Coach Gibson satisfied with outcome of first season as Patrick Henry baseball head coach

Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • June 6, 2026

Jacob Corley, Rylin Brunson, Scoot Mizell All-Region 4-AAA selections

           Estill – The Patrick Henry Academy baseball team closed out its season with a 9-11 overall record after going 2-2 in SCISA Region 4-AAA in its first season under head coach Brody Gibson.

 

The Patriots went 0-2 in the state playoffs, falling to Spartanburg Christian Academy 10-1 in the opener before losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Orangeburg Prep in an elimination game. Putting everything in perspective though, Gibson had no issues with his team or its season.

 

“The season overall was a step in the right direction,” Gibson said. “The majority of our team was inexperienced at the varsity level. We competed well and were able to win some games against some solid ball clubs.

 

“We will return six starters, and we have a good group of rising freshmen.”

 

Three PHA players were selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team, seniors Jacob Corley and Rylin Brunson and junior Scoot Mizell.

 

Corley led the team in hitting with a .436 batting average. He led the team in runs scored with 30, stolen bases with 19 and triples with three to go with four double and nine runs batted in.

 

Brunson batted .348 and had Patrick Henry’s only two home runs. Brunson had four doubles, two triples, 14 stolen bases, 24 runs and 14 RBI.

 

Mizell led in RBI with 17 and doubles with five while batting .255.

 

Mizell and Brunson were the top pitchers. Mizell worked 34 innings and had a 1.85 earned run average. He had 38 strikeouts while walking only six and allowing 37 hits.

 

Brunson tossed 33 innings and finished with a 3.82 ERA.

 

The other senior starter was Keegan Lee. He batted .289 and had 15 stolen bases to go with 17 runs and eight RBI.

 

The other seniors on the roster were Mac Gohagan and Daivon Glover.

 

Along with Mizell, the Patriots will return two of their other top arms as well in junior Devin Austin and eighth-grader Caleb Corley.

 

Both of them worked 17 2/3 innings. Corley had a 3.17 ERA while Austin posted a 3.19 ERA. Austin had 25 strikeouts while Corley had 18.

 

Freshman Josh Evans will be back. He batted .255 and had two doubles, eight RBI and five runs. Caleb Corley batted .203 but drove in 10 runs and scored nine times.

 

Other returning starters in the field will be junior Andrew Haddock, junior Wylder Vaughn and Austin.

Varsity Football Players from around the state are invited to the Jeri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

By Staff Reports • July 21, 2026
Teams from around the state attended the HSSR Media Day in 2025.

Kephart Takes Charge Of AR Boys Soccer Program

By Roger Lee • July 21, 2026
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Beasley To Be Inducted Into SCACA Hall of Fame During Coaches Clinic In Greenville

By Billy Baker • July 21, 2026
Coach Beasley will become the 7th high school coach from Barnwell County to be inducted into the SCACA Hall of Fame at a ceremony in conjunction with the annual Coaches Clinic being held at the Greenville Convention Center between July 24-26.

Abbeville Athletics Looks To Build On Successful 2025-26

By David Shelton • July 20, 2026
Several Panther teams advanced deep into the postseason, demonstrating the competitiveness and determination that have become hallmarks of Abbeville athletics.

The Annual SCACA Clinic Presents Opportunities For All Coaches Across South Carolina

By Billy Baker • July 20, 2026
The state's coaches will gather in Greenville July 24-26 for the SCACA Clinic.

High School Sports Report 40th Annual Prep Football Media Day set for Wednesday, July 22, at USC's indoor practice facility

By Staff reports • July 15, 2026
Players from around the state are invited to the Jeri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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

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OCA Football Sets Sights On Four-Peat

By David Shelton • July 2, 2026
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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.
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