returning to the Fort to coach. He also has extensive experience coaching club soccer.

“I’m incredibly grateful for everyone at Fort Dorchester who helped shape me both as a coach and a person,” Kephart posted online. “The relationships, memories and lessons I’ve gained will always stay with me. I’m excited for this new opportunity and can’t wait to get to work building something special with the Swamp Foxes.”

Bradyn Benes , also a Fort Dorchester graduate, has been named the new head coach for the Swamp Fox Boys Volleyball program. He served as an assistant coach for the Patriots last year.

Chonsie Eechaute served as an AR assistant Girls Volleyball coach last season. She has been promoted and will handle head coaching responsibilities leading into the new school year.

BJ Bellush founded the AR Baseball program and has been its head coach for all but five seasons when co-founder Brian Givens held the “skipper” position. Bellush is also the strength and conditioning coach.

Jeff Plane came to the school in 2008 as an assistant football coach and now serves as the head coach for the Cross Country teams.

Boys’ basketball coach Brad Dobbels has more than 20 years of overall coaching experience. Under his leadership, the Swamp Foxes finished as the 5A, Division 1 state runner-up last season and set a new school record for wins. He also coaches the Boys’ Golf team.

Victoria Merritt has been the AR Swimming coach for 11 years and led multiple teams to region championships. Larissa Shannon is another long-termer. As the AR Softball coach she once won six straight region titles.

Jimmy Brown , who is entering his fourth year with the AR girls’ basketball team, has more than 20 years of total experience. Others returning include Jeff Tate (football), Shane Calvert (Girls Soccer), Noelle Hauck (Girls Tennis), Taea Fonkert ( cheer), Alan Aponte (wrestling), Ron McNally (girls golf), Alyx Sisofo (Sports Medicine) and Saeed Jones (track and field).

Andrews Moving To Region 9A

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:47:50 GMT

Andrews is still looking to fill their boys and girls soccer head coaching position. Last season the Yellowjackets boys made the class AA playoffs.

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Andrews – The Andrews Yellowjackets head into the 2026/27 year with their coaching staff almost intact so expectations will be the same to compete for region championships and make deep runs in the class A playoffs.

After spending several years in Class AA, the Yellowjackets will move to Class A region 9 this season. The region schedule will reduce travel time and renew some area rivalries.

The Yellowjackets had two region champs in 2026 with Baseball and Softball winning region 6AA. Each team hosted the district 8 playoffs with the Softball team advancing all the way to the lower state finals.

The girls track team finished 10 ^th at the state AA meet while Boys’ soccer, boys’ basketball, football, and volleyball all made the playoffs.

“While we had a good season overall athletically, we feel it wasn’t up to our standards. We were in a difficult region in several sports and being one the smallest schools in the region depth was an issue. We are going to try and bounce back this season,” said athletic director Scott Durham .

Coach Durham will head into his 14 ^th season at the helm of the Yellowjacket football program with 89-52/ 44-22 record. Last season they made the playoffs for the 13 ^th consecutive season by finishing third in the region.

Joy Weisner is back to head up the volleyball and softball teams. Her softball came within two games of playing for the schools sixth state championship falling in game one of the lower state finals. In volleyball her squad reached the first round of the playoffs.

Defensive Coordinator/ LB coach Richie Poston won another region championship on the diamond this season as the head baseball coach. It was his third region championship in the last four years.

Head boys basketball coach Lamar Brown guided his team to a fourth place finish earning them a playoff berth. They ended the season in the first round. He has solid core group returning that will be looking for a region championship.

Tevin Wallace , the girls head basketball coach, has been looking forward to this year with his. He returns his entire roster from last season. His young ladies have taken their lumps the past couple of seasons but they have gotten bigger, stronger, and more experienced.

Ramona Izzard will be back as cheer coach, Go Yellowjackets!

Andrews is still looking to fill their boys and girls soccer head coaching position. Last season the Yellowjackets boys made the class AA playoffs.

Will McMillan returns to East Clarendon for second stint as baseball head coach

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:18:55 GMT

Larry Cornelius steps into role of athletic director on an interim basis while maintaining football duties

Turbeville – Will McMillan may have left East Clarendon High School as the baseball head coach four years ago, but he never left his home in Turbeville. That’s why he’s making EC his baseball home again.

McMillan was the Wolverines’ head coach for six years before leaving to take over the program at AAAAA Sumter High following the 2022 campaign. However, when Curtis Johnson recently left his posts as baseball head coach and athletic director at East Clarendon to be the AD at Sumter, McMillan applied for the EC baseball job and was hired.

“I still live in Turbeville, and I have a 4-year-old, and a 2-year-old,” McMillan said. “That meant a lot of time away, and I was missing out on a lot with the drive back and forth to Sumter . I knew being close to home would be good.

“I was drawn back to it. East Clarendon is a good fit for me. I had a chance to go out and coach at the highest level against really good coaches, really good teams. I think it’s a better fit for me with the lower levels (EC is in the AA classification), the small town, the community feel. I missed that.”

McMillan had success at both EC and Sumter. In his final year in his first stint with the Wolverines, he had them within a victory of playing in the state championship series. He had Sumter in the championship round of the District 4 tournament in the AAAAA Division I playoffs in the just completed season.

Filling the role of the EC athletic director on an interim basis is football head coach Larry Cornelius .

“It’s cool,” Cornelius aid. “I’ve been an AD before. I have to adjust to the head coaches in certain ways, and they have to adjust to me. I just want to do what’s best for East Clarendon.”

While Cornelius is the new AD, he will be the old football coach. Cornelius is preparing for his fourth season on the Wolverines’ sidelines. He led EC to a 9-3 record last year and to the second round of the state playoffs.

Cornelius will be the offensive coordinator and coach running backs. He will have his defensive coordinator back in Brandon Carter , who will coach linebackers along with Robbie Mooneyham . Returning to coach the offensive line will be veteran Robbie Wright , Benny Knowlton will coach quarterbacks, Dawson Price will coach wide receivers as well as serving as the B team head coach, and Kevin Graham will be in charge of the defensive line.

The secondary will have two new coaches in McMillan and Malik Richardson , who played quarterback for Cornelius when he was the head coach at Lakewood High . The other newcomer to the staff is William Lovelace , who will help Wright with the O line.

“We have some new faces this season in the coaching ranks, but we are quickly getting going within a few weeks,” Cornelius said. “We are excited with all the returning players we have, and knowing that we have an extremely challenging schedule, we need to put our best foot forward every day.”

With the exception of baseball, all of the other varsity head coaches from a year ago return. Longtime EC coach Patrick Kelly will once again coach three sports – boys and girls cross country, boys basketball and boys golf.

Bridget Parker Richardson returns for her second year in charge of girls basketball. She led EC to a 10-13 record last year and a playoff appearance.

Jason Newsome will continue as the softball head coach. After leading the Wolverines to a state title in 2025, Newsome guided them to a 24-9 record and a berth in the 4-team lower state tournament of the state playoffs this past season.

Graham is back as the head of the wrestling program as well as the boys track and field team. Candice Barron will be the girls track coach and in charge of basketball cheer, while Lyn Sullivan will be the cheer coach.

Kayleigh Young Gonzalez will once again be the volleyball coach, and Morgan Keefe will lead the girls tennis team.

Matthew Martens takes over Clarendon Hall softball program

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:09:20 GMT

Varsity boys basketball and varsity girls basketball back after 1-year absence

Summerton – Matthew Martens is far from an unfamiliar face at Clarendon Hall . However, he is walking into new territory with the Saints as their softball head coach.

Martens takes over for Jeffrey Bays , who decided to step down after a tremendous 13-year run. Martens had been an assistant to Bays since the 2023 season.

Martens believes his taking the job is a God thing.

“Stepping into the role of head coach at Clarendon Hall felt like the right decision because I love this school, our community and the game of softball,” said Martens, whose daughter, Annie Carlyle “AC” Martens , is on the team. “I believe God opens doors for us to serve others, and I feel called to help develop these young ladies not only as softball players but also as people of strong character and faith.

“Our focus is on helping each player grow in her abilities, build confidence and reach her full potential through hard work, discipline and a willingness to learn. We have developed a great coaching staff to develop the young ladies from B team, JV (junior varsity) and varsity softball.”

Clarendon Hall won four state championships and played for four other state titles during Bays’ tenure. He finished with a 192-76 record. Clarendon Hall’s first state title under his guidance came in 2015. The other three came consecutively, a SCISA Class A title in 2022 and consecutive AA state crowns in ’23 and ’24.

The Saints lost to Pee Dee Academy in the AAA title series in 2025 before finishing 10-11 in the just completed season.

“Having the opportunity to coach under Jeff has been invaluable,” Martens said. “His leadership helped establish a championship culture built on hard work, commitment and doing things the right way. Learning from him has prepared me for this transition, and I have tremendous respect for everything he and the previous players and coaches have accomplished.

“The standard they set is something I want our team to embrace every day. My goal is to honor that legacy by developing our talent and continuing to play at the level that Clarendon Hall softball has come to expect.”

Shane Wallace is back for his second season as the school’s athletic director and football head coach. Last season was a very difficult one for the Saints as they finished the year with a 0-10 record, the second year in a row that has happened.

Both of those winless marks came in SCISA AAA. With SCISA’s bi-annual reclassification, the Saints will play football at the Class A level for the next two years.

Wallace’s assistant coaches are Stewart Price , Trey Bagnal and Clay Reynolds .

Clarendon Hall will play boys and girls basketball at the varsity level this season after having just junior varsity teams last year. That decision was made because of a lack of numbers in the junior and senior classes. Wallace thinks the move will pay dividends.

“I believe that playing a JV schedule gave our younger players the opportunity to compete against athletes at a similar stage of development,” he said. “Rather than becoming discouraged by facing older, more experienced varsity teams, they were able to compete, experience success and build confidence.

“It also helped create a strong team culture and family atmosphere while preparing them to compete at the varsity level this upcoming year.”

Rick Atkinson will again coach the boys and Johnny Horton will again coach the girls.

Jackie McIntosh returns as the baseball head coach, and Shannon Rodgers will coach the volleyball team again.

Central athletic director Mitch Leaird retires after 34 years with Eagles sports

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:53:40 GMT

Leaird was baseball head coach for 27 years, JV football head coach for 22 years and AD for 12 years

Pageland – Mitch Leaird graduated from Central High School in 1987. Right after earning his college degree, he was back at Central as a coach and a teacher.

His run at the school came to an end with the just completed school year as Leaird announced his retirement after 34 years. He was the baseball head coach for 27 years, the junior varsity football coach for 22 years and the athletic director for the past 12 years.

“I just felt like it was the right time for me to walk away,” said Leaird, who spent most of those years teaching algebra as well. “The program is going to be in good hands with (football head coach) Jonathan Eason . He’s going to do a super job.”

Leaird said as soon as he graduated from college an opening for a coach and teacher came open at Central. Football head coach Al Usher and baseball head coach Joey Mangum , both of whom Leaird played for as a Central athlete, encouraged him to take the position.

“I came right back home,” Leaird said. “It was like it was meant to be. I actually lived a dream job. What I wanted to do when I was in high school was to teach and coach, and to get to come home and do it at your alma mater is great. Central High School and its athletics has been very special to me.”

Eason, who is preparing for his third year as football head coach and a Central graduate like Leaird, thinks he is walking into a great situation with his new post.

“I'm excited about going into the AD role,” he said. “I feel like Coach Leaird has made it a very smooth transition. He has set a great foundation by hiring a lot of great coaches that are all returning to Central. I'm really excited about getting to work with all the athletes at the school now, and I am really excited about the future of Central athletics.

“Our boys were very successful this past year. Football made the fourth round (lower state championship) of the (AA state) playoffs, basketball made the third round, baseball was region champs, golf just won their eighth region championship in a row, track (and field) and cross country continue to be very strong programs throughout the state, and our new soccer program is growing every day. I feel like our girls programs are all heading in the right direction. Each program is showing improvement, so I am very excited about what the future holds for all these teams.”

Desmond Sowell returns as the boys basketball coach, Trent Strickland will do baseball, Joel Dale will do boys and girls cross country and share the duties with Billy Blakeney for boys and girls track, John Nall is the soccer coach, JT McManus will do girls basketball, Hannah Kirkley volleyball, DJ Middleton softball, Randy Cryster golf and Stephanie Rivers and Kimberly Welch cheer.

Eason has most of his football staff returning. Jody Sellers returns as the offensive coordinator and the quarterbacks coach, while Kyle Pollard will again be the defensive coordinator and strength coach.

The other returning offensive coaches are Jacob Aldridge with wide receivers and Paul Tomberlin as the passing game coordinator. Hayden Wilks , who joins the staff after coaching at Class A runner-up Lamar last season, will be the offensive line coach.

On defense, Cornelius Chambers will handle the line, Dieon Mason and Tomberlin will coach the defensive backs with Mason also being the JV head coach, Strickland will coach the linebackers, Darius Gladden will coach the JV defensive line and newcomer Brandon Rollins will handle the JV offensive line.

Camden athletic department maintains most of head coaching staff

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:39:11 GMT

Brian Rimpf preparing for 10th season as Bulldog football head coach

Camden – Camden High School will have a few changes to its varsity head coaching staff, but perhaps the biggest change will be where the school’s athletic department will be doing business in the 2026-27 school year.

After spending the past two seasons competing – and doing quite well one might add -- in the AAAA classification, Camden has returned to the AAA classification following the South Carolina High School League’s biannual reclassification.

Camden will be part of the 6-school Region 4, with the other five schools being located either in Richland County or Lexington County . The other schools are Airport , Brookland-Cayce , Gilbert , Lower Richland and Swansea . Camden, of course, is located in Kershaw County .

There will only be three newcomers to the Bulldogs head coaching staff, but only two are known at this time. Chris Dixon will be in charge of wrestling, while James Seymore will now coach boys and girls track and field.

A new boys soccer head coach has yet to be named.

Brian Rimpf will be back as the athletic director and football head coach. This will be Rimpf’s 10 ^th season in charge of football, and the record speaks for itself. The Bulldogs went 9-4 last season, giving them their eighth straight season of at least eight wins and seventh straight of nine wins or more.

Rimpf returns the biggest part of his assistant coaching staff. Savionn Wingate is back for his second season at the offensive coordinator. Wingate will not coach the running backs this year. That job will go to returning assistant Quan Morris . Josh Council will coach the quarterbacks, while veteran Calvin McRoy will handle the tight ends, and Davea Cauthen will again coach the wide receivers.

The only newcomer to the offensive staff is Benny DeBruhl , who handle the line.\

Joey Hendrix is back as the defensive coordinator. Also returning to the staff are co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Cedrick Malone , linebackers coach Denny Beckley , defensive line coach Marshall Minich , cornerbacks coach Lamar Keitt and outside linebackers coach Demarius Alexander .

The only newcomer to the defensive staff is veteran assistant coach Alan Gandy , who will coach the safeties.

Beckley will be back as the baseball coach. He guided Camden to the state playoffs for the 23 ^rd time in his 26 seasons in charge. The Bulldogs won district championships in both of the years they competed at the AAAA level.

Sterling Council is returning for his sixth season as boys basketball head coach, while Lewis Mungo is back for his third year heading up girls basketball.

Matt Spolski returns as the boys cross country coach, while Matt McCarley will again be the girls golf head coach. Clayton Daniels will coach the boys. Nolan Hunter will be back for his second season in charge of softball, and Emma Morrison for her second year as the girls and boys swim teams head coach, Other second-year coaches are Austin Spolski in girls cross country coach, and Reagan Payseur for both the boys and girls tennis programs.

Tiffany Ellis will be in charge of the competitive cheer team, and Paul Ahern will be the girls soccer head coach. Tristany Radford will return for her second year as the leader of the volleyball program.

Former girls basketball head coach Natalie Norris is the assistant athletic director.

David Prince new defensive coordinator for Batesburg-Leesville football

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:25:25 GMT

Athletic program to offer two new girls sports in golf and flag football

Batesburg-Leesville – Having lost 24 seniors from a football team that went 8-4, there can’t help but be plenty of change for Batesburg-Leesville High School .

There will be change taking place on the coaching staff as well. The Panthers will have a new defensive coordinator. David Prince will move from coaching wide receivers to the DC role after Gary Adams left for Emerald .

B-L head coach Greg Lawson said moving Prince, who is also the strength coach, into the DC role was an easy decision.

“He’s been a head coach, and we’ve just got a lot of experience with him,” Lawson said of Prince, who was a defensive coordinator and head coach at South Florence . “We’re really excited he’s taking the defensive coordinator job.”

Arromus Harris , who coached defensive backs last season, will handle wide receivers. Rob Bouknight , the baseball head coach, will return as the offensive coordinator.

Brandon Cumbee returns to coach the offensive line and will be joined by newcomer Rick Snelling . Bryan Cotney will coach the running backs.

Defensively, Shane Bryant and Andy Harris will coach the linebackers, Jake Getson the defensive backs and Lane Janney and Chris Whitt the defensive line.

“I feel real good about our staff,” said Lawson, who is preparing for his fifth season as head coach. “We still have a core of Batesburg-Leesville people, who played there, had success there. who have roots there.”

Batesburg-Leesville, which will drop from AA to Class A following the South Carolina High School League’s biannual reclassification, offers its student-athletes a wide array of sports. There are eight boys sports, 11 girls sports and two co-ed sports.

B-L will offer two new girls sports in golf and flag football, according to athletic director Eric Gambrell . Jim Iacuone will coach the golf team, while Erica Gambrell , the AD’s older sister, will be in charge of the flag football team.

The coaches for the other fall sports are Johnelle Bell in boys cross country, Heather Eargle in girls cross country, Eric Shick in volleyball, Micah Bolen in girls tennis, and Presley Mabus in competition cheer.

William Ash and DeVeto Johnson return to coach the boys basketball and girls basketball teams, respectively. Batesburg-Leesville will have both boys and girls wrestling again this winter. Ryanne Hall will coach the girls, while AD Gambrell is in the process of finalizing the hiring of a wrestling coach for the boys.

“We have a great coach,” he said. “We’re just waiting on all the paperwork and formalities.”

Alex Richardson will be the archery head coach over the winter and the clay targets coach in the spring. Claudia Pollard will be the sideline cheer head coach for both football and basketball.

Bouknight will once again lead the Panther baseball team. After taking B-L to the 2025 AA state title, Bouknight had it two wins away from going back to the title series. The Panthers reached the championship round of the upper state tournament, losing to eventual state champion Clinton .

Amber Hartley will be back in charge of softball after leading the Panthers to a big turnaround in 2026. They finished 14-6 after winning just three games the previous season.

“This season certainly met my expectations,” Hartley said. “I knew we had a very talented team that could compete in a strong region (2-AA, which included state champion Salud a). Although we fell short of my playoff hopes, facing high-caliber opponents taught us valuable lessons and provided experience we will build on moving forward.”

Batesburg-Leesville was led by All-State selection and Region Co-Player of the Year Ainsley Minchew . She had 226 strikeouts and a 1.25 earned run averaged in 106 2/3 innings pitched.

Minchew was joined on the All-State and All-Region teams by Kate Shealy . She had a .395 batting average, an on-base percentage of .495, a .987 slugging percentage, 12 home runs and 33 runs batted in.

Chandler Bouknight was also an All-Region pick. She batted .416, had 37 hits and 19 stolen bases.

The other spring sports coaches are Paige Scruggs for girls soccer, Charles Holloway for boys soccer, Erica Gambrell for girls track and field, Harris for boys track, Lawson for boys golf and Taylor Jeffcoat for boys tennis.

Scott Braswell ready for first year as South Florence football head coach

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:44:16 GMT

Brian Wilson, Chad Wilkes return for second seasons at Wilson, West Florence, respectively

Florence – The South Florence High School football program will certainly be entering a new era in the 2026 season. That’s because Drew Marlowe , who took the Bruins to two AAAA state championships while playing in four consecutive title games the past four years, is now the head coach at his alma mater, Sumter .

South’s new head coach is Scott Braswell Jr. While he has some big shoes to fill in his first head coaching gig, there is no way Braswell should be overwhelmed. He has been the defensive coordinator for the past four years at Dutch Fork , which has won five straight state championships and seven in the last eight years.

“It’s been great,” Braswell said about his first few months with the Bruins. “I’ve been incredibly blessed. There had been whispers about the job coming open, but I was steaming along with Dutch Fork when Coach (former South athletic director Cody) Slaughter reached out to me about the job. I’m so excited to be here. It’s been an incredible blessing.

“The kids have been so great. I’ve been preaching to them and coaching them, and they’ve accepted me. They’ve really worked their butts off since I got here.”

Clay Owens will be Braswell’s assistant head coach, while Patrick Koone will be offensive coordinator and coach the quarterbacks. The offensive line coach has a familiar name, Scott Braswell – Sr. The elder Braswell had coached at Dutch Fork the past two years.

John Gathings will coach the tight ends, Adam Rice the wide receivers, Demetrius Brand the running backs, and Michael McManus will be the offensive skill assistant.

Braswell Jr. will call the defense. He will have Neal Boozer , who coached at Brookland-Cayce last year but had worked with him at Dutch Fork, coaching safeties as well as working as the strength and conditioning coach.

Other defensive assistants are David Robinson with cornerbacks, Sam Montgomery with linebackers, Stan Adams with tackles and Troy Biddy with ends.

Over at Wilson High , Brian Wilson will be back for his second year as head coach. He took a Tigers team that went 1-9 in 2024 and led it to a 7-5 record with a victory in the first round of the AAAA state playoffs.

With eight starters back on both sides of the football, Wilson is hoping more marked improvement awaits. The Tigers will be switching up things they do offensively, but the head coach is happy with what he’s seen.

“Our guys were just picking up the scheme from Day 1 to where we’re at today, if we keep progressing like that I think we can be really, really good,” Wilson said.

Braxton Ivery is back as Wilson’s offensive coordinator. He will coach the wide receivers along with Ezra Lighty , while Jeremy Bowman and Justin Evans will handle the offensive line. Harrison Terry will be the quarterback coach, Andrew Bethea will coach running backs, and Dyson Roberts will handle the kicking game.

The Tigers will have co-defensive coordinators in Jalen Barr and Robert Zimmerman . Barr will coach linebackers along with Lindsey Robertson , while Zimmerman and Malik Samuels will coach the defensive line. Antonio Jones and Zy’Quarius Washington will coach the defensive backs.

Chad Wilkes will be back for his second season in charge of West Florence football. He led the Knights to a 6-6 record after a 1-3 start, and they also came away with a victory in the first round of the AAAAA Division II state playoffs.

Wilkes, who coached Oceanside Collegiate Academy to a state championship in 2023, will have Mike Jones back as his defensive coordinator. Other members of the staff will include Andrew Niemeyer , Kris Howell , Robbie Suggs , Mike Howard , Jarret Varn , Kody Varn , Dominique Muldrow , Nick Alvarado and Tiyon Evans .

The three Florence 1 high schools will once again be in the same classification and members of the same region following the South Carolina High School League’s bi-annual reclassification. South, West and Wilson will all be part of Region 7 along with St. James , Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach .

West Florence was bumped up to AAAAA in the 2024 reclassification while Wilson and South Florence remained AAAA.

Williamsburg hires Chris Rowland as football defensive coordinator, boys basketball head coach

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:23:33 GMT

Claire Wise is the new girls tennis head coach

Kingstree – The Williamsburg Academy football program made it to a state championship game for the fifth straight season last year, beating Colleton Prep Academy 36-14 to claim the SCISA Class A state title.

The Stallions snapped a 2-year title game losing streak in their first year under head coach Will Furse . Having lost only six seniors from the 11-1 team, Williamsburg is certainly in position to pull off a sixth straight tittle appearance as well as a repeat.

As far as the coaching staff goes, there are some changes. There is one addition but none of the coaches from last year have left.

The newcomer to the staff is Chris Rowland , and he will step into an important role as the defensive coordinator. Rowland, who will also coach defensive backs, was at East Clarendon High School the past two seasons. He was the special teams coordinator as well as the secondary coach last season.

As the new defensive coordinator, Rowland will have some big shoes to fill. The Stallions allowed just 157 points last season under the guidance of veteran coach Ken Kellahan .

Kellahan, who won a state title as the Williamsburg head coach himself, will have a new assignment. He will be in charge of the offensive line this season.

John Floyd returns to coach the defensive linemen and tight ends, while Chase McFaddin will be back as the junior varsity head coach and coach wide receivers on the varsity. Sam Plowden will be in charge of the running backs and outside linebackers, and Britton Morris will coach the inside linebackers and assist with the offensive line.

Furse said he has a great relationship with his coaching staff, and the members of the staff genuinely like each other as well.

“I think our staff, we get along really well,” Furse said. “They are all good coaches, but more importantly, they are all good people. We all enjoy spending time together, which is great. It makes work not seem like work.”

Furse said he doesn’t sense any difference in the way his coaching staff has handled this offseason compared to how it prepared for last year’s championship run.

“It’s pretty similar to what it was last year,” Furse said. “We have to once again deal with high expectations, and we’re having to tell our players that just because we had a good season last year, that doesn’t mean it will be the case this year. We have to continue to put the work in. Our coaches have done a good job of keeping everyone locked in.”

Rowland will also fill an important role for the Stallions away from the football field. He will be the head coach for the boys junior varsity and varsity basketball teams.

Rowland replaces Kevin Burrows , who stepped down after nine seasons due to conflicts with his work schedule.

Rowland and Furse were classmates at Laurence Manning and attended college together as well. Furse is excited to see what his friend does with the program.

“We worked together in the past, and I knew he was hungry for a varsity boys basketball job,” Furse said. “He started coaching at Laurence Manning (Academy , where he played for now Williamsburg girls head coach) Will Epps , and he’s been an assistant at East Clarendon the last couple of years.

“I knew he wanted to be a head coach, so when the job opened up I told him about it. I’m looking forward to see how he does.”

Rowland inherits a team that went 12-12 and won its opening game in the AAA state tournament. The Stallions only lost one player in their rotation to graduation.

“With Chris coming on we’ve had a really good summer,” Furse said. “I think it will show up in the wins and losses column this year.”

Epps is preparing for his third season at Williamsburg as not only the girls basketball head coach but the volleyball head coach as well.

He guided the girls basketball team to an 11-17 record last year after winning just four games in his first season. Like the boys, the Stallion girls also won their state tournament opener.

The baseball and softball programs will have a pair of second-year coaches in Morris and Jada Cox , respectively.

Morris led Williamsburg to a 20-4 record and the AAA state championship series. The Stallions were swept by Calhoun Academy in the best-of-3 series.

The softball team finished with a 15-11 record and reached the championship round in its bracket in the AAA state tournament.

“They both did a great job this past season,” Furse said of Morris and Cox. “She did a really good job with the softball team even though you didn’t necessarily see it with the record.”

Williamsburg will have a new girls tennis head coach in Claire Wise , who has been the middle school girls basketball head coach. Wise replaces Mac Kirby .

McFaddin will once again be the boys and girls track and field head coach, Ned Hemingway will be the boys golf coach, Pat Wildes will coach the boys and girls cross country teams, and Lucie Ann Smunk will be the cheerleading coach.

Furse thinks big things await the Williamsburg athletic teams in the 2026-27 school year.

“I’m extremely excited about all of the programs,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young coaches who are hard workers, relentless teachers of their sports, and that’s what it takes. With practice good things will happen.”

If Williamsburg is to repeat as a state champion in football, it will do so at the AA level following the bi-annual reclassification. The other schools in AA football are Colleton Prep, St. John’s Christian Academy , defending AA state runner-up Pee Dee Academy , Greenwood Christian School , Orangeburg Prep , Patrick Henry Academy , Spartanburg Day School , Calhoun Academy and Cross Schools .

Williamsburg will compete at AAA in all the other sports.

Smth more comfortable heading into second year as Orangeburg Prep football head coach

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:59:05 GMT

Will Jameson to be in charge of OP softball program

Orangeburg – With a year under his belt as the varsity football head coach for Orangeburg Preparatory School , Brooks Smith is feeling a little more at ease with things as the start of the 2026 season approaches on August 21.

“I do feel more comfortable,” said Smith, who took over last year after Don Shelley retired. “That comes mainly with the day-to-day operations – when to prep the field, when to do this, when to do that, things people don’t generally think about.

“The Xs and Os hasn’t really changed much. I am definitely not as nervous going into this year. It’s more the admin(istration) part than the coaching part. I’m excited, very excited for the kids.”

Smith has four members of his initial coaching staff returning in defensive coordinator Michael Heath , running backs and linebackers coach Ryan McNair , wide receivers and defensive backs coach Ley Pickens and veteran OP coach Sam Lambrecht . The two new members of the staff are Caden Haws , who will coach the offensive line and the defensive line, and Cade Wiles , who will help with wide receivers and defensive backs.

Smith, who led the Indians to a 7-4 record and a berth in the SCISA AA state playoffs last season, is excited to see how Orangeburg Prep performs defensively with eight starters back and a year of familiarity working in Heath’s system.

“It took a little while for the kids to learn the system, but at the end of the year it was pretty impressive what we were doing,” Smith said. “He also has done a jam-up job as the strength coach. He has really improved that aspect of the program. Our student-athletes look different today than they did a year ago.”

Last season was McNair’s first one coaching on the varsity level. Smith is impressed with how he has developed in such a short time.

“Ryan does a great job with the kids,” he said. “He knows the defensive system and how the coach wants it done.”

Pickens began coaching at Orangeburg Prep when Shelley took over four years ago. Pickens worked for Shelley during his first stint with the Indians as well.

“Coach Pickens does a great job with teaching the fundamentals, especially with the wide receives on running their routes and on showing the defensive backs where to be and how to get there,” Smith said.

Smith is really happy to have Haws on board to coach the lines. Haws was a 3-year starter on the defensive line for Power 4 Conference school Brigham Young University .

“He’s a big man, a large individual, who pushes the kids really hard,” Smith said of Haws, who he estimates is 6-feet-3-inches tall and weighs around 300 pounds. “The players have really taken to him. He does a great job with the kids, teaching them the little nuances on both sides of the line that you learn while starting at a Power 4 school. He’s teaching them little things with technique and stuff. I’m excited to see him out on the field with them (when fall practice starts on July 23).”

Lambrecht has been around the Orangeburg Prep athletic program in different capacities for three decades, according to Smith.

“He’s up in the booth with me, and he’s just a wealth of knowledge,” said Smith, who was coached by Lambrecht.

Wilds is another graduate of Orangeburg Prep, who played collegiately at Newberry College .

“He’s been out and about this summer,” Smith said. “He is very knowledgeable.”

Smith is hoping to one day have a run as the Orangeburg Prep football coach like the one he has had as the head coach of the school’s girls track and field team. Smith led the Indians to their sixth consecutive state championship this past season. He will also be coaching the boys team as well and will be assisted by Michael Delaney and Olivia Smith .

Orangeburg Prep will have only one new varsity head coach. That will be Will Jameson , who will take over the softball program.

“They hired Will to market the school and advertise, and I will get him to coach softball,” said athletic director Jan Stoudenmire , who is also the person whom Jameson will be succeeding as softball head coach. “He has a lot of experience with public school, and we’re happy to have him come on staff and learn about SCISA.”

Stoudenmire will be back for her 28 ^th season as the girls basketball head coach. She has led the Indians to the championship game of the last two AAA state tournaments. The Indians posted a 22-5 record.

Barkley McNair , Stoudenmire’s daughter, will be the junior varsity head coach again and will assist with the varsity. Angie Patterson will be the B team head coach.

Delaney will be returning to coach tshe boys basketball team. Orangeburg Prep finished with a 9-16 record after reaching the semifinals in Delaney’s first season.

Katherine Smith will again coach the volleyball team. She led the Indians to a region title and a 2-2 record in the AAA state tournament.

Tate Jameson , the cousin of Will, will once again coach the baseball team. After leading the Indians to the championship series of the 2025 AAA state playoffs, Jameson guided them to a 13-13 record this season and to the championship round of their bracket in the playoffs.

Mary Albergotti will be the girls tennis head coach, Matt Burleson will be the boys golf coach, Josh Shurtleff will coach the boys and girls cross country teams as well as the bowling team, and Lauren Still will be the cheer coach.

Former LMA head coach, Sumter assistant Austin Floyd joins Manning's football staff

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:51:28 GMT

Former Scott's Branch head coach Kevin Miller now in charge of boys basketball

Manning – As Reggie Kennedy prepares for his eighth season as the football head coach for Manning High School , he will do so with some newcomers to his staff.

Austin Floyd , the former Laurence Manning Academy head coach who spent the past four years as the offensive coordinator for Sumter , is joining the Monarchs. Floyd will coach the offensive line and be the co-offensive coordinator. He will share the duties with the returning King Cutter , who will coach tight ends and H backs.

“Austin Floyd is coming over from Sumter High and bringing a lot of championship experience with him,” Kennedy said. Floyd, who was 25-10 and led the Swampcats to the SCISA AAA state title game on two occasions in his three years, made the move after Sumter head coach Mark Barnes decided to retire.

Cutter will be calling plays during games. Gregg King is back as the running backs coach as well as handling the strength program, Marcus Lloyd will coach the wide receivers, and Calvin Giles-McClary Jr. will coach the quarterbacks.

Kennedy, an All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference linebacker during his playing days at South Carolina State in the late 1980s, will call the defense. Dontavis Miller will coach the linebackers, Kevin Miller the outside linebackers, Marco Thompson the safeties, Calvin McClary the cornerbacks and Craig Hatcher the defensive line.

Hatcher returns to Manning after spending one season on the staff at Laurence Manning.

“We are glad to have Craig back with us, and he will be an asset to us on the defensive side of the ball,” Kennedy said.

Dontavis Miller will be the special teams coordinator and will also serve as the junior varsity head coach.

Maria Player and newcomer Brittney Cothran will be the athletic trainers.

“Brittney Cothran is an addition to our medical staff and will be an asset to our athletic department,” Kennedy said,. “We welcome all of our newcomers and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

Kennedy likes the coaching staff he has put together.

“I feel really good about my coaching staff and the addition of the newcomers,” he said,. “This staff has a lot of experience and knows what it takes to win. I am looking forward to working with this coaching staff this season.”

After enduring a winless season in 2020 during COVID-19 and winning just twice the following year, Kennedy has had Manning on an upward trajectory over the past four years. The Monarchs have a 37-12 record during that time, have reached the third round of the AA state playoffs the last two years and went 9-4 last season.

Kennedy is pleased with what he’s seen from his team as it prepares for its season opener on August 21.

“We had an outstanding offseason and summer workouts so far,” he siad. “The players are buying in and working hard. We participated in the USC ( University of South Carolina ) 7-on-7 and had several 11-on-11 workouts this summer. I can see us getting better each time we compete against someone else.

“One thing we are working on this summer and during the preseason is to develop some depth.”

Manning will play host to a pair of 4-team scrimmages at Ramsey Stadium . The first will be on August 6, the second on August 10. The Monarchs will host the FTC Jamboree on August 14.

Kennedy is once again the athletic director for Clarendon County School District as well as being the site athletic

director for Manning.

He has two new head coaches of programs in place, but they are familiar faces. Kevin Miller will be the boys basketball head coach, while King will coach the baseball team.

Miller takes over for Dr. Shawn Johnso n, who also happens to be the district superintendent. Kennedy said Johnson stepped down because the two jobs were stretching him then.

Having a more-than-capable replacement available in Miller surely made the decision easier. Miller was the head coach at fellow district school Scott’s Branch for four seasons. He guided the Eagles to Class A state championship games in 2022 and 2023, the final two in a run of four straight title game appearances.

Miller inherits a team that went 13-13 and lost in the first round of the state playoffs. However, Manning only lost one key contributor to graduation.

Justin Johnson is back for his third year in charge of the girls basketball program. The Monarchs went 9-17 last season and won three region contests after getting just five wins, just one of them in a region contest, in his first year.

Like the boys team, the Manning girls lost just one major contributor from last season.

Catherine Mahoney returns as the softball coach. She led Manning to a 9-12 record and a berth in the state playoffs where it went 0-2.

“We started off strong and made the playoffs, but it didn’t go as we wanted,” said Mahoney, whose All-Region 7-AA player was Shayden Epps . “We lost two strong seniors that we have to replace for next season, but I am looking forward to a successful season next year.”

Dontavis Miller will coach both the boys and girls track and field teams. He led the Monarchs to a fifth-place finish in the AA boys state meet and their first region title in at least a decade.

Sonia Daniels returns as the volleyball head coach, Deizmond Kelly-Gaskins will be the cheer coach, Richard Scheider returns to head up wrestling, Ryan Glossum will coach boys soccer, and Holly McCabe will once again coach girls tennis.

Kennedy is still looking to fill vacancies for boys and girls cross country and boys golf.

Shuey excited for opportunity as new Laurence Manning baseball head coach

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:38:31 GMT

Shuey comes to Swampcats after spending five years as an assistant at East Clarendon

Manning – The Laurence Manning Academy baseball program has undergone a major shift with the retirement of head coach Barry Hatfield and the naming of Preston Shuey as the new head coach.

LMA has gone from a coach in Hatfield with 31 years of head coaching experience -- the final 17 with the Swampcats – to a first-time head coach in Shuey, who spent the last five years as an assistant coach at East Clarendon High School . He is looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited to be getting this opportunity,” said Shuey, who was a standout collegiate player at Francis Marion University , where he attended after graduating from South Mecklenburg High in Charlotte in 2007. “Coach Hatfield built a successful program, and I want to step in and make a smooth transition.”

Hatfield guided Laurence Manning to three state titles, back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017 and the third one coming in 2022.

“Some of the older players know success as they were part of the program the last time Laurence Manning won a state championship,” Shuey said. “I just want to continue the program on the path he started. I am excited to be a part of the Swampcat family and looking forward to building on the success of Coach Hatfield."

Shuey and Laurence Manning head of school Allen Kirby have been friends since meeting while playing baseball at Francis Marion. That played an instrumental role in Shuey coming to LMA.

“Allen Kirby (who just completed his first year at LMA) wanted me to take over,” Shuey said. “A lot of things fell into place, and I felt it was the way God was leading me.”

While Hatfield emphasized pitching and defense, Shuey stresses offense.

“I’m a hitting guy,” said Shuey, who was the de facto hitting coach for East Clarendon the past four years. “I want us to be aggressive at the plate, get a pitch and drive it, hit it hard.

“My pitching philosophy is I want my staff to throw strikes, and on defense make the routine plays.”

Laurence Manning athletic director Morgan Watt is happy to have Shuey on board.

“Preston is really excited to build on the winning tradition of baseball that Coach Hatfield had at Laurence Manning,” Watt said. “We are super excited to have him as head coach.”

Shuey won’t be the only new head coach for Laurence Manning,. SCISA veteran David Rankin will be in his first year as the football head coach. Rankin spent the last two years at Carolina Academy .

“The kids have bought in good so far,” said Rankin. “The participation has been great over the summer. Things have been going well, but we haven’t played a game yet.

Rankin has been the head coach at W.W. King Academy , Thomas Sumter Academy and Lee Academy on two different occasions each and one term at both Carolina and Williamsburg Academy . It was during his second stint at Lee where Rankin enjoyed his greatest success. After going 3-8 and 5-5 in the first two years of his 11-year stay that ran from 2013 to 2023, the Cavaliers went 89-26 over the final nine seasons. They won Class A state titles in 2015 and 2022 and played for the state title on four other occasions. For his career, Rankin has coached a state runner-up eight times.

Rankin is still piecing together his coaching staff. As of press time, he has another veteran SCISA head coach in Brock Miller , Cedric Bennett and Patrick Anderson , who served as the interim head coach for the second half of the 2024 season, on staff.

Anderson is back for his third season in charge of boys basketball. He led the Swampcats to a 25-5 record and the semifinals of the SCISA AAAA state tournament last year. That was the first time LMA had gone that far since winning the AAA title in 2011-12.

“We are looking forward to building on the success of last year and taking the next step," Anderson said.

Girls basketball head coach Lisa Ard is back for her third year as well. She led a senior-dominated Lady ‘Cats team to an 11-12 record last year and the program’s first state tournament win since the ’13-14 season.

“Looking forward to the challenge of leading a very young team,” Ard said.

Buddy Truett will be back as the softball head coach. He has led the Lady ‘Cats to three consecutive AAAA state titles. “Four times in a row will be tough, but we are going to give it all we got,” Truett said.

Robin Page is once again in charge of the varsity cheer program. “It is going to be a great year for Swampcat football, and our squad is ready to cheer them on,” she said.

Jessica Weinberg will be in charge of the girls tennis program again, while Karla Beard will head the boys and girls cross country program again.

“The team has been working hard and we are excited about the challenge of this year," Beard said.

Mike Davey is back as the lacrosse coach. Donald Hardy returns as the girls golf head coach, while Watt will once again be in charge of the boys team.

“We have a great group of young ladies and are looking forward to the season,” Hardy said.

Watt was still looking to fill head positions for bowling, volleyball and boys and girls track and field. That means Jay Atkins is stepping down as the bowling head coach after leading the Swampcats to 12 state titles among the co-ed, girls and boys divisions.

Lodge Begins Fourth Season As Berkeley Coach

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:37:17 GMT

Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall and looks for continued growth in 2026.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Moncks Corner – After a pair of six-win seasons in his first two years , Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall.

Lodge is hoping and expecting to see continued growth and development in 2026 and recently put his prospective team through spring drills. The purpose of the spring is to identify roles and hopefully find rising talent that can assist either as backups or starters this fall.

“Our spring is about evaluating kids, all of them, to see where they fit in,” Lodge said, “Those practices are very important to the growth of the program. We get everyone involved amd work to get them up to speed. Once we get into the summer, we are working hard to get stronger in the weight room along with seven-on-seven stuff.”

Lodge says most of the returning experience is on the offensive side and the Stags should be explosive. Henry Rivers , a senior, will be a fourth-year starter and rates as one of the best in the state. Hethres for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, adding 803 rushing yards and 16 more scores.

Returning at receiver are John Cleveland, Eli Mitchell and Johnathan Mitchell, who combined for more than 60 receptions last season.

Anchoring the running game are returners Lawrence Washington, Bryson McGee and Jesse Brown . That trio will work behind a revamped offensive line but Lodge sees potential in the developing unit up front.

“I like our depth at running back and receiver, and of course we have a veteran leader at quarterback,” said Lodge.

There are significantly more holes to fill on defense. The Stags lost an all-state tackle and three starting linebackers that were three-year starters. There also are three holes to fill on the back end.

“We have identified some young men who we feel will step in and be solid players for us,” Lodge said. “Replacing the experience is tough but we have some guys who will learn and grow over time. We’re not new to having young guys on the field. The talent is there and there are opportunities for guys to get on the field.”

Ashley Hall Tabs Charlotte Strickland As Athlete Of The Year

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:52:10 GMT

Ashley Hall has won a dozen state titles over the years, due in part to having talented, dedicated athletes to shoulder the load.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Charleston – Ashley Hall athletic director Christian Alcantara reports very little change within the 2026-27 varsity coaching roster.

Franny Slay , with 12 state titles and more than 800 career wins, will return as the volleyball coach. Madeline Gill Baldridge will head up the sailing program and Cyndi Simpson is the equestrian coach.

Cassidy Rindge is the swim coach and Grant Vatter is the golf coach. Jeff Word coaches cross country and track, and Charlotte Hartsock is the tennis coach. Madi Foti is the lacrosse coach while Marc Simpson coaches the soccer team.

Bryan Bednar returns as the basketball coach, while Kathleen Klinzing and Ellen Rieber head the archery program.

“When evaluating a coach, the first things you should notice are the intangibles,” Alcantara says. “Positive energy, high standards, and a genuine passion for both the sport and their role. Strong communication skills are equally important because a coach’s primary responsibility is to effectively teach, guide and communicate with our student/athletes.

“Finally, its essential that a coach has a deep understanding of the female athlete, whether through personal experience as an athlete or through extensive experience coaching and mentoring women. I am proud to say that these core qualities have served us well in identifying and bringing outstanding coaches into our program.”

2025-26 sports awards

The Ashley Hall volleyball program is one of the state’s best, led by coach Franny Slay .

Ashley Hall has won a dozen state titles over the years, due in part to having talented, dedicated athletes to shoulder the load.

One of the best to ever wear a Ashley Hall jersey was setter Charlotte Strickland . As a five-year starter, Strickland never had less than 500 assists in a season. As a sophomore and junior, the Tulane University signee had 1,415 assists. For her career, she has 3,137 assists in 450 sets played. She also had 283 kills, 993 digs and 276 service aces.

For her efforts, the school recently honored Strickland as the 2025026 Athlete of the Year. She also was named the most valuable player of the volleyball team.

In addition to Strickland, the school also honored several other athletes with various accolades. Ella McCall received the Slay award and Gemma Williams received the Comeback award.

Gretchen Dawson was the Breakthrough athlete of the year and Natalie Bennett received the award for best individual performance. Girls tennis coach Charlottle Hartsock was named the Coach of the Year and Penny Rose was named Teammate of the Year. Harper Riley was the junior varsity athlete of the year.

In each sport, a Most Valuable Player was recognized. Reves Sidebottom earned the award in swimming and Tate Erwin was the MVP of the golf team.

Lily Sloan was MVP in girls tennis and Bennett was the cross country MVP. Pippa Taylor was the MVP in sailing and Gretchen Dawson was MVP in equestrian. Penny Rose was the MVP in archery and Molly Mettler was the MVP in basketball.

Kate Murphy earned the award in lacrosse and Catherine Clark was the MVP in soccer. Madison Middleton was the MVP in track and field.

Youngblood Enjoys The School Spirit The Community Has For Barnwell Athletics

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:13:53 GMT

There is a special excitement in the air around Barnwell this summer, with great anticipation of the football season because the Warhorse football team returns 16 starters from a team that went 9-5 a year ago.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Barnwell —In terms of an upbeat and positive attitude they do not come any better than Barnwell High athletic director Derek Youngblood and he got trained for his current job when he coached and worked with Dwayne Garrick over a 10-year period back in the day at Williston - Elko .

“I was the assistant AD to Coach Garrick when we worked together at Williston - Elko and since coming over to Barnwell I used my training from my old job to settle into a smooth transition when I left Williston in 2020 to become the athletic director at Barnwell.” said coach Youngblood.

“We have tremendous leadership here from our school administration starting with our Superintendent Crisse Stapleton, to our Principal Franklin McCormick,” said Coach Youngblood. “ We all know the importance of high school athletics to the people in our community and we are all pulling the wagon in the same direction.”

Coach Youngblood said there is a special excitement in the air around Barnwell this summer, with great anticipation of the football season because the Warhorse football team returns 16 starters from a team that went 9-5 a year ago, “First of all, Coach Garrick is a huge part of that leadership team about which I am talking about. He is a veteran coach, and he certainly is not a one size fits all type of head coach.

“Coach Garrick is really great at figuring out where the important pieces of the puzzle need to be plugged in.” Coach Youngblood. “In my opinion he is among the best head football coaches in the state.”

Coach Youngblood said there is a lot around town about the emergence sophomore quarterback Cameron Austin who is D-1 prospect in both football and baseball. ”I think the sky is the limit for Cameron and everyone in Barnwell is waiting to see him in action.

“We have a lot of talent on this team and he could be that piece of the puzzle we need to win a state title ,” said Coach Youngblood. “Our running back ( Tyler Smith ) gained 2,300 rushing yards last year and he jumped 6-4 to win the gold medal at the state track meet. This is the most talent and experience we have had on our football team since we last won back-to-back state titles in 1987 and 1988.”

The varsity football coaching staff has many of the same coaches back. William Barnes is in his second-year coaching running backs and former Miami of Ohio player Rokeem Williams will work with receivers and defensive backs for the third year. Kris Morris in his sixth year and he will work with Coach Garrick in the offensive line. Morris is also the head junior varsity coach.

Heath Corley is the defensive coordinator with 10 years in the program and he focuses on the defensive line. The veteran of the coaching staff with 35 years of experience is outside linebacker coach Mike Highsmith . Thomas Davis works with inside linebackers. Coach Garrick works with Special teams also.

Rob Roth has been the school’s adult trainer for 20 years. “He is the best in the business,” said Coach Youngblood. “He really cares about the kids at Barnwell. “He especially does an outstanding job rehabbing our injured athletes.”

Coach Youngblood wanted to extend a big thank you to volunteer assistant coach Britt Pender who is a former QB for the Warhorses. “Wherever we need some special help Britt just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work,” said Coach Youngblood. “He is a multi-tasker and he can coach it all. He is a great communicator. He works a lot with running backs and receivers too.”

Coach Youngblood also wanted to thank athletic secretaries Kathy Watkins and Gail Still for their efforts in the assisting him to keep the athletic program running smoothly. Keri Schneider is the assistant athletic director at Barnwell. “Keri gets things done and she keeps me and all the coaches straight,” said Coach Youngblood.

Coach Youngblood wanted to also thank Barnwell public address announcer Gary Brantley who has been in the press box for football and baseball games for over 20 years. “He plays music and keeps the game flowing and our fans just love him,” said Coach Youngblood.

Coach Youngblood called Barnwell athletic booster club president Kara Bolen a true go-getter. “We started doing our own Warhorse discount cards a few years ago as a fund raiser and Kara and her team have sold thousands of those cards over the past few years,” said Coach Youngblood. “Our student athletes are well supported here through the efforts of our hard-working booster club.”

The Barnwell head cheer coach for both cheer and competition squads is Amy Williams with 10-plus of experience.

Will Gee will continue as the head baseball coach and the Warhorses have won two consecutive region titles. Gee has three assistant coaches in Frank Cannon , Jackson Ridgeway and Josh Grubbs .

How can many boys’ basketball players say that their head coach is the also the mayor of the city where he lives? Martin Rivera will begin his 4 ^th year as the boy’s coach. The girls’ basketball coach is William Hammonds back for his 5 ^th season.

Luke Catoe directs the boy’s and girl’s cross-country teams . William Barnes directs the boys’ soccer program. Coach Garrick heads up the golf team. Ashleigh Anderson pulls double duty as the head volleyball and softball. Anderson played softball at Newberry College. Her volleyball coach is Mindy Sandifer and her softball assistants are Jerry Raines and Mike Beasley .

Jeff Miller just retired from working with the boy’s and girl’s track program. Miller also works the clock operator at football games.

Coach Youngblood says he enjoys being the athletic director at Barnwell High because there is a strong awareness of high school athletics in the community. “I enjoy going to events and meeting the parents and all of our fans who come out to support our student athletes,” said Coach Youngblood. “We have a great collective group of coaches here and we all try to be good role models to all our athletes. All our coaches are top notch people.”

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.

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:11 GMT

Teams from around the state attended the HSSR Media Day in 2025.

Varsity Football Players from around the state are invited to the HSSR Media Day at the Jeri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility on Wednesday, July 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Moncks Corner — High School Sports Report will conduct its 40th annual prep football media day inside the University of South Carolina’s Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility located on National Guard Boulevard in Columbia on Wednesday, July 22, beginning at 4 p.m. and running through 6 p.m.

“We would like to thank USC head coach Shane Beamer and Director of Football Operations George Wynn for the opportunity to use the centrally located facility once again,” said HSSR Publisher Billy G. Baker . “It is great to know that we will be weatherproof inside and also out of the July extreme heat.”

Any varsity player who is a rising freshman through senior is welcome to attend the event with approval from his high school head coach.

Players need only to wear their game jersey to the event. Shorts and flip flops are just fine also, and the event is free of charge.

Every varsity player in attendance will have his picture taken and will be asked to fill out a 1-page prospect form providing more details about himself as a football player.

There will also be a special cover photo of HSSR Top 100 senior players who attend the media day as well as a junior cover also. These prospect lists can be seen on the home page of hssr.com and the list is also in the process of being updated so check it again in a few days.

This event helps the HSSR produce the state’s only 112-page prep football tabloid in late August. This issue, like all of our monthly issues, are uploaded to our companion website hssr.com. Google analytics has recently verified that the free website hssr.com received one million home page views between April 2025 and April 2026. It was also verified that hssr.com averages 40,000 unique viewers each and every month!

This is important because any article that appears in our publication can also be seen by grandparents, relatives, college coaches, etc., for free anywhere in the world! If you are a top senior or junior football prospect, make plans now to attend media day and you will appear on the “group cover” of our very popular football issue that is circulated to every high school football program in the state as well as the 250 college football programs who receive our monthly issue!

Several HSSR staff writers will also be on hand to interview top senior and junior prospects who attend media day.

If you have any questions feel free to call HSSR Publisher Billy G. Baker at 843-200-9555.

Kephart Takes Charge Of AR Boys Soccer Program

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:52:03 GMT

Andrew Kephart has been hired to head the Ashley Ridge Boys Soccer program.

By Roger Lee

Contributing Writer

Summerville – Ashley Ridge faces two head coaching changes for Fall sports next school year and one for Spring sports.

Bradyn Benes , also a Fort Dorchester graduate, has been named the new head coach for the Swamp Fox Boys Volleyball program. He served as an assistant coach for the Patriots last year.

Chonsie Eechaute served as an AR assistant Girls Volleyball coach last season. She has been promoted and will handle head coaching responsibilities leading into the new school year.

Jeff Plane came to the school in 2008 as an assistant football coach and now serves as the head coach for the Cross Country teams.

Beasley To Be Inducted Into SCACA Hall of Fame During Coaches Clinic In Greenville

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:07:45 GMT

Coach Beasley will become the 7th high school coach from Barnwell County to be inducted into the SCACA Hall of Fame at a ceremony in conjunction with the annual Coaches Clinic being held at the Greenville Convention Center between July 24-26.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Barnwell —During the 2026 softball season, Barnwell head softball coach Mike Beasley , accomplished his 300th career win, spanning 28 seasons, that includes 21 seasons at Blackville - Hilda prior to taking over the Warhorse program four seasons ago.

Coach Beasley is a 1985 graduate of Barnwell High School. He graduated from USC - Aiken in 1997 with a degree in Physical Education. He later earned two master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University, both centered around school administration . He began his coaching career as the head softball coach at Blackville-Hilda in 1998.

He also compiled a 230-130 record as the boys’ basketball coach at Blackville-Hilda over a 15-year span. He has also coached volleyball for three seasons with the Warhawks.

In addition to coaching softball at Barnwell, Coach Beasley has spent the past four years as the Chief Operations Officer for Barnwell District 45 that has emerged as the Barnwell County School District in the past two years. By the year 2028, a brand new high “impact” high school will open, consolidating Williston - Elko , Blackville - Hilda , and Barnwell into the new Barnwell County High School .

Former Barnwell Hall of Fame basketball coach Chip Atkins (RIP) was a great influence on Beasley when their orbits collided at the start of Beasley’s junior season on the varsity basketball team. “During my sophomore year my father died of a massive heart attack and the next year Coach Atkins became the head basketball coach at Barnwell High and he became a mentor to me at a turning point in my life,” said Coach Beasley. “I always enjoyed him as a father figure in my life, and he was a great influence on me wanting to be a coach one day. I give him a lot of the credit for me seeking a coaching career after college.”

In fact, one incident during s game against Silver Bluff is still fresh in the mind of Coach Beasley, over 40 years later. “I am a guard dribbling down the court, and about that time, I hear a bam! bam! bam!! behind me,” said Coach Beasley. “I looked back to see what in the world it was and it was Coach Atkins kicking a chair into the stands, He was upset at the officials for missing a call.”

Coach Beasley will be surrounded at the banquet by wife Cythia, sons Logan, Skylar, and Dalton and he will be clinging to the fond memories of his eldest son Dustin, who passed during the Covid pandemic. The Beasley’s are also proud grandparents to Carter (6) and Tatumn (2), with a third grandchild on the way.

This past season, Coach Beasley’s Warhorse softball team finished 23-5, marking the first softball season in his career that he has had a team win 23 games. The core group of players on the 2026 team led the Barnwell Dixie Ponytails (age 11-12) to the National Championship in Louisiana in the summer of 2024.

“We are going to be a very strong program for the next four or five seasons at least,” said Coach Beasley. “We will have three seniors on the team this upcoming season, but after that, we will be led by a younger group of very talented next level players for a few seasons.”

In four seasons with the Barnwell softball program, Coach Beasley has led the Warhorses to an 80-20 record, and they are a perfect 36-0 in winning four straight region titles.

There are three core principles imbedded into the coaching philosophy of Coach Beasley. “As a head coach I feel it is my duty to instill high expectations in each and every one of my players,” he said. “Secondly, every player deserves to be treated with the same care, commitment, and encouragement. Finally, I stress to my players to never view failure as an acceptable outcome. I keep stressing that hard work pays off.”

At the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, the honorees will not speak when they are formally honored for their achievements. Instead, SCACA has made a video of each honoree that runs from five to seven minutes.

Talk about Coach Beasley (age 58) being a man for all seasons listen to this: At one point in his journey at Blackville Hilda he served, in the same year, as the school Principal, volleyball coach, boys’ basketball coach, and head softball coach while also serving as they mayor of the town for 12 years!

“I was undefeated as the mayor,” said Coach Beasley.

Coach Beasley hopes to coach softball at least five more seasons before an exit strategy might loom big in his mind. “In this business you should always have a Plan B set aside just in case, but I have no idea what my Plan B might be at this point.”

The majority of the varsity head coaches will remain the same at Barnwell for the 2026-27 school year. Brian Smith will enter his third season as the head football coach. Keri Thorne has moved up to become the athletic director after serving as the assistant AD last year, Coach Smith will now be the assistant AD as well as head football coach.

Derek Youngblood remains the school Principal and Dr . Crystal Stapleton returns as the Superintendent for the Barnwell County School District.

Mariel Cooper will become the new varsity volleyball coach while Luke Catoe returns as the cross-country coach. Alan LeRoy returns as the boys’ basketball coach and WilliamHammonds is nearing 30 years as a girls’ basketball head coach.

In the Spring, Beasley returns to coach softball, Cody McCollum returns as the head baseball coach while Coach Smith returns to coach boy’s golf. Thomas Davis is back to head up the track program. Jay Harvey returns to head coach boys’ soccer and Tracy Turpin is back as the girls’ soccer coach.

Abbeville Athletics Looks To Build On Successful 2025-26

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:10:38 GMT

Several Panther teams advanced deep into the postseason, demonstrating the competitiveness and determination that have become hallmarks of Abbeville athletics.

Abbeville Athletics Looks To Build On Successful 2025-26

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Abbeville – The 2025-26 school year will go down in Abbeville High athletic history as one of the most successful even. So says athletic director Maggie Jameson .

“The 2025-26 athletic year was one of the most successful in recent memory for Abbeville High School, highlighted by championship performances, deep postseason runs, and individual accomplishments across multiple sports,” she said. “Leading the way was the Lady Panthers volleyball program, which captured the SCHSL Class A state championship, becoming just the second girls team in school history to earn a state title. They join the 2011 softball team in this historic achievement, adding another unforgettable chapter to Abbeville athletics.

“Success extended well beyond volleyball. Several Panther teams advanced deep into the postseason, demonstrating the competitiveness and determination that have become hallmarks of Abbeville athletics. The golf program celebrated an outstanding season with two athletes tying for state runner-up honors. Across every season, Panther athletes represented their school and community with pride, dedication and sportsmanship. Perhaps even more exciting is what lies ahead. Many of Abbeville’s athletic programs return the majority of their starting lineups, providing a strong foundation for continued success during the 2026-27 school year.”

As one of the more rabid fan bases in the state of high school sports, Abbeville High athletics has as much community support as any school in the state.

It truly is all about the “A” when it comes to supporting the Panthers. Jameson, is well aware of that support and says it plays a major role in the overall athletic success.

“Abbeville has the most supportive fans who come out to events by the bus load and are always there to support out athletes in every way possible,” says Jameson, who is entering her fifth year as athletic director. “Without the community, the fans, the businesses, we could not run our athletic department.”

Jameson says the ability to maintain the varsity head coaching roster also plays a key role in success. The longer a coach can be in the program, the better opportunity to establish a winning culture. She reports that all of the varsity head coaches are returning this coming year.

Jamie Nickles returns as the head football coach. Nickles led the Panthers to a state title lin 2024, his ninth as the school’s head coach. He is the all-time winningest coach in school history.

Sara Wojlkowski returns for her third season as the volleyball coach. The Lady Panthers won the class A state ttle last season.

Jameson and Katie Finley handle the cheerleading program. Jeremiah Boyd coaches cross country and track ad field.

Doug Belcher is the boys basketball coach, having led his team to the Class A Upper State title last season. Ellis Belton returns as the girls basketball coach and Bill Glace is the head wrestling coach.

In the spring, Daniel Little is the head baseball coach while Tim Collins and Lacy Johnson team up as the softball coaches.

Logan Crawford is the boys golf coach. The soccer teams are coached by Martin Lockyer (girls) and Arnaldo Sabatino (boys).

“With experienced leadership, talented returning athletes, and a commitment to excellence, both on and off the field, the future is bright for Panther athletics. As preparations for a new season begin, the Abbeville community has much to celebrate and even more to look forward to. The standard has been set and Panther athletics is poised for another exciting year of competition and success,” Jameson said.

The Annual SCACA Clinic Presents Opportunities For All Coaches Across South Carolina

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:40:04 GMT

The state's coaches will gather in Greenville July 24-26 for the SCACA Clinic.

The Annual SCACA Clinic Presents Opportunities For All Coaches Across South Carolina

Greenville —The mission of the SCACA is a noble one with these words appearing at the top of their web site: “Supporting, Developing and Honoring Coaches Across South Carolina.”

Thus, the weekend of July 24-26 is the time the state’s coaches gather at the Greenville Convention Center to embrace the aforementioned, as everyone gets tuned up for the competition awaiting their respective teams during the 2026-27 school year.

This SCACA Clinic is the 40 ^th straight year the HSSR has attended this great event as a vendor in support of an organization boasting over 6,650 members (and counting). This is the time to reacquaint with fellow coaches, share or steal ideas, or just relax and enjoy some quiet time as you get ready mentally for what is ahead.

I believe coaches are difference makers, and I want to share such a wonderful and positive story with you that verifies this statement. It is 100 per cent true and it involves a phone call I received from Jerome Singleton, when he was the head football coach at Burke High School in the late Spring of 1991.

The phone call went something like this as I recall: “Hey, Billy Coach Singleton from Burke High here. I need a favor.”

My reply: “How can I help you Coach?”

Coach Singlton: “The other night walking home from the prom, that we held in the Burke High gym, one of our top freshman student athletes was shot at on the street walking home with his cousin. The bullet missed the player, but it hit his cousin, and he is still in the hospital and may not walk again.

“The young man made your all-state basketball team as a freshman and he plays in the band at Burke High with his girlfriend,” said Coach Singleton. “I am trying to get him involved with football because I think he is about to get associated with the wrong crowd if you know what I mean. The bullet was meant for him and it involved a dispute over a girl at the prom.

“I have an idea that might get him to join my football team, where I can keep an eye on him, and help his life move towards a more positive direction,” said Coach Singleton.

My response: “Coach, I am with you. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

Coach Singleton: “In your next issue of the Sports Report I need you to make up a list of your Top 10 rising sophomore football players in the state of South Carolina, and I would like for you to put the name of Zola Davis number one!”

My response, after giving his request some thought: “I have never printed a Top 10 Sophomore list before and he has never ever played junior varsity football, right?”

Coach Singleton: “He has been in the band, so he could not play a Fall sport. He is a great athlete, and he made your all-state team as a freshman basketball player. You doing this will be a key to me getting him out for the football team, but the most important thing is I need to keep him focused on being a good person and avoiding gangs. I promise you he will be a great football player also.”

My response: “Okay, Coach you got it. I am all-in. I might put this list in the back of the paper but it will be in the next issue promise.”

Zola Davis saw his name “number one” a week later in the HSSR. Coach Singleton told me he was excited, focused and ready to go. By his senior year, Davis was a Parade All-American, and he signed a football scholarship to South Carolina . While a Gamecock he caught 164 passes for 2,354 yards and 17 touchdowns. He even played one year in the NFL after college.

In 2014, Davis was elected into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Coach Singleton told me a couple years ago that Davis was a regional manager for Walmart, living in Atlanta while leading a highly productive life. (There was a rumor Davis was earning $200,000 a year in leadership role with the retailer).

At the time, I had no idea that Jerome Singleton would eventually become the Commissioner of the South Carolina High School League, and our friendship is still strong even as you read this. We should all be thankful for the truly caring coaches amongst us who occasionally have to thank “out of the box” to help save the future of those athletes they are entrusted to.

From 1987 to the year 2000, the HSSR produced a 96-page issue during football season, each and every week between mid-August and mid-December. We often didn’t know if we were going or coming but that proved our commitment to high school football and other fall sports without a doubt.

Well, Jewell McLaurin of Lake View came up with a novel idea. He would call me every Monday morning for years during the football season to tell me which offensive and which defensive player’s picture to put on the Lake View page, and these two athletes were “The Players of the Week”. He said that his players competing for this honor every week like they were going to be given the key to the local bank. I recall Coach McLaurin won like 286 games, all at Lake View!

In conclusion, let me share with you that the companion web site of the HSSR, known as hssr.com, was recently verified by Google analytics as receiving one million home page views a year between April, 2025 and April, 2026. Google also verified that 40,000 unique viewers go to hssr.com as least once a month for information.

Please do not shed on these facts lightly if your goal is to truly bring recognition and honor to the hard work of those student athletes you are charged to help as Mr. Singleton and Mr. McLaurin did back in the day. We upload our entire sponsored publication to our web site hssr.com every month free of charge with no pass word needed! (Do you know any weekly or daily newspapers doing this in South Carolina?)

If your school is not listed in our sponsored index box on page 71 of this issue, and you are an athletic director, Principal, Booster Club President, or caring head coach, we need to have a conversation.

You just never know where that conversation might lead!

Let’s all work together to further the great potential in all our student athletes. Please contact me at 843-200-9555.

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

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:01:20 GMT

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

Players need only to wear their game jersey to the event. Shorts and flip flops are just fine also, and the event is free of charge.

Any varsity player who is a rising freshman through senior is welcome to attend the event with approval from his high school head coach.

Every varsity player in attendance will have his picture taken and will be asked to fill out a 1-page prospect form providing more details about himself as a football player.

There will also be a special cover photo of HSSR Top 100 senior players who attend the media day as well as a junior cover also. These prospect lists can be seen on the home page of hssr.com and the list is also in the process of being updated so check it again in a few days.

Several HSSR staff writers will also be on hand to interview top senior and junior prospects who attend media day.

If you have any questions feel free to call HSSR Publisher Billy G. Baker at 843-200-9555.

Saluda Football Uses Spring To Build Depth

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:43:54 GMT

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.”

Jefferson Davis football focusing on the basics over the summer

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:37:20 GMT

Raiders return everyone along the line from 8-4 team that reached 8-man semifinals

Blackville – Head coach Anthony Reitenour said his Jefferson Davis Academy football team will be light on numbers for the upcoming season and heavy on linemen. The Raiders expect to have a 17-man roster on their 8-man team with six of them being linemen.

That’s a combination Reitenour has never had to deal with during his tenure at Jefferson Davis or his previous head coaching stop at Clarendon Hall . That has him and his staff focusing on the small details with the team over the summer.

“The big thing for us is going to be the line,” said Reitenour, who led Jefferson Davis to an 8-4 record and the semifinals of the state playoffs last year. “We’ve got guys who have been starting since 2023, and if not that they’ve played a good bit on both sides of the ball. They’re going to be the ones we invest a lot of time in.

“Our goal is to get in sync and going back to the basics. When you lose a lot of outside firepower like we did you go back to the basics and try to be as good as you can be up front. We want to be good and ready to go when (fall) practice starts (on July 23), so we’ve spent a lot of time on that.”

Senior Fischer Robinson is back at left tackle, senior Bryson Livingston is back at center and senior All-Region 2 selection Davison Owens is back at right tackle. Others back up front are senior Stanse Youngblood , junior William Williams and sophomore Carson Sumner .

The Raiders have just three players returning who were major contributors at the skill positions. They are senior Reece Still , senior Harrison Ray and senior Judson Bowers .

Still moved around on offense. He ran for 452 yards and six touchdowns on 34 carries while catching 11 passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns. He could be the quarterback this season though with the graduation of Dalton Nix . That will depend on how a couple of incoming freshmen in Shamarion Brown and Braylon Owens come along over the summer.

Ray had 297 yards and two scores on 47 carries while catching 27 passes for 728 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Bowers rushed for 351 yards and seven touchdowns on 56 carries. Reitenour is looking to give Bowers more opportunities this season.

“Judson had some good runs last year,” but he was more of a change-of- pace back,” Reitenour said. “We need him to be an every-down back. We need him to step up and give us 15 to 20 carries a game.”

Reitenour said Jefferson Davis has been weightlifting every day and practicing twice a week. However, he said with most of his student-athletes working on the local watermelon farms, he has had limited participation at times.

“We just want to continue getting stronger, faster, learn the basics so going into camp we can hit the ground running. This is the first time since 2016 or ‘17 where we really, really have emphasized bare, basic stuff, fundamental stuff.”

Jefferson Davis will be hosting its annual jamboree on August 7 and has Andrew Jackson Academy , The King’s Academy and the Coastal Hurricanes lined up to participate.

The Raiders will open their season on August 14 when they play host to Providence Athletic Club .

KINLEE RAY SELECTED SOFTBALL ALL-STATE

Jefferson Davis’ Kinlee Ray was selected to the SCISA All-State softball team.

Ray had far and away the best batting average for the Raiders with a .404 mark. She had team highs in on-base

percentage at .509, in hits with 19 and runs scored with 17 while sharing the lead in doubles with three. She also had a triple, 10 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases.

OCA Football Sets Sights On Four-Peat

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 02:19:01 GMT

Oceanside's rising senior QB, Aiden Manavian is nearing 10,000 career passing yards and threw 42 touchdown passes last season.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Mt. Pleasant – SO what does a football program with three consecutive state championships do for an encore? Go for a fourth title un a row, of course.

Oceanside Collegiate Academy enters the 2026 football season as a strong candidate to win the AAA title this fall. While the Landsharks did suffer considerable personnel losses along the trenches, there is an abundance of talent and experience in most every other area on the field.

Head coach Brent LaPrad says much of the focus during recently completed spring drills was finding new potential starters and working on developing some depth.

“We combined our varsity and junior varsity guys and had about 60 kids out,” the coach said. “We had quite a few playing spring sports so we spent a lot of time with the younger guys. Keeping the returners up to speed and letting them help teach the younger guys was important. I thought we had a good few weeks and it has carried over into the summer.”

The Landsharks made the rounds with 7-on-7 competitions in June, playing in showcase events at North Carolina and South Carolina.

Back to run the high-powered offense is senior Aiden Manavian , who took over as the starter during the playoffs of his freshman year and has been at the helm for all three of the state title runs. Manavian is nearing 10,000 career passing yards and threw 42 touchdown passes last season.

The passing game will feature a pair of Power 4 receivers in seniors Jaiden Kelly-Murray (Colorado) and Anthony Williams (North Carolina). Cooper Webb and Tyler Garner combined for 73 catches and 1,100 yards last season.

Senior James O’Connor has returned from injury and will the RB1 entering the season. Senior Jaxson Bean is a returning linemen with potential to play on either line.

“We feel good about the guys we have identified up front but they need time to gel as a unit,” LaPrad said. “We have more questions on the defensive line this summer.”

Defensive backs Michael Strickler and Cole Gaspar are two key returners on the defense. Strickler, a hybrid safety, had nearly 100 tackles last season while Gaspar had five interceptions.

W W King Holds Spring Athletic Banquet

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:52:08 GMT

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.

Florence Christian football team lost a few players to more than just graduation

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:47:07 GMT

Eagles do return Region Defensive Player of the Year in Hayden Schwab

Florence – Losing players to graduation is part of life for a high school head coach. It’s inevitable so you do the best you can to adjust to the losses.

However, sometimes other parts of life can throw an unexpected monkey wrench into the mix. That’s what Florence Christian School football head coach Neil Minton is dealing with this summer.

Along with losing eight seniors, the Eagles also lost three players to families moving.

“We’re lacking depth in some spots, not only because of graduation but because some moved out of town, even out of state,” Minton said. “That’s the kind of thing that really hurts you with your special teams depth.

“We’ve got a good group of young guys playing. We’ve got a lot more experienced players in some spots.”

One place where FCS will have a lot of experience is at quarterback. Rising junior Riley Minton , the coach’s son, will be in his third season as a starter.

Minton completed 68 of 113 passes for 978 yards and four touchdowns last season as Florence Christian went 8-3 and lost to eventual SCISA AAA state champion Pinewood Prep in the semifinals of the state playoffs. He ran for 163 yards and five scores on 45 carries.

Florence Christian got in nine practices during the spring. Coach Minton has liked what he’s seen during the summer as well.

“We just want to work out hard and get in shape and be the best we can be,” he said. “I feel that we’re doing that. The kids are coming and working hard.

“We had a couple of throwing days in 7-on-7, and I thought we did fine. Defensively, I really like what I’m seeing. All the linebackers are back, That means we have a lot of continuity, and that makes me feel good.”

The Eagles will be replacing four player on the offensive line. That is obviously a major focus over the summer.

FCS does have the Region 2 Defensive Playe6r of the Year returning in senior defensive lineman Hayden Schwab .

Schwab had team highs in tackles with 97, tackles for loss with 11 ½ and quarterback sacks with eight to go along with returning an interception 43 yards for a touchdown, causing two fumbles and recovering another.

RILEY MINTON NAMED TO SCISA ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM

Riley Minton was selected to the SCISA All-State baseball team.

Minton was the top pitcher and had a 5-1 win-loss record to go with a 4.00 earned run average. At the plate, he led Florence

Christian in hitting with a .404 batting average. He was also the team leader in hits with 21 and runs scored with 19.

Lodge Begins Fourth Season As Berkeley Coach

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:11:57 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Moncks Corner – After a pair of six-win seasons in his first two years , Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall.

Returning at receiver are John Cleveland, Eli Mitchell and Johnathan Mitchell, who combined for more than 60 receptions last season.

“I like our depth at running back and receiver, and of course we have a veteran leader at quarterback,” said Lodge.

Pinewood Preparing To Move Up A Class

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:10:50 GMT

Expectations are high for Pinewood Prep quarterback Silas Brawner.

By Roger Lee

Contributing Writer, HSSR

Summerville - With a pair of SCISA 3A state championships under its belt, the Pinewood Prep Football team is in pursuit of a 4A title.

The Panthers captured their second consecutive 3A Football state championship in November. While some of the standouts from that squad have graduated, Pinewood does return a lot of experience including several All-Region athletes as it makes the jump to 4A this Fall.

“We are younger in some spots, but I think we still have a chance,” said Pinewood coach DeVonte Holloman . “You have to let young players develop and learn through experience while relying on our older guys who have championship experience to lead. They know what to expect which makes things easier. We have a pretty good group of seniors to lead us.”

Rising senior Silas Brawner , the 2025 SCISA Player of the Year and SCISA 3A Offensive Player of the Year , is the quarterback who led Pinewood to the title last year. He is receiving a lot of college interest this offseason.

He will again have some good targets as receivers Lavoris Lucas and Trey Green and tight end/H-back Heyward Moore return for their senior year.

Lucas may also see action at running back and in the defensive backfield this Fall. Green is looking to play an even larger role in the offense this year.

Rising sophomore Jeremy Kendall is back and looking to get more carries out of the backfield this season.

Pinewood is a little young on the offensive front and in the defensive secondary.

“The secondary and offensive line are two places you don’t want to be lacking,” Holloman said. “However, we have some young kids who are working hard.”

The defensive line should be a strength.

“We return all four starters up front on defense,” Holloman said. “We lost a lot in the secondary but kept Michael Williams. He is coming off a really good season so we expect him to lead our secondary and maybe play some offense.”

Rising seniors Jacob Sweet , David Harper and Preston Holliday and rising junior Mason Sumners are all experienced, proven defensive linemen.

Back to lead the linebackers are rising senior Jayden Parrott and rising sophomore Nathan Good . Parrott is a four-year starter and Holloman said Good would have been the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 if Will Watson , now a graduate, hadn’t edged him out for the honor.

The team also has its entire varsity coaching staff back.

“This is my first time in my coaching career I’ve been able to keep my whole varsity staff together,” Holloman said. “That definitely makes the learning curve a lot easier, communication easier.”

The Panthers have been active with 7 on 7 competitions and position camps this Summer.

“I’m not real big on passing competitions, but I think they have showed us we need more consistency,” Holloman said. “We’ve been hot and cold but we aren’t far off and we are learning how to compete. I think we can get to where we need to be.”

Pinewood will have to defeat some of the teams it lost to the last few years in order to win a third championship. Holloman points out all those losses were in competitive games. While he knows there is work to do, he is optimistic.

Cane Bay Football Looking To Get Back On Track

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:05:06 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Summerville – The last two football seasons have been sub-par for the Cane Bay Cobras but veteran head coach Russell Zehr believes the pieces are in place for a potential resurgence.

The Cobras finished the last two seasons with three wins each but did win a region championship in 2024. Zehr and his staff have worked hard in the offseason to develop some up and coming talent. They did so through the weight room and spring practice.

“We had a good spring overall,” Zehr said. “We were missing a handful of guys due to track but we had good numbers. We spent a lot of time getting everyone up to speed. It was an opportunity for us to see younger kids that are coming up and find out who can help us this season. We had about 80 kids during the sprng and about 75 of those have been consistent in their workouts over the summer.”

The Cobras will have a new quarterback this fall. Zehr says senior Coran Houp e is moving from running back to run the option offense this season.

Returning in the backfield are Mayson Samuel and Sam Rolston , with some talented backs coming from the lower levels. The offensive line returns two starters, Isaac Siefken and Eli Taylor .

Junior JJ Rose is back as the leader along the defensive front, with ends Devin Cobbs and B rennen Shokes also returning. The linebackers will be new starters with only Jackson Williamson returning with experience.

The secondary could be a strength with returners Tyrell Bess, Zion Bryant and Caeden Wilson .

The kicking game is a solid strength with senior Aiden Thorne returning. Thorne is a deep threat on kickoffs and field goals.

“He’s got a leg and can be a real weapon for us,” Zehr said.

Cane Bay participated in weekly 7-on-7 passing league scrimmages during June and will play at The Citadel event in July.

Mckoy Continues To Build A Winner At James Island

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:03:22 GMT

Head football coach at James Island, Jamar McKoy has worked to build his program into one of the more consistent programs in the state.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

James Island – After a pair of mediocre seasons to begin his tenure as the head football coach at James Island, Jamar McKoy has worked to build his program into one of the more consistent programs in the state.

McKoy’s first two seasons yielded just a 9-10 record. However, over the last four seasons, James Island is 45-8, including a 12-2 record last fall. The Trojans reached the AAAAA Division I Lower State title game before losing to Summerville. Both losses last season came to Summerville.

James Island has completed spring practices and is spending the summer getting stronger while competing in 7-on-7 competitions.

“Good spring for us,” he said. “We got after it pretty good. High intensity stuff. We got some great work in with the younger guys and we made some the returners were back up to speed in terms of their knowledge in the system.”

McKoy says quality experience returns from last year’s team but there will be a new guy calling the shots and running the offense on the field. Senior Brady Dantzler is the new trigger man for the Trojans, replacing his brother Connor, who threw for 3,400 yards and 42 touchdowns last season.

“We are excited for Brady to have this opportunity and he’s ready for this,” McKoy said. “He’s a really competitive kid with an edge. He can throw it and run it and he has prepared himself for this. He doesn’t need to be Connor. Just go be Brady because Brady is good enough.”

Dantzler has three quality targets returning in Raphael Puiu, Jordan Kendrick and Sam Crumpton . Puiu had more than 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while Crumpton is among the best tight ends in the state.

Four starters return up front, led by fourth-year varsity tackle Israel Harris .

The defense will be led by returning starters Rob Grant (line), Bryson Bowers (linebacker) and Deuce Prioleau (corner back).

“I like this group of kids,” McKoy said. “They want to continue to build on the recent successes that we’ve had as a program. They are learning what it takes to compete and to win. I think we have a chance to be pretty good.”

Red Fox Football Putting In The Work For 2026 Season

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:59:51 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Hartsville – As he embarks on his 22 ^nd season as the head football coach at Hartsville High, Jeff Calabrese is anxiously anticipating the upcoming 2026 season.

Calabrese, with more than 200 career coaching wins, sys his team has put in good work in the offseason and appears focused on bettering last year’s 7-5 record.

“We had a good spring practice, a good offseason all together really,” the coach said. “The numbers were maybe a little down but not far off. We spent a lot of time evaluating every position. If we needed to make a change we did. The focus in the spring and summer is making sure we have the right guys in the right spots. We basically are trying to get everyone on the same page.”

Like all the schools in the state, the Red Foxes put in training four days a week from 8:30 to 11 am. Calabrese says this summer has been especially important as four new coaches have joined the program, including new defensive coordinator Neil Smith .

“Really excited to have coach Smith. He brings a ton of energy and experience and he has really adapted well here,” Calabrese said.

In terms of personnel, the Red Foxes have experience returning in several areas, starting with quarterback. Junior Ford Wallace is back as the starter and continues to develop in his role as a leader on the offense..

Returning at running back is Trace Hillian with CJ Hickmon moving from receiver to the backfield. Anchoring the offensive line is two-time all-region performer Fred Turner .

Other returning linemen, who could end up on either side of the ball, include Creighton McKnight, Jake Williams, Jaquan Samuel and Pat Rhode.

Rod Cranford returns in the back seven as a third-year starter. Zi’Yon Mason is moving from the secondary to linebacker, as is Jamario Scipio-Bishop. Devaris James and Deon McCall are players to watch in the secondary.

“At a school our size, sometimes you have to move some kids around to make it all fit,” Calabrese said. “That’s why the summer is so important, to get those kids a lot of reps, good group to work with. We just need to build some depth.”

Top Athletic Performers Honored At Thomas Heyward Academy

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:52:24 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Ridgeland – Building a consistently competitive athletic program is tough to do at a small private school, but the coaches and athletes at Thomas Heyward Academy make the most of their opportunities.

The 2025-26 school year recently came to an end but before classes ended, the school’s athletic department took some time to honor some of the top performers in athletics from the past year.

Track and field is one of the newer and developing sports at Thomas Heyward. The numbers, though limited, are seeing an increase. The most valuable performer award from this spring went to Baylor Bryan and Josh Gibson . Most Improved honors went to Noah Theurer and Alondra Vera.

Fisher Thomas received the Golden Club award in golf while Mason Reed received the Rising Star award. Cole Bowen was Most Improved.

In softball, Elena Fay was the offensive most valuable player and EK Bowen was the defensive most valuable player. Ollivia Meador as the overall MVP and Brenley Owens earned the Rookie Award.

Meador also was the top defensive player in volleyball while Cayleigh Smith was the top offensive player. Presley Ballagh was the team MVP and Lily Gantt was the Rookie of the Year.

In baseball, Mackie Bowers was the MVP and Miles Stanley received the Coaches award. Luke Simcox was the top defensive player and Dodge Peeples was the top offensive player.

Abigail Kidwell received the Rebel Award in cheerleading and Cadence Graham was tabbed most valuable cheerleader.

In football, Tony O’Banner was named the Most Valuable Player for offense and Owen Palazzo earned the award for defense. Peeples was the lineman of the year an Tyler Hyman received the coaches award. Josh Gibson received the Golden Helmet award.

Gibson also received the team Leadership award in boys basketball while O’Banner was tabbed as the MVP. Winston Twenge was most improved and Ben Gibson received the defensive award.

For Clay Target shooting, Miles Stanley was the Shooter of the Year and Nolan Smith received the Coaches award.

Holly Hill Academy Wraps Up Year With Athletic Awards

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:50:52 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Holly Hill – With state championships in softball and baseball, and a near miss in football, the 2025-26 school year was a productive one for Holly Hill Academy athletics.

The school recently honored the top performers from the past athletic season and here are the athletes that earned special awards for their success/

In cheerleading, Madison McIntyre earned the Raider award and Sissy Miles was most improved. Lucy Oliver received the spirit award and Audrey Murray was tabbed as most valuable.

In football, Parker Kizer was the team’s most valuable player and was honored as the region player of the year. Tyler Green was the defensive MVP and Ryan Brown received the Raider award.

For volleyball, Lucy Oliver was most improved and Kaley Bell was the top offensive player. Tinsley Kern earned top defensive player honors.

For track, the fastest runner award went to Jeremiah McCune and Olier received the Leadership award. Annie Oliver received the Positive Attitude award.

In boys basketball, Tyler Green and Jordan Wren received Captain’s awards, and Chase Holder was most improved. Aarav Patel received the Raider award.

The MVP in girls basketball was Milly Kate Prescott , who also was recognized as the region player of the year. Taylor Wright was most improved and Peyton Strickland received the Raider award.

Jaxon Jones was the MVP for the still developing wrestling program. Jayson Krier received the Raider award.

Steven Murray and Shade Snyder represent the school on the bass fishing team and is one of the top duos in the state. They won the SC high school challenge and earned the right to compete in the national tournament in late July.

For softball, Kaylee Cuttino was the most valuable player. Prescott was the offensive MVP and Abbygail Burleson was the defensive MVP. Tinsley Kern was most improved and Taylor Wrigh t earned the Coaches award.

In baseball, Tyler Green was named MVP and Murray received the Raider award. Mason Gree n was most improved and Jase Tirado received the Coaches award.

First Baptist Taps Top Athletes From 2026 Spring Sports Season

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:48:45 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Charleston – Highlighted by state championship efforts in girls basketball and boys soccer, the athletic year at First Baptist was overall successful.

Most of the Hurricane teams were highly competitive in conference play and took on tough schedules across the board.

The school’s athletic department recently released superlative honors in spring sports, recognizing the top performers and leaders in each sport.

In boys track, Brady Jackson was the most valuable performer in running events. Bates Walpole was the MVP in field events. Miles Jackson received the Hurricane award and Emory Be ntley received the Rookie award. Most improved performers were George Doyle in running events and Demarcus Vinson in field events.

Ellie Blitch was MVP in running events in girls track while Hadley Burr was MVP in field events. Clara Grace Blitch received the Hurricane award and Elise Crumpton was most improved in running events. Amelia Blitch received the Rookie award and Addison Townsend was most improved in field events.

Avin Harrison was tabbed as the MVP in varsity baseball while Thomas Martin and Garrett Huffman shared most improved honors. Bennett Bollinger earned the Cy Young award for pitching, and Henry Cline shared the Hurricane award with Landon Nutter.

The MVP in boys golf was Tucker Mappus . Walker Jack Weaver was the most improved player and Abraham Edwards received the Hurricane award.

Watts Tisdale was the MVP in boys soccer and Cal Oliver was most improved. Josh Laney earned the Hurricane award.

Wells Griffin was named MVP of the girls soccer team with Ellison Cummings named most improved player. Caroline Morris earned the Hurricane award.

Tate Kaplanis was the MVP in junior varsity boys soccer. Tucker Thomas was most improved and Wyatt Brown received the Hurricane award.

In softball, Addison Townsend and Lula Mayo shared team MVP honors. Taber Stelling and Bailey Milleman shared the Hurricane award. Olivia Jessey and LG Cooper shared most improved honors.

Colleton County Athletes Take In Awards

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:46:32 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Walterboro – As the new executive director of the Colleton County athletic department, Chris Myers believes heavily in recognizing the athletic achievements of the athletes in the school.

Colleton County recently honored the top athletic performers from the 2025-26 school year at the year-end athletic banquet.

In cross country, Michael Witkin was the MVP of the boys team while Kira Ralmer was the MVP of the girls team. Gabriel Idol was most improved runner and Samuel Witkin received the Cougar award. Trenton Bunch received the Sportsmanship award and Easton Grovenstein received the Perseverance award.

Earning Academic awards from the girls program were Allyson Scott and Grady Nettles .

In girls tennis, Mady Myers was the MVP and Kaylee Canady was most improved. Constance Keefer received the Sportsmanship award and Cassidy German received the Academic award.

In volleyball, the best defender award went to Inaya Green while Trinity Drayton was best outside hitter. Zyon Salley was the best middle hitter and Brooklyn Holmes received the Cougar award.

In Wrestling, Jordan LaPresta was named Most Outstanding and Charlie Hogan received the Rookie award. Most Improved was Bryce Wilson and Jonathan Warren received the Cougar award. On the girls team, Ero Randolph received the Cougar award and Kaylen Campbell was Most Outstanding. Alicia Guerra was Most Improved and Jaleesha Jenkins received the Cougar award.

Justus Jamison received the offensive MVP in football while Jakell Jenkins received the defensive MVP honor. Galil Frazier received the Wide Receiver award and Chace Jones was the top offensive lineman. Ziair Holmes was the top defensive lineman and Okeefe Martin earned the top linebacker award. Rodney Wilder was the top defensive back and Xavion Bright received the Academic Award.

For girls basketball, Keyarah Koger received the Cougar award and Trinity Drayton earned the Academic award. Xiomara Oxner was the team MVP while Drayton and Tierra Wilkins were co-MVP on defense.

Galil Frazier was the top defender in boys basketball while Akai Martin was most improved. Michael Witkin and Jaqueas Martin were MVP’s.

In baseball, Brenton Jirel earned the Silver Slugger award and Michael Witkin earned the Cy Young award for pitching and also the scholar award. Sam Witkin was the Rookie of the Year.

Emerson Melgar earned the offensive leadership award in boys soccer while Aaden Castellanos earned the defensive leadership award. John Gallagher received the Team Leadership award.

Julia Prentiss and Ellie Gallagher were co-MVP in girls soccer. Nikki Gabriel received the Academic award and Avery Gallagher was the Newcomer of the Year.

In boys golf, Dalton Litchfield received the Academic award and Jacob Singleton received the Integrity award.

In boys track, Khamren Wiggins was the MVP. Shawn Bouges received the award for field events while Hayvion Huggins was Most Outstanding. Lorenzo Breland was Most Improved and Gabriel Idol received the Academic award. Malachi Kirkman received the Cougar award.

For girls track, Jakira Magwood was team MVP. Sharing the award foe field events MVP were Xaria Holmes and Kamalene Goodwine. Khylie Doctor was Most Improved and Zariana Gethers received the Academic award.

Ashley Hall Tabs Charlotte Strickland As Athlete Of The Year

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:43:55 GMT

The Ashley Hall volleyball program is one of the state’s best, led by coach Franny Slay.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Charleston – The Ashley Hall volleyball program is one of the state’s best, led by coach Franny Slay.

Ashley Hall has won a dozen state titles over the years, due in part to having talented, dedicated athletes to shoulder the load.

One of the best to ever wear a Ashley Hall jersey was setter Charlotte Strickland. As a five-year starter, Strickland never had less than 500 assists in a season. As a sophomore and junior, the Tulane University signee had 1,415 assists. For her career, she has 3,137 assists in 450 sets played. She also had 283 kills, 993 digs and 276 service aces.

For her efforts, the school recently honored Strickland as the 2025026 Athlete of the Year. She also was named the most valuable player of the volleyball team.

In addition to Strickland, the school also honored several other athletes with various accolades. Ella McCall received the Slay award and Gemma Williams received the Comeback award.

Gretchen Dawson was the Breakthrough athlete of the year and Natalie Bennet t received the award for best individual performance. Girls tennis coach Charlottle Hartsock was named the Coach of the Year and Penny Rose was named Teammate of the Year. Harper Riley was the junior varsity athlete of the year.

In each sport, a Most Valuable Player was recognized. Reves Sidebottom earned the award in swimming and Tate Erwin was the MVP of the golf team.

Lily Sloan was MVP in girls tennis and Bennett was the cross country MVP. Pippa Taylor was the MVP in sailing and Gretchen Dawson was MVP in equestrian. Penny Rose was the MVP in archery and Molly Mettler was the MVP in basketball.

Kate Murphy earned the award in lacrosse and Catherine Clark was the MVP in soccer. M adison Middleton was the MVP in track and field.

Cross Football Putting In The Work This Summer

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:40:58 GMT

“With all of our key guys on the field, we can play with any team in class A. We have a lot of potential if we can fill some holes.”

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Cross – Having firmly established themselves as one of the premier football programs on the Class A level, the 2026 Cross High Trojans are looking to take the next step.

Cross has been a true state championship contender for the last several years but they have yet to finish the job. The Trojans were 11-2 last season and are 46-10 since the 2022 seaason.

With some experience back this fall, head coach Shawn Wright sees championship potential in his team.

“Like everyone else on this level, we have to stay as healthy as we can,” Wright said. “With all of our key guys on the field, we can play with team in class A. We have a lot of potential if we can fill some holes.”

Wright and the Trojans completed spring practice and the work has continued four days a week.

“The commitment level has been good,” Wright said. “We were missing some guys due to track in the spring but we have them all during the summer. The biggest thing with spring practice was identifying guys who can step in as starters or provide us some depth. The attitude and work ethic of the guys has been on point. I’m pretty pleased.”

Offensively, Wright will look to quarterback Tyler Harris to lead the way. This season will be his third as a starter and his experience cannot be overstated. Harris passed for 1,619 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

“He’s very smart and he sets a great example,” the coach said. “He prepares more than any player I have coached. Nothing rattles him.”

Senior Mah’ky Green is back for his third season as well and should be among the leading rushers in Class A this season. Green topped 1,600 yards with 16 touchdowns last season.

The Trojans also return four offensive linemen, led by Jalen Broughton . Broughton is the lone returner on the defensive front.

Wright says the strength defensively will be at linebacker where Kahlil Levine, Jimmy Smith, Jakobe Jones and Keyawn Wilson return. All four also will spot time at running back.

Latta’s Mason Weatherford, BW Berry, Fischer Richardson Class A baseball All-State picks

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:08:14 GMT

Vikings softball reaches lower state title round; Samantha Townsend All-State selection

Latta – Mason Weatherford , BW Berry and Fischer Richardson of the Latta High School Class A baseball state championship team were all selected to the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association Class A All-State team .

Weatherford batted .365 with five doubles, five home runs, 29 runs batted in and 12 runs scored. Berry batted .341 with 31 runs, 21 RBI and a homer. Richardson hit .358 with 39 RBI and 40 runs.

Berry and Weatherford were the team’s top two pitchers. Berry had 62 innings pitched and finished with an 8-2 win-loss record and a 1.60 earned run average to go with 69 strikeouts. Weatherford went 6-3 with a 3.05 ERA and had 56 strikeouts in 39 innings.

They were selected to the All-Region 6 team along with Logan Byrd , Zach Lane and Josiah Durant . Byrd batted .346 with 11 doubles, two homers, 24 RBI and 22 runs while pitching 37 innings and going 3-2 wtih a 3.41 ERA. Lane batted .286 with an on-base percentage of .441 to go with five doubles, three triples and 42 runs. Durant had a .301 OBP.

SOFTBALL TEAM REACHES LOWER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Defending its Class A state championship wasn’t in the cards for the 2026 Latta softball team. However, the Vikings did a pretty good job pushing their defense to the limit.

No, Latta didn’t reach the state championship series, but it did push eventual state champion Hannah-Pamplico to the if game in the lower state tournament. That came after the Vikings plowed through the District VII tournament.

“We have a talented group, and I’m proud of how they battled through adversity all season,” said head coach Abby Rogers, who led Latta to the title last season after taking over late in the year. “Hannah-Pamplico is a great team and this was their year, but our girls continued to improve, came together when it mattered most and finished the season strong. We’re looking forward to building on that momentum next year.”

The Vikings, who finished the year 15-12, beat Bethune-Bowman 17-0 and Carvers Bay 13-4 and 12-2 to claim district. They did it the hard way in the lower state tournament.

Latta lost to Green Sea Floyds 2-0 in the lower state opener. It then beat Branchville 7-1 in an elimination game and knocked off GSF 9-4 in a rematch to reach the championship round.

The Vikings beat H-P 6-5 in the opener before falling 13-3 in the deciding game.

Senior shortstop Samanta Townsend was a Class A All-State selection by the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports . She was also named the Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year and was joined on the first team by junior pitcher Paisley Jackson and sophomore second baseman Adlay Hyatt .

Junior catcher Chayse Walters was a second-team pick.

Central football using summer to gain experience after losing 25 seniors

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 06:40:28 GMT

Dwayne Louallen Jr. will be back for third year as starting quarterback

Pageland – Having lost a graduating class of 25 from last year’s 11-2 football team that played for the AA lower state championship, Central High School could have used a long spring practice to get ready for the 2026 season. That did not happen because of the success of some spring sports.

“We weren't able to have a full spring because of the success that our baseball and track (and field) programs had, but we were able to get our basic install in,” said head coach Jonathan Eason , who recently became the school’s athletic director as well. “Our biggest goal is to find out who is going to step up. We graduated 25 seniors last year, so we are going to be a team without a ton of returning starters.

“I feel like we still have a ton of talent, but we have to get everyone on the same page mentally. The step from JV (junior varsity) to varsity is a big one, so this summer has been huge in helping us make that jump.”

The Eagles have been busy over the summer playing in several 7-on-7 competitions. They played in an event at the University of South Carolina , Cheraw and Anson (North Carolina) and will participate in events at Darlington and Piedmont (N.C.) in July. When scrimmages are allowed, they will play at Anson on August 7 and will take on Forest Hills (N.C.) in the Steve Taneyhill Jamboree at Chesterfield on August 14.

Central has just four starters returning on offense, but one of them is rising senior quarterback Dwayne Louallen .

“Dwayne Louallen is the centerpiece of our offense at QB and is a 3-year varsity starter,” Eason said.

Last season, Louallen completed 102 of 166 passes for 1,665 yards and 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He is also the Eagles’ top returning rusher after picking up 697 yards and 11 touchdowns on 106 carries. He had three 100-yard games.

The other returning starters are senior wide receiver/tight end Cody Branham , senior wide receiver Darin Gaines and senior left tackle Brandon Streater .

“They are all experienced starters that have played in a lot of big games over the last two seasons,” Eason said.

Senior Marzavious Allen will be the featured running back this year. He is one of five returning starters on defense at outside linebacker along with senior outside linebacker Aidan Welch , sophomore middle linebacker Jaylen Davis , senior defensive end Timmy Tyson and junior defensive tackle Tahir Wise .

MIDDLETON PLEASED WITH PROGRESS OF SOFTBALL TEAM

After getting off to an 8-8 start, the Central softball team finished with just a 9-18 record. However, head coach D.J. Middleton was looking at more than wins and losses.

“The scoreboard didn’t always tell the whole story,” said Middleton, who was in his first year as head coach after assisting his father, Steve Middleton , for a few years. “We showed flashes of the team we’re becoming, and now the challenge is turning those flashes into our standard. We competed with teams people counted us out against and we learned hard lessons in games we expected to win. That’s part of building something that lasts. The foundation stronger today than it’s ever been.”

The Eagles went 0-2 in their district tournament in the state playoffs, but they had two solid performances. CHS lost to then defending state champion East Clarendon 12-5 in the opening game before falling to Woodland 5-0.

Junior centerfielder Ashariya Myers was the team’s lone All-Region 5 selection. She finished with a .246 batting average and an on-base percentage of .315 to go with one double, one home run, 14 stolen bases, eight runs batted in and 17 runs scored,

Rankin pleased with first spring practice as Laurence Manning football head coach

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 06:30:55 GMT

Swampcats returning eight starters on offense, including quarterback Grainger Powell

Manning – The Laurence Manning Academy football team has a lot of experience returning from a 6-5 squad. The Swampcats have eight starters back on offense and seven on defense.

However, they are going to be with a new head coach for the fourth straight season. Veteran SCISA head coach David Rankin is in charge and he likes what he has seen through spring practice and the early part of the summer.

“The kids have bought in good so far,” said Rankin, who came to LMA from Carolina Academy after Jimmy Noonan stepped down. “The participation has been great over the summer. Things have been going well, but we haven’t played a game yet.

“We’re trying to get our guys in shape and get them familiar with the way we do things so when we get to July 23 (the first day of fall practice) we can roll, not standing out there wasting time. We just want to get that kind of stuff in. We’ll start pushing harder when we get back after July 4. We want to get in some kind of condition, be in the weightroom trying to get stronger.”

While the perception of Rankin’s offensive teams is one of toughness and being run-heavy, he insists he has no issue putting the ball in the air if he has a quarterback who can chunk it. And Rankin thinks he has inherited a good one.

“We feel like in Grainger Powell we’ve got a very good quarterback,” Rankin said of the rising senior 3-year starter. ‘He can throw it and we’ve got people who can catch it. When we won the first time at Lee (Academy in 2015), we had Bryce Barrett at quarterback and we did about 60 (percent) run, 40 pass. You’ll see it somewhere in there.

“We’ll be glad to take what the other team gives us. I don’t think teams will be able to load up the box on us. We can throw.”

Powell completed 140 of 223 passes for 1.948 yards and 13 touchdowns while tossing just three interceptions. He also ran for four scores.

Powell’s favorite target, junior Scoop Dennis , is back. A SCISA AAAA All-State selection, he led LMA in receptions with 32, receiving yards with 582 and touchdown catches with six. He had 16 punt returns for 243 yards and one touchdown.

Rankin likes his receiving corps as a whole in Asher Sanders, the second leading receiver who had 30 catches for 380 yards and one touchdown, junior Rob Briggs , senior Eli Gamble and senior Connor Carter .

Rankin is very happy with the coaching staff he has in place at the moment. He has another veteran SCISA head coach in Brock Miller , Cedric Bennett and Patrick Anderson , who served as the interim head coach for the second half of the 2024 season. Rankin is still looking to add two more coaches to the staff.

The Swampcats have had 7-on-7 evens against Colleton Prep Academy , Thomas Sumter Academy , Holly Hill Academy and Carolina.

Laurence Manning will have a 3-team scrimmage with Orangeburg Prep and Beaufort Academy as well as scrimmages with Florence Christian School and Green Sea Floyds High School . It will face Carvers Bay in the FTC Jamboree at Manning High on August 14.

The Swampcats will open the regular season on August 21 on the road against defending SCISA Class A state champion Williamsburg Academy . They will then play their home opener on August 28 against East Clarendon .

HODGE, PRICKELMYER, WELCH, NISWONGER ALL-STATE PICKS

Senior Lyza Prickelmyer , senior Ashley Rae Hodge and senior Caroline Welch of the 3-time defending state champion Laurence Manning softball team were named to the SCISA All-State team, while senior Josh Niswonger was chosen to the All-State baseball team.

Prickelmyer primarily played first base and had a .581 batting average and an on-base percentage of .610, both team highs for the Lady ‘Cats. She also had 11 doubles, four triples and two home runs, including a 2-run shot in the top of the eighth inning in an 8-7 win over Pinewood Prep that gave LMA a sweep of the best-of-3 AAAA state championship series.

She also had 28 runs batted in and scored 38 runs to go with 13 stolen bases.

Hodge, the shortstop, had a .429 average with an OBP of .458. She had 11 doubles, one triple, one homer, 32 RBI and 26 runs.

Welch was one of Laurence Manning’s pitchers. She had a 6-2 win-loss record in 58 2/3 innings pitched. She had 27 strikeouts to 27 walks while posting an earned run average of 2.88.

At the plate, Welch had a .375 average to go with an OBP of .394. She had eight doubles, two triples, 19 RBI and 18 runs.

Niswonger was the Swampcats’ top baseball pitcher, working 50 innings and posting a 3.36 ERA. He had 69 strikeouts to 41 walks. Niswonger had a .294 batting average, but owned an on-base percentage of over .490. He led the team in home runs with three and runs batted in with 17 to go with 10 runs scored.

WELLBORN, BEARD PLACE SECOND IN EVENTS IN STATE MEET

Senior Lily Wellborn finished second in the javelin throw in the girls portion of the SCISA Division I track and field state meet, while sophomore Drew Beard was second in the 1,600-meter run in the boys portion of the event, which was held on May 2 at Ben Lippen School in Columbia .

Wellborn grabbed the runner-up spot with a throw of 100 feet, 3 inches. Junior Gracie Lyles finished fifth in the event and the 4x100-meter relay team finished eighth for Laurence Manning’s other point. The Swampcats finished with 13 points.

Beard finished the 1,600 in a time of 4 minutes, 32.01 seconds. Others who scored points for Laurence Manning, which finished with 11, were the 4x100 relay team with a seventh-place finish, and Eli Gamble, who was eighth in the discus.

GCA Football Reloading For 2026

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 22:47:06 GMT

“We lost a great group of seniors that had multiple years experience, especially on defense,” Bryant said. “We had some great leadership among the seniors, but from what we have returning, I really like our guys."

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer, HSSR

Columbia - In De’Angelo Bryant’s second year as head coach of the Gray Collegiate Academy football team, the War Eagles powered to a Region 4-4A championship and played South Florence for the 4A lower state championship.

“There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle that we had to fill last year, and we had a lot of guys step up in a major way,” Bryant said. “We ended up getting close to it (a state championship) but it was not meant to be. We’re always going to aim for a state championship.”

Gray lost 16 seniors from that 11-3 effort, including linebackers Michael Boulware (Citadel signee; 283 total tackles: 51 tackles, 232 assists), Tye Rivers (131 total tackles) and Caleb Raysor (106 total tackles). Also gone is strong safety Royal Williamson , one of three sons of former South Carolina standout Troy Williamson on the team.

The War Eagles got started in seeing which athlete best fits which spot on the field in spring practice in May.

Returning as quarterback is rising sophomore Xavier Wright , who is coming off a sensational freshman year. In 12 games Wright passed for 2,202 yards and 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He also rushed for 328 yards and three scores.

“He was such a success last season, and the question for us is how is he going to respond this year,” Bryant said. “His answer is that he put on 10-plus pounds in the offseason, and has led the team in the weight room. Anytime that your quarterback can have that leadership speaks volumes for him and for the other guys. Three of our underclassmen in the backfield have had great offseasons.”

The other two are the two other sons of Troy Williamson, rising seniors Royce and Trevon Williamson . Trevon led the rushing attack with 1,662 yards and 25 touchdowns, while Royce had five rushing TDs and 42 catches for 725 yards and eight scores in the wide receiver position. Both players also saw significant time in the defensive backfield, with Royce pulling in eight interceptions and Trevon notching two sacks and four tackles.

This year’s senior group, including the Williamsons, athlete Jack Armstrong (37 tackles, two sacks) and cornerback/wide receiver Corey Gleaton (52 catches for 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns; 49 tackles, six interceptions), led the way in practice.

“These four are catalysts for our offense and defense, and they’ve all had a great offseason,” Bryant said.

Among the younger guys fighting for a spot on the roster, Bryant said David Quattlebaum is a skill player up from the JV squad and will play on both sides of the ball. Junior Darryl Washington will boost the offensive line.

“David had a good JV season and has a great opportunity to be a guy we can depend on,” Bryant said. “With Darryl, when you talk about a guy who has really transformed his mindset and body and his physical ability, you talk about him. I’m really happy to see the role he’s going to play. He’s built himself into a college football prospect.”

Bryant expounded on the team’s performance on the practice field last spring. “Our guys did a great job. Very coachable, very productive during spring practice. We felt like our team had taken some steps forward in the weight room and the conditioning allowed us to push them a little bit. The biggest thing was we had the chance to move the guys around and see where we’re going to have our depth. Spring practice for us was solid. Nothing over the top, but we got a chance to see what we could be.”

Heathwood Hall Football Aiming For A Strong 2026 Showing

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:56:14 GMT

“We lost a great senior class, probably one of the best senior classes in a while,” Zimmerman said. “They contributed to every sport at the school but in building the football program they showed the kids all the ways to step up and fill those gaps.”

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer, HSSR

Columbia - The senior class that lifted Heathwood Hall football team to an unforgettable season in 2025 has moved on, but head coach Tymere Zimmerman said those seniors have left their mark on a revitalized football program.

In the absence of those 15 or so seniors stands dozens of rising seniors, underclassmen, and middle schoolers ready to work toward maintaining what was built on last year. The Highlanders finished 9-4 and reached the 4A state championship game, their first state final since 2009. Heathwood Hall fell to Northwood Academy in the state final, but the big game for the Highlanders came when they eliminated Hammond 16-13 in the state semifinal round. The Skyhawks were the eight-time defending state champions.

At spring practice in April, the returners, junior-varsity players moving up to varsity, and newcomers came to work looking to build on last year’s success.

“We tell our kids all the time to give it your best, your effort 100 percent and your attitude 100 percent, and we’ll live with the results,” Zimmerman said. “This spring we’ve just gotten better as a team and that is going to help us so much in the fall.”

With quarterback Patrick Belk (2,264 yards passing, 20 touchdowns) gone, stepping up under center will likely be transfer student Harrison Hartley , a 6-3, 220-pounder. His big target will of course be senior Keon McKinley , who had 56 catches for 756 yards and three touchdowns.

“He’s one of the best wide receivers in the state, and he’s a great kick returner too,” Zimmerman said. “He’ll also be in the defensive backfield as a safety.”

Added to the mix of receivers will be Cardinal Newman transfer, junior Alan Rodriguez . Rodriguez game saw some time in the Cardinals 1-9 rebuilding season and Zimmerman was impressed with his abilities.

“He’s one of the fastest kids in the state, and he’s guaranteed to be a better football player,” he said.

Sophomore Jackson Dickerson , a basketball player who saw little action on the varsity football squad last year, will have a more prominent role as a running back.

“His footwork is phenomenal,” Zimmerman said.

Senior Hill Belser returns to lead the offensive line that lost two seniors. Belzer, noted for his leadership along the line, is joined by seniors A.J. Morgan and Levi Glass . Juniors Cole Moore and 6-4, 220 Evan Johnson will be defensive ends.

Junior Heyward Belser , at 6-2, 220, is the team’s middle linebacker and may also see time as a running back in some situations. Senior linebackers John Thompson and Christian Hitchcock will flank Belser.

Senior Liam Edwards returns as a safety and is getting looks from Ivy League schools because of his academics as well as athletics. McKinley will also be in the backfield either as a corner or a safety.

With many seasoned rising seniors taking over at several positions, Zimmerman said the Highlanders will be on track for a solid fall practice—and a successful 2026 season.

“We’re on track. Over the summer the coaches did a good job of getting the kids on the field at 6 a.m. every morning and in the weight room afterward,” Zimmerman said. “We’ve been averaging 60 some kids a day, from the middle school ranks to JV to varsity. We have at least 90 kids hitting the weight room over the summer, and that’s a testament to the program that we’re building and a testament to the kids and to the parents to take the time over the summer to get prepared.”

White Knoll Making Offseason Strides Under New Head Coach

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:51:40 GMT

With spring practice in the books and June’s weight room achievements coming on strong, Coach Floyd said the Timberwolves players are on a strong pace to improve on last year’s 8-4 effort.

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer, HSSR

Columbia - Under Nick Pelham , the White Knoll football team achieved more wins over a 3-year stretch than at any time in Timberwolves history.

After 29 victories in three years, a 5A state championship appearance in 2023 and a 5A Division 2 lower state championship appearance the next year, and a round-two appearance in 2025, Pelham took the job as the first head football coach at Lake Wylie High School after five years with White Knoll.

Former Chester head coach Victor Floyd took over the team in February of this year, and immediately coined the 2026 season as ‘the next step.’ With spring practice in the books and June’s weight room achievements coming on strong, Floyd said the Timberwolves players are on a strong pace to improve on last year’s 8-4 effort.

“The team’s coming along. The guys have bought in and the ones that didn’t have left before I got here and if they didn’t, they’ve left by now,” said Floyd, a 20-plus year veteran head coach who led the Cyclones to a 3A state championship appearance in 2017 and a 3A state championship the next year. “I like our nucleus. They’re a little experienced, but I love that they are motivated to play. I like where we are and the improvement that we made and the growth that they’ve seen in themselves.”

Taking over at quarterback from Jhais McKiever , who now attends Gray Collegiate , is rising junior Brayden Cress , who has played JV ball and had a good spring practice.

“He has a lot of intangibles and he’s shown strong leadership so far,” Floyd said. “He’s got great processing skills, an above-average arm, and all the tools to be a really good quarterback. It’ll soon be time to turn the reins over to him.”

With Cress in development is junior tight end Kentrell Bonnette , a 6-3, 220-pounder who Floyd said can line up as a tight end, an H-back or as a slot receiver, depending on the situation. Wide receiver/cornerback Tyler Brown , who came up from JV last year, will also help lift the offense.

“He’s going to be an integral part of what we’re doing offensively,” Floyd said of Bonnette. “Tyler’s going to be a top target in addition to being a good return guy. He’s athletic, has above-average hands and real good ball skills.”

Junior guard Brayden Weston is the only returner on the offensive line, and Floyd said he’s going to see a lot of time on the offensive and defensive lines, and will have a strong supporting cast on the offensive front, which will have four juniors and one senior among the front five.

On defense, senior Jah’mauri Davis returns at linebacker and Floyd considers him a strong FCS recruiting prospect.

“He’s a sideline-to-sideline guy, a three-year starter, six foot and 220,” Floyd said.

Senior Jonathan Keith moved from slot receiver to cornerback and in doing so, became an instant prospect in the secondary. He’ll also see time at running back in various situations, but may get the best opportunity to play at the college level as a cornerback.

Sophomore Middle linebacker Adrian Ellsworth also stood out among the spring practice highlights. At 5-11, 225, Ellsworth showed “a ton of upside” at that position, along with a Chester transfer, defensive back Cl’Menta Crosby .

On special teams, the one standout has been senior long snapper Charles Bieda . Not often thought about as a key position, Bieda has gotten notice with his snap speed—recently clocked at 0.64 seconds on a 15-yard snap. At that speed, it’s next to impossible for defenders to get to the punter before the kick.

“There’s no telling where he’s going to end up,” Floyd said. “The scholarship-level snap for Clemson is 0.72. Once when he was snapping PATs he split a kid’s hand.”

With the July 30 date for fall practice growing closer, Floyd said that the Timberwolves are on a strong track to being ready for the fall season.

“We need to have the same month in July that we had in June,” Floyd said, noting the team’s progress in the weight room. “As long as we do that, hopefully we’ll be ready.”

Lee Academy's Jameson Collins, Ansley Nesbit selected to SCISA All-State softball team

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 21:53:04 GMT

With just two seniors being lost, Coach Nesbit excited about Cavaliers' future

Bishopville – Would Lee Academy softball head coach Craig Nesbit liked to have had a better season? Sure. The Cavaliers finished with a 12-12 record and went 2-2 in the SCISA AA state tournament.

However, Nesbit is looking beyond just the wins and losses.

“A successful season isn’t about where a team finishes, it’s about how far a team has come,” Nesbit said. “This team has come a long way in a short period of time. We all worked hard after last season. Pretty much the entire team played (American) Legion ball last summer and then we played a few tournaments together. Then for the ones that did not play basketball, we hit the weights last fall.

“We were stronger, faster and more experienced. I am super excited about the progress we have made over the last two seasons and can’t wait to see if we can seal the deal over the next two seasons.”

The reason for Nesbit’s enthusiasm about the future is because LA had just one senior in the starting lineup. That senior was Ansley King , an important cog as the leadoff hitter and second baseman. She was an All-Region 1 selection and played in the SCISA AA All-Star Game along with sophomores Jameson Collins and Ansley Nesbit and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside .

King had a .476 batting average to go with a .527 on-base percentage. She led the team in stolen bases with 19, had 34 runs scored and 14 runs batted in.

Collins and Nesbit were both named to the SCISA All-State team . Collins had a .526 average, a .598 OBP, a slugging percentage of 1.090 and 57 RBI, all team highs. Of her 41 hits, 10 were home runs and 12 were doubles, also all team highs. As a catcher, she had 11 pickoffs.

Nesbit, the third baseman, batted .432 with a 538 OBP and a .743 slugging percentage. She led in runs with 41 while picking up eight doubles, five HRs, 22 RBI and 11 steals.

Whiteside finished with a .351 average to go with 18 RBI, 24 runs and nine stolen bases. The first baseman had the top fielding percentage at .957.

Other key performers were freshman Presleigh Greene, freshman Riley Iseman, sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Bristol Baker and senior Sara Bell .

Greene batted .370, Melton .317, Iseman .273 and Baker .258. Bell batted .333 with four doubles in 30 at-bats.

It’s all about repetition for Williamsburg football in the spring and summer

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 21:36:33 GMT

Sophomore Caden Morris moving from wide receiver to quarterback

Kingstree – Williamsburg Academy only lost six seniors from last year’s football team that won the SCISA Class A state championship. With so much experience returning, spring practice was more about repetition than it was about learning new things.

That was probably a good thing for the Stallions as the baseball team reached the AAA state championship series, thus limiting spring practice.

“We were able to get in five practices,” said Williamsburg head coach Will Furse . “The guys who played baseball were in just one of those practices.”

Still, Furse was happy with what the Stallions were able to accomplish.

“A lot of it was just reminding our kids how we do things,” said Furse, who was 11-1 in his first year as head coach. “It was just a matter of getting out, going over fundamentals, conditioning. We worked on our basic plays on both offense and defense.”

Williamsburg is having to replace a pair of 2-way starters in quarterback/safety Micah Balder and tight end/inside linebacker Jay Kellahan as well as standout noseguard Connor Morris . Expected to take over at quarterback is rising sophomore Caden Morris , who started at the other safety last year and saw time at wide receiver on offense.

Furse likes everything Morris has shown him so far as a signal caller.

“I think he brings a lot of athletic ability, he’s an accurate passer,” Furse said. “Every single day he gets better. He’s a leader. He comes to football every day and does baseball every night.

“He’s here every single day he’s near Kingstree . Hopefully he’ll have a really good year. He has a lot of confidence. The team likes him. He knows how to lead.”

Caden Morris will have a lot of returning talent around him, both at the skill positions and on the offensive line.

Senior running back Grant Small is back after rushing for 2,080 yards and 27 touchdowns on 224 carries while catching three passes for 93 yards and two more scores.

Senior Charlie Caulder is back at wingback. He was the Stallions’ leading receiver with 32 catches for 600 yards and eight touchdowns.

Williamsburg has each of the five players who started on the offensive line in the 36-14 championship game win over Colleton Prep Academy returning. They are senior Michael Ard at right guard, senior Marlin Morris at right tackle, senior Mason Cribb at left tackle, senior Sammy Tomlinson at left guard and junior Henderson Livingston at center.

With the graduations of Balder, Kellahan and Connor Morris, the Stallions will be losing just one starter on each level of the defense.

Marlin Morris and Tomlinson will be back along the defensive front, while Ard, who led the defense in tackles with 141, will be back at one of the inside spots. Caulder and senior Seth Cherenko will be back on the outside.

The secondary will be loaded with senior Hall Dukes , who led the team in interceptions with five despite missing the three playoff games with an injury, back along with junior Gamble Wilson , junior Lane Patrick and Caden Morris.

The Stallions will have two 7-on-7 scrimmages with both Lamar High School and Clarendon Hall and another with Thomas Sumter Academy over the summer along with participating in a 7-on-7 competition at The Citadel . They will then have scrimmages with Dorchester Academy and Pinewood Prep before facing East Clarendon in the FTC Jamboree at Manning High.

Furse is hoping the summer will serve as a major bonding time for his players.

“Really what we want from the summer is just having the guys showing up on time, working hard and being together as a team,” he said. “With no school, this is when they are able to hang out with each other.”

CADEN MORRIS WINS HIGH JUMP IN BOYS DIVISION II STATE MEET

Caden Morris won the high jump event to lead Williamsburg to a seventh-place finish in the SCISA Division II boys track and field state meet held on May 1 at Orangeburg Prep .

Morris scored 10 of the Stallions’ 30 points with a winning jump of 5 feet, 10 inches. Junior Ethan Jones finished fourth in the event at 05-06.

Three other Williamsburg athletes had fourth-place finishes as well. They were Charlie Caulder in the 200-meter dash in a time of 24.14 seconds, Micah Balder in the javelin with a throw of 142-11 and Michael Ard in the shot put at 41-08.

The other points came from freshman Josh Holt and freshman Rylan Berry , who had fifth-place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and the javelin, respectively.

The girls team scored four points. Freshman Paige Kellahan finished fifth in the high jump, while junior Shay Carraway and freshman Ann Paisley Stillinger had sixth-place finishes in the high jump and the javelin, respectively.

CADEN MORRIS, CONNOR MORRIS, ABBY WARD SCISA ALL-STATE PICKS

Caden Morris and Connor Morris were selected to the SCISA All-State baseball team, while sophomore Abby Ward was named to the All-State softball team.

Connor Morris led the Stallions in hitting with a .427 batting average and shared the lead in on-base percentage with Caden Morris at .516. Caden was just behind him in batting average at .419. They also shared the lead in runs batted in with 26 and doubles with seven.

Connor led in home runs with four, while Caden led in triples with three.

Ward was a standout both at the plate and in the circle. She had a .367 batting average while striking out 207 batters in 102

innings to go with a 3,22 earned run average.

Orangeburg Prep football team gets a lot accomplished in spring practice

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 21:23:18 GMT

Indians looking to shore up running game entering Brooks Smith's second season

Orangeburg – As Brooks Smith prepares for his second season as the football head coach at Orangeburg Preparatory School , he likes what the team was able to do during its recent spring practice.

“We got a lot accomplished,” said Smith, who led the Indians to a 7-4 record last season. “We were able to go about two weeks, and we did the varsity and middle school together. That way we’re teaching them the same things -- techniques, drills – and install it from the top on down.

“We had a really good spring. We’re really excited about it.”

Orangeburg Prep has several starters returning on both sides of the football. Seven offensive starters are back with eight on the defensive side.

One of the starters lost on each side was in the name of one Tilden “T” Riley . The standout graduated in December of 2025 to enroll at Vanderbilt where he is waiting for his first football season.

The 6-foot-4-inch Riley was named the Region 2-AA Player of the Year. He caught 55 passes for 1,050 yards and 17 touchdowns as a wide receiver and had 30 carries for 309 yards and three scores. Playing in the secondary on defense,

Riley had 68 tackles, four tackles for a loss, two interceptions and one caused fumble.

Despite losing his top offensive player, Smith likes where the Indians are as far as throwing the football with rising junior quarterback Cholly Williams .

Williams is back for his second year as the starting signal caller. He completed 104 of 185 passes for 1,739 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also ran for 292 yards and four scores on 53 carries.

Smith said having Williams with a year under his belt makes a big difference.

“It’s huge,” he said. “In 7-on-7 we’ve looked better than we did last year. It helps that the quarterback has done it, knows the system.

“He’s bigger, faster, stronger. Last year, we had T Riley, and he was the show. We were always looking for him to do T Riley things. This year, it’s Cholly’s opportunity to step up. He’s a great kid, and I’m excited for him.”

The Indians made some changes to what they do in the running game, trying to implement a more physical style. That’s because they have a new offensive line coach in Caden Haws , who was an offensive lineman at Brigham Young .

We switched things up in our run game,” Smith said. “We felt good coming out of the spring. We told the guys we’ve got to be able to run the ball some this year.

“Coach Haws has been fantastic. I’m really excited about where the run game is going. We have to be able to stay in front of the chains.”

Smith said he and his staff made some changes to their summer routine. After affording the players the opportunity to do a weightlifting session either in the morning or the evening last year, all of the sessions are in the evening this summer.

“We lift from 5 (p.m.) to 6:45 and it’s been great,” Smith said. “It’s helped us in becoming a team, lifting together, pushing each other. We have accountability teams where the players have to answer to each other.”

There are four seniors who serve as accountability captains. They are Marshall Livingston , Thomas Fanning , Maxx Judy and Blake Inabinet . They picked teams that compete against each other in different events.

“It’s connecting the seniors to the freshmen and that’s a good thing,” Smith said. “The more you compete, the better you are. We strive for that, and we believe it will help us be ready for Friday nights.”

Orangeburg Prep will again be competing in AA following reclassification. However, it will be part of a very tough Region 2. The Indians will be joined in the region by Pee Dee Academy , Williamsburg Academy , Greenwood Christian School and

Spartanburg Day School .

Pee Dee beat the Indians in the first round of the AA playoffs last year on the way to a state runner-up finish. Williamsburg is moving up from Class A, but it is the defending state champion with most of its starters returning. Greenwood Christian is coming off a 9-3 campaign in which it lost in the AA semifinals to eventual state champion Bethesda Academy . Spartanburg Day will be fielding a team for the first time.

“It is going to be a very difficult region,” Smith said.

The Indians competed in two 7-on-6 events in June, hosting one and traveling to Sumter for one at Wilson Hall . They begin their scrimmage schedule on July 31 at home against both Laurence Manning Academy and Beaufort Academy . They will travel to Thomas Sumter Academy on August 7 before competing in a jamboree ag Florence Christian School in August 14.

Orangeburg Prep opens its season on August 21 at Wilson Hall. Its other non-region games will be at home against Dillon Christian School and Clarendon Hall and on the road against Dorchester Academy , Carolina Academy and Calhoun Academy .

SCHURLKNIGHT, LAMBRECHT, LIVINGSTON SELECTED TO SCISA ALL-STATE TEAMS

Two Orangeburg Prep softball players, senior shortstop Prestan Schurlknight and senior catcher Hannah Lambrecht , along with baseball player Marshall Livingston were selected to their respective SCISA All-State teams.

Schurlknight, who will be playing collegiately at Lander, finished the year with a .521 batting average, leading the team. Lambrecht wasn’t far behind with a .491 average.

Livingston led the Indian baseball team in hitting with a .360 average. He was one of three Indians selected to the All-Region team. The other two were Maxx Judy, who batted .325, and Cholly Williams, who finished with a .320 average.

East Clarendon's Bailey Hicks, Payton Hanniford AA softball All-State selections

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 21:10:58 GMT

Wolverines' Wes Springs, Barnes McConnell selected to baseball All-State team

Turbeville – The East Clarendon High School softball team finished 24-9 on the season, won the Region 7-AA title and won its district tournament in the state playoffs to advance to the lower state tournament, where it went 1-2.

That’s a resume any team would love to have, but when you come up short in defending a state title, well …..

“Overall, we had a good season that just didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” said Wolverines head coach Jason Newsome , who led them to the AA crown last year. “At all levels, we played a very difficult schedule and competed with tough competition. We believe we did a good job developing players to compete in the years ahead. Time will tell.”

East Clarendon had two players named to the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports AA All-State team . They were junior catcher Peyton Hanniford and sophomore shortstop Bailey Hicks .

Hanniford, who was also selected as the Region 7 Player of the Year, had a .472 batting average to go with an on-base percentage of .562. She also hit three home runs and had 28 runs batted in.

Defensively, Hanniford was behind the plate for 151 innings and gave up just four stolen bases. She threw out 11 runners and picked off three more.

Hicks, who was an All-State selection as a freshman, also batted .472 to go with an OBP of .539, three homers and 29 RBI. She had a 40-40 season, finishing with 43 hits and 40 stolen bases.

They were joined on the All-Region team by sophomore first baseman Zoey Culick, junior third baseman Layke Jeffords , sophomore pitcher Rylee Atkinson , junior rightfielder Chloe Goff and senior leftfielder Addison Fleming .

Culick had a .380 average and an OBP of .416 to go with three homers. Jeffords batted .324 with an OBP of .422 and one homer, Goff had a .338 average, a .395 OBP and one homer, and Fleming batted .324 with a .403 OBP.

Atkinson had a 9-3 win-loss record and two saves in 83 innings pitched in the circle. She posted a 1.77 earned run average.

SPRINGS, MCCONNELL BASEBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS

Senior outfielder Wes Springs and senior infielder/pitcher Barnes McConnell were selected to the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association AA All-State team .

Springs finished the season with a .381 batting average, an OBP of .525, eight doubles, two triples, two homers, 15 stolen bases, 29 runs scored and 33 runs batted in. McConnell hit .378 with and OBP of .525 to go with two doubles, a triple, 14 stolen bases, 22 RBI and 28 runs.

On the mound, McConnell threw 17 1/3 innings in 16 appearances and had 3.23 ERA with a 4-0 record.

` JOHNSON LEAVES EC; CORNELIUS INTERIM AD, MCMILLAN RETURNS AS BASEBALL COACH

Curtis Johnson stepped down as the baseball head coach and athletic director to become the athletic director at Sumter .

EC football head coach Larry Cornelius has been named the interim athletic director, while Will McMillan , who left East Clarendon to become the Sumter baseball head coach for four years, is returning to Turbeville for a second stint.

Johnson finished with a 69-27 record in his three seasons at EC, leading the Wolverines to district championships and the lower state tournament each year.

McMillan was the East Clarendon head coach for six years before heading to Sumter.

Is Hilton Head Christian football program due for another championship run?

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:53:41 GMT

HHCA has won seven state titles as it prepares for its 25th season

Bluffton – It has been “a while” since Hilton Head Christian Academy has won a state championship in football. You have to go all the way back to 2023 when the Eagles claimed the SCISA AAA title to find the most recent championship trophy.

This is stated in jest, at least partly. Hilton Head Christian started its program in 2002 with former University of South Carolina head coach Jim Carlen in charge, meaning the school is preparing for its 25 ^th season. The Eagles won a championship in seven of the first 24 years, so the law of averages might suggest another one is due.

Head coach Ron Peduzzi , who has guided Hilton Head Christian to three of those titles in 2020, 2021 and 2023, isn’t saying anything like that is in the offing. He thinks the Eagles had a good spring practice though and hopes to springboard the momentum over the summer into the start of the season.

“We used all 10 practices (in the spring), and we hope to improve in our workouts and 7-on-7 competitions as a working unit,” said Peduzzi, who has a 79-27 record in seven years as Hilton Head Christian’s head coach.

The Eagles have two 7-on-7 events scheduled for the month of July at this point. They will play in one at Battery Creek on July 8 and then travel to Charleston the following day to play in a tournament at The Citadel .

Hilton Head Christian has only one scrimmage set up so far. That will be on August 1 when the Eagles play host to defending Class A runner-up Colleton Prep Academy .

The Eagles hope to get another scrimmage in before they start their regular season. While most schools will be starting on August 21, Hilton Head Christian will open on August 14 on the road against John Paul II . It will play its home opener the following week against Beaufort Academy .

The Eagles will have eight starters returning on both offense and defense from a team that went 6-6 but reached the semifinal round of the AAA state playoffs.

Back to lead the offense is rising senior quarterback Kres Langhals . This will be his first full year as the starter in the quarterback-centric offense, taking over in the middle of last season.

Langhals completed 110 of 186 passes for 1,793 yards and 19 touchdowns. He rushed for 387 yards and seven touchdowns on 82 carries.

Langhals will have the top three receivers from last season as targets in senior Joey Houpt , senior Jackson Richardson and junior Sam Strum . Houpt had 69 catches for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns, Richardson had 45 receptions for 645 yards and five scores, and Strum had 31 catches for 415 yards and five touchdowns.

They were all named to the All-Region 1-AAA team along with three returning on defense. They are junior defensive lineman Hayne Burden , Langhals at linebacker and junior Chase White at linebacker.

Burden led the team in tackles with 105, tackles for loss with 13, quarterback sacks with four and quarterback hurries with 21. Langhals had 39 tackles, five

TFLs, 2 ½ sacks, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries, and White had 82 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception.

Peduzzi said there is more than just wins and losses at stake when Hilton Head Christian takes the field.

“HHCA football has always played for an audience of One,” he said. “We play to win with an understanding that we must honor our faith, legacy and effort on and off the field. We will be on the field to battle every game, whether we are David or Goliath. We will always place team before self. Go Eagles!”

Cantrell completes first spring practice as Kingstree football head coach

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:35:45 GMT

Blazers looking to improve upon 4-7 record in first known season at Class A level

Kingstree – Brandon Cantrell is preparing for his second season as the football head coach at Kingstree High School . However, he just completed his first spring practice with the Blazers.

Cantrell wasn’t hired until June of last year, so there was no opportunity for a spring practice. He is hoping getting a spring in will pay dividends as Kingstree prepares for its season opener against Marion on Thursday, August 20.

“We were getting the younger guys up to speed in what we’re going to do on offense and defense,” Cantrell said. “For the older guys it let us get them reacclimated to what we did last year.”

The progress made in the spring has carried over to the summer workouts as well.

“June’s been good to us so far,” Cantrell said. “We’ve been hitting the weightroom four days a week, and we’ve been able to get a lot accomplished when we go outside and practice. The kids have progressed pretty good. Getting ready for the games, getting bigger, stronger and faster.”

The Blazers return five starters on offense and six on defense from last year’s 4-7 team. Kingstree went 3-3 in Region 7-AA which allowed it to reach the state playoffs. It lost to Central in the first round.

Returning to lead the offense is rising senior quarterback Randy McFadden . His first year as a starter came last year. Cantrell believes a big year could be coming his way.

“We’re looking for big things out of him, Cantrell said. “He has all the tools. We really poured into him. We threw the gambit at him last year. He was learning the offense, learning where to put the ball. He needs to minimize mistakes this year.

“He has the athletic ability to be a Region Player of the Year type player. Hopefully that will bode well for us when the season starts.”

Kingstree will be making changes to what it does both offensively and defensively. Former Kingstree head coach Will Lampkin , who gave Cantrell his first assistant’s job while at Kingstree, will be calling the offense.

“Putting in some new wrinkles will be some of the things he brings to the table,” Cantrell said. “I’ll put my two cents in, of course.”

The Blazers will be making adjustments on both sides based on personnel. Cantrell is happy with his skill players returning. His concern right now is on both sides of the line as they lost many starters.

Juniors Maurice Burgess and Lazarus Moyd , who started at left tackle and left guard, respectively, last season, are back.

Defensively, Kingstree does have senior strong safety Maleek Dukes returning. He was selected as the Region 7-AA Defensive Player of the Year after recording 60 tackles, 11 quarterback sacks and eight quarterback pressures to go with two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups.

Also back is senior inside linebacker Mark Pickard , who was an honorable mention All-Region selection.

The biggest change for Kingstree this season, however, is in not only its region, but its classification as well. For what is believed to be the first time in school history, Kingstree will be competing at the Class A level.

That being said, the Blazers have not been set up with an easy row to hoe with their region, which will be Region 9. Other members of the region are Andrews , Carvers Bay , Hannah-Pamplico , Hemingway and Johnsonville .

“Our region is a solid region,” Cantrell said. “Every team will be good. It will be tough competition in our region for sure.”

The Blazers will have a 4-team scrimmage at Manning along with Timberland and Georgetown on August 6. It will be playing host to the Lake City Jamboree ( Lake City’s field is being worked on and won’t be ready in enough time) on August 14.

Scott’s Branch football team looks to take another big step

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:51:53 GMT

Eagles return three top skill players in Nyren Bowman, Keith Rogers, Quintin Jackson

Summerton – The Scott’s Branch High School football team has gone from 0-10 the year before Patrick Fleming took over as head coach to 4-7 and then to 9-3. The Eagles believe another big jump in wins could come this season, and if that were to happen, that would possibly mean some more room might need to be made in the trophy case.

“We want to continue to take the next step and get to the championship round of the tournament (Class A state playoffs),” Fleming said. “We’re just working on revamping some things, but that’s the expectations going in. It’s time to chase some hardware.”

SB will have nine starters back on defense and five on offense. The revamping Fleming spoke of is along the offensive front, but he believes a lot of progress was made in spring practice.

“I feel like we had a really good spring,” he said. “We lost a good deal of offensive linemen, so that was a focus for us this spring.”

Scott’s Branch lost three starters on the O line with rising senior Zion Starks (6-feet-0-inches, 265 pounds) returning at left tackle and junior Sa’Nye Hilton (5-10, 250) at left guard. Also back is senior Danny Ragin (6-2, 245), a dominant blocker who was a first team All-Region 5 selection last year.

The Eagles are also having to replace Jaiven Conyers at quarterback. The new signal caller will be sophomore Kaleb Minger , who transferred from fellow Clarendon County School District school Manning .

Minger recently received a scholarship offer from NCAA Division II school Clark Atlanta during a camp at South Carolina State .

“He had a good spring,” Fleming said. “He’s a pure pocket passer. He’s 6-4 and 210 pounds and has got a big arm.”

SB has some outstanding skill players returning led by senior All-Region wide receiver Keith Rogers . He had 43 catches for 802 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively in the secondary, Rogers had 50 tackles and four interceptions, returning one for a score. Rogers returned three kickoffs for touchdowns as well.

Also back are senior wide receiver Nyren Bowman and senior athlete Quintin Jackson , who were both first team All-Region defensive selections at linebacker and defensive back, respectively.

Jackson did a little bit of everything for Scott's Branch. He filled in at quarterback after a season-ending injury to Conyers and threw for 500 yards and six touchdowns. He added 57 carries for 454 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 18 passes for 306 yards and four touchdowns.

Bowman, who has received an offer from DII Anderson University , had over 30 catches and five TD receptions to go with 92 tackles on defense.

“The older guys have become leaders and the young guys are starting to follow,” Fleming said. “We’ve told the guys great teams are player-led, and they’re doing a great job being leaders in the weight room, practice, competitions. They were athletes when we first got in, now they’re football players.”

Dunaway excited about future or Laurens Academy softball program

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:25:52 GMT

Mackenzie Runyans, Madisyn Graham, Makayla Lindley selected to play in SCISA North-South All-Star Game

Laurens – The 2026 softball season didn’t go the way Laurens Academy head coach Frankie Dunaway hoped it would. The Crusaders finished with a 4-13 record and went 0-2 in the SCISA AA state tournament. However, Dunaway thinks better things await.

“It wasn’t our best season, but like I told you before, we’re a young team,” Dunaway said. “I have two seniors. We started the season with no pitchers, and in January of this year, a sophomore player, who’s never played before, started taking pitching lessons.

“We ended up with two pitchers for the season. We’ll start next season with the same two pitchers ( Mackenzie Runyans and Caroline Robinson ), plus I’m moving up my middle school pitcher ( Peightyn Lawson , who will be a seventh-grader in 2027). We’ll have players returning plus a couple new faces that should help us improve.”

LA had three players selected to the All-Region team in senior Madisyn Graham , junior Makayla Lindley and Runyans.

Graham, who played first base. finished with a .351 batting average to go with an on-base percentage of .467, three doubles, eight runs batted in and 16 run scored.

Runyans pitched and played shortstop when Robinson was in the circle. Runyans batted .349 to go with an OBP of .462. She had one double, two triples, eight RBI and 16 runs.

Lindley handled the catching chores and finished with a .361 average. She had an OBP of .477, scored 12 runs and had six RBI.

Other key contributors were sophomore third baseman/outfielder Brooke Abercrombie , junior outfielder Addison Mitchum , senior outfielder Sophie Harvey and junior middle infielder Morgan Bolding .

Abercrombie batted a team high .386 with eight RBI and 11 runs and an OBP of .426, while Mitchum had a team high OBP of .511 to go with a .267 batting average, 12 runs and two RBI. Bolding batted .341 with an OBP of .471 and a team high 17 runs. Harvey had an OBP of .385 to go with a .200 batting average and nine runs.

Junior outfielder Caroline Mullinax had the team’s only home run. Eighth-grade outfielder Ellie Watts batted .267 with a .450 OBP, and Robinson had a .366 OBP to go with 10 runs.

Laurens came close to picking up a victory in the opening game of the state tournament. The Crusaders dropped a 5-4 decision to Andrew Jackson Academy . They were eliminated with a 13-3 loss to Dorchester Academy .

Barker pleased with first year as Pee Dee baseball head coach

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:12:26 GMT

Tristan Heckman selected to the SCISA All-State team

Mullins – Having lost five seniors from a 15-5 team that won a region title as well as having head coach Brian Davis step down, taking a step back – at least for one season – might have been the expectations of some for the Pee Dee Academy baseball team.

Not for the Golden Eagles though.

PDA finished with a 14-8-1 overall record and reached the championship round in its bracket in the SCISA AAA state playoffs in its first season with Danny Barker as head coach.

“We were pleased with the season,” Barker said. “The goal is always to play in the last series (the state championship series), but we did not quite get there this year. Not a lot was expected of us this year after losing a lot of players and me being a new coach. Everyone’s expectations were exceeded.”

Pee Dee was led by senior pitcher Tristan Heckman . He was selected to the SCISA All-State baseball team and was selected to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game along with fellow seniors Chandler James , Briggs Jones and Cohen Williamson .

The quartet was also selected to the All-Region 2 team as well along with freshman Neal Byrd .

Heckman, who has signed to play collegiately with Florence-Darlington Technical College , was the leader at the plate as well as on the mound. Offensively, Heckman led the Eagles with a .448 batting average. He led in hits with 26 with 11 of those going for extra bases – five doubles, four triples and two home runs. Heckman scored a team high 27 runs and had 15 runs batted in. He had an on-base percentage of .579 and 11 stolen bases.

As a pitcher, the right-hander posted a 5-2 win-loss record with a 0.79 earned run average in 35 2/3 innings pitched. He had 81 strikeouts while allowing just 14 hits and 16 walks.

James batted .413 and had a team high OBP of .594 and led in RBI with 21. He had two doubles, a triple, a homer, scored 13 runs and stole 12 bases.

Jones batted. 298, had a .394 OBP, scored 21 runs, stole 10 bases and had 17 RBI. Pitching-wise, Jones was 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 32/3 innings.

Williamson batted .327 and had an OBP of .411 with four doubles, 12 RBI and 13 runs.

Byrd batted .314 but had an OBP of .538. He had seven RBI and scored 12 runs. Byrd worked 21 2/3 innings on the mound, going 1-1 with a 2.58 ERA.

Despite losing three other seniors along with the four aforementioned seniors, Barker is excited about the future.

“One thing that we were pleased with this year was setting a foundation for the future,” he said. “We have a great group of young players that we are super excited about.”

It was a season of what ifs for the Belton-Honea Path baseball team

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:50:37 GMT

Bears finish 12-16 with six losses by one run and another coming in extra innings

Honea Path – The just completed baseball season was one of what ifs for Belton-Honea Path High School . The Bears finished with a 12-16 overall record and were fourth in Region 1-AAA with a 6-7 record. However, six of the losses were by one run and another loss came in nine innings.

“The season didn’t go great,” said BHP head coach Chad Roper . “The two highlights were playing in a preseason tournament championship and making it to the district championship in the state playoffs. The potential was there, but the consistency wasn’t.”

Belton-Honea Path’s performance in the District 4 tournament was as close to a perfect encapsulation to its season as one could find.

The Bears lost to Christ Church 2-1 in nine innings in the opening game. They rebounded with a 4-0 win over West-Oak in an elimination game. Up next was Region 3 champion Mountain View Prep , which had lost to Christ Church in the winners bracket game. BHP won 9-3 to advance to the district championship round.

Awaiting was Christ Church, which beat Belton-Honea Path 10-9 and 12-7 in the aforementioned 9-inning loss during the regular season. The Bears suffered another 1-run, extra-inning loss, falling 8-7 in eight innings.

Senior Rhett Turner was selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game as well as being chosen to the All-Region 1 team. He was joined on the All-Region team by senior Christian Jones and senior Aidan Jenkins .

Jones led BHP in hitting with a .380 batting average. Jenkins batted .364 and Turner hit .359.

Heading into the postseason, Turner was leading the team in runs batted in with 17 and hits with 29 to go with six doubles and 19 runs scored. Jones led in runs with 20 and doubles with seven to go with 13 RBI, while Jenkins had 28 hits, six doubles, 15 RBI and 11 runs.

Roper said Belton-Honea Path is headed into an important offseason.

“We lose eight seniors so development will be key this summer and preseason for some younger guys,” he said.

The other five seniors were KJ Miles , Preston Dixon , Lawson Nichols , Jakyri Anderson and Noah Lecroy , who was batting .414 in 30 at-bats entering the playoffs.

Some key players who are expected to return are sophomore Nick Sargent , junior Landon Davis , sophomore Jensen McCoy , sophomore Jud Lowrie , freshman Hunter Collins and junior Leelin Laburda .

Sargent was hitting .342, Lowrie .316 Davis .246 and McCoy ,237 as regulars.

Wilson Hall track teams both finish second in SCISA Division I state meet

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:24:01 GMT

Girls team just misses defending state title; Karsen Jones leads the way with 2 titles

Sumter -- Both the boys and girls track and field teams for Wilson Hall have proven themselves to be yearly contenders for SCISA Division I state titles.

Both teams finished second in the state meet in May. The Lady Barons just missed repeating as state champions, finishing with 135 points while Hammond took the title with 140. Heathwood Hall finished a close third with 133.

On the boys side, Heathwood won with 130 points. The Barons finished with 116.

"We/ve been excited about our growth over the last few years," said head coach Rip Ripley . "We have an unbelievable coaching staff taht really dedicates to our athletes and offers a great variety of training and pushes our athletes.

"W8h the success our track and cross country teams the last few years, it has raised the level of ezxpectation, and our athletes have bought in to embracking the challenges of competing at a high level."

Leading the way for the Wilson Hall girls was freshman Karsen Jones . She won both of the hurdle events, taking the 100 in a time of 16.65 seconds and the 400 in 1 minute, 2.37 seconds.

Another freshman, McKinley Bath , won a state title in the javelin with a throw of 33.76 meters. She also scored points by finishing fourth in the shot put and seventh in the triple jump.

Freshman Ashley Carter was second in both the shot and discus. Junior Christina Osgood was second in the pole vault, setting a school record at 2.9m. Freshman Grace Stewart was second in the high jump.

The 4x800-meter relay team set a school record at 19:06.61 while finishing second. The team was made up of sophomore Mary Foley , eighth-grader Jane Foley , sophomore Ellis Coker and eighth-grader Riley Coker .

Eighth-grader Elisa Getz and sophomore Bailey Flemming both placed in three events. Getz was third in the triple jump, fourth in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the long jump. Flemming was fourth in the triple jump, fifth in the 400 dash and seventh in the 200 dash.

Jane Foley and eighth-grader Kate-Austen Kaneft had fourth-place finishes in the 400 hurdles and vault, respectively, while sophomore Grace McArthur was fourth in the javelin. Freshman Isabella Quiroz was sixth in the vault, eighth-grader Leland Jones was sixth in the triple, and senior Mary Ellen Thorne was seventh in the 3,200 run.

The 4x4 relay team of Karsen Jones, Jane Foley, Mary Foley and Ellis Coker finished fourth and the 4x1 relay team of senior Bowen Zitzke , Morgan Chewning , Quiroz and McArthur finished fifth.

The boys team had two individual state champions in senior Ford Wilder and sophomore Shep Vincent , while the 4x4 and 4x8 relay teams also won.

Wilder won the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 11.50 inches. Vincent won the 110 hurdles in 15.88. The 4x4 team of seventh-grader Joseph Foley, sophomore Trip Hunt, junior Caulder Williamson and freshman Jack Gratz won in 3:31.82 and the 4x8 team of junior Abel Ayres, senior Ben Rabon, Williamson and Gratz won in 8:26.55.

Vincent also finished second in the 400 hurdles and third in the triple, while Wilder was second in the triple.

Sophomore Gibb Wilder was second in the vault. Gratz was third in both the 400 and 800 run, while sophomore Joseph Hiott was third in the high and fifth in the 400. Hunt was fourth in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600 run, and sophomore Nolan Gooch was sixth in the triple and seventh in the long.

Williamson finished fourth in the 1,600, senior Andrew Howle was seventh in the shot, sophomore Craig Busch was seventh in the javelin, and sophomore Harris Huffman was seventh in the 400 hurdles.

Doodles 73 Year Journey Started In 1953

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:11:14 GMT

Gerald Doolittle is a one-of-a-kind, truly amazing stats person, and the HSSR is very thankful and appreciative of his many years of service to the prep fans across the Palmetto State. He is an icon defined by hard work and his love for tracking down the numbers that reflect the score boards in our lives.

By: Gerald Doolittle

Edgefield, S.C. – The love of following high school sports began for Gerald Doolittle on 9/18/1953 when he slipped away to follow his two older brothers, the quarter mile down the street to Addison Field, where Edgefield High School played their football and baseball games.

On this night, as a fourth grader, Gerald weighing in at 50 pounds, became a prop for the Edgefield cheerleaders. They needed a prop to be their pump house to fire the Bulldogs to a 44-0 win.

This particular cheer went as follows: “Chase around the pump house. We can beat Wagener all to rickety rickety rust, we are not allowed to cuss. But never-the less we can defeat the Wildcats. Sisters Peggy and Naomi Strom adopted me as their little pump house for home games.

Then, later in the 1953-54 basketball season, I attended my first basketball game, when my mom took me to Saluda to watch Peggy and Naomi defeat the Tigers. After that night I was hooked on basketball.

During the 1954-55 school year, my little brother and I became water boys for the varsity football team. We served as water, or ball boys, for several years. One game in 1957 was played at Paris High School where the water froze in the buckets!

Because of health issues I was not able to play football. Instead of playing in games, I supported the team in other ways. I did attempt to play basketball, until I had a hemorrhage. That is where I started keeping stats for all the sports at Edgefield High School.

In my junior year, I started to create my Doodles Doodles. I played around with a formula for ten years before I finally shared my finished product with the local papers. Sandra Reese , one of the editors, gave my system its name Doodles Doodles.

In the 1970’s I had the opportunity to serve as President of the Edgefield County Softball league which had 12 teams for the male division, and 6 teams for the female division. During this time, I was the official scorer for three games a night five days a week.

Then in 1988, I became the sports statistician at Wardlaw Academy which lasted for 23 years before going over W.W . King Academy for 13 years. In 2022, I finished 68 years of keeping stats involving results from 9,150 games.

In 1996, Billy Baker found me and got me involved in Sports journalism. I have served 30 years with the HSSR. I am proud to be called the HSSR Historian.

In 2010 I had my first stroke that slowed me down, and then in 2011 my second stroke led to the discovery of my cancer. I had to have 42 radiation treatments into 2012. In 2019, my right kidney started to fail. In early 2026, a dime sized kidney stone destroyed the right kidney. Also, during this ordeal it was discovered that my cancer had returned to my prostrate.

Since 2022 I have been home-bound by a chronic stomach condition. I only get out to doctor appointments and taking my chances at the grocery store and CVS.

So, as I turn 83 in July, I will continue to give my fans my Doodles during the 2026 football season and I will continue to post statewide stats for the HSSR each week.

It has been a long and fulfilling journey over the years. Many have asked me about my formula for extending power ratings to every varsity football team in South Carolina. These power ratings have helped me maintain a more than 80 per cent accuracy rating in predicting winners and losers every week during the football season. This 80 per cent is against the spread also.

One time I had to ask a gentleman to leave my home in Edgefield after he got upset that I would not share my formula for predicting games with him. He drove quite a way also, but when he called to ask if he could stop by it was only to say hello!

In fact, should Mr. Baker outlive me, he and only he, will inherit my formula and this is already stated in my Will. So, the 2026 football season will soon be here and I am excited as ever to get Doodles Doodles cranked up again.

Publishers Note : Gerald Doolittle is a one- of- a- kind, truly amazing stats person, and the HSSR is very thankful and appreciative of his many years of service to the prep fans across the Palmetto State. He has pressed on despite major health issues also. He is an icon defined by hard work and his love for tracking down the numbers that reflect the score boards in our lives.

SC High School 2026 Coaches Career Records

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:59:45 GMT

Spring practices are history, 7-on-7 teams are starting, and we're looking forward to season.

With all the changes at the end of the school year, The HSSR staff took a look at who went where, who stayed put, and how last season figured into their coaching records.

This is still a work in progress. Coaches, any additions or corrections can be emailed to hsreport@aol.com.

Click here to open the 2026 Coaches Log

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

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 03:01:10 GMT

Blue Eagles' Evan T rubilio’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.

Chapin girls soccer wins state championship after runner-up finishes the past two years

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:23:52 GMT

Eagles shut out Eastside 4-0 to claim AAAAA Division II state crown

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Hardeeville wins Class A boys soccer state crown in school's second year of existence

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:57:56 GMT

Hurricanes beat defending state champion Dixie 3-2 to claim title

Columbia -- In only its second year as a school, Hardeeville High School can claim the title of state champíon in boys soccer.

Hardeeville defeated defending state champion Dixie 3-2 in the Class A state championship match at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, May 21. The win avenged a loss to Dixie in last year’s finals.

Hardeeville ended the season on a 9-match winning streak

With the score tied at 2 into the second overtime, freshman Caden Mitchell delivered the game-winning goal and the defense made it stand over the final minutes.

Fabian Ramirez had the assist on Mitchell’s goal and also scored Hardeeville’s first goal on a penalty kick in the first half.

Dixie would not go away and tied the contest before halftime and took a 2-1 lead early in the second half.

Hardeeville got the equalizer on a goal from Efrain Tinoco .

Tinoco and Ramirez were named All-State as was Jayden Cruz

Hardeeville head coach Misael Garzon is in his first season at the school, coming over from May River . He was confident his team would perform in the final.

“They say, ‘If you come at the king, you best not miss,’ and that’s what the boys did tonight,” Garzon said. “It speaks to the determination, they wanted to come back here, they wanted to win. When we found out it was Dixie, they wanted this match, they wanted revenge. They wanted to show that last year was a fluke and that this year we were going to earn it and we did.”

Hardeeville finished with 18 wins this season.

The Hurricanes managed 22 shots, 11 on goal, in the finals.

Latta's Erianna Crawford finishes second in 100 dash in Class A girls track state meet

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:56:08 GMT

Crawford finishes 5th in 200; Malik Grace 4th in 100, 6th in 200 in boys meet

Latta – Erianna Crawford finished second in the 100-meter dash and placed in the 200-meter dash to lead the Latta High School girls track and field team in the Class A state meet on May 16 at Spring Valley High’s Harry Parone Stadium in Columbia .

Crawford ran the 100 in 12.28 seconds. She finished fifth in the 200 in 26.49. The other Viking girl to place was Ahliyah Smiling with a seventh-place finish in the discus.

Latta girls who qualified for state but didn’t place were Harmony Hiines in the 100-meter hurdles, Kaylani Spivey in the javelin and the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay teams.

On the boys side, sprinter Malik Grace led the way. He placed in both the 100 and 200, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.

The 4x1 relay team also finished fourth while Henry Miller was fifth in the javelin.

Cooper Grainger qualified for the 1,600-meter run but did not place.

In the Class A lower state meet held at Carvers Bay in Hemingway on May 9, Miller was the lower state champion in the javelin.

The Region 6 meet was also held at Carvers Bay, and Latta had three girls win region titles and two boys.

Crawford won the region in both the 100 and 200 while Hines was the region champion in the 100 hurdles. Miller claimed the region title in the javelin, while Anthony Williams won the high jump title.

Latta’s Crawford 2 nd in Class A g

Laurens Academy baseball reaches semifinal series of SCISA AA state playoffs

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:38:42 GMT

Caleb Hardy, Riley Whittaker, Wyatt Little selected to play in SCISA All-Star Game

Laurens – Darryl Halbert wasn’t quite sure, but when the Laurens Academy baseball team beat Andrew Jackson Academy in a first-round series in the SCISA AA state playoffs, he knew it had been a while since it had happened.

“I think it was 2015,” said Halbert, LA’s veteran head coach, at the time.

Whenever it was, it made for an outstanding season for the Crusaders.

“I was very impressed and really satisfied with the way our season progressed from February into May,” said Halbert, whose team finished with a 13-8 record after taking eventual state champion Dorchester Academy to a third game ine semifinal series. “We got stronger and faster over the offseason, and that began to show as we got deeper into the season.

“It was our first playoff series win in quite a while. I was happy for the young guys experiencing good playoff baseball this early in their careers, but I was especially happy for the older guys that got to experience playoff success, in particular our only senior, Braydon Burke . He's played his behind off for us for five years, and he was able to advance in the playoffs. We didn't get him a ring, but we got dang close.”

With Burke being the only senior, that means Laurens will return everyone else. That includes three players who were selected to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game , junior catcher Caleb Hardy , freshman shortstop/pitcher Riley Whittaker and eighth-grade pitcher/third baseman Wyatt Little .

Little led LA with a .409 batting aerage. He had eight double, 17 runs batted in and 18 runs scored. Whittaker batted .361 with 14 Rbi and 28 runs. Hardy batted .266 with four doubles, two home runs and a team high 19 RBI.

Pitching-wise, Little had a 3-3 win-lossrecord with a 4.08 earned run average in 34 1/3 innings pitched. Whittaker worked 30 innings and had 54 strikeouts to go with a 3-2 record and a 1.87 ERA.

Lamar softball team has "awesome" season reaching championship round of district tournament

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:16:42 GMT

Silver Foxes push Ridge Spring-Monetta to if game while finishing year with 18-11 record

Lamar – It’s kind of hard to hide the enthusiasm Shane Brantley had for the just completed season of the Lamar High School softball team.

“Awesome season,” the Silver Foxes head coach said. “The girls worked really hard and fought hard all year.”

The results were an 18-11 overall record and a 10-2 mark in Region 2-Class A, good for second place. Lamar reached the championship round of its district tournament in the state playoffs, pushing Ridge Spring-Monetta to the if game before falling.

The Foxes had five players selected to the All-Region team in Ansley Brantley , Cheyenne Anderson , Jordyn Scarborough , Isabella Hayes and Sadie McManus .

Ansley Brantley was also selected to the Class A All-State team. She batted .329 with 45 runs scored and 13 runs batted in. Anderson batted .368, McManus .333 and Hayes .346.

Scarborough batted an even .400 to go with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. Hayes had 11 doubles, a triple and a homer.

Lamar stole an amazing 354 bases. Ansley Brantley led the way with 54 followed by Scarborough with 44, Anderson with 39, McManus with 35 and Kynley Brantley with 30.

“This was the fastest team I have ever had,” said Coach Brantley.

Hayes and Ansley Brantley shared the pitching duties. Brantley worked 57 innings and had a 4.79 earned run average. Hayes had a 4.81 ERA in 54 innings.

What’s the only thing that might get Coach Brantley more excited than the just completed season?

“I can’t wait to see what next year holds as we have everybody returning,” he said.

Lee Academy comes up just short of defending SCISA AA baseball state title

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:49:08 GMT

Cavaliers fall to Dorchester Academy in three games in championship series

Bishopville -- The Lee Academy baseball team had another outstanding season, but it just didn’t end in the way for which the Cavaliers and their fans hoped.,

LA finished the season with an 18-6 record but came up a game short of defending its SCISA AA state championship. Lee lost to Dorchester Academy 9-5 in the third and deciding game of the title series on May 14 at Laurence Manning Academy’s Tucker Belangia Diamond .

“We had a great season,” said Cavaliers’ second-year head coach Danny Price. “We hit and pitched well most of the season, but we just didn’t seem to play our best in this series. You have to tip your cap to them (Dorchester). They played well.”

LA, which swept Beaufort Academy and The King’s Academy in its first two series, dropped the first game of the title series on the road by a 6-2 count. It rallied at home though for a 5-3 victory to force the if game.

The final score isn’t a true indication of the closeness of the game. Lee trailed just 5-4 going into the sixth inning. The Raiders got a 2-out, 3-run home run from Wyatt Byrd to make the deficit too large with too little time to make it up.

Landon Olson had two of Lee’s seven hits to go with a run scored and a run batted in. Chance Entzminger had a hit, two runs and an RBI, Andrew Bowers had a hit and an RBI, and Cash Holloway had a hit and a run.

Tucker Rogers and Aiden Fitzgerald each had a hit, while Myles Frye scored a run and picked up an RBI.

Lee got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Entzminger reached on a 1-out error, stole second and scored on an Olson single.

After Dorchester scored four times in the third, LA cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Olson singled with one out, reached third on a Fitzgerald single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Frye.

Dorchester made it 5-2 to start the fifth. However, Lee pulled within a run in the bottom of the inning.

Holloway led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Cary Privette . Entzminger delivered Holloway with a 2-out single, and Bowers followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Tyler Gilbert , Olson, Fitzgerald, Bowers and Frye were all named to the All-Region 2-AA team.

Other members of the Cavalier roster are Luke Richardson and Zach Blackwell .

Lake City baseball team wins district to reach AA lower state tournament

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:39:18 GMT

Panthers finish 20-10 as one of three Region 7 teams to advance to lower state

Lake City – The Lake City High School baseball team may have only finished third in Region 7-AA, but that didn’t keep the Panthers from having a great season.

Lake City won its district tournament in the AA state playoffs to earn a spot in the 4-team, double-elimination lower state tournament. The Panthers went 0-2, but that still meant they finished the year with a 20-10 record.

Lake City swept its district by beating Barnwell 10-9 and then topping Chesterfield twice, 5-1 and 3-1.

The Panthers moved on to lower state where they were joined by the two teams who finished in front of them in Region 7, East Clarendon and Atlantic Collegiate Academy . The other team was Cheraw .

Lake City lost to ACA 11-1 in its opener. It then fell to Cheraw 15-6.

“We picked a bad day to have a bad day, but that is baseball and why it is so addicting,” LC head coach Matt Apicella said in a Facebook post following the loss to Cheraw. “A 20-win season was not expected in a rebuilding year with five or six ninth-graders starting every night. This team proved that the program blueprint works.”

While the Panthers were very young, they were led by veteran senior Amari Hanna . He was selected to AA All-State team by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association .

Manning boys 4x1 relay team wins state as Monarchs finish fifth in AA boys track state meet

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:32:12 GMT

4x400 relay team finishes second; CJ Robinson third in 100, 200; Thompson third in high jump

Manning – The Manning High School boys track and field team finished fifth in the AA state meet on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia . And it was the Monarchs’ speed that had a lot to do with their success.

Manning finished with 42.5 points and 37 of them came because they had a group of athletes who can run really fast. The other points came because there was someone who could soar through the air with great ease.

The Monarchs’ 4x100-meter relay team won the state title, while the 4x400 team finished second. Junior CJ Robinson finished third in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes and senior Dontavious Canty was third in the 400 dash.

The jumper in the bunch was junior Jordyn Thompson , who finished third in the high jump.

The 4x100 team won in a time of 42 seconds flat. Combining to make up that team are sophomore Amajai Dow , twin senior brothers Jontavious Canty and Dontavious Canty and Robinson.

“I just want to say hats off to these young men,” Manning head coach Dontavis Miller said. “I appreciate the hard work and dedication these young men have put into the program and just trusting the process. It was well deserved.”

The 4x400 team took second in a time of 3 minutes, 21.21 seconds. Robinson, the Canty brothers and junior Malachi Rankins made up this relay team.

Robinson won both the 100 and 200 in the lower state meet. However, he finished behind two upper state runners in the 100 while two runners from lower state foe and eventual state champion Philip Simmons bested him I the 200. Robinson ran the 100 in 10.98 and the 200 in 21.92.

“What makes CJ Robinson so good is his mindset and his will to be never be intimidated by another athlete or program,” said Miller. “What is scary is that he still hasn’t reached his full potential.”

Robinson accounted for 16.5 of the Monarchs’ points.

Dontavious Canty finished third in the 400 in a time of 49.81. Brother Jontavious picked up a point with an eighth-place finish in the 200 (22.50) and just missed another point with a ninth-place finish in the 100.

Thompson finished tied for third in the high jump at a height of 6 feet, 2 inches with Omonte Taylor of Philip Simmons.

While Philip Simmons won the meet handily with 107.5 points, the next five teams were within 6.5 points of each other. Fairfield Central was second with 48 points followed by Mid-Carolina with 46, Timberland with 45, Manning with 42.5 and Hampton County with 41.5.

Others who qualified for state by placing in the top eight in the lower state meet were the 4x800 relay team of sophomore Jaden Woods , junior Jacobe Henry , eighth-grader Jayden Footman and junior Jorden Hilton-Kelly (13 ^th ), Rankins in the 110-meter hurdles (10 ^th ), senior Jordan Heyward in the long jump (15 ^th ), senior Demir Blackwell in the triple jump (10 ^th ) and junior Isaiah Hamilton in the discus (11 ^th ).

Eighth-grader Jordyn Griffin was the lone girl from Manning to compete in the meet. She finished 14 ^th in the 200.

In the lower state meet held at Woodland High on May 9, Thompson was the only other Monarch to win an event besides Robinson. The 4x100 team actually finished second.

Manning had a large contingent of male athletes who qualified based off of their performances in the Region 7 meet. The Monarchs filled 24 slots in the lower state meet.

Other Manning female athletes who competed in lower state besides Griffin were eighth-grader Patience Bennett in the 100, freshman Sha’nyiah Burgess in the 1,600-meter run, freshman Shamiyah Conyers and junior Ni’lah Brown in both the high jump and the long jump, sophomore Jayanna Henry in the triple jump, and senior Yauvani Epps in both the discus and the shot put.

The region meet was held on May 1 at Marion High and the Monarch boys dominated, scoring 226 points. Marion finished second with 135.

Miller said he couldn’t remember the last time the Monarchs had won a region track title. “But I can tell you it has been over a decade,” he said.

Miller said the success doesn’t come as a surprise to him though.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” he said. “These guys are a very talented bunch and they are dedicated to dominating at everything they do. Also, the addition of Coach Kevin Miller to the program was a big win for us. They also train very hard in the weight room under the guidance of Coach Greg King .

“We as a coaching staff just talked about changing the mindset of these young athletes and just attacking the day and making sure we aren’t making the same mistakes as we did the day before. So I can honestly say it was not a surprise.”

Robinson, Jontavious Canty and Dow finished 1-2-3 in both the 100 and 200 dashes. Robinson won the events in 11.09 and 22.12, respectively.

Dontavious Canty won the 400 in 51.86 while Rankins had a seventh-place finish. Hilton-Kelly won the 3,200-meter run in a time of 12:22.59 while finishing second in the 1,600.

Woods won the high jump at 6-0.75 while Thompson finished third. Heyward won the triple jump at 42-09.25 while Blackwell, freshman Destin Thames and junior Marquarius Santiago finished third, fifth and sixth, respectively, to qualify for lower state.

The 4x100 team won in 43.30 while the 4x400 team won in 3:35.70.

Henry and Woods finished third and fourth in both the 800 and the 1,600, while Footman was fifth in the 1,600. Rankins was second in the 110 hurdles, while senior Keinde Woods was fourth in both hurdle events.

Jontavious Canty, Blackwell and Heyward were second, fourth and fifth in the long jump, and Hamilton was second in both the discus and the shotput. Sophomore Erion Tindal was fifth in the discus and senior Meltwan Smith was seventh in the shot put.

Conyers was the only Manning girl to win in the region meet. She claimed the long jump at 15-09.37. She finished third in the high jump.

Fox Creek softball team has "very good season"

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:10:06 GMT

Predators baseball team reaches if game of district tournament

North Augusta – Derrick Quinn’s quote about the season his Fox Creek High School softball team had was succinct and to the point.

“We had a very good season,” said the Predators veteran head coach.

Fox Creek finished the season with an 18-7 record and reached the championship game of its district tournament in the AAA state playoffs before getting knocked off by Loris .

The Predators were led by Ava Lindsay , who was named to the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association AAA All-State team . She was also chosen to play in the North-South All-Star Game and was an All-Region 4-AAA selection as well.

Lindsay batted .469 with 10 doubles, a triple, 29 runs batted in and 22 runs scored.

Joining Lindsay on the All-Region team were Addison Woodward , Jordyn Grant , Jada Jennings , Addie Goff and Emma Widener .

Woodward batted .364 with eight doubles, one triple, 13 runs and 13 RBI. Grant led the team in hitting with a .574 average. She had seven doubles, a triple, 21 runs and 13 RBI.

Jennings batted 397 with five doubles, two triples, one homer, 23 RBI and 13 runs. Widener batted .350 with 28 runs and 16 RBI. Goff was the primary pitcher, working 79 innings and posting a 3.59 earned run average.

FOX CREEK BASEBALL FALLS IN IF GAME

The fox Creek baseball team reached the championship round of its district tournament and even took Waccamaw to an if game before finally falling.

Fox Creek beat Marlboro County 4-1 in its opener before losing to Waccamaw 8-7. The Predators then had to face Marlboro County again and came away with a 7-2 triumph.

Fox Creek pounded Waccamaw 15-4 in the first game. The second game took on a totally different look though as the Warriors came away with a 2-1 triumph. The Predators finished 20-8-1.

The Predators hit .359 as a team

Lawson Lewis led the way with a .468 batting average, six doubles, four triples, four home runs, 24 runs batted in and 36 runs scored.

Manny Abro ended up at .435 with 28 runs and 25 RBI. Quentin Cribbs hit .403 with three doubles, 26 runs and 19 RBI. Hayden James finished at .388 with five doubles, one home run, 28 runs and eight RBI.

Will Frischmann hit .473 with eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 33 RBI and 20 runs.

Will Fountain and Frischmann got the majority of the innings at pitcher, but the Predators had three others in Cameron Porter , Andrew Dorries , Jamar’re Peeples and Kale Williford who were in the teens in innigs pitched.

Fountain worked 46 1/3 innings and had a 1.21 earned run average. Frischmann had a 2.3i ERA in 30 2/3 innings. Porter worked 18 2/3 (2.62), Dorries had a 3.98 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, Williford worked 14 innings with a 4.50 ERA, and Peeples had a 4.59 ERA in 10 2/3 innings.

Coach Gibson satisfied with outcome of first season as Patrick Henry baseball head coach

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:56:34 GMT

Jacob Corley, Rylin Brunson, Scoot Mizell All-Region 4-AAA selections

Estill – The Patrick Henry Academy baseball team closed out its season with a 9-11 overall record after going 2-2 in SCISA Region 4-AAA in its first season under head coach Brody Gibson .

The Patriots went 0-2 in the state playoffs, falling to Spartanburg Christian Academy 10-1 in the opener before losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Orangeburg Prep in an elimination game. Putting everything in perspective though, Gibson had no issues with his team or its season.

“The season overall was a step in the right direction,” Gibson said. “The majority of our team was inexperienced at the varsity level. We competed well and were able to win some games against some solid ball clubs.

“We will return six starters, and we have a good group of rising freshmen.”

Three PHA players were selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team, seniors Jacob Corley and Rylin Brunson and junior Scoot Mizell .

Corley led the team in hitting with a .436 batting average. He led the team in runs scored with 30, stolen bases with 19 and triples with three to go with four double and nine runs batted in.

Brunson batted .348 and had Patrick Henry’s only two home runs. Brunson had four doubles, two triples, 14 stolen bases, 24 runs and 14 RBI.

Mizell led in RBI with 17 and doubles with five while batting .255.

Mizell and Brunson were the top pitchers. Mizell worked 34 innings and had a 1.85 earned run average. He had 38 strikeouts while walking only six and allowing 37 hits.

Brunson tossed 33 innings and finished with a 3.82 ERA.

The other senior starter was Keegan Lee . He batted .289 and had 15 stolen bases to go with 17 runs and eight RBI.

The other seniors on the roster were Mac Gohagan and Daivon Glover .

Along with Mizell, the Patriots will return two of their other top arms as well in junior Devin Austin and eighth-grader Caleb Corley .

Both of them worked 17 2/3 innings. Corley had a 3.17 ERA while Austin posted a 3.19 ERA. Austin had 25 strikeouts while Corley had 18.

Freshman Josh Evans will be back. He batted .255 and had two doubles, eight RBI and five runs. Caleb Corley batted .203 but drove in 10 runs and scored nine times.

Other returning starters in the field will be junior Andrew Haddock , junior Wylder Vaughn and Austin.

Dorchester beats defending SCISA AA baseball state champion Lee Academy for 2nd state title in three years

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:43:03 GMT

Senior Wyatt Byrd seals the deal with 3-run home run in Raiders' 8-4 win in Game 3

St. George – Seeing that none of the other schools in SCISA Region 2-AA fielded baseball teams, the one that did – Dorchester Academy – played the overwhelming majority of its regular-season schedule against AAA schools.

That didn’t necessarily bode well for the Raiders. They finished the regular season with a 7-13 record.

“We competed, but we should have been better,” said DA head coach Brent Jackson .

Better came in the AA state playoffs, as in a second state championship in three seasons.

Dorchester went 6-2 in the playoffs, beating defending state champion Lee Academy 9-5 in the third and deciding game of the state championship series on May 14 at Laurence Manning Academy’s Tucker Belangia Diamond .

“These guys here we struggled all season long, but we never lost our composure,” said Jackson, whose team finished with a 13-15 overall record. “We just came out here in the playoffs and started playing baseball like we should have.”

Dorchester swept its first-round series against Carolina Academy , winning by the scores of 7-3 and 5-4. It beat Laurens Academy 2-1 in the semifinal series. The Raiders won the opener 7-1 and lost the second game 11-9 before winning the if game 6-4.

Against Lee, DA won the opener 6-2 before losing the second game 5-3.

Jackson felt playing the difficult regular-season schedule paid major dividends in the postseason.

“It definitely helped with our pitching.” Jackson said.

In the deciding game against the Cavaliers, Dorchester was clinging to a 5-4 lead entering the sixth inning. That set the stage for heroics by senior third baseman Wyatt Byrd .

The right-handed swinging Byrd, the No. 5 hitter, came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. He lofted a fly ball right down the right field line where it is just 295 feet. Byrd’s poke ended up clearing the fence for a 3-run home run that made it 8-4.

“When I hit it I thought I had a double,” said Byrd, who not only hit his first homer of the season but also hit a homer in his final high school at-bat. “I just got very excited when I saw it was a homer.”

Byrd was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and a run scored. The Raiders finished with 12 hits, all of them coming over the last five innings. Abe Shuler led the way in terms of hits, going 3-for-4 with one run batted in.

Landon Holly was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Warren Judy was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Austin Varn had a hit, two runs and an RBI, Carter Beeks had a hit and two runs, and Reed Almers had a hit, a run and an RBI.

Judy pitched a complete game to get the win, using 90 pitches. He allowed seven hits, but didn’t walk a batter while striking out four.

Other members of the Dorchester starting lineup are John Quattlebaum and Bryce Marchant . The rest of the roster is made up of Will Quattlebaum , Ryan Gaillyard , Lane Gruber , Graham Varnadoe , Carter Proctor and Joe Carn .

Pee Dee softball makes it five state championships in a row

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:05:11 GMT

Golden Eagles sweep Colleton Prep to claim SCISA AAA state championship

Mullins – Will Eskridge and any of his assistant coaches who’ve been with the Pee Dee Academy softball team can now say it. For that matter, seniors Maddie Coward and Leah Nettles can as well.

What is it? They now have one for the thumb.

The Golden Eagles have now won five consectuvive SCISA state championships. The latest came with a sweep of Colleton Prep Academy in the best-of-3 AAA championship series.

“It is still a little surreal,” said Eskridge, the PDA head coach. “Any time you win a championship you’re excited to win the championship. Winning five in a row, it’s hard to comprehend. It doesn’t seem real that you can do that.”

Pee Dee finished the year with a 28-2 record, beating Colleton Prep 10-0 in the opening game and following it with an 8-1 victory to complete the sweep.

In the opening game, Coward tossed a 1-hit shutout. Coward, who has started in the circle for each of those five title teams, struck out nine, walked one and hit a batter. She threw 52 pitches, 43 for strikes.

Pee Dee scored two runs in the first inning, one in the second, three in both the third and fourth and closed it out with a run with one out in the fifth.

Dinah Johnson had a 2-run single in the first inning, while Lilly Grace Rowell had a sacrifice fly that scored Carly Carroll in the second.

The Eagles scored three runs in the third before Addison Hasty had a 2-run double in the fourth followed by an RBI double by Azeleigh Arnette to make it 9-0. The game-ending run came on a triple by Carroll

Hasty and Arnette both had two hits to lead PDA’s 8-hit attack. Coward added a double, and Rowell had a single to go with her sac fly. Carroll and Johnson had the other hits.

Coward wasn’t nearly as effective in the second game. She again allowed just one hit, but she missed out on getting a shutout again.

PDA had 11 hits in the clinching game. Hasty had two of them, including a solo home run. Arnette had two hits as well, one of them a 2-run homer.

Coward, who will be playing collegiately at Wofford, went out in style a t the plate. She was 4-for-4 and scored four runs.

Carroll had two hits while Rowell had a hit.

Not only have the Eagles won fivd straight titles, they have played in nine consecutive championship series.’Eskridge said he doesn’t know exactly why PDA has been so successful.

“I don’t have a magic answer,” he said. “The Lord blesses me every day, more than deserve. I think we have fun, but I don’t know what the magic formula is. Whatever it is it’s working really well.”

Dillon Christian softball team has tough go of it in SCISA AAA state tournament

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:43:10 GMT

Warriors go 0-2 but lose the games by a combined three runs

Dillon – It was a tough way to end the season for the Dillon Christian School softball team.

The Warriors went 0-2 in the SCISA AAA state tournament played at Patriot Park SportPlex in Sumter on May 8-9. They lost the two games by a combined three runs.

DCS fell to Calhoun Academy 3-2 in its opener. Its second game was at the other end of the spectrum as Williamsburg Academy came away with a 14-12 win.

Coming down the homestretch of the season, Dillon Christian was being led offensively by eighth-grader Katelyn Owens and junior Braylin Carter . Owen was batting .452 with one double, four triples, two home runs, 15 runs and 11 runs batted in. Carter was hitting .417 with three doubles, two triples, 10 RBI and 10 runs.

Senior pitcher Lilli Shooter had worked 68 2/3 innings and had a 2.96 earned run average to go with 89 strikeouts. At the plate, Shooter was batting .311 with a team high 18 runs.

DCS BASEBALL FINISHES 2-12

The Dillon Christian baseball team had its struggles, finishing the year with a 2-12 overall record and a 0-6 mark in the difficult Region 3-AAA.

Two Warriors, Jordan Blackmon and Gray Easterling , were selected to the All-Region team. Blackmon, who was also selected to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game , was batting over .500 late in the season.

Scott's Branch thrower Jernee Ford 2nd in discus, 7th in shot put in Class A girls track state meet

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 03:48:24 GMT

Fra'Jon Bennett finishes 4th in 800 in boys meet; 4x400 relay team also finishes 4th

Summerton – Scott’s Branch High School thrower Jernee Ford placed in two events in the girls portion of the Class A track and field state meet while three members of the boys team placed as well.

Ford finished second in the discus and seventh in the shot put in the meet held on May 16 at Spring Valley’s Harry Parone Stadium in Columbia . In the discus, Ford had a toss of 103 feet, 4 15/16 inches. Her throw in the shot covered 32-09 5/16.

On the boys side, Fra’Jon Bennett finished fourth in the 800-meter run in a time of 2 minutes, 5.02 seconds. The 4x400-meter relay team also finished fourth. Quinten Jackson was eighth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.55 seconds.

Riley York , Azari Taylor and Taraji Logan all qualified for state but did not place. York competed in the 400-meter dash, Logan in the 400-meter hurdles and Taylor in the long jump.

For the boys, Nazaiah Richardson competed in the 400. The 4x100-meter relay team also qualified.

In the Class A lower state meet at Carvers Bay High in Hemingway on May on May 9, Ford won the discus and was fourth in the shot put. Logan was fourth in the 400 hurdles, York fifth in the 400 and Taylor eighth in the long jump.

For the boys, Bennett was the lower state champion in the 800. Montrell Session was fifth in the long jump, Richardson was sixth in both the 100 and 400, Jackson was seventh in the 100, the 4x400 relay team was fourth and the 4x100 relay team finished sixth.

In the Region 5 meet at the St. John’s High track in John’s Island on April 28, Ford led the way for the girls by winning both the shot and the discus. Logan finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles, Taylor was fifth in the long jump, York was fifth in the 400 dash and the 4x100 relay team finished fifth as well.

The boys team claimed five region championships led by Session. He won both the 400 and the long jump.

Bennett brought home the gold in the 800 while the 4x100 team and the 4x400 team were both winners.

Session and Richardson went 1-2 in the 400. Jackson placed second in both the 100 and 200, while Session was third in the 100 and Richardson came in fourth.

Jamarey Conyers added a fourth-place finish in the 200. Steven Ragin was fourth in the 1,600 run and RyQuon York was fourth in the 3,200. Bennett was third in the triple jump and the 4x800 relay team was third.

Belton-Honea Path finishes second in AAA softball upper state tournament

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 03:24:12 GMT

Bears just miss out on third straight state title appearance, finish 23-11

Honea Path – The Belton-Honea Path High School softball team may have finished third in Region 1-AAA, but came oh so close to reaching the state championship series for a third consecutive season.

The Bears won their district tournament to advance to the upper state tournament for a third straight year. They were there along with Region 1 champion West-Oak , Region 1 No. 2 Crescent and Mountain View Prep . BHP played a string of four 1-run games iin the tournament.

The Bears knocked off Mountain View Prep 1 -0 in the opening game. BHP, which finished with a 23-11 record, lost to eventual state champion Crescent 3-2 on May 18 berfore beating West-Oak 4-3 in nine innings to advance to the championship round against Crescent. BHP dropped a 7-6 decision.

“It was a pitcher’s duel for sure,” BHP head coach Jarad Jennings said of the triumph over Mountain View. “We had three hits and they had four.”

Belton-Honea Path got the game’s only run in the top of the fifth inning. Carsen Foster led off with a double and Ari Willbanks put down a sacrifice bunt to move her to third. Foster came home on an Addi Vaughn sacrifice fly.

Mountain View didn’t go quietly, but the Bears rose to the occasion defensively.

Vaughn, the BHP pitcher, walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh. She then gave up a hit before the Stars used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.

The next batter followed with a fly ball to center field that Madi Boggs pulled in for the second out. The runner on third tagged up, but Boggs’ throw to the plate was on the money and the runner was tagged out for the game-ending double play.

Bart Owens stepping down as Jefferson Davis softball head coach

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 02:39:42 GMT

Owens led the Raiders to the SCISA Class A state championship in 2024, a runner-up finish in another year

Blackville – The 2026 softball season for the Jefferson Davis Academy softball team didn’t come close to anything like Bart Owens would have liked. The Raiders went just 4-15, including going 0-2 in the SCISA Class A state tournament.

That, however, has nothing to do with Owens deciding to step down as the head coach.

“It’s time. I’ve been coaching for 22 years,” Owens said. “I’ve been the head coach for six years, but I have been on the staff for 22 years.

“I will be coaching varsity volleyball this year (for the 2026-27 school year) then I will be totally retired.”

During his six years as softball head coach, Owens led Jefferson Davis to the 2024 Class A state title and to a runner-up finish in another year.

Owens said there were a couple of factors that led to the Raiders’ struggles this year.

“As far as the season we didn’t play as good good as I think we could have, but we played the best with the players we had,” Owens said. “We had lost a lot the last two years and had several key injuries this season.”

Leading the way throughout the season were Kinlee Ray , Harper Still , Rynn Fickling and Abby Deering .

Ray had far and away the best batting average with a .404 mark. She had team highs in on-base percentage at .509. in hits with 19 and runs scored with 17 while sharing the lead in doubles with three. She also had a triple, 10 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases.

Fickling led in triples with three and RBI with 13 while hitting the Raiders’ only home run. She also had two doubles and 13 runs while batting .286 with a .400 OBP. Fickling worked 42 1/3 innings and had 47 strikeouts.

Still had a .282 batting average to go with a .420 OBP. She shared the lead in doubles with three to go with six RBI and 12 runs.

Deering had a .234 batting average while posting a .308 OBP. She had a double, nine runs and 11 RBI.

Esme Montejamo led the team in stolen bases with 12 and had a .413 OBP with nine RBI and 12 runs. Natalie Black only had a .208 batting average but had a .472 OBP.

JDA BASEBALL GOES 11-12

After rolling to a 14-3 victory over Wardlaw in the opening game of its best-of-3 first-round series in the Class A baseball playoffs, Jefferson Davis found itself on the short end of the stick in the next two. The Raiders lost 7-5 and 4-2 to see their season come to an end.

Even though it’s been two weeks since that, Jefferson Davis head coach Mannie Wright is still struggling with what happened.

“It’s still hard to believe,” said Wright, whose team finished with an 11-12 record. “Long story short, Wardlaw was just the better team in those two games. I think they were hungrier than we were, and we may have been looking past them.

“I feel like I let my guys down, my coaching staff down and let myself down. I felt like we had a great shot (at winning state). I told them this is on me.”

Harrison Ray led the Raiders with a .417 batting average and a .553 OBP. He also led in triples with two and runs with 27 while sharing the RBI lead at 22. Ray also had seven doubles

Corbin Perry also had 22 RBI while batting .288 and posting a .466 OBP. He had a team high eight doubles, to go with a triple and 26 runs.

Reece Still batted .359 and had a .518 OBP to go with six doubles, 26 runs and 18 RBI. Landon Williams had a .254 batting average, a .307 OBP, two doubles 11 RBI and 21 runs.

Perry was the top pitcher, working 44 innings with a 3.18 ERA. Still worked 35 innings and had a 4.00 ERA.

Montgomery pleased with Kingstree baseball season despite missing out on state playoffs

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 02:26:25 GMT

Blazers' Karl McDonald places in 400 meters in AA boys track state meet

Kingstree – The Kingstree High School baseball team finished the season with a 5-14 overall record. However, the Blazers were only 1-11 in Region 7-AA and missed out on the state playoffs.

All of that being said though, Kingstree head coach Leonard Montgomery sees a lot of good that took place.

“Overall, I would say our season was at expectations considering how young our team was,” Montgomery said. “We only returned three starters, had no seniors on the roster, one junior, and two sophomores. Despite the challenges, our players continued to compete and gain valuable experience throughout the season that will help us moving forward.”

The fact that Region 7 has three teams that won their district tournaments in the AA state playoffs to advance to the lower state tournament in East Clarendon , Atlantic Collegiate Academy and Lake City made for tough sledding.

Kingstree had one player selected to the All-Region 7 team, that being Lazarus Moyd . Late in the season, Moyd was batting .310 with a team high in runs batted in with 12. He also had 21 stolen bases to go with two doubles, a triple and 14 runs scored.

Moyd had also been credited with three of the Blazers’ victories on the mound.

“He had an outstanding season for us and really stepped up in big moments throughout the year,” Montgomery said of Moyd.

Chase McCrea and Jamaree Mitchell had solid seasons as well. McCrea was batting .357 with a team high 20 runs and 25 stolen bases to go with two doubles, one triple and eight RBI.

Mitchell had a .346 average to go with one double, two triples, 12 runs, 16 stolen bases and 11 RBI.

With the potential to have everyone back next season and what he saw from the Blazers this year, Montgomery is excited about the future.

“I’m proud of the way our guys continued to compete and grow throughout the season,” he said. “We were a very young team with limited varsity experience, but the effort and commitment were there every day. The experience we gained this year will help build a strong foundation for the future of our program.”

MCDONALD PLACES IN AA BOYS TRACK STATE MEET

Kingstree’s Karl McDonald placed in the 400-meter dash in the boys portion of the AA track and field state meet on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

McDonald placed eighth in a time of 51.24 seconds.

McDonald was the only Kingstree male to compete at the state meet. Two females competed but neither placed.

Kalee McCrea just missed placing in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing ninth. Zakia Jackson competed in the discus.

Kingstree didn’t crown a region champion in the Region 7 meet held at the Marion High track on May 1. However, McCrea and Jackson both finished second in their respective state events, and McCrea was also second in the 400 hurdles.

McDonald was second in the boys 400, while Quentin Frazier was second in the 400 hurdles.

KHS SOFTBALL FINISHES 1-14

The Kingstree softball finished with a 1-14 overall record and went 0-12 in the region.

The Blazers’ lone triumph was a 20-6 victory over Williamsburg County foe Hemingway .

Seventh-grader Denala Mosley and seniors Demia Mosley and Elisha Singletary had solid seasons for the Blazers.

Denala Mosley had a .294 batting average to go with a double, a home run, six RBI, 10 stolen bases and five runs. Demia Mosley batted .267 with 13 steals, two doubles, a homer and eight runs.

Singletary batted .222 with 13 stolen bases, one double and one triple.

Curtis Johnson steps down as baseball head coach, athletic director at East Clarendon to become Sumter AD

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:15:45 GMT

Larry Cornelius becomes interim AD, while Will McMillan returns to head baseball

Turbeville – The East Clarendon High School baseball team reached the championship round of the AA lower state tournament in what turned out to be Curtis Johnson's final season as head coach.

After the Wolverines lost to Atlantic Collegiate Academy 4-2 to be eliminated, Johnson announced he was stepping down as baseball head caoch and athletic director to beome the athletic director at Sumter . EC football head coach Larry Cornelius has been named the interim athletic director, while Will McMillan , who left East Clarendon to become the Sumter baseball head coach for four years, is returning to Turbeville for a second stint.

The baseball lower state tournament was basically the Region 7 Invitational. Three of the four teams were from that region -- East Clarendon, which won the region, second place Atlantic Collegiate and third place Lake City .

East Clarendon finished with a 23-10 record. The Wolverines won their lower state pener 15-2 over Cheraw the final team in the double-elimination tournament ,However, they fell to Atlantic Collegiate 4-1 at Shad Hall Field in a winners bracket game. EC beat Cheraw 5-4 in an elimination game before falling to ACA. was scheduled to play host to Lake City on May 18 with the winner having to beat ACA twice in order to advance.

East Clarendon swept the Distric 6 tournament. The Wolverines beat Andrew Jackson 9-6 in the opener and then beat Philip Simmons twice, 6-1 and 9-2.

Seniors Barnes McConnell and Wes Springs were named to the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association AA All-State team. McConnell batted .378 with 28 runs scored and 22 runs batted in. On the mound, he had a 4-0 win-loss record and a 3.23 earned run average. Springs batted .381 with a team high 33 RBI to go with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 29 runs.

The Wolverines batted 360 as a team and had three players with a batting average above .400. Junior Braylon Hunt batted .437, junior Colten Baker .433, and junior Crosby Timmons was hitting .402.

East Clarendon rode the arms of sophomore Heath Jordan , freshman Easton Donlon , sophomore Gavin White and junior Blease Hardy .

Jordan led the team in innings pitched with 40 2/3 and had a 5-3 record with a 3.99 earned run average. Donlon worked 38 1/3 innings and was 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA. White had 31 1/3 innings, going 4-3 with a 2.90 ERA, and Hardy, who was hampered by injuries at the start of the year, worked 24 innings with a 3-1 record and a 2.33 ERA.

East Clarendon had seven players in double digits in stolen bases led by junior Evan Lee with 17. Hunt and Springs had 15 apiece, senior McConnell had 14, White had 13, junior Cade Mooneyham had 12, and freshman Dalton Filyaw had 10.

EC SOFTBALL REACHES LOWER STATE TOURNAMENT

The East Clarendon softball team made it back to the lower state tournament but saw its reign as AA state champion come to an end by going 1-2.

The Wolverines lost their opening game in the lower state tournament to eventual state runner-up Chesterfield 5-4 on May 15. That left the Wolverines traveling to Kershaw to face Andrew Jackson on May 18, a game they won 4-2. However, EC was elliminated with a 5-1 loss to Andrews .

The softball team went undefeated in its district tournament. It beat Central 12-5 in the opener before beating Woodland 11-5 and 11-1 to advance.

EC GIRLS HAVE FOUR PLACE IN AA STATE MEET

The East Clarendon girls track and field team placed in four spots in the AA state meet on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

Both the 4x400-meter relay team and the 4x800 team finished fifth. Kierston Woods was sixth in the shot put, and Cayli Harcrow was eighth in the javelin.

‘

The only points for the boys came from the 4x100 relay team, which finished fifth.

The girls who qualified for state but didn’t place were Shae Lee in the 1,600-imter run, Woods in the discus and Tymani Cooper in the javelin.

For the boys, it was Keshaun Porter in the 400-meter hurdles, Avery Lowery in the discus and the 4s400 relay team.

In the Region 7 meet held at Marion on May 1, there were four region champions among the girls and one from the boys.

Shae Lee won both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, Kira Owens won the 3,200 run and the 4x800 relay team won.

Porter was the boys javelin winner.

Marion’s Darrin Baccus wins championship in discus in AA boys track state meet

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:20:19 GMT

Baccus finishes fifth in long jump; Ashanti Gause finishes second in 400 in girls meet

Marion – Marion High School thrower Darrin Baccus won the discus in the AA boys track and field state meet held on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

Baccus won the discus with a throw of 184 feet, 0.66 inches.

Baccus was also a good enough jumper to score points as well, finishing fifth in the long jump. Kamarie Reddick scored points in the high jump with a sixth-place finish.

Alex Williamson qualified for state in the 100-meter dash but did not place. Neither did the 4x100-meter relay team nor the 4x,400 relay team.

On the girls side, Ashanti Gause just missed winning a championship, finishing second in the 400 dash. Also scoring points for the Swamp Foxes was Shamyah McKelvey . She was fifth in the discus.

Both the 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams qualified but did not place.

In the boys lower state meet held on May 9 at the Woodland High track, Baccus was the only boys individual winner, taking the discus.

Gause did win the 400 hurdles in the girls meet.

Marion played host to the Region 7 meet on May 1. Baccus had a tremendous performance, winning the shot put, the discus and the long jump while finishing second in the triple jump.

He had a throw of 172-11 in the discus, a throw of 40-07 in the shot put and a jump of 22-00 in the long jump.

Other second-place finishes for the Marion boys were Michael Anderson in the 800-meter run and Reddick in the high jump. Anderson finished third in the javelin toss, while Benjamin Watford was third in the shot put, Reddick was third in the long jump, William Self was third in the discus, and Kamari Israel was third in the 110-meter hurdles. Also finishing third was the 4x400-meter relay team.

Reddick was fourth in the triple, while Watford was fourth in the javelin. Fifth-place finishers were Kameron Davis in the 200 dash, Israel in the 400 hurdles, and the 4x800 relay team.

On the girls side, Gause and McKelvey picked up victories. Gause won the 400 in 1:00. 02 while McKelvey won the discus with a throw of 90-02.

Dileyah Phillips was third in the triple jump, and the 4x1 relay team finished third. Fourth-place finishers were Nevaeh Gurley in the high jump and the 4x4 relay team, McKelvey in the javelin and Jade Legette in the 1,600 run.

Fifth-place finishers were Aaliyah Crawford in the javelin, Phillips in the long jump, Aasyia Johnson Hyman in the 400 hurdles, Tianna Wilson in both the 200 and the 400 and Lana Gause in the 100 hurdles.

MARION BASEBALL FINISHES FOURTH IN REGION

The Marion baseball team finished fourth in Region 7 with a 6-6 record, all behind teams that won their district tournaments and advanced to the 4-team lower state tournament.

Region champion East Clarendon , No. 2 Atlantic Collegiate Academy and third place Lake City each won their respective district tournaments. Marion did not, going 0-2 in the District 7 tournament.

The Swamp Foxes were 6-17 overall. Late in the season they were being led by Malachi Graham with a .385 batting average and Andre Stanley with a .368 mark.

Bays steps down as Clarendon Hall softball coach after 13 years, 4 state championships

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:06:56 GMT

Saints played for state crown on four other occasions

Summerton – After 13 seasons, four state championships and four more state runner-up finishes, Jeffrey Bays has decided to step down as the head coach of the Clarendon Hall softball team.

Bays said he made the decision to do so for two particular reasons. The main one was because his grandchildren are getting older and he wants to afford himself the opportunity to see them play sports. The other reason is his work schedule was making it difficult for him to put in the necessary time with softball.

“I was just tired and worn out,” Bays said with a laugh.

Bays finished his time with the Saints with a 192-76 record. Clarendon Hall’s first state title under his guidance came in 2015. The other three came consecutively, a SCISA Class A title in 2022 and consecutive AA state crowns in ’23 and ’24.

The run of state championships ended in the 2025 campaign when the Saints lost to Pee Dee Academy in the AAA state championship series. Clarendon Hall’s run of consecutive title series appearances ended this year at five when it went 1-2 in the AAA state tournament.

Bays lamented the fact the Saints came up short.

“It was different sitting there watching those other teams play,” he said. “I still feel like we had a team could have gotten there. You never knew when the switch was going to be on or off. We had a lot of games that we had an opportunity to win. We had struggles but a lot of missed opportunities.”

Clarendon Hall finished 10-11 thi season, only the second losing one in his tenure. Bays is proud of the fact the Saints missed the postseason just one time over those 13 seasons.

Clarendon Hall had four All-Region picks this year in Brynli Brewer , AC Martens , Aubree Richardson and Sunshine Brown .

Brewer batted .588 with 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 31 runs batted in and 31 runs scored. Martens hit .395 with six doubles, a triple, five homers, 23 RBI and 36 runs. Brown had a .368 average with 31 runs and seven RBI, and Richardson hit .356 with 28 RBI and 17 runs.

Bays said there isn’t one thing he would change about how his time at Clarendon Hall played out.

“There are a lot of memories I’ll cherish forever,” he said. “There are a lot of relationships I built with the girls. I think of all of the great coaches who coached with me and how they pourded into the program.

“We had a great run with some amazing girls. If you would have told me we would win four championships and be the runner-up four other times, I don’t know that I would believe you.”

SAINTS BASEBALL FINISHES 9-12

The Clarendon Hall baseball team didn’t make the state playoffs, but it can’t be argued the tremendous improvement it made from last season.

The Saints finished with a 9-12 record under first-year head coach Jackie McIntosh after going winless last season.

Senior Thomas Shorter and sophomore Joey Hatchell were selected to the All-Region 1-AAA team.

Shorter had a .339 overall average but had a team best .367 in region contests, in which Clarendon Hall went 3-6. He finished the year with a .448 OBP, eight RBI and nine runs.

Hatchell was the top pitcher, posting a 3-1 win-loss record and holding the lead in six other starts when he left the contests. He had a 3.02 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. Opponents batted just .191 against him.

At the plate, Hatchell batted .338 with a .422 OBP. He led in runs scored with 26 and had 22 stolen bases and eight RBI.

A pair of eighth-graders, Jack Wyatt Reynolds and Grayson Holliday , led in OBP with .487 averages. Holliday batted .391 while Reynolds had a .359 average.

Junior Cole Richburg had a strong season on the mound. He went 4-2 with one save, 43 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA in 30 innings.

Mullins' Peracki finishes third in 800-meter run in AA boys track state meet

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:48:58 GMT

Reaves excited about future of softball program after completion of her first year as head coach

Mullins – As the “postseason” for high school track and field progressed for Mullins High School’s Nathan Peracki progressed this spring, so did his performance.

From the Region 7-AA boys meet to the AA lower state meet to the AA state meet, Peracki shaved precious seconds off of his time in the 800-meter run. It didn’t end in a state championship for Peracki, but it did conclude with a third-place finish in the state meet held at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia on May 15.

The junior came in under the 2-minute mark in the state meet in a time of 1 minute, 59.80 seconds. He was less than two seconds behind winner Reid Finley of Liberty (1:57.84) and 6/10ths of a second behind second place Liam Granger of Greenville Tech Charter (1:59.20).

Interestlingly, when Peracki began his quest at the region meet in Marion on May 1, he won the event but in a time of 2:04.91, a full five seconds more than what he posted in the state meet.

In the lower state competition at Woodland High , Peracki managed to shave over two seconds off of his finish time. He ran the two laps in 2:02.38. However, he only finished fourth.

Peracki obviously bested those three runners at the state meet.

Mullins finished with eight points. The 4x400-meter relay team got the other two points with a seventh-place finish.

The 4x800 team qualified for the state meet but did not place.

Angela Ford qualified for two events in the girls portion of the meet, the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. She didn’t place in either though.

REAVES HAPPY WITH SOFTBALL AFTER FIRST YEAR

The Mullins softball team will carry a 2-game winning streak into the 2027 season. That’s because the Auctioneers concluded this season with a sweep of Kingstree to finish the year with a 2-12 record.

Considering she didn’t become the head coach until just prior to the start of the season, Cierra Reaves is extremely happy with how her first year went.

“I feel like this season was a ”tremendous” improvement compared to the past,” Reaves said. “I’ve had unwavering support from the staff, community and the parents the entire time as well. Many young ladies that had previously taken time away from softball found their way back to enjoying it.

“I can hardly wait to get started for next season considering how far we have come in such a short time. I’m simply thankful they trusted me enough to come find some love for the game again.”

Victories of 21-8 and 19-4 over Kingstree put Mullins over the century mark in runs scored.

“ Scoring 100 runs to finish the season has been unheard of in Mullins softball recently,” Reaves said.

Some key players for Mullins were Ariyah Staley , Kei’hauna Lacy and Arreyianna Carter .

“I have a great group coming back due to having only two seniors so I’m excited,” Reaves said.

MULLINS BASEBALL FINISHES 5-14

The Mullins baseball team finished 5-14 on the season and 3-11 in region play. That was good enough for a fifth-place finish which was good enough to get the Auctioneers in the state playoffs. They went 0-2, however.

Andre Littlejohn led Mullins in hitting with a .484 average. He had 10 runs, 10 RBI, three double and a triple.

Layne Gerrald battled .400 with 12 runs and three doubles. Jadae McGill battled .324 with 15 runs.

Central baseball team wins Region 4-AA title, reaches championship round of district tournament

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:40:32 GMT

Journey Hough wins 400 in AA girls track state meet

evenbtua Pageland – Trent Strickland just completed his fifth season as the Central High School baseball head coach. It has been a sometimes painfully slow climb, but the Eagles just had their best season under his tutelage.

Central finished the season with a 17-11 overall record, won the Region 4-AA championship and reached the championship round of the District 2 tournament in the state playoffs.

“It just says a lot about the work we have put in,” Strickland said. “The guys have really bought in to what we are trying to do. They believe in each other and the program.”

The Eagles won their opening game in the district tournament by an 18-4 count over Blacksburg . They struggled In the second game though, falling to eventual state champion Clinton 14-1.

Central rebounded to beat Liberty 9-0 in an elimination game to get back to Clinton. The Eagles made a much better showing this time although it was still a season-ending loss, falling 5-3 on the road.

Strickland believes his players have developed a bond that has led to the success they enjoyed.

“I would say our strength is our brotherhood,” he said. “The guys believe and trust each other. They have each other’s backs, and I always say great teams are player-led and that’s what we had this year.”

Cody Branham was the offensive leader of the team. He led the team in hitting with a .492 batting average, in home runs with six, in stolen bases with 16 and in runs batted in with 25 to go with 23 runs scored and four doubles.

Logan Olney led in hits with 32 while picking up seven doubles, one triple and two homers and hitting .356. He scored 22 times and had 15 RBI.

Dylan Tomberlin led in doubles with nine and runs with 25 while batting .296, stealing 15 bases and driving in 15.

Strickland spread the pitching out among five arms. Senior Landon Crawford worked 38 1/3 innings, Colton Threatt 36, Aidan Welch 22 2/3, senior Lawson Hicks 18 1/3 and Olney, another senior, 17 2/3.

Crawford had a 2.56 earned run average while striking out 35, walking 18 and allowing 33 hits. Threatt had a 2.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts while allowing 24 hits and walking 25, Welch had a 2.16 ERA and 27 strikeouts while walking just six and giving up 21 hits, Hicks had a 1.15 ERA and 21 strikeouts while walking nine and allowing just six hits, and Olney had a 5.15 ERA with 25 whiffs.

“We have six starters returning,” Strickland said. “We have three seniors this year that are going to be hard to replace, two of them being pitchers. We are returning two arms we relied heavily on this year.”

JOURNEY HOUGH WINS 400 IN AA STATE MEET

Central’s Journey Hough won the 400-meter dash in the girls portion of the AA track and field state meet held on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

Hough won the event in 57.12 seconds. She also placed in the 100 dash, finishing seventh.

The 4x800-meter relay team qualified but did not place.

On the boys side, Jordan Caldwell placed seventh in the discus. He had a throw of 145 feet, 2.91 inches.

Other Eagles who competed in the meet but didn’t place were Angel Martinez in the 1,600-meter run, Treyveon Clyburn and Martel Ruben in the 110-meter hurdles and Ruben in the javelin.

Saluda baseball team wins region title for just second time in program history

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:26:19 GMT

Cedrianna Springs, Jahmeer Myers win state titles in AA state meet

Saluda -- For just the second time in program history, the Saluda High School baseball team won a region title.

The Tigers claimed the Region 2-AA championship with an 8-2 record, finishing 17-10 overall.

“As a whole this was a great season,” said Saluda head coach Travis Mills . “I’m super proud of our entire team for what they accomplished. Winning the region championship for just the second time in school history is a big deal, and I’m hoping it’s something we can build on in 2027.”

The Tigers reached the championship round of the District 4 tournament in the state playoffs before falling to Landrum . Saluda lost the opening game to No. 4 seed Buford 7-6. It then beat Pelion 7-5 in an elimination game before topping Buford 8-2 in another elimination game.

The Tigers lost to Landrum 8-7 in the championship round.

Saluda had three All-Region performers in pitchers Cayden Rogers and Westan Rowe and catcher Sid Shaw . Rogers had a 7-1 win-loss record with a 2.65 earned run average, while Rowe was 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA. Shaw had a .403 batting average with an on-base percentage of .538 to go with 22 RBI.

CEDRIANNA SPRINGS, JAHMEER MYERS WIN TRACK TITLES

Cedrianna Springs won the 400-meter hurdles for the Saluda girls and Jahmeer Myers won the javelin toss for the boys in the AA track and field state meet on May 15 at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia .

Springs won the 400 hurdles in a time of 1 minute, 05.37 seconds. Myers won the javelin with a throw of 174 feet, 7.67 inches.

The boys finished 13 ^th with 22 points. Also scoring points for the Tigers were Darryl Hill in the 100-meter dash (fourth), Jakaile Stevens in the 110 hurdles (sixth) and the fifth-place 4x400-meter relay team.

The girls finished 12 ^th with 23 points. Others scoring for Saluda were Amaya Abney in the triple jump (fifth), Londyn Monroe in the 100 (sixth), the sixth-place 4x1 team, Taliyah Linton in the 400 dash (seventh) and Jabria Brunson in the 100 hurdles (eighth).

Those who qualified for state but didn’t place among the girls were Amyhia Thomas in the 400 hurdles, the 4x400 relay team, the 4s8 relay team, Brunson in both the high jump and triple jump and McKinley Wilder in the discus.

For the boys, Hill in both the 200 and long jump, Jamauri Reynolds and Mekhi Linton in the high jump and Myers in the shot put.

Batesburg-Leesville's Keira Frye wins shot put, discus in AA girls track state meet

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 02:50:49 GMT

Panthers' baseball team reaches championship round of AA upper state tournament

Batesburg-Leesville – Keira Frye can say she is a 2-time track and field state champion.

The Batesburg-Leesville High School thrower won both the discus and shot put events in the AA state meet on May 15 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

Frye won the discus with a throw of 151 feet, 6.11 inches. Frye’s teammate, Raya Etheredge , finished third in the event.

Frye won the shot put with a throw of 43-04.08.

On the boys side, Batesburg-Leesville placed in four events, including two seconds.

Ja’Quan Corley was second in the discus with a toss of 166-04.06. Braylen Davis was second in th8e high jump at 06-04.77.

Bishop Sims placed fifth in the shot put, and Ta’Maj Gilliam was sixth in the triple jump.

Those girls who competed in the state meet but did not place were Kiya Wootoon in the 100-meter hurdles and Jayda Hinson in the shot put.

For the boys, it was Cameron Martin in the high jump, KD Whitt and Gilliam in the long jump, Corley in the shot put and the 4x100-meter relay team.

In the Region 2 meet held on April 28 in Pelion , Frye was the only region champ, winning the same two events. Malaun Henley was second in the 100-meter dash, Callie McDougal was second in the 100-meter hurdles, Ariana Stroman was second in the long jump and the triple jump, and Etheredge was second in the discus.

There were four region champions in the boys meet. Corley won the discus and Sims claimed the shot put, while Davis won the high jump. The 4x100 relay team also won region.

The second-place finishes included Whitt in both the 100 and the lonh jump, Martin in the high jump, Shappelle Morris in the discus and Corley in the shot put.

B-L BASEBALL BACK IN UPPER STATE TOURNAMENT

The Batesburg-Leesville baseball team wasn't able to defend its state championship, but it made another deep run. The Panthers reached the championship round of the AA upper state tournament.

B-L beat Landrum 4-1 in its upper state opener. It then lost to eventual state champion Clinton 11-0. Batesburg-Leesville beat Chesnee 4-1 in an elimination game to get back to Clinton. Al;though the Panthers lost, it was a much better showing. They dropped a 4-3 decision to finish with a 17-10 record.

The Panthers finished second in Region 2 but came through the District 2 tournament undefeated to earn a spot in the upper state tournament.

Bateburg-Leesville blasted Fairfield Central 15-0 in the opening game before going on the road and beating Mid-Carolina 2-1. It then beat Mid-Carolina again to advance.

When asked if he’s surprised the Panthers advanced as far as they did, head coach Rob Bouknight had a mixed response.

“Yes and no,” Bouknight said. “No because I know the type of players we had coming back from last year and the way they go about things. Yes, I am surprised because of the way our season went early, but we have gotten some breaks of late and some things have gone our way

“I am super proud of our players and coaches for the job they have done this year.”

Barry Hatfield talks about his 17 years as Laurence Manning baseball head coach

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 02:21:06 GMT

Prickelmyer, Hodge, Black, Wellborn, Welch All-Region picks for 3-time defending state champion softball team

Manning – After 17 seasons as the head coach of the Laurence Manning Academy baseball

team, Barry Hatfield announced at the end of the regular season that he was stepping down.

The last regular-season home game on Tucker Belangia Diamond was a 6-4 loss to Pinewood

Prep . It was questionable as if LMA would even make the SCISA AAAA state playoffs, and if it did it

would be a low seed. That meant Laurence Manning likely wouldn’t host a game so Hatfield’s final home

game would be a loss.

Fate had other plans though.

The Swampcats ended up getting in the playoffs, but they were the final seed in their 5-team,

double-elimination bracket.

“From what I heard, we weren’t in the playoffs to begin with,” Hatfield said. “But one of the

teams was found to have had an illegal pitch count and had to forfeit a game and we got in.”

LMA beat No. 4 seed Hammond 5-4 in their opening game before falling to eventual state

champion Hilton Head Christian Academy 10-0.

Laurence Manning had to await the winner of an elimination game between Hammond and No. 3

seed John Paul II . When the Skyhawks beat JPII that meant Hatfield and the Swampcats would be at

home one final time. They made the most of it with a 6-4 win.

Although LMA was eliminated by No. 2 seed Augusta Christian School 9-1, the moment’s

significance was not lost on Hatfield.

“It was special to walk off somewhere that meant so much to me with a win,” Hatfield said. “I tried not

to get emotional, but I have to admit I got a little emotional before the game.

“I was trying to fight back the tears and focus on what was in front of me. To have spent so much

time and have so many wonderful memories there, it was special to win the final home game.”

That brought an end to a 38-year baseball coaching career, 31 of them as a head coach. Hatfield

was the head coach at Furman High School in its final year of existence and was the head at Lakewood ,

which replaced Furman, in the first 13 years of its existence.

Hatfield doesn’t know what his final career record is, but what is known is that he led the

Swampcats to back-to-back state championships in 2016 and ’17 and to one more in 2022.

LMA finished with a 10-13 record, one of the few losing seasons over his 31-year head coaching

career. However, Hatfield was pleased with how the season turned out.

“The kids played hard, and we went 2-2 in the playoffs, which is better than what was expected,”

he said. "As a coach, you want to see improvement as the year progresses. As far as what you want is to

be playing your best baseball at the end of the year. You couldn’t ask anything else out of them.”

Payton Brown and Josh Niswonger were named to the All-Region 3-AAAA team and were

selected to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game along with Grainger Powell.

Niswonger was the top pitcher, working 50 innings and posting a 3.36 earned run average. He had

69 strikeouts to 41 walks., Niswonger had a .294 batting average, but owned an on-base percentage of

over .490. He led the team in home runs with three and runs batted in with 17 to go with 10 runs scored.

Brown batted .303 and had an OBP of over .360 and shared the lead in runs with 19. Powell

batted .343 with an OBP topping .420 to go along with 13 RBI and 15 runs. He also worked 11 innings

and had a 4.46 ERA.

Connor Carter was the leading hitter with a .348 batting average and shared the lead in runs

with 19.

Gavyn Mathis had a strong season on the mound, working 34 1/3 innings and posting a 3.06

ERA. He struck out 24 and walked just 10.

Hatfield said he initially planned to step down following the 2025 season. However, with the

school’s coaching staff going through changes along with a new headmaster coming in, he decided it was

best to wait a year.

“I love Laurence Manning,” he said. “There were too many transitions last year, and I felt if I quit

at that time it would look bad on the school.”

Hatfield said his greatest joy as a coach was having his son, Dawson Hatfield , start for him at

second base on the back-to-back title teams. The saddest moments were saying goodbye to his senior

classes.

Hatfield will still be teaching high school history but now plans to spend his after-school hours

with his family, including his granddaughter.

5 LADY ‘CATS ALL-REGION SOFTBALL SELECTIONS

A quintet of seniors who helped the Laurence Manning softball team to a third straight AAAA

state title – Lyza Prickelmyer , Ashley Rae Hodge , Marlee Black , Lily Wellborn and Caroline Welch

– were named to the All-Region team.

Prickelmyer primarily played first base and had a .581 batting average and an on-base percentage

of .610, both team highs. She had 11 doubles, four triples and two home runs, including a 2-run shot in

the top of the eighth inning in the Lady ‘Cats 8-7 win over Pinewood Prep that gave them a sweep of the

best-of-3 state championship series.

She also had 28 runs batted in and scored 38 runs to go with 13 stolen bases.

Hodge, the shortstop, had a .429 avergage with an OBP of .458. She had 11 doubles, one triple,

one homer, 32 RBI and 26 runs.

Black, the leftfielder, batted .418 with a .446 OBP. She had three doubles, three triples and two

homers to go with 15 RBI, 26 runs and seven stolen bases.

Wellborn handled third base and had a .380 average and an OBP of .397. She had seven doubles

and two triples to go with 16 RBI and 19 runs.

Welch was one of Laurence Manning’s pitchers. She had a 6-2 win-loss record in 58 2/3 innings

pitched. She had 27 strikeouts to 27 walks while posting an earned run average of 2.88.

At the plate, Welch had a .375 average to go with an OBP of .394. She had eight doubles, two

triples, 19 RBI and 18 runs.

Powdersville leaves no doubt in AAA boys soccer as it repeats as state champion

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Brody Pike scores five goals as Patriots beat Oceanside Collegiate 6-1

Columbia – For most of the 2026 soccer season, defending state champion Powdersville High School and 2-time defending Lower State champion Oceanside Collegiate Academy were considered the heavy favorites to reach the AAA state finals. Neither team disappointed.

However, once the finals arrived it was Powdersville that proved once again to be the top dog. And it was impressive.

The Patriots scored early and often in posting a 6-1 win with senior Brody Pike accounting for five goals in his final high school game.

“As a coach I never expect anything. I hope we play our best and if we do or we don’t we will ultimately get what we deserve.” Powdersville head coach Jeremy McCall said. “In watching film, I thought that Oceanside had a strong team, obviously to be back into the state championship game. I thought if we played well we would have a chance to win. Ultimately having a player (Pike) score five goals is something that you never expect in a match, much less the state championship game.”

McCall states the obvious when he says he had a wealth of talent on this year’s team. But he also feels strongly that it takes more than talent to win the biggest games. This team, he says, had the great intangibles.

“The strengths of this team was the bond and love that they all have for each other. You hear the term “brotherhood” used often but this group is definitely different than any other group I have ever coached. They truly love one another and I like to say that is what make us different.

“There are countless stories of things that this group did off the field to help a teammate out that might be going through a tough situation to pick them up and pat them on the back or even just say you know what, give me that burden, you don’t worry about it. That is what makes this group special and their love for one another was the strength of this team. “

Pike was the obvious leader on the team with help from co-captain Jud Scrivner . But, as the coach says, two leaders won’t get it done alone.

“They both accomplished many great things in their careers at Powdersville High School. However, the guys that I counted on were all 18 on the roster. There were games this year where we were missing Jud or Brody so it was important that the guy that was going to play in their spot was someone that not only I could count on but someone their teammates believed in.”

If there is a rebuilding year coming, it could be next year. Then again, maybe not. The team had 11 seniors this season, leaving many holes to fill. However, the junior varsity team was 28-3-2 over the last two seasons.

“I am excited to see some of those guys that are ninth- and 10 ^th -graders get their chance playing at the varsity level next year to leave their mark on the program and to continue growing as a team.”

Indian Land wins 10th softball title with 4-0 win over St. James In the AAAAA Division II championship series

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:00:02 GMT

The Indian Land Softball Team Celebrates Winning The School’s 10 ^th Softball Title With A 4-3 Win Over St. James On May, 29 IN The Div. II AAAAA Classification.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Florence — Indian Land (31-3) and St . James (27-7) split their first two games in the best-of-three state softball finals, from the Div. II AAAAA ranks, so a third game was needed at neutral site, South Florence High on May 29, to break the deadlock.

Indian Land scored all their four runs in the 4 ^th inning, and pounded out 10 hits in the game, to earn a 4-0 win over St James, earning the school’s 10 ^th state softball title. The Warriors had won 9 state titles as a Class A member, with their last title coming in 2006. The program won seven straight titles between 2000 and 2006.

Indian Land has a rich softball tradition, and their current head coach, Monica Barfield, won three of those titles in 2004, ’05. ’06 before she took a break, after the 2008 season, to help raise her small children at the time. Coach Barfield returned to the program as the head coach in 2017, for what she calls “Round II.”

“I feel like this state championship means so much more,” said Coach Barfield. “The three previous titles, I feel like we were expected to win, but we had to work for this one. This is a very talented team, and I knew in the beginning of the season that we had a chance for a good run. Once we started beating great teams, and great coaches, the girls started to believe in themselves and that we could make a deep run in the playoffs.

“I also think coming out of the loser’s bracket against Woodmont and beating them twice really helped to build their confidence,” said Coach Barfield. “The bus trips to St . James, three times, and not getting to play on two of those days due to weather, also sparked my girls to finish the fight.”

Coach Barfield also praised the outstanding leadership of senior leaders Olivia Miller, the team’s veteran pitcher , and Logan Thomas, a talented catcher and she said these two players were key reasons Indian Land won the state championship.

“They are an excellent pitcher/catcher duo, and they compete well each other with great communication skills during a game,” said Coach Barfield. “Both of them are hard workers, lead by example, and just over-all very great girls and talented softball players. They will be missed at ILHS.”

Coach Barfield said Miller has signed up to play at South Carolina while Thomas is headed to USC Aiken to play softball. “Both USC, and USC-Aiken are getting great players in both of them,” said Coach Barfield.

In game one, Indian Land lost at home to St. James 5-3 on May 25. Bad weather delayed game two at Indian Land until May, 29 when St James, head coached by Paula Blackwell , took that game on the road 3-1, forcing a third game tie-breaker.

In the bottom of the 4 ^th , in game three, catcher Logan Thomas got Indian Land going on offense with a double. Pitcher Olivia Miller followed with a double to score Thomas, for the game’s first run. Right fielder Taylor Marvin then doubled scoring CR Jayla Herron to make it 2-0. Next, with no outs, first baseman Layla Crandall singled to center scoring Marvin to make it 3-0.

The next two batters were out on a pop- ups in foul territory. Center fielder Avery Clark came up and smashed a double to left field scoring Crandall and the Warriors led for good at 4-0, with no additional runs being scored by either team.

Miller was the winning pitcher for Indian Land. She went a complete game seven innings allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts. At one point in the season Miller had a 9-4 record in the circle with an incredible 102 strikeouts in 42 innings of work with an ERA at 1.17.

For the game Miller, Marvin and Crandall paced the Warrior’s offense with two hits and one RBI each. Clark and Thomas joined first baseman Harper Murphy , and second baseman Raegan Langborgh with one hit each.

St James was limited to three hits in the game. They were made by shortstop Kinzie Kraus , first baseman Payton Cox and DP Khloee Barton .

Raegan Tibbits was the losing pitcher for the Sharks. She pitched all six innings, allowed 10 hits, and had three strikeouts.

Indian Land finished 27-7 on the season while St James went 31-3 and 15-0 in their region.

Miller was named to the softball coaches’ all-state team. Thomas, Clark, Murphy, and Crandall were named all region.

Additional starters in the third game for Indian Land, not already mentioned, were shortstop Brooklyn Fairfax , and DP Alaura Mitchell.

Additional starters for St James were: third baseman Sophia Roloson , second baseman Callie Centraccio, and outfielders Grace Ray , Samantha Allen, Lauren Wallace, and Nevaeh Sacchetti.

The HSSR will release their annual all-state softball team around June,15 and both these teams are expected to have multiple honorees on that team following outstanding seasons by those teams.

Latta rallies in bottom of sixth to beat McBee 3-2 to claim the Class A baseball state championship

Sun, 31 May 2026 23:12:46 GMT

Vikings' BW Berry pitches second complete game of series, striking out 10 while allowing just four hits

Florence – After being within two outs with no one on base from winning the Class A baseball state championship, Latta High School watched McBee score eight runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 12-5 victory in Game 2 of the best-of-3 title series on Wednesday. To add insult to injury, the Vikings coughed up the lead on their home field -- Buddy Johnson Memorial Baseball Stadium .

So what words of wisdom did LHS head coach Robbie Brown impart upon his players to help prepare them for a winner-take-all Game 3 after such a devastating loss?

“It’s a series,” Brown said. “We can’t worry about the first win and the first loss. This is why you get to play three games.”

And it took all seven innings of Game 3 to truly determine a winner. Scoreless for 4 ½ innings, Latta broke the tie with one run in the bottom of the fifth only to see the Panthers score twice in the top of the sixth.

However, the Vikings used a 2-out, 2-run bloop double from sophomore Caden Hyatt in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead, and senior BW Berry struck out the side in the seventh for a complete-game, 3-2 victory on Saturday at a packed South Florence High field that likely held close to all of the residents from both Latta and McBee.

The title is the 10 ^th in program history for LHS, the first since 2018. Latta finishes the season with a 27-10 record, while McBee closes out at 22-13-1.

“We knew we had new life coming in on Saturday,” Hyatt said. “It was a different ball game. We just flipped the script. We knew if we played our ball game we would win this game.”

As stated earlier though, it was not easy.

The Vikings’ Logan Byrd was hit by relief pitcher Peyton Brigman to open their half of the sixth. Courtesy runner Danny McDowell made it to third on a pair of groundout soft rollers to third baseman Zane Boykin . Zach Lane drew a walk to set the stage for Hyatt.

He hit a sinking liner toward right field. Instead of conceding the run, rightfielder Lucas King tried to make an inning-ending catch. He was unable to do so and both McDowell and Lane scored to make it 3-2.

“I knew we were going to tie it at a minimum, if not go ahead,” Brown said in regards to his thoughts as Hyatt stepped in the batter’s box. “They’ve done it all year. They’ve been resilient and I’m honored to coach these guys.”

“I was like the team needs me,” Hyatt said. “I’ve got to come through here, I’ve got to be big. I just wanted to focus on the at-bat and put the ball in play.

“I was real nervous (when I hit it). I thought he might catch the ball. I just kept running and the ball fell.”

Berry fanned Cooper Rollings , King and McBee leadoff hitter Chris Stone to close out the game and set off a big celebration. It was the second complete game of the series for Berry, who scattered four hits in an 11-1, 6-inning Game 1 victory the previous Saturday. He again allowed just four hits while striking out 10, nine coming over the final four innings. He walked two, one intentionally, and hit a batter.

“He did well last Saturday, and we knew if we had to go to a Game 3, he was going to get the ball,” Brown said of Berry, one of three seniors along with catcher Mason Weatherford and second baseman Fischer Richardson . “I got on him at practice last night (Friday), and it’s a standard he asked me to hold him to. I texted him later and told him it wasn’t personal. He texted me back and said, ‘I love you,’ and, ‘We’re going to win.’

“That’s just who he is. He’s full of confidence. He loves this team, loves this community. He will do anything for anybody with (Latta) green on.”

Berry was very matter of fact about what happened in practice and his performance.

“It was just about setting an example as a senior,” Berry said. “I feel like I trusted my stuff pretty good. I think I pitched pretty well.”

Senior left-hander Hayden Griggs started on the mound for the Panthers for the second straight game. He pitched 2 2/3 innings on Wednesday, and MHS head coach Josh Tiller thought it was the right move for the moment.

“He’s a senior and we wanted the ball in a senior’s hand,” Tiller said. “We told him to go out and finish up strong. This was going to be his last game either way. We wanted the ball in his hands, and he came out and pitched really well.”

Griggs allowed five hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out two and walking none while hitting a batter.

He threw shutout ball through the first four innings. However, Latta pushed across a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Hyatt led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Josiah Durant . Richardson singled to left field and Hyatt easily beat the throw home to make it 1-0.

Brigman came on in relief and struck out Berry and got Weatherford to fly out to end the inning.

McBee had the top of the batting order up in the sixth and it capitalized. Stone drew a leadoff walk before JJ Melton popped out on the infield. However, Hayden Griggs followed with a deep fly ball to right that looked like it might leave the yard. It fell short, but it was enough for a double that sent Stone to third.

Berry struck out Manning Tolson for the second out before the Vikings chose to intentionally walk Brigman to load the bases. Hunter Griggs responded with a base hit to right that scored Stone and Hayden Griggs for a 2-1 lead.

McBee missed out on a great scoring opportunity in the fourth. After Berry struck out Stone to start the inning, Melton and Hayden Griggs had consecutive singles and Tolson was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Berry got out of the inning unscathed though by whiffing Brigman and Hunter Griggs.

“We definitely missed an opportunity there,” Tiller said. “Any time you get the bases loaded like that you want to capitalize and at least get a couple across. That one really came back to get us right there.”

Hayden Griggs led the Panthers offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double. Hunter Griggs had a hit and two runs batted in, and Melton had the other hit. Stone had the other run.

“This was not the ending we wanted to have tonight, but the guys fought all year long,” Tiller said. “We kept getting better each week and started putting stuff together shortly before the playoffs. We had a great playoff run. We just came up short tonight.

“They had nothing to hold their heads about tonight. They fought all the way through to the last out. This team has showed so much fight and grit. A lot of people didn’t have us making it this far. For the guys to fight through and battle all season long and to make it to the championship series is great. Hats off to the Latta team.”

The Vikings finished with six hits with Hyatt, Richardson and Bryson Berry each accounting for two hits. Hyatt scored a run and had two RBI, while Richardson had the other RBI.

BW Berry said going out as a state champion is hard to believe.

“It means everything,” he said. “It’s all we ever wanted. I think we knew we were going to score (in the sixth). We knew we would come back just like we’ve done so many times.”

Brown paid tribute to both his team and one of his predecessor, the legendary Don Cribb .

“I know I can never be Don Cribb, but I hope I can leave a lasting impact like he did,” Brown said.

Cribb led the Vikings to state titles m 2015 as well as 2018 before passing away from cancer in December of 2021.

As far as his team goes, Brown said what the Vikings did on Saturday was par for the course throughout the year.

“They want to compete, they want to win,” he said. “This team is super special to me, not because we won it all, but because they continue to find a way even when all seems hopeless.

“That’s our mentality. We’re the cardiac Vikings. That’s what we do. We may be down, but we’re not out until the last pitch is thrown, the last out is made.”

James Island beats Dorman 5-0 to win AAAAA Division I championship series for third straight title

Sun, 31 May 2026 14:20:30 GMT

Easterling, Marchand combine to toss shutout for Trojans

James Island Wins Third Straight AAAAA Baseball Title With 5-0 Win Over Dorman

Lexington – There was some hesitation by James Island High School baseball head coach Matt Spivey in selecting River Bluff High School as the location for Saturday’s deciding game against Dorman in the best-of-3 AAAAA Division state championship series.

Just nine days earlier, the Trojans visited The Swamp looking to wrap up the Lower State title in Game 2 of that series. Sparked by four runs batted in from All-State senior Taj Marchand , they had a 9-0 lead over the Gators after three innings, and the Trojans were feeling pretty good at that point.

However, a resilient River Bluff rallied for nine unanswered runs to tie the game. James Island regained the lead in the top of the fifth only for Wes Godwin to belt a 2-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to give the Gators the improbable 11-10 comeback win.

This time around, the Trojans left their personal “ House of Horrors ” with a pleasant memory and their third straight state championship. Taking an early lead and with Brayden Easterling and Marchand combining for seven shutout innings on the mound, James Island defeated Dorman 5-0 for the victory.

“He doesn’t flinch,” said Spivey of Marchand, the star senior shortstop/pitcher who has signed to play at M ississippi but is expected to be selected in the top three rounds of the Major League Baseball draft in July. “The moment is never too big for that guy and he showed that today.”

James Island concluded the season at 31-4 with their third straight title, the last two in AAAAA Division I.

“We got together as a staff and then as a team, and said, ‘We have to conquer some demons,’ and this was the place that we wanted to do it, and I think we did that today,” said Spivey.

James Island led 2-0 after the first inning. Junior Trip Ostergard led off with a single. Then senior centerfielder Connor Dantzler , a Tulsa football signee, got a 1-out single to advance Ostergard to third. Dantzler advanced to second on the throw. Senior first baseman Finn Pratt singled to right field, scoring Ostergard to make it 1-0 with Dantzler advancing to third. Brady Dantzler got an RBI groundout to score his brother, making it 2-0 .

James Island added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up 5-0. Junior outfielder Ethan Stein led off with a double and advanced to third on a groundout out by sophomore outfielder Aiden Spivey . Ostergard reached on a hit by pitch before Marchand was intentionally walked. Stein scored on an RBI groundout by Connor Dantzler to make it 3-0. Pratt then singled on a line drive to center, scoring two runs, courtesy runner Dawson Beldner for Marchand, and Ostergard to make the final score 5-0.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Easterling and Cooper Hornick of Dorman most of the way. Both threw four innings and matched each other with two strikeouts and held the opposition scoreless from the second through fourth innings.

Each were also relieved by their respective team’s top players in the fifth inning. Marchand replaced Easterling for James Island, while Hornick, the AAAAA DI Player Year, according to the

South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association , was moved from second base to the mound.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Marchand gave up a walk and two singles to load the bases. The Cavaliers could not capitalize as States Farr struck out to end the threat.

“We needed someone to come through,” Marchand said. “I needed to come through that moment. I did, and that’s what needed to happen.”

Veteran Dorman head coach Jack Jolly commented, “We started that inning building with two outs,” he said. “So I was really proud with getting the bases loaded. We got to the top of the lineup. That’s what we wanted to try to do in the top of the sixth. So we had everything that we wanted. We just didn’t come through.”

After giving up a leadoff single in the seventh to Luke Thompson , Marchand retired the final three batters to end the series. Following the game-ending strikeout of Connor Wells , Marchand tossed his cap high into the air as teammates piled on the mound in celebration.

“It’s hard to get back here,” said Coach Spivey. “It’s hard to win 31 baseball games. But my guys show up and work every day. They put the work in and here we are.”

Meanwhile, a disappointed Jolly praised his senior class and called this one of the most enjoyable seasons in his career.

“It’s going to hurt for a while, but we’ll learn and grow from this and, hopefully, we’ll be able to overcome this mountain,” said Jolly.

In the championship game, the Trojans got four innings of mound work from Easterling, a sophomore. He gave up five hits, no runs and he had five strikeouts. Marchand pitched the final three innings, giving up four hits and no runs while striking out three.

James Island had eight hits. They were led at the plate by Pratt, who went 3-for4 with three RBI. Ostergard, Connor Dantzler, Brady Dantzler, Stein, and Spivey each had one hit. Marchand was walked three times.

Hannah-Pamplico edges Whitmire 4-3 to earn Class A softball state title

Sun, 31 May 2026 04:10:35 GMT

Senior catcher Meredith Stone and senior pitcher Kadence Poston lead Lady Raiders to championship.

Pamplico - - Home teams from rural areas in South Carolina seem to always celebrate state championships a little longer after the hard-fought battle is over. That was the case in Hannah - Pamplico High School’s highly competitive 4-3 win over Whitmire in Game 2 of the the Class A softball state championship series on Friday that gave it the state title.

It was the Lady Raiders’ second state title since 2023 under head coach Amber Knight . Knight first complimented the Whitmire team.

“This was the first time Whitmire had ever made it to the finals in girls softball, and they are an incredible team, and I extend all the props to them and their fans,” said Knight. “They will deserve one down the road.”

Turning to her own team, Knight talked about the four seniors who started in the game who also played in the 2023 state title game. They are catcher Meredith Stone , headed to USC Upstate , pitcher Kadence Poston , headed to Western Carolina , along with shortstop Chloe Cooper , and centerfielder Savannah Owens .

“These are my babies and the glue of our team,” said Knight. “We also have a phenomenal junior ( Allie Owens ) batting leadoff for us, and quite frankly, our third baseman ( London Lee ) has struggled at the plate, but she got the hit for us that won the ball game tonight.

“Our defense is what held us together in the game,” said Knight. “It took us a while to get started hitting-wise, but making several pivotal plays in the game on defense was crucial to our win. Meredith was chosen the Class A Player of the Year for a reason. She made a great tag at the plate to save one run, and she saved another run with the bases loaded by turning a double play back to first, after she got the force at home plate.

“She (Stone) is an incredible softball player and we will miss her,” said Knight. “I was looking at her stats yesterday and she was batting over .400 with 35 hits.”

Knight said the battery of Poston and Stone will be hard to replace going into next season.

“Kadence is such a battler in the circle, and she and Merdedith have been teammates for five or six seasons, and it will be hard to replace their talent and leadership,” said Knight. “They both have promising futures in the sport.”

Stone and Poston will represent the Lady Raiders in the upcoming annual North-South All-Star Game. Poston was also named to the Class A All-State team. Stone and Poston were All-Region players along with Cooper and Lee.

In the team huddle prior to the game, Knight said she issued this charge to her team.

“I told them to not to make the ball game bigger than it is,” she said. “It’s our nine girls against their nine girls, and we are at home, with our fans, so do not make anything bigger than it is. Have fun and leave it all on the field.”

High School Sports Report conducted a joint interview with Stone and Poston after the game.

“We have been a pitcher-catcher combination since the sixth or seventh grade,” said Stone. “We communicate with each other very well during games, and for us to both go out with a state championship is very special.”

Stone was asked about her remarkable double play that probably saved the game for her team.

“I knew I had a force at the plate, and I was just waiting for the ball from AJ to come home as quick as possible, and I knew I had an opportunity to throw back to first and I had to take it,” said Stone.

The double play ended what had looked like a potential big inning for Whitmire.

Poston said she never worries about the various strike zones she encounters from game to game.

“You can only control what you can control so we stay focused and keep doing what we can do,” she said. “It was so great to be a part of our school’s first state championship in any sport back in 2023. This one means even more, being a senior. It is a memory I will have for the rest of my life.”

Stone concluded, “Standing here as a senior, this second state championship means the world to me,” she said. “This also shows just how much our community cares and I am just so happy right now.”

Stone and Poston said they were grateful to be able to play the sport they love at the next level.

“I am just going to keep on working hard and do what I can to contribute on the field,” said Stone.

Poston added, “My biggest goal is to keep improving and to get to pitch a few innings as a freshman and to also do well in the academic area,” said Poston.

After the game, Whitmire head coach Andrew Campbell was upbeat about the future of his young team. “We will have 13 of 15 players back for next season, and our two seniors were contributors, but not starters,” he said. “I just told the girls that it was an honor for them to be the first team from Whitmire to ever play for the state title. We lost two very competitive games by one run (4-3 both times).

“I am so proud of these girls,” said Campbell. “They’ve accomplished something we have never accomplished in Whitmire softball history. They did not lay down in either game. They kept fighting and I love them all.”

The team’s five All-Region candidates, when they are officially announced in a few days, are expected to be junior centerfielder Chole Hix , sophomore shortstop Autumn Gilliam , junior pitcher Kenleigh Epps , sophomore catcher Alleigh Corley , and freshman third baseman Ariana Jenkins .

With the score tied 3-3, H-P came to bat in the bottom of the seventh. Owens led off with a walk. Poston crushed a single to advance Owens to second. Stone’s fly out to center advanced Owens to third base. Cooper was intentionally walked. Then Lee singled to center, scoring Owens for the walk-off 4-3 win.

For the game, H-P collected eight hits. Poston, Stone, and Lee each had two hits. Leftfielder Alexa Wenger and Kaylie Avant contributed one hit each.

In the circle, Poston worked all seven innings, giving up nine hits and one earned run while compiling seven strikeouts.

Whitmire was led at the plate by Gilliam with two hits and one RBI. Epps also had two hits. Corley joined five other Wolverine hitters with one hit each. The others were leftfielder Holly Robertson , first baseman Raylin Vicars , rightfielder Brielle Whitmire and sophomore infielder Kinsley Hood .

Gray Collegiate Softball Gets Sweep Over Flora To Win Third Straight State Title

Sat, 30 May 2026 09:39:40 GMT

Gray Collegiate junior Peyton Hendrix took the circle for the second time in the best-of-three series to close out a 11-1 victory and secure Gray’s second straight 4A state championship and third straight state title.

By WORTHY EVANS

HSSR Contributing Writer

COLUMBIA — With little drama, the Gray Collegiate softball team made a big statement Friday night at the A.C. Flora softball field.

Sophomore Mackenzie Sease’s home runs in the first and second inning helped boost the War Eagles to a 6-0 lead, while junior Peyton Hendrix took the circle for the second time in the best-of-three series to close out a 11-1 victory and secure Gray’s second straight 4A state championship and third straight state title.

Add to that, University of South Carolina signee Aspen Boulware finished off her career with the War Eagles with a solo home run in her final at-bat, the 60 ^th of her career.

“We set a goal this year to go undefeated,” head coach Doug Frye said. “I know that sounds crazy, but we’d take it one game at a time. These girls bought into it and they stayed focused on what we were doing the whole year. It’s amazing, 34-0. It’s incredible.”

The War Eagles beat the Falcons 7-1 in the first game of the series that was disrupted by rain.

Gray held a 3-1 lead going into the fourth inning before the weather forced a suspension Wednesday night. When play resumed Thursday the War Eagles scored two more runs in the fourth inning on Sease’s 2-out double that drove in Wright and Boulware to make it 5-1. Gray scored a run in the fifth inning and another in the sixth, and Hendrix closed out her first complete game this week in the circle by shutting out the Falcons in the seventh. Hendrix scattered six Flora hits and struck out 10.

“It was just staying focused. All the preparation we’ve done before this season, that’s really what our strategy was,” Hendrix said Thursday. “We’ve all worked very hard this season and it’s trusting that process.”

Hendrix, 12-0 on the year and 35-0 as a War Eagle pitcher, had a similar night Friday. She scattered six Falcon hits again, gave up an earned run, walked seven, but still struck out 10 for the win.

“Peyton Hendrix is a dog, Frye said. “If you go to war you want Peyton Hendrix in the hole with you. She’s gonna battle. She called me today and she wanted the ball. I believe in her. I believe in all of these kids.”

The War Eagles took control early when Sease hit a one-out solo homer over the leftfield fence in the first inning. Later with two outs, Georgia Gilman and Gracie Porter both scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0.

Ella Griffin flied out to end the first inning for the War Eagles, but Sease hit a one-out 3-run shot over the centerfield fence in the second inning to give Gray a 6-0 lead.

“I was looking for the changeup,” Sease said about her home runs. “If you knock them out early, they lay down. That was our mentality the whole season, to go at them early.”

In the third inning with two outs and two runners on base, Griffin scored on a wild pitch to Boulware. Boulware’s RBI single scored Phoenix Wright , courtesy runner for Mackenzi Bradley .

Sease struck out to retire the side but by then Gray held an 8-0 advantage.

A.C. Flora’s only run came when Hendrix walked Karson Riddle with the bases loaded, enabling Kayleigh Moore to score.

Annie Storm grounded out to end the fourth, stranding three runners. The Falcons (25-7) stranded 12 runners Friday, including three in the first inning and three more in the fourth.

Gray Collegiate scored a run on Bradley’s RBI single that scored Griffin in the fifth inning to make it 9-1. In the seventh inning Griffin led off with a single, and as Bradley batted, took second base on a wild pitch and promptly stole third. When Bradley grounded out Griffin easily scored the 10 ^th run.

Boulware’s solo shot with two outs was the cherry on the cake for the War Eagles.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I was in the box praying that God would give me one opportunity to finish strong and He did.”

The Falcons, in their first state-championship appearance, may have finished second, but head coach James Marlow said it was the team’s hard work that drove them this far, and the returners know what to do to get ready for next season.

“Congratulations to Gray, that is a phenomenal team, they deserve all of their accolades,” Marlow said. “Our girls have fought really hard to be here too, I definitely don’t want them overlooked for all their accomplishments. This is an amazing group here. We’ve got more opportunities, and we’re going to learn and grow from this, but I’m just so proud of them.”

Marlow also said it was exciting for the team to receive congratulations from the community, something that the A.C. Flora baseball team, which defeated Airport 4-0 Friday night to complete a 2-game sweep and win the Falcons’ eighth baseball state championship, was used to getting.

“It’s kind of euphoric right now. After the dust settles over the next couple of days we’ll look back and really know what we’ve done, but for sure we’ve made the community really proud,” Marlow said. “To get on the map and build a great program and be with these girls, it really does mean a lot for them.”

With its third state title trophy in hand, Gray Collegiate continues to look to next year. Boulware and other seniors will move on, but Frye said the way the team performed this year means the returners have a solid road map.

“They keep growing and growing, and they keep playing. We’re not going anywhere. We’ve got a bunch of young kids here who can play,” Frye said. “I tell them it’s hard to win. If you look at our schedule, we played three teams who played for state championships, and they just played hard and got after it all year long and they just when it got tough and they got up on us, they’d come back.”

“They never quit, they never faded, they kept fighting and fighting,” he added. “This group is very special. I told people at the beginning of the year that this is the best team I’ve ever had. They’re so athletic. Last year we hit 51 home runs but this year we hit 22, but we did everything with small ball, our bunts and triples and doubles. We really could run and had a lot of stolen bases.”

Game one

A.C. Flora 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 1 6 2

Gray Collegiate 1 2 0 2 1 1 x – 7 7 0

WP: Peyton Hendrix, 7 IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 10K.

F – Cameron Crook 2-2, 3B.

G – Mackenzie Sease 2B, 2 RBI. Payton Reed 2-4.

Game two

Gray Collegiate 3 3 2 0 1 0 2 – 11 8 1

A.C. Flora 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 1 6 1

WP: Peyton Hendrix, 7 IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 7BB, 10K

F – Karson Riddle 2-3.

G – Mackenzie Sease 2-5, HR (2), 4 RBI. Aspen Boulware 2-4, HR, 2 RBI. Ella Griffin 3-4, 3B. Peyton Hendrix 2B.

Indian Land beats St. James 3-1 to force deciding game in AAAAA Division II title series

Sat, 30 May 2026 05:28:21 GMT

Game 3 to be played at South Florence on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Murrells Inlet – Indian Land High School rode the pitching of Avery Clark to a 3-1 victory over St. James on Friday iin Game 2 of the best-of-3 AAAAA Division II softball state championship series to force a deciding game on Saturday.

The third game will be played at the South Florence field beginning at 1 p.m.

Clark limited the Sharks, who lost for just the second time in 33 games, to just two hits. Both of those hits came from Raegan Tibbitts. The right-handed Clark finished with 10 strikeouts while walking five.

Tibbitts was the losing pitcher. She went the distance, scattering seven hits and walking four while striking out four.

Indian Land, which improved to 27-7, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Taylor Marvin singled, stole second and scored on a base hit by Alaura Mitchell .

IL picked up its other two runs in the third. Clark led off with a triple before Harper Murphy walked. Clark scored on a Logan Thomas sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Murphy scored on a double by Olivia Miller .

SJ got its run in the sixth. McKenzie Kraus drew a walk and scored on a double by Tibbitts.

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (27-7) vs. St. James (31-2)

Monday

Game 1 – St. James 5, Indian Land 3

Friday

Game 2 – Indian Land 3, St. James 1 (series tied 1-1)

Saturday

Game 3 – at South Florence, 1 p.m.

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-8) vs. Gray Collegiate (33-0)

Thursday

Game 1 – Gray Collegiate 7, A.C. Flora 1

Friday

Game 2 – Gray Collegiate 11, A.C. Flora 1 (Gray Collegiate wins state championship)

CLASS A

Whitmire (23-7) vs. Hannah-Pamplico (18-7)

Thursday

Game 1 – Hannah-Pamplico 4, Whitmire 3

Friday

Game 2 – Hannah-Pamplico 4, Whitmire 3 (Hannah-Pamplico wins state championship)

A.C. Flora sends head coach Andy Hallett out with eighth basebdall state title

Sat, 30 May 2026 04:39:39 GMT

Falcons shut out Airport 4-0 behind Sam McCutcheon to sweep AAAA title series

West Columbia - More than any other season, Andy Hallett wanted to close his 29th as A.C. Flora High School baseball head coach with a championship.

Just two months earlier, Hallett announced his decision to leave the program he built from humble beginnings into a state power. Hallett accepted the positions of athletics director and baseball head coach at Midlands STEM Charter School in Winnsboro .

Motivated to send Hallett out with an eighth state championship, the Falcons fulfilled his wishes. On Friday, they completed a best-of-3 AAAA state championship series sweep of defending champion Airport with a 4-0 victory at Eagle Stadium .

The victory took place less than 18 hours after A.C. Flora pulled out a 2-1 victory in 10 innings at Falcon Field . With the win, the Falcons ended the season with a 17-game winning streak, which included a perfect 8-0 record in the postseason.

“This team right here is going to go down in history as one of the greatest ones to wear an A.C. Flora uniform and have created one of the longest winning streaks of my career,” Hallett said. “In 29 years, I’ve never won this many games (in a row) before, and not only do we do it, but we do it to end the season.”

The series was highlighted by three consecutive days of postponements due to inclement weather. Before Game 1 was finally played on Thursday, there was another 3-hour delay due to thunderstorms.

Once play started, the Falcons’ pitching was the deciding factor. After starter Tyler Hernandez gave up an RBI single to Rylan Bullis in the first inning, A.C. Flora held the Eagles scoreless over the remaining 16 innings of the series.

Hernandez tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI fielder’s choice. He was replaced on the mound by Riggs Scott , who struck out six in 4 2/3 hitless innings.

Monty Lafitte held Airport scoreless and gave up just two hits over the final two innings. A.C. Flora opened the bottom of the 10th with three consecutive singles, the last by Logan Price resulting in a walk-off RBI.

Game 2 saw Charlie Scott hit a leadoff single for the Falcons, steal second base and score on Roper Wentzky’s single. It proved to be all the Falcons needed as Sam McCutcheon silenced the Airport bats with 10 strikeouts and just four hits allowed in seven innings.

Lafitte and Joe Ray drove in runs in the third inning, and Scott added a solo home run in the sixth inning to close out the scoring.

McCutcheon retired seven of the last eight batters he faced and ended Hallett’s final game with a strikeout.

A year after Airport held an on-mound celebration after winning its first-ever title, it was the Falcons’ turn as it joyously piled on to McCutcheon.

“I was proud of our guys,” Airport head coach Casey Bradwell said. “Proud of our guys. There wasn’t a lack of competing. The moment wasn’t too big. We just got beat by a better team right now.”

After the award ceremony and taking his last ‘Gatorade Shower’ as a Falcon, an emotional Hallett reflected on his career and the friendships he’s made at the school and in the community.

“It’s been a wonderful ride for me,” Hallett said. “(It was) 29 years ago, a man...took a chance on a guy that had never been a head coach. I told him I was going to build a championship-caliber team and a program.

“He said, ‘How you’re going to do that? We’ve never won here before.’ I told him it would be fundamentals and discipline. In four years, we hoisted our first trophy. And the one thing I’m probably the proudest of is we’ve been relevant for 30 years. We’ve won across three decades.

“Our kids have always bought into my system. I think we coach our rosters really well from speed teams to power teams, we do our philosophy based on what’s in our dugout, not what we believe, and I think our kids are really good at responding to that.

“It is a sad day. Twenty-nine years is a long time if you’re 57 years old. But as the road goes, every road comes to an end, and I’m really proud and happy my road has ended at A.C. Flora.”

A.C. Flora finished the season with a 29-5 record, while Airport went 27-8.

James Island beats Dorman 8-6 to keep 3-peat hopes alive in AAAAA Division I baseball title series

Sat, 30 May 2026 03:43:36 GMT

Ole Miss signee Marchand strikes out side in seventh to pick up save

James Island – With its back against the wall, the James Island High School baseball team came out for a

fight and held off a late Dorman rally to even the AAAAA Division I state championship series at one game each on

Friday. James Island won the game, 8-6, at Tom Hatley Field .

The deciding game in the best[of-3 series will be on Saturday, May 30, at River Bluff High in Lexigton bdginning

at 7 p,m. James Island is gunning for a third straight state title.

James Island scored two runs in the first and a 4-run second pushed the early lead to 6-0. But Dorman, a 30-win

team, did not flinch. The Cavaliers put up five runs In the fourth to make it a game.

Charlie Becker was the winning pitcher for James Island, which is now 30-3 on the season , the same as the Cavaliers.

Senior Taj Marchand came to the mound in the top of the seventh and struck out the side to get the save. Marchand is a

Mississippi signee, but he is projected to be taken late in the second round or early in the third round of the upcoming

Major League Baseball draft as a shortstop.

Finn Pratt and Brandon Easterling each tallied three hits and two runs batted in for James Iskand. Marcchand and Trip

Ostergard each scored two runs.

Freshman Curtis Nash blasted a home run for Dorman. Nash had two of Dorman’s four hits in the game.

Logan McGarity took the loss for the Cavaliers.

BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Dorman (30-3) vs. James Island (30-3)

Thursday

Game 1 – Dorman 9, James Island 4

Friday

Game 2 – James Island 8, Dorman 6 (series tied 1-10

Saturday

Game 3 – at River Bluff (Lexignton), 7 p.m.

AAAA

A.C. Flora (29-5) vs. Airport (24-8)

Thursday

Game 1 – A.C. Flora 2, Airport 1

Friday

Game 2 – A.C. Flora 4, Airport 0 (A.C. Flora wins state championship)

Clinton (309-3) vs. Atlantic Collegiate (29-5)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Clinton 5, Atlantic Collegiate 1

Friday

Game 2 – Clinton 5, Atlantic Collegiate 4 (8 innings) (Clinton wins state championship)

CLASS A

McBee (22-12-1) vs. Latta (26-10)

Saturday

Game 1 – Latta 11, McBee 1 (Latta leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – McBee 12, Latta 5 (series tied 1-1)

Saturday

Game 3 – at South Florence, 6 p.m.

Senior Luke Young homers in bottom of 8th to give Clinton 5-4 victory over Atlantic Collegiate for AA baseball state title

Sat, 30 May 2026 02:59:28 GMT

Red Devils win fourth title in program history, second in last four years

Clinton – Clinton High School’s fourth baseball state championship – and second in the past four seasons – occurred at the right time, in the right place, by the right young man.

With the score tied in the bottom of the eighth inning at Clinton’s home park on Friday in Game 2 of the best-of-3 AA state championship series,, catcher Luke Young hit Logan Newcomb’s first pitch over the fence in left-center field, giving the Red Devils a 5-4 victory over Atlantic Collegiate Academy and a sweep of the series. Young and Newcomb are the AA Co-Players of the Year as chosen by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association .

Newcomb, who started in center field, was the Armada’s third pitcher of the game.

Clinton (31-3) had won Game 1 of the best-of-three series in Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, 5-1. The Red Devils, who won all eight of their playoff games, closed the season with 10 straight triumphs.

Young, who rewrote the Clinton record book with 13 home runs, hit a slider about 380 feet.

“I took a good swing at it. All of my teammates were up on the (dugout) fence, yelling that I got it,” said Young, a senior. “It was the same with just everybody in the stands. It’s unbelievable how much this community is behind us.”

The Red Devils only collected four hits, but two were for extra bases.

Atlantic Collegiate (29-5) had eight singles, three by first baseman Eli Chowning and two each by rightfielder Cam Craft and second baseman Gavin Street .

Clinton made ample use of six bases on balls and a hit batter. Jaxson Rzemyk started on the hill for ACA, but it was A.J. Kipybeda who held the line, giving up only an unearned run in five frames of middle relief.

Street drove in three of the Armada’s four runs, including a 2-out, 2-run single that tied the game, 4-4, in the top of the sixth inning.

Clinton, by contrast, had two sacrifice flies (Young and Camden Finley) and two stolen bases and played flawlessly in the field for the fourth time in its final five games.

“To beat good teams, you’ve got to be good in every area,” Clinton head coach Peyton Spangler said. “You can’t have any weak links, and this team didn’t have any.

“The Clinton way is to just grind it out and do what we’ve got to do.”

Isaac Cain won in relief. Starter Tanner Finley gave up three runs off four hits in five innings with four walks and three strikeouts.

“We’ve got a great group,” said another senior, third baseman Jaydon Glenn . “I’ve been playing with these guys for as long as I can remember. It’s great to go out with a win.”

Southside Christian Wins Consecutive State AAA Title With Hard-Fought 8-7 Win Over Oceanside

Fri, 29 May 2026 18:36:20 GMT

Southside Christian Wins Consecutive State Title With Hard-Fought 8-7 Win Over Oceanside Collegiate In the AAA Baseball Finals.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Simpsonville - Carson Boleman was not on the mound, but his two-run homer in the third inning, helped Southside Christian earn a hard-fought 8-7 win over Oceanside Collegiate on May 28 as the Sabres won their 5 ^th straight state championship under head coach Scott Freeman .

Only two other teams in Palmetto state history have won five or more consecutive baseball state titles. Lake View won five straight under Kip Herlong between 1997 and 2001 while David Horton’s Bamberg Ehrhardt teams won 8 straight between 1974 and 1981.

Boleman, considered a top 10 first round major league draft pick this July, is without a doubt the best pitcher ever in the prep ranks in South Carolina. He is 35-0 since his 8 ^th grade season on the Sabres varsity, and he was injured his freshman season and did not pitch.

In his career, Boleman faced 688 batters and he had an incredible 445 strikeouts as a varsity pitcher with a .033 ERA. Boleman’s (6-4, 210), fastball hit 94 mph during his final outing for the Sabres, in a 7-1 win over the Landsharks, in game one. Boleman has superb command of four pitches of the series with a dozen scouts watching from the stands.

After his final high school game, Boleman reflected on his historic journey as a prep baseball player. “It’s not about me,” Carson said. “I am just so proud of what we overcame as a team this season, to finish with our 5 ^th straight state championship. Just super pride of these guys, to see all the hard work that we put into this season, result in a state title. “

What are his memories, spread out over history making five-year varsity career with the Sabres? “Honesty, most of my memories center around the little things, and my experiences with the guys on my team,” said Boleman. “I can’t really recall all that much as an individual player, but striving to be a good teammate, and making small memories along the way with these guys is what I will cherish the most.”

Boleman, a truly humble player, said he will take some time to rest, while going to numerous private workouts with major league teams between now and the July draft. “I will not play any official baseball with a team, but I am planning to work-out with numerous major league teams before the draft,” said Boleman. “I will make myself available to any club who needs to see me work-out, and I will do whatever I need to do.”

Boleman wanted to thank his high school coach for helping develop him, not only as a player, but as a person. “Coach Freeman does a great job,” said Boleman. “What makes him special, is that he doesn’t just coach us on the field. He helps us to be better young men off the field and that is very important to me as well.”

After the big win, Coach Freeman talked about many things. “Once we got into the playoffs we were really locked into finishing out this way,” said Coach Freeman. “They knew the goal that we had, and that we wanted to finish out this way, and this game today was the toughest game we have had in the playoffs.

“We hit the ball well, played good defense, and got good pitching so it was exciting,” said Scott Freeman, who also won a state title at Mauldin , and one as a player at Lancaster High in 1992. “Relief is also a way to describe my feelings right now. We have not verbalized it, (going for five in a row), but it has been in the back of everyone’s mind the whole time. We wanted to finish out this way for the seniors who have meant so much to this program.

“To be able to win it at home, the way the weather worked, was also special,” said Coach Freeman. “Our game one was supposed to be our place almost a week ago, but we switched some things around.”

Coach Freeman talked about just how special it has been to coach a player like Boleman. “He is a once in a lifetime talent,” said Coach Freeman. “He is an incredible kid to coach. He is the hardest working player I have coached, and he is such a leader as an example person on and off the field. I have no doubt that he will be voted as one of four captains for the season when the votes in a couple days.

“I am extremely proud of how he has handled the situation this season (40 scouts attended some games) and how the deflected the attention on himself as much as he could,” said Coach Freeman. “However, when you have his talent it’s hard not to be the focus of the team. He handled the situation very well. He always put the team first.”

Coach Freeman cited all the senior starters on the team. “Our right fielder CJ Aubuchon got the game winning hit today in the bottom of the 6th and he came through for us time-after-time throughout the season,” said Coach Freeman. “ Will Fulcher had a great game on the mound tonight throwing three solid innings. Both guys might not have had a great start to the season, but they came on very strong with key moments in the playoffs.

“ Will Swanson is another senior who played second and had a bunch of key hits this season,” said Coach Freeman.” Bennett Candler made unbelievable plays for us all year in center field, and he started the game on the mound tonight and got us into the 4 ^th inning. “

Oceanside Collegiate is coached by Britt Reames and the Landsharks were playing for their third state title in a row, after winning a title in Reame’s first year as coach in 2024. It was the second straight year losing to the Sabres.

“Baseball is all about the right pitch here or there, or one good at bat at the right time, or a good defensive play when you need it,” said Coach Reames after the tough loss. “This is what ir boils down to. They got a critical timely hit when they needed it, and it was the difference.”

Coach Reames was proud of the team for their grit and never give up attitude. Sophomore LHP Britt Reames Jr . started on the mound. “He gave us five quality innings on the mound until we turned things over to our relief guys,” said Coach Reames. “Baseball is a growing process, and we know our guys are just going to get better as they grow,”

Coach Reames said he was feeling good after his team scored two runs in the top of the 6 ^th to take the lead 7-5. “We never panicked, even when we started off the game with two runs in the first,” said Coach Reames. “Our offense scored three runs in the in the third and when they got the two runs in the 6 ^th we were just hoping to hang on and win the game. Give them credit for coming back in the bottom of the 6th and scoring three runs.”

Oceanside Collegiate will be just as strong next season as they lose only one senior. “ Charlie Johnson is our only starting senior and he is headed to Florence - Darlington Tech, so he has a good future ahead of him,” said Coach Reames. “We have a lot of good young players in our program, and they just need to keep working hard to get better. We feel very good about the future success of our program.”

OCA’s all-region players were shortstop/pitcher Charlie Johnson , freshman pitcher Brayden Schwartz , second baseman Cash Crone , and center fielder Finn Kucaba .

In the title game the Sabres were led at the plate by LF Kaden Graham’s two hits and one RBI, along with Boleman’s two run homer. Also, third baseman Jacob Wiggs , DH Beckett DeSario (7 ^th grader), contributed one hit each. Aubuchon’s hit and three RBI’s were major factors in the win. Junior SS Reeves Israel had a hit also.

OCA was led at the plate by Crone who had two hits and two RBI’s. Johnson contributed a hit along with DH Barrett Svagerka. Third baseman Tanner Fleming had a hit and two RBI’s also . LF Christopher O’Leary contributed a hit and one RBI.

SC used four pitchers in the championship game. Senior LHP Bennett Candler started and went 3.2 innings allowing four hits and striking out three. Fulcher went three innings allowing two hits and striking out four and Wiggs closed out the game with one strike-out.

OCA started with the talented LHP Reames who went five innings, allowed five hits, and had four strikeouts. Hank Griffith worked 1.2 innings allowing a hit with one strike out and Johnson closed the game allowing one hit with one strikeout.

Gray Collegiate softball, Hannah-Pamplico softball, A.C. Flora baseball win series openers

Fri, 29 May 2026 15:17:04 GMT

3 baseball, 3 softball Game 2s set for Friday

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (25-7) vs. St. James (31-1)

Monday

Game 1 – St. James 5, Indian Land 3 (St. James leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at St. James, postponed

Friday

Game 2 – at St. James, 5 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-7) vs. Gray Collegiate (32-0)

Thursday

Game 1 – Gray Collegiate 7, A.C. Flora 1 (Gray Collegiate leads series 1-0)

Friday

Game 2 – at A.C. Flora, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at Gray Collegiate (If necessary, time TBD)

AAA

Crescent (30-4) vs. Hanahan (18-9)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Crescent 9, Hanahan 8

Thursday

Game 2 – Crescent 12, Hanahan 7 (Crecent wins state championship)

Saluda (28-3) vs. Chesterfield (17-10)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Saluda 7, Chesterfield 1

Thursday

Game 2 – Saluda 3, Chesterfield 0 (Saluda wins state championship)

CLASS A

Whitmire (23-6) vs. Hannah-Pamplico (17-7)

Thursday

Game 1 – Hannah-Pamplico 4, Whitmire 3 (Hannah-Pamplico leads series 1-0)

Friday

Game 2 – at Hannah-Pamplico, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Dorman (30-2) vs. James Island (29-3)

Thursday

Game 1 – Dorman 9, James Island 4 (Dorman leads series 1-0)

Friday

Game 2 – at James Island, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

T.L. Hanna (18-18) vs. Chapin (22-9)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Chapin 7, T.L. Hanna 3

Thursday

Game 2 – Chapin 4, T.L. Hanna 3 (Chapin wins state championship)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (28-5) vs. Airport (24-7)

Thursday

Game 1 – A.C. Flora 2, Airport 1 (A.C. Flora leads series 1-0)

Friday

Game 2 – at Airport, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at A.C. Flora (If necessary), 1 p.m.

AAA

Southside Christian (26-8-1) vs. Oceanside Collegiate (24-11)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Southside Christian 7, Oceanside Collegiate 2

Thursday

Game 2 – Southside Christian 9, Oceanside Collegiate 8 (Southside Christian wins state championship)

Clinton (29-3) vs. Atlantic Collegiate (29-4)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Clinton 5, Atlantic Collegiate 1

Friday

Game 2 – Atlantic Collegiate at Clinton, 3 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at Lugoff-Elgin (If necessary, time TBD)

CLASS A

McBee (22-12-1) vs. Latta (26-10)

Saturday

Game 1 – Latta 11, McBee 1 (Latta leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – McBee 12, Latta 5 (series tied 1-1)

Saturday

Game 3 – at South Florence, 6 p.m.

Chapin beats T.L. Hanna 4-3 to sweep AAAAA Division II baseball state championship series

Fri, 29 May 2026 14:39:10 GMT

Felix Flecha Ruiz hits two home runs as Eagles win first state crown in program history

Chapin -- Early in Dell Lever’s first season as Chapin High School baseball head coach, he jokingly referred to his team as “the master of 1-run games.”

Fittingly, the Eagles’ final game of the season was their 11th decided by one run. Holding a 4-3 lead at home on Thursday against T.L. Hanna in Game 2 of the AAAAA Division II state championship series, reliever Brewer Haggard allowed a leadoff single to Jackson Robinson .

It only took three pitches for Chapin to shut down the Yellow Jackets’ final threat. After starting a double play after fielding a Reece Oakley groundball, shortshop Caden Guy threw out Tatum Manning at first base for the final out.

“It’s kind of how it’s been all year,” said Lever, who became the first Chapin head coach to win a state baseball title. “It always came down to one run near the end whether we won or lost.

“But we really started preaching a month ago about moments. That’s kind of been our mantra up until this point is just moments. We never know what moments are going to make or break a game. So, if we can stay calm and just relax in said moment, more often than not, we’re going to be successful and then once we got into this playoff run, our mantra became “one more” – one more pitch, one more play and so forth. If we can just relax and play ‘one more, one more,’ we’re more likely than not going to have a positive ending on the scoreboard.”

Providing key “moments” at the plate for Chapin was Felix Flecha Ruiz . The senior outfielder homered twice in accounting for three runs batted in.

His first was a 2-run shot over the leftfield fence to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning. He then belted a solo home run over the rightfield fence to put Chapin ahead 3-2 in the fourth inning.

“I went to bat, just taking a deep breath and doing what I do best, and that’s hit the ball and that’s all,” Ruiz said.

Luke Cromer added an RBI single in the same inning to put the Eagles up 4-2.

Oakley cut the lead to one run in the top of the fifth, and T.L. Hanna had two baserunners aboard with one out against starter Griff Harper .

Lever brought Haggard into the game in relief. He immediately got Phifer Glann to ground out to first baseman Kelvin Harris and struck out Caeser Ochoa to end the inning.

Haggard provided “one more” moment for Chapin by retiring the final three batters on just four pitches.

“(This is) emotional for me,” Ruiz said. “My last high school game. It’s the best feeling ever.”

This was the fourth state title won in eight years by a Region 4-AAAAA team. The previous champions were Dutch Fork (2019), River Bluff (2023) and Lexington (2024).

Ironically, Lever was previously an assistant coach with three Region 4 teams, the Silver Foxes, Wildcats and White Knoll .

T.L. Hanna was seeking its first state title in three appearances.

Crescent softball program claims state title No. 20, first in 13 years

Fri, 29 May 2026 14:19:28 GMT

Tigers beat Hanahan 12-7 to sweep AAA championship series

Crescent softball program claims state title No. 20

Hanahan -- There’s nothing special in the water in Iva which magically helps Crescent High School’s softball program find success. It’s just a sense of family and culture - and a bunch of tough kids - that keeps the Tigers shining on the diamond spring after spring.

Tigers head coach Jeff Craft had plenty of words of praise for his squad after it rallied for a 12-7 victory over Hanahan on Thursday, May 28, at the HHS field in the AAA state championship series, securing another state crown for the traditional power with a 2-game sweep of the Hawkettes.

The title was the 20th overall for the program, but the first in 13 years.

“We’ve been behind in seven of eight playoff games and just battled back and haven’t lost a one,” said Craft, whose team finished 29-4 for the season. “It’s just what they do. Every time they get behind, you see no fear… They never believe they’re out of a game. You saw that tonight. They refused to make an out in the seventh inning.”

The Tigers plated seven runs in the top of the seventh to pull away from the home team. Earlier, Crescent trailed 4-0 and 7-3 but kept chipping away to get within striking distance going into its final set of hacks. The Tigers recorded five hits in the seventh, including a 2-run single off the bat of pitcher Mikayla Rodney with one out that broke a 7-7 tie.

In all, Crescent sent 13 batters to the plate in the final frame. Craft’s only advice to his team was, ‘Don’t anybody make the last out.’

“We really don’t have to say much to them,” Craft said. “... It’s just a sense of calm. They always believe they’ve got a chance. Our girls just hit the ball. One though nine can hit it. They have a no-quit attitude.”

Rodney, CF Kayleigh Rouse , SS Juju Owens and 1B Ashlyn Parker collected two hits apiece for the Tigers, while Rodney knocked in three runs. Parker and C Rylee Dotson drove in a pair each. Parker pulled the Tigers within 7-6 on a single to centerfield and LF Savanna Rudder evened it up, 7-7, with a sacrifice fly to left field. After Rodney’s two-out, two-run single, RP Reyna Parker made it 10-7 with a single to left field. Dotson, who also blasted a solo homer in the top of the fifth, was then plunked with the bases loaded to force in another run and Ashlyn Parker capped the rally with an RBI infield single.

Senior lefty Reyna Parker , who hadn’t seen much action in the past couple months, came on in relief to secure the win for the Tigers. She allowed just one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout.

CF Briar Mros , 2B Dria Tolbert , C Emma McGowan and 3B Carter Koch each had two hits for Hanahan, which finished the season with a 22–9 mark. SS Camryn Fowler knocked in two runs.

Crescent also rallied in Game 1in Iva, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 9-8 victory.

“It’s just our community,” Craft said. “Our community embraces it. You saw the crowd we brought down here tonight. They just embrace it. Our kids start playing at 4 or 5 years old and for a lot of them their goal is to play for Crescent High School. It all started with Gary and Kathy Adams. He won 19 (state titles). It’s just a culture that he started.”

The Tigers have three seniors and 10 juniors on the roster. In addition to Reyna Parker , second baseman Topanga Ethridge and third baseman Madi Burdette graduate for the Tigers.

“We’re going to miss those three seniors,” Craft said. “We’re not where we are without them. They work as hard as anybody.”

Crescent 000 311 7 - 12 11 1

Hanahan 031 300 0 - 7 12 5

Saluda makes history again as it wins first ever softball state championship

Fri, 29 May 2026 06:03:38 GMT

Kylee McGlohorn, Miller Martin combine to shut out Chesterfield 3-0 as Tigers win the AA state crown

Chesterfield – The Saluda High School softball team made history in 2024 when it played in its first ever upper state championship series. In 2025, the Tigers made history again, winning the AA upper state title and playing in a state championship series for the first time.

Well, Saluda made history again on Thursday, so you know what that means. The school has to make room for a state championship trophy.

The Tigers won the school’s first ever softball state title by beating Chesterfield 3-0 in front of a packed house at the CHS field to sweep the best-of-3 AA state championship series.

“It just means everything to bring it back to Saluda,” said Tigers head coach Hannah Towery . “It’s been a tough ride after last season (getting swept by East Clarendon in the AA title series), and to me it means everything to give the girls this opportunity.

“I’ve always wanted to give the girls this experience because I never had this chance. I played on a lot of teams that came up short. It just means everything to make history for a third year in a row.”

SHS finishes the year with a 29-3 record. The Rams finish 17-10.

Sophomore pitcher Miller Martin and junior centerfielder Amy Sorcia said it was sweet to get the title after coming up short last season.

“It feels really good because we’ve really grown from last year,” Martin said. “It means a lot to me because this is my sister’s (senior second baseman Ava Martin ) last year, she’s a senior and she’s graduating, and it just feels good to come out here and play good and win it.”

“We worked hard last year and sadly we fell short,” Sorcia said. “I think we definitely knew what we wanted to accomplish and we did it.”

Towery decided to throw both of her pitchers on Thursday, and the move worked like a charm, not that Towery expected anything else.

Left-hander Kyle McGlohorn started in the circle and worked the first three innings. She allowed three hits and struck out two while walking none.

Righty Miller Martin came on in the fourth. Martin, who allowed just two hits while striking out 13 in a complete game in the Tigers’ 7-1 win on Wednesday, allowed three hits on Thursday while striking out seven and walking none.

“I told them before the game we were going to play this game like we’ve done the whole entire year,” Towery said. “They’ve been our rock the whole entire year, both pitchers, and we were going to finish the year just how we started and ride what got us there, which was the two of them. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Freshman Ashton Cassidy had a strong pitching performance for Chesterfield. She went the distance, allowing six hits while walking two and fanning four. Only two of the runs were earned.

“She is an awesome pitcher,” second-year head coach Graham Harpe said of Cassidy, one of just two starters from last season at the same position. “ She has carried us. She is definitely one of the MVPs (most valuable players) on this team.”

The game was scoreless through the first four innings. SHS final broke through with a run in the top of the fifth.

Reese Shaw started the inning with a single, and Kamryn Campbell drew a walk. After an out, Ashlynn Vereen hit into a fielder’s choice to leave runners on the corners with two outs.

Vereen took off for second on the first pitch to Nyla Jordan , and catcher Madison Vanderpool sailed her throw into center field. Shaw easily scored to make it 1-0.

Saluda made it 2-0 in the sixth. Zoey Springs singled with one out before Ava Martin drew a walk with two outs. Aubrey Marnati then delivered a single to score Springs.

The Tigers got a big insurance run in the seventh. With one out, Sorcia sent the ball over the left field fence for a home run to make it 3-0.

“When I went up to hit the first two imes, I got it right down the middle both times,” said Sorcia, who was 2-for-3 with a triple and four runs batted in in the opener. “That’s what I was looking for and, yes sir, that’s what I got.”

Miller Martin retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to set off a big celebration, not only by the players,but by the Saluda faithful as well.

“I wasn’t really stressed, but I was dialed in to make sure they didn’t score,” Miller Martin said of taking over a scoreless game.

The Rams finished with six hits and had at least one runner on base through the first five innings. They had one hit in each of the first four innings and two in the fifth.

CHS got a runner to second in the first inning. Ansley Helms singled with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jenna Stafford . That brought Cassidy, the cleanup hitter, to the plate. She had a 12-pitch at-bat before McGlohorn got her to pop out on the infield.

In the Chesterfield fifth, Gabi Rhyne led off with a single. Miller Martin struck out the next two batters before Helms reached on an infield single. However, Martin struck out Stafford to end the threat.

“We couldn’t string any hits together, but I think that says a lot about their pitching,” Harpe said. “Good pitchers can get themselves out of those situations.”

SHS also had six hits with no one picking up multiple hits. Sorcia’s bomb was the only extra-base hit as she finished with a run scored and a run batted in.

Marnati had a hit and an RBI, and Springs and Shaw both had a hit and scored a run. Jordan and Ava Martin had the other hits.

Despite the gaudy record, Towery said the Tigers really had to focus entering the state playoffs.

“Early on we lost a few games, but we really turned it around,” she said. “We struggled in the middle of the year with our hitting and going into the playoffs we knew we had to change some things from what we did last year. And the biggest thing was our hitting and they locked into that. It’s been a redemption tour, and they totally locked into that.”

For Chesterfield, Helms finished with two hits. The other safeties came from Jamison Miles , the head coach’s daughter, Brylie Harpe , Rhyne and Sydney Sowell .

With five starters playing varsity for the first time and two returning starters at new positions, Coach Harpe couldn’t be much happier about his lower state championship team.

“It means a lot,” Coach Harpe said. “At the beginning of the year we were trying to feel people out, put them at different spots. It wasn’t working out. We were losing tight games. To see them turn it around and all start playing with one another at the right time, it showed them what they can do, showed them how much talent is out here.”

Saluda, Crescent win AA, AAA softball state championship series openers

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:39:07 GMT

Flora-Gray Collegiate game suspended; Class A series tries to start again today

Saluda – Saluda High School opened the AA softball state championship series with a 7-1 victory over Chesterfield on Wednesday at the SHS field.

The Tigers, the 2-time defending upper state champions, can claim the state title with a victory today. Game 2 is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start in Chesterfield.

Miller Martin led Saluda, which improved to 28-3 on the season. She allowed just two hits to the Rams while going 2-for-3 at the plate, both of the hits being doubles. In the circle, she struck out 13 and walked three. The run she allowed was unearned.

SHS finished with 11 hits as Amy Sorcia , Kamryn Campbell , Reese Shaw and Aubrey Marnati also had two hits. Scorcia had a triple, four runs batted in, a stolen base and scored a run. Campbell had a double and two runs, Shaw scored two runs and Marnati had an RBI.

Zoey Springs had the other hit.

Crescent 9

Hanahan 8

Iva – Crescent strung together four consecutive singles to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and beat Hanahan 9-8 in Game 1 of the AAA championship series on Wednesday at the CHS field.

Crescent, which improved to 30-4, can win the state title today as it travels to the Lowcountry to face the 18-9 Hawks. Game time is 6 p.m.

If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Saturday at a neutral site.

AAAA series opener suspended

West Columbia -- Gray Collegiate Academy was beating A.C. Flora 3-1 after three innings in the opening game of the AAAA series when it was suspended due to weather on Wednesday at the GCA field.

The game is scheduled to resume today at 6 p.m. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday at Flora beginning at 6 p.m.

AAAAA Division I, Class A games postponed

The opening game of the Class A state championship series between Whitmire and Hannah-Pamplico was postponed once again on Wednesday due to weather.

Wednesday’s game was supposed to be played in Pamplico. Game 1 is scheduled for today at 6 p.m., but in Whitmire.

Game 2 is set for Friday at H-P at 6 p.m.

The second game of the AAAAA Division II series between Indian Land and St. James on Wednesday at the SJ field was postponed.

The game has been rescheduled for today at 6 p.m. St. James leads the series 1-0 after winning the opener 5-3.

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Byrnes (27-7) vs. Summerville (30-1)

Monday

Game 1 – Summerville 6, Byrnes 4 (9 innings)

Wednesday

Game 2 – Summerville 6, Byrnes 3 (Summerville wins state title)

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (25-7) vs. St. James (31-1)

Monday

Game 1 – St. James 5, Indian Land 3 (St. James leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at St. James, postponed

Thursday

Game 2 – at St. James, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-6) vs. Gray Collegiate (31-0)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Gray Collegiate 3, A.C. Flora 1 (suspended after 3 innings_

Thursday

Game 1 – at Gray Collegiate, game resumes, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 2 – at A.C. Flora, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at Gray Collegiate (If necessary, time TBD)

AAA

Crescent (29-4) vs. Hanahan (18-8)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Crescent 9, Hanahan 8 (Crescent leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at Hanahan, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Saluda (27-3) vs. Chesterfield (17-9)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Saluda 7, Chesterfield 1 (Saluda leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chesterfield, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

CLASS A

Whitmire (23-5) vs. Hannah-Pamplico (16-7)

Wednesday

Game 1 – at Hannah-Pamplico, postponed

Thursday

Game 1 – at Whitmire, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 2 – at Hannah-Pamplico, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Chapin beats T.L. Hanna 7-3 in AAAAA Division II baseball title series opener

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:14:06 GMT

Four of six championship series playing games today

Anderson – The Chapin High School baseball team opened AAAAA Division I state championship series with a 7-3 road victory against T.L. Hanna on Wednesday.

The Eagles, who improved to 21-9 on the season, can clinch the state title with a victory at home today in the best-of-3 series. Game 2 is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.

Chapin catcher Drew Greer had a big game. He was 3-for-4 with five runs batted in.

Hanna dropped to 18-17.

The opening game of the AAAA series between A.C. Flora and Airport was once again postponed on Wednesday. The game has been rescheduled for a 7 p.m. start today at Flora with Game 2 set for Friday at Airport, also at 7.

The second game of the AA series between Clinton and Atlantic Collegiate Academy scheduled for Wednesday in Clinton was postponed.

The game has been rescheduled for Friday with a 3 p.m. start. The Red Devils lead the series 1-0 after winning 5-1 in the opener.

If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Saturday at a neutral site.

The opening game of the AAAAA Division I series between Dorman and James Island is set to begin today at 7 p.m. at Dorman.

In the AAA series, Southside Christian School can win a second straight state title with a victory over Oceanside Collegiate Academy beginning at 6 p.m. today in Simpsonville.

The Sabres won the opening game of the series 7-3 on Tuesday in Mt. Pleasant . If a third game is necessary, it will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Dorman (29-2) vs. James Island (29-2)

Thursday

Game 1 – at Dorman, 7 p.m.

Friday

Game 2 – at James Island, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

T.L. Hanna (18-17) vs. Chapin (21-9)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Chapin 7, T.L. Hanna 3 (Chapin leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chapin, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (27-5) vs. Airport (24-6)

Wednesday

Game 1 – Airport at A.C. Flora, postponed

Thursday

Game 1 – Airport at A.C. Flora, 7 p.m.

Friday

Game 2 – at Airport, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at A.C. Flora (If necessary), 1 p.m.

AAA

Southside Christian (25-8-1) vs. Oceanside Collegiate (24-10)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Southside Christian 7, Oceanside Collegiate 2 (Southside Christian leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at Southside Christian, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Clinton (29-3) vs. Atlantic Collegiate (29-4)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Clinton 5, Atlantic Collegiate 1

Wednesday

Game 2 – Atlantic Collegiate at Clinton, postponed

Friday

Game 2 – Atlantic Collegiate at Clinton, 3 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at Lugoff-Elgin (If necessary, time TBD)

CLASS A

McBee (22-12-1) vs. Latta (26-10)

Saturday

Game 1 – Latta 11, McBee 1 (Latta leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – McBee 12, Latta 5 (series tied 1-1)

Saturday

Game 3 – at South Florence, 6 p.m.

McBee scores 8 runs in top of seventh for 12-5 victory over Latta to force Game 3 in Class A baseball title series

Thu, 28 May 2026 14:34:20 GMT

JJ Melton doubles to tie game, scores winning run and gets the victory for the Panthers

Latta – When Latta High School starting pitcher Mason Weatherford struck out McBee’s Lucas King to begin the top of the seventh inning, the Vikings found themselves just two outs away from winning the Class A baseball state championship for the first time since 2018 and doing it at home for the first time 1951.

Strike 3 though was Weatherford’s 111 ^th of the contest, meaning he had reached his pitch limit and had to leave the mound. With the Panthers at the top of their batting order, they were able to break through and turn a 5-4 deficit into a 12-5 victory, scoring eight runs to even the best-of-3 series at one game apiece on Wednesday at LHS’ Buddy Johnson Memorial Baseball Stadium .

The deciding game is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. at South Florence .

“We told them we just had to keep getting traffic on the bases and we had to keep pushing runners over, pushing runners in,” said McBee head coach Josh Tiller , whose team improved to 22-12-1 on the season. “We just stuck to our plan and were able to execute and get some runs in the last inning.”

Latta head coach Robbie Brown reminded his team after the difficult loss that the season is not over.

“You get an opportunity to play again,” said Brown, whose team is 26-10. “It’s not the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world. You get to come back in two days and give everything you’ve got. We’ve got to show up on Saturday and compete. It’s that simple. We’ve got an opportunity to go and play on Saturday and play for a state championship.”

McBee touched up Weatherford for four runs in the top of the first inning. He shut the Panthers down after that while Latta scored a run in the bottom of the inning, three in the second to tie it and one in the fifth to go up 5-4.

With his pitch limit fulfilled, the right-handed senior Weatherford was replaced by eighth-grade righty Noah Cook . The frist batter he faced was Chris Stone , who hit a ball deep into the hole to shortstop Luke Huggins . Stone legged it out for an infield single, and that got the ball rolling for McBee.

Stone stole second base on Cook’s first pitch to JJ Melton . The at-bat was a battle that Melton eventually won when he blasted a double over the rightfielder’s head to score Stone and tie the game at 5-5.

“We knew coming up into the seventh inning we had a chance to get their guy out of the game,” Melton said. “We had to take advantage of it. That’s how baseball is. You have to come through in the big moments, and Chris beating out that infield single just put the momentum on our side. God had a plan for us, and it was His will for us to go to a Game 3.”

A Hayden Griggs infield single moved Melton to third before he scored on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run. Between Cook and fellow relievers Logan Byrd and Huggins, five straight Panthers reached base without putting the ball in play. Manning Tolson , Peyton Brigman and Hunter Griggs all drew walks before Harlan McLaurin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Cooper Rollings followed with an RBI walk to increase the lead to 9-5.

King’s second trip to the plate of the inning – MHS sent 12 batters to the plate -- was much better than the first as he laced a 2-run double. Stone delivered a sacrifice fly to score Rollings with the final run.

“That was big,” Tiller said of Weatherford reaching his pitch limit. “He was sharp tonight, especially his breaking ball. That was giving us fits all night. We really didn’t have an answer for it. Once he ran out of pitches and had to leave (the mound), we had a better chance of getting on and getting in.”

“I wish he would have had about 10 more pitches,” Brown said of Weatherford. “But the guy we brought in (Hill) has pitched well for us all year (17 innings pitched and a 3.03 earned run average in eight appearances prior to Wednesday). It just didn’t go our way tonight and that’s OK.”

Weatherford worked 6 1/3 innings, finishing with 10 strikeouts while allowing just four hits and three walks.

The Panthers finished with eight hits. Stone led the way, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one run batted in. Melton and King were both 1-for-4 with a double. Melton scored twice and had one RBI, while King had two RBI.

Hayden Griggs had a hit and two runs, Brigman had a hit, two runs and an RBI, and McLaurin had a hit, a run and an RBI. Rollings and Hunter Griggs both scored a run and had an RBI.

The Vikings finished with seven hits. Josiah Durant was 2-for-3 with a double and a run, and Byrd was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Fischer Richardson had a double, a run and two RBI, BW Berry had a hit, two walks and an RBI, and Caden Hyatt had a hit and a run. Bryson Berry had an RBI, and courtesy runner Danny McDowell scored a run.

Melton came on in relief of starter Hayden Griggs with two outs in the third and runners on first and second in a 4-4 game. He recorded a strikeout to end the inning and ended up going the rest of the way. In 4 1/3 innings, Melton allowed just two hits and one run while striking out five and walking two.

“JJ’s pitched well for us all season,” Tiller said. “He’s a guy we can count on. He throws a lot of strikes, he limits traffic and he came out tonight and did a fantastic job with that. He’s really a bulldog on the mound, a competitor and a guy we can count on and rely on.”

After struggling offensively in an 11-1, 6-inning home loss in Game 1 on Saturday, McBee put up four runs in the top of the first. Stone led off with a single before Weatherford walked Melton and Hayden Griggs to load the bases with no outs.

A sacrifice fly from Tolson plated Stone with the first run. A Brigman single scored Melton, and a Hunter Griggs groundout scored Hayden Griggs to make it 3-0. Brigman scored on a wild pitch for the fourth run.

The Vikings got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Byrd doubled home BW Berry, who had walked.

LHS tied the game in the second, doing all of the damage after two were out with nobody on base. Hyatt drew a walk before Durant hit a blooper along the rightfield line for a double. Richardson followed with a 2-run double, and he scored on a BW Berry single.

Latta took the lead in the fifth. Weatherford, who was hit by a pitch his first two times up, drew a leadoff walk. Courtesy runner McDowell moved up on a groundout and got to third on an error. He scored on a groundout by Bryson Berry to make it 5-4.

Summerville rallies late to earn 6-3 win over Byrnes and claim AAAAA Division I softball state title

Thu, 28 May 2026 04:38:56 GMT

Green Wave takes home championship trophy for third time in four seasons

Summerville Rallies Late To Earn A 6-3 Win Over Byrnes To Win the Div. I AAAAA Softball Title

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Summerville —Senior shortstop Katie Guilliam led off with a home run as the first Green Wave batter against Byrnes, in the first inning of game two of the Div. I AAAAA softball series on May 17, and she will also remember her single in the bottom of the sixth that drove in two runs that helped Summerville defeat the Rebels 6-3, earning the Green Wave their third state title in recent years.

Guilliam, headed to Missouri on a softball scholarship, told the HSSR after the game. “She pitched me on the inside every time I batted in game one, so I knew what was coming,” said Guilliam. “I timed it out right and got a good level swing, so it was great to help give my team early momentum.”

Then in the sixth inning her single brought in two runs with the game still in doubt.” I just loving playing the game, and I am a very humble player so anytime I can help my team win a game, that’s my goal,” she said. “I have been on the varsity for six years now and I am proud to have been apart of all three state titles we won.

“Being a senior, this one is very special, especially after last year the way we lost in game three in the state finals,” said Guilliam. “This is the way I wanted to go out. This one felt good.”

For the game Guilliam went 3-of-4 with three RBI’s to lead the Green Wave.

Summerville head coach Heather Tucker was very proud of her team after the game. “Katie Guilliam, what a stud,” said Coach Tucker. “She has been playing on the varsity since the 7 ^th grade. She is a tough kid, and I love her approach to the game.

“She is a grinder who puts so much work and effort into the sport,” said Coach Tucker. “She always comes through when she is on the big stage.”

Tucker said it was no doubt in her mind that the best two teams in Div. I AAAAA softball were the Green Wave and Byrnes. Summerville won game one in Duncan 6-5 in a game that took 9 innings. “That first game was a battle on the road and it was a tough game no doubt,” said Coach Tucker. “We got home at 4:30 am Tuesday morning and we got ready that afternoon to get ready for this game. It was a team effort and a great team win.”

Coach Tucker also praised the play of senior pitcher Daphne Grady, headed to North Greenville. “She stepped up this year as our pitcher and she wanted the ball in her hand every game and we gave it to her,” said Coach Tucker. “She worked hard and put in the extra time to give us strong pitching all season. I am super proud of her.”

Grady had well over 300 strikeouts for the season setting a new record for one season at Summerville. Coach Tucker also cited the play of CF Jayden Bennett , and she praised ay f senior Delaney Hayes who rejoined the team for her senior year, after not playing since junior varsity.”

Summerville won state softball titles back in 2023 and 2024. Coach Tucker also won a title as a player at Stratford back in 1996.

Byrnes head coach Brandi Aiken was super proud of her team’s effort after the game.

“Our games with Summerville have always been competitive, and we gave it our all tonight,” said Coach Aiken. “I am very proud of the entire team, but we are going to miss our three starting seniors, right fielder Memorie Melton , pitcher Peyton Crutcher , and our third baseman Haven Holmes .

“We started two 8 ^th graders tonight (OF Addie Durrah & SS Garrison Aiken ), so we are a young team in many respects,” said Coach Aiken. “Our goal will always be to compete for a state tile and our players will continue working hard towards that goal.”

Summerville had 10 hits for the game. Behind Guilliam was Bennett who had a hit and made two really nice catches in center field. Frady had a hit and two RBI’s and Maeven Moreno had a hit and played solid defense. Summer Knight had a hit along with Hayes and RF Haylee Sexton also contributed a hit.

In the circle, Frady went all seven innings, allowed 10 hits, with four strikeouts.

Byrnes also collected 10 hits in the evenly matched game. Melton, who has a strong arm in RF, led the Rebels going 3-of-4 with a double. Addy Waters had a hit and one RBI, while Durrah also had one hit and one RBI. Aiken, a superb defensive shortstop for an 8 ^th grader, had two hits and sophomore left fielder Bayleigh Murray had two hits, including a double.

In the circle, Crutcher worked all six innings, allowed 10 hits, and had four strikeouts.

Southside Christian wins Game 1 in AAA baseball title series 7-2 over Oceanside Collegiate behind Boleman

Wed, 27 May 2026 05:25:34 GMT

Sabres can defend title with victory in Game 2 on Thursday in Simpsonville

Mt. Pleasant —It wasn’t the 20 strikeout type of game Southside Christian School senior left-handed pitcher Carson Boleman enjoyed in the championship game of the AAA baseball state championship series against Oceanside Collegiate Academy last season, but when he left the game in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Game 1 in this year’s title series, he had thrown only 74 pitches and the Sabres were up 6-2.

SCS eventually won 7-2 to take a 1-0 lead, and Bowman is now available to pitch on Saturday should the best-of-3 series be extending to an if game.

First though, Southside Christian can defend its title on Thursday when it plays host to OCA beginning at 6 p.m.

After the game, Southside Christian head coach Scott Freeman shared his thoughts.

“We had some uncharacteristic things happen in the third inning when they scored two runs,” said Freeman “We were a little erratic. Our shortstop rarely makes an error and Carson got a little erratic, but he battled back nicely. The home plate umpire told me that he missed what would have been a Strike 3 right before the 2-run single, and I thought it was nice to have the home plate umpire admit he missed a call, and after all, no one is perfect.

“The best thing about getting four runs in the fifth inning, it allowed us to take Carson out at 74 pitches, and he now will be available to go on Saturday if there is a potential Game 3. We hope not, but if there is a third game he will be ready to go.

“We feel great about winning Game 1 on the road, but we are taking nothing for granted in Game 2 at home. They did a good job of running the pitch count up on Carson tonight, and they are a talented and well-coached team. They are not going to quit, and we expect a battle on Thursday.”

Freeman said the Sabres are likely to start left-hander Bennett Candler on Thursday.

Former Hanahan High School star catcher Britt Reames has been the head coach at OCA for three seasons.

“He (Boleman) didn’t have 20 strikeouts tonight like he did against us last year, and I thought our guys prepared well to face Boleman,” said Reames. “Boleman did a good job, and we worked to get his pitch count up, and we would have liked to have had him stay in the game a little longer.

“We just need to step up and do better on Thursday because Boleman will not be pitching and we need to swing the bats well. I felt like the team competed well today. We need to hit well. If we can win Game 2 it’s all about the best man winning in Game 3.”

With 10 or so Major League Baseball scouts on hand, the 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pounds Boleman touched 94 miles per hour a couple times but mainly stayed between 91 and 92 on his fastball. He had seven strikeouts and allowed a couple of earned runs for the first time in a while.

The Sabres went up 2-0 in the top of the first inning and never trailed in the game. Jacob Wiggs reached on an infield single, and then Boleman reached on a walk. Both runners advanced to second and third on a balk. Beckett Deserio brought in Wiggs on a sacrifice fly, and Boleman made it 2-0 when he scored on a wild pitch.

Oceanside came back and tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the third. Ethan Palyok led off, reaching base on an error. Centerfielder Barrett Kucaba reached base on a 2-out walk to put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced on stolen bases. Then Cash Crone hit a sharp single through the infield that scored Palyok and Kucaba to tie the game.

From that point on, Southside Christian outscored OCA 5-0 to take Game 1.

In the fifth, SCS put the game away with a 4-run outburst. Junior Kaden Graham and Wiggs started off the inning with back-to-back walks resulting in a pitching change for the Landsharks. A single by Boleman loaded the bases with no outs. Then Deserio drew an RBI walk to put the Sabres up for good at 3-2.

Then senior CJ Aubuchon delivered a single that scored Wiggs and courtesy runner Sawyer Boleman to make it a 5-2 game . A sac fly by Will Swanson scored Deserio to make it 6-2.

The Sabres added an insurance run in the seventh.

Christopher O’Leary was the starting pitcher for the Landsharks, and he worked four innings. He was relieved by Arthur McFadden . OCA also used Hudson Morris and Noah Long on the mound.

Weather big winner in SCHSL souftball, baseball state championship series as 8 of 10 games postponed

Wed, 27 May 2026 04:52:44 GMT

Clinton does beat Atlantic Collegiate 5-1 to take 1-0 lead in AA baseball title series

The big winner in the South Carolina High School League softball and baseball state championship series on Tuesday was the weather.

Four softball games and six baseball games were scheduled to be played. All of the softball games and four of the six baseball games were postponed due to rain and/or unplayable fields.

Only two games were played on Tuesday. Southside Christian School beat Oceanside Collegiate Academy 7-2 in the best-of-3 AAA baseball opener, while Clinton topped Atlantic Collegiate Academy 5-1 on Crosley Field at Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach in Game 1 of the AA baseball series.

The Red Devils, who improved to 29-3 on the season, can win the state title on Wednesday when they play host to the Armada beginning at 5 p.m.

Camden Finley picked up the win for CHS. He limited ACA, which dropped to 29-4, to two hits while striking out eight. Isaac Cain pitched the final inning, striking out one and allowing no hits.

Atlantic Collegiate took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Cam Craft drew a walk, stole second base and scored on a single by sophomore Blandyn Miller .

The Red Devils took the lead in the top of the second with two runs. William Addison and Angel Vargas reached on errors and moved up a base on a groundout. Two batters later, Logan Johnson singled home Addison and Vargas.

CHS added a run in the fifth to make it 3-1 and picked up two insurance runs in the sixth.

ACA junior pitcher Eli Chowning went the distance, allowing just four hits while striking out five. Only one of the runs was earned as the Armada committed five errors.

Addison had a hit and scored two runs, and Johnson had a hit, a run and two runs batted in to lead Clinton. Carter Finley had a hit and a run, while Tanner Finley had the other hit. Vargas scored the other run.

Miller had a hit and an RBI for Atlantic Collegiate. Sophomore Gavin Street had the other hit.

The four postponed softball games were all Game 1s. Each of the opening games in the AAAA series between A.C. Flora and Gray Collegiate Academy , the AAA series between Crescent and Hanahan , the AA series between Saluda and Chesterfield and the Class A series between Whitmire and Hannah-Pamplico have all been rescheduled for Wednesday.

The AAAA game will be played at Gray Collegiate at 6 p.m. Game 2 will still be on Thursday at Flora beginning at 6 p.m.

The AAA series will have Hanahan traveling to Crescent for a 6 p.m. start. Game 2 is on Thursday in Hanahan with a 6 p.m. start.

The AA series will begin at Saluda with a 6 p.m. start. Game 2 will shift the series to Chesterfield, again with a 6 p.m. start.

The Class A series will have Whitmire traveling to Hannah-Pamplico with a 7 p.m. start. The series will shift to Whitmire on Thursday with a 6 p.m. start.

In baseball, the AAAAA Division I series between James Island and Dorman won’t start until Thursday. Game 1 will be played at Dorman beginning at 7 p.m. with Game 2 on Friday in Charleston , also with a 7 p.m. start.

If a third game is needed, it will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

Game 1 in the AAAAA Division II series between Chapin and T.L. Hanna will be played on Wednesday in Anderson starting at 6:30 p.m. The series will shift to Chapin on Thursday with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.

The AAAA series between Airport and A.C. Flora is now set to start on Wednesday at the Flora field beginning at 7 p.m. Game 2 is still set to be played on Thursday at Airport, also with a 7 p.m. start.

The Class A series between McBee and Latta is trying to get in Game 2. The Vikings, who won Game 1 11-1 on Saturday in McBee, will be trying to win the state title at home on Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m.

If the Panthers win, the deciding game is scheduled for Saturday at a neutral site.

Game 2 in both the AAAAA Division I and AAAAA Division II softball series were already scheduled for Wednesday.

Summerville will be trying to win the Division I state title when it plays host to Byrnes beginning at 6 p.m. The Green Wave won Game 1 6-4 in nine innings on Monday in Duncan .

St. James will be trying to win the DII title at home as well when it plays host to Indian Land beginning at 6 p.m. The Sharks went on the road on Monday and won the opener 5-3.

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Byrnes (27-6) vs. Summerville (29-1)

Monday

Game 1 – Summerville 6, Byrnes 4 (9 innings) (Summerville leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at Summerville, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (25-7) vs. St. James (31-1)

Monday

Game 1 – St. James 5, Indian Land 3 (St. James leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at St. James, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-6) vs. Gray Collegiate (31-0)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Gray Collegiate, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at Gray Collegiate, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at A.C. Flora, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – at Gray Collegiate (If necessary, time TBD)

AAA

Crescent (28-4) vs. Hanahan (18-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Crescent, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at Crescent, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Hanahan, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Saluda (27-3) vs. Chesterfield (17-9)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Saluda, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at Saluda, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chesterfield, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

CLASS A

Whitmire (23-5) vs. Hannah-Pamplico (16-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Hannah-Pamplico, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at Hannah-Pamplico, 7 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Whitmire, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Dorman (29-2) vs. James Island (29-2)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Dorman, postponed

Thursday

Game 1 – at Dorman, 7 p.m.

Friday

Game 2 – at James Island, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

T.L. Hanna (18-16) vs. Chapin (20-9)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at T.L. Hanna, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at T.L. Hanna, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chapin, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (27-5) vs. Airport (24-6)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at A.C. Flora, postponed

Wednesday

Game 1 – at A.C. Flora, 7 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Airport, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at A.C. Flora (If necessary), 1 p.m.

AAA

Southside Christian (25-8-1) vs. Oceanside Collegiate (24-10)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Southside Christian 7, Oceanside Collegiate 2 (Southside Christian leads series 1-0)

Thursday

Game 2 – at Southside Christian, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Clinton (29-3) vs. Atlantic Collegiate (29-4)

Tuesday

Game 1 – Clinton 5, Atlantic Collegiate 1 (Clinton leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at Clinton, 5 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – at Lugoff-Elgin (If necessary, time TBD)

CLASS A

McBee (21-12-1) vs. Latta (26-9)

Saturday

Game 1 – Latta 11, McBee 1 (Latta leads series 1-0)

Tuesday

Game 2 – at Latta, postponed

Wednesday

Game 2 – at Latta, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Academic Magnet Boys & Girls Each Win Respective AA Soccer Titles

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:26:46 GMT

Academic Magnet Boys & Girls Each Win Respective AA Soccer Titles in 2026.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Columbia - When it comes to academic prowess and soccer success, few schools do it done at Academic Magnet school.

For years, the school has been recognized as one of the top academic schools in the country. Now, the soccer program is making a name for itself.

Both the boys and girl’s teams from Academic Magnet played in the Class AA state championship in May 21 in Columbia. And, as expected, both teams defended the titles they won a year ago with relative ease. When it comes to Class AA soccer, there were very few high caliber programs to compete, and Magnet seems like years away from the rest of the pack.

The girls team knocked off Andrew Jackson 5-0, their 23 ^rd win of the season. The Title was the program’s seventh and coach Alistair Delong has won four as head coach.

“We’re very relaxed and focused for every game,” said Coach Delong. “We have some veteran players who do a good job leading us. Once the game started, we were loose. Today we just had an edge.

“We didn’t know a lot about them, and we may have started a little slow,” said Coach Delong. “But we got loose and got going. You just have to be patient and let things happen. Sometimes it might look easy, but it’s not. There’s a lot of work that goes into it.”

Sophomore Bridget Lee was certainly relaxed as she scored Magnet’s first three goals, giving her 27 goals this season. Hannah Collins added a goal and sophomore Kamya Pham closed out the scoring.

Andrew Jackson is head coached by Lee Hanna .

Jason Hamil is a fixture on the sidelines of the boy’s team, and he led his Raptors to a seventh state title.

The boys team beat Buford, 3-1. Like the girl’s team, the boy’s program has high expectations and winning championships is part of the entire school experience.

“The way I see it, an athlete doesn’t have to take a back seat academically,” said Coach Hamil. “We know why these kids are here, but we want to help them in every aspect. Soccer is a good teacher. You can be a good student and be a good soccer player.”

Cesr Ramirez got the Raptors on the board first, splitting two defenders for an easy goal. The score remained 1-0 at halftime but Buford scored quickly to start the second half.

Magnet regained the lead midway through the half as Jaidon Daley headed in a long throw in from Blake Yarborough for a 2-1 lead.

With time running out, Ramirez tacked on a goal for the final margin.

“These guys work so hard and they deserve this,” said Coach Hamil.

Buford finished 21-5 on the season. They are coached by BJ Griffin .

Wando Girls Get Payback In AAAAA Division I State Title Game

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:14:19 GMT

After losing to J.L. Mann in last spring’s state final, Wando girls soccer coach Shannon Champ said her young team would be back in contention in 2026.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer -

Columbia — After losing to J.L. Mann in last spring’s state final, Wando girls soccer coach Shannon Champ said her young team would be back in contention in 2026.

Those young Warriors did just that and then some. Wando met Mann for the AAAAA Division I state championship on May 23 in Columbia and found a way to win a tightly contested contest. The game went through two 10-minute overtime periods, and two more golden goal sudden deaths sessions still tied 1-1.

On to penalty kicks, with the kicks tied at two, Wando’s Avery Setters knocked in a third goal. Madeline Sheppard followed Caroline Ray’s shot, sending Wando into a wild celebration.

Sheppard is the unlikely hero of the championship, having been a keeper for two weeks. She replaced starter Camryn Carras two weeks ago when Carras was injured and deemed out for the season.

“Maddie stepped up and everyone rallied around her to give her the confidence that she could do it,” Champ said. “That’s a lot of pressure and rose up big time.”

Though each team had several scoring chances, neither could score in regulation. Less than a minute into the first overtime, Wando’s Kiera Jenkins found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. That lead appeared to be enough to win but the Patriots’ Emilyn Kneeland tied the contest with a minute left in the overtime.

“The game went about as we expected,” Champ said. “Usually, these types of games are low scoring, so you just try to not make the big mistake. You know when you get to this point, the other team is going to be good. Our girls were confident, but we knew the other team would be ready to play.”

The championship was Wando’s 14 ^th in school history and Champ now has 10 titles as the head coach.

“Everyone is special and this team worked so hard to get this,” Champ said. “We graduate five seniors and we had 11 juniors. We feel like we are set to do it again if all goes well.”

Eastside Boy’s Overcome Chapin in PK’s To Win Div. II AAAAA Soccer Title

Tue, 26 May 2026 19:03:51 GMT

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Columbia – Weather played its usual role in the 2026 SCHSL state championship soccer games on May 21-23 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.

If it wasn’t too hot or humid, it was storming and dropping tons of rain. By the time the final whistle had blown, it was 1:40 a.m. Sunday morning. That final contest, the Division II-AAAAA finals, saw Eastside beat Chapin, 1-1(3-2 on penalty kicks) after 30 minutes of overtime.

Eastside keeper Brandon Jaramillo proved to be the hero in penalty kicks, swatting away successive attempts. Eastside then got goals from Frazor Ka zian and Hunter Kazian to complete the win.

‘These boys have so much heart and determination and I never count them out,” said Eastside coach Steven Wood . “I think the region we play in, and the schedule we play, prepares us for something like this.”

Eastside has won seven state titles, but this is the first since 2022. Chapin ended the season with an 18-5 record, and all five losses came in penalty kicks.

“I hate it for these guys because they do everything we want them to do,’ said Chapin coach Bob Taylor.

Despite the long delay in starting, both teams seemed fresh and aggressive early. In the 16 ^th minute, Eastside’s Ryder Martin headed in a pass from Asher Wilson for a 1-0 lead.

Later in the half, Chapin got the equalizer on a penalty kick by Lucas Rogers .

In the penalty kick phase, Chapin led 2-1 after successful kicks from Sam Szarkawski and Cole Keys . Chapin keeper Cooper Hughes made two saves and Chapin had momentum.

But Jaramillo rose to the occasion, and stymied Chapin’s chances. His clincher was off the foot of Gabe Salisbury .

Oceanside Collegiate Wins Sixth Straight State Title In Girls AAAA Soccer

Tue, 26 May 2026 18:56:36 GMT

Oceanside Collegiate's Girl soccer team caps off another successful year with another state title.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Columbia - At some point, but not likely soon, a school will beat Oceanside Collegiate’s girls’ soccer team in a state championship venue.

For now, the rest of the state, whether it’s Class AA or AAA, can only sit back and marvel at the excellence on display. The latest victim was St. Joseph’s Catholic of Greenville . The team’s met for the AAA state title on May 21 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.

St. Joseph’s is another highly successful program, and they have won state championships before, so many felt this matchup could be interesting. OCA scored two goals in each half on their way to a 4-0 win, their 17 ^th victory of the season. It was the sixth consecutive state championship under coach Mark Meyer at the school.

“There’s no magic,” he said. “We have very talented players who take the game very seriously. They work hard at it. They condition themselves to be the stronger team. They are a very competitive group, and it just carries over from year to year.

“I’m nervous every year because of the unknown,” said Coach Meyer. “A bad day can end in a loss, and then you live with that for a whole year/ Fortunately, we have good players who put in the work to be good. We don’t win by accident.’

The Landsharks made 1-0 with a goal from freshman Sarah Ligon , who scored 23 minutes into the contest. The Landsharks dominated possession keeping the flow of the match in control. In the 38 ^th minute, Ligon again found the back of the net, off an assist from Ava Klein .

“It was pretty even early on, but I kind of think we handled the heat better,” said Coach Meyer. “And it was hot on that field. We were able to fight through it.”

By halftime, it felt the end result was inevitable, as OCA continued with their possession and took several quality shots. Hailiey Piesner , a junior captain, made it 3-0 in the 54 ^th minute. Senior captain Ella Petry put the finishing touches on her outstanding career with a goal late in the contest.

“This team is so loose,” said Coach Meyer. “Nothing gets to them. “If I walk in the locker room and they’re singing and dancing and having fun, I know we’re ready to play.”

Number seven will be highly possible in 2027 as OCA has only four seniors on the roster.

Saluda wins AA upper state; Summerville, St. James claim AAAAA series openers

Tue, 26 May 2026 04:27:32 GMT

Roundups on each game as well as scores and schedules for each title series available here

Saluda – The Saluda High School softball team defended its AA upper state title by beating Chesnee 7-2 on Monday in the championship round of the upper state tournament at the SHS field.

The Tigers advance to the best-of-3 state championship series for the second straight year and will face lower state champion Chesterfield . The series will start on Tuesday with Saluda, which is 27-3 on the season, playing host to the 17-9 Rams beginning at 6 p.m.

The second game will be played on Thursday in Chesterfield, also beginning at 6 p.m. If a third game is needed, it will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

SHS, which finished undefeated in the upper state tournament, took control of the game immediately, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. It added a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to go up 7-0.

The Eagles, who finish the year with a 22-9 mark, scored their two runs in the sixth.

Kylee McGlohorn picked up the win in the circle with a complete-game effort. She scattered eight hits and didn’t walk a batter while striking out six. Only one of the runs was earned.

The Tigers had just six hits but took advantage of four CHS errors, three walks and two hit batters.

Miller Martin hit a solo home run to lead Saluda. She finished with two runs scored and a run batted in.

Kam Campbell had a double, a run and an RBI, Reese Shaw and Amy Scorcia both had a hit and an RBI, and Nyla Jordan had a hit and a run.

Zoey Springs had a hit, and Ashlynn Vereen and Ava Martin each scored a run.

Summerville 6

Byrnes 4

Duncan – Summerville scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat Byrnes 6-4 on Monday in the opening game of the AAAAA Division I championship series at the BHS field.

The Green Wave, who improved to 29-1, can clinch the state title on Wednesday when they play host to the 27-6 Rebels beginning at 6 p.m.

The score was tied 4-4 going to the ninth, and the inning started with Katie Guilliam on second base. Daphne Frady drew a walk before Maeven Moreno doubled to score both base runners.

Guilliam, who has signed to play with Missouri , led Summerville’s 10-hit attack with three hits and one RBI. Moreno finished with two hits and the two RBI.

Frady, Gracelyn Cantrell and Delaney Hayes each had a hit.

Frady ended up getting the victory in the circle. She worked 8 1/3 innings, scattering eight hits while striking out six.

Memorie Melton and Haven Holesm both had two hits and an RBI to lead Byrnes. Addie Durrah had a hit and two RBI, while Garrison Aiken and Bayleigh Murray each had a hit.

St. James 5

Indian Land 3

Indian Land – St. James scored all of its runs in the top of the sixth inning to beat Indian Land 5-3 on Monday at the IL field in the opening game of the AAAAA Division II championship series.

The Sharks, who improved to 31-1, can win state on Wednesday when they play host to the 25-7 Warriors beginning at 6 p.m.

Sophia Roloson drew a walk to start the St. James sixth. Callie Centracchio singled before McKenzie Kraus singled to right field to drive in Roloson. Centracchio scored on a throwing error on the play to make it 3-2.

Kraus, Payton Cox and Khloee Burton would all score on a throwing error to make it 5-3.

Indian Land took a 1-0 lead in the first. Avery Clark was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Riley Murphy .

The Warriors added two runs in the fourth to make it 3-0. Layla Crandall drew a walk before Logan Thomas smacked a 2-run homer.

Thomas’ blast was one of two IL hits, the other coming from Clark.

Raegan Tibbitts got the win for St. James. She walked just one to go with the two hits allowed while striking out four.

Olivia Miller was the losing pitcher, going the distance while allowing just five hits and striking out nine.

Centracchio and Kraus both had two hits for the Sharks with Cox picking up the other.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Byrnes (27-6) vs. Summerville (29-1)

Monday

Game 1 – Summerville 6, Byrnes 4 (9 innings) (Summerville leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at Summerville, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (25-7) vs. St. James (31-1)

Monday

Game 1 – St. James 5, Indian Land 3 (St. James leads series 1-0)

Wednesday

Game 2 – at St. James, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-6) vs. Gray Collegiate (31-0)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Gray Collegiate, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2 – at A.C. Flora, 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – at Gray Collegiate (If necessary, time TBD)

AAA

Crescent (28-4) vs. Hanahan (18-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Crescent, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Hanahan, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Saluda (27-3) vs. Chesterfield (17-9)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Saluda, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chesterfield, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

CLASS A

Whitmire (23-5) vs. Hannah-Pamplico (16-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Hannah-Pamplico, 56 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Whitmire, TBD

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Whitimire scores on walk-off strikeout in bottom of seventh to beat Lewsville 2-1 and win Class A softball upper state title

Tue, 26 May 2026 03:25:31 GMT

Wolverines begin play in first ever state championship series on Tuesday at Hannah-Pamplico at 6 p.m.

Whitmire Scores On “Walk-off Strikeout” To Defeat Lewisville 2-1 & Win Class A Upper State Title, Wolverines Play at Hannah=Pamplico On Tuesday At 6 P.M.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Whitmire ---It is extremely rare for a team to win on a “walk-off strikeout” but that is exactly what happened in Whitmire High School’s dramatic 2-1 win over Lewisville on Monday at the WHS field to give the Wolverines the Class A upper state title.

Whitmire advances to its first ever Class A state championship series. The best-of-3 series begins on Tuesday with the Wolverines taking a 23-5 record on the road to face lower state champion Hannah-Pamplico beginning at 6 p.m.

“I ain’t lying, we had a wild scene after the game with our players and fans,” said Whitmire head coach Andrew Campbell , who is also the school’s football head coach. “To win on a walk-off strikeout is really rare in softball, but we did it. The grit and determination in our players really showed out tonight.

“I am supper proud of the entire team, and this is the first time in school history that we will be playing for a softball championship. I am very proud of our junior pitcher Kenleigh Epps , who pitched all seven innings with around six strikeouts.”

Lewisville had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Kyleigh Fletcher reached on a hit by pitch and scored on a double by Gabby McIntyre .

In the bottom of the seventh, Whitmire sophomore Alleigh Corley drew a walk. Lewisville changed pitchers ( Abby Barnes had been the starting pitcher). The next Whitmire batter, Chloe Hix , drew a walk and both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.

Brielle Whitmire then laid down a bunt and Lewisville held the ball to prevent a run from scoring. The bases were now loaded with one out. Sophomore Kinsley Hood then hit a sacrifice fly that scored Corley to tie the game at 1-1.

Now the drama began.

No. 9 hitter Holly Robertson came to bat with runners at second and third with two-outs. She swung at Strike 3, but the ball got away from the catcher. Hix got a good jump from third base and Lewisville elected to throw to the plate to try and get her out instead of throwing to first. Hix was safe at home plate on a close play that lifted Whitmire to a 2-1 walk-off win.

Lewisville head coach Jerry Thomas argued the ball was foul-tipped, on the third strike to Robertson, but the umpire did not agree with him.

The Whitmire fans celebrated their second win over Lewisville (won 4-3 on May,19) in the playoffs. Lewisville, which finished 25-7, won both games during the regular season against Whitmire by scores of 2-0 and 13-0.

Latta can clinch Class A baseball state title with win over McBee at home on Tuesday

Mon, 25 May 2026 19:19:28 GMT

James Island after third straight state title as it travels to Dorman in AAAAA Division I opener Tuesday

Sumter – The Latta High School baseball team will be going for the Class A state championship on Tuesday, while four of the other best-of-3 state title series will be getting underway.

Latta will play host to McBee at 7 p.m. with a chance to sweep the series. The lower state champion Vikings improved to 26-9 on the season by traveling to McBee and winning 11-1 in six innings on Saturday.

The series starting on Tuesday will have James Island playing at Dorman beginning at 7 p.m. for the AAAAA Division I crown, Chapin visiting T.L. Hanna beginning at 6:30 p.m. in AAAAA Division II, Airport making the drive across the Columbia metropolitan area for a 7 p.m. game at A.C. Flora in AAAA, and Southside Christian School playing at Oceanside Collegiate Academy beginning at 6 p.m. in the AAA series.

Game 1 of the AA title series between Clinton and Atlantic Collegiate Academy was scheduled for Monday at 5p.m. in Clinton. The second game is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Conway .

In the Class A opener, Latta and the upper state champion Panthers, who fell to 21-12-1, were tied 1-1 after three innings. However, the Vikings broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fourth before adding one in the fifth and four in the sixth to win by the 10-run mercy rule.

Leading the way for LHS’ 10-hit attack was Zach Lane , who was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs batted in and two runs scored. Caden Hyatt was 2-for-2 with a double, three RBI and a run.

Mason Weatherford had a home run, two RBI and a run, Logan Byrd had a double and a run, Fischer Richardson had a hit and two RBI, Bryson Berry had a hit, two runs and an RBI, and BW Berry had a hit.

BW Berry went the distance on the mound to get the win. He allowed four hits while walking four and striking out seven. The run was unearned.

If a third game is needed, it will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

In the AAAAA Division I series, James Island will be going for a third straight state title. The lower state champion Trojans are 29-2, the same record at upper state winner Dorman.

Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in Charleston beginning at 6:30 p.m. If a third game is needed it will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

In AAAAA Division II, upper state champion T.L. Hanna will take an 18-16 record into the opener. The lower state champion Eagles are 20-9.

The second game is set for Thursday in Chapin with a 6:30 p.m. start. A third game would be played at a neutral site on Saturday.

Upper state champion A.C. Flora will take a 27-5 record into the AAAA series against lower state champion Airport, which is 24-6. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in West Columbia beginning at 7 p.m.

If a third game is necessary it will be played on Saturday at A.C. Flora beginning at 1 p.m.

The AAA series between upper state champion Southside Christian (24-8-1) and lower state winner Oceanside Collegiate (24-9) was set to begin on Saturday but was postponed.

Game 2 is to be played on Thursday in Simpsonville beginning at 6 p.m. with a deciding game on Saturday at a neutral site.

The AA series was also set to begin on Saturday as well before the opener was postponed. Upper state winner Clinton was 28-3 heading into the opening game while the lower state Armada was 29-3.

If a third game is needed, it will be played on Saturday at Lugoff-Elgin at a time to be determined.

Summerville-Byrnes rematch for AAAAA Division I softball state title begins Monday in Duncan

Mon, 25 May 2026 03:29:46 GMT

AAAAA Division II series begins as well while AA and Class A upper state tourneys conclude

Sumter – The two AAAAA softball state championship series are scheduled to begin on Monday, while the AA and Class A upper state tournaments are set to conclude.

The AAAAA Division I best-of-3 series will pit lower state champion Summerville against upper state champion Byrnes . This is a rematch of last year’s title series when Byrnes won the title by winning the final two games to hand the Green Wave their only two losses of the season after losing the opener.

Game 1 will have SHS, which is 28-1 on the season, traveling to Duncan to face the 27-5 Rebels beginning at 6 p.m. Game 2 is on Wednesday in Summerville beginning at 6 p.m. If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Friday at a neutral site.

The AAAAA Division II will have upper state champion Indian Land facing lower state winner St. James . IL is 25-6 while the Sharks have won 30 of 31 games.

The Warriors will play host to Game 1 beginning at 6 p.m. The second game will be played on Wednesday in Murrells Inlet beginning at 6 p.m. If a third game is needed it will be played on Friday at a neutral site.

The championship round of the AA upper state tournament between defending upper state champion Saluda and Chesnee has been delayed by rain. It is scheduled to be played in Saluda on Monday beginning at 11 a.m.

The Tigers are undefeated in the tournament, meaning CHS will have to beat them twice to win the tournament. SHS, which is 26-3, needs one win. The Eagles are 22-8.

The winner between Saluda and Chesnee will advance to the state championship series and will play host to lower state champion Chesterfield on Tuesday.

The second game of the series will be on Thursday at Chesterfield, which is 17-9. If a third game is needed it will be at a neutral site on Saturday.

Whitmire will play host to Lewisville beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Monday in the Class A upper state tournament championship round. The Wolverines are undefeated, meaning LHS will have to win twice to defend its upper state title.

WHS is 22-5 while the Lions are 25-6.

The winner will advance to the state title series to face lower state champion Hannah-Pamplico . Game 1 is set for Tuesday at either Whitmire or Lewisville.

Game 2 will be played on Thursday at H-P, which is 16-7. A third game, if needed, will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

The AAAA and AAA title series are both scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The AAAA series will be a metropolitan Columbia showdown between upper state champion A.C. Flora and lower state champion and defending state champion Gray Collegiate Academy . The AAA series will be upper state champion Crescent against lower state winner Hanahan .

Gray Collegiate is undefeated with a 31-0 record while the Falcons are 25-6. The opening game will be played on Tuesday at GCA with Game 2 set for Wednesday at Flora. Game time is 6:30 p.m. for both contests.

If a third game is needed, it will be played on Friday at Gray Collegiate at a time to be determined.

In the AAA series, 28-4 Crescent will play host to 18-7 Hanahan on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. The series will switch to the Lowcountry on Thursday with the Hawks at home in a 6 p.m. start.

A third game, if needed, will be played on Saturday at a neutral site.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AAAAA Division I

Byrnes (27-5) vs. Summerville (28-1)

Monday

Game 1 – at Byrnes, 6 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2 – at Summterville, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBA)

AAAAA Division II

Indian Land (25-6) vs. St. James (30-1)

Monday

Game 1 – at Indian Land, 6 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2 – at St. James, 6 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

AAAA

A.C. Flora (25-6) vs. Gray Collegiate (31-0)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Gray Collegiate, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2 – at A.C. Flora, 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 3 – at Gray Collegiate (If necessary, time TBD)

AAA

Crescent (28-4) vs. Hanahan (18-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Crescent, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2 – at Hanahan, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Saluda or Chesnee vs. Chesterfield (17-9)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Saluda or Chesnee, TBD

Thursday

Game 2 – at Chesterfield, TBD

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

CLASS A

Whitmire or Lewisville vs. Hannah-Pamplico (16-7)

Tuesday

Game 1 – at Whitmire or Lewisville, TBD

Thursday

Game 2 – at Hannah-Pamplico, TBD

Saturday

Game 3 – If necessary (site and time TBD)

Camden Baseball Reaches Final 8 For Third Straight Year

Sun, 24 May 2026 10:14:27 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Camden – At face value, the fact that the Camden High School baseball reached the upper state finals of the AAAA state playoffs isn’t that surprising. After all, it was the third straight year the Bulldogs won their district tournament to be one of the final eight teams playing in their classification.

This season, however, was just a little different than the two previous ones. Camden finished fourth in Region 3 this season and was 10-15 at the end of the regular season.

“Making it to the quarterfinals this year is very, very special,” said veteran Bulldogs head coach Denny Beckley . “It is the third year in a row for our program to win a district and make it to the final eight (along with the four teams in the lower state finals). This year's team has persevered through a very stressful season. Our record is not very impressive at 13-15, but we are playing our best at the right time.”

Beckley made that statement prior to Camden facing region foe A.C. Flora in a best-of-3 series to determine who played for the upper state title. The Falcons swept the series, winning 6-0 and 10-2, to win all four meetings with the Bulldogs and end their season.

Along with losing several key players to graduation from last year’s team that finished second in the region, Camden had to deal with a tragic loss just prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year.

“We have dedicated this season to Caiden McGuff , who passed away in a car accident on July 29,” Beckley said. “Our players never wavered in their effort or belief that they could turn the season around and it has been an absolute honor to be associated with such a great group of players and coaches.”

Camden was the No. 11 seed in the upper state and opened the District B tournament on the road against No. 6 York. The Bulldogs rolled to a 14-2 victory to advance to another road game, this one against No. 3 seed Seneca . Camden picked up a double-digit win in this one as well, winning 12-2.

The Bulldogs moved into the championship round of the district and they got to play at home this time against York. Camden came away with a 7-4 triumph to move along.

There is no doubt who was leading the way for Camden in the district tournament.

“ Thomas Bishop has been unbelievable to for us,” Beckley said.

In the three district games, Bishop, a senior, was 7-for-9 with three home runs, one triple, one double, 11 runs batted in and nine runs scored. He also stole four bases, drew two walks and was hit by a pitch.

Ini the opening game against York, Bishop was 2-for-2 with a homer, four runs, two RBI, one walk, one HBP and two stolen bases.

Against Seneca, all Bishop did was hit two homers – one a grand slam, the other a 3-run shot – for seven RBI. He was 2-for-4, scored three times and also had a steal.

In the rematch against York, Bishop was 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, two runs, two RBI a walk and a stolen base.

Abbeville Track And Field Looking To The Future With A Young Team

Sun, 24 May 2026 10:07:41 GMT

Abbeville Tielle Killinsworth hands baton to Tayden Sutton 4x400 relay.

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Columbia - It has been a learning experience for the Abbeville track and field teams during the 2026 season as head coach Jeremiah Boyd has a young team that has the potential to very good as they mature but this season was about preparing for next season and the season’s to come.

“We have a very young team, so the number one goal is to get experience at a high level meet. We had several athletes who were in the mix to get on the podium which is always exciting but we need them to understand not only what it takes to get to the state but what you have to do to get better,” said coach Boyd.

While the state meet did not go as planned the Panthers girls team did bring home two medals and it was the younger girls who brought them home. Freshmen Jayla Paul captured silver in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:10.78 which was just off her personal best of 1:10.78. She also scored points in the 100 meter hurdles finishing 7 ^th . During the year she also ran the 200, 400 and competed in the long and triple jump.

The girl’s 4x400 relay team earned a bronze medal as they posted a season best of 4:25.56. Joining Paul on the team were Tielle Killingsworth, Tayden Sutton, and Alivia Usher.

Coach said this of his 4x400 relay team, “We also have an incredibly talented girls 4x400 team. They are coming off of a dominant win at the Upper State Championships and are just now putting together all of the pieces to a great relay. They have their work cut out for them at the State Meet with about 4 teams within 5 seconds of each other in the 1A rankings. It should be an exciting race.”

110 meter hurdler junior Khari Gray had the best finish among the boys team when he finished fourth with a time of 15.33.

Coach felt going into the meet that senior Isaiah McNair had the best chance to medal in the 400 meter hurdles. He ran a good race but finished fifth.

On of the biggest surprises of the year was 9th grader Micah Hall qualifying in the 3200 meter run. He finished 11 ^th but ran a personal best of 11:50.33. Coach feels he is going to be one to watch.

“I think the takeaway from this season at Abbeville is how much young talent we have. As our young kids develop I expect we will make a bigger appearance at the state level over the next couple of years. I am proud of how hard our team has worked this year and I am very excited to watch our best athletes compete at state. Obviously, we hope to come home with medal, but this is a year to learn how to perform in high stakes competitions,” coach Boyd said.

James Island beats River Bluff 3-1 to win AAAAA Division I baseball lower state title

Sun, 24 May 2026 03:58:24 GMT

Trojans after third straight state title beginning on Tuesday on the road against Dorman

Charleston — Timely hitting and effective pitching will lead most baseball teams to victory, and the James Island High School Trojans used that combination to defeat River Bluff 3-1 on Saturday, earning their third straight lower state championship to advance to the AAAAA Division I state championship series.

JI will take on upper state champion Dorman in the best-of-3 series starting on Tuesday at Dorman in Roebuck . The Trojans will be going for a 3-peat against the Cavaliers.

River Bluff scored its only run in the top of the first inning. Dominick Norton

drew a one-out walk. A double by starting pitcher Walker Godwin put runners on second and third. Norton scored on a sacrifice fly by Sam Turner .

James Island came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Designated hitter Braden Deprill produced a 1-out single before rightfielder Ethan Stein singled to put runners on first and third. Deprill scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore Aiden Spivey . Stein later

scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.

In the bottom of the third, James Island scored the final run of the game to make it 3-1. Taj Marchand led off with a single and his pinch runner, Harrison Beldner , moved to second on a groundout by centerfielder Connor Dantzler , who signed a football scholarship with Tulsa . Beldner scored on a single to center by first baseman Finn Pratt .

After the game, James Island head coach Matt Spivey shared his feelings.

“I told the guys before the game today I was going to try and play as many of them as possible today, and of our 22 players in the dugout today, we probably played 17 or 18 players in some capacity,” said Coach Spivey. “This was just a total team win today.

“Then we put the ball in the hands of our senior leader (Marchand) to pitch the final three innings of the game, and he came through like he always does. “We were in so many jams today that we managed to get out of and you look up on the scoreboard and they only have one run. That was a credit to our defense, but you also have to credit River Bluff. This was the lowest scoring game of the series. They

came to play today.”

Coach Spivey said the Trojans’ pitching plan for Saturday’s game could not have worked out any better. Sophomore Brayden Easterling was the starting Trojan pitcher, working two innings and allowing one hit and one run.

“The pitching today really stepped

up,” said Coach Spivey. “Brayden got us started, and then Dawson Beldner has been doing a good job coming out of the bullpen all season, putting out fires. Then we knew the gameplan was to give the ball to No. 6 (Marchand). We told him to just toe the rubber and throw strikes, and for him to come in and give us three strong innings, in and out of traffic, just showed what he is capable of doing.”

Looking ahead to the state finals, Coach

Spivey said, “Winning today just meant we were guaranteed to play two more games this season. This was the state finals matchup everyone had circled. You don’t

have to tell our team anything. We know what we are going after. We’ve been here and we’ve done it and I would not bet against the Trojans.”

Coach Spivey said the matchup with Dorman will present two good offenses with excellent pitching staffs.

“They have a great 2027 pitching arm in Connor Wells , and he is their likely pitcher

on Tuesday. And even after they lost one starter to injury, they have a solid pitching staff. They are a very good team 1 through 9 at the plate,” said Coach Spivey. “We are going to have to play well, pitch well, and swing it well.

“Everyone said we were supposed to get into the finals and that was a lot of pressure on this team. These kids have battled all year long and here we are 29-3 and headed

to the state finals once again.”

Coach Spivey gave credit to the teams eight seniors.

“Our eight seniors work hard and come every day to play,” said Coach Spivey. “Some of them do not get on the field that much, but what they do as teammates and pushing our guys in the dugout is incredible.”

River Bluff head coach Mark Bonnette was very positive after the game despite a tough loss.

“James Island is a heck of a team, and I am just proud of the way our kids battled their tails off,” said Bonnette. “We would have liked to have one or two more hits with runners in scoring position but credit them for making plays when they had to.

“The play in the first inning by their infielder ( Trip Ostergard ) to keep a well hit ball from getting through saved them a run for sure. They have some elite players

and their guys stepped up.”

Bonnette said he is proud of his 12 seniors, and 10 of them have next-level

offers to extend their careers.

“One of our seniors who stepped up today was pitcher Walker Godwin,” said Bonnette. “We were a little thin on pitching coming into the game today, and he led us off by holding them down to one run. I also felt like Brooks Peloso , Ray Kastner and Mason Iser did a good job when they came in also.”

Bonnette finished up his 28th year in coaching with the tough loss. His 2023 River

Bluff team won a state title, and he also won a state title at White Knoll .

“This is our fifth lower state championship appearance in the 12 years that we have been a high school, and we are very proud of that accomplishment,” he said.

High School Sports Report also caught up with Marchand after the game, and the Mississippi signee, who came into the game with a .513 batting average with 40 runs batted in and 13 home runs, said he is looking forward to whatever opportunities come his way in the Major League draft in July. Marchand is thought to be a mid- second to early-third round pick.

“Certainly, my signability will be discussed and there are a lot of teams who have invited me in for workouts in June before the draft,” said Marchand. “It is going to be a busy summer for sure.”

The shortstop position is so valuable many mock drafts do not show a pitcher being selected until the sixth or seventh pick this year.

“The shortstop is your captain on the field,” said Marchand. “He’s the guy you rely on to keep everyone focused.”

Marchand has been in the program at James Island for six years, and he became a starter in the eighth grade.

“There is no doubt in my mind he could be drafted in the first round,” said Coach

Spivey. “He has all the tools you are looking for in a baseball player. I knew he was special during his first practice with the varsity as an eighth-grader.”

James Island had eight hits in the game with Deprill, Stein, and Pratt each contributing two hits. Marchand, who had four big strikeouts in his closing role on the mound, and Dantzler had the other hits.

River Bluff had four hits. Godwin led the way with two hits, including a double. Andrew Rye hit with a double, and Norton had the other hit.

Southside beats Gray Collegiate 3-0 to win AAAA boys soccer state championship

Sun, 24 May 2026 02:19:34 GMT

Tigers' Erik Martinez scores two second-half goals to spur victory

Columbia -- With a second-half scoring burst, the Southside High School boys soccer team pulled ahead of Gray Collegiate Academy and earned the first state championship in the school’s history.

Head coach Luis Koronya said after the Tigers’ 3-0 victory on Friday at Memorial Stadium that “It won’t be the last.

“It’s amazing. It’s something that we cannot believe,” Koronya said. “I’m pretty sure that the school, the students, they’re going to see what we did and they’re going to try to be (champions).”

Southside (18-1) and Gray Collegiate (22-8) battled to a scoreless stalemate in the first half. Six minutes into the second half, the Tigers’ leading scorer Erik Martinez found himself open with the ball about 20 yards from the goal. Martinez struck. His shot hit on the right side of the net and put his team on the scoreboard.

At the 48 ^th minute Martinez found the ball again on roughly the same route. He angled a shot to the left of goalkeeper Charlie Petroff to give Southside a 2-0 lead.

“In the first half we were nervous. We were scared to come out and play our game,” Martinez said. “We didn’t know anything about the other team, really. Our coaches in the locker room gave us a very emotional speech and we came out very strong as a family and a team in the second half.”

Eleven minutes later, Adriel Rodriguez got a third shot in the back of the net. Over the next 20 minutes all that was left for the Tigers was to deflect all attacks. The defense, led by goalkeeper Edwin Bastida , held all of them off.

“Scared, as scared as possible,” Bastida said about the late onslaught. “I was telling my defenders to kick the ball out. I don’t even care if I have to. If they even get close, just kick the ball out. I love my defenders, I love how they protect my goal, They gave it their best and I love them.”

Gray Collegiate made 10 shots on goal, but as Bastida said, a loose net of defenders deflected most of the breaks and shots, and the junior goalkeeper came up with seven saves, four of them coming in the final minutes.

War Eagles head coach Kevin Heise said he expected Southside to make a quick score after halftime.

"We said the first five minutes were going to be critical, and you know, I think we eclipsed the 5-minute mark and in the sixth minute they scored,” he said. “That’s how that game was won, whoever could have gotten something early in the half, and that’s kind of been their MO watching them on film this week.”

Friday was the Gray Collegiate boys’ fourth state final appearance in the past five years. The War Eagles fell to Bishop England in the lower state final last year.

Heise has led Gray Collegiate to the state championship game seven times, but the War Eagles have yet to win the final game.

“Going into the year I think if someone would have said this team was going to the state championship game, we would all sign up for it,” Heise said. “I don’t think anybody had that in mind when the season started. We were hoping to win our region and make a good representation there, and see where the postseason would go.”

The War Eagles got off to a 3-4 start, but Heise said the team came together by mid-March and were riding a 7-game winning streak going into Friday’s match.

“This group came a long way. Unfortunately we didn’t see some of that identity (tonight),” he said. “We were a fun team to watch in the last six weeks of the season. Tonight, though, we weren’t. Give Southside credit for that. That’s why they’re 18-1 with their only loss to Powdersville (27-1; beat Oceanside Collegiate 6-1 for the AAA championship Friday). This team has had special years, but sometimes you’ve just got to give credit where credit is due.”

Kuronya gives credit to his athletes for playing hard and playing smart.

“I’m really happy with the students because you know what, in the Greenville County School District we have like 45 schools, and the most improved GPA was the soccer team,” he said. “The most important thing for me is that we already won with our students. They are better as a team. They know what they need to do and they work together. I’m really proud that they’re the state champions.”

Hanahan beats Aynor in if game to claim AAA Lower State softball title

Sat, 23 May 2026 14:36:41 GMT

Hawkettes will face either Crescent or Belton-Honea Path for state title next week

Hanahan - Nobody really likes to put in overtime, but there's something about the payday that makes it all worth it.

For the Hanahan High School Hawkettes , having to go two games with Aynor on Friday, May 22, for the AAA Lower State softball championship only sweetened the victory. The Hawkettes earned the right to play for all the marbles with a 7-2 victory in the nightcap against the visiting Blue Jackets. Defending state champion Aynor forced the decisive game with a 2-0 win in the first game.

"It's so rewarding," Hanahan head coach Katrina Bezdek said. "I'm just so proud of the girls. They seemed so down after that first game, but I was like, 'Y'all are still in it.' I said, 'Y'all still have the upper hand here because we have got a fresh pitcher going and they don't.] I said have confidence in y,urself. They fought. It was a total team effort."

Hanahan (22-7) begins play in the best-of-3 state championship series Tuesday, May 26, against either Crescent or Belton-Honea Path . The Upper State champion hosts Game 1 and Hanahan is at home Thursday, May 28, for Game 2. Game 3 would be at a neutral site.

.The Hawkettes have three state titles in their history (2008, 2017 and 2018) and are hunting No. 4 next week.

Aynor ends an otherwise special season at 23-6

.Hanahan hurler Dria Tolbert threw all seven innings in the winner-take-all battle, spinning a 4-hitter while striking out three batters. She allowed one earned run and worked through some stressful situations to keep Aynor at bay.

"She had been throwing a lot of balls and getting deep in counts in her previous starts," Bezdek said. "Tonight she got ahead and really located her pitches, which was huge for us. She just let her defense back her up. She didn't feel like she had to do it all by herself."

At the dish, designated hitter Jamie O'Connor provided the finishing touch with a 3-run blast during the top of the seventh inning. O'Connor's shot sailed over the fence in left-center field and was huge considering Aynor had the top of its order coming up in the bottom of the inning. O'Connor also had a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning.

"She was seeing the ball really well," Bezdek said. "The wind died down a little bit. That was huge for her. I'm not surprised... When it goes over, you can breathe a little bit more. A 4-2 game with the top of their lineup coming up would have been nerve-wracking."

Earlier in the fifth, Hanahan outfielder Selena Riley sent an RBI double to the fence to break a 2-2 tie. All of the previous theatrics happened in the third frame.

After outfielder Briar Mros walked to lead off and stole second base, catcher Emma McGowan sliced a double down the left field line for Hanahan's first run in the two games. She eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Hawkettes up 2-0.

Aynor answered in the bottom of third on Paisley Page's RBI single to left field that scooted past the Hanahan outfielder, enabling Page to motor all the way around the bases and tie the score 2-2.

The lone player from either to collect multiple hits was Aynor leadoff hitter Aiivia Hess , who went 2-for-4 with a triple.

Each squad collected four hits and committed two errors in the finale.

In the opener, Hess was spectacular for the Blue Jackets. The Tennessee-Martin signee fanned 16 batters and surrendered just two hits. During the game, she topped 700 career strikeouts. She also went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot and knocked in a run in the top of the fifth inning.

"She just competes every single pitch," Bezdek said. "She kept us off the basepaths pretty much the first game. She's a very hard out at the plate. That's for sure. We tried a bunch of things against her but she always put it in play."

Hess threw all 14 innings of the doubleheader and struck out 28 batters, allowing six hits and just two earned runs. Trailing 2-0 in Game 1, Hanahan loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Hess recorded back-to-back strikeouts to squash the threat.

Hanahan's Maggie Priddy was strong inside the circle in Game 1, too, She scattered six hits and struck out three batters.

Designated hitter Kylie Woodle sparked the scoring for Aynor in Game 1 with an RBI single, followed two batters later by Hess' RBI double.

Just Might Be Time To Write A Memoir Book After 40 Years Of Fun & Hard Work

Sat, 23 May 2026 12:21:59 GMT

Billy Baker's been on a 40-year pursuit to discover the South Carolina’s best high school athletes and recognize their achievements in this unique statewide prep sports only publication.

Just Might Be Time To Write A Memoir Book After 40 Years Of Fun & Hard Work

Moncks Corner — I have been giving a lot of thought lately about writing a Memoir Book focused on the many wonderful experiences, and thousands of outstanding people, that have intersected with my orbit in a 40-year pursuit to discover the world’s greatest football player, or the world’s greatest baseball player etc.

Recently, one of our writers from the 1990’s checked in on me, and he brought up the fact that the HSSR use to produce a 96 -page publication each and every week between the middle of August until Christmas? By my count that was like 16 straight weeks!

It is often a challenge these days to produce a publication once a month, particularly during Spring break when coaches are scattered everywhere. Honestly, the publication you are reading in your hands right now is not produced, in similar fashion, anywhere in the United States. One could agree that this makes this publication unique, and a true one of kind experiment in sports journalism.

I have been thinking about some Chapter Titles for the Memoir. How about a chapter focused on real people that I met at the Waffle House after football games all across South Carolina at 11 pm on a Friday night. Probably not a good idea but it would make for some interesting reading.

Here is a chapter that might get some interest: Who were the Top 100 best football players I ever covered between 1986 and 2026, within the state of South Carolina? No doubt we will mention AJ Green from Summerville, Steven Davis from Spartanburg, and what about a guy from South Pointe High with a name like Jadeveon Clowney !

Here is an idea for another chapter: Who truly did the best job as guest speakers at the 100-plus all-state banquets the HSSR sponsored for outstanding coaches and athletes over a 35-year period, before the Pandemic closed down the awards company who provided some really cool awards for us. Some of our better-known speakers have been Lou Holtz , Steve Spurrier , Dabo Swinnie , Philip Fulmer , Dawn Staley and many more .

Coach Holtz, and may he RIP forever, did some magic tricks during his talk and he was really on point with his message. Ray Tanner spoke five times at our all-state baseball banquets, over the years, and all five times he tore up the check I always gave to speakers. When Coach Spurrier spoke, he insisted I tell him 10 minutes ahead of when the banquet was to be over so he could duck out through the kitchen at Seawells. You got a room full of high school football coaches, not to mention several big-time football players in the audience and he had no interest in a little hand shaking afterwards.

Honesty, Coach Swinnie from Clemson was not in a hurry, or rush to leave at the conclusion of the HSSR football banquet he spoke at around 2008, or so. He shook hands and talked to people for a good 20 minutes. He also had a keen sense of where a top prospect had been sitting.

The strangest thing a speaker every asked me to do at one of the HSSR all-state banquets came from Philip Fulmer who spoke to a packed room at Seawell’s, one month after the Vols won a national football championship. He said, “Billy, clear your throat every time a potential first round NFL draft pick gets an award today.”

No kidding, I only cleared my throat twice, and you will have to buy the Memoir book one day to find out who those two players were. They indeed became first round NFL draft picks or did they end up at Tennessee? Stay tuned.

Could South Carolina Have Two Prep Baseball Players Both Go In The First Round? (Highly Likely)

Sat, 23 May 2026 12:04:53 GMT

Christ Church's senior SS/3B Bo Lowrance (6-5,200) with a 6.6 time in the sixty and he can move left or right with same dexterity plus he is currently batting .433 with 39 RBI’s, including 12 home runs and three triples.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Moncks Corner —Two high school baseball programs, located 8 miles apart in the state of South Carolina, who are also region rivals in Class AAA, are expected to have their star senior players drafted in the first round of the July major league baseball draft, and if this happens it would be a first time in recent memory that two high school players, in the same region, went in the first round of the draft.

Have we got your attention? What does this verify about the high- level prep baseball talent within the Palmetto state?

First and foremost, we always pause to give a special thank you to Mark Grainger and the fine folks at Modern Turf in Irmo and Rembert for their sponsorship of this monthly recruiting feature page.

The two players who have an excellent chance of making prep baseball history in the Palmetto State are Southside Christian LHP Carson Boleman (6-4, 210) and Christ Church SS/3B Bo Lowrance (6-5,200).

Last month we ran a feature story on Boleman and in recent games he has continued to mow down batters at the rate of 17 to 18 strikeouts a game. In the Sabres 6-0 win over Chapman on May, 16 Boleman pitched all seven innings with 15 strikeouts, and he allowed just one hit.

There have been new developments that have come to the attention of the HSSR. We wanted to give some coverage to Lorance, a shortstop from Christ Church who is also projected as a first- round draft pick. We recently had 30-minute conversation with Lowrance, and we are very impressed with him, just like we are Boleman.

The ever popular and highly respected web site “The Athletic” released a first- round mock draft on May 14 that will certainly get the attention of those who follow the draft in the state of South Carolina.

Keith Law is a respected follower of baseball who compiled a list of potential mock first round draft picks for The Athletic web site that was published on May, 14. In no way do we always agree at HSSR with what any scout might say or report, about any professional prospect from the state of South Carolina. However, because our business has been covering high school sports in South Carolina, for the past 40 years, we will present our own opinions as well. On Law’s list Boleman drops to number 29 in the first round, (we strongly disagree with his evaluation) while Lawrence elevates to the number 20 pick of the first round and we are certainly excited to now find out the state could have two first round draft picks this year.

We still maintain that Boleman will be a top 10 pick in the first round, and we are delighted that Lowrance is moving into the first round with the highly respected Law, and other scouts.

This is what Mr. Law wrote about Boleman for The Athletic: “Bolemon was a little slow to ramp up this spring, so he’s no longer the top high school lefty on my board, but he’s still close and should get paid like a first rounder. He’s up to 96 with a four-pitch mix, with the velocity a tick lower this spring, and he gets good depth on his breaking pitches from a three-quarters slot. He already had an internal brace procedure when he was about 15. He’s committed to Wake Forest .”

Boleman is in no way injured, and the internal brace procedure has only had a positive impact on his performance, not a negative one. He is perfectly healthy according to his high school coach Scott Freeman . After his outstanding pitching performance on the big stage with Team USA last summer, he left that international competition considered the best pitching prospect, in either high school or college for the 2026 major league draft, which takes place this July. Nothing he has shown in recent mound duty, with his high school, suggests any downturn at all.

Perhaps on the advice of an advisory agent, and we do not know this for sure, Boleman (and his loving family) decided to rest his arm for most of the regular high school season, and he had not pitched but 10.1 innings this season at the time this reporter interviewed him in early April. He does play on a team with two other talented pitchers.

We hope that scouts, major league teams, and even baseball writers, do not hold his lack of time on the mound, earlier in the season, against him. On April,30 versus AAAAA River Bluff , Boleman pitched all seven innings, with 18 strikeouts, and only one walk in his team’s 1-0 win. Boleman has now pitched 30 innings this season with 68 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.23 and he has walked just seven of the 107 batters he has faced.

Boleman and Lowrance should both be invited to a traditional Top 60 to 80 high school and college skills camp, reserved for top 2026 prospects, with live games, held a few weeks before the draft down at a site in Florida. The HSSR predicts that both Boleman and Lawrence will leave that comparison skills camp as solid first round draft prospects.

Now let’s talk about Bo Lawrence, first through the eyes of his high school coach Brian Simpson .

“I came to Christ Church three seasons ago from JL Mann, and Bo was already a solid player in the program,” said Coach Simpson. “He really came on strong, with the scouts last summer, as a player on a highly respected elite travel team out of Charlotte.

“Bo has tremendous range as a short stop, and I have been amazed at some of balls he is able to get to,” said Coach Simpson. “The scouts love the fact he has equal dexterity from both the right and left side. He is 6-4, 200 pounds and runs a 6.6 sixty which is awesome for a kid his size.”

Lowrance is currently batting .433 with 39 RBI’s, including 12 home runs and three triples. He has a .624 on base percentage with a slugging percentage of 1.119. His fielding percentage is .922.

Lowrance had been committed to Virginia, but when their head coach ( Corey Muscara ) left to take over the program at Duke last summer, Lawrence flipped to Duke.

Shawn P. Kernahan is a baseball writer for Three Quarter Slot . This was Kernahan’s scouting report on Lowrance recently: “The offensive foundation is already in place, with a left-handed swing that shows balance, control, and an advanced sense of the zone. Lowrance uses his length effectively, creating leverage without sacrificing barrel accuracy. Most of the present damage comes to the opposite field, but there’s a growing understanding of how to turn on pitches when counts and locations allow. Swing decisions are a strength, and the hit tool gives him a stable floor even as the power is still coming.

Kernahan also wrote in talking about Lowrance: “Physical projection does a lot of the future work here. Strength gains should unlock considerably more pull-side impact, with raw power pointing toward a potential carrying tool as the body matures. Defensively, third base is the cleanest long-term fit, where the arm, hands, and body control line up, though continued physical growth could eventually test his mobility and push him to another corner. The profile leans more on projection than present production, but the combination of approach, barrel control, and physical upside give him a wide runway and a chance to develop into a true bat-driven corner piece.

Lowrance joined a national elite travel team out of Charlotte last summer, known at that time as the Charlotte Baseball Academy but it has since changed its name to the CBA Orioles Scout Team.

This elite team played in well scouted tournaments in Georgia, Florida, Jupiter, Florida and Cary, NC.

“It’s a pretty special situation to be in right now as a baseball player,” said Lowrance. “This time a year ago I did not think I would be in this position. I am humbled to be in consideration to be selected in the first round of the baseball draft. It would be a dream come true for sure.”

Lowrance said that 15 major league clubs have invited him in for personal workouts at their facility prior to the draft. He also said that he has yet to discuss sign ability with any major league team and he says going to Virginia and playing college baseball is still on the table. He said that he will address the issue of sign ability with any club interested in him in the very near future.

Lowrance is truly gifted to be 200 pounds with a 6.6 time in the sixty. His range at shortstop is off the charts and he can move left or right with same dexterity.

“I work out three days a week with my personal trainer, Glen Hunt, and we work on agility drills all the time,” said Lowrance. “We do a lot of side-to-side drills to improve foot work also. Carson has the same trainer I have.”

Lowrance says that when he is on the field, on defense, he usually cheats over two feet against right-handed batters, and if they are left-handed, he moves to his left a couple steps. “I study batters and my goal is to get a good jump towards the ball and have good reflexes in making a play on the ball and having a strong delivery to first,” he said.

As a hitter, Lorance talks about his strengths.” I am able to hit a baseball to all fields, from down the line to both power alleys,’ said Lowrance. “Of the 12 home runs I have hit this high school season, half of them are backside.

“I trust my swing,” said Lowrance. “I feel like I am a good two-strike hitter and I tend to open my zone some with two strikes. I try not to change my mechanics much.”

When this year’s draft begins on July 11 in Philadelphia, Lowrance was aksked how he felt he might react to having his named called out in the first round. “It would be one of those states of shock moments in my life for sure,” he said. “But within three days I hope I am on a plane reporting to the club that drafted me. I am ready to get to work.

“I am ready to embrace the process of continued development and playing professional baseball has been my dream for a long time,” he said. “Honestly, I am not going to change at all if being drafted in the first round makes me a millionaire. I am just going to tuck it away, show my love and appreciation to my family for their support, and focus on being the best baseball player I can be.”

Lowrance said off the field he loves to fish and hunt. “I really like to catch large mouth bass,” he said. “I love to hunt deer. I even like to collect sharks teeth.”

Lowrance has had one significant sit-down meal with a scout. “We had a serious conversation over dinner about my goals in the game of baseball and it was a very educational meeting,” said Lowrance. “I enjoyed the experience very much.”

Lowrance said that he and Carson are good friends. “I don’t get to face many truly outstanding left-handed pitchers in high school, but I consider him the best left-handed pitcher I’ve faced so far,” said Lowrance. “If there is something I am still working to improve upon it would be doing a better job in the box when facing left-handed pitchers.”

All baseball fans in the Palmetto State should be proud of the fact that two teenage boys who play high school baseball at schools 8 miles apart are in Greenville and are highly likely to experience life changing moments within 30 minutes of each other on the night of July 11.

Also, the HSSR would like to extend a shout-out to James Island shortstop Tai Marchand who was recently named the Player of the Year in SC from all classifications by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.

Marchand, an Ole Miss signee, is currently batting .513 with 40 RBI’s and 13 home runs. His high school team is heavily favored to defend the Div. I AAAAA state title he helped them win a year ago.

Marchand is projected as a late second round, to early third round draft pick, but it only takes one club to push him into the first round along with Boleman and Lowrance.

All three of these young men are special athletes and first class off the field also.

Dillon Christian School’s Lila English Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month

Sat, 23 May 2026 04:04:39 GMT

Bennettsville — Lila English is a rising senior student athlete at Dillon Christian School, where she has been a cheerleader since the sixth grade. English has also been playing volleyball since the seventh grade, basketball since the grade, and plans to play again in her senior season.

Not to mention that she is a sport over achiever, when she started playing soccer as a junior. She plans to enjoy her upcoming senior year, being a multiple sport athlete, while continuing to take NETC online classes to help prepare for college.

English said her childhood dream was being a varsity cheerleader. Being a multiple sport athlete just adds to her enjoyment of her school experience. With all the demands of sports, high school academics and the NETC online courses, English says her “time management skills” improved by having to balance preparation for multiple classes, with practices and games each week.

After high school, English plans to focus on her studies instead of playing sports at the next level. Currently, she is weighing her options of either attending Clemson University’s Agricultural Mechanization and Business Program , but she is also considering attending the Darla Moore Business School at USC.

In the classroom, she carries a 4.2438 GPA and says the NETC courses, “Have opened doors to provide me college level work academic learning experiences that have given me a glimpse of what to expect in the future, when I am actually at college,” she said.

For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, English has been chosen the “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month.”

This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges, after a student’s high school graduation.

The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve.

Currently, English is enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She started taking classes during her junior year and she completing classes that will fulfill basic requirements for her freshman year at college. She has taken US History, World History, and Medical Terminology to date. English looks forward to going to college and preparing for a career.

When asked about the NETC experience, English said “NETC has been great,” she said. “I was worried about starting these courses because I had never done anything like it, but the layout is easy to understand, and my professors were always flexible, and willing to help when I needed it.”

Considering she only has two semesters of classes completed, English commented “I haven't taken many classes yet, that could reduce my course load in college, but plan on taking some online courses this summer and again during my senior year.”

As a high school student, playing sports year-round, and taking NETC online classes, English had this to say about that challenge. “I have to plan, so there is a balance in everything between school, sports, and life,” she said. “I put together a schedule that enables me to get all the course work completed, so I don’t have to give up on doing other things.

When asked if all this can be stressful, English summed it up this way: “Time management can be hard with multiple games, or assignments due, but pacing myself has always helped,” she said. “I try not to load myself down, and I try to space my work out throughout the week to avoid stressing myself out.”

English reflected on favorite memories as a student athlete, “Some of my favorite sports memories happened at practices,” she said. “The hard work behind the scenes with all the fun, smiles, and laughs can’t be beat. A different type of bond is formed within a team where you are pushing others, and yourself to be better while also having fun doing it.”

Dillon Christian School’s Reese Bracey Named “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month

Sat, 23 May 2026 04:01:29 GMT

Bennettsville — Reese Bracey is a senior three-sport athlete at the Dillon Christian School, where he participates in the sports of football, basketball and soccer.

He readily admits that football is his favorite sport among the three. He started playing football in the fifth grade, and he has played multiple positions as a receiver, tight end, running back, and also at linebacker. In the eighth grade, he started playing basketball as a small forward. In the ninth grade, he started playing soccer. During his prep school career, he twice earned All-Region honors as a running back in football with over 1,000 all-purpose yards achieved. He has also earned All-Region honors in soccer.

Bracey closes his high school athletics having played all three sports in his senior year. He says one lesson being a multi-sport athlete taught him is to be on time. “If you are late to practice, you will have some type of punishment,” he said. “This translates well to schoolwork, when it comes to scheduling, doing, and turning in assignments on time.”

In the classroom, he carries a 5.2 GPA, while maintaining his online course load, and participating in sports. After graduation, he plans to attend USC and pursue a career in the medical field.

For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Reese Bracey has been chosen the “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month.”

The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve.

Bracey is currently enrolled in dual credit courses offered by NETC. He has completed classes in Psychology, Public Speaking, English 101 and 102, plus History 101 and 102.

By taking the online courses through the NETC, Bracey says, this, “Helps prepare me for the workload and schedule I can expect with college work once I get to college,” he said. It has taught me always to use any free time to complete assignments. I apply this lesson, whether that be at home, or at school.”

When asked about a memorable moment in his sports career, Bracey said, “That was involved a play that I will never forget,” he said. “We made the football playoffs and with our first snap of the game, we scored a touchdown!”

Bamberg Ehrhardt and Calhoun County go back-to-back at Class A state track meet

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:57:28 GMT

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Columbia – Bamberg-Ehrhardt high school and Calhoun County high school are 33.9 miles apart on US-601 with a lot in common as they are two of the top Class A athletic programs in the state and now they share back-to-back class A track and field state championships.

The Red Raiders beat the Governor’s School to capture the girls title while Calhoun County defeated Blackville-Hilda to win the boy’s title.

“I felt if we did what we are capable of doing today we had a good chance to repeat,” said BE head coach Travis Wilson . “I want to make sure we to get the race, do our job and focus.

Coach Wilson continued, “Motivation was a big thing coming into the year. Winning last year put us in the hunted role and so we tried to stress it is harder to repeat. The girls started picking it up at the region and lower state meets.”

Calhoun County head coach Wayne Farmer is no stranger to back-to-back state championship as this is the third school that he has led to back-to-back class A state championships, the others being Allendale Fairfax and Scott’s Branch. It was also the 10 ^th state championship in his career.

“Our focus was to come back and repeat. The challenge this year was that we became the hunted instead of the hunter. The biggest thing is the kids performed with no hick ups. We scheduled a lot of big meets to learn how to compete and it paid off today,” said coach Farmer.

The girls meet started off perfect for the Red Raider as their 4x100 team of Zyasia Whiley, Carmyn Folk, Keyaunjanay Corbit and Daisha Etheridge blazed around the track in a season’s best of 50.38 to win gold in the day’s first running event.

The 4x800 relay team also won gold in a time of 10:56.16. Kymyhia Jamison, Jayda Sanders, Nilayah Edwards and Rashida Quattara made up the team.

Sanders picked up a silver medal when she finished second in the 800 meters.

Ezariah Williams won a gold and silver medal for the Red Raiders in the Discus and shot put, respectively. She threw the discus 36.73 meters for a new personal record and set another personal best in the shot put with a put of 11.39 meters. Both events earned her Silver Elite performance. She also scored in the Javelin by finishing seventh.

Briaunjenai McMillian won a bronze medal in the Javelin with a toss of 32.94. She also scored in the shot put finishing eighth.

There were a few individual double gold medal winners. Bethune Bowman’ s Makiyah Johnson won the 100 and 200 meters. Her winning time in the 100 of 12.17 was a silver elite performance.

“It feels great to win two gold medals. I want this for a long time. Last year I came in second in both events. I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off,” said Johnson.

Riverwalk Academy’s Emme Herring won gold in both the 800 and 1600 meters while Blackville Hilda’s Breyanna Williams won gold in both hurdle events as well as winning a silver medal in the 200.

The Saints were led by Wofford signee Kamari Kelly. Kelly won the 400 meters in a time of 48.56 and then won the 800 meters in 2:03.55. He ran the second leg of the gold medal winning 4x800 meter relay team. He also ran the second leg on the 4x400 meter relay team which won a silver medal.

“These last couple of years to see all the hard work pay off. I very grateful for coaches and family and I just want to thank God,” Kelly said.

Joining Kelly on the 4x800 meter relay team were Kamron Johnson, Traveon Baker, and V’Jay Thomas while Baker, Eddie Coleman and Thomas were on the 4x400 relay team with Kelly.

Jamani Canty won two golds in the discus and shot put. His toss of 49.17 in the discus was a new personal best.

Also winning medals for the Saints were St. Julian Johnson won two silver medals in the shot put and the Javelin. He set personal best in both events with a toss of 45.68 in the Javelin and he put the shot 14.22.

Bringing home bronze medals were Kamron Kelly (800), Eddie Coleman (400 meter hurdles), and Darren Ben (Triple Jump). Ben also scored points in the high jump (4 ^th ) and in the long jump (8 ^th ).

In the 100 and 200 Da’Shaun Albany of Ridgeland Secondary School and Camari Brown of Hardeeville Jr-Sr high finished one-two in each race with Albany winning the 100 and Brown taking the 200.

Hunter Willis of Riverwalk Academy won gold in the 1600 and silver in the 800.

Blackville-Hilda’s Da’Montray Allen was a double gold winner as he won the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.84 and the 400 hurdles in 58.16.

Jordan Strong of Lewisville won two bronze medals in the long jump and high jump while capturing a gold in the triple jump

Philip Simmons Boys & Girls Track Teams Dominates SCHSL AA State Track Meet

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:52:04 GMT

By WORTHY EVANS

HSSR Contributing Writer

Columbia --Just after the AA state track and field meet in 2025, when the Philip Simmons girls dominated the field with 148 points, the boys were runners up to state champion Fairfield Central , Iron Horses track and field coaches Emma Santor and Ryan McCauley got married.

Together, the couple packed the field with Philip Simmons runners and field athletes in the 2026 meet, and while the girls scored 159 points in their repeat victory, the boys scored 106.5 points and claimed their second state championship in three years.

The girl’s total was 107.67 points higher than runner-up Landrum’s 51.33 points.

“We have a huge team that’s full of depth, and we’ve got an amazing group of girls who are always willing to rally around each other, and they know when to show up when it’s time,” said Coach Emma McCauley. “They trust the training, they trust the process, and fortunately for us they all peaked at the right moment, and we were able to pull off another state title.”

The boy’s team’s point total was 59.5 points higher than runner-up Fairfield Central’s 48, and that was after the Griffins 4x400 team of Jamie Brown , Brenton Mack , Kenyan Douglas , and Da’Qwan Kelly closed out the meet with a winning time of (320:41)

“I think we had a little chip on our shoulder from last year and the boys really wanted it this year,” said Ryan McCauley. “The boys really showed up in big ways in multiple events.”

The girls’ team led early and never looked back, just as the Iron Horses did last year.

Sophomore distance runner Laura Perry took gold in the 1600 (5:11.73) and 3200 (5:11.73) runs. Behind Perry in the 1600 were teammates Flynn Taylor , second, Stella Wininger placed 5th, and Avah Mallek was 7 ^th . In the 3200, Wininger took 2 ^nd and Keziah Varner took 6 ^th ..

“It’s actually insane, it’s like so much support,” Perry said about running events with teammates as opposed to running solo. “If there are so many people, it makes you feel like you’re so much better, and it pushes you to be better.”

Taylor took gold in the 800 (2:16.30), and the 4x800 relay team of Taylor, Mallek, Varner, and Samantha Watson won gold in 9:47.92.

Julia Reilly won the triple jump (10.91) meters 5 ^th in the long jump.

Ashley Roush won the pole vault (3.8-meters). Averi Cable took 4 ^th . Roush was second in long jump and third in high jump.

Other placers for the girls were Chloe Woods , Jordyn Washington - Spencer , and Cora Gabriel , who took 4 ^th , 5 ^th , and 6 ^th in the Javelin, respectively. Lilah May took 4 ^th in high jump.

The 4x100 team of Madison Cobb , Roush, Reilly, and Ashlynn Johnson finished third, and so did the 4x400 team of Paris Harrison , Riley Payne , Elle Corbin , and Taylor .

In the boy’s events, Philip Simmons won gold in just two events, but their depth often had two or three competitors earn points.

Jeremiah Richardson took first in the 200 dash with a time of 21.79 and the 4x800 relay team of Brian Stanbaugh , Keaton Stuart , Gavin Conjurski and Stone Sweatman won gold with a time of 8:09.41.

“I just wanted to put it all out for my team, especially the seniors,” said Richardson. “I was so proud of everybody who raced, all the coaches who helped us throughout the whole season.”

The 4x100 team of Luke Chambers , Brady Cobb , Cameron Steed, and Richardson took second and the 4x400 team of Steed, Connor Roberts , Montrell Mungin , and Zack Venning took 6 ^th .

In the rest of the events, several Iron Horse runners competed with one another.

Richardson was 4 ^th 100, in front of Brady Cobb’s 5 ^th place finish. Luke Chambers took 8th place. Behind Richardson in the 200 dash were Cobb (second) and Chambers (seventh).

Sweatman placed fourth in the 800 and Grady Castiglia was 7 ^th and Trent Manning (8 ^th ).

Manning also took 4 ^th place in 1600, with Griffin Tollison just behind in 5 ^th ).

Brian Stanbaugh placed 3 ^rd in the 3200, while Tollison was 4th and Castiglia was 6 ^th .

Mungin took 2 ^nd in 400 hurdles.

In field events, Omonte Taylor placed 4 ^th he high jump and Cole Tonon took eighth in the pole vault. In javelin Jack Robinson placed 3rd and Luke Robinson was 4 ^th .

“We’re super fortunate to have two awesome middle school’s feeder programs that go into our school,” said Emma McCauley. “Every year we get around 40 middle schoolers that will come out and try out for the team. We’re returning a really strong junior class as well, which we’re excited about.”

Mountain View Girls, Waccamaw Boys Defend AAA Titles

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:45:24 GMT

Mountain View Girls and Waccamaw Boys Earn SCHSL State Track & Field Titles.

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Columbia – David Milliken has been the boys track and field head coach at Waccamaw High School for two seasons, the same amount of time Mike Johnson has been the girls track head coach at Mountain View Prep .

The two coaches, along with their respective teams, have met at the same place both years to conclude their seasons: the podium of the AAA state meet to accept state championship trophies.

MVP, which is located in the Upstate in S partanburg , and WHS, which is on the Grand Strand in Pawleys Island , defended their titles in dominant fashion on Friday at Spring Valley’s Harry Parone Stadium .

The Stars were victorious in six events and scored 155 points, easily outdistancing second place Greer Middle College’s 70 to win the girls title. The Warriors set a AAA boys record with 127 points while second place went to Powdersville with 61.50 points.

Mountain View is a charter school that is just in its second year of existence, so it knows nothing except winning state titles.

“I think this year was more of an overall team effort,” Johnson said. “We were getting points from everywhere, sprints, jumps, throws. It was just an overall team effort.”

For Waccamaw, last year’s title was its first after coming up short on a couple of other occasions. The Warriors had to take a different approach this season.

“We definitely had the mentality that we were the hunted this year,” said Milliken, who was an assistant coach for one year prior to taking over. “They kept that in mind every time we competed, that people were chasing us.

“We qualified in every event in the state meet except for the high jump. We just wanted to try to get them to buy into the mindset that we would leave it all on the track every time.”

MVP set the stage for its dominance in the very first event, setting a state record in winning the 4x100-meter relay. The team of Kimora Pardlow , Brionna Boggains , Akyra Chamberlain and Keanna Tate won in a time of 45.97 seconds.

“That was just a great way to start the day,” Johnson said in an understatement. “That gave us a spark.”

The Stars also won the 4x400 relay. The team of Amari Rambert , Aryana Armstrong , Chamberlain and Tate won in 3 minutes, 49.46 seconds.

Tate finished first in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes. She won the 200 in 24.09 and the 400 in 55.02.

Mountain View claimed the top four spots in the 200 with Boggains finishing second, Chamberlain third and Armstrong fourth. Armstrong finished second in the 400 while Serena Taylor was sixth.

Rambert took home the goal in the 100 hurdles in 1:03.27 with Nyla Harris finishing third. Harris won the high jump with a height of 05-05.

Chamberlain, Boggains and Pardlow went 2-3-4 in the 100 dash. Avery Richards was second in the discus and fourth in the shotput, Cameron Wilson was third in the javelin, Taylor was fourth in the triple jump, and Italia Riches was eighth in the pole vault.

Mountain View doesn’t have a home track, but it did gain access to the North Greenville University facilities this year – a 40-minute drive. That didn’t deter the Stars.

“Our whole thing this year was finish the mission,” Johnson said. “We wanted to go b back-to-back. We felt like if everybody continued to train hard and injuries stayed away, we’d have a chance to do it.”

For Waccamaw, not only did it qualify in each event except one, it scored points in each of those events on Friday. The Warriors won four events, but scored points by placing in 18 other slots.

The 4x4 relay team won in a time of 3:20.77. The team included William Howard , Orian Nesmith , Adrian Grate Jr. and Wade Leventis .

Grate won the 200 in 21.97 with Leventis finishing third. Grate also finished second in the 100.

Leventis won the 400 in 47 seconds flat, according to the official results. However, according to Milliken, Leventis finished in 46.99, which meant he reached his goal of breaking 47 seconds.

Howard finished fifth and Nesmith seventh in the 400.

The other individual winner was Wilson Rutherford V in the 3,200 run in 9:29.83. Rutherford also finished second in the 1,600 run.

Xavier Greggs came in second in the long jump. The 4x1 relay team of RJ Rogers , Andre Grate , Jhustyn Funnye and Adrian Grate Jr., and the 4x8 team of Braxton Haynes , Howard, William Martin and Aden Perry both finished second.

Andre Grate was third in the 110 hurdles, Vinny Cegledy was fourth in the javelin with Andre Grate seventh, Kevin Jackson was fifth in the shot put, Mason Dvorshock was fifth in the pole vault, Martin finished sixth in the 800, Kamari Smith was sixth in the triple jump, Leon Womack was sixth in the discus, and Leander McCarthy was sixth in the 400 hurdles while Talib Turner was seventh,

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team scratching and clawing and getting every point,” Milliken said. “I’m just super proud of their perseverance.”\

South Pointe Wins First State Championship In Boys Track

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:39:39 GMT

Since the school was opened in 2005, South Pointe High School has been known as a football school, with eight state championships in nine appearances at the 3A and 4A classifications, most recently last December.

On Thursday night at Richland Northeast, the Stallions added a boys track and field win, holding off a late charge from May River to win the 4A boys track and field state championship by a half a point.

“Half a point winning the state championship? Can’t get no better than that,” South Pointe head coach Calvin McCullough said.

South Pointe’s win came after an unfortunate injury. While qualifying in the 4x100 meter relay for the state meet last week, Devin Isley , one of the state’s top sprinters in any classification, got injured.

“He tweaked something, so he didn’t run today,” McCollough said. “We were counting on winning the 100, 200, and 4x1. We came in fifth in the 4x1, but we only got one point in the 200.”

Instead of counting on the sprinters for a high score, the Stallions turned to the crew of distance runners who just happened to claim the school’s boys 4A cross country title last fall.

“We figured we were pretty good in the distance,” McCullough said. “They actually pulled through and got us not only the top points, but they also got some of the low-end points as well that kept added up.”

South Pointe took the lead with strong distance-running finishes. Senior Keller Brown finished first in the 3200-meter run with a time of nine minutes, 21.13 seconds. Brown finished just over 10 seconds faster than May River’s Talan Farrington . Stallions sophomore Copeland Crawford finished seventh to give South Pointe 12 points in the event.

Brown took second behind May River’s Jackson Wright’s 4:16.54 time in the 1600 run with a time of 4:16.71. Reece Adams and Luke Stralow finished fifth and sixth in the race as well to give South Pointe 15 points in the event.

“The 1600 I was coming in with a PR (personal record) of 4:18 and it was a 4:11 guy (Wright),” Brown said. “I knew that one was going to be more tactical. I was going to have to work for that one. I felt really good about my execution and just got past him at the last second. I got beat by .2 seconds, so I felt pretty good about that.

“But in the 3200 I ran it really well all season, I felt like I had the legs to just go and run hard and eventually people would drop off,” he added.

Jayden Finney took fourth place in the 800 run for an additional five points.

The team of Finney, Gray Shelton , Jett Shelton and Felix Cassidy took gold in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:06.59, after the 4x100 team of Cash Truesdale , Ethan Howze , Jalen Davis , and Isley’s replacement took fifth place. South Pointe gained 14 points on those finishes.

Houze was the only top finisher for South Pointe in the dashes, taking eighth in the 200 dash for one point.

The Stallions picked up 14.5 points In field events. De’onta Watson took first in the long jump with an effort of 6.72 meters. Jalen Davis placed seventh and Cain Cousar eighth in the event. Jayden White tied with Darlington’s Donte McCray for seventh place in the high jump for the 1.5 points that clinched the win.

South Pointe had all of its points with several track and field events still being contested. The Stallions led May River 48-42, then 60-50, and then with White’s high jump result posted, 61.5-50.

The Sharks’ 4x400 team of Antonio Corvato , Daeton Z . Altacho , Braihilin Paylor and Brennan Chase finished second to boost the team score to 58. Zavier Polite’s sixth-place finish in the triple jump gave May River its total of 61 points.

Earlier in the afternoon the Sharks got first-place finishes from Wright in the 800 run (1:56.88) and the 1600 run. Farrington took fourth place in the 1600 and second place in the 3200.

In the dashes, Jeremiah Grant finished fourth in the 200 and Corvato placed eighth in the 400.

The 4x100 team of Mason Sweigart , Edward Cooper , Chase, and Grant placed fourth, and the 4x800 team of Farrington, Altacho, Xavier Flores , and Polite took third.

Hilton Head Girls win first title since 2017

On the strength of two golds in the relay races and distance runner Julia McKenna , who won gold in the 1600, second place in the 800 and fifth place in the 3200, the Hilton Head girls track and field team held off a late charge from Westside to claim its first state championship since 2017 and fifth in school history.

Seahawks head coach Frank Holland credits McKenna as being a big help in boosting the middle distance and distance runners.

“She is a dynamic runner,” Holland said of McKenna, who took a warm interest in track by her sophomore year but really got into the sport as a junior. “She fell in love with it and all of a sudden her times were incredible to a point where she couldn’t get enough running. She encouraged other girls to compete and train with her. She’s a big inspiration.”

McKenna, a senior and University of Tampa signee, finished atop the field in the 1600 run with a time of 5:00.96. With her finishes in the 800 and 3200, she earned the Seahawks 22 points. Also finishing in the 800 for Hilton Head were Aly Saleme and Stella Morgan , who placed fourth and fifth respectively, to give the Seahawks an additional nine points in that event.

McKenna was also part of the 4x800 team that took gold with a time of 9:41.33. Her teammates were Ava Pankuch , Saleme, and Autumn Pearson .

“I felt like I did really well considering all four events even though it can get really tiring,” McKenna said. “I just wanted to end it in a really good way and that’s why I decided to do all four. I’m really happy about how my mile and 4x8 went.”

The 4x400 team of Jourdyn Mootry , Pankuch, Saleme and Kyndal Cohen beat out second place Bishop England by less than two seconds with a time of 3:58.29.

Cohen won the 400 dash with a time of 55.26. She also took eighth in the 100 dash. Mootry took eighth in the 200 dash.

Helana Fister tied with May River’s Lily Gluck for fifth place in the pole vault for 2.5 points.

The Seahawks totaled 65.5 points to the Rams 58 points. Hilton Head overtook host team Richland Northeast midway through the event, holding a 51.5 lead to the then-second place Cavaliers. Bishop England later vaulted into second place with 41 points to Hilton Head’s 55.5 points.

Westside’s highest track finishers were Na’ima Jackson , who took fourth in the 100 hurdles, and the 4x100 relay team of Jamy’a Tucker , Ta’Nijah Speed , Gervonna Williams , and Amber Henry , which also placed fourth. Henry took sixth in the 100 dash.

The Rams’ push for the title did not come until the field events scores started to fall onto the scorer’s table.

Janilah Rhodes took gold in the long jump with an effort of 5.35 meters and won another gold in the triple jump with an 11.52-meter jump.

Behind Rhodes in the long jump was Williams, who finished fifth, and in the triple jump Williams placed second and Brooke Bryant placed sixth.

Bryant placed fourth in the high jump, and Rhodes took eighth in that event. Madison Richardson took fourth in the shot put.

All tolled, 46 of Westside’s 58 points came from field events. While the Rams’ scores came late enough to bolt into second place, Hilton Head stockpiled enough points to have a 7-plus point cushion on the evening.

“We all trained really hard as a team, probably like any other team, but we all really love each other as if we’re a family,” McKenna said. “We all support each other, the sprinters support the distance runners and the distance runners support the sprinters.”

Holland said that while McKenna graduates, she has left a mark on the program. Among returners are Cohen, whom Holland noted broke three school records just as McKenna did this year, and Mootry, along with several underclassmen and seventh- and eighth-graders.

“We’ve got some young athletes coming up as well, so we’ve got a pretty good solid future,” he said.

Lady Bengals Made It A 4-Peat Enroute To Dominating The Final Division I Championship

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:30:20 GMT

By Thomas Grant Jr.

Special to the HSSR

Columbia - Harry Parone Stadium has served as a fitting site for the S.C. High School League track and field championships.

The past four years has seen main resident Spring Valley and fellow Richland District Two schools Blythewood and Ridge View come away with Class 5A boys and girls’ titles.

On Thursday, the Lady Bengals made it a 4-peat enroute to dominating the final Division I championship. Their 125 total points exceeded second place Dorman by 50 points and produced gold medals by sisters Peyton Hightower (400 meters) and senior Hayley Hightower (800 meters).

This marked their second repeat title team up at the school. Back in March, they helped Blythewood win its second straight girls’ basketball title.

“This journey has been really amazing,” said younger sister Peyton, who’s a junior. “I’m just blessed to share with my sister and run with the same track team. I really love her and I’m super proud we’re both state champions in our last year.”

The Lady Bengals also won both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays in building a large lead. Junior Alexis Jones placed second and third, respectively, in the long jump and high school and Brooks Bramlett (100-meter hurdles) and Romell Garway (triple jump) added to the point total with runner-up finishes.

Head coach Aleshia Hawkins credited her team with maintaining their intensity and overcoming the pressure of a 4-peat.

“Our girls are real committed,” Hawkins said. “The goal is to just always give something to our young girls to look up to and so, with the older girls and mid-age girls, they just keep coming.”

While Dorman finished a distinct second place with 75 points, it did not a record-setter. Senior hurdler Rebecca Okebe became the first female at the S.C. High School League track and field championships to finish the 400-meter hurdles in under a minute.

Her time of 56.70 seconds broke the previous mark by Summerville’s Imagine Patterson by four seconds.

“I like it because it’s what I’ve been working on for the past four years of high school,” said Obebe, who also won the 110-meter hurdles. “Especially the previous two years and the summer, we’ve been working really hard to perfect my race and kindly get me the right things to work on alternating and staying consistent in my hurdles. So, I get to see all the hard work pay off.”

Other multi-medalists were A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), Ella Nighbor (Clover) and Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg).

The boys’ title quite literally came down to the final two field events. Wando had developed an early lead on defending champion Ridge View before winning by a small margin.

The Blazers were looking to make it five straight years a Richland Two school was boys’ champion. Spring Valley had won champion from 2021-24.

“It’s a battle to the end and we knew it was going to be that way coming into this meet,” head coach Jason Doorman said. “And it was awesome to see. We had pretty step up in places we didn’t expect. We had people just bring their ‘A’ game throughout the entire meet and it was an awesome finish.

“Taking out Ridge View is something because they’re a very good team and they’ve been beating the state over and over and over. So, to be able to defeat them, hey that’s an honor to take them down and be able to be in the ranks there on top of the state.”

Junior Dylan Carey was the lone individual champion for the Warriors in the 400 meters. Wando did have several medalists in the field events that helped in its points total.

Multi-medalists in the boys’ division included Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes) and Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs).

S.C. HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS 5A TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (Top 5 Finishers)

GIRLS

100 METERS

1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 3. Trinity Jones (Summerville), 4. Oliver Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Ciara Williams (Lexington)

200 METERS

1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 3. Kendell McFadden (Fort Dorchester), 4. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Alexandra Francique (Blythewood)

400 METERS

1. Peyton Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Patience Grant (Stratford), 3. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 4. Akyra Webster (Spartanburg), 5. Zy’keyia Halley (Spring Valley)

800 METERS

1. Hayley Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Ana Laurient (Wando), 3. Rowyn Martens (Wando), 4. Gretchen Kale (Mauldin), 5. Marley Wall (Dutch Fork)

1600 METERS

1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Ava Jagielski (Clover), 3. Callie Rohm (Mauldin), 4. Kendra Miles (Lexington), 5. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville)

3200 METERS

1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville), 3. Avery Griffith (Mauldin), 4. Anna Cavallon (Wando), 5. Anna Kelly (Blythewood)

110 METER HURDLES

1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Brooke Bramlett (Blythewood), 3. Gabrielle Cherry (Blythewood), 4. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 5. Sidra Berry (Ridge View)

400 METER HURDLES

* 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Katelyn McNeil (Spring Valley), 3. Arriana Dooley (Mauldin), 4. Tatiana Dooley (Mauldin), 5. Madison Ross (Blythewood)

4x100 METER RELAY

1. Blythewood, 2. Summerville, 3. Dorman, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Spring Valley

4x400 METER RELAY

1. Blythewood, 2. Spring Valley, 3. Dorman, 4. Ridge View, 5. Wando

4x800 METER RELAY

1. Wando, 2. Mauldin, 3. Blythewood, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Dorman

HIGH JUMP

1. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 2. Danabella Jackson (Sumter), 3. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 4. Trinity Hall (Clover), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff)

LONG JUMP

1. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 2. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 3. Alahna Valentine (Ridge View), 4. Simone Wells (Sumter), 5. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman)

TRIPLE JUMP

1. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 2. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 3. Naadia Rampersant (James Island), 4. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff)

DISCUS THROW

1. Addilyn Elrod (Summerville), 2. Olivia Parker (Spartanburg), 3. Maddie Sanders (Mauldin), 4. Emmie Otto (Carolina Forest), 5. Darcy York (Rock Hill)

POLE VAULT

1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Skylar Singleton (James Island), 3. Emiya Victor (James Island), 4. Mattie Bandy (Dorman), 5. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg)

JAVELIN THROW

1. Elle Cocco (Wando), 2. Morgan Carter (Fort Dorchester), 3. Hailey Greatrex (Fort Dorchester), 4. Kyleigh Moore (Fort Dorchester), 5. Jaylyn Maley (Lexington)

SHOT PUT

1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Emiya Victor (James Island), 3. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg), 4. Lainey Myers (Lexington) 5. Elle Cocco (Wando)

TEAM SCORES (Top 10)

1. Blythewood (125),

2. Dorman (75),

3. Summerville (60),

4. Wando (59.50),

5. Spartanburg (53),

6. Lexington (45),

7. Mauldin (42),

8. Clover (36),

9. Spring Valley (33),

10 (tie). James Island and Fort Dorchester (30)

* S.C. High School League record

BOYS

100 METERS

1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 3. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 4. Ke’Shon Tate (Spring Valley), 5. Thaddius Rush (Ridge View)

200 METERS

1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 3. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 4. Devan Erby (Rock Hill), 5. Aidyn Wiggins (J.F. Byrnes)

400 METERS

1. Dylan Carey (Wando), 2. Larry Davis (Blythewood), 3. Jaderion Moore (Rock Hill), 4. Brody Johnson (Wando), 5. Jaden Davis (Wade Hampton)

800 METERS

1. Josh Voegele (Lexington), 2. Ari Laurient (Wando), 3. Wesley Heimbach (Lexington), 4. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 5. Jack Butler (Wando)

1600 METERS

1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powers, 3. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 4. Sammy Joudeh (J.L. Mann), 5. Evan DeMassi (Dutch Fork)

3200 METERS

1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powell (Blythewood), 3. Hudson Kennemore (J.L. Mann), 4. Ben Elliott (Mauldin), 5. Noah Taylor (Spring Valley)

110 METER HURDLES

1. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs), 2. Quency Grant (Ridge View), 3. Elijah White (Ridge View), 4. Justin Elliott (Mauldin)

400 METER HURDLES

1. Elijah White (Ridge View), 2. Quency White (Ridge View), 3. Justin Elliott (Mauldin), 4. Andy Metz (Spartanburg), 5. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs)

4x100 METER RELAY

1. J.F. Byrnes, 2. Spartanburg, 3. Ridge View, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Ashley Ridge

4x400 METER RELAY

1. Ridge View, 2. Blythewood, 3. Wando, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Spring Valley

4x800 METER RELAY

1. Lexington, 2. Wando, 3. Spring Valley, 4. Clover, 5. Summerville

HIGH JUMP

1. Cameron Hughes (Spring Valley), 2. Evan McCullough-Bryant (Dorman), 3. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 4. Jonathan Wilson (Carolina Forest), 5. Isiah Kennedy (Ridge View)

LONG JUMP

1. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 2. Gage Stewart (Dutch Fork), 3. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 4. Jamier Gaston (Dorman), 5. Miles Williams (Carolina Forest)

TRIPLE JUMP

1. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 2. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 3. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 4. Amari Stevenson (Ridge View), 5. Jamier Gaston (Dorman)

DISCUS THROW

1. Aiden Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Jaden Roberson (Dorman), 3. Jay Morris (James Island), 4. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 5. Preston Iagulli (Carolina Forest)

POLE VAULT

1. Lukas Kowlok (Stratford), 2. Mayson Samuel (Cane Bay), 3. Caleb Berry (Mauldin), 4. Luke Lasher (James Island), 5. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin)

JAVELIN THROW

1. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin), 2. Ben Eikenberry (Wando), 3. Gryson Greenberry (Summerville), 4. Zach Teachman (Wando), 5. Nate Dixon (Lexington)

SHOT PUT

1. Aidan Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Henry Camps (Wando), 3. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 4. James Porter (Dorman), 5. Jimmy Jones (James Island)

TEAM SCORES (Top 10)

1. Wando (84),

2. Ridge View (78), Dorman (52),

4. Lexington (50),

5. Spring Valley (48),

7. Mauldin (41),

8. J.F. Byrnes (40),

9. Blythewood (38),

10. Spartanburg (35.50)

Fort Mill Edges Westwood To Take Div. II AAAAA Boys Track Title; Fort Mill Girls Take Girls Track Title

Sat, 23 May 2026 03:08:00 GMT

Fort Mill boy track team.

By WORTHY EVANS

HSSR Contributing Writer

Columbia --With only the pole vault competition left in the Div. II AAAAA state track and field meet at Richland Northeast High School on May 16, the Westwood boys team held a 94-88 advantage over Fort Mill in the point totals.

The Fort Mill girls’ team, with 73.2 points, had already been announced the winners of the girl’s half of the meet. Meanwhile, as first-place North Myrtle Beach pole-vaulter Kempf Dylan tried to break the state-record vault of 16 feet, 9 inches, Westwood and Fort Mill waited in the infield for the final score.

Dylan missed out on breaking the record, but when the officials in the score tent finished entering the results, Fort Mill vaulters Jack Allen , a sophomore, and junior Padyn Gossett - McDowell were tied for fifth place—and earned 3.5 points each.

Those seven points handed the state championship to Fort Mill, which won 95-94 over Westwood.

“I knew before we even came here that pole vault was going to be critical because we had three in that event and Westwood didn’t have any that qualified,” said Fort Mill head coach Lee Whitaker. “That was a big point swing for us. Everything else is going to be back and forth, and that’s what it came down to.”

Westwood head coach Rod Lorick said that while the Redhawks team is filled with sprinters, the team works hard at filling out distance running spots and field events. Pole vaulting, he added, can be hard to get young people interested in trying.

“It’s hit or miss every year,” Lorick said. “Some kids are scared to do it. We try to fill every field event that we can.”

Rather than dwell excessively on the results of one field event, Lorick noted that while the sprinters won gold in several events, he was missing a top sprinter in junior Jamie Patterson , who was injured before the meet. Lorick said Patterson could have made a difference in the 100 and 200 meters.

The boy’s win was the fourth for Whitaker-coached teams in the 2025-2026 school year He also coached the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams to win last fall.

“We knew before we got here how close it was going to be,” Whitaker said. “Westwood is built differently from us, and we knew they were going to score a lot of points in certain events, and I knew we were going to score a lot of points in certain events.”

The pole-vault finishes were the last scores to come in, but what set up the victory was the team’s bread and butter, distance running. With victories and placings in the individual and relay distance runs, the Yellow Jackets piled up 63 points and three gold medals.

Sophomore Wyatt Gremillion , one of the cross-country runners who won gold last year, placed first in the 800 runs with a time of 1:53.64, two seconds ahead of sophomore Quinton O’Toole , who placed second and gave the team 18 points in the event.

“I feel really happy but not satisfied,” Gremillion said about his effort. “I think today is a big steppingstone for the future. This team means a lot to me. All these guys are so supportive. I love my coaches; they’ve helped me so much in my track career.”

Another cross-country runner, senior Connor Demmerle , won the 1600 run with a time of 4:17.49. Behind him was sophomore Owen Ware in second place, junior Hudson Haley in fourth, and senior Finn Leckrone in sixth. Those placings earned the Yellow Jackets another 26 points.

The 4x800 teams of Leckrone, O’Toole, Gremillion, and Demmerle took first with a time of 7:53.73.

Haley, Ware, and Leckrone also ran the 3200 run, placing fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, for nine points.

Senior sprinter Jahzir McCants contributed eight points to Fort Mill’s total with an eighth-place finish in the 100-meter dash, a fifth-place spot in the 200 dash, and he finished sixth in the 400 dash. Junior Tristan Amico finished seventh in the 400.

In field events, junior Josh Moore took sixth in the triple jump, and junior Smith Stapleton took seventh in the shot put as well as in the discus throw.

Fort Mill’s 4x400 team of Grant Dubak, Gremillion, Amico, and McCants went neck-and-neck with Westwood’s team of Myles Bryant , Patterson’s replacement, Justin Washington , and Jayden Wilson in the final track event of the afternoon. The Redhawks held on to win the event with a time of 3:20.52, but the Yellow Jackets came in a close second—11 hundredths of a second—to set up the wait for the scores in the pole vault.

Whitaker also talked about how close the 4x400 race was between second and third place. The Yellow Jackets’ margin between first and second place was a hair over a 10 ^th of a second, but the Indian Land team of Braden Ledford , Christian Davis , Ryan Foster and Tavian Daniels was within thousandths of a second of flipping the placing—Fort Mill’s time of 3.20.621 was five thousands of a second faster than Indian Land’s time of 3.20.626.

“That flips everything right there, if we end up third and not second there,” Whitaker said. “Track at this level comes down to stuff like that.”

Other than the Redhawks’ 4x800 team of sophomore Kameron Moore , sophomore Aiden Adkins , junior Bobby Singleton , and senior Bobby Quick taking second place behind Fort Mill with a time of 8:02.33, Westwood had no point placings in the distance runs.

Instead, Westwood dominated the sprints, getting 58 points in the 100, 200, and 400 dashes, and the 110 hurdles alone.

Junior Jayden Wilson took gold in both the 100 and 200, with times of 10.59 in the100 and 21.53 in the 200. Behind Wilson in the 100 was junior Myles Bryant in second place. Senior Jayden Boyd took third in the 200 and Bryant took fourth.

Boyd won the 400 dash with a time of 48.13, and senior Justin Washington finished fourth.

Junior Kehinde Howard placed fourth in the 110 hurdles.

The 4x100 team of Wilson, Bryant, Patterson’s replacement, and Boyd added another 10 points with a first-place finishing time of 41.46.

In field events senior Leon Morgan placed eighth in the long jump. Senior Kyzer Hannah placed eighth in the shot put and senior Jeremiah Whitmore placed third in the discus.

Lorick said that with all of the events the Redhawks won or placed in complete, falling one point short of winning state in spite of the gold medals and high finishes can hurt the kids—but it can also motivate the team to work harder and smarter over the next year.

“It’s a disappointment we came in second, we worked hard, we deserved it, but we go back to the drawing board,” he said. “With all we did this year, it wasn’t without a reason. I’ve got a lot of juniors coming back, a lot of guys who ran the 100 and 200 are juniors, so we’ve got something to look forward to next year.”

The Fort Mill girls, also coached by Whitaker, clinched their state title earlier in the afternoon with 73.2 points, 8.2 points more than runner-up West Florence.

“This is a total team effort,” Whitaker said. “We got a lot of points from our throws, our vaulters had a strong day, our distance runners had a strong day. I can’t express enough about the total team effort. We got points from every single discipline.”

Senior Mia Williams took gold in the 100 and 200 dashes, coming in at 11.75 seconds in the 100 and 24.97 seconds in the 200. Williams also won the triple jump with an effort of 11.80 meters and placed second in the long jump with a 5.51-meter effort.

“I started jumping a little bit my freshman year. In middle school I only did sprints, but my coach in my freshman year wanted me to branch out.” Williams said about putting in the work in different events.

The 4x800 team of freshman Lauren Allen , junior Mia Zook , junior Kaylee Rovenstine , and senior Marlee Cook won gold with a time of 9:28.51.

What clinched the event for the Yellow Jackets were high placers in several events. Besides Williams’ second-place spot in the long jump, Allen finished second in the 1600 run. Rovenstine placed seventh in the 800.

In field events, sophomore Addison Feinour took second in the discus and Senior Kate Marker placed fourth in the shot put.

Four Fort Mill athletes placed in the pole vault earned the team 8.2 points. Freshman Ryan Marsh placed fifth in the event, senior Cambell Cahaly placed sixth, and juniors Adriana Lackey and Lucy St . Cressman tied for seventh place, earning them 0.6 points apiece.

With the 2026 cross country and track and field year in the books, Whitaker said he looks to the runners, throwers, jumpers, and vaulters, along with the school, the assistant coaches, and the community to determine the course of the Yellow Jackets’ future success.

“I’ve been fortunate for sure. I have fantastic kids who worked hard year in and year out, they give 100 percent,” Whitaker said. “They show up for practice, they show up in the weight room, they do everything we ask them do.”

Knights Rally To Win SCISA Class A. Baseball Championship

Sat, 23 May 2026 02:57:44 GMT

Knights Baseball Champions 2026. (Photo WW King athletics).

By: Gerald Doolittle

HSSR Contributing Writer

Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. – The W.W. King Academy Knights coached by Zach Matthews finished the 2026 season with an explosive rally to pull out a 14-11 win over Marlboro Academy to claim the SCISA Class A Baseball Title .

The Knights trailed 4-11 going into the fifth inning and had a five- run rally to trail 9-11 going into the sixth inning where they scored five more runs to claim the 14-11 victory for the Championship.

“It was nice getting back on the diamond to coach this year,” said Matthews. “We struggled early starting the season 1-3. The guys stayed on the course all year. The more we played the better we got. We had an 8-game winning streak and won 10 of the last 12 games to finish 14-6 for the season.”

Coach Matthews was blessed with a roster of Champions that had earlier in the school year completed a 12-0 Championship in football. All except for three seniors are expected back next school year (2026-27) to defend those titles. The three seniors leaving as Champions are Smith Kirby, Zed Watkins and Wyatt Burbank.

This year’s five juniors Luke Harvey, Elijah Hutto, Colton Black, Casen Buzhardt and Landell Anderson will give Coach Matthews strong senior leadership as the Knights hope for another title.

Next year the Juniors will be Grayson Rikard and Joshua Oswald . The Sophomores will be Jackson Hutto, Drayton Wannamaker, Isaiah Doolittle , Tucker McGinty and Miles Atkins . Ayden Brown, Berton Aull and Walker Buzhardt will be the freshmen coming up from the middle school roster.

Coach Matthews for baseball and Coach Brian Kneece for football hopes to hold this group of young men together for the 2026-27 school year

Woodland Track Program Under The Direction Of Two Time All-American Summer Troutman

Sat, 23 May 2026 02:41:55 GMT

Woodland High School's Track and Field Seniors '26.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Dorchester —It isn’t every day that track athletes at a high school are being coached by a two-time track All-American, but that is the case at Woodland High where head track coach Sommer Troutman is having a great time staying involved with a sport that earned a scholarship to East Carolina University after she graduated from Woodland.

Coach Troutman competed as “Summer Knight” during her outstanding track prep career at Woodland. She steals holds the state record in Class AA in South Carolina in the pole vault with leap of 13 feet. She won gold medals in the event twice3 as a prep athlete.

While at East Carolina she earned all-conference honors three times, an all-American honors twice. In college she improved her pole vaulting to a leap of around 14 feet 9 inches and that is getting off the ground for sure.

Coach Troutman recently took the boys and girl’s track trams to the annual state track meet in Columbia. The Wolverines qualified 11 girls in individual sports plus two relays. The girls team scored 50 points good enough for third place over-all in the3 AA classification.

The boys’ team qualified six individuals, plus two relay teams. The boys scored 20 points, good enough for 16th place in the AA classification.

“My goal for the track program is to increase our numbers and get more athletes involved in distance events,” said Coach Troutman.” Right now, we have twice as many girls involved in the track program than we have guys so we hope to get more guys involved as well.

“Both our teams are very young and one of our goals next seasons is to break the AA state record in the 4x400 relay,” said Coach Troutman. “It will take a lot of work and commitment but I think these girls can do it.”

The two stand-out performers for the girl’s team were junior Samya Sommers who produced 15 points for the team while Alexis Daniels performed well also and she scored 14 points. Sommers placed 10 ^th in the 100 meters (12.86), third in the 400 (59.33), and she ran a leg on the first place 4X400 relay team (4:06.55) that finished seven seconds ahead of the second-place team.

Joining Sommers on the gold medal 3X400 team were Alexis Daniels , Jaelyn Boyd , and Taniya Davis . “This was the second year in a row that we won first place in the 4x400 relay,” said Coach Troutman. “We spend a lot of time in practice running 300’s and 400’s and you have to be committed to be on a 4X400 relay team because you have to put in the time with this relay.”

Daniels placed 4 ^th in the 200 (26:09), Destini Jackson finished third in the shot (10.59m) while Taylor Rinehart was 10 ^th in the 1600 (5:57.63).

The Woodland girls had two pole vaulters qualify for the state meet. Alexxis Martino and Royanna Britt placed 5 ^th and 6 ^th in the event respectively with a clearance of 2.15m. Kennedy Smith had a 10 ^th place finish in the javelin. Shamya James was 5 ^th over-all in the discus.

Woodland qualified three girls in the high jump. Taniya Davis placed 5 ^th in the high jump (1.55m), followed by 19 ^th place Starr Mosely (1.45m) and Jaelyn Boyd (1.40m).

The Woodland boys were 4 ^th in the 4X400 relay. This relay was run by Domentai Felder , Kymonte Goodwin , Dominic Holmes and Jakari Colonel .

They were led in individual events by KY ‘Monté Goodwin who was 13 ^th in the long jump (5.79m), while Xavier Green placed 11 ^th in the pole vault (3.19m). Jaylin Sampson tossed the javelin (31.6m) and in the shot put Sirlmani Grampus placed third in the shot (14.95m).

Coach Troutman is assisted by Kelly Bryant , Carlos Horne , and Carlene Martin .

Andrews beats East Clarendon 5-1` to reach AA Lower State finals

Thu, 21 May 2026 21:23:57 GMT

Andrews — East Clarendon High Schol out-hit Andrews 6-5 on May 20 on the road in the AA Lower State softball semifinals, but the Yellow Jackets took advantage of two errors and six walks to come out on top 5-1 to they advance to play Chesterfield on Friday in the Lower state finals.

Joy Weisner is the Andrews head coach, and she told High School Sports Repor t after the game: “What we have tried to do all season is take advantage of any opportunities a team gives us. We hit the ball better today and that is very important.”

Andrews last won a state title in 20218.

Andrews had five players earning All-Region honors. They are centerfielder Sarah Jennings , pitcher Addyson Davis , who will also play in the North-South game, junior catcher Chloe Skipper , who was the Region Most Valuable Player, senior outfielder Addison McCants and talented sophomore shortstop Tori Smith.

Andrews lost to Chesterfield 7-3 on May 18.

“We have to hit the ball better when we go to them this Friday,” said Weisner. “We didn’t hit the ball well at all this past Monday when we played Chesterfield. We hit the ball well today, so we just have to keep that momentum going into Friday.

“We have to go to Chesterfield and beat them twice. We have to play some of our best softball this season in order to do that, so I hope we are focused. We need to start the game with momentum and end the game with momentum when we play at Chesterfield."

East Clarendon head coach Jason Newsome closed out his third season with a 25-8 record with the loss.

“I thought our pitcher ( Addyson Davis ) hung tough today and she is just a freshman and she has been learning by fire all year long,” said Newsome. “She is extremely talented and she is a good pitcher now, but she is going to be an even better pitcher in the future.

“In the playoffs the margin of error is very thin and the mistakes we made, they took advantage of. On the other hand, the mistakes they made and the opportunities they gave us, we didn’t take advantage of them and that was a key in the game. They did a good job of keeping us off balance.”

All-Region 7 players from EC included Region POY Peyton Hanniford , Bailey Hicks , Riley Atkinson , Layke Jeffords , and Zoey Culick .

The score was tied 0-0 until the bottom of the third when Andrews scored four runs. Karaline Gainey singled to start the inning and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Stump. Sarah Jennings next singled to left field, advancing Gainey to third. Torian Smith drew a walk to load the bases before Jenna Cook hit a ball deep into the corner down the first base line that resulted in an inside the park grand slam.

Andrews added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth when Briana Walker singled and advanced on a single by Gainey. Stump was then Hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jennings then hit an RBI ground out that brought in Walker to account for the Yellow Jackets’ five runs.

East Clarendon’s lone run came in the fifth inning. Linsey Robinson had a leadoff triple, and she scored two batters later on a ground put by Megan Brown .

Hanahan wins lower state in softball

Thu, 21 May 2026 21:11:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

The body content of At one point this spring, the Hanahan High School softball team was 0-4 on

the season and scuffling in all three phases.

How times

have changed for the Hawkettes. They’ve now won 21 of their last 23 games.

Pitcher

Dria Tolbert ,

catcher Emma McGowan ,

outfielder Selena Riley

and second baseman Maggie Priddy

collected two hits each and third baseman Carson Koch

knocked in two runs as the Hawkettes earned their spot in the Lower State championship game for the first time in seven years with a 7-3 victory over visiting Loris High School Monday, May 18, in the Class 3A playoffs.

McGowan had

one of the biggest swings of the game, slicing a triple into the left field corner to score three runs as Hanahan went up 4-0 in the bottom of the second inning. The most impressive swing, though, came after Loris closed within 4-3 in the top of the third

inning. Riley smoked a ball over the centerfield fence to regain the momentum again for the home team in the bottom of the third inning.

Hanahan added

two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on.

“I told them

I was very proud of how we made adjustments to their second pitcher,” Hanahan coach

Katrina Bezdek said. “We put some more runs up when they switched pitchers.

I was really proud of that. We had some really, really good at-bats that kept them on their toes and I told them we need to clean it up on defense. That’s the first thing you learn when you start playing softball. We should be able to throw the ball better

than that.”

Bezdek’s

team worked around three throwing errors and Tolbert scattered 11 hits to earn the win inside the circle. Only one run was earned and she struck out one batter. Tolbert minimized the damage by getting big outs with runners on base.

Loris indeed

battled to the end, loading the bases in the top of the seventh. The Lions were just inches away from making it very interesting.

Brayleigh Wilson’s

line drive headed toward the left-field corner was just foul, but would have cleared the bases since everybody was moving on contact. Instead, Tolbert coaxed a ground ball to shortstop

Camryn Fowler , who flipped it to third base for the final out.

“They’re

a really good team,” Bezdek said of Loris. “They’re very well-coached. They can swing the bats. Their pitching staff was really good. They’re a very good team.”

Loris (24-5)

drops into the loser’s bracket and meets Aynor High School Wednesday. The winner returns to Hanahan Friday and has to beat the Hawkettes twice. Aynor stayed alive with a 10-0 win over Dillon Monday after falling to Loris, 6-2, three days earlier.

Hanahan (21-6)

is hoping to return to the state championship series for the first time since 2018, when they completed a back-to-back run. They fell in the Lower State finals in 2019.

Even though

the season started slowly, Bezdek could see this moment coming. She was confident these Hawkettes would eventually be in the mix for the big trophies.

“We had a

good season last year and we lost just two senior starters,” she said. “We had our whole pitching staff back.and we knew with the other pieces we added we’d be stronger this year. We definitely thought we could be at this point.”

Shortstop

Haley Spence

and first baseman Riley Herring

collected three hits each for Loris and outfielder Bellamie

Gore chipped in two hits and a RBIyour post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Wilson Hall Softball Finishes With 21-7 Record

Wed, 20 May 2026 14:11:35 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Sumter – The Wilson Hall softball team came up short of reaching the SCISA AAAA state championship series, which is a goal for everyone at the start of the season.

Only two can get there though, so while not fun to come up short, it is bearable. However, the way things went down for the Barons this season didn’t help at all.

Wilson Hall just needed one victory on Day 2 of the state tournament at Patriot Park SportPlex in Sumter to punch its ticket to the title series. Instead, the Barons lost to archrival Laurence Manning Academy twice by the scores of 12-0 and 6-4. LMA advanced to the best-of-3 series instead and swept Pinewood Prep to win a third straight championship.

In retrospect though, Barons head coach Teresa Alexander finds it hard not to be proud of the season her team had.

“The season’s ending didn’t turn out how we had hped, but I’m really proud of the tough schedule we played and the success we had all year.,” said Alexander, who guided Wilson Hall to a 21-7 record. “I’m excited to see this young bunch return with the experience they now have under their belts. But we will truly miss our seniors, Addie Griffin and Marymae Lampron .”

The Barons had four players selected to the All-Region 3-AAAA team in Griffin, freshman pitcher Marsha Kate Skey , sophomore shortstop Mary Paisley Geddings and junior catcher Caroline Moorman .

Griffin, who played left field, had a .279 batting average to go with an on-base percentage of .423. She had one double, one triple, one home run, 13 runs batted in and 18 runs scored.

Skey was a standout in the circle as Wilson Hall’s primary pitcher. Shd had a `1.69 earned run average to go with 115 strikeouts. At the plate, Skey batted .400 with an OBP of .489. She had three doubles, two triples, 17 RBI and 33 runs.

Geddings batted .317 with a .406 OBP to go with seven doubles, one triple, four homers, 26 RBI and 28 runs. Moorman had 14 RBI, 17 runs and four doubles to go with a .354 batting average and an OBP of .429.

Other returning starters are freshman second baseman Tatiana Erichsen , freshman outfielder Anna Meldrim , sophomore third baseman Lilly Grace Przybyla , freshman outfielder Emmie Williamson and eighth-grade centerfielder Caroline Andrews .

Meldrim hit .412 with three homers, 31 RBI and 24 runs, Przybyla hit .373 with 21 runs and 15 RBI, Williamson batted .263 with an OBP of .500, and Erichsen batted .324 with 19 RBI and 23 runs.

Stallions Reach SCISA Class AAA Baseball Title Series In Morris’ First Year

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:49:33 GMT

Williamsburg runners makes diving slide for the plate in the playoffs. (Photo by Mara Feagin)

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Kingstree – Britton Morris couldn’t have asked for a much better first season as the head coach of the Williamsburg Academy baseball team. Well, he could have and the Stalliosn almost gave it to him.

Williamsburg reached the best-of-3 state championship serie s in the SCISA AAA state playoffs. However, they came up short, getting swept by Calhoun Academy .

The Cavaliers rolled to an easy win in the opener by a 10-2 count. However, the second game went into extra innings with Calhoun winning 6-4 in eight.

“We came so close,” said Morris, who is just 22 years old. “I felt like if we could get to Thursday (and the third game) we could have done it. I think we were definitely clearly at least the second best team in AAA.”

The Stallions finished the year with a 20-4 record. They swept through their 5-team, double-elimination in three games. They opened with a victory over Spartanburg Christian Academy before taking two games from defending state champion Hilton Head Prep to advance to the title series.

Williamsburg had seven players named to the All-Region 3-AAA team. They were Sammy Tomlinson , Caden Morris , Grant Small , Hall Dukes , Jay

Kellahan, Connor Morris and Ethan Jones .

Connor Morris led the Stallion in hitting with a .427 batting average and shared the lead in on-base percentage with Caden Morris at .516. Caden was just behind him in batting average at .419. They also shared the lead in runs batted in with 26 and doubles with seven.

Connor led in home runs with four, while Caden led in triples with three.

Kellahan had a .333 batting average to go with a .495 OBP and a team high 34 runs scored and nine stolen bases. He also had three doubles, a homer and 12 RBI.

Dukes batted .307 to go with a .329 OBP, three doubles, one triple, 18 RBI and 16 runs, while Small batted .262 but with a .416 OBP, four doubles, three homers 11 RBI and 14 runs.

Jones batted .205 and owned a .304 OBP. He had a double, four RBI and nine runs. Tomlinson batted .204 but had a .461 OBP to go with two doubles, six RBI and 16 runs.

Dukes, Jones and Tomlinson were all key contributors on the mound. Dukes had a 7-0 win-loss record with a 1.71 earned run average in 49 innings pitched,. He struck out 46 batters while walking just 25 and allowing 37 hits.

Jones finished with a 6-2 record in 42 innings. He struck out 39 while walking just 15 and allowing 45 hits to go with a 1.59 ERA. Tomlinson was the closer, recording five saves in five opportunities. He had a 2.39 ERA and worked 26 1/3 innings in 11 appearances, striking out 38 while allowing just 17 hits and nine walks.

Coach Morris, who is not closely related to any Morris on the squad,l thinks all in all everything worked out fine in his first season.

“It was a weird type of year in that we only had two seniors,” the head coach said in reference to Kellahan and Connor Morris. “We were not quite as experienced, but these guys knew how to win. They are very talented kids, and it took a little bit to get it out of them. It was almost as good as you could ask for.”

The fact that the roster was filled with so many young players may have worked to the Stallions’ favor as far as the coach/player relationship goes. While Coach Morris had coached some of his players in youth sports, he is only four years older than Kellahan and actually were members of the same church youth group.

“They trusted me,” said Coach Morris, who played on Laurence Manning Academy’s 2022 state championship team. “They didn’t have to, but they did.”

WA SOFTBALL FINISHES 15-11

The Williamsburg softball team finished with a 15-11 record and reached the championship round of its bracket in the AAA state tournament at Patriot Park SportsPlex in Sumter .

The Stallions went 2-2 in the tournament. They lost to Colleton Prep Academy 8-7 in the opener before beating Dillon Christian School 14-12 in an elimination game. Williamsburg then beat Orangeburg Prep 8-7 to get to the championship round against Colleton Prep. CPA won that game by a 7-3 count.

Second-year head coach Jada Cox was proud of how her squad grew throughout the season.

“I think we started out very unsure and not confident with ourselves and how we played the game, and it definitely showed when we stepped on the field,” Cos said. “As the season wen on it got better, and we became more confident as a team and as individuals.

“When the state tournament came around we played as a complete team. Everyone was giving everything they had every game, and the girls never backed down. WE were playing for each other and not just for one person. Again, it showed on the field. Looking into next season, that’s how I want to start out, playing for each other and not just for one.”

Williamsburg had four players selected to the All-Region 3-AAA team. They were Preslee Cooper , Sophia Jacobs , Krisalyn Hanna and Abby Ward .

Jacobs led the Stallions in hitting with a .484 average to go along with a tam high 23 stolen bases. Hanna owned a .463 average, while Cooper was in the .300s.

Ward was a standout both at the plate and in the circle. She had a .367 batting average while striking out 207 batters in 102 innings to go with a 3,22 ERA.

Warlaw’s Lady Patriots Fall 5 Runs Short Of Winning State Title

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:21:12 GMT

Lady Patriots Katherine Trotter, Bailey Sturkie, Ellie Yonce, Taylor Hilll and Brianna McNeill (not pictured) were selected to the North-South All-Star Team!

By: Gerald Doolittle

HSSR Contributing Writer

Johnston, S.C. – The Wardlaw Academy Lady Patriots coached by Katie Yonce fell short of their goal of winning the SCISA Class A Softball Title when they were defeated 13-12 by Holly Hill Academy in the State tournament.

The Lady Patriots final 2026 record was 6-12. However, it could have been 11-7 had they scored 10 more runs in their 5 one run defeats against Augusta Christian (7-8), Jefferson Davis (9-10), Hammond (9-10), Marlboro Academy (6-7) and Holly Hill Academy (12-13).

The Lady Patriots had a schedule with eight games against higher class teams that helped them to be very competitive against their Class A opponents.

Coach Yonce had strong leadership from her army of seniors. Katherine Trotter led the way with a batting average of .423 and 14 RBIs. Brianna McNeill followed batting .418 and 24 RBIs. Bailey Sturkie had a .367 and 19 RBIs. Taylor Hill batted .362 and 16 RBIs. Gracie Kelly batted .250 and 13 RBIs and Ashley Reichling batted .150 and 5 RBIs.

The under classmen were led by Ellie Yonce (8 ^th ) with a .436 average and 19 RBIs. Maddie Campbell (so) .375, Brilee Brazell (jr) .345 and Savannah McNeill (8 ^th ) .317.

Rounding out the Lady Patriot roster were Dorothy Kate Kemp, Brooklyn Proctor (fr), Olyvia Wall (jr), Charlotte Culver (fr) and Allysa Carpenter (jr).

Coach Yonce should have another competitive team in 2027 with a few add- on players coming up from the middle school team.

Wolves Boys’ Track Team Finishes Fourth At AA State Meet

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:07:56 GMT

By Rob Gantt

Special to the HSSR

ST. STEPHEN - Timberland High School’s boys track and field team finished fourth in the state Saturday, May 15, at Richland Northeast High School.

The Wolves, who finished with 45 points, produced state champions in multiple events. They placed three points out of a tie for second place. Hurdler Malyk Goodman won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.63 seconds and jumper Carter Hawkins soared to victory in the triple jump with a mark of 14.24 meters. Goodman also placed third in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.82 and Hawkins finished second in the long jump with an effort of 6.65 meters.

Timberland’s boys sent three more to the awards podium. Hurdler Day’vian Bennett placed third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.89 seconds. Jumper Antaun Faison finished sixth in the long jump with a mark of 6.51 meters. The boys’ 4x100-meter relay team posted a time of 43.17 seconds to place seventh.

For Timberland’s boys, jumper Robert Roberts finished 11th in the triple jump with an effort of 12.11 meters, while the 4x800-meter relay placed 11th and 4x400-meter relay team 13th.

The Timberland girls finished 10th in the state and sent quite a few to the awards podium (top 8). Kennahdi Murrell placed third in the 400-meter hurdles, sixth in the 100-meter hurdles and seventh in the high jump. Kemani Lampkin finished fifth in the 800-meter run and Jermanee Washington placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles. China Greene recorded a sixth-place finish in the 400 hurdles and teammate Kiana Glenn was two spots back in eighth. Tiana Jefferson finished 12th in the long jump and 13th in the 400-meter dash. Zoe Cooper was 13th in the discus.

Timberland’s girls placed eighth in the 4x400-meter relay and 10th in the 4x100 relay.

Thomas Heyward Has Good Season In Golf

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:02:50 GMT

The THA golf program is relatively new but interest seems to be gaining each year.

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Ridgeland – As they gain experience and grow their love for the game, the golf team at Thomas Heyward could be a state title contending team in the near future.

The program at the school is relatively new but interest seems to be gaining each year. Athletic director Logan Taylor heads up the program and is liking the progress he sees on a daily basis.

“They played really well and we finished first in every region match this season,” he reports. We also consistently placed in the top three or five in tournaments. We won the region championship so we earned our way back to the state tournament for the third straight year. Most of the team is young but we’re building for the future while still producing results this season.”

Leading the way at the top is junior Fisher Thomas , while eighth-grader Mason Reed is No. 2. Junior Luke Averkin plays three and eighth-grader Caden Jones and eighth-grader Cole Bowen close out the top five.

“In one match this spring Thomas shot a one-under 35 at Berkeley Hall, which was his personal best. He also was low medalist and won the event, the first time we’ve had someone go under par in the modern era of the program.”

Another big part of the future is Reed, who has already been a big part of the program as a third-year varsity player. He was playing as a sixth-grader and shot a persona; best 40 this spring. Taylor says he is one to watch over the next several years.

Summerville Softball Wins District 3 Title

Wed, 20 May 2026 11:54:06 GMT

Senior Jayden Bennett has had some key turns at bat for Summerville during the playoffs.

By Roger Lee

HSSR Contributing Writer

Summerville – When it comes to the softball diamond, Summerville is still the team to beat in the Lower State .

Things are going as expected for the Green Wave . During the regular season, Summer Knight , Daphne Frady , Jayden Bennett and Maeven Moreno all had more than 20 hits. Payton Sharpe , Delaney Hayes and Frady all had an on-base percentage of .450 or better.

Frady, a 2025 All-Region selection and North Greenville University signee, is having a special season in the pitching circle. She has more than 300 strikeouts this season. Entering the playoffs, the senior led the state in strikeouts and she will graduate holding the school record for most strikeouts in a season.

Summerville is getting key offensive and defensive contributions from many other players.

“With the way things stacked up in district we had to face teams in our region again so I’m proud of our kids for finding ways to win,” said Summerville coach Heather Tucker . “I’m proud of how they persevered. There are just a lot of good things all around.”

The Green Wave didn’t surrendered a single run during its first four games of the 5A Division 1 Lower State playoffs. Summerville (26-1) clinched the District 3 Championship with a 10-0 shutout of cross-town rival Fort Dorchester (17-7) May 13 at Green Wave Park to advance to the Lower State finals.

“It was a game against a rival with the season on the line,” Tucker said. “I was proud of how our kids came out and responded. Beating a good team a third time is hard to do. They came out and did an excellent job offensively. They were very disciplined at the plate. Our pitcher threw well and our defense was solid.”

Frady pitched a one-hitter, striking out nine Fort batters and walking none.

Green Wave All-State short stop Katie Guilliam opened the bottom of the first with a solo shot to center field. Summerville loaded the bases with two walks wrapped around a single from Moreno. Then catcher Gracelyn Cantrell drove in Bennett for a 2-0 Wave lead entering the second.

Frady finished 3 for 4 at the plate with a double and 2 RBIs. Natalie Farlow was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Bennett was 2 for 4 with a homerun and scored 3 runs. Cantrell had a double and 3 RBIs.

On May 11, Summerville eliminated West Ashley from the playoffs with a 10-0 home win in five innings.

Bennett hit a single to left field in the bottom of the first inning and scored on a Frady home run that gave Summerville a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Summerville added three runs. Bennett and Frady opened the bottom of the frame with walks. Then Moreno drilled a ball over the fence for a 5-0 Summerville lead.

The Green Wave sent three more runs across the plate in the third. Haylee Sexton got things started with an infield single. Guilliam reached on an error and Bennett singled to plate Sexton. Frady then had an RBI triple. Cantrell doubled to plate Sharpe for an 8-0 score.

In the fourth, Summerville loaded the bases with walks by Cantrell and Guilliam and a single by eighth-grader Addy Chapman . Frady stepped to the plate with two outs and drove in Chapman and courtesy runner Gabrielle Savage for a 10-0 Green Wave lead.

Other members of the team are Dakota Clark and Bryant and Stratton College signee Ryanne Harley .

Summerville will host Sumter (16-13) May 18 in the Lower State finals. The best-of-three series will move to Sumter May 20 and, if neither team wins both of the first two games, return to Summerville May 22.

Summerville Track

Summerville junior A’zedah Anderson captured a pair of state sprinting titles during the 5A Division 1 State Track and Field Championships May 14 in Columbia . Anderson won the Girls 100-meter Dash with an 11.70 time and the 200 Dash with a 23.84 time. Summerville senior Trinity Jones placed third in the 100 with an 11.82 time and 10 ^th in the 200 with a 24.87 finish.

Summerville junior Addilyn Elrod won the Pole Vault with a 3.35 mark. Summerville’s Ava Williams placed seventh in the event.

Summerville senior Taylor Blackwelder placed second in the 3200 with a 10:58.69 time and fifth in the 1600 .

During the boys’ meet, Gryson Greenway placed third in the Javelin with a 62.6 mark. David Greer placed sixth in the 3200 and 15 ^th in the 1600 .

Stratford’s Kowlok Repeats As State Champion In Pole Vault

Wed, 20 May 2026 11:22:52 GMT

Lukas Kowlok headlined by repeating as the state champion in the pole vault soaring over the bar at 4.85 meters.

By Rob Gantt

Special to the HSSR

GOOSE CREEK - Stratford High School's track and field teams capped the spring on the grandest stage Thursday, May 14, in the Class 5A Div. I state championship meet at Spring Valley High School.

Lukas Kowlok headlined those performances by repeating as the state champion in the pole vault. Kowlok soared over the bar at 4.85 meters. The senior edged Cane Bay’s Mayson Samuel by 1.5 meters.

The next best showing for a Stratford athlete came from sprinter Patience Grant . Grant finished second in the girls’ 400-meter dash, crossing the line in 53.50 seconds and .18 seconds behind the winner.. She added a seventh-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Also making the awards podium - top 8 - for the Knights was Matthew Peterson in the boys’ triple jump, finishing seventh. The boys’ 4x400-meter relay added a seventh-place finish.

Baseball

The Stratford baseball team capped the season with a 19-10 record after going 1-2 in the district tournament. The Knights defeated Summerville, 5-1, on a grand slam by designated hitter Lucas Kline in the bottom of the seventh May 9, then fell to James Island and Fort Dorchester May 11 and May 13.

In the Fort D game, first baseman Micah Adams and outfielder Jarrett Wagner finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored all three runs. Wagner, who is headed to The Citadel, also starred on the bump in the start against Summerville. He hurled a complete game with eight strikeouts. He surrendered just one hit.

Softball

The Stratford softball team finished up 10-9 with a pair of competitive losses in the playoffs to River Bluff and Wando. Knights first baseman Ella Bruorton finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs versus River Bluff. Stratford pitchers Katie Bond and Kyliegh Malmede combined for 14 strikeouts in the one-run loss. Bruorton also knocked in a run during the Wando game.

Boys soccer

The Stratford boys soccer team capped its first campaign under Tyler Tekac with a 17-5 record. The Knights finished up with a double overtime loss at Wando May 13 in the third round of the playoffs. Before falling to Wando, Stratford blanked Sumter and James Island.

Guilherme Santos and Kevin Ramirez tallied goals against James Island. In the win over Sumter, Aiden Ferguson and Daniel Sales each recorded two goals. Angel Castillo , Luiz Moura and Maddox Pompey chipped in goals.

Tekac and the Knights return a strong squad for 2027.

Tough Loss to Stags in Playoffs Doesn’t Dilute an Otherwise Great White Knoll Softball Season

Tue, 19 May 2026 21:50:34 GMT

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer

Columbia - The pain of falling out of the 5A Division 2 District 4 tournament May 11 was still fresh when longtime White Knoll softball head coach talked about the season the next day.

The Timberwolves (14-13, 7-3) faced Berkeley for the second time in the tournament. The Stags held a 6-3 lead but White Knoll rallied for two runs in the seventh.

After Melinda Veler drew a walk, Reginae Porterfield swatted a 1-out double to put runners at second and third. Lillian Priest lined out on the next at-bat, but Berkeley first baseman Emma Drawdy misplayed Adelynn Lewis’ ground ball, enabling Veler and Porterfield to score and cut the Stags’ lead to 6-5.

With Lewis on base representing the tying run, Jaida Gray struck out swinging to end the hopes of an upset, and close out an otherwise great Timberwolves season.

“It’s hard to shake it off. In the season you go to the next game but at the end of the season you can’t,” said Farr, who watched her team take a 3-0 lead only to be hit with Berkeley’s run in the third and a five-run fourth.

“I could see my kids kind of feeling it, you could see it in my kids eyes,” she added. “We’ve got to fight to survive and they rallied around those seniors. They knew their time was coming and for two outs we were down 6-5. And that last pitch, it’s a hard way to go out. We’ve got to regroup and build off of what we did this year.”

White Knoll beat Socastee 8-7 May 4 to get into the bracket, then upset Berkeley 3-2 May 6. West Florence , led by phenomenal pitcher Annie Eliason (19-0, 0.00 ERA, 309 strikeouts; who gave up two hits and struck out 20) beat White Knoll 7-0 May 8 to set up the rematch with the Stags.

While the season ended on a sour note, there was much to praise about a team that Farr said few people would look to as contenders. After a young Timberwolves team battled through trials and tribulations, injuries and other issues, Farr said she watched her team come together in the second half of region play.

“On senior night we really started playing for each other and giving it everything we had,” Farr said. “They worked their tails off to get better every single day and it showed. We have 12 players who fought their hearts out. We got to that fourth game, and our losses were close. We were right there, and it really was just one lucky pitch and that’s how the runs ended up.”

White Knoll loses just two seniors in Priest and Gracie Fisher , but those seniors made a huge impact on the team. Priest had three home runs, 11 RBI, 34 hits and a .405 batting average. Fisher batted .311 with a double and 14 RBI.

“Those two seniors have left their legacy, and we’ll continue with what they started on this swing upward,” Farr said. “We’re really excited that everyone else is returning.”

Among the returners are freshmen Veler and Porterfield, and sophomores Charity West and E.G. Birchmore .

Porterfield finished with a .393 batting average and a team-leading four home runs and six triples, six doubles and 20 RBI. Veler had 31 hits and 17 RBI to go with a .360 batting average an a .415 on-base percentage. West hit .323 with 11 hits and 10 runs batted in.

“Mindy Veler started out in left field since seventh grade and she’s fantastic,” Farr said. “She’s got speed and runs down everything in the outfield but she’s really a good infielder, can play shortstop without missing a beat. An unbelievably great kid who won’t talk very loud but she’s a leader.

“Reginae, that kid is small but she’s strong and compact. She can fly and you can’t get anything past her in centerfield,” Farr said. “Charity has been our DP and catcher. She puts the ball in play and has quality at-bats.”

Birchmore caught fire in the circle late in the game and finished the season with a 2.23 earned-run average. She was 3-1 in five appearances.

“E.G. is a pitcher and utility player, one of those kids in the past couple of years who was always there,” Farr said. “We didn’t expect her to be our starting pitcher but in the back half of the season she started to pour it on and keep us in games. She’s a battler along with our other pitchers.”

The White Knoll baseball team finished 10-14 and 5-5 in Region 4-5A, but had a bounce-back season after going 7-22 and 0-10 the year before. The Timberwolves reached the play-in series of the 5A Division 2 District 3 tournament, but fell two games to zero in the best-of-three series with Lugoff - Elgin . White Knoll fell 4-1 in game one, but rallied for six runs in game two after falling behind 7-0. The Timberwolves had a 4-run rally going on in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and two men on, but a strikeout closed out the game and the season.

Senior Dillon Woods led the team with a .465 batting average, five home runs and a .573 on-base percentage. Senior Jean Maldonado batted .364, and junior Tra Johnson batted .329.

The team loses six seniors but has plenty of younger hitters, fielders, and pitchers to put together another successful season next year.

BHP Softball Back in AAA Upper State Tourney

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:12:33 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

‘ hssr.com Associate Editor

Honea Path – The Belton-Honea Path High School softball team may have finished third in Region 1-AAA, but it was two victories away from reaching the state championship series for a third consecutive season.

The Bears won their district tournament to advance to the upper state tournament for a third straight year. They then knocked off Mountain View Prep 1-0 in the opening game on May 15.

BHP, which was 22-9 after that victory, was scheduled to play at Crescent on May 18 with the winner advancing to the championship round of the tournament and being just one win away from clinching a spot in the state championship series.

“It was a pitcher’s duel for sure,” BHP head coach Jarad Jennings said of the triumph over Mountain View. “We had three hits and they had four.”

Mountain View didn’t go quietly, but the Bears rose to the occasion defensively.

Vaughn, the BHP pitcher, walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh. She then gave up a hit before the Stars used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.

Vaughn went the distance on the mound, striking out five.

Belton-Honea Path won the state title in 2024 and played for it again last year. However, Jennings said the Bears were not looking down the road to any scenario like that at this point.

“We are just focused on getting back to practice and trying to get ready for the next game,” he said. “Our kids know we have to compete every day to have a chance to be successful.”

Mountain View is the only non-Region 1 team in the upper state tournament. Crescent, which finished second in the region, beat champion West-Oak 13-10 in the other opening game.

West-Oak swept Belton-Honea Path during the regular season and split with Crescent to go 7-1 in the region. Crescent and BHP split their regular-season contests, leaving Crescent at 6-2 and BHP at 5-3.

Dillon Baseball Making Deep Run In 2026 AAA Baseball Playoffs

Mon, 18 May 2026 11:23:24 GMT

Dillon High School's 2026 seniors on the diamond this season, Jaden Williamson, Hank Grider, Antwan Drawhorn.

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Dillon —It has been since 2015 that Dillon last competed for a baseball state title, but after a 4-3 win over Waccamaw at home on April, 16 head coach Keith Coward was pleased to see all the hard work finally bear fruit with vast improvement over last season.

As the HSSR was going to press the Wildcats were preparing a road trip to Oceanside Collegiate in an elimination game with the Landsharks. Dillon had won their district in the AAA playoffs defeating Keenan (16-0), Swansea (4-30 and Swansea again (6-50 on May 11 to advance.

Dillon lost their first playoff game at home against Hanahan (11-1) before bouncing back with a 4-3 win over Waccamaw on May 16. Oceanside Collegiate won the lower state AAA title last year before losing to Southside Christian in the finals.

Coach Coward was asked what the keys to victory over Oceanside consisted of. “We have to throw strikes and not make any errors, and it can be a very competitive game if we do this,” he said.

Dillon will have ace senior righty Hank Grider available for the game at Oceanside on May 18. Grider, an Anderson College signee, is currently 8-1 with 109 K’s in 57 & ½ innings of work. He also has two saves and a sterling ERA of .977. At the plate he is batting ,362 with 19 RBI’s.

Grider was recently named the AAA Pitcher of the Year in SC by the SC Baseball Coaches Association. “Grider is our bulldog,” said Coach Coward. “He can pound the strike zone.”

Going into the game with the Landsharks, the top hitters for the Wildcats included: First baseman Jaden Williamson (.422 with 17 RBI’s) leads the hit index. sophomore SS/pitcher Bryson Davis (.353 with 19 RBI’s) along with sophomore CF JJ Campbell (.368 & 14 RBI’s). Junior catcher JC Bohachic was at .250 with 12 RBI’s.

Dillon starts speedy freshman Nibras Harrison in RF, 8 ^th grader Chuck Green starts at third base, and sophomore DJ Greene holds down a spot in left field. Freshman RHP Aiden Lancaster is the team’s number two pitcher, and he plays at second or shortstop when he is not on the mound.

Lancaster pitched all 7 innings in the win over Waccamaw. “Over the past month and a half Aiden has really come on strong for us on the mound,” said Coach Coward. “In the playoffs you need all the arms you can get, so him being able to pitch a complete game against Waccamaw saved some of our pitching for sure.

“The Waccamaw win was probably our biggest win, in terms of it advancing us deeper in the playoffs, since we made the state championship run in 2015,” said Coach Coward.

To date, Lancaster has pitched 45 innings with 31 K’s and he has a 3.44 ERA. He is 5-2 on the season.

On a side night, Coach Coward wants to congratulate senior reserve outfielder Heyden Drawhorn who was recently awarded 2.3 million in academic scholarships. He will be attending USC in the fall, and he has signed a commitment letter to return to Dillon after college and become a teacher in the district.

“Heyden is a great kid, and he is our senior Salutatorian this year at Dillon High,” said Coach Coward. “He is a very deserving young man, and the entire baseball team is excited for him.”

Against Waccamaw, in the recent win, Dillon pushed across three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take early control of the game. Campbell started off the inning reaching base on an error and then Grider was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second. Williamson bats third and singles to right field to load the bases.

Two batters later, Bohachic reached a ground ball error scoring Campbell to make it 1-0 with Grider advancing to third and Williamson advancing to second. Grider came home on an RBI ground-out by Lancaster to make it 2-0. Willaimson advanced to third on the throw. A ball by the pitcher scored Williamson to make it 3-0.

With the score tied after Waccamaw batted in the top of the third inning, Dillon scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the third inning to win 4-3. Williamson had a lead-off single and he advanced to second on a sac bunt by Davis. Two batters later, Lancaster hit a line drive single to center field to score Willaims and secure the win.

“I give a lot of credit to our improvement this season to our pitching coach Austin Moody who has done a great job working with pitchers,” said Coach Coward. “We also have a group of kids who compete in the box. We have also been lucky to avoid serious injuries to any of our players this season and this has not always been the case in recent years.”

Reserve players for Dillon include junior courtesy runner Lee Causey, soph Jayden Cooper is a reserve OF Aerion Chavis is a reserve catcher, Keilan Chavis is a 7 ^th grade IF , while Hayden Hiott is a freshman back-up catcher.

Coach Coward is assisted by Moody, Coley Bohachic , Pierce Watson , Jamie Coleman, and Nelson Green .

West, South Softball Teams Looking To Advance

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:01:01 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Florence – The West Florence High School softball team was set to begin a best-of-3 series against St. James for the lower state title in the AAAAA Division II state playoffs that will result in the winner playing for a state championship.

The Knights were taking a 25-1 record into the first game scheduled for May 18 at St. James. The second game will be played in Florence with a third game, if needed, being played on May 22 at St. James.

West Florence head coach Randy Locklair couldn’t have been much happier with where his team was entering the series.

“The girls are playing pretty well right now,” Locklair said. “Pressure doesn’t seem to bother them. Our pitching will always keep us in games. We just need to continue to hit the ball like we have throughout the season.

“With starting so many young girls I do have a little bit of a concern, but they have produced all year and I do not see why they wouldn’t now. I am pleased and optimistic that we will do well. We definitely have a challenge with a very good (28-1) St. James team.”

Locklair’s remark about pitching keeping the Knights in the game might be the understatement of the year. Senior Annie Eliason has not allowed an earned run all season and only two runs total in 130 2/3 innings pitched.

Eliason has faced 443 batters and struck out 334 of them. She has given up just 26 hits and 16 walks.

Eliason is also swinging a big stick when she steps to the plate. She had a .403 batting average to go with seven doubles, five home runs, 28 runs batted in and 10 runs scored.

Four other Knights were hitting .400 or better. Eighth-grader Bayleigh Honeycutt and junior Paityn Daniels shared the highest batting average at .468. Honeycutt had seven doubles, one triple, 10 RBI and 28 runs. Daniels had two doubles, two triples, a homer, 26 runs, 14 stolen bases and 17 RBI.

Freshman Hannah Marsik was batting .464 with seven doubles, three triples, five homers, 24 RBI and 15 runs, and eighth-grader Ashley Moody was at an even .400 to go with 28 runs, 14 stolen bases and 13 RBI.

SOUTH FLORENCE SOFTBALL IN LOWER STATE TOURNAMENT

The South Florence softball team is vying for a spot in the AAAA state championship series, but it has a little bit more work to do to get there.

The Bruins lost to defending state champion Gray Collegiate Academy 3-1 on May 16 in a winners bracket game in the 4-team, double-elimination lower state tournament.

The 25-6 Bruins were scheduled to play host to North Augusta in an elimination game on May 18. The winner of that game will take on GCA, needing to beat it twice to advance to the title series.

WEST GIRLS 2ND IN AAAAA DII STATE MEET

The West Florence girls track and field team finished a close second to Fort Mill in the AAAAA Division II state meet on May 16 at the Richland Northeast track in Columbia .

The Knights finished with 65, just eight behind Fort Mill. West Florence didn’t win any of the events but placed 13 times to score points.

Leading the way was Kamya Young , who finished second in both the 100-meter dash and the 200 dash. Zofia Wierzbicki finished second in the shot put and third in the javelin.

Nadia Brooks finished third in the shot put, while the 4x800-meter relay team finished third as well. Fourth-place finishers were Susana Martinez in the 800 run, and Kaylanna Burroughs in both the 400 hurdles and the triple jump.

The 4x400 relay team was fifth, Cassidie Williams was seventh in the discus, the 4x100 relay team was eighth, and Shayonna Johnson finished eighth in the 800.

Placing for the West Florence boys were Clayton Folse in third and Jude Packard in eighth in the javelin, Jamie Williamson in sixth in the discus and Jonathan Carter in seventh in the 800.

In the AAAA meet on May 14 at RNE, South Florence’s Karmen Hanks won the 100 hurdles in the girls competition, while Allyson Watson was sixth.

Adrian Singletary won the high jump in the boys meet. Tashawn Lewis finished eighth in the 400 hurdles.

Wilson’s 4x100 relay team won state in the boys meet. Tristan Howard was fourth in the javelin, while Evan Addison was eighth in the discus and Kayden Bethea was eighth in the triple jump.

The Wilson girls 4x1 relay team finished third while the 4x4 team was fourth. Leah Spears was sixth in the 100, Kamren McFadden was sixth in the 100 hurdles, Lafara Graham was sixth in the long jump, and Stary Samuel was seventh in the high jump.

Keefe Pleased with Florence Christian Baseball Season

Sun, 17 May 2026 09:55:45 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Florence – In completing his second season in his second go-around as the baseball head coach at Florence Christian School , Scotty Keefe knows he had a much improved squad.

“We finished 13-6, were able to host a first-round game of the (SCISA AAA) state playoffs and won,” Keefe said. “We had a good season, much improvement from last season’s 10-10 record. The team was able to keep games close and win a few of them.

“Headed into the state playoffs we were 12-4. We lost to two better teams at the end, but I’m proud of the team and the season. We look forward to next season and building off this year’s success.”

The Eagles were the No. 4 seed in one of the 5-team, double-elimination brackets in the playoffs. They knocked off No. 5 Colleton Prep 6-5 in the first game. They lost to eventual state champion and once-beaten Calhoun Academy in their next game before being eliminated by Pee Dee Academy .

Florence Christian had two players selected to the All-Region 3-AAA team in Riley Minton and Brodie Hickson .

Minton, a sophomore who also played in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game , was the top pitcher and had a 5-1 win-loss record to go with a 4.00 earned run average. At the plate, he led Florence Christian in hitting with a .404 battnig average. He was also the team leader in hits with 21 and runs scored with 19.

Hickson, a junior, was the starting shortstop and had a .298 batting average.

Hilton Head Christian beats Cardinal Newman for third straight SCISA baseball state title

Sun, 17 May 2026 05:08:33 GMT

Coach Scarbro credits Eagles players for sustained success despite move from AAA to AAAA

Bluffton – After winning the SCISA AAA baseball state championship in 2024, Hilton Head Christian Academy was bumped up to the AAAA classification beginning with the 2025 season.

All the Eagles have done since “moving on up” is add two more state championship trophies to the school’s trophy case.

HHCA beat Cardinal Newman 7-3 on May 13 to complete a sweep of the best-of-3 title series in front of the home crowd.

Jay Scarbro , who was an assistant coach on the AAA title team and the head coach for the two AAAA crowns, finds it hard to believe the amount of success Hilton Head Christian has enjoyed.

“I don’t know if I can put into words how to describe the success that we’ve had,” Scarbro said. “We won in AAA in ’24 and we moved up and to win it in ‘25 and ‘26 is a testament to our players. They knew AAAA was going to be more difficult, but they accepted that and made it work.

“We had three seniors on this team who played as sophomores. They mean a lot to me, and they’ve just been so consistent.”

Those three seniors are centerfielder/shortstop Slaide Burd , catcher Roman Colella and shortstop/pitcher Chip Hetzel .

Burd is the Region 3-AAAA Player of the Year. Burd, who will be playing collegiately at Stetson , had a .591 batting average and an on-base percentage of .675. He had 52 hits, 11 of which were home runs, to go with 25 stolen bases.

“Slaide is well known by everybody, and it’s hard at times to meet those expectations,” Scarbro said. “I can’t say enough good stuff about him.”

Colella had a .455 batting average to go with a .575 OBP. He had 35 hits, four of which were homers, and has been a defensive standout his entire career, according to Scarbro.

“I’ve coached high school baseball for 22 years, and Roman is the best catcher who ever played for me,” Scarbro said. “I can’t say enough for what he did behind the plate. He never asked to take a game off. What is special to me is his attitude and work ethic.”

Hetzel batted .357 with a .509 OBP and 24 stolen bases. He worked 37 innings as a pitcher, striking our 41 and posting a 2.83 earned run average.

“Chip made the transition from second base to shortstop last year and was great,” Scarbro said. “I was told he wasn’t much of a pitcher, but he’s just been outstanding for us the last two years. He’s been used as a starter, a closer, a middle reliever, a matchup guy, whatever we need at the time.”

Each of those three was an All-Region 3-AAAA selection along with junior Jackson Richardson and freshman Colt Spargur .

Richardson batted .438, had a .496 OBP and 28 stolen bases. Spargur was a force on the mound, working 58 innings and finishing with a 0.96 ERA. He struck out 100 and walked just 13.

The other seniors on the team are first baseman Will Mahl , a 2-year starter, and Tommy Gehm , who joined the team this year mainly as a courtesy runner.

Interestingly, it was the underclassmen doing most of the damage in the deciding game against Cardinal Newman. Freshman third baseman Stone Burd , Slaide’s younger brother, smacked two home runs and had five RBI. It was his first two dingers of the season.

“The interesting story about Stone is that he had a serious health issue in the locker room as we were getting ready to play in the championship game last year,” Scarbro said. “He had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, and he was a starter. This year he has the best game of the year he had. It was right at the right time.”

Richardson and sophomore Josh Koepke both had two hits and a double, and sophomore Dylan Gehm had two hits. Colella hit a 2-run homer.

Spargur got the win, working six innings and striking out 10 while scattering five hits with two walks. Hetzel came in to get the final three outs.

The Carolina Academy Softball Teams Ignites For 14-1 Win Over The Kings Academy To Win Second Straight SCISA AA Softball Title

Fri, 15 May 2026 14:25:53 GMT

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Florence —Saving their best game of the season for the third game tiebreaker in the SCISA AA softball finals, The Carolina Academy Bobcats defeated The Kings Academy 14-1 on the Florence Christian softball field to win their second straight state title.

The Kings Academy had won game one in Lake City while the Bobcats won game two on the road, so a third game tiebreaker was needed.

For Bobcat head coach Scotty Phillips, it was his 7 ^th state title in 27 seasons as the team’s head coach.

The Bobcats pounded out 16 hits, from 8 different players in their line-up, and their five- run spot in the first inning set the tone for the rest of the game.

After the game, Coach Phillips told the HSSR, “I will tell you what we did on the way over here on the bus,” said Coach Phillips. “We sang to Jesus, one song was Gratitude, plus several others and this team truly believes in the Lord. I will tell you that this is a great group of girls who have a lot of faith and they also have a lot of faith in each other.

“Getting five runs in the first inning was huge for us and I will take that every day,” said Coach Phillips. “ Carlie Ann ( Smith ) had a fire cracker tonight (went 5-for-5) and she played a great tournament along with EllaHam (3-of-4 & 2 RBI’s) played here tail off and came on strong late in the season and she was the tournament MVP in Sumter as far as I am concerned and she had a great game tonight.

“I feel awesome for the team winning two in a row and they worked their tails off to have success,” said Coach Phillips. They have been up and down throughout the season, and we kept telling them that they could be an awesome ball club and they came over here (Florence Christian) and put it all together tonight.”

Carolina Academy senior pitcher/center fielder Raeley Frye will be named the HSSR-SCISA AA Softball Player of the Year when the publication’s softball all-state team is announced around June 1. She has been the ace pitcher in the circle for the Bobcats the past two seasons. Coming into the game she had pitched 84.2 innings with 108 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.48. At the plate she batted .352 with a team leading 32 RBI’s and seven home runs.

Frye was a happy senior captain after the game. “If you had told me years ago (7 ^th grade), when I first started playing softball under Coach Scotty, that we would be where we are today, I probably would have told you no way,” said Frye. “It has been a lot of hard work.”

Frye was asked what the difference was between game one, when the team lost 5-2 to The Kings Academy, and this third game that they dominated? “In the past two games we just started playing better as a team, and we started trusting each other more,” said Frye. “You can’t have a team not trusting everyone and you can’t play well if you are divided. This team has been together for a long time and we trust each other.”

Frye went 1-of-2 in the game including an inside the park home run that produced the Bobcat’s first two runs in the first inning after Smith led off with one of her four doubles and five hits during the game. In the circle Frye worked four innings, allowed five hits with three strikeouts before being relieved by Ham for the final two innings when the Bobcats had built an 8-1 lead.

Other Bobcat hitters in the state championship win included center fielder Ham, a sophomore, who went (3-of-4 & two RBI’s) and in her two innings of relief in the circle Ham allowed one hit while striking out three batters. Sophomore third baseman Lauren Sims went (2-of-4 & 2 RBI’s). Sophomore first baseman Lexi McCutchion had a hit and two RBI’s, while freshman shortstop Paisley McCutcheon went (2-of-4).

Freshman second baseman Natalie Brayboy contributed a hit and senior right fielder Savannah McCutcheon had a hit with two RBI’s.

After the game, The Kings Academy head coach Jennifer John told the HSSR. “I am really proud of my team, and this was the first time we have been in the state finals,” she said. “Our two senior starters are our third baseman Lauren Mills and out first baseman Kate Buckley and our two senior subs are Maddie Cottrill and Maddie Creveling and we will miss all four of them.

“ We really have a young team and with this game today it will fuel our returners to want to play harder and get back here again with a better result,” said Coach John. “We will have seven starts back including our sophomore pitcher Addison Bescher .”

While the bobcats had perhaps their best overall game of the season this game was certainly not one of the better ones for The Kings Academy. “We got behind early and we just never recovered from the five runs they scored in the first inning,” said Coach John. “I feel like, you know what, that this game will motivate us to come back stronger next season.”

The Lions got six hits in the game. Bescher led the team with two hits. She also had 9 strikeouts in the circle. Center fielder Emma Taflinger had a hit as did catcher Emma Atkinson . First baseman Kate Buckley and shortstop lead-off batter Ava Grace Keefe provided a hit.

For the season, Carolina Academy had six starters bat .292 or better. Prior to the state championship game, the top hitter was Ham at .459 with 28 RBI’s. Smith was next on the hit index at .432 and 10 RBI’s. Fyre was at .352 with a team leading 32 RBI’s and seven home runs.

Sims came into the final game batting .328 and 15 RBI’s for the Bobcats. Sophomore OF/Catcher Paisley Coker was batting .317 with 17 RBI’s while Braveboy was at .315 with 14 RBI’s. Paisley McCutcheon came into the final game batting .292 with six RBI’s.

Other members of the Carolina Bobcat team include junior Katherine Holliday , left fielder Ema Amos , and 9 ^th grader Kaylee Lyerly .

Ham had 53.1 innings with 78 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.41 coming into the final game.

Lady Bengals Make It a 4-Peat Enroute to Dominating the Final Division I Championship

Fri, 15 May 2026 14:21:22 GMT

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By Thomas Grant Jr.

Harry Parone Stadium has served as a fitting site for the S.C. High School League track and field championships.

The past four years has seen main resident Spring Valley and fellow Richland District Two schools Blythewood and Ridge View come away with Class 5A boys and girls’ titles.

On Thursday, the Lady Bengals made it a 4-peat enroute to dominating the final Division I championship. Their 125 total points exceeded second place Dorman by 50 points and produced gold medals by sisters Peyton (400 meters) and senior Hayley Hightower (800 meters).

This marked their second repeat title team up at the school. Back in March, they helped Blythewood win its second straight girls’ basketball title.

“This journey has been really amazing,” said younger sister Peyton Hightower , who’s a junior. “I’m just blessed to share with my sister and run with the same track team. I really love her and I’m super proud we’re both state champions in our last year.”

Head coach Aleshia Hawkins credited her team with maintaining their intensity and overcoming the pressure of a 4-peat.

While Dorman finished a distinct second place with 75 points, it was a record-setter. Senior hurdler Rebecca Okebe became the first female at the S.C. High School League track and field championships to finish the 400-meter hurdles in under a minute.

Her time of 56.70 seconds broke the previous mark by Summerville’s Imagine Patterson by four seconds.

Other multi-medalists were A’zedah Anderson ( Summerville ), Ella Nighbor ( Clover ) and Riley Vaughn ( Spartanburg ).

The boys’ title quite literally came down to the final two field events. Wando had developed an early lead on defending champion Ridge View before winning by a small margin.

The Blazers were looking to make it five straight years a Richland Two school was boys’ champion. Spring Valley had won champion from 2021-24.

Junior Dylan Carey was the lone individual champion for the Warriors in the 400 meters. Wando did have several medalists in the field events that helped in its points total.

Multi-medalists in the boys’ division included Chanin Harris ( J.F. Byrnes ) and Luke Hurley ( Boiling Springs ).

S.C. HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS 5A TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (Top 5 Finishers)

GIRLS

100 METERS

1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 3. Trinity Jones (Summerville), 4. Oliver Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Ciara Williams (Lexington)

200 METERS

1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 3. Kendell McFadden (Fort Dorchester), 4. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Alexandra Francique (Blythewood)

400 METERS

1. Peyton Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Patience Grant (Stratford), 3. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 4. Akyra Webster (Spartanburg), 5. Zy’keyia Halley (Spring Valley)

800 METERS

1. Hayley Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Ana Laurient (Wando), 3. Rowyn Martens (Wando), 4. Gretchen Kale (Mauldin), 5. Marley Wall (Dutch Fork)

1600 METERS

1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Ava Jagielski (Clover), 3. Callie Rohm (Mauldin), 4. Kendra Miles (Lexington), 5. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville)

3200 METERS

1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville), 3. Avery Griffith (Mauldin), 4. Anna Cavallon (Wando), 5. Anna Kelly (Blythewood)

110 METER HURDLES

1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Brooke Bramlett (Blythewood), 3. Gabrielle Cherry (Blythewood), 4. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 5. Sidra Berry (Ridge View)

400 METER HURDLES

* 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Katelyn McNeil (Spring Valley), 3. Arriana Dooley (Mauldin), 4. Tatiana Dooley (Mauldin), 5. Madison Ross (Blythewood)

4x100 METER RELAY

1. Blythewood, 2. Summerville, 3. Dorman, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Spring Valley

4x400 METER RELAY

1. Blythewood, 2. Spring Valley, 3. Dorman, 4. Ridge View, 5. Wando

4x800 METER RELAY

1. Wando, 2. Mauldin, 3. Blythewood, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Dorman

HIGH JUMP

1. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 2. Danabella Jackson (Sumter), 3. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 4. Trinity Hall (Clover), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff)

LONG JUMP

1. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 2. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 3. Alahna Valentine (Ridge View), 4. Simone Wells (Sumter), 5. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman)

TRIPLE JUMP

1. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 2. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 3. Naadia Rampersant (James Island), 4. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff)

DISCUS THROW

1. Addilyn Elrod (Summerville), 2. Olivia Parker (Spartanburg), 3. Maddie Sanders (Mauldin), 4. Emmie Otto (Carolina Forest), 5. Darcy York (Rock Hill)

POLE VAULT

1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Skylar Singleton (James Island), 3. Emiya Victor (James Island), 4. Mattie Bandy (Dorman), 5. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg)

JAVELIN THROW

1. Elle Cocco (Wando), 2. Morgan Carter (Fort Dorchester), 3. Hailey Greatrex (Fort Dorchester), 4. Kyleigh Moore (Fort Dorchester), 5. Jaylyn Maley (Lexington)

SHOT PUT

1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Emiya Victor (James Island), 3. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg), 4. Lainey Myers (Lexington) 5. Elle Cocco (Wando)

TEAM SCORES (Top 10)

1. Blythewood (125), 2. Dorman (75), 3. Summerville (60), 4. Wando (59.50), 5. Spartanburg (53), 6. Lexington (45), 7. Mauldin (42), 8. Clover (36), 9. Spring Valley (33), 10 (tie). James Island and Fort Dorchester (30)

* S.C. High School League record

BOYS

100 METERS

1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 3. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 4. Ke’Shon Tate (Spring Valley), 5. Thaddius Rush (Ridge View)

200 METERS

1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 3. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 4. Devan Erby (Rock Hill), 5. Aidyn Wiggins (J.F. Byrnes)

400 METERS

1. Dylan Carey (Wando), 2. Larry Davis (Blythewood), 3. Jaderion Moore (Rock Hill), 4. Brody Johnson (Wando), 5. Jaden Davis (Wade Hampton)

800 METERS

1. Josh Voegele (Lexington), 2. Ari Laurient (Wando), 3. Wesley Heimbach (Lexington), 4. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 5. Jack Butler (Wando)

1600 METERS

1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powers, 3. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 4. Sammy Joudeh (J.L. Mann), 5. Evan DeMassi (Dutch Fork)

3200 METERS

1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powell (Blythewood), 3. Hudson Kennemore (J.L. Mann), 4. Ben Elliott (Mauldin), 5. Noah Taylor (Spring Valley)

110 METER HURDLES

1. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs), 2. Quency Grant (Ridge View), 3. Elijah White (Ridge View), 4. Justin Elliott (Mauldin)

400 METER HURDLES

1. Elijah White (Ridge View), 2. Quency White (Ridge View), 3. Justin Elliott (Mauldin), 4. Andy Metz (Spartanburg), 5. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs)

4x100 METER RELAY

1. J.F. Byrnes, 2. Spartanburg, 3. Ridge View, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Ashley Ridge

4x400 METER RELAY

1. Ridge View, 2. Blythewood, 3. Wando, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Spring Valley

4x800 METER RELAY

1. Lexington, 2. Wando, 3. Spring Valley, 4. Clover, 5. Summerville

HIGH JUMP

1. Cameron Hughes (Spring Valley), 2. Evan McCullough-Bryant (Dorman), 3. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 4. Jonathan Wilson (Carolina Forest), 5. Isiah Kennedy (Ridge View)

LONG JUMP

1. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 2. Gage Stewart (Dutch Fork), 3. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 4. Jamier Gaston (Dorman), 5. Miles Williams (Carolina Forest)

TRIPLE JUMP

1. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 2. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 3. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 4. Amari Stevenson (Ridge View), 5. Jamier Gaston (Dorman)

DISCUS THROW

1. Aiden Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Jaden Roberson (Dorman), 3. Jay Morris (James Island), 4. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 5. Preston Iagulli (Carolina Forest)

POLE VAULT

1. Lukas Kowlok (Stratford), 2. Mayson Samuel (Cane Bay), 3. Caleb Berry (Mauldin), 4. Luke Lasher (James Island), 5. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin)

JAVELIN THROW

1. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin), 2. Ben Eikenberry (Wando), 3. Gryson Greenberry (Summerville), 4. Zach Teachman (Wando), 5. Nate Dixon (Lexington)

SHOT PUT

1. Aidan Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Henry Camps (Wando), 3. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 4. James Porter (Dorman), 5. Jimmy Jones (James Island)

TEAM SCORES (Top 10)

1. Wando (84), 2. Ridge View (78), Dorman (52), 4. Lexington (50), 5 (tie). Spring Valley (48), 7. Mauldin (41), 8. J.F. Byrnes (40), 9. Blythewood (38), 10. Spartanburg (35.50)

Dorchester Beats Lee 9-5 to Win SCISA AA Baseball Crown

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:10:49 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

Hssr.com Associate Editor

Manning – The Dorchester Academy baseball team came into the SCISA AA state playoffs with a 7-13 overall record.

The Raiders’ run in the playoffs came to an end on Thursday with them sporting a 13-15 record – oh, yeah – and the state championship trophy.

DA beat defending state champion Lee Academy 9-5 in the third and deciding game of the best-of-3 championship series at Laurence Manning Academy’s Tucker Belangia Diamond .

“These guys here we struggled all season long, but we never lost our composure,” said Dorchester head coach Brent Jackson . “We just came out here in the playoffs and started playing baseball like we should have.”

The Raiders won their second title in three years, claiming the 2024 crown. Jackson pointed out an important distinction.

“We just had one guy back from that (’24) team,” he said. “This was a new bunch of guys who did it.”

The Cavaliers, who finished the season with an 18-6 record, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. However, DA broke through for four runs in the third.

LA got within 4-2 in the fourth only to see Dorchester match the run in the top of the fifth. Lee put up two in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 5-4. That set the stage for Raiders senior third baseman Wyatt Byrd .

DA’s Reed Almers reached on an infield single to start the top of the sixth. He was forced out on a fielder’s choice, and it appeared Cavaliers relief pitcher Myles Frye had the second out when he got Landon Holly to pop up in foul territory down the first base line. The ball wasn’t caught though, thus extending the at-bat. That would be fatal for LA.

Holly came through with a single before Warren Judy struck out for what would have been the third out. Instead, it was just the second and that brought the right-handed swinging Byrd, the No. 5 hitter, to the plate. He lofted a fly ball right down the right field line. The outfield on Tucker Belangia Diamond is pretty spacious with the exception of down the two lines, with right reaching 295 feet. Byrd’s poke ended up clearing the fence for a 3-run home run that made it 8-4.

Lee head coach Danny Price couldn’t undersell the significance of that scenario.

“If we make that play we’re getting out of the inning without them scoring,” Price said. “If we do that, then we really have the momentum going for us. But baseball can be a funny game.”

Dorchester would add another run as John Quattlebaum drew a walk, went to third on an Abe Shuler single and stole home to make it 9-4.

Lee got a run back in the bottom of the inning, but Judy retired the side in order in the seventh to get the complete game.

“I was just out there competing,” said Judy, who finished the game with 90 pitches. “I wasn’t getting a lot of strikeouts. I was just relying on my defense, and they did a great job.”

Judy allowed seven hits, but didn’t walk a batter while striking out four.

“Warren pitched a heck of a game,” Jackson said. “He just went out there and battled.”

The Raiders finished with 12 hits, all of them coming over the last five innings. Shuler led the way in terms of hits, going 3-for-4 with one run batted in.

Byrd was 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run scored. Holly was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Judy was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Austin Varn had a hit, two runs and an RBI, Carter Beeks had a hit and two runs, and Almers had a hit, a run and an RBI.

“We got the clutch hits when we needed them,” said Jackson, whose team didn’t hit a home run in the regular season but hit four over the course of the eight playoff games.

Olson had two of LA’s seven hits to go with a run and an RBI. Chance Entzminger had a hit, two runs and an RBI, Andrew Bowers had a hit and an RBI, and Cash Holloway had a hit and a run.

Tucker Rogers and Aiden Fitzgerald each had a hit, while Frye scored a run and picked up an RBI.

“We had a great season,” Price said. “We hit and pitched well most of the season, but we just didn’t seem to play our best in this series. You have to tip your cap to them (Dorchester). They played well.”

Lee got out to the 1-0 lead in the first when Entzminger reached on a 1-out error, stole second and scored on an Olson single.

Tyler Gilbert started on the mound for the Cavaliers. He walked Almers to open the game before retiring six batters in a row. However, he walked Beeks to begin the third and wasn’t as lucky this time around.

Gilbert struck out Bryce Marchant before getting Almers to hit a ground ball. All hands were safe on an error, and Varn and Holly followed with RBI singles to make it 2-1. Judy had a ground-rule double to drive in a run, and Byrd followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.

LA cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Olson singled with one out, reached third on an Aiden Fitzgerald single and scord on a sacrivifce fly by Frye.

Dorchester got the run back in the fifth when Judy and Byrd started the inning with singles. Shuler followed with a 1-out single to score courtesy runner Graham Varnadoe .

Holloway led off the Lee fifth with a single and was sacrificed to second by Cary Privette . Entzminger delivered Holloway with a 2-out single, and Bowers followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Orangeburg Prep Girls Track Wins Sixth Straight State Title

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:07:47 GMT

By Dennis Brunson

hssr.com Associate Editor

Orangeburg – The Orangeburg Preparatory School girls track and field program has now started putting state championship rings on the other hand.

The Indians won their sixth consecutive state championship on May 1, winning the SCISA Division II crown at the Orangeburg Prep Athletic Complex .

Orangeburg Prep head coach Brooks Smith said bringing home state title trophies never gets old.

“tt’s always nice to win,” Smith said. “This one was a little tougher for as coaches because we knew we had a strong team. It was hard for us to lose on paper, so that made it more stressful for us as coaches whereas we were able to use the underdog role the last couple of years.”

The Indians won with 130 points with First Presbyterian of Shannon Forest finishing second with 112. Spartanburg Day School was third with 91while Thomas Sumter Academy finished fourth with 40 and Greenwood Christian School fifth with 28.

Orangeburg Prep used its depth to pick up the victory as 13 athletes scored points. The Indians were led by junior Mary Legare Delaney , who was the high point scorer in the state meet for the second consecutive year.

Delaney won two events and finished second in two others to score 36 points. She won the 400-meter dash in a time of 1 minute, 00.48 seconds and won the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 1 inch. She finished second in the 200 in 26.61 seconds and second in the triple jump in 33-05.

“Mary Legare brings a lot of points to the table,” Smith said with a laugh. “She’s just such a competitor. She trains hard and expects to go out and win.”

Smith said Delaney’s victory in the 400 along with sophomore Naomi McCutchen’s fifth-place finish were pivotal in Orangeburg Prep coming away with a comfortable victory.

“When we were trying to figure out who to put where, we the 400 is where we decided she needed to be,” Smith said of Delaney, who owns the school record in the 400 but didn’t run it as much this year as in years past. “The coaches said, ‘We need you there.’ We have a vigorous 400-meter program that we do.

“Picking up 12 points (10 for Delaney and 2 for McCutchen who also had a fifth-place finish in the javelin at 88-09)) in that event was huge. It took the pressure off of when it came to the final even of the 4x4(00-meter) relay.”

Freshman Blakely Garrick had the Indians’ other first-place finish. She won the 400 hurdles in 1:09.80. She finished second in the 100 hurdles in 17.88 and fifth in the triple jump at 29.05 1/4 to finish with 20 points.

Sophomore Gee Gee Riley finished second in points with 22. She finished second in the 400 hurdles (1:10.31) and third in both the long jump (16-02 7/8) and the triple jump (31-08). She also ran a leg on the second-place 4x100-meter relay team (52.53) along with seventh-grader Carson Cue , McCutchen and junior Emmaline Dangerfield .

“Gee Gee is like our Swiss Amry knife,” Smith said. “We’ll try her at one event this week and have her in our back pocket when we might need her for something else.”

Morgan Newsome was the lone senior to score points. She finished second in the pole vaul with a height of 08-06. Eighth-grader Jordyn Baldwin was fourth at 06-11 7/8 and freshman Ella Sarvis was fifth (06-11 7/8).

Eighth-grader Kennedy Lawtson finished third in both the 100 hurdles (18.15) and the 400 hurdles (1:14.19. Cue finished fifth in the 800 run (237.22).

The 4x400 relay team of McCutchen, eighth-grader Erika Martin , Lawton and Cue finished second (4:26.16) and the 4x800 team of Cue, Laston, eighth-grader Delilah Howe and eighth-grader Hannah Bair finished third (11L01.56).

Smith said the secret to Orangeburg Prep’s success is how it works together as a unit.

“There is no doubl that this is a team that works together,” he said. “These girls all pulled for each other, believed in each other and helped each other out.”jUNI

LIVINGSTON, WILLIAMS, JUDY BASDEBALL ALL-REGION

Junior Marshall Livingston , junior Maxx Judy and sophomore Cholly Williams were selected to the All-Region 1-AAA baseball team.

Livingston led the Indians in hitting with a .360 batting average. Judy finished with a .325 average and Williams finished at .320.

After losing its entire starting lineup from last year’s AAA state runner-up team, Orangeburg Prep finished the year with a 13-13 record.

The Indians went 1-2 in the state tournament. They lost to Hilton Head Prep , the team they lost to in the championship series, 5-0 in their first game. Orangeburg Prep rebounded to beat Patrick Henry Academy 5-4 in an elimination game. Freshman Cam Jolley hit the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning for a game-winning home run.

The Indians were eliminated with a 4-3 loss to Spartanburg Christian Academy .

SCHURLKNIGHT, LAMBRECHT,

HARTZOG SOFTBALL ALL-REGION PICKS

Senior shortstop Prestan Schurlknight , senior catcher Hannah Lambrecht , junior second baseman Calee Hartzog and sophomore pitcher Natalie Hall were named to the All-Region softball team.

Schurlknight, who will be playing collegiately at Lander, was chosen as the Co-Region Player of the Year. She finished with a .521 batting average.

Lambrecht batted .491, Hartzog hit .449 and Hall batted ,421,

Orangeburg Prep finished the season with an 11-14 record. The Indians went 1-2 in the state tournament. They beat Spartanburg Christian 10-6 in the opener before falling to now 5-time state champion Pee Dee Academy 12-2 in five innings and fell to Williamsburg Academy 8-7.

Hot Start Propels Hawkettes to District Championship

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:05:31 GMT

By Rob Gantt
Special to The HSSR

HANAHAN - Making solid contact at the plate and, with it, winning games has become contagious for Hanahan High School's softball team.

The Hawkettes completed a dominant run through the district tournament Wednesday, May 13, with a 10-0 victory over visiting Georgetown High School . Hanahan took control from the outset, plating eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Hawkettes, who won for the 11th time in 12 games, finished off the victory by mercy rule with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

"We've been talking about it since Friday, that we need to get right on it from the start," Hanahan coach Katrina Bezdek said. "I think it took us a little bit more time in our other games because we hadn't played for a while. Now that we're playing more consistently, they were really fired up. They jumped on it first thing."

The Hawkettes, who have tallied 60 runs in their past five games, recorded six hits in their initial set of hacks. Infielder Camryn Fowler sparked the scoring with a RBI single. After going up 3-0 on a wild pitch and fielder's choice groundout, Hanahan pitcher Maggie Priddy dropped a RBI single into shallow right field to make it 4-0. Outfielder Briar Mros and infielder Dria Tolbert then connected on two-run triple to make the home team's advantage a very comfortable 8-0.

"That first inning, it felt like it was everyone pretty much," Bezdek said.

The uprising was plenty of run support for Priddy, who hurled a one-hitter for the Hawkettes with five strikeouts.

"We decided to go with Maggie because they hadn't seen her yet, and I thought she threw really, really well," Bezdek said. "She was hitting her spots. She was moving the ball, and then our defense backed her up."

First baseman Aubrey Cribb singled in Hanahan's ninth run in the bottom of the fourth inning and Tolbert ended the game with a RBI double in the fifth inning.

Mros, Tolbert and Riley each collected two hits for Hanahan. Mros scored three times from the leadoff spot.

The Hawkettes also blanked Marlboro County (14-0) and cruised by Georgetown (12-5) in their first two district games. The postseason district title was the eighth for Bezdek.

Hanahan (19-6) hosts Dillon High School in the first game of the Lower State tournament Friday, May 15.

"It feels like every year we play Dillon," Bezdek said. "They're always good competition. The way we're playing right now, I feel like our confidence is growing. That's going to be the key going into the next round."

Dillon secured its district crown with a 3-0 win over Waccamaw Wednesday. The Wildcats (14-12) also knocked off Battery Creek (8-0) and Silver Bluff (9-6) in their district.