Midlands Teams Enliven Postseason Football

Worthy Evans • January 9, 2025

By WORTHY EVANS

Contributing Writer

 

Columbia – With the 2024 football season drawn to a close, several Midlands teams had much to celebrate.

 

Region 4-5A rivals Dutch Fork and Irmo reached the two SCHSL 5A state championship games in December. The Silver Foxes celebrated their ninth state championship after beating Summerville 35-21 in the Division 1 game and Irmo fell 34-31 against Northwestern in the Division 2 game.

 

In November SCISA power Hammond won its eighth straight state championship with a 28-21 victory over Porter Gaud in the 4A final game. Richard Winn outplayed Laurens Academy 43-6 for the 8-man state championship, its first since 2014.

 

Other notable playoff performances include Fairfield Central, which reached the 2A upper state championship game at Clinton, and Batesburg-Leesville, which had a surprising 12-1 season following its 5-6 effort in 2023. It was the Panthers’ first winning season since 2019.

 

Dutch Fork claims ninth state championship

The Silver Foxes made the regular season and playoffs look easy. With a roster heavy with 31 seniors hardened from a difficult yet successful 2023 state title win, Dutch Fork blew through the competition, never falling behind racking up six shutouts and outscoring opponents 474-73 going into the championship game.

 

Summerville (13-1) gave the Silver Foxes a shock in the 5A Division 1 state championship game Dec. 13 when it went up 14-6 early in the second quarter.

 

“Just stay the course,” Tom Knotts told the team by that point. “We knew there were some things we could do and we were shooting ourselves in the foot, we were letting our emotions take over, and we did some things really I thought were uncharacteristic of the way we played this year. We played in the first half like it was our first game of the year.”

 

Dutch Fork did get things straight. Junior quarterback Ethan Offing connected with senior Boykin Bickley for a 19-yard touchdown pass, and then found Jalen Montgomery in the end zone for the game-tying 2-point conversion.

 

B.J. Platts later powered into the end zone from eight yards out to give the Silver Foxes a 21-14 lead at the half.

 

Offing found Bickley again for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14 in the third quarter.

 

After Summerville responded with a third-quarter touchdown, Platts’ 38-yard TD run with two minutes left in the game secured the win for the Silver Foxes.

 

“This is a very deserving senior group,” Knotts said. “I wasn’t pleased with the way we won, we played with a lot of effort and the game just got a little chippy for my liking but we did come out with a ‘W’ which is always a great thing.”

 

Two senior defenders, Georgia Tech commit and cornerback/strong safety Elgin Sessions and South Carolina commit Josh Smith made the South Carolina Football Coaches Association’s All-Classification All-State team. Four seniors, running back Maurice Anderson, offensive lineman Cayden McFadden, defensive back Derek Smith and wide receiver K.J. Smith were selected to the 5A All-State Team. 

 

Late FG lifts Northwestern over Irmo in 5A Division 2 final

Much like its crosstown rival, Irmo (12-2) breezed through the regular season under the leadership of passing and running quarterback A.J. Brand. The Virginia Tech commit passed for 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,029 yards and 27 touchdowns this season.

 

The Yellow Jackets’ only slip was a 24-14 loss at Dutch Fork Nov. 8 to close out the regular season. The Yellow Jackets beat Chapin and West Florence convincingly, then hung on to beat White Knoll 29-25 to reach the 5A Division 2 championship game against unbeaten Northwestern Dec. 14.

 

The Yellow Jackets led 17-10 after a Matthew Fish field goal early in the third quarter, but Brand ran for a touchdown to tie the game. After Irmo forced a turnover on downs, Brand rushed 20 yards for another score to put the Yellow Jackets up 24-17 early in the fourth quarter.

 

Irmo’s first and only lead of the game was short-lived. Quarterback Finley Polk connected with Kameron Vance for two touchdowns to take a 31-24 lead with about four minutes to go.

 

Brand, who finished the night 12-for-17 in passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and with 21 carries for 168 yards and two scores, connected with Donovan Murph for the game-tying touchdown pass in the final minute. Murph, who committed to South Carolina Jan. 2, had eight catches for 123 yards and two TDs.

 

Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, Polk led the team 70 yards to the Irmo 10-yard line in that time. Fish lined up for a 27-yard field goal and hit it as time expired.

 

“I know they hurt and I hurt also,” Coach Brand said. “We’ve got a bunch of winners. We’ve got a bunch of playmakers and our playmakers made plays. Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough stops and that early turnover.

 

“Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you, and tonight was not our night and they got us at the end,” he added. “There's something to be said about going perfect all year. It is what it is. I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I wish we could get a couple of those drives back.”

 

Murph, who had 1,328 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, made the All-Classification All State team, along with offensive lineman Ryan Love and Brand. Brand was selected for the all-purpose spot because of his passing and running for 4,629 total yards and 57 total touchdowns.

 

Irmo reached the Division 2 championship by eliminating region rival White Knoll 29-25 Dec. 6. The Timberwolves finished the season 8-6. Defensive back Devin Geronomi made the All-Classification All-State team. Quarterback Landon Sharpe made the 5A All-State team.

 

Hammond’s game-winning drive clinches eighth straight state championship

The Hammond football team edged Porter Gaud 28-21 in the closing minute of the game Nov. 22 to claim yet another state championship, but the Skyhawks’ eighth straight state title and 22nd in school history did not come easily.

 

After Porter Gaud’s game-tying score and a Hammond fumble that nearly spelled disaster, the 13-0 Skyhawks made good on Andrew Turner’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Michael Tyler with 45 seconds left.

 

“Just so proud of this group, their resilience, their fight,” Hammond head coach Jon Wheeler said after the game. “We’ve been down at halftime in three of our last four state championship games. This team is battle-tested and they rise to the occasion.”

 

Porter Gaud tied the game at 21 on Tony Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run—the first play of the fourth quarter. The Cyclones drained the clock on that 51-yard drive, using 15 plays to tie the game with just under 12 minutes to go.

 

Hammond lost the football on the next possession, which set Porter Gaud on the Skyhawks’ 17-yard line. Poised to take their first lead of the game, the Cyclones actually had a touchdown play shortly after taking over, but the play was called back for a holding penalty.

After that flag, the Hammond defense forced Porter Gaud so far back that it had to punt from the Hammond 38.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of a defense because we were outmatched up front,” Wheeler said. “I’ve got to give credit to our defense for just fighting and fighting. I’m just so proud of them.”

 

That stand gave the break that the Skyhawks offense needed to close out the game. They went 80 yards and drained the rest of the fourth quarter on the drive. When it came time for points on the board, Wheeler said he knew what play to run.

 

“We haven’t tried a 40-yard field goal all year. Let’s put it in the hands of our senior quarterback, our senior offense, our skill players,” he said. “Let’s see if we can hit a pass and it’s déjà vu with Mike Tyler. And if we missed it, they’ve got 40 seconds and one time out, and they’re a running team, it’d go to overtime. Mike T and Andrew made a play, the offensive line protected, and that drive was unbelievable.”

 

It was the second straight year that a Turner-to-Tyler connection won the state championship. Hammond beat Laurence Manning 28-21 in 2023.

 

RWA claims first state football title since 2014

Richard Winn Academy’s surprise of a season ended on a happily unsurprising note Nov. 22

with a 43-6 victory over Laurens Academy at Wyman King Academy’s football field.

 

Senior quarterback Charlie Bonds closed out his high school career rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and passing for 155 yards and two scores.

 

As head coach Paul Brigman explained, as Charlie Bonds and his fellow seniors go, so goes the team.

 

“It’s the leadership that we got from those senior guys most of all. Charlie Bonds has been one of our best guys,” Brigman said. “Charlie has led the team from ninth grade on and this group’s been together for a long time. They’ve been a joy to coach and so receptive to coaching and just wanting to get better. In the end it turned out like we wanted it to. It was a great win.”

 

The Eagles (12-0) ran straight through the regular season with none of their games even close. Richard Winn’s dominance throughout the year was reminiscent of the school’s back-to-back 2A state championships in 1995-1996 under head coach David Porter.

 

“We got the ball and scored and went from there. It’s kind of our plan the whole time,” Bonds said. “We couldn’t have done much better, I’ll say that.”

 

Bonds led the offense throughout the year. Bonds went 52-for-69 in passing for 1,406 yards, 23 touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushing 107 times for 1,226 yards and 22 TDs.

 

FC falls to Clinton in 2A upper state championship

Fairfield Central’s drive to reach a state championship game for the first time in 27 years fell one game short.

 

The Griffins, who won 12 straight games after a season-opening loss to 5A Ridge View, fell 32-21 to Clinton Friday night at the Red Devils’ Wilder Stadium.

 

“If you would have told me back in May that we would have made it to the upper state championship, I would’ve looked at you like you was crazy,” 14-year head coach Demetrius Davis said about his team’s surprise year in which the Griffins caught fire early and outscored opponents 587-199 going into the Clinton game.

 

“This team played like heck. This defense played, and let me tell you, man, I’m super proud of these kids,” Davis added.

 

Senior running back and Shrine Bowl pick Ty’Darion Grier, who had 1,983 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns going into Friday, led Fairfield Central with 212 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Quarterback Kaden Diggs, who had 655 passing yards and 607 rushing yards before Friday, had a 19-yard touchdown run and 76 yards on 13 carries.

 

B-L falls to Red Devils in 3rd Round

Although falling 31-14 to Clinton in the third round of the playoffs Nov. 29, Batesburg-Leesville celebrated a reawakening of its football team that has won five state championships.

 

Since going 8-8 in 2019, The Panthers have won 15 out of 34 games going into the 2024 season.

 

Greg Lawson, in his third season as head coach of Batesburg-Leesville, saw his team blossom. The Panthers showed themselves to be prolific scorers, outscoring opponents 493-21 on the year. The defense threw six shutouts.

 

Batesburg-Leesville won the Region 2-2A championship easily, and blasted Columbia 42-6 and Andrew Jackson 49-14 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Only Clinton, which went on to rout Barnwell 35-6 in the 2A state championship game Dec. 12, got the best of the Panthers.

 

At 12-1, Batesburg-Leesville’s record is the best since 2013, when the Panthers went 12-2 and won the 2A state championship under Jerry Brown.

 

RNE’s Wilson claims Mr. Football title

Will Wilson, a wily and prolific quarterback who singlehandedly led Richland Northeast to an 8-4 record, was selected as the 30th recipient of the South Carolina Mr. Football award. He is the 11th quarterback to win the award.

 

Wilson received the recognition at halftime of the Touchstone energy Cooperatives Bowl at Myrtle Beach’s Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium Dec. 21.

 

Wilson, a North Carolina State signee, completed 66.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,482 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,144 yards and 20 touchdowns. He missed two games after having his knee scoped.

 

Other finalists for the award were Westside quarterback Cutter Woods, Rock Hill wide receiver Malik Clark, Belton-Honea Path running back Marquiese Henderson, and Gaffney offensive lineman Shed Sarratt.

 

 

Midlands Top 10

1.    Dutch Fork (13-0, 5-0 Region 4-5A)

2.    Irmo (13-2, 4-1 Region 4-5A)

3.    River Bluff (10-3, 3-2 Region 4-5A)

4.    Batesburg-Leesville (12-1, 5-0 Region 2-2A)

5.    Fairfield Central (12-2, 4-0 Region 3-2A)

6.    Hammond (13-0, 7-0 SCISA Region 4A)

7.    Camden (9-3, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

8.    Ridge View (8-5, 5-1 Region 5-5A)

9.    Newberry (7-4, 4-0 Region 4-3A)

10. AC Flora (8-4, 4-2 Region 3-4A)

 

 

SCACA Carolinas Classic Rosters

By Staff Reports • January 28, 2026
The Carolinas Classic rosters are out for both the male and female basketball teams. One classic event, two rosters, now is the time to get hyped and check out these outstanding student athletes.

SCISA Boys Basketball Region Battles Heat Up

By Gerald Doolittle • January 22, 2026
Orangeburg Prep senior Avery Ravenell is averaging 23 pts per game and on pace for another 400 point season.

SCISA Girls Basketball Races Take Shape

By Gerald Doolittle • January 22, 2026
Curtis Baptist Senior Maci Butler averaging 20 points per game and closing in on a third straight 300 point season.

Timberland Boys Basketball Team Heating Up On Hardwood As Season Enters Second Half

By Rob Gantt • January 22, 2026
By Rob Gantt Special to The HSSR St. Stephen - The Timberland High School boys basketball team seems to be heating up just as the weather turns cooler, when the games become more important. The Wolves started out 0-13 on the season but were competitive most nights during the opening stretch. They dropped seven games by single digits the first half of the campaign. However, Coach Jerome Stewart's club has won three of its last four games. All three victories came on the road. Most recently, the Wolves edged Andrews, 47-41. Junior guard Joshua Deas led the Wolves with 16 points, while sophomore forward Jordan Gorham added nine points. Sophomore wing Ellis Wiggins and senior wing Kevin Brown chipped in eight points apiece. Gorham, also one of the state's top football prospects, led around the glass with seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Wiggins also contributed five rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Timberland improved to 2-1 in Region 6-2A games heading into a road clash Tuesday, Jan. 20, at fellow Berkeley County School District program Philip Simmons. Three days earlier, Timberland also won a tight contest at Academic Magnet. The Wolves pulled out a 59-53 victory versus the Raptors. Wiggins led three Wolves in double figures with 12 points. Junior guard Joshua Brown and Kevin Brown added 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Senior forward Harold Sanders contributed nine points. Gorham and Kevin Brown tallied 10 rebounds apiece, while Gorham and Wiggins combined on five blocks. Timberland broke through for its first win of the 2025-26 season Jan. 6 at Military Magnet, getting past the Eagles by a score of 62-52. Wiggins and Kevin Brown poured in 18 points each and Sanders chipped in seven points. Wiggins also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists. In between that win and the most recent back-to-back victories, the Wolves lost a competitive clash at home against Burke. Wiggins and Kevin Brown combined for 28 points.  After Philip Simmons Jan. 20, the Wolves host Woodland Jan. 23.

Lawter Has Big Plans For The Emerald Wrestling Program

By Billy Baker • January 22, 2026
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Greenwood —The passion that first year Emerald head wrestling coach Hayden Lawter has for the sport he starred in at BHP is rubbing off on the Vikings team that won seven dual matches this season for the first time in quite some time. Lawter is a recent graduate of Lander University where he earned a wrestling scholarship after an outstanding high school career at BHP where he was a three-time state qualifier in the 220-pouind class. He also finished among the top three in the state in his weight class in both his junior and senior years. Lawter also earned North-South Honors his senior year with the Bears. He was a two-time all-region champion, and he was named Anderson County Prep Wrester of the Year after he helped lead BHP to a state wrestling title in 2021 when the team went undefeated. “We have some big plans to build the wrestling program at Emerald into a Top 10 program in the state within five years,” said Coach Lawter. “I have seen it done before. This summer we are starting a Summer Take-Down club in the Greenwood area that will range from elementary school age up to high school. We are focused on growth and success. “It will be a challenge to win our region meet this year with strong teams like Westside , Fountian Inn , and Laurens competing against us,” said Coach Lawter. “We do hope to place fourth and that is a good start for us in our first year with a very young team.” The Vikings 2025-26 varsity wrestling team has 34 participants. The team has seven dual meet wins this season over Landrum , Greenwood Christian (twice), Augusta Christian , Seneca (twice), and Crescent . The Vikings will tune up for the upcoming region meet they will host, by competing against five other teams in the West Oak Round Robin Invitational on January 17. The team is led by senior tri-captains Alijah White (190), Kelsey Wright (165), and Gregory Brown (138). White is ranked 6 th in the state in his weight class by SCMAT.com. “Alijah has been on the team for four seasons, and he is a region champion contender for sure,” said Coach Lawter. Wright has also been on the team for four years and he is also a captain. Brown is a first-year senior on the team working extremely hard. Another top performer on the team is junior Caleb Jeffery (126) and he is ranked 7 th in the state by SCMAT.com in his weight class. Jeffery is also a contender for a region individual championship at the region meet late this month. Rounding out the top performers on the team is sophomore Hayden Doerflein in the 215-weight class and he is ranked 8 th in the state by SCMAT.com. He also has an excellent chance at competing for a region championship later this month. There are 14 total weight classes comprising a high school wrestling team. The Vikings have participation in every weight group but the heavy weight class that starts at 285 pounds. Freshman Izabella Ruiz starts at 106 with Izabella Souza also competing at 106. First- year freshman competitor Jacob Villicana competes at 113 and first-year senior Alex Morales represents the team at 120. Jeffery is a solid competitor at 126. First year freshman Ryelan Cubbage leads the 132-weight class. The 144-weight class is held down by junior Brandon Robertsdon. First year junior Tatum Bonaca starts at the 150-weight group.  Marley Fisher is a first-year starter at 157 while tri-captain Kelsey White is a top performer at 165. Sophomore Tristan Boggs is the top Viking performer at 175 while tri-captain Elijah White is a top performer at 190.

Carvers Bay Looking To Make Deeper Play Off Run This Season

By Neill Kirkpatrick • January 22, 2026
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Hemingway – The Carvers Bay Bears entered the 2025/26 season with high expectations as they returned their top three scorers from last season but head coach Jeff Mezzatesta felt it could take a few games to gel because the Bears football season did not end until the third round of the class A playoffs. “Our biggest challenge at the start of the season was getting our football players back after their great season. We have a lot of athletes that play both sports and we were behind in conditioning, chemistry, etc.. to start the basketball season,” said coach Mezz. Coach continued, “We probably won’t start gelling as a team until after the Holiday Break, unless our seniors can provide the leadership that is needed for early season success. If we can come together and grow we have a chance to have a very special season. We just have to weather the early season with a few football injuries to nurse and bringing the boys back together as a family.” The Bears lost in the third round of the class A playoffs to eventual state champion Denmark-Olar. They finished the year 20-9 and 12-0 in region play to win their second consecutive region championship. They entered the season on a 16-game region winning streak. The Bears are currently ranked number six in the latest HSSR class a poll. They started the season 1-2 but have gone 12-2 since including running their region winning streak to 21 after winning their first five region games. They also own a win over the HSSR’s number five team Latta 81-73 which put Latta in second place in the region race. The two teams will meet again at Latta on February 11 th in game that could decide the region title and a possible number one seed in the playoffs; however, there is a lot of basketball left to play. The strength of the Bears is in their guard play on both sides of the court as their pressure defense turns into instant offense. Senior KK Heyward and juniors Jamie Graham and Mekhi Bromell are the leaders of the team as they have each improved their game from last season. Heyward is a two-times All State selection. The senior is the unquestioned team leader and has upped his scoring average his year he has been on the team. He led the team in scoring last year at 15.7 ppg and is second this season at 16.4 ppg. He is on pace to top 1500 career points by the end of the season. On the defensive side, he leads the team in steals with 3.2 a night. Graham has taken his game to the next level as he leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. His scoring average has increased from 11.4 ppg to 18.3 ppg and he is on pace to become another 1000 career point scorer. His 5.8 rebounds per is tied for the top spot and he is dishing out 4.1 dimes a game. Also, he is a returning All Region selection. Bromell is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 ppg. That is almost two points more per night than last season and he pulls down 5.2 ppg. Rounding out the starting five are two newcomers in sophomore Ethan Morris and senior Kendall Moore. Morris is third in the team in scoring at 10.6 ppg and is also averaging 5.3 boards per game while Moore may be the most versatile player on the team as he plays anywhere he is needed. The Bears have a solid bench led by senior Jaden Bell . He is demon on the defensive end of the court and has been named the region 6A Defensive Player of the year the past two seasons. Also returning are seniors Tyrone Parson and Herbie Washington and they are joined by newcomers to the Bears roster in junior center Xavier Fredrick and sophomore guard Kamaris Brown . “I would hope that we can continue our success in region and make the playoffs; however, this is truly up to the commitment that our boys put into the season. We can’t become complacent on past success and have to keep our eyes on the present,” said coach Mezz.

Beaufort Girls Basketball Off To Great Start

By David Shelton • January 22, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Beaufort – With the non-region schedule completed, the focus for basketball teams in the state turn to region play in January. Playoff berths and seedings are determined by region finish, making region play the most important part of the regular season. To that end, the Beaufort girls basketball team is off to a great start, posting wins in their first two region 7-AAAA contests and winning 11 of their first 15 games overall this season. The team is on track to bettermg last year’s win total of 16 while contending for the region title. Among the top performers early on this season are junior Amiyah Brown , sophomore Jania Hayward , freshman Da’Leah LaBoard , and freshman Zaria Coaxum . Hayward is leading the team in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. She also averages nearly five rebounds and three assists per contest. Brown adds 13.7 points per game, adding 3.7 boards, while Coaxum is scoring 7.9 points per game. LaBoard is adding just over five points per game. Coming off a 1-19 season of a year ago, the boys basketball team is looking to improve but has found it to be a tough road. The Eagles managed just one win in their first 11 contests, including an 0-2 start to region play. But coach Jeremy Huff is optimistic about his team showing marked improvement in the 2025-26 season. “The sky is the limit for these young guys,” Huff says. “They have been working hard, but with our schedule and region, the competition is tough. We are expecting to be middle of the region and contend for a playoff spot.” Huff has several returning players and the playing experience gained last season, despite the record, should lead to improvement overall. As the season begins, Huff lists only one senior, guard Austin Miles , as starting. Miles is a returner from last season and is a team captain averaging 4.1 points per game. Junior guard Kobe Hernandez averages 4.0 points per game and junior guard Willis Watson is averaging 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Junior Qualeek Isnar is the starting center and averages 7.3 points per game. Freshman Keaton Layman averages 5.2 points per game. season. Sophomore forward PJ Davis rounds out the starting lineup. The wrestling season also is heavy into region competition and Beaufort has several grapplers ranked among the best in AAAA in their weight class. Colton Freeman is the second-ranked wrestler in the 215-pound weight class and Santino Communale is ranked fifth in AAAA at 120-pounds. Jaden Proctor is ranked sixth at 285 pounds and Jessob Paris is ranked seventh at 157 pounds. Another key performer is Cameron Posey in the 144-pound weight class. Among female wrestlers, Olesya Mullins is the top-ranked wrestler at 105 pounds.

Barnwell Girl’s Basketball Focused On Making AA Playoffs

By Staff Reports • January 22, 2026
Barnwell Girl’s Basketball Focused On Making AA Playoffs From Staff Reports Barnwell —With their 40-32 region win over Edisto on January, 16 the Lady Warhorses have pulled into a tie with Hampton County (2-2) for the region lead going into the home stretch of the regular season. Junior guard Savannah Rountree scored 12 points and senior guard Gabrielle Thomas added 10 points to lead the Lady Warhorses to the win. Sophomore center Bre’Yanna Bostick chipped in six points against Edisto also. Others contributing points in the Edisto game for Barnwell included freshman guard Za’Cariah Devoe (3), senior guard Aurielle Sanders (2), freshman forward Kennide Williams (2), freshman guard Zamari Williams (2), and junior wing Gracie Carter (1). “We are playing much better defense now,” said head coach William Hammonds . “We still need to find ways to score but our defense is coming along well. “Rountree is shooting the ball really well and she is getting it going on offense for us,” said Coach Hammonds. “Both Bostick and Devoe are two of most improved players since the start of the season. Bostick is our top rebounder coming off the bench.  “Gabby is starting to making better decisions on her passes from the point guard position,” said Coach Hammonds. “She is starting to make the right plays.” Coach Hammonds that with six region games to play he is hoping his team can finish strong and place at least third in the region and then go on and play well in the playoffs. “Hampton County and Lake Marion have two really good teams this year but if we continue to improve, I feel like we can place at least third in the region.” Maddie Brown is a 5-10 small forward and she is one of the team’s co-captains. Brown is a good rebounder and plays good defense in the paint. Barnwell will host Hampton County on February, 3. To date, a shooting guard, Roudtree leads the team in scoring at 14 points a game. Thomas is at 5.8 points and three rebounds a game, including 2.4 steals. Bostick is averaging 3.6 points a game and leads the team in rebounding. Devoe is averaging 1.2 steals a game. Coach Hammonds is assisted Alicia Davis and April Robinson .

Carolina Academy Basketball Enters Region Play

By David Shelton • January 22, 2026
The Carolina Academy Girls Basketball Team.

Chesterfield Hoopsters Competing Well In Region

By David Shelton • January 22, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Chesterfield – Region play is the most important part of the regular season and ramping up the intensity and focus is paramount for any team hoping to contend for a region title and state playoff berth. To that end, a young but up and coming Chesterfield girls basketball team is competing well in the early part of their 2025-26 region 4-AA schedule. The Lady Rams won four of their first six region games and were 10-7 overall this season as of Jan. 18. The team won 11 games all of last season. “We are playing pretty well so far,” said head coach Nick Jolly earlier this season. “This is a competitive team. We’re still fairly young overall but we have some talented girls. We will make youthful mistakes but we will learn from those mistakes and work hard to correct things as we go. I definitely feel good about the potential.” Chesterfield regularly starts four sophomores and Jolly’s top two players are sophomores Reagan Rivers and Yaya Robinson . Rivers was a class AA all-state selection as a freshman, averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game. This season, she is averaging 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She also dishes 3.4 assists per game and has nearly three steals per contest. Robinson averaged 13.9 points last season and is at 15.9 points per game this season. Eighth-grader Le’Asia Brown is leading the team in rebounds, grabbing 9.9 boards per game while scoring 6.7 rebounds per contest this season. Sopho,ore Ki’Yonna Peurifoy is pulling down 7.0 rebounds per contest while senior Jordan Evans is adding 2.6 steals and nearly two assists per game. Sophomore Alivia Honeycutt scores about three points and pulls down 4.5 rebounds per game. She also averages close to four blocked shots per outing. Sophomore Tayler McCoy is adding six points per game. Senior Jaylen Evans , along with junior Kaylee Leonard , see considerable minutes as well. Freshman Taylee Clyburn , sophomore Ava Knight , freshman Kamari Patterson , freshman Allison Brown , and senior Jenna Kelly round out this year’s squad. Jolly says his biggest point of emphasis in the early season has been physical toughness. “With the youth, sometimes they play a little timid,” the coach said. “I keep telling them we have to play tougher. They are responding well. I’m pretty happy with where we are and I know we are going to continue to grow and improve as we play more. We will compete with most of the teams that we play.” The boys team went 1-12 against non-region competition in December but is showing solid growth in region play with an early 2-2 record. Senior leaders and team captains are Kamron Patterson, Derrick Lockhart, Ronnie Little and Josh Miller . Juniors include Amir Pickett, Jackson Dalton, Mark Moten, Josh Bittle, Jayden Johnson, Treyvon Smith and DJ Merriman. Rounding out the roster are sophomores Jamison Dalton and Holden Lowry .
More Posts