By David Shelton
•
25 Dec, 2023
Hilton Head – The 2023-24 basketball season is off and running at Hilton Head Prep with both the girls and boys teams off to a good start this season. The girls team, coached by Philip Hartman, has opened the campaign with a 5-3 record, with two of the losses coming to SCISA AAAA state title contenders Northwood Academy and Hammond. This year’s team is loaded with young talent with no seniors on the roster and only one junior. That junior, guard Courtney Campbell, is one of the top players in SCISA. The team captain is averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and seven steals per game in the early going. As a sophomore, Campbell averaged 20 points and 6.3 boards per game. Injuries have been a concern early but the Dolphins already have nearly matched last year’s win total of six. A pair of eighth-graders, Phoebe Helms and Molly Lorenz also rate as two key performers. Helms leads the team in rebounding at 10.4 boards per game. Another key player, sophomore Erin Cleary, has been out with an injury but should return to full action after the holidays. Sophomores Merritt Risher and Sophia Haroutunian, the only other returning players from last season, serve as team captains, along with Campbell. Molly Helms is another sophomore contributor, along with freshmen Ava Zeoli, Brooks Heins, and Kelly Graham. “Our best basketball has yet to be played,” Hartman declares. “When taking into account our talent, our youth, and the team’s toughness, I am confident the Lady Dolphins will compete for a state championship in the coming years.” Hilton Head Prep’s boys team is the defending SCISA Class AAA state champion but lost its top three scorers from that team. Nonetheless, the Dolphins have opened the season with a 6-2 record under second-year head coach Richard Barron. Among the top players on this year’s team are 6-6 post Jason Britschge and wing Ben Frey, both seniors. Britschge is averaging 8.5 points and 6.9 rebounds early on, while Frey is the leading scorer at 10.2 points per game. Junior point guard Connor Campbell is averaging eight points per game and junior Billy Barron adds 6.3 points per outing. Junior Brendan Moore chips in nearly six points per contest. Other seniors on the roster this season include Ege Erol, Jeep Patrick, Tripp Hedden, Chase Blanton, Joe Wiseman and AJ Barger. Luke Eanes is the remaining junior on the team.