Jeferson Davis softball team looking to defend SCISA Class A state title

Blackville – The Jefferson Davis Academy softball team owned just an 8-7 record entering the

SCISA Class A state tournament last season. However, the Raiders swept three games in the tournament

played at Patriot Park SportPlex in Sumter then swept Cross Schools in the best-of-3 championship

series to win the program’s first state title in 19 years.

Jeferson Davis head coach Bart Owens said his squad may have snuck in under the radar last

season. He knows that won’t be the case this season.

“This year is different,” said Owens, whose team outscored the opposition 55-6 in five postseason

games to finish with a 13-7 record. “Last year we were picked to finished third or fourth in the state and

won the state championship. This year we have to prepare for everyone’s best shot, but we are doing a

good job of that.”

The Raiders are having to stand up to having that bullseye on their backs without starting pitcher

Regan Still though. Still, who is now playing at Florence-Darlington Technical College, was the High

School Sports Report Class A Player of the Year as well as the Region 1 Player of the Year.

Along with her dominating performance in the circle, Still was also an offensive terror in the

postseason. She had a .474 batting with two doubles, six runs batted in, five runs scored and five stolen

bases.

Owens is now counting on three arms in the circle in senior Kaylee Jackson, junior Rynn

Fickling and sophomore Abby Deering. Owens said Jackson, who started at shortstop last season, is his

No. 1, but he plans to use all of them. Each brings something different to the circle, according to Owens.

“Kaylee is very accurate, Rynn throws five pitches, and Abby is left-handed,” he said.

Jefferson Davis also lost another key component to graduation in third baseman Gylian Googe.

She batted .421 with eight runs and a team high 10 RBI during the postseason.

With the loss of just those two, the Raiders return seven starters from last year. They are Fickling

and Jackson along with senior Sydney Owens, senior Madeline Respass, senior Carrie Lynn Loadholt,

senior Elie Fogle and sophomore Kinlee Ray.

Owens started at second base and was selected to the All-Region 1 team as well as being chosen

to play in the North-South All-Star Game. Owens batted .308 with five RBI and three runs in the

postseason.

Loadholt, who is in her third year as the starter in center field, was also an All-Region selection

and a North-South pick. Loadholt had a tremendous postseason with a .526 average to go with five runs

and four RBI.

Ray was also an All-Region selection and a North-South performer in her first season at catcher.

Ray batted .263 with a double, four RBI and six runs in the five postseason games.

Fickling was the final All-Region selection. The first baseman, who also played in the North-

South Game, batted .333 with a team high nine runs and six stolen bases.

Jackson batted .417 with a triple, seven runs and four RBI in the postseason.

Fogle is the returning starter in left, while Respass returns as the rightfielder. Respass batted .312

with a double, five RBI and four runs in the postseason.

The newcomers to the lineup are Deering and freshman Rileigh York. While not a regular, York

saw a good amount of time in the postseason, batting .308 with four RBI and six runs.

“We are going to have to play good defense behind our pitchers and get the timely hit,” he said.

The rest of the roster includes sophomore Jamylyn Mock, sophomore Esme Montando and

junior Ashley Lott.

The assistant coaches are Anna Beth Randall, Brittany Livingston and Becca Fogle.

VOID, LOADHOLT, STILL BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION PICKS

Senior Nasir Void, senior Colson Loadholt and sophomore Reece Still were selected to the All-

Region 2-Class A boys basketball team.

Void averaged a double-double on the season. He led the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game

while averaging an even 12/0 rebounds. He also led the Raiders in steals at 2.8 and blocked shots at 1.5.

He also averaged 1.4 assists.

Loadholt led Jefferson Davis in assists at 3.4 to go with a 13.9 scoring average. Hie also averaged

7.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals.

Still averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 steals.

The Raiders finished the season with a 12-9 record. They finished 5-1 in region play, tying for

first place with then defending state champion Curtis Baptist.

The Raiders had a disappointing finish though. After getting a first-round bye in the state

tournament, Jefferson Davis lost to Marlboro Academy 54-44 in the quarterfinals.

HUTTO, YORK, WILLIAMS GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION PICKS

Freshman Rileigh York, senior Peyton Hutto and freshman Riley Williams were chosen to the

All-Region 2-Class A girls basketball team.

York averaged a double-double after the Christmas break, scoring at a 14.0 clip while pulling

down 12.0 rebounds. Hutto was a major defensive presence in the low post, averaging close to five

blocked shots a game. She also averaged 5.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. Williams averaged 6.0 points.

Jefferson Davis finished the season with a 7-12 record, losing to Holly Hill Academy 40-27 in

the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

Raiders head coach Larry Johnson felt the team got better as the season progressed.

"I think we ended up having a pretty good year," Johnson said. "I felt like we made improvements

as the season went on."