Oraangeburg Prep basketball teams enter state tournament on fire

Orangeburg – The Orangeburg Preparatory School boys basketball team is having a

tremendous season, one that head coach Michael Delaney hopes translates into a deep, deep run in the

SCISA AAA state tournament.

The Indians, who are ranked second in the High School Sports Report AAA boys poll, takes a

17-4 overall record into the state tournament after winning the Region 1 tournament. Orangeburg.

The Indians finished tied with Calhoun Academy, the top-ranked SCISA AAA team, for

first place in the region with a 5-1 record.

Now it’s just a matter of wait and see where the chips fall and how the brackets are set up for

Orangeburg Prep in the state tournament set to begin February 14-15.

“The boys are playing really well right now,” said Delaney, who is in his first season as head

coach. “I hope we’re peaking at the right time. We went into the season wanting to focus on defense, and

we have gotten better and better as the season has gone on. We just need to focus on having the boys

playing with confidence.”

“What you see is so many high school athletes unsure of themselves and their abilities. What we

try to do is give them confidence even after making mistakes. If you’re going to make mistakes, do it

going full speed.”

The Indians are led by the dynamic junior duo of Avery Ravanell and Tilden “T” Riley.

Ravanell led the team in scoring entering the region tournament with a 20.2 per-game average, in assists

at 4.3 and in steals at 3.2. He also was averaging 4.3 rebounds.

“He’s definitely what makes us tick,” Delaney said of Ravenell. “He scored 40 points (hitting

seven 3-point baskets in an 83-56 victory) against Andrew Jackson the other night and he didn’t miss

many shots.

“We feed off of him. Avery plays with a lot of confidence and the boys rally around him.”

The 6-foot-5-inch Riley was just behind Ravenell in scoring at 19.2. He was averaging a double-

double with 11.8 rebounds a game and also led in blocked shots at 4.6.

“T’s a special player,” Delaney said of Riley, who recently scored his 1,000th career point. “He’s

just so physically gifted. He can get off the ground. His length and jumping ability make him special. He

has six (Football Bowl Subdivision) offers as a football player.

“He makes it tough on other teams and their offense. The opposing offense always has to think

twice in the paint. He is definitely the key to what we’re doing on the back end.”

The rest of the starting lineup is made up of three seniors in Walt Mims, Eli Pantaleon and

Charlie McCutcheon. Mims is averaging 9.4 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Pantaleon

was averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds, while McCutcheon was averaging 4.3 points and 4.1

rebounds.

The first players normally off the bench are a pair of seniors in Hart Wiles and Hunter Judy.

Wiles was averaging 2.0 points and Judy 2.1.’

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The remainder of the Orangeburg Prep roster, which is made up completely of seniors and

juniors, includes senior Morrison Burroughs, senior Jack Mims, junior Jackson Strickland and junior

Jsyri Parker.

This group is special to Delaney. He was the B team head coach the four seasons prior to taking

over the varsity this season. “So I had coached all these guys when they were young,” he said.

The Indians went 18-8 last season and reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament The goal

from the start of this season was to extend their stay at state.

“I feel like we’re in a good spot,” Delaney said. “We’re just going to take everything game by

game. Every game past the region tournament is a blessing.

“We’re trying to be consistent no matter who we’re playing, keep the intensity high no matter

what the record of the team is or what it has done to this point. Any game can be a stumbling point.

Hopefully everything will take care of itself.”

LADY INDIANS 24-1 HEADING IN REGULAR SEASON

Going into the postseason with an outstanding record is a very familiar occurrence for the

Orangeburg Prep girls basketball team. The Lady Indians were 26-1 last season, losing in the semifinals

of the AAA state tournament.

Orangeburg Prep owned a 22-1 record prior to the region tournament, won the region regular

season with a 6-0 record and was ranked No. 1 in the HHSR AAA girls poll. They are now 24-1 overall

ater winning the region tourament.

Veteran head coach Jan Stoudenmire believes Orangeburg Prep is playing well as it prepares for

the state tournament.

"The team is really working hard, and I believe they’re progressing very well,” said Stoudenmire,

who is in her 28th year at Orangeburg Prep. “We just need to stay hungry and keep our desire to win.”

Orangeburg Prep has four seniors in its starting lineup in Izzy Exum, Jane Walker Yonce,

Annabelle Hunter and Graysen Garrick. The other starter is junior Hannah Lambrecht.

“We have four girls in the starting lineup who are averaging 10 points a game and just as many

rebounds,” Stoudenmire said. “Some o the guards have lots of assists and steals. Mary Legare Delaney

comes off the bench and she is averaging about the same as the rest of them.”

The rest of the roster includes junior Prestan Schurlknight, junior Jayme Culler, junior Kate

Holstein and freshman Gee Gee Riley.

Stoudenmire gives credit to the entire roster for the success.

“It’s just been a total team effort with all 10 girls,” Stoudenmire said. “Having the four seniors

that we have is great. They are good leaders and they kept our team grounded.”

RILEY HAS SIX FBS FOOTBALL OFFERS

As mentioned earlier, Riley is a standout football player for Orangeburg Prep, good enough to

have picked up six FBS offers.

Riley has two Power 4 Conference offers from Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh, both Atlantic

Coast Conference schools. The other FBS offers have come rom South Florida, Florida Atlantic, East

Carolina and Liberty.

Riley, who plays wide receiver and defensive back, had 44 catches for 788 yards and 13

touchdowns last season.