Marlboro County boys basketball team off to fast start
Bulldogs were off to 8-3 start despite having to replace nine seniors
Bennettsville – Marlboro County High School boys basketball head coach Demetrius Knox thought the 2024-25 edition of the Bulldogs would be a good one. However, he also knew there could be some growing pains.
Through 11 games though, Knox has nothing but praise for his team. MCHS was off to an 8-3 start waiting for play in Region 5-AAA to begin on January 9 at home against
Aynor.
“This team has been playing great and played above everybody’s expectations,” said Knox, who is in his third season as Marlboro County head coach. “I know what we had coming up and coming back to this team, but nobody expected us to be this good after losing some key pieces and losing nine seniors.”
The Bulldogs return just two starters from last year’s 13-10 team in seniors
Justin Purvis and
Ralphier Monroe. Purvis is averaging 9.8 points per game to go along with 2.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals. Monroe id leading the team in both scoring and rebounding at 11.0 and 5.0, respectively. He’s also averaging 2.0 assists.
The rest of the starting five is made up of senior
Isaiah Johnson, sophomore
Isaiah Whitner and sophomore
LaQuincy Leach. Johnson was averaging 7.6 points and 2.0 rebounds
Whitner was averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds while Leach was averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Knox said MCHS needs to become a more fundamentally sound team.
“This team needs to improve on becoming more consistent on the defensive side of the ball and rebounding the ball at a high level,” he said.
Other members of the rotation are senior
Jahdon Covington, sophomore
Will Jeffcoat, freshman
Tre Blakeney, sophomore
Tymire
German and senior
Zahkari Parnell. Covington is averaging 4.0 points, Jefcoat 5.4, Blakeney 2.3, German 2.3 and Parnell 3.1
The remainder of the roster includes senior
Donovan Outlaw and sophomore
Camerion Smith.
MARLBORO COUNTY GIRLS START 4-8
The Marlboro County girls basketball team was taking a 4-8 record into region play. The Bulldogs lost five of their first six games before rebounding to split their next six games.
Freshman
Serenity Bethea is leading the team in scoring at 12.8. Freshman
Lyanna Boatwright is at 9.7 followed by sophomore
Jordyn
Zimmerman at 6.5, senior
Teyona Johson at 5.8 and senior
London Dudley at 5.0
Jenkins is the leading rebounder at 10.5 while Bethea is grabbing 8.1 boards. Boatwright has a team high 3.3 assists along with 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 steals. Bethea has a team high 4.8 steals to go with 2.3 assists.
