Hilton Head Prep girls soccer aiming for third straight title

David Shelton • April 20, 2025

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By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Hilton Head – The casual high school soccer fan may have taken strong notice when the Hilton Head Prep girls soccer team opened the 2025 season with three straight losses against a highly competitive early schedule.

Veteran coach Risa McMillan, however, has felt her team is capable of winning a third consecutive SCISA Class AAA state championship. As of April 7, the Dolphins had won four of their last five games to even their record at 4-4. All is well.

McMillan, in her 12^th season at Prep and her 23^rd in coaching overall, feels she has a team with the right makeup to make another run at the title. While there are a lot of underclassmen playing key roles, the talent and playing experience is evident.

“This team has experience and great chemistry,” the coach said. “A lot of these girls have been playing together for many years, both at club level and at Prep. We have great cohesiveness. We should definitely contend for the state title again.”

Senior leadership is another strength of the 2025 team. Leading the way this spring are three veteran seniors – Courtney Campbell, Callah Dando and Layla Esquivel.

“They are very vocal and they help with the less-experienced players on the team,” McMillan said,

Dando, who has signed to play at Furman, is one of the program’s all-time leading scorers. She tallied seven goals with three assists in the first eight contests. Dando scored 34 goals with 29 assists last season and tallied 25 goals with 18 assists as a sophomore.

Campbell, a fourth-year varsity performer and an all-state volleyball and basketball player, scored six goals with six assists early on while Esquivel scored five goals with two assists.

Sophomore Brooke Heins starts in goal and is one of the best keepers in SCISA. Defenders in the back include freshman Alexa Pallazo, sophomore Ava Zeolli, freshman Marisa Moira and freshman Zoe Hays.

Joining Campbell in the midfield are juniors Riley Wilbert, Helen Kerkow and Sophia Schlieman. Kerkow and Wilbert have scored three goals early on.

Millie Pulliam, the teams fourth senior, comes off the bench. Other juniors on the roster include Madeline Schlieman, Ellie Lorenz, Mabry Sutton and Samantha Rehling.

Rounding out the team roster are freshmen Giovanna Franco, Katie Deweerd and Lysa Brattin.

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First Baptist Hires New AD and Football Coach

By David Shelton • July 30, 2025

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.