Lontime Powers Back on Top in AA

Londyn Cleary • August 27, 2025

Chesterfield's junior Guard Marquan Blount.


 

By Dennis Brunson

           hssr.com Associate Eitor

           Sumter – The 2024 football season in the AA classification was one that saw some traditional powers make deep pushes in the playoffs. No one did it be5ter than Clinton High School, which won the state championship by beating Barnwell 35-6.

 

Batesburg-Leesville was undefeated before losing to Clinton in the third round of the state playoffs. Manning had its best season in over a decade while reaching the lower state championship game, and Central made a good run in the playoffs.

 

Let’s take a look at each of the seven regions and who we think has the best chance to play for a state title in December.

 

           REGION 1

1. Clinton 2. Chesnee 3. Liberty 4. Landrum 5. Blacksburg

 

CLINTON

The Red Devils use their dominating flexbone offense to control games and win the program’s ninth state title but first since 2009. However, they will be breaking in a lot of new players this season.

 

Sophomore Easton Powell will take over at quarterback. Darren Hester, Jaden Potter and Trenair Collins will be the running backs. Brayden Fuller returns at right tackle.

 

           Each of those will be starting on defense as well.

 

           Clinton was ranked second in the High School Sports Report AA preseason poll.

 

           

           CHESNEE

           The Eagles are coming off a 6-6 season and were ranked 14th./ They will be rotating at quarterback with Keedyn Platt and Evan Lawter. One of their goals will be getting the ball in the hands of Braylon Blanton.

 

           Platt and Blanton will start in the secondary with linebacker Carson Gossett being a key cog as well.

 

           LIBERTY

           The Red Devils will be replacing standout quarterback Logan Smith with senior Caleb Pilgrim. Jamijae Karim is returning after running for over 1,000 yards, and Pilgrim will have Kendall Jackson and Chris Stable as his top targets.

 

           Zach Welborn is a standout at defensive end.

 

           LANDRUM

           Mike Reid takes over a team that went 5-5. He has Ty Foster back at quarterback along with AJ Lindsey at running back. Cooper Tidwell and Braylon Revis will be the receivers.

 

           BLACKSBURG

           The Wildcats lost a lot on offense after going 2-8 last season. Treyvon Clark will be the new quarterback with Gage Lee the top running back.

 

           Ryley Burton will be a key performer at linebacker, and Lane Rising will be a starter on both sides of the line.



           REGION II

1. Batesburg-Leesville 2. Saluda 3. Strom Thurmond 4. Ninety Six 5. Pelion 6. American Leadership

 

BATESURG-LEESVILLE

           Not only are the Panthers the pick to win the region, but they were the No. 1 team in the preseason poll.

 

           B-L returns six starters on offense, including star running back Amadre Wooden and speedy wide receiver KD Whitt. There are seven back on defense, the top ones being defensive lineman Travis Gates and LB Tyler Wootton.

 

           SALUDA

           Greg Woerner takes over a 9-2 team from Stewart Young, who took the job at Lexington. The Tigers look to be strong again, ranked No. 7 in the preseason.

 

           Saluda returns four of four starters on the offensive line led by center Sid Shaw. Brayden Williams will be the quarterback with Tristan Daniels at running back and CJ Springs a key receiving target.

 

           Springs will also be a key contributor in the second at cornerback.

 

           STROM THURMOND

           The 12h-ranked Rebels have six starters back on offense from a 6-4 team, including quarterback Bri’Shaun Lee.

 

           Seven starters are back on defense led by DB Kaleb Simpkins, who has an offer from Wake Forest as well as three Ivy League schools.

 

           NINETY SIX

           Ninety Six will be looking to improve upon a 3-8 season. They have quarterback Jacob Evans along with targerts such as Kobi Quarles, Carter Davis and tight end Parker Sutley.

 

`          DL Nathan McCary and LB Gabe Hackett will be key performers.

 

           PELION

           Cory Helms takes over a program that went 2-9 last season. He will have junior Alan Moore back at QB while Tre Jackson and Brady Cottingham will be getting carries.

 

           Cottingham will also start on the D line alongside Ben Stabler, who will also start on the OL

 

           AMERICAN LEADERSHIP

 

           ALA is in its second year of existence and it received no favors being placed in such a deep region. The goal this season is to win a game after going 0-9 last year.

 

           Brice Cook will be the quarterback with Leonard Pressley as his top target. ALA will have a slew of players going on both sides.

 

           REGION 3

1.  Fairfield Central 2. Chester 3. Mid-Carolina 4. Columbia 5. Eau Claire

 

           FAIRFIELD CENTRAL

Fairfield Central was ranked third. The Griffins played for the upper state title, losing to Clinton.

 

           They will have to replace some key performers, mainly 2,000-yard rusher Tydarion Grier. They do have Kaden Diggs back at quarterback. LBs Breone Whitaker and Dre Walker both recorded over 100 tackles.

 

           CHESTER

           The Cyclones had a down year for them, going 5-6. However, they are always competitive under head coach Victor Floyd and were ranked 13th.

 

           Hudhaifah Taylor is back after running for just under 1,000 yards. Junior Caleb Feaster will again be a key contributor in the running game. Junior Omari Pendergrass caught six TD passes.

 

           MID-CAROLINA

 

           The Rebels went 5-6 last season with a very young team. They return eight starters on offense and seven on defense.

 

           Davis Ruff is back at quarterback. Ryker Woolstenhulme and Wyatt Mazza will be at RB. There are our starters back on the O line.

 

           COLUMBIA

           The Capitals went 5-6 last season, the first time it had wn that many games since 2011.

 

           Darius Cunningham will be the quarterback with Tyquan Sanders back at RB. Leading tackler and linebacker Rondrecus Peterson returns as well.

 

           EAU CLAIRE

           The Shamrocks went just 2-9 last year, but it was a successful season. The program picked up its first victory since 2019.

 

           Smith Bryant is back at quarterback with Joshua Smith and JahCory Sumter expected to get the football a lot.

 

           The defense will be led by 6-foot-5-inch edge rusher Kevin Williams.



           REGION 4

1.  Central 2. Cheraw 3. Andrew Jackson 4. Chesterfield 5. North Central 6. Buford

 

           CENTRAL

           The Eagles had Pageland rocking last year, going 10-3 and reaching the third round of the playoffs.

 

           They return nine starters on offense and seven on defense. That includes junior QB Dwayne Louallen and running backs Ashten Wilson and Aiden Short.

 

           Taveon Moore is a standout both in the secondary and as a receiver for the No. 6 Eagles.

 

           CHERAW

           The Braves won the region crown last year, going 10-3 and losing to Barnwell by one point in the lower state championship game.

 

           No. 8 Cheraw lost a lot of players, but quarterback Kadin Thomas should have a good year, The defense will be le by DB Crawford Poole.

 

           ANDREW JACKSON

           The Volunteers went 4-6 overall but were 3-2 in region play. Logan Neal is back at quarterback and 1,000-yard rusher Damias Seegars returns as well.

 

           Defensive end Kamron McGill is back after having 11 tackles for loss

 

           CHESTERFIELD

           The Rams went 6-5 last season but were just 1-4 in region play. They hope to improve upon that.

 

           Bryce Adams is back at quarterback. Sincere Hubbard will be back to anchor the defense at middle linebacker.

 

           NORTH CENTRAL

           The Knights are trying to build from a 3-7 season in which they went 1-4 in region play.

 

           QB Bryce Price is back to lead the offense. DL Zaimain Bennett returns to anchor the defense.

 

           BUFORD

           Like Chesterfield and North Central, Buford also went 1-4 in the region with a 2-7 overall mark.

 

           Noah Crump returns at quarterback along with his two top WRs in Cole Carnes and Hawkins Wilson.

 

           CB Marvin Randolph is back after having nine TFLS.



           REGION 5

1.  Hampton County 2. Barnwell 3. Whale Branch 4. Edisto 5. Lake Marion

 

Hampton County

           The Hurricanes were ranked eighth in the preseason poll. They went 8-3 last year after losing 18 starters from the previous season. They return most of their starters on both sides of the football.

 

           Tarell Grant will take over at quarterback while 1,000-yard rusher Jaylen Singletary will line up beside him. He will have five returning starters opening holes.

 

           Singletary is also a standout at CB. Junior MLB Javn Risher had 12 TFLs.

 

           BARNWELL

           The Warhorses lost lots of talent from last year’s team that played for the state title. However, there are plenty of pieces returning.

 

           That starts with four offensive linemen led by Jackson Bedingfield. They will be leading the way for Nehemiah Brown, who Is also a standout DB. Top defensive performers returning are LB Henri Creech and DB Damahjal Devoe.

 

           WHALE BRANCH

           Willie White is the new head coach, taking over for Jerry Hatcher after a 4-6 season.

 

           Senior Jernion Bowers returns after leading in both passing and rushing. Defensive lineman Tony Broxton Jr. is back after recording 12 TFLS and three quarterback sacks.

 

           EDISTO

           Edisto went 3-7 last season and 1-3 in the region. They will have Jason Worthington at QB with Makye Salley a top target.

 

           LAKE MARION

           The Gators are coming off a 3-5 season in which they went 0-4 in region play.

 

           They have good size on the offensive line in Caden Keller (6-0, 254) and Charles Smith (6-4, 240).

 


           REGION 6

1. Philip Simmons 2. Timberland 3. Woodland 4. Andrews 5. Academic Magnet 6. Burke

 

PHILIP SIMMONS

Philip Simmons went 10-3 last season, reaching the third round of the playoffs. The fifth-ranked Iron Horses have seven starters back on both sides of the ball.

 

           Maurico Curry and Hayes Goddard have battled for the quarterback job. Yosi Mallett and Jaydon Camp will anchor the offensive line.

 

           The defense is led by linebacker brothers Brody Tonon and Trevor Tonon with brother Chase Tonon in the secondary.

 

           TIMBERLAND

           The Wolves have a lot of talent returning from a squad that wen 8-4. They are ranked 10th.

 

           Desmond Green, who has committed to Florida, leads an experienced O line. Senior Malyk Goodman returns at QB.

 

DB Carter Hawkins was one of the top tacklers on the team in 2024 and led in interceptions.

 

           WOODLAND

Woodland was No. 11 and is coming of a 7-4 season and has six starters returning on both sides of the football. That includes three All-State performers/

 

           They are offensive tackle Tyreon Summerson, linebacker Jaemin Pinkney and DL Dononvan Miles.

 

           Jervaze Salley returns at quarterback.

 

           ANDREWS

           Andrews has seven starters back on both sides of the football from a team that went 6-5.

 

One of those returning is RB AJ Lee, who is close to 3,000 career yards. Also back is defensive lineman Chris Stewart, a Western Michigan commit.

 

           ACADEMIC MAGNET

           Academic Magnet went 4-7 last season and 1-4 in region play. Campbell Stoklosa is back at QB. Junior LB Caleb Parrish is the leading returning tackler.

 

           BURKE

           Burke went 1-8 last season and was winless in five region contests.

 

           Ka’Mari Taylor will be the quarterback and will play free safety on defense.



           REGION 7 

1. Manning 2. East Clarendon 3. Lake City 4. Mullins 5. Kingstree 6. Marion 7. Atlantic Collegiate

 

MANNING

The Monarchs lost their first game of the season and then reeled off 11 straight wins before falling to Barnwell in the lower state title game.

 

Manning, which was ranked fourth in the preseason, returns four of five starters on the O line. Lovell Stevenson will take over at quarterback, but will have Jontavious Canty lining up at running back.

 

           Canty is also a standout linebacker. However, he is only one of two returning starters defensively.

 

           EAST CLARENDON

           The Wolverines went 8-4 last season and reached the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

 

           Takoda Cornelius is back after starting at QB the past two years. He will still see plenty of time taking snaps, but he’ll line up at WR some. Blease Hardy and Gavin White will see time behind center.

 

           All of the offensive line returns with Jayln Barron and   leading the way.

 

LAKE CITY

The Panthers were 4-7 last season, but came up on the short end of several games. They have six starters back on offense, led by 3-year starting QB Amari Hanna. There are  four returning starters on the O line. RJ Matthews will be a weapon at WR.

 

Senior linebackers Shayon Shavers and Hunter Blanchard will lead the defense.

 

MULLINS

           The Auctioneers made a big jump in Marc Lowery’s second season, going rom winless to seven victories. However, they finished fifth in the region so the goal is to make a push.

 

           KaNazzion Bethea returns for his third and final year at quarterback. Andre Littlejohn and Nathan Peracki are back at linebacker to lead the defense.

 

KINGSTREE

Brandon Cantrell is the Blazers’ new head coach. He takes over a team that went 5-7 and reached the second round of the playoffs.

 

           He inherits an outstanding running back in senior Tyleek Dukes, who ran for 1,798 yards and 21 TDs. Sophomore Makhi Shaw returns at QB after starting as a freshman.

 

           BJ Washington is back after coming up with 17 TFLs and nine sacks.

 

           MARION

           The Swamp Foxes are young – really young. They are starting just three seniors on offense and none on defense. There are only three juniors starting on defense.

 

The starting quarterback is freshman Jayden Nowlin. Two of the seniors will be on the O line in Diego Herrera and Norvell Finklea.

 

ATLANTIC COLLEGIATE

The Armada had a successful first season because it didn’t finish last in the region. ACA went 1-8, the victory coming over Marion.

 

           Brennon Moore plays all over the field on both sides of the ball. He was the main QB, and he has one of his favorite targets back in sophomore Tyler Yock.

 

Saluda Football Uses Spring To Build Depth

By Dennis Brunson • July 3, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Saluda – The Saluda High School football team will have a good amount of experience returning for the 2026 season. The Tigers have six starters back on offense and eight on defense from a team that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the AA state playoffs. However, they didn’t get a lot of work in during spring practice because many of them were on the school’s baseball and track and field teams that made deep runs in the postseason. Saluda head coach Greg Woerner found a silver lining in that though. “We were only able to get eight days of spring practice in and made the most o it and got better learning the offense and defense and developing some depth with the younger guys,” said Woerner, who will be in his second season as head coach. “A lot of our returning starters were making playoff runs in baseball and track, so we got a good luck at our depth.” Saluda returns four players who were selected to the All-Region 2-AA team last year. They are rising junior placekicker Ericson Vasquez , senior running back Tristan Daniels, senior tight end Jahmeer Myers and junior defensive back Ceddion Springs . Vasquez was named the Region 2 Special Teams Player of the year. Woerner is hoping the Tigers can be productive in the month of July leading into the start of fall practice. “For the remainder of the summer we’re really just looking forward to continuing to get stronger but also focusing in more on football,” Woerner said. “We had a good June competing in 7-on-7s (competitions) and getting better at our passing game and pass defense. July will focus more on getting better at the whole game.” The Tigers completed their 7-on-7 competition in June. Their first scrimmage will be on August 6 at Woodland before coming home to scrimmage Gilbert on August 10. Saluda is scheduled to open its season on August 21 at home against Abbeville . The Tigers will be part of a new region in Region 4-AA. The region will include two old Region 2 foes in defending state champion Strom Thurmond and Pelion to go with American Leadership Academy , Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Silver Bluff . MILLER MARTIN SELECTED TO AA ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM Sophomore pitcher Miller Martin , a key figure for Saluda’s AA state championship softball team, was selected to the AA All-State softball team announced by the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports . Martin had a 15-3 win-loss record and struck out 248 batters in 139 2/3 innings while posting a 0.70 earned run average. At the plate, Martin had a .308 batting average with five home runs and 32 runs batted in. Martin was also named the Region 2 Co-Player of the Year. Martin was joined on the All-Region team by Amy Sorcia , Zoey Springs and Nyla Jordan . Tigers head coach Hannah Towery said the program’s first ever state title sets a precedent for the future. “Future players will walk on to that field knowing a championship can be achieved because this team proved it,” said Towery, who guided Saluda to a 29-3 record. “The banner will hang, the trophy will be displayed, and the record books will always show who did it first. “History remembers champions, but it especially remembers those who paved the way. This team just didn’t win a state championship – they built a legacy.”

Jefferson Davis football focusing on the basics over the summer

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 3, 2026
Raiders return everyone along the line from 8-4 team that reached 8-man semifinals

OCA Football Sets Sights On Four-Peat

By David Shelton • July 2, 2026
Oceanside's rising senior QB, Aiden Manavian is nearing 10,000 career passing yards and threw 42 touchdown passes last season.

W W King Holds Spring Athletic Banquet

By Gerald Doolittle • July 1, 2026
By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer, HSSR Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. -W.W. King Academy held its Spring/Winter Athletic Banquet in mid-May to honor their 2025-26 athletic efforts. All the Knight teams were very competitive in their SCISA Class A region where they competed against Wardlaw Academy, Newberry Academy, Cambridge Academy, Richard Winn Academy and Anderson Christian . The Varsity Baseball team won the SCISA Class A Title . The Varsity Softball team was very competitive in the playoffs. Coach Jessica Anderson presented the Varsity Girls Basketball Awards . Blythe Buzhardt won the All-Around Excellence Award. Kenzie Morse won the Defensive Player-of-the-Year Award. Coach Dennis Gibson presented the Varsity Boys Basketball Awards. Spencer McCormick received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Brady Goff received the Sharp-Shooter Award. Coach Allen Guy presented the Varsity Softball Awards. Blythe Buzhardt received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Abby Aull received the Leadership Award and Kenzie Morse received the Iron Athletic Award. Coach Zach Matthews presented five awards to his Varsity Baseball State Champion players. Elijah Hutto received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Luke Harvey received the Defensive Player of The Year Award. Wyatt Burbank, Zed Watkins and Smith Kirby shared the Team Leadership Award. Athletic Director Kathy Gibson assisted in presenting the Senior Awards. Smith Kirby and Abby Aull received the Senior Student Athlete of the Year Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie Morse received the Athlete of the Year Award. Spencer McCormick and Abby Aull received the Christian Leadership Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie received the Varsity Year-Round Athletes Award.

Florence Christian football team lost a few players to more than just graduation

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 1, 2026
Eagles do return Region Defensive Player of the Year in Hayden Schwab

Lodge Begins Fourth Season As Berkeley Coach

By David Shelton • June 30, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – After a pair of six-win seasons in his first two years , Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall. Lodge is hoping and expecting to see continued growth and development in 2026 and recently put his prospective team through spring drills. The purpose of the spring is to identify roles and hopefully find rising talent that can assist either as backups or starters this fall. “Our spring is about evaluating kids, all of them, to see where they fit in,” Lodge said, “Those practices are very important to the growth of the program. We get everyone involved amd work to get them up to speed. Once we get into the summer, we are working hard to get stronger in the weight room along with seven-on-seven stuff.” Lodge says most of the returning experience is on the offensive side and the Stags should be explosive. Henry Rivers , a senior, will be a fourth-year starter and rates as one of the best in the state. Hethres for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, adding 803 rushing yards and 16 more scores. Returning at receiver are John Cleveland, Eli Mitchell and Johnathan Mitchell, who combined for more than 60 receptions last season. Anchoring the running game are returners Lawrence Washington, Bryson McGee and Jesse Brown . That trio will work behind a revamped offensive line but Lodge sees potential in the developing unit up front. “I like our depth at running back and receiver, and of course we have a veteran leader at quarterback,” said Lodge. There are significantly more holes to fill on defense. The Stags lost an all-state tackle and three starting linebackers that were three-year starters. There also are three holes to fill on the back endd. “We have identified some young men who we feel will step in and be solid players for us,” Lodge said. “Replacing the experience is tough but we have some guys who will learn and grow over time. We’re not new to having young guys on the field. The talent is there and there are opportunities for guys to get on the field.”

Pinewood Preparing To Move Up A Class

By Roger Lee • June 29, 2026
Expectations are high for Pinewood Prep quarterback Silas Brawner.

Cane Bay Football Looking To Get Back On Track

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – The last two football seasons have been sub-par for the Cane Bay Cobras but veteran head coach Russell Zehr believes the pieces are in place for a potential resurgence. The Cobras finished the last two seasons with three wins each but did win a region championship in 2024. Zehr and his staff have worked hard in the offseason to develop some up and coming talent. They did so through the weight room and spring practice. “We had a good spring overall,” Zehr said. “We were missing a handful of guys due to track but we had good numbers. We spent a lot of time getting everyone up to speed. It was an opportunity for us to see younger kids that are coming up and find out who can help us this season. We had about 80 kids during the sprng and about 75 of those have been consistent in their workouts over the summer.” The Cobras will have a new quarterback this fall. Zehr says senior Coran Houp e is moving from running back to run the option offense this season. Returning in the backfield are Mayson Samuel and Sam Rolston , with some talented backs coming from the lower levels. The offensive line returns two starters, Isaac Siefken and Eli Taylor . Junior JJ Rose is back as the leader along the defensive front, with ends Devin Cobbs and B rennen Shokes also returning. The linebackers will be new starters with only Jackson Williamson returning with experience. The secondary could be a strength with returners Tyrell Bess, Zion Bryant and Caeden Wilson . The kicking game is a solid strength with senior Aiden Thorne returning. Thorne is a deep threat on kickoffs and field goals. “He’s got a leg and can be a real weapon for us,” Zehr said. Cane Bay participated in weekly 7-on-7 passing league scrimmages during June and will play at The Citadel event in July.

Mckoy Continues To Build A Winner At James Island

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
Head football coach at James Island, Jamar McKoy has worked to build his program into one of the more consistent programs in the state.

Red Fox Football Putting In The Work For 2026 Season

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – As he embarks on his 22 nd season as the head football coach at Hartsville High, Jeff Calabrese is anxiously anticipating the upcoming 2026 season. Calabrese, with more than 200 career coaching wins, sys his team has put in good work in the offseason and appears focused on bettering last year’s 7-5 record. “We had a good spring practice, a good offseason all together really,” the coach said. “The numbers were maybe a little down but not far off. We spent a lot of time evaluating every position. If we needed to make a change we did. The focus in the spring and summer is making sure we have the right guys in the right spots. We basically are trying to get everyone on the same page.” Like all the schools in the state, the Red Foxes put in training four days a week from 8:30 to 11 am. Calabrese says this summer has been especially important as four new coaches have joined the program, including new defensive coordinator Neil Smith . “Really excited to have coach Smith. He brings a ton of energy and experience and he has really adapted well here,” Calabrese said. In terms of personnel, the Red Foxes have experience returning in several areas, starting with quarterback. Junior Ford Wallace is back as the starter and continues to develop in his role as a leader on the offense.. Returning at running back is Trace Hillian with CJ Hickmon moving from receiver to the backfield. Anchoring the offensive line is two-time all-region performer Fred Turner . Other returning linemen, who could end up on either side of the ball, include Creighton McKnight, Jake Williams, Jaquan Samuel and Pat Rhode. Rod Cranford returns in the back seven as a third-year starter. Zi’Yon Mason is moving from the secondary to linebacker, as is Jamario Scipio-Bishop. Devaris James and Deon McCall are players to watch in the secondary. “At a school our size, sometimes you have to move some kids around to make it all fit,” Calabrese said. “That’s why the summer is so important, to get those kids a lot of reps, good group to work with. We just need to build some depth.”
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