Fox Creek boys basketball team makes run to AAA state championship game
Chanze Allen, Justin Vining, Jada Jennings all selected to SCBCA AAA All-State teams
North Augusta – The Fox Creek High School boys basketball team didn’t achieve its ultimate goal this season: winning the AAA state championship. The Predators, however, couldn’t have come much closer.
FCHS dropped a 52-49 decision to Christ Church on March 6 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. The Cavaliers’ David Dixon hit a 3-point shot with seven seconds, and they survived a Kobe Sims 3-point attempt at the buzzer to win.
Fox Creek head coach Tim Butler had nothing but praise for his players after the heart-wrenching loss.
“Those boys have done everything they’re supposed to do, and I love them so much,” Butler said.
The Predators, who finished with a 25-6 record, had two players selected to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association AAA All-State team in senior Chanze Allen and junior Justin Vining.
Allen averaged 13.2 points per game and led the team in rebounding at 6.2. Vining averaged a team high 4.8 assists while scoring at a 12.2 clip and pulling down 3.5 rebounds.
Allen and Vining were selected to the Region 4 All-Region team along with Sims and junior Randy Robinson. Sims was the leading scorer with a 13.5 average and averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Robinson averaged 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Junior Gavin Baskett, senior Jason Rogers and junior Chorsheak White were honorable mention selections. Rogers averaged 8.1 points, Baskett 4.8 and White 3.4.
Butler believes he has FCHS trending in the right direction.
“My job is to take it to another level,” he said. “I feel like this year we did a good job, and next year we’re going to AAAA (following reclassification). We’ll just have to work a little bit harder.”
FOX CREEK GIRLS HAVE HISTORIC SEASON
While the Fox Creek girls didn’t make a run to the state championship game like the boys, they still had an epic season.
The Predators finished with the best record in school history at 18-10 and won in the playoffs for the first time. They beat Battery Creek 58-19 for the first victory and then traveled to Aynor to get their first playoff road win by a count of 45-25.
That helped them get to the quarterfinals for the first time. FCHS played host to Oceanside Collegiate Academy but lost 43-28.
Junior Jada Jennings was an All-State selection. She averaged 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds. Jennings was also an All-Region selection along with senior Avery Schwarz, junior Mia Price and junior Maya Krystalowych.
Schwarz averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, while Krystalowych led the team in rebounding at 8.8 while scoring at a 6.6 clip. Price averaged 4.9 points, 2.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
