By David Shelton Senior Writer Holly Hill – It was a sour taste that lingered for a year in the mouths of every player on the Holly Hill Academy softball team. Winning is better than mouthwash. The 2025 Raiders completed a 16-4 season by winning the SCISA Class A state championship, defeating W.W. King in two games (6-4, 15-4) in a best-of-three championship series. Holly Hill won their last seven games of the season. The victory makes Holly Hill state champion for the second time in three years but it was not winning the championship in 2024 that fueled the fire this spring. Though heavily favored last season, the Raiders were upset in the state tournament, eliminated by Jefferson Davis Academy. “We didn’t get it done last year but we still felt we were the best team in the state,” coach Kally Knight said. “Losing last year was all the motivation this team needed. They had a great focus all through the offseason and it carried over into the season. We weren’t perfect by any means but the four losses came to good teams and it helped us stay focused.” In the game one win, Holly Hill banged out nine hits. Kaylee Brabham collected three hits and Kloie Mizell had three runs batted in to lead the offense. Pitcher Taylor Wright had two hits and threw a complete game while allowing four runs. The bats stayed hot in game two as the Raiders totaled 12 hits and took advantage of six King errors. King took a 3-1 lead after the first inning but Holly Hill posted eight runs in the second inning and had a five-run fourth inning to close the deal in five innings. Wright had five RBI on three hits, including two doubles. She again tossed a complete game inside the circle. Kaley Bell had two hits and three RBI while Peyton Strickland and Chloe Wren each added a pair of hits and each had an RBI. “We were a good hitting team really all season and a lot of girls contributed from game to game,” Knight said. “We knew if we cut down walks and played good defense, we were going to be tough to beat. “This team deserves this. They worked hard and they built a strong chemistry. It’s great to see them celebrate being champions again.” Rounding out the roster were Milly Kate Prescott , Ariel Stanley , Abby Burleson , Shelby Hanson , Bethany Martin and Kaylee Cuttino . Brabham and Wren are the only seniors on this year’s team so expect the Raiders to be a contender once again.

By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer ST MATTHEWS — The Holly Hill Academy baseball team stayed true to what brought them to the SCISA 1A state championship series Thursday night at Calhoun Academy’s baseball field—good at-bats, timely hitting, and speed on the basepaths. That formula earned the Raiders a 6-2 victory in the deciding game of the best-of-three series and the first state championship in baseball since 2016. “It’s been our mojo all season, putting pressure on teams,” Holly Hill Academy head coach Andy Green said. “We’ve got a lot of team speed up and down the lineup, and our motive is always to put pressure on the defense. Tonight we executed when it mattered. It’s a big reason for our success tonight for sure.” It also helped the Raiders (14-9) to have a mound presence, especially in the last two games of the series. Richard Winn (16-5) won the first game 5-3 Tuesday, but Holly Hill game 2 starter Ashton Soles pitched 6 2/3 innings and 2-hit the Eagles in a 7-2 victory Wednesday. On Thursday, Tyler Green worked a complete-game 3-hitter, striking out six while walking just one. Soles and Green’s time on the mound stopped the hot-hitting Eagles, 2-time defending 1A champions, cold. “We didn’t hit the ball at all this series and that was frustrating to us because we’ve been pretty good at it all year long,” Richard Winn head coach Paul Brigman said . “You’ve got to give credit to their pitching, they really came through in game 2 and game 3 with strong pitching and we just couldn’t do a whole lot with them.” The Eagles managed a run on no hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, a shaky Green hit D Albert , walked Charlie Bonds , then hit Johnathan Bonds to load the bases. T Burchell’s sacrifice fly scored Albert for a 1-0 lead, but Green settled in and struck out Owen Martin to end the inning. The Raiders evened the score in the top of the second with two outs. Jake Kirven and Mason McGriff drew walks, Parker Kizer’s single to leftfield drove in Kirven, and Mason Connor’s single to left scored McGriff to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead. Johnathan Boyd popped out to retire the side. Richard Winn loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third, and Bennett Nicholson scored on Turner Burchell’s ground out to even the score at 2-2. With two out, Charlie Bonds at third and Johnathan Bonds at second, Martin grounded out to end the inning before the Eagles could take full advantage. From the fourth inning on, the Raiders were in full control. Holly Hill broke the tie with two outs in the top of the fourth. McGriff reached base on an infield error, moved to second and third base as Kizer batted. Martin, Richard Winn’s starting pitcher in his last inning on the mound, walked Kizer. As Martin pitched to Connor, McGriff scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball to make it 3-2 Holly Hill. Martin walked Connor and Boyd flied out to end the inning, but the Raiders scored one run in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings in similar fashion. On the mound in the final innings, Connor gave up two hits while he and the Raiders defense sat down the Eagles quickly to ensure the victory. “They worked so hard this year,” Green said. “We loaded our schedule with a bunch of triple-A schools this year and tried to be ready for this moment and with the pitching we’ve seen this year it paid off. We took our lumps playing some bigger schools with the faith that at the end of the year it would come back and matter and they just put in so much work, I’m so happy for them.” The Raiders graduate 11 players from the team and will have three starters returning next season. “We’ve got six holes to fill,” Green said. “The next two years are going to be a lot of opportunities for some new kids to see some playing time and develop, and we’ll just have to go from there.” In the first game Tuesday, Richard Winn starting pitcher Charlie Bonds worked 6 2/3 innings and 2-hit the Raiders, striking out 11. The Eagles held a 5-0 lead going into the seventh inning when Bonds lost his focus on the strike zone and walked three straight batters and gave up all three Holly Hill runs. Martin, who took the loss Thursday, came on in relief of Bonds and got the final out. Bonds also homered in that game. Walker Blackwelder was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Holly Hill saved its ace, Ashton Soles, for game 2. Soles gave up two runs on two hits in the first inning—and held the Eagles hitless for the rest of the way in the 7-2 win. He threw 110 pitches over 6 1/3 innings and struck out 10. “We knew we both had really strong pitchers,” Brigman said Wednesday night, noting Charlie Bonds and Soles. “They saved their guy when we threw our best guy yesterday, and they put themselves in a little bit of an advantageous spot today, and he pitched well. He came through for them.” When his pitch count reached that critical point, reliever Brayden Mizell came on and got the last two outs of the game. “For a senior to walk off the mound like that condition knowing he can hold his head high and that he gave everything he had, I’m super proud of him for that.” Green said Wednesday night. The Raiders and the Eagles were tied 2-2 after the first inning, but while Richard Winn kept getting stymied at each plate appearance, the Raiders got two runs in the third inning, two more runs in the sixth, and one in the seventh for the win. Wednesday’s victory produced an energy surge for Holly Hill, Green said Wednesday night, perhaps prophetically. “Yesterday (Tuesday) we got down big but came back and fought, carried some momentum in the last inning that kind of propelled us into today,” Green said Wednesday. “Our approach today was 180 degrees different than what it was yesterday. Yesterday we had some bad approaches, gave away some at bats swinging at bad pitches. Today we worked deep in the counts and got better pitches, and we played better defense.” Tuesday Richard Winn 100 040 0 – 5 7 1 Holly Hill Academy 000 000 3 – 3 2 3 WP : Charlie Bonds, 6 2/3 IP, 2H, 3R, 0ER, 5BB, 11K. R – Walker Blackwelder 2-3, 2 RBI. Charlie Bonds HR. Wednesday Holly Hill Academy 202 002 1 – 7 8 1 Richard Winn 200 0000 – 2 2 2 WP : Ashton Soles, 6 1/3 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 10K H – Johnathan Boyd 3-4, 2 RBI. Jody Gilliam 2 RBI. R – Dylan Albert 2B, Johnathan Bonds 2 RBI. Thursday Holly Hill Academy 020 111 1 – 6 10 2 Richard Winn 1010000 – 2 3 2 WP : Tyler Green, 7IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 6K. H – Mason Connor 304, 2 RBI. Tyler Green 2-4. R – Charlie Bonds 2-2.

The SCISA Baseball playoffs are in the final semi finals and here are the updated brackets. 

By: David Shelton Senior Writer Holly Hill – If ever a team has extra motivation to right a wrong, it’s the softball team at Holly Hill Academy . After winning the SCISA Class A state title in 2023, the Raiders were the favorite to repeat last spring. However, misfortune in the state tournament led to an upset loss to Jefferson Davis Academy, a team they had beaten twice during the regular season. Thus, the 2024 season ended in disappointment but the way it ended has carried over to the 2025 spring. Coach Kally Knight has most of last year’s team back this spring and has seen a focused group all season. The Raiders enter spring break with an 8-2 record. “They appear to be very determined to make up for last year,” Knight said. “Last year left a bad taste and they came into this season with one goal. They have worked hard and their focus has been great. They know they have a chance to be state champions but it’s important that we play well when it counts. We’re gelling as a team and it’s a great group to coach.” The Raiders are again one of the top offensive teams in SCISA, averaging in double figures in runs scored with some lofty batting averages. “Some of the top hitters started a little slow but the bottom of the order has been very consistent,” Knight said. “The others are getting hot so our lineup is pretty solid. We’re also playing solid defense and getting solid pitching.” Sophomore pitcher Taylor Wright has been a force offensively, hitting .531 with 20 runs batted in and a pair of homeruns. Sophomore outfielder Kloie Mizell is hitting .419 with 13 RBI while sophomore Shelby Hinson is hitting .409 with six RBI. Senior catcher Kaylee Brabham hit .400 with 14 RBI in the first 10 games, and senior Chloe Wren is hitting .375. Seventh-grader Milly Kate Prescott has made a huge impact, hitting .370 with 10 RBI, and junior Kaley Bell is hitting .300 but will hit better, says Knight. “We’re still a young team with a lot of underclassmen, but we’re experienced,” the coach said. “These girls have played a lot of softball and hopefully that experience will help us in the state tournament.” Rounding out the 2025 roster are junior Peyton Strickland , sophomore Bethany Martin, freshman Alli Thomas , and eighth-grader Ariel Stanley .

HHA has only girls team in Region 1; Raiders one of only 3 boys teams

Holly Hill Academy's senior guard Jody Gillam

By David Shelton Senior Writer Holly Hill – The main goal of the 2024 Holly Hill Academy football team is a return to the top of the mountain. A streak of three straight state titles in the SCISA 8-man ranks was ended last season with a loss to Jefferson Davis Academy . This year’s Raiders team is aiming to return to the championship level. So far, so good. The Raiders are off to a good start this fall. Winning five of their first six games of the season. The lone loss came to nemesis Jefferson Davis Academy by a 36-18 score in mid-September. Remaining games on the schedule include Kings Academy (10/11), Cathedral Academy (10/18), Cross Schools (10/25) and Jefferson Davis again to close out the regular season. As is usually the case with the Raiders, there have been a host of solid contributors to the success this season. At quarterback, senior Ashton Soles has rushed for 265 yards and seven touchdowns while passing for 174 yards and four scores. Three players share the bulk of the load in the running game. Sophomore Parker Kizer has rushed for 488 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Senior Ax Wolpert has rushed for 391 yards and six scores while averaging 11.1 yards per carry. And, senior Camdin Harmon has gained 214 yards and averages 11.9 yards per attempt. Jody Gillam is the team’s leading receiver with 93 yards on seven catches. Harmon has 77 receiving yards. Senior Tyler Green is a returning right guard. Senior Brodon Murray is working at left guard and senior Jagger Edmonds is the center. Juniors Ryan Brown and Shade Snyder are getting reps at right guard, while freshmen Kaz Brown and Aarav Patel are working on the left side. Backing up Edmonds are junior Evan Floyd and freshman Caleb Bell . Many of the same players are key performers on the defensive side as well. Junior Jason Iller has 42 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss. Kizer has 39 tackles and Wolpert has 33 tackles. Soles has 38 tackles and eight tackles for loss while Harmon has a team-high 48 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Holly Hill – For three years, the Holly Hill Academy football program ruled the eight-man ranks of SCISA football. The Raiders won three straight state championships from 2020-22 and posted 39 consecutive wins. But streaks don’t last forever and the winning streak and state title run ended in 2023. Holly Hill Academy suffered two losses, both to Jefferson Davis, with the last defeat coming in the state championship game. The Raiders were seven points from a fourth consecutive championship. The losses last season will serve as fuel for the fire as the Raiders take on the 2024 season. They opened the season with a 34-26 win over the Carolina Wildcats on Aug. 23. Second-year head coach Andy Palmer lost some key players from last year’s team and this year’s lineup will include several first-year starters. But the prospects are good for another strong campaign. The quarterback position is arguably the most important in football and the Raiders will have experience under center with the return of senior Ashton Soles . Soles threw for nearly 800 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for six more scores. He also is a key leader defensively at outside linebacker, totaling 71 tackles last season. Gone are the top two rushers from last season. Tyree James accounted for more than 1,900 yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground while Mason Rudd added nearly 400 yards and nine scores. Looking to step into bigger offensive roles at running back are senior Camdin Harmon and sophomore Parker Kizer . Both also are key defenders at linebacker with Harmon posting 146 tackles and Kizer racking up 89 total tackles last season. Sophomore JP McGriff and senior Ax Wolpert also figure into the running back mix. Juniors Aaron Johnson and Takobe Sweatman are the starting tight ends. Senior Tyler Green is a returning right guard. Senior Brodon Murray is working at left guard and senior Jagger Edmonds is the center. Juniors Ryan Brown and Shade Snyder are getting reps at right guard, while freshmen Kaz Brown and Aarav Patel are working on the left side. Backing up Edmonds are junior Evan Floyd and freshman Caleb Bell. Senior Jody Gilliam is the top returner at receiver with senior Brayden Mizell also getting work. Many of the same offensive players also see time on defense. Along the front will be junior Jason Iler . Murray will start at the other end and Floyd or junior Brady Garing will start at nose. Working at linebacker will be a group including Soles, Harmon, Kizer, senior Connor Teague , Johnson, McGriff and freshman Jake Kirven . Senior Jonathan Boyd is a safety, as is Wolpert. Gilliam is a returning starter at safety but is recovering from injury as the season begins.