SCISA Celebrates 56th Football Season
WA's senior RB Grant Small (5-11, 185) carries the ball. Photo by Mara Feagin.
By: Gerald Doolittle
Contributing Writer
Goose Creek, S.C. – On August 14th the South Carolina Independent Schools Association opened its 56th football season with twelve games. In 1970 Jefferson Davis Academy, Roy Hudgens Academy and Country Day launched SCISA football. In 2026 47 schools will compete for Titles.
Because of the two-year re-alignment new Champions will be crowned in classes 3A, 2A and 1A. Northwood Academy will defend their 4A Title and W.W. King Academy will defend their 8-Man Title.
Last season Pinewood Prep won the 3A title with a win over Wilson Hall. This season the Panthers will be in 4A. Last season Bethesda Academy won the 2A title with a win over Pee Dee Academy. This season they will compete in 3A. Last season Williamsburg Academy won the 1A title with a win over Colleton Prep Academy. This season both schools will compete in 2A. This season Class 1A is wide open for the taking as eight schools fight for the title.
Can Coach Jon Wheeler fire his Hammond Skyhawks back to the top of Region 1-AAAA? Last season the Skyhawks finished 9-2 and will be tested by the much improved teams from Augusta Christian (1-9, Ben Lippen (3-8) and Cardinal Newman (1-9).
Hammond opened the season with a 31-13 win over Brookland-Cayce. Augusta Christian has opened the season with wins over Greenville Hurricanes 48-7 and John Paul ll 33-10. Ben Lippen opened their season with a 42-0 win over Spartanburg Christian. Cardinal Newman has opened the season with a 12-6 win over Clarendon Hall and a 34-0 over American Leadership.
The Region 2-AAAA will be a battle between Pinewood Prep (10-3), Northwood Academy (11-1) and Laurence Manning (6-5). John Paul ll (5-6) could be a sleeper.
Pinewood Prep has opened the new season with a 62-27 win over First Baptist and a 41-14 win over Heathwood Hall. Northwood Academy opened their season with a 60-27 loss to Bethesda Academy.
At this writing Laurence Manning has yet to open their season. John Paul ll has opened their season with 42-8 loss to Hilton Head Christian and a 33-10 loss to Augusta Christian.
Coach Adam Jarecki hopes his eleven seniors can help his Barons improve on last seasons 11-2 Class AAA record. Last season the Barons were defeated by Pinewood Prep for the Title. The Barons defeated Orangeburg Prep 22-0 to open the 2026 season.
Coach Neil Minton hopes his nine seniors can propel his Florence Christian Eagles to Region and State Titles. The Eagles defeated Dillon Christian 42-35 to open the season. Last season the Eagles finished at 8-3.
Bethesda Academy and Hilton Head Christian will battle for the Region 2-AAA Crown. Last season Coach Antwain Turner coached his Blazers to a 12-0 season for the Class AA title. They have opened the new season with a 55-7 win over Frederica Academy and a 60-27 win over Northwood Academy.
Hilton Head Christian has opened the 2026 season with a 42-8 win over John Paul ll and a 41-0 win over Beaufort Academy.
Calhoun Academy (9-2) and Colleton Prep Academy (9-3 will battle for the Region 1-AA and State Titles. Colleton Prep has opened the 2026 season with a 50-6 win over Hilton Head Prep and a 44-0 win over Lee Academy.
All five schools in Region 2-AA are primed to have winning seasons. Williamsburg Academy after winning the 2025 Class 1A Title with an 11-1 record have not at this writing opened the 2026 season.
Pee Dee Academy (8-4) at this writing has not opened the 2026 season. Greenwood Christian after finishing the 2025 season with a 9-3 record has opened the 2026 season with 21-20 loss to Northside Christian and a 28-0 win over McCormick High School.
Orangeburg Prep (7-4) opened their 2026 season with a 22-0 loss to Wilson Hall. Spartanburg Day playing football for the first time in over 40 years has opened the 2026 season with a 39-6 loss to Asheville Christian and a 35-14 win over Calhoun Academy.
SCISA Region 1-A will be a wide open race between four schools who all had losing records in 2025. Carolina Academy (5-6) and Dillon Christian (3-7) appear the two stronger teams. Lee Academy (2-8) and Clarendon Hall (0-10) will play hard to be competitive.
SCISA Region 2-A will have competitive teams from all four schools led by Holly Hill Academy (11-1), Dorchester Academy (9-2), Beaufort Academy (6-5) and Thomas Heyward Academy (4-6).
Holly Hill Academy up from 8-Man opened their season with a 22-6 win over St. Johns Christian. Dorchester Academy opened their season with a 26-8 win over Patrick Henry Academy. Beaufort Academy has opened the 2026 season with losses to Calhoun Academy 36-20 and Hilton Head Christian 41-0.
Coach Brian Kneece has been working hard to get his W. W. King Academy Knights ready to defend their 12-0 SCISA 8-Man Title. The Knights opened their season with a 38-2 win over Wardlaw Academy.
Coach Jolly Doolittle has the Laurens Academy Crusaders ready to improve on their 9-3 record and again play for the 8-Man title. The Crusaders opened the season with 50-18 win over the Richard Winn Academy Eagles.
Coach Anthony Reitenour has his Jefferson Davis Raiders ready to make a serious run for the 8-Man Title. Last season the Raiders finished with an 8-5 record. They have opened the 2026 season with a 24-19 win over Providence and a 14-0 win over Andrew Jackson Academy.
Richard Winn Academy (4-7) and Community Christian (3-4) could be spoilers in the race. Community Christian opened the season with a 22-18 win over King’s Academy and Richard Winn opened with the 50-18 loss to Laurens Academy.
Here are the early rushing leaders for the 2026 season. Eli Beville (Palmetto Chr) 342 yds 4 TDs, B J Suits (Northside Chr.) 283 yds 7 TDS, Marquel Williams (Jefferson Davis) 251 yds 1 TD, Joseph Morse (WW King) 235 yds 4 TDs, Cooper Franklin (Cross Schools) 230 yds 3 TDs, Jordan Turner (Bethesda) 205 yds 5 TDS, Jeff Armstrong (Bethesda) 189 yds 4 TDS, Parker Kizer (Holly Hill) 171 yds 1 TD, Derrick Porter (First Baptist) 170 yds 3 TDs and Jordan Blackmon (Dillon Chr) 145 yds 3 TDs.
Here are the early passing leaders for the 2026 season. Silas Brawner (Pinewood) 592 yds 7 TDS, Harris Janik (Augusta Chr) 479 yds 7 TDS, Gibbs Isom (First Baptist) 466 yds 6 TDS, Cale Owens (Colleton Prep) 465 yds 6 TDS, Jordan Turner (Bethesda) 420 yds 5 TDS, Ethan Collins (Laurens) 351 yds 7 TDS, Kevin Johnson (Northwood) 283 yards 4 TDS, Kres Langhals (Hilton Head Chr) 271 yds 5 TDS, Graham Bokinsky (Ben Lippen) 250 yds 1 TD and B J Suits (Northside Chr) 227 yds.
Here are the early leaders in pass receiving or the 2026 season. Thomas Corbett (Colleton Prep) 269 yards 4 TDS, Tre Green (Pinewood) 204 yards 2 TDS, Deuce Bradley, jr (Augusta Chr) 187 yards 3 TDS, Joshua Bradley (First Baptist) 172 yards, Drew Wolf (Northwood) 167 yds 3 TDS, Lavoris Lucas (Pinewood) 151 yds 3 TDS, M J Scott (Bethesda) 131 yds 2 TDS, Joseph Houpt (Hilton Head Chr) 129 yds 3 TDS, Elijah Hornberger (Laurens) 128 yds 2 TDS, Jackson Richardson (Hilton Head Chr) 121 yds and Caleb Hardy (Laurens) 116 yds 3 TDS.
Here are the early tackles leaders for the 2026 season. Kamond Young (Bethesda) 21, Isaiah Jones (Bethesda) 21, Luke Sobey (Patrick Henry) 20, David Barnes (Palmetto Chr) 20, Elias Littleton (Laurens) 19, Davis Padgett (Palmetto Chr) 18, Ben Bailey (Augusta Chr) 18, Eli Garrett (Laurens) 17, Harrison Ray (Jefferson Davis) 17, Jake Harrington (Jefferson Davis) 17 and Scooter Brown (Porter-Gaud) 15.
