Manning softball looking for more success in AA

Manning – The Manning High School softball team went 6-10 last season with all of the losses

and none of the victories coming in the difficult Region 7-AAA.The region had three teams – Dillon,

Loris and Aynor – advance to the AAA Lower State tournament last season.

With what was supposed to be five returning starters along with a drop to the AA classification

following reclassification, Monarchs head coach Catherine Mahoney was hoping that would lead to an

immediate upgrade. That might happen, but it will occur in a different manner than Manning had planned.

“As for a starting lineup we don’t have one set in stone and they are always changing,” said

Mahoney, who is in her third season in charge of the program after a long tenure as an assistant coach.

“We are very, very young with only two seniors, neither of whom started last year, two juniors, two

sophomores, two freshmen and the rest seventh- and eighth-graders. Plus, our senior catcher is out this

season with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), so we have had to start over in that position.”

That is Imani Fulton, who not only handled the catching chores but was also penciled in to bat

fourth in the batting order as she did last season.

“She is going to be very missed,” Mahoney said of Fulton.

Eighth-grader Ammerah Conyers will be one of two working behind the plate. The other will be

fellow eighth-grader Anna Barrett, who will step in when Conyers is pitching in the circle or handling

duties at shortstop.

Conyers and freshman Shayden Epps, who both throw right-handed, both pitched a lot of

innings last season. Mahoney expects that to continue this season.

“We’ll depend on both of them in every game,” she said. “They are two different speeds. We also

have seventh-grader Nya Cantey who we will pitch if need be.”

The Monarchs are looking to replace graduated All-Region performer Marti Leigh Jones, who is

now playing collegiately, at third base. “She was a great leader with lots of experience that we are missing

now,” Mahoney said.

Freshman Summer York, who played in the outfield last season, will be getting a look at third

base. Sophomore Dakota Lambert is back starting in center field, while Tara Billups is penciled in the

lineup as well. She started at second base last year but will be seeing time in left field.

Madison Schredder will see a lot of time at first base with Reese Jenkinson expected to see a

lot of action at second base. Taysia Calhoun is expected to start in right field with Kaylyn Avant seeing

time in the outfield as well.

Mahoney’s projected batting order has Epps in the leadoff position. Jenkinson penciled in at

second with Schredder in the 3 hole and Conyers in the cleanup spot. Lambert is slated to bat fifth, York

sixth, Billups seventh, Avant eighth and Calhoun ninth.

Manning is competing in Region 7-AA. The top program in the 7-team region is Marion, which

played for the AA state championship last season, losing to Gray Collegiate Academy in the best-of-3

title series. The rest of the region includes East Clarendon, Lake City, Mullins, Kingstree and Atlantic

Collegiate Academy.

“We’re definitely excited moving regions too, getting something a little more manageable, we

think,” Mahoney said at the end of last season. “We’re going down to AA, and we feel like that’s more

where we should be.”

CEASAR, CARTER All-REGION BOYS BASKETBALL SELECTIONS

Manning senior Jefferey Ceasar and senior Tavion Carter were selected to the All-Region 7

boys basketball team.

Ceasar led the Monarchs, who finished with a 17-6 overall record, with a 12.9 points-per-game

scoring average. He also led in assists at 3.2 to go with 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Carter led Manning in blocked shots with a 2.0 average. He also averaged double figures in points

at 10.3 to go with 6.9 rebounds.

The Monarchs finished second in region play with a 9-3 record, two games behind eventual state

champion Atlantic Collegiate. Manning beat Woodland 72-66 in the first round of the state playoffs

before falling to Andrew Jackson 67-55 in the second round.

Manning will be returning sophomore brothers Lovell Stevenson and Lovon Stevenson. Lovell

led in rebounding with a 7.7 average while finishing third in scoring at 9.1 along with 2.3 assists. Lovon

averaged 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks

CONYERS ALL-REGION GIRLS BASKETBALL SELECTION

Ameerah Conyers was selected to the All-Region 7 girls basketball team after averaging a

double-double for the season.

Conyers led the Lady Monarchs in scoring at 10.4. She was a force on the boards with a 13.4

average and was a presence around the basket, averaging 3.9 blocks.

Manning went just 5-18 in its first season under head coach Justin Johson, 1-11 in region play.

However, Johnson believes better times await in the future.

“I am proud of the growth displayed this season,” the former Hartsville head coach said. “We

went from a team which did not expect to win to a team which hoped to win. Now we need to move to a

team which expects to win.

“Our coaching staff is already hard at work creating a plan of attack for this offseason as we

transition this program from a 3-month program to a 7-or-more-months program.”

The Lady Monarchs lose just two seniors in Tahirah Wellington and Sakiya Makell.

“A special thank you to the seniors,” Johnson said. “Having a new coach in your senior season is

never easy.”