SCISA basketball state championshhip matches set after Thursday semifinals

Dennis Berunson hssr.com Associate Editor • February 27, 2026

Game roundups, state championship schedule and scores and brackets available

Sumter – The matchups are set for the five state championship games scheduled for Saturday in the SCISA basketball state tournament after semifinal games were played on Thursday at two sites in Sumter.

 

Orangeburg Prep will meet Florence Christian School for the AAA girls title, while Spartanburg Christian Academy will do battle with Greenwood Christian School for the AAA boys crown. The AA girls title game will have Dorchester Academy sparring against defending state champion Cross Schools, while the AA boys will have Charleston Collegiate School taking on Cathedral Academy, which is going after its third straight state title.

 

Ragin Prep will be going after its second straight Class A boys title against Newberry Academy. That will be the first of the five games at Sumter County Civic Center, set for an 11 a.m. tip-off.

 

The AA girls game will begin at 1 p.m. followed by the boys game at 2:30. The AAA girls contest is set for 5 with the AAA boys beginning at 6:30.

 

Three title games will be played on Friday. Wardlaw Academy will face Richard Winn Academy for the Class A girls title at 4 p.m. followed by the AAAA girls championship game between Northwood Academy and First Baptist School at 6. The AAAA boys title tilt between Pinewood Prep and Heathwood Hall is scheduled to tip at 7:30.

 

AAA Girls

Orangeburg Prep 55

St. John’s Christian 42

 

Orangeburg Prep pushed out to a 14-point halftime lead and was never headed as it beat St. John’s Christian Academy 55-42 at the civic center.

 

The Indians, who will take a 22-4 record into the championship game, led 19-12 after one quarter and pushed the advantage to 36-22 at halftime. The Cavaliers managed to pull within 10 at 45-35 entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t make another push to pressure OP.

 

Mary Legare Delaney had a monster game for Orangeburg Prep with 24 points, 15 of them coming in the first half. Hannah Lambrecht also scored in double figures with 12.

 

Kate Holstein added eight, and Jayme Culler had six.

 

Lily McKnight led SJCA, which finished with a14-12 record, with 14 points. Kylie Finley added 13, while Reagan Ashby had nine, and Chandler Cumbie had four.

 

While it will be playing in its third title game in five years, OP will be seeking its first championship since 1991.

 

Florence Christian 49

Hilton Head Prep 27

 

Florence Christian will be playing in its first state title game ever after beating upstart Hilton Head Prep 49-27 at the civic center.

 

The final score isn’t a true indication of how dominant the Eagles were in the first half. FCS led 16-1 after one quarter and 32-6 at halftime.

 

Florence Christian, which improved to 23-2, connected on eight 3-point shots in the first two quarters. Five of those treys came from Demi Greene for all of her team high 15 points.

 

Anna Kate Huggins, who connected on two 3s, had 14 points. Bailey Johnson had six points, and Bethany Starr and Emerson Poston both had four.

 

Riley Wilbert, Erin Cleary and Kate Pagum each had eight points to lead HHP. The Dolphins, who finished the year with a 9-20 record, entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed in their portion of the 6-team bracket. However, they upset No. 3 seed Calhoun Academy 44-40 and No. 2 seed Greenwood Christian 39-37 to reach the semis.

 

AAA Boys

 

Greenwood Christian 53

Florence Christian 38

 

The Florence Christian boys couldn’t match the girls’ run to the finals as Greenwood Christian limited it to just 13 second-half points on the way to a 53-38 triumph at the civic center.

 

FCS led 25-18 at halftime but was outscored by GCS 17-2 in the third quarter to grab a 35-27 lead. The Hawks, who improved to 16-10, added 18 more points in the final stanza.

 

           Ty Kennedy led the way for Greenwood Christian with 26 points, 22 of them coming in the second half. Isaiah Scott-Palacios added 11, Leland Reed had 10, and Bryson Dixon had four.

 

           The Eagles finished with a 21-5 mark. Taylor Greene led the way with 13 points. Riley Minton added 10, Brayden Berry had seven, and Hayden Schwab had four.

 

           Spartanburg Christian 63

           Calhoun Academy 45

 

           Spartanburg Christian jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back as it defeated Calhoun Academy 63-45 at the civic center.

 

           The Warriors, who improved to 21-8, led 16-9 after one quarter and pushed the lead to 34-17 at halftime. CA was unable to make a dent in the deficit in the second half, trailing 50-34 entering the final stanza.

 

           Eli Campbell led SCA with 29 points, connecting on six 3-pointers. Lake Wagner added 14, 12 of those coming on treys.

 

Jayden Landrum added eight, J.D. Keel had seven, and Lucas Colburn finished with five.

 

           The Cavaliers finished with a 23-6 mark. Nick Lindsey led the way with 20 points. Colt Layton had nine, while Crews Felder and Hatcher Thornburg both had eight.

 

           Spartanburg Christian will be after its first title since winning consecutive 2A crowns in 2020 and 2021. The Warriors had that run ended with a loss in the ’22 title game.

 

           AA Girls

 

           Dorchester 58

           Lee Academy 23

 

           Dorchester Academy advanced to its first state championship appearance since 2020 with a dominating 60-23 win over Lee Academy at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center.

 

           The Raiders picked up their 20th win in 25 games. They led 25-10 at intermission and then broke the game completely open by outscoring the Cavaliers 18-4 in the third quarter for a 43-14 advantage.

 

           DA had three players in double figures led by Rylee Weathers with 18. Emery McClure added 16, and Alyssa Grooms added 10.

 

           Palmer Kizer finished with eight, and Madison Downey finished with six.

 

           LA concluded its season with a 13-8 record. Jamison Collins led Lee with nine points, while Karagan Melton finished with six, and Mazie Tomlnson had five.

 

Cross Schools 46

Laurens Academy 39

 

Cross Schools kept its hopes of a third straight state title alive with a 46-39 win over Laurens Academy at Nash Student Center.

 

The Stingrays, who won the 2024 Class A title before beating the same LA team for the AA crown last year, improved to 22-7. They led the Crusaders just 30-29 entering the final quarter before outscoring them 16-10.

 

Ryan Mayers led the way for Cross with 22 points. Sydney Hollings added eight, Lex Maldonado had seven, Savannah Hollings had five, and Rey Maldonado had four.

 

Sadie Bruyere led Laurens, which finished 24-3, with 17 points. Mackenzie Runyans had nine, Brooklyn Senn seven and Braylee Burke four.

 

AA Boys

Cathedral Academy 61

Laurens Academy 37

 

Cathedral kept alive its hopes of a third straight AA state title with a convincing 61-37 win over Laurens at Nash Student Center.

 

The Generals improved to 32-10 with the triumph. They will be facing Charleston Collegiate for the fourth time this year. Cathedral won the other three by the scores of 67-51, 39-37 and 65-39.

 

Laurens finished 17-12.

 

Charleston Collegiate 47

Bethesda Academy 44

 

Charleston Collegiate jumped out to a big lead and held on for dear life to beat Bethesda Academy 47-44 at Nash Student Center.

 

CCS, which improved to 15-8, led 16-6 after one quarter. It pushed the lead to 29-15 at halftime. The Blazers pulled within 37-28 after three quarters and made a run in the final stanza but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

 

BA finished 17-10.

 

Class A Boys

 

Ragin Prep 56

Marlboro Academy 49

 

Ragin Prep gave itself a chance at a second straight Class A boys state title with a 56-49 win over Marlboro Academy at Nash Student Center.

 

The Rams, who improved to 17-12, led 17-10 after one quarter and 33-20 at halftime. They took a 48-37 lead into the final stanza.

 

Kayshaun Rutherford and Zymir Robinson-Hill led Ragin with 18 points apiece. Kden Shannon added 10, and Kavontay Rose had four.

 

The Draagons finished with a 14-8 record and were led by Landon Edge with 16 points. Elijah Shepard had 10, Beckham Jacobs had nine, and Parker Moody had seven.  

 

Newberry Academy 49

Ridge Christian 46

 

Newberry outscored Ridge Christian 12-9 in overtime to advance to the Class A boys title game for the irst time since 2021with a 49-46 win at Nash Student Center.

 

The Eagles, who improved to 12-8, came out of the gates slow. They trailed 13-7 after one quarter and 23-12 at halftime. However, NA outscored the Paladins 15-4 in the third quarter to tie the game at 27-27 after three quarters.

 

Caleb Wilbanks led Newberry with 23 points. Gavin Rosemond added 21 points. He had seven of the points in overtime.

 

Deron Ruff led Ridge, which finished 10-13, with 16 points. Nicholas Dunmeyer and Ben Shamblin both added 10.

 

SCISA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

 

At Sumter County Civic Center

Friday

Class A Girls

4 p.m. – Richard Winn vs. Wardlaw

AAAA Girls

6 p.m. – Northwood Academy vs. First Baptist

AAAA Boys

7:30 p.m. – Pinewood Prep vs. Heathwood Hall

 

Saturday

Class A Boys

11 a.m. – Ragin Prep vs. Newberry Academy

AA Girls

1 p.m. – Dorchester Academy vs. Cross Schools

AA Boys

2:30 p.m. – Cathedral Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate

AAA Girls

5 p.m. – Orangeburg Prep vs. Florence Christian

AAA Boys

6:30 p.m. – Greenwood Christian vs. Spartanburg Christian

 

SCISA STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

   

AAAA

Boys

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Heathwood Hall vs. Pinewood Prep, 7:30 p.m.

 

Girls

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Northwood Academy vs. First Baptist, 6 p.m.

 

AAA

Boys

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

Game 9 – Spartanburg Christian 63, Calhoun Academy 45

Game 10 – Greenwood Christian 53,  Florence Christian 38

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Spartanburg Christian vs. Greenwood Christian, 6:30 p.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

Game 9 – Orangeburg Prep 55, St. John’s Christian 42

Game 10 – Florence Christian 49, Hilton Head Prep 27

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Orangeburg Prep vs. Florence Christian, 5 p.m.

 

AA

Boys

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

Game 10 – Cathedral Academy 61, Laurens Academy 37

Game 11 – Charleston Collegiate 47, Bethesda Academy 44

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 12 – Cathedral Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate, 2:30 p.m.

 

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

Game 9 – Dorchester Academy 60, Lee Academy 23

Game 10 – Cross Schools 46, Laurens Academy 39

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Dorchester Academy vs. Cross Schools, 1 p.m.

 

Class A

Boys

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

Game 8 – Ragin Prep 56. Marlboro Academy 49

Game 9 – Newberry Academy 49, Ridge Christian 46

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 10 – Ragin Prep vs. Newberry Academy, 11 a.m.

 

Girls

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – Richard Winn vs. Wardlaw Academy, 4 p.m.

Saluda Football Uses Spring To Build Depth

By Dennis Brunson • July 3, 2026
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Saluda – The Saluda High School football team will have a good amount of experience returning for the 2026 season. The Tigers have six starters back on offense and eight on defense from a team that went 6-6 and reached the second round of the AA state playoffs. However, they didn’t get a lot of work in during spring practice because many of them were on the school’s baseball and track and field teams that made deep runs in the postseason. Saluda head coach Greg Woerner found a silver lining in that though. “We were only able to get eight days of spring practice in and made the most o it and got better learning the offense and defense and developing some depth with the younger guys,” said Woerner, who will be in his second season as head coach. “A lot of our returning starters were making playoff runs in baseball and track, so we got a good luck at our depth.” Saluda returns four players who were selected to the All-Region 2-AA team last year. They are rising junior placekicker Ericson Vasquez , senior running back Tristan Daniels, senior tight end Jahmeer Myers and junior defensive back Ceddion Springs . Vasquez was named the Region 2 Special Teams Player of the year. Woerner is hoping the Tigers can be productive in the month of July leading into the start of fall practice. “For the remainder of the summer we’re really just looking forward to continuing to get stronger but also focusing in more on football,” Woerner said. “We had a good June competing in 7-on-7s (competitions) and getting better at our passing game and pass defense. July will focus more on getting better at the whole game.” The Tigers completed their 7-on-7 competition in June. Their first scrimmage will be on August 6 at Woodland before coming home to scrimmage Gilbert on August 10. Saluda is scheduled to open its season on August 21 at home against Abbeville . The Tigers will be part of a new region in Region 4-AA. The region will include two old Region 2 foes in defending state champion Strom Thurmond and Pelion to go with American Leadership Academy , Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Silver Bluff . MILLER MARTIN SELECTED TO AA ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM Sophomore pitcher Miller Martin , a key figure for Saluda’s AA state championship softball team, was selected to the AA All-State softball team announced by the South Carolina Association for Women’s Sports . Martin had a 15-3 win-loss record and struck out 248 batters in 139 2/3 innings while posting a 0.70 earned run average. At the plate, Martin had a .308 batting average with five home runs and 32 runs batted in. Martin was also named the Region 2 Co-Player of the Year. Martin was joined on the All-Region team by Amy Sorcia , Zoey Springs and Nyla Jordan . Tigers head coach Hannah Towery said the program’s first ever state title sets a precedent for the future. “Future players will walk on to that field knowing a championship can be achieved because this team proved it,” said Towery, who guided Saluda to a 29-3 record. “The banner will hang, the trophy will be displayed, and the record books will always show who did it first. “History remembers champions, but it especially remembers those who paved the way. This team just didn’t win a state championship – they built a legacy.”

Jefferson Davis football focusing on the basics over the summer

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 3, 2026
Raiders return everyone along the line from 8-4 team that reached 8-man semifinals

OCA Football Sets Sights On Four-Peat

By David Shelton • July 2, 2026
Oceanside's rising senior QB, Aiden Manavian is nearing 10,000 career passing yards and threw 42 touchdown passes last season.

W W King Holds Spring Athletic Banquet

By Gerald Doolittle • July 1, 2026
By: Gerald Doolittle Contributing Writer, HSSR Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. -W.W. King Academy held its Spring/Winter Athletic Banquet in mid-May to honor their 2025-26 athletic efforts. All the Knight teams were very competitive in their SCISA Class A region where they competed against Wardlaw Academy, Newberry Academy, Cambridge Academy, Richard Winn Academy and Anderson Christian . The Varsity Baseball team won the SCISA Class A Title . The Varsity Softball team was very competitive in the playoffs. Coach Jessica Anderson presented the Varsity Girls Basketball Awards . Blythe Buzhardt won the All-Around Excellence Award. Kenzie Morse won the Defensive Player-of-the-Year Award. Coach Dennis Gibson presented the Varsity Boys Basketball Awards. Spencer McCormick received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Brady Goff received the Sharp-Shooter Award. Coach Allen Guy presented the Varsity Softball Awards. Blythe Buzhardt received the Most Outstanding Player Award. Abby Aull received the Leadership Award and Kenzie Morse received the Iron Athletic Award. Coach Zach Matthews presented five awards to his Varsity Baseball State Champion players. Elijah Hutto received the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Luke Harvey received the Defensive Player of The Year Award. Wyatt Burbank, Zed Watkins and Smith Kirby shared the Team Leadership Award. Athletic Director Kathy Gibson assisted in presenting the Senior Awards. Smith Kirby and Abby Aull received the Senior Student Athlete of the Year Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie Morse received the Athlete of the Year Award. Spencer McCormick and Abby Aull received the Christian Leadership Award. Wyatt Burbank and Kenzie received the Varsity Year-Round Athletes Award.

Florence Christian football team lost a few players to more than just graduation

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor • July 1, 2026
Eagles do return Region Defensive Player of the Year in Hayden Schwab

Lodge Begins Fourth Season As Berkeley Coach

By David Shelton • June 30, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – After a pair of six-win seasons in his first two years , Berkeley head football coach Eric Lodge guided the Stags to a 10-3 record last fall. Lodge is hoping and expecting to see continued growth and development in 2026 and recently put his prospective team through spring drills. The purpose of the spring is to identify roles and hopefully find rising talent that can assist either as backups or starters this fall. “Our spring is about evaluating kids, all of them, to see where they fit in,” Lodge said, “Those practices are very important to the growth of the program. We get everyone involved amd work to get them up to speed. Once we get into the summer, we are working hard to get stronger in the weight room along with seven-on-seven stuff.” Lodge says most of the returning experience is on the offensive side and the Stags should be explosive. Henry Rivers , a senior, will be a fourth-year starter and rates as one of the best in the state. Hethres for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, adding 803 rushing yards and 16 more scores. Returning at receiver are John Cleveland, Eli Mitchell and Johnathan Mitchell, who combined for more than 60 receptions last season. Anchoring the running game are returners Lawrence Washington, Bryson McGee and Jesse Brown . That trio will work behind a revamped offensive line but Lodge sees potential in the developing unit up front. “I like our depth at running back and receiver, and of course we have a veteran leader at quarterback,” said Lodge. There are significantly more holes to fill on defense. The Stags lost an all-state tackle and three starting linebackers that were three-year starters. There also are three holes to fill on the back endd. “We have identified some young men who we feel will step in and be solid players for us,” Lodge said. “Replacing the experience is tough but we have some guys who will learn and grow over time. We’re not new to having young guys on the field. The talent is there and there are opportunities for guys to get on the field.”

Pinewood Preparing To Move Up A Class

By Roger Lee • June 29, 2026
Expectations are high for Pinewood Prep quarterback Silas Brawner.

Cane Bay Football Looking To Get Back On Track

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Summerville – The last two football seasons have been sub-par for the Cane Bay Cobras but veteran head coach Russell Zehr believes the pieces are in place for a potential resurgence. The Cobras finished the last two seasons with three wins each but did win a region championship in 2024. Zehr and his staff have worked hard in the offseason to develop some up and coming talent. They did so through the weight room and spring practice. “We had a good spring overall,” Zehr said. “We were missing a handful of guys due to track but we had good numbers. We spent a lot of time getting everyone up to speed. It was an opportunity for us to see younger kids that are coming up and find out who can help us this season. We had about 80 kids during the sprng and about 75 of those have been consistent in their workouts over the summer.” The Cobras will have a new quarterback this fall. Zehr says senior Coran Houp e is moving from running back to run the option offense this season. Returning in the backfield are Mayson Samuel and Sam Rolston , with some talented backs coming from the lower levels. The offensive line returns two starters, Isaac Siefken and Eli Taylor . Junior JJ Rose is back as the leader along the defensive front, with ends Devin Cobbs and B rennen Shokes also returning. The linebackers will be new starters with only Jackson Williamson returning with experience. The secondary could be a strength with returners Tyrell Bess, Zion Bryant and Caeden Wilson . The kicking game is a solid strength with senior Aiden Thorne returning. Thorne is a deep threat on kickoffs and field goals. “He’s got a leg and can be a real weapon for us,” Zehr said. Cane Bay participated in weekly 7-on-7 passing league scrimmages during June and will play at The Citadel event in July.

Mckoy Continues To Build A Winner At James Island

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
Head football coach at James Island, Jamar McKoy has worked to build his program into one of the more consistent programs in the state.

Red Fox Football Putting In The Work For 2026 Season

By David Shelton • June 29, 2026
By David Shelton Senior Writer Hartsville – As he embarks on his 22 nd season as the head football coach at Hartsville High, Jeff Calabrese is anxiously anticipating the upcoming 2026 season. Calabrese, with more than 200 career coaching wins, sys his team has put in good work in the offseason and appears focused on bettering last year’s 7-5 record. “We had a good spring practice, a good offseason all together really,” the coach said. “The numbers were maybe a little down but not far off. We spent a lot of time evaluating every position. If we needed to make a change we did. The focus in the spring and summer is making sure we have the right guys in the right spots. We basically are trying to get everyone on the same page.” Like all the schools in the state, the Red Foxes put in training four days a week from 8:30 to 11 am. Calabrese says this summer has been especially important as four new coaches have joined the program, including new defensive coordinator Neil Smith . “Really excited to have coach Smith. He brings a ton of energy and experience and he has really adapted well here,” Calabrese said. In terms of personnel, the Red Foxes have experience returning in several areas, starting with quarterback. Junior Ford Wallace is back as the starter and continues to develop in his role as a leader on the offense.. Returning at running back is Trace Hillian with CJ Hickmon moving from receiver to the backfield. Anchoring the offensive line is two-time all-region performer Fred Turner . Other returning linemen, who could end up on either side of the ball, include Creighton McKnight, Jake Williams, Jaquan Samuel and Pat Rhode. Rod Cranford returns in the back seven as a third-year starter. Zi’Yon Mason is moving from the secondary to linebacker, as is Jamario Scipio-Bishop. Devaris James and Deon McCall are players to watch in the secondary. “At a school our size, sometimes you have to move some kids around to make it all fit,” Calabrese said. “That’s why the summer is so important, to get those kids a lot of reps, good group to work with. We just need to build some depth.”
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