Girls State Tennis Championships Have a Low Country Flavor

Neill Kirkpatrick • November 10, 2025


By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Columbia – Saturday was a great day for tennis at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center where the Girls state tennis championship were held with a couple of first time participates, a couple of rematches from last season and a match between two of the all-time state tennis powers.

 

From the start of the day loud cheers could be heard from all over the complex as most of the matches were nail-bitters.

 

The Championships started at 10 with AAAAA Division 1 and 2 and the class AAAA getting things started with the AAAAA Division 2 match finishing first.

 

The West Florence Knights battled with TL Hanna Yellow Jackets in the AAAAA Division 2 match. It was West Florence first trip to the state finals while TL Hanna was looking for their third state championship. They brought home the title in 2013.

 

While the match was tough it was the first timers from Florence who walked away with their first state championship winning the match 4-2.

 

“It feels amazing to hold this trophy,” said West Florence head coach Abby Sullivan. “This something we worked for, we has been to the lower state finals the last three years so it is really amazing to come out on the winning side.”

 

Coach continued, “One of the keys to getting here was beating Myrtle Beach. The match was intense and hard fought on every court. I feel that experience helped us today push through when things got tough.”

 

The Knights got off to fast start as Shelby White won the number singles over Melina Moncada Lema in straight sets 6-3,6-2 and in the number two singles Grace Murrell also won in straight sets 6-1,6-1 over Hanna’s Emery Tripamer.

 

The number two doubles made it a 3-0 lead for the Knights when Mattie Segars and Lillian Guerriero defeated Emry Smith and Karis Kim 6-3,6-0.

 

The Yellow Jackets fought back in the three and four singles with Josie Eskridge and Meri Drake Venturella winning their matches. Eskridge beat Elle Brannon in a third set tie breaker 10-7 after they split the first games 7-5, 4-6 while Venturella beat Maia Rivera-Cintron 6-4,6-3 to bring the match to 3-2 West Florence.

 

The Knights would end the match in the number five singles when Emma Watford beat Lauren Yaekoub 6-3 in the first set and 7-6 with a 7-3 win in the tie breaker. The win made it 4-2 with Knights getting ready to hold the trophy.

 

“I am so happy to have won. I didn’t know that my match would win the state title, I thought it would just tie it at 3-3. To find that out was so exciting for me and I just had to dig it out for my teammates,” said Emma.

 

The AAAAA Division 1 match was between two of the all-time top programs in state history in Spartanburg and Wando. Spartanburg was in it’s 22 state final looking for win number 12 while Wando was in their 19th looking for their 10th. The Vikings last title was in 2018 beating Wando 4-3. The Warriors were looking to go back-to-back for the first time since they won six straight from 2004-2009. The teams were 2-2 in state championship matches between the two.

 

It was Deja Vue all over again for Wando as the Warriors needed to win the number one doubles match to win the state championship. Seniors Mia El-Kheddiwi and Calli Casazza did what they did last year win the fourth match of the day to give Wando the state championship 4-3 over Spartanburg. They won their match in straight sets 6-2,6-4 over the Vikings Ti’arri Watkins and Wallace Lynch.

 

“It was really exciting for it come down to us again. I love playing doubles with Mia. We are a great team and we wanted to bring a lot of energy to the match,” said Calli.

 

“The first thing I thought was we did this last year in doubles. I am so confident when I play with Calli. She keeps level headed. So, we went out, went with flow, and took the match,” Mia said.

 

Head Coach Bob Lang said, “It was basically like last year, we were tied at three all with River Bluff and Calli and Mia came out and won that match. They did the same thing today. The entire day nip and tuck with every match being intense.”

 

“We were happy to be in position to win the match with our number one doubles and we would have liked to pull that out. I am really proud of our team this year,” said Spartanburg head coach Devin Hileski.

 

The Vikings were on the verge of claiming their 12th state title with a 3-2 lead as they won the number one, four and five singles matches. Watkins beat El-Kheddiwi in straight sets 6-4,6-1 in the number one singles, Mary English Hammett defeated Madelyn Langheim 6-2,6-2 in the number four singles and Myers Brantley defeated Mae Keegan 6-1, 6-3.

 

“It is fun being here and to be able to win my match. I felt like I was in a good rhythm and I just made the shots I wanted to make,” said Watkins.

 

In the number three singles, the Warriors needed a win to stay alive and up was seventh grader Cyanna Enright. On the court for the Vikings was eighth  Ana Kate Alverson. Enright won the first set 6-0 but the second one was much different as the two combatants battled to 6 all in the second set forcing a tie breaker. Enright was down 4-1 in the tie breaker and on the verge of heading to a third set. She dug deep and won 7 of the next 9 points to win the tie breaker 8-6 and tie the match at 3.

 

“Cyanna played great and made an incredible come back to win the second set. I am excited to watch her career,” said coach Lang.

 

Wando became the 7th in school in state history with 10 or more girls tennis state championships joining Bishop England (27), Christ Church (18), Myrtle Beach (16), Hilton Head (13), Spartanburg (11), and Belton (10).

 

The AAAA match between AC Flora and Gray Collegiate also came down to the number one doubles match. AC Flora was back in the AAAA finals for the second straight year after falling to Bishop England 4-2 last year. It is their seventh trip to the state finals while this was Gray’s first attempt to win the girls state championship.

 

The Falcons and the War Eagles had battled to a 3-3 tie when twins Emily and Catherine Smith took the court against Morgan Horlback and Kate Snyder. The twins won the match in straight sets 6-4,6-3 to give the Falcons a 4-3 win and three third state girls tennis title in eight trips. It was head coach Amy Martin’s second.

 

“My number one doubles, are my number one and number two singles and they are twin sisters. They know each other thoughts, what they are going to do and they communicate. We felt good heading into that final match,” said coach Martin.

 

“I still don’t believe it. We just worked so hard this season so I am really glad all our hard work paid off. Coming up short last didn’t feel great but winning this year feels awesome,” said Emily Smith.

 

Gray Collegiate won the number one, number three and number four singles matches. Horlback beat Emily 6-2,7-6, Alisa Petushko beat Carlyn Guffee 6-3,6-2 and Cecily Lokodi beat Ruby Cecchini 6-0,6-1.

 

The Falcons won the number two singles with Catherine beating Snyder 6-3,3-6, 10-4 and Liza Stavrou beat Sidney Moore 6-4,6-0 in the number five singles. The number doubles team Ella Foley and Stokely Haile defeated Mary Catherine Gabrielli and Stella Malcom 6-3,6-4.

 

The next match to finish was the A/AA match between Academic Magnet and Landrum in a rematch of last years final won by Academic Magnet 6-0. The Raptors won their first title last year after four runner up finishes. The Cardinals were looking for their first championship.

 

The Raptors won the first four singles match to go back-to-back winning 4-0. Maggie Schwartz won the number one singles 6-1,6-1 over Eva Burnett, Sophia Easterbrook beat Ilana Taylor 6-2,6-2 in the twos, Kamya Pham beat Ellis Burnett 6-3,6-1 in the threes, and Archer Fanning won the number four 6-2,6-1 over Amelia Campbell.

 

First year head coach Mark Borst was excited to go back-to-back but it was different year for the Raptors. “Last years head coach did a great job in winning it all. I always say no matter what it is a new season. I told my athletic director that to be the best you have to play the best. Even though we had six loss this season, 17-6. We played some of the top teams during the year. Landrum is a good team and they were 21-1 so I felt we were the underdogs,” said coach Borst.

 

Captain Sophia Easterbrook said , “I’m a senior so I’m over the moon with winning back-to-back championships. I think this is such a great team. We are young team, a passionate team and we did such a great job all year. I could not be prouder of the people around me.”

 

The AAA match conclude the days events and it was another rematch from last year as 18 times state champion Christ Church was taking on four-time state champ Oceanside Collegiate. Oceanside won last year’s match up 4-3 as the match came down to the number one doubles match. The win was the fourth consecutive title for the Landsharks.

 

The Landsharks won four of the five singles matches to down the Cavaliers 4-2 and win their fifth consecutive state championship.

 

“They are all special,” said Oceanside head coach Shawn Harris. “Every year is different. The past four years we had more seniors. This is the youngest team I have ever had so do to win this one was very exciting and we knew it was going to tough. They girls knew they had to step up and they did that.

 

Coach continued, “ Christ Church is an unbelievable team. We played them last year and had another dramatic ending. They are a young team as well so we look to battle with them many more times.”

 

Maeve DeFord got things started in the right direction by winning the number one singles 6-0,6-0 over Lexie Sobocinski.

 

Sephina Tringai won the number three singles beating Elza Cunningham 6-0, 6-1, Adi Levy beat Sadler Fox 6-4,6-3 in the number four singles and Sophia Sebold clinched the match by winning the number five singles in a tie breaker 10-8 over Mary Bess Williams.

 

The Cavaliers won the number two singles when Lydia Mahfood beat Annsen Saulisbury 6-3,6-3 and the number two doubles of Karyston Davis and Elle Hawks defeated Ellore Besta and Kacy Kesner 6-0,6-2.

 

SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final

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

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

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

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

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • December 20, 2025
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OCA Wins Third Consecutive State Title with 28-7 Win Over BHP

By David Shelton • December 19, 2025
Oceanside senior WR, Terence Johnson, a Shrine Bowl all-star game selection, had 57 catches for 1,153 yards and 17 touchdowns plus 9 rushing touchdowns this season.

Panthers aim to remain a contender

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Timberland girls basketball team off to torrid start

By Rob Gantt • December 19, 2025
Timberland's Zion Prioleau, named on of Class AA's top seniors by the SC Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 2024-20225.

Wilson Hall senior class 32-7 last 3 years

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The Wilson Hall football team played in its third straight SCISA AAA state championship game in November. And for the third straight year, the Barons came out on the short end of the stick. WH lost to Pinewood Prep for the second consecutive year, falling by a score of 55-13. That being said, Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki could only praise his team, especially the 17-man senior class. “This group of seniors graduates with three trips to the state championship and not many people can say that,” Jarecki said of the Class of 2026, which went 32-7 over that 3-year stretch. “I’m extremely proud of them. They’re our leaders at the school. They’re the influential people at our school. We’d love to see them go out with success in the end, but what they accomplished is pretty special, and they’ve got to take pride in that. “They had a great year (finishing with an 11-2 record for the second straight year) and they’ve had a great career. It’s tough not to come out on top, but they know what it takes to get here and they bought into it.” Six of those seniors were among the eight Barons named to the All-Region 2-AAA team. Leading the way was quarterback Ford Wilder , who was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year. Wilder completed 41 of 79 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 483 yards and 12 TDs on 87 carries. Senior running backs Ben McLaurin and Milling Galloway were selected. McLaurin rushed for 1,234 yars and 16 scores on 121 carries. Galloway rushed for 585 yards and 11 touchdowns 62 carries despite missing three games and the majority of a fourth due to injury. The other senior All-Region picks were free safety Harris Naylor and defensive linemen Walker Wilson and Andrew Howle . Naylor had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass deflections. Wilson had 39 tackles, seven TFLs, two quarterback sacks and one PD. Howle had 28 tackles, a team high nine TFLs and two sacks. The other two All-Region selections were junior defensive lineman Reese Wilson and junior linebacker Peyton Gilley . Reese Wilson shared the team lead in sacks with four to go with 21 tackles, eight TFLs, one PD and one fumble recovery. Gilley had a team high 61 tackles and shared the team lead in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown, to go with three sacks and six TFLs. Along with being All-Region picks, each of the eight were All-State selections and were chosen to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Games.

Lee Academy basketball teams start slow

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson Hssr.com Associate Editor Bishopville – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lee Academy got off to 1-3 starts, but neither of the head coaches are close to making a determination on what the season holds for their squads. “I am really excited about the team we have for this season,” said boys head coach Kemp DeWitt , who is in his second season at Lee. “We return four players that gave us crucial minutes last season. Brayden Davis , Cain June , Gavin Makela and Paxton Greene give me a solid base surrounded by the new faces we have this season. “We look to find our identity as a team before we head into Christmas break, so we can come out strong when region play starts.” Davis, a sophomore point guard, and June, a senior small forward, are the two returning starters. Davis was averaging 9.3 points per game, while June was scoring at a 9.0 clip. Makela is a junior center while Greene is a senior shooting guard. The other starter is junior power forward Aiden Fitzgerald . Greene was averaging 6.3 points, Fitzgerald 3.5 and Makela 1.6. Other members of the boys team are senior Collins Drayton , junior Cannon Hopkins , who was averaging 5.0, junior Tucker Rodgers , junior James Watson , junior Matthew Inabinet and junior Keegan Gainey . Girls head coach Kim Langston , a decades-long veteran of the SCISA wars, said she hadn’t seen enough of her team to form an opinion. The Lady Cavaliers are young with just one senior starter in Mazie Tomlinson . The other starters are junior Mallori Frye , sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Kaisley Melton and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside . Karagan Melton was the leading scorer with a 9.5 average to go with 3.8 rebounds. Tomlinson was averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 steals, 4.3 assists and 9.5 boards, Whiteside was at 5.0 points, 1.0 blocked shots and 6.8 rebounds, Frye was averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, and Kaisley Melton was averaging 2.3 steals, 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes sophomore Emma Beasley , senior Sara Bell , senior Zana Brazell , senior Raylee Catoe and junior Addie Grace Wilkes . 4 CAVALIERS FOOTBALL ALL REGION The Lee football team had four players selected to the All-Region 1-Class A team. The selections were wide receiver/linebacker Cain June, senior quarterback/defensive back Andrew Bowers , senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Hampton Layton and senior linebacker/running back Tucker Boyce .

LADY PATRIOTS READY FOR ANOTHER TITLE RUN

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By David Shelton • December 18, 2025
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