Saluda boys basketball team opens season with 7-3 record
Tigers have already matched win total from last season
Saluda – The Saluda High School boys basketball team hasn’t assured itself of winning more
games this season than last year, but it does know it won’t win any less.
After going 7-18 last season, the Tigers won seven of their first 10 games in the 2024-25
campaign. They can surpass that total with a road win on January 8 against McCormick.
SHS head coach Jimmy Kinard likes how his team has played to date.
“Overall, the team has probably exceeded my expectations to this point in the season,” Kinard
said. “To have continued success we most improve upon handling full-court pressure defenses. If we can
do that we should be very competitive in region play.”
Saluda is in Region 2-AA along with American Leadership Academy, Pelion, Ninety Six,
Strom Thurmond and Batesburg-Leesville. It opens region play on January 14 at ALA.
Kinard said he has used several starting lineup combinations to try and find the right mix. Junior
guard CJ Springs has been the most consistent scorer while sophomore Jahmeer Myers and senior
Devon Wallace have been solid in the post.
“Junior guard Jy'Miyias Myers has been a solid defender,” Kinard said. “Freshman
Ceddion Springs has been a spark offensively.”
SALUDA GIRLS WIN 6 OF FIRST 9 GAMES
Although Saluda returns three starters rom last year’s girls basketball team that went 17-4 and
reached the second round of the state playoffs, veteran head coach Jeannette Wilder said the team is in
rebuilding mode.
“There are so many things that are new with fundamental levels, team chemistry and pace,” said
Wilder, whose squad was still off to a 6-3 start. “We are working on playing with consistency. We are
excited to see progress with each new day.”
The returning starters are all guards in freshman Ceddrianna Springs, sophomore JaBria
Brunson and senior Tamia Daniels. The newcomers to the starting five are freshman Amaya Abney and
junior Addy Buzhardt. They both play in the post.
The other members of the rotation are senior Oz’Lyn Springs, junior Dayana Ortiz and
sophomore Chastity Williams.
While very inexperienced, Willder thinks the Tigers are making progress.
“Our program has established a good foundation for the expectation of team success year in and
year out,” Wilder said. “However, this team is young in experience and facing some challenges. The
returners are struggling at times with their new roles as leaders. But at the end of the day, we are facing
the season head on with the same goals and working hard each day to achieve those goals.”
SALUDA HAS 6 FOOTBALL ALL-REGION PERORMERS
The Saluda football team had six players named to the All-Region 2 team. They are senior
quarterback/running back Brayden Williams, senior defensive lineman Devon Wallace, junior offensive
lineman Bryan Gomez, junior inside linebacker Akiem Mills, senior cornerback Jayden Foulks and
senior placekicker John Pinto.
Williams played most of the season at running back even though he did handle quarterback duties
some because o an injury to Drew Arant. Williams had 93 rushes for 614 yards and 10 touchdowns and
caught seven passes for 177 yards and two more scores. He completed 19 of 36 passes for 415 yards and
three touchdowns.
Wallace had 61 tackles, nine quarterback sacks, 14 tackles or loss and one forced fumble while
also blocking a punt. Gomez, who split time between guard and tackle, graded out at 93 percent in region
contests, in which the Tigers went 4-1.
Mills had 51 tackles, seven tackles or loss and one sack, while Foulk had 27 tackles, three
interceptions an six pass breakups. Pinto was 19 of 22 on extra point attempts and connected on his only
field goal attempt of the season.
Saluda finished with a 9-2 overall record.
