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.

 

SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final

By Staff Reports • December 22, 2025
SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final Columbia, SC (12-19-25) -- The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) has finalized the classification placement of all schools beginning with the 2026-27 school year. This classification placement will be in effect for two years. The guidelines established by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee served as the blueprint for schools’ placements. Schools were assigned based on their enrollment count, to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier. Flexibility, as approved by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee, was also used with consideration given to geographics and travel. “Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said Dr. Jerome Singleton, Commissioner of the SCHSL. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.” The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 13-14, 2026, to hear appeals regarding the classification placements. The final reclassifications are attached.

Stratford’s Davis Leads South Carolina to 17-7 Win in 89th Shrine Bowl

By David Shelton • December 21, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Spartanburg – Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis threw a pair of touchdown passes and South Carolina defeated North Carolina, 17-7, in the 89 th Shrine Bowl all-star game in Spartanburg on December 20. Davis , named the offensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers, completed 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards in the game. He is headed to Liberty University as an early enrollee. “Great experience and great to get a win,” Davis said. “Playing with all of these great players was something I will never forget.” South Carolina dominated the game defensively, allowing only 136 total yards. The Tarheels completed just five of 19 passes. Stratford running back Maliq McGowan , a late addition to the roster, finished as the leading rusher for South Carolina with 42 yards on nine carries. West Ashley’s Bristol Biegenzahn played on the defensive front for the Sandlappers while Berkeley’s Zion Britt started on the offensive line. Cross safety, and South Carolina signee Caden Ramsey , Berkeley linebacker Gehad Sneed , and Timberland offensive lineman Desmond Green, who is headed to Florida, also played for the Sandlappers. “You win all-star games with defense and our defense was outstanding,” said SC head coach Paul Sutherland , who retired as the head coach at Liberty High after the season. “Glad to get the win for South Carolina. The kids were great. I am very blessed to have had this opportunity.” It took less than 10 seconds for the Sandlappers to score the game’s first touchdown as Davis combined with Dillon receiver Zay Robertson , heading to North Carolina , on an 80-yard bomb on the first play of the game for a quick 7-0 lead. Robertson finished the game with four catches for 131 yards. “He’s a great player,” said Davis of Robertson. “Getting that first touchdown was a tone setter.” South Carolina lost fumbles on their next two possessions, the second miscue leading to North Carolina’s game-tying touchdown after a 23-yard drive. Spartanburg’s Will Love , heading to Virginia Tech , kicked a 35-yard field goal late in the second quarter for a 10-7 halftime lead for the Sandlappers. South Carolina’s last play offensive snap in the game was Davis’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Jude Hall of Christ Church with :59 seconds left on the game clock. Chester linebacker Terry Rayford , who had 11 tackles, was the defensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers. Dorman's Kentavion Anderson and Ridge View's Jordan Best recorded interceptions The win gives South Carolina a 48-34 lead in the series. There have been seven ties.

SCHSL releases proposed reclassification for 2026-27, '27-28 school years

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • December 20, 2025
Proposal has AAAAA going from 54 schools to 40 and not being split into divisions

Hilton Head Christian Overcomes Adversity

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Bluffton – The 2025 football season was an unusual one for the Hilton Head Christian Academy football team. The Eagles, who had won three SCISA state titles in the five previous seasons, got off to a 2-5 start. On top of that, starting quarterback Reid McCollum left the school in the middle of the season. With the reshuffling, Hilton Head Christian lost its first game. However, the Eagles responded with four consecutive wins, including a 42-20 win over Trinity Collegiate in the first round of the AAA state playoffs. The season came to an end the next week with a 50-29 semifinal loss to Wilson Hall . Eagles head coach Ron Peduzzi is happy with the way his players rebounded to finish with a 6-6 record. “I was really proud of our guys, the way they rallied around the team and each other,” Peduzzi said. “They literally battled the second half of the year every play. “It was a very tough season. A lot of guys stood up and elevated their games. They had to stand up and become leaders also, so I was really happy with that.” HHCA had four players selected to the All-Region 1-AAA offensive first team in junior wide receivers Joey Houpt and Jackson Richardson , sophomore wide receiver Sam Strom and senior kick returner Tommy Gehm . Those on the first-team defense were sophomore defensive lineman Hayne Burden , junior linebacker Kres Langhals , sophomore linebacker Chase White and senior linebacker Finn Ussery . Houpt, who was named HHCA’s outstanding offensive contributor, was the leading pass catcher with 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns. Richardson had 45 catches for 645 yards and five scores, while Strum had 31 catches for 415 yards and five scores. Gehm returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 21.1 yards per return on 24 attempts. He returned six punts for 46 yards. Burden, who was named Hilton Head Christian’s outstanding defensive contributor, led the team in tackles with 105, tackles for loss with 13, quarterback sacks with four and quarterback hurries with 21. Langhals, who was the quarterback in the second half of the season, had 39 tackles, five TFLs, 2 ½ sacks, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries. White, who received HHCA’s Sledgehammer Award, had 82 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception. Ussery, who received the team’s Captains Award, had 87 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception.. Ussery and Gehm played in the SCISA North-South Seniors All-Star Game, while Houpt, Richardson, Strom, Burden and Langhals played in the Futures contest. Senior running back Hudson Baker , sophomore offensive linemen Caleb Altizer and Josh Koepke and sophomore cornerback Keyvon Aiken were selected second-team All-Region. Baker received the team’s Coaches Award and Burleson Award, and freshman Max Zwilsky earned the Lunchpail Award. Peduzzi believes good things await the Eagles in 2026. “We have a very large sophomore class that will be juniors next year, so I look forward for to next season,” he said. “We do need to elevate the number of players in our program playing, so that’s something we’ll be working on.”

OCA Wins Third Consecutive State Title with 28-7 Win Over BHP

By David Shelton • December 19, 2025
Oceanside senior WR, Terence Johnson, a Shrine Bowl all-star game selection, had 57 catches for 1,153 yards and 17 touchdowns plus 9 rushing touchdowns this season.

Panthers aim to remain a contender

By Roger Lee • December 19, 2025
Running back Grayson Salego is one of several starters who should return to the Panthers’ football team next season. Photo by Roger Lee. 

Timberland girls basketball team off to torrid start

By Rob Gantt • December 19, 2025
Timberland's Zion Prioleau, named on of Class AA's top seniors by the SC Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 2024-20225.

Wilson Hall senior class 32-7 last 3 years

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The Wilson Hall football team played in its third straight SCISA AAA state championship game in November. And for the third straight year, the Barons came out on the short end of the stick. WH lost to Pinewood Prep for the second consecutive year, falling by a score of 55-13. That being said, Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki could only praise his team, especially the 17-man senior class. “This group of seniors graduates with three trips to the state championship and not many people can say that,” Jarecki said of the Class of 2026, which went 32-7 over that 3-year stretch. “I’m extremely proud of them. They’re our leaders at the school. They’re the influential people at our school. We’d love to see them go out with success in the end, but what they accomplished is pretty special, and they’ve got to take pride in that. “They had a great year (finishing with an 11-2 record for the second straight year) and they’ve had a great career. It’s tough not to come out on top, but they know what it takes to get here and they bought into it.” Six of those seniors were among the eight Barons named to the All-Region 2-AAA team. Leading the way was quarterback Ford Wilder , who was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year. Wilder completed 41 of 79 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 483 yards and 12 TDs on 87 carries. Senior running backs Ben McLaurin and Milling Galloway were selected. McLaurin rushed for 1,234 yars and 16 scores on 121 carries. Galloway rushed for 585 yards and 11 touchdowns 62 carries despite missing three games and the majority of a fourth due to injury. The other senior All-Region picks were free safety Harris Naylor and defensive linemen Walker Wilson and Andrew Howle . Naylor had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass deflections. Wilson had 39 tackles, seven TFLs, two quarterback sacks and one PD. Howle had 28 tackles, a team high nine TFLs and two sacks. The other two All-Region selections were junior defensive lineman Reese Wilson and junior linebacker Peyton Gilley . Reese Wilson shared the team lead in sacks with four to go with 21 tackles, eight TFLs, one PD and one fumble recovery. Gilley had a team high 61 tackles and shared the team lead in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown, to go with three sacks and six TFLs. Along with being All-Region picks, each of the eight were All-State selections and were chosen to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Games.

Lee Academy basketball teams start slow

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson Hssr.com Associate Editor Bishopville – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lee Academy got off to 1-3 starts, but neither of the head coaches are close to making a determination on what the season holds for their squads. “I am really excited about the team we have for this season,” said boys head coach Kemp DeWitt , who is in his second season at Lee. “We return four players that gave us crucial minutes last season. Brayden Davis , Cain June , Gavin Makela and Paxton Greene give me a solid base surrounded by the new faces we have this season. “We look to find our identity as a team before we head into Christmas break, so we can come out strong when region play starts.” Davis, a sophomore point guard, and June, a senior small forward, are the two returning starters. Davis was averaging 9.3 points per game, while June was scoring at a 9.0 clip. Makela is a junior center while Greene is a senior shooting guard. The other starter is junior power forward Aiden Fitzgerald . Greene was averaging 6.3 points, Fitzgerald 3.5 and Makela 1.6. Other members of the boys team are senior Collins Drayton , junior Cannon Hopkins , who was averaging 5.0, junior Tucker Rodgers , junior James Watson , junior Matthew Inabinet and junior Keegan Gainey . Girls head coach Kim Langston , a decades-long veteran of the SCISA wars, said she hadn’t seen enough of her team to form an opinion. The Lady Cavaliers are young with just one senior starter in Mazie Tomlinson . The other starters are junior Mallori Frye , sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Kaisley Melton and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside . Karagan Melton was the leading scorer with a 9.5 average to go with 3.8 rebounds. Tomlinson was averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 steals, 4.3 assists and 9.5 boards, Whiteside was at 5.0 points, 1.0 blocked shots and 6.8 rebounds, Frye was averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, and Kaisley Melton was averaging 2.3 steals, 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes sophomore Emma Beasley , senior Sara Bell , senior Zana Brazell , senior Raylee Catoe and junior Addie Grace Wilkes . 4 CAVALIERS FOOTBALL ALL REGION The Lee football team had four players selected to the All-Region 1-Class A team. The selections were wide receiver/linebacker Cain June, senior quarterback/defensive back Andrew Bowers , senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Hampton Layton and senior linebacker/running back Tucker Boyce .

Hartsville Boys Basketball Looks To Be Improved This Season

By David Shelton • December 18, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – Now in his third season, Hartsville High boys basketball coach Jason Earle feels his rebuilding project is starting to see positive results. The Red Foxes won four games in Earle’s first season and improved to six wins last season. The 2025-26 season saw Hartsville win their first three games, giving Earle a reason to be optimistic about the chances of improvement. “Most of these guys have been playing for me now for three years,” reports the coach. “We have continued to get better each year. The expectation that I have for this team is to play really hard and make the playoffs.” Most of the heavy lifting this season comes from seniors and juniors who have gained experience while taking their lumps. Junior guard Kayson Dawson and junior forward Derion Gattison are setting the early pace as scoring leaders. Dawson is averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game early on while Gattison is at 13.5 points and nearly five boards per game. Dawson averaged 11 points per game a season ago while Gattison scored 5.1 points per game. Senior Zaries Huggins is a starting guard, averaging 7.5 points early on. Senior Tristian Spann also starts as a wing and senior Dorian Mason starts at forward and contributes 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the early going. Earle says the leadership this season comes primarily from Dawson, Gattison and Mason. Sophomore CJ Hickmon is first off the bench and can play guard or forward. Remaining players include junior Kelly Price , junior Zi’yon Mason , junior Karmelo Pooler , junior Jamyari Scipio-Bishop , junior Justin Hines and junior Eli Lynch . Hartsville competes in region 6-AAAA, a highly competitive basketball league. Earle sees Crestwood and Wilson as two of the top teams and is hopeful his team can join in the mix for the region title. “The region should be a real battle every night,” the coach said. The girls team opened the season at 1-1 and also looks to contend for a playoff berth this season. The top returning player this season is junior guard Nay Gibson , who is averaging 17.4 points per game early on. Senior Sha’Niyah Richardson contributes offensively as well, along with junior Ariel Leatch , each better than six points per game.  The only other senior on the girls roster is Kamori Williams . Juniors are Aniyah Robinson, Zariyah Spann, Makayla Chapman, Brianna Watson and Chaniyah Thompson . Rounding out this year’s team are sophomores Zanaya Blakney and Trinity Thomas , and freshman Chassidy Johnson.
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