Northwood Academy ready to complete the journey

Neill Kirkpatrick Special Contributor • November 21, 2025

Chargers to face Heathwood Hall for SCISA AAAA title on Friday

Summerville – One of the sports cliches you hear is “Worst to First” and it is one that applies to

the Northwood Chargers when you look at where the football program was when head coach

Johnny Waters and his staff took over in 2023.

The Chargers were riding a 29-game losing streak and had not scored 100 points in a season in

three years. However, this was not a new situation for coach Waters as he faced a similar

situation when he took over the head coaching job at First Baptist in 2014. In 2017 and 2018 the

Hurricanes were the SCISA Class AA state champions.

In the Chargers first game under Waters and his in 2023 they ended their 29-game losing steak

by beating Greenwood Christian 28-26. Fast forward and you find the Chargers at 10-1 with a

region championship and the opportunity to win their first state championship since 2014. They

would also be part of the “Worst to First” cliché club.

“We played them my last year at First Baptist and beat them pretty good but I saw a group of

young kids fighting and playing hard until the very last whistle. That was encouraging and I saw

talent on the field but they lacked the fundamental’s. When my staff and I came from First

Baptist we really concentrated on teaching them the fundamental’s and techniques we expected,”

said coach Waters.

Coach continued, “That first summer was huge for us as a program. We approached our 7-on-7

competition with the mindset of winning every game. We needed to teach our kids how to win

because that was one of the biggest issues we had to overcome. Then we were able to end the

losing streak in our first game. We had 1900 people at the game and after the win everyone was

so emotional. The big thing was the kids learned they could win and it got us over the hump

early on in the building process.”

The Chargers ended one of their most successful regular seasons by beating Friday night’s

opponent Heathwood Hall 39-20 to finish the regular season at 9-1 and 6-0 in region play

earning them a region championship and the top seed in the SCISA AAAA playoffs.

Along the way they ended 23 times SCISA state champions Hammond’s 28-game winning streak

but it was the team’s only loss on the season that coach Waters points to as a turning point in

their season. The loss was to North Carolina Independent school Cannon/ Concord Academy 19-

13.

“We learned a lot about our team after we lost that one game. We were reading our press

clippings and listening to everyone outside the program instead of staying focused on what we

needed to do. After that game, the team realized that they had not accomplished anything and

that had to continue to work and get better, “ said coach Waters.


The Chargers have not lost since winning 7 in a row. Included is a 23-10 win over seven-time

defending state champion Hammond 23-10 ending the Skyhawks’ 28-game winning streak.

Coach Waters was excited to earn the top seed in the playoffs but not a fan of the bye week. He

felt sometimes it can take you out of the rhythm you have established during the regular season.

The Chargers took care of business in the semis by beating Porter Guad 34-20 to earn their shot

at the championship.

Heathwood Hall is the only thing standing in the Chargers way of the quest to go from “Worst to

First” and despite defeating them 39-20 just three weeks ago coach Waters knows his team will

have to play four quarters to win Friday night’s battle.

“Heathwood is an outstanding team. We jumped on them early in the last game but we know it

will be different this time. They have a very good quarterback, who can make plays with his feet

as well as his arm. We need to keep him in the pocket. We need to play four quarters of football

for the first time all year to get the win,” said Waters.


Defensively, the Charges have been a hand full for every offense they have faced. They give up

13 points per game and have only allowed 20 points twice during the regular season. Defensive

tackles Hammer White and Garrett Andy have been the first line of defense as they have

controlled the line of scrimmage. White leads the team in tackles for loss (15) and sacks (5.5)

while Andy is second in TFL’s with 10.5 and has three sacks.

At defensive end for the Chargers are Mitchell Lanier and Nate Cross. Cross, just a freshman,

has 9 tackles for loss and four sacks while Lanier has six tackles for loss.

Linebackers Cody McLeary and Dominque Russell have benefited from White and Andy’s

stellar play at the line of scrimmage as they are first and third in tackles. Russel leads the team

with 75 tackles and McLeary has 50 tackles. Russell is also second in sacks with 4.5.

Safety MJ Davis has been a big hitter all season and has shown great instincts in pass coverage.

Davis is second on the team in tackles with 57 and he is second on the team in solo tackles with

31. He also has two interceptions, a fumble recovery and two blocked field goals.

The Chargers defensive backfield is made up of Antwaun Henderson, Quincy Lingard, Jordin

Carter, and Brice Jenkins. Henderson leads the team in solo hits with 31 while Jenkins leads

the team in interceptions with five, four passes defended and fumble recoveries.

The Chargers offense has put up 396 points on the year and scored over 30 points in 8 of their 10

games. They have great balance averaging 222 yards on the ground and 187 thru the air. The

leader of the offense has been junior quarterback Kevin Johnson. He has thrown for 2149 yards

and 19 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He has excellent pocket presence and can by

time in the pocket which he showed on a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jacair Medlock in the

Heathwood Hall contest. Coach Waters says he has next level talent.


The Chargers have three running backs who have rushed for over 400 yards. The work horse has

been Kaven Ford. He has rushed of a team high 1115 yards, averaging over seven yards a carry

and has scored a team high 21 touchdowns. Ford has good vision in the hole and the ability to

take it the distance on every play.

Michael Polite and Carter have provided a change of pace for coach Water’s offense. Polite has

456 yards with five scores while Carter has 560 yards and seven touchdowns. Carter is ultra

quick and is averaging over 13 yards a carry. On the year he has over 900 all-purpose yards.

Leading the receiving corps is Tennessee State commit Ayden Hogan. He leads the team with 66

receptions for 908 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The Chargers have three other receivers that have over 20 catches in Medlock, Scott Geisel, and

Drew Wolfe. Wolfe has 587 yards and is averaging 19.7 yards per catch. He and Medlock both

have four touchdowns while Geisel is second on the team in receptions with 32.

Of course, all of this offensive output is courtesy of the offensive line in left tackle Kaeden

Wagner, left guard Jacob Harrelson, center Kenny Robbins, right guard KJ Burroughs, and

right tackle Brayden Andy. The running game averages over seven yards a carry behind these

road graders.


SCISA Championships

AAAA

Friday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Heathwood Hall (9-3) vs. Northwood (10-1), 7 p.m.


8-Man

Friday

at Greenwood Christian

W.W. King (11-0) vs. Laurens Academy (9-2), 7 p


AA

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Pee Dee (8-3) vs. Bethesda (11-0), noon


Class A

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Williamsburg (10-1) vs. Colleton Prep (9-2), 3:30 p.m.


AAA

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Wilson Hall (11-1) vs. Pinewood Prep (9-3), 7:30 p.m.

SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final

By Staff Reports • December 22, 2025
SCHSL Release 2026-2028 Realignment Final Columbia, SC (12-19-25) -- The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) has finalized the classification placement of all schools beginning with the 2026-27 school year. This classification placement will be in effect for two years. The guidelines established by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee served as the blueprint for schools’ placements. Schools were assigned based on their enrollment count, to include district additions and the 3.0 multiplier. Flexibility, as approved by the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee, was also used with consideration given to geographics and travel. “Appreciation is expressed to those who served on the Reclassification/Realignment Guidelines Committee,” said Dr. Jerome Singleton, Commissioner of the SCHSL. “Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process. The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.” The SCHSL’s Executive Committee will meet January 13-14, 2026, to hear appeals regarding the classification placements. The final reclassifications are attached.

Stratford’s Davis Leads South Carolina to 17-7 Win in 89th Shrine Bowl

By David Shelton • December 21, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Spartanburg – Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis threw a pair of touchdown passes and South Carolina defeated North Carolina, 17-7, in the 89 th Shrine Bowl all-star game in Spartanburg on December 20. Davis , named the offensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers, completed 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards in the game. He is headed to Liberty University as an early enrollee. “Great experience and great to get a win,” Davis said. “Playing with all of these great players was something I will never forget.” South Carolina dominated the game defensively, allowing only 136 total yards. The Tarheels completed just five of 19 passes. Stratford running back Maliq McGowan , a late addition to the roster, finished as the leading rusher for South Carolina with 42 yards on nine carries. West Ashley’s Bristol Biegenzahn played on the defensive front for the Sandlappers while Berkeley’s Zion Britt started on the offensive line. Cross safety, and South Carolina signee Caden Ramsey , Berkeley linebacker Gehad Sneed , and Timberland offensive lineman Desmond Green, who is headed to Florida, also played for the Sandlappers. “You win all-star games with defense and our defense was outstanding,” said SC head coach Paul Sutherland , who retired as the head coach at Liberty High after the season. “Glad to get the win for South Carolina. The kids were great. I am very blessed to have had this opportunity.” It took less than 10 seconds for the Sandlappers to score the game’s first touchdown as Davis combined with Dillon receiver Zay Robertson , heading to North Carolina , on an 80-yard bomb on the first play of the game for a quick 7-0 lead. Robertson finished the game with four catches for 131 yards. “He’s a great player,” said Davis of Robertson. “Getting that first touchdown was a tone setter.” South Carolina lost fumbles on their next two possessions, the second miscue leading to North Carolina’s game-tying touchdown after a 23-yard drive. Spartanburg’s Will Love , heading to Virginia Tech , kicked a 35-yard field goal late in the second quarter for a 10-7 halftime lead for the Sandlappers. South Carolina’s last play offensive snap in the game was Davis’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Jude Hall of Christ Church with :59 seconds left on the game clock. Chester linebacker Terry Rayford , who had 11 tackles, was the defensive most valuable player for the Sandlappers. Dorman's Kentavion Anderson and Ridge View's Jordan Best recorded interceptions The win gives South Carolina a 48-34 lead in the series. There have been seven ties.

SCHSL releases proposed reclassification for 2026-27, '27-28 school years

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • December 20, 2025
Proposal has AAAAA going from 54 schools to 40 and not being split into divisions

Hilton Head Christian Overcomes Adversity

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Bluffton – The 2025 football season was an unusual one for the Hilton Head Christian Academy football team. The Eagles, who had won three SCISA state titles in the five previous seasons, got off to a 2-5 start. On top of that, starting quarterback Reid McCollum left the school in the middle of the season. With the reshuffling, Hilton Head Christian lost its first game. However, the Eagles responded with four consecutive wins, including a 42-20 win over Trinity Collegiate in the first round of the AAA state playoffs. The season came to an end the next week with a 50-29 semifinal loss to Wilson Hall . Eagles head coach Ron Peduzzi is happy with the way his players rebounded to finish with a 6-6 record. “I was really proud of our guys, the way they rallied around the team and each other,” Peduzzi said. “They literally battled the second half of the year every play. “It was a very tough season. A lot of guys stood up and elevated their games. They had to stand up and become leaders also, so I was really happy with that.” HHCA had four players selected to the All-Region 1-AAA offensive first team in junior wide receivers Joey Houpt and Jackson Richardson , sophomore wide receiver Sam Strom and senior kick returner Tommy Gehm . Those on the first-team defense were sophomore defensive lineman Hayne Burden , junior linebacker Kres Langhals , sophomore linebacker Chase White and senior linebacker Finn Ussery . Houpt, who was named HHCA’s outstanding offensive contributor, was the leading pass catcher with 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns. Richardson had 45 catches for 645 yards and five scores, while Strum had 31 catches for 415 yards and five scores. Gehm returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 21.1 yards per return on 24 attempts. He returned six punts for 46 yards. Burden, who was named Hilton Head Christian’s outstanding defensive contributor, led the team in tackles with 105, tackles for loss with 13, quarterback sacks with four and quarterback hurries with 21. Langhals, who was the quarterback in the second half of the season, had 39 tackles, five TFLs, 2 ½ sacks, two interceptions, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries. White, who received HHCA’s Sledgehammer Award, had 82 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception. Ussery, who received the team’s Captains Award, had 87 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and one interception.. Ussery and Gehm played in the SCISA North-South Seniors All-Star Game, while Houpt, Richardson, Strom, Burden and Langhals played in the Futures contest. Senior running back Hudson Baker , sophomore offensive linemen Caleb Altizer and Josh Koepke and sophomore cornerback Keyvon Aiken were selected second-team All-Region. Baker received the team’s Coaches Award and Burleson Award, and freshman Max Zwilsky earned the Lunchpail Award. Peduzzi believes good things await the Eagles in 2026. “We have a very large sophomore class that will be juniors next year, so I look forward for to next season,” he said. “We do need to elevate the number of players in our program playing, so that’s something we’ll be working on.”

OCA Wins Third Consecutive State Title with 28-7 Win Over BHP

By David Shelton • December 19, 2025
Oceanside senior WR, Terence Johnson, a Shrine Bowl all-star game selection, had 57 catches for 1,153 yards and 17 touchdowns plus 9 rushing touchdowns this season.

Panthers aim to remain a contender

By Roger Lee • December 19, 2025
Running back Grayson Salego is one of several starters who should return to the Panthers’ football team next season. Photo by Roger Lee. 

Timberland girls basketball team off to torrid start

By Rob Gantt • December 19, 2025
Timberland's Zion Prioleau, named on of Class AA's top seniors by the SC Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 2024-20225.

Wilson Hall senior class 32-7 last 3 years

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
 By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Sumter – The Wilson Hall football team played in its third straight SCISA AAA state championship game in November. And for the third straight year, the Barons came out on the short end of the stick. WH lost to Pinewood Prep for the second consecutive year, falling by a score of 55-13. That being said, Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki could only praise his team, especially the 17-man senior class. “This group of seniors graduates with three trips to the state championship and not many people can say that,” Jarecki said of the Class of 2026, which went 32-7 over that 3-year stretch. “I’m extremely proud of them. They’re our leaders at the school. They’re the influential people at our school. We’d love to see them go out with success in the end, but what they accomplished is pretty special, and they’ve got to take pride in that. “They had a great year (finishing with an 11-2 record for the second straight year) and they’ve had a great career. It’s tough not to come out on top, but they know what it takes to get here and they bought into it.” Six of those seniors were among the eight Barons named to the All-Region 2-AAA team. Leading the way was quarterback Ford Wilder , who was selected as the Region Offensive Player of the Year. Wilder completed 41 of 79 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 483 yards and 12 TDs on 87 carries. Senior running backs Ben McLaurin and Milling Galloway were selected. McLaurin rushed for 1,234 yars and 16 scores on 121 carries. Galloway rushed for 585 yards and 11 touchdowns 62 carries despite missing three games and the majority of a fourth due to injury. The other senior All-Region picks were free safety Harris Naylor and defensive linemen Walker Wilson and Andrew Howle . Naylor had 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and three pass deflections. Wilson had 39 tackles, seven TFLs, two quarterback sacks and one PD. Howle had 28 tackles, a team high nine TFLs and two sacks. The other two All-Region selections were junior defensive lineman Reese Wilson and junior linebacker Peyton Gilley . Reese Wilson shared the team lead in sacks with four to go with 21 tackles, eight TFLs, one PD and one fumble recovery. Gilley had a team high 61 tackles and shared the team lead in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown, to go with three sacks and six TFLs. Along with being All-Region picks, each of the eight were All-State selections and were chosen to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Games.

Lee Academy basketball teams start slow

By Dennis Brunson • December 19, 2025
By Dennis Brunson Hssr.com Associate Editor Bishopville – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lee Academy got off to 1-3 starts, but neither of the head coaches are close to making a determination on what the season holds for their squads. “I am really excited about the team we have for this season,” said boys head coach Kemp DeWitt , who is in his second season at Lee. “We return four players that gave us crucial minutes last season. Brayden Davis , Cain June , Gavin Makela and Paxton Greene give me a solid base surrounded by the new faces we have this season. “We look to find our identity as a team before we head into Christmas break, so we can come out strong when region play starts.” Davis, a sophomore point guard, and June, a senior small forward, are the two returning starters. Davis was averaging 9.3 points per game, while June was scoring at a 9.0 clip. Makela is a junior center while Greene is a senior shooting guard. The other starter is junior power forward Aiden Fitzgerald . Greene was averaging 6.3 points, Fitzgerald 3.5 and Makela 1.6. Other members of the boys team are senior Collins Drayton , junior Cannon Hopkins , who was averaging 5.0, junior Tucker Rodgers , junior James Watson , junior Matthew Inabinet and junior Keegan Gainey . Girls head coach Kim Langston , a decades-long veteran of the SCISA wars, said she hadn’t seen enough of her team to form an opinion. The Lady Cavaliers are young with just one senior starter in Mazie Tomlinson . The other starters are junior Mallori Frye , sophomore Karagan Melton , freshman Kaisley Melton and eighth-grader Beth Whiteside . Karagan Melton was the leading scorer with a 9.5 average to go with 3.8 rebounds. Tomlinson was averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 steals, 4.3 assists and 9.5 boards, Whiteside was at 5.0 points, 1.0 blocked shots and 6.8 rebounds, Frye was averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, and Kaisley Melton was averaging 2.3 steals, 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes sophomore Emma Beasley , senior Sara Bell , senior Zana Brazell , senior Raylee Catoe and junior Addie Grace Wilkes . 4 CAVALIERS FOOTBALL ALL REGION The Lee football team had four players selected to the All-Region 1-Class A team. The selections were wide receiver/linebacker Cain June, senior quarterback/defensive back Andrew Bowers , senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Hampton Layton and senior linebacker/running back Tucker Boyce .

Hartsville Boys Basketball Looks To Be Improved This Season

By David Shelton • December 18, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – Now in his third season, Hartsville High boys basketball coach Jason Earle feels his rebuilding project is starting to see positive results. The Red Foxes won four games in Earle’s first season and improved to six wins last season. The 2025-26 season saw Hartsville win their first three games, giving Earle a reason to be optimistic about the chances of improvement. “Most of these guys have been playing for me now for three years,” reports the coach. “We have continued to get better each year. The expectation that I have for this team is to play really hard and make the playoffs.” Most of the heavy lifting this season comes from seniors and juniors who have gained experience while taking their lumps. Junior guard Kayson Dawson and junior forward Derion Gattison are setting the early pace as scoring leaders. Dawson is averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game early on while Gattison is at 13.5 points and nearly five boards per game. Dawson averaged 11 points per game a season ago while Gattison scored 5.1 points per game. Senior Zaries Huggins is a starting guard, averaging 7.5 points early on. Senior Tristian Spann also starts as a wing and senior Dorian Mason starts at forward and contributes 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the early going. Earle says the leadership this season comes primarily from Dawson, Gattison and Mason. Sophomore CJ Hickmon is first off the bench and can play guard or forward. Remaining players include junior Kelly Price , junior Zi’yon Mason , junior Karmelo Pooler , junior Jamyari Scipio-Bishop , junior Justin Hines and junior Eli Lynch . Hartsville competes in region 6-AAAA, a highly competitive basketball league. Earle sees Crestwood and Wilson as two of the top teams and is hopeful his team can join in the mix for the region title. “The region should be a real battle every night,” the coach said. The girls team opened the season at 1-1 and also looks to contend for a playoff berth this season. The top returning player this season is junior guard Nay Gibson , who is averaging 17.4 points per game early on. Senior Sha’Niyah Richardson contributes offensively as well, along with junior Ariel Leatch , each better than six points per game.  The only other senior on the girls roster is Kamori Williams . Juniors are Aniyah Robinson, Zariyah Spann, Makayla Chapman, Brianna Watson and Chaniyah Thompson . Rounding out this year’s team are sophomores Zanaya Blakney and Trinity Thomas , and freshman Chassidy Johnson.
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