Stratford girls eclipse win total from last season
By Rob Gantt
Special to the HSSR
GOOSE CREEK – Stratford High School’s girls basketball team recorded its sixth win of the 2024-25 season – two more than all of 2023-24 – with an 80-49 rout of visiting Colleton County Friday, Jan. 3, at Stratford.
“They played well,” Knights coach Camille Toliver said. “That’s what we’ve been preaching, to play our ball no matter the opponent, no matter the score. We lock in. We score. We swing the ball around. We rebound the basketball. We get putbacks. We trust what we practice.”
Stratford (6-8) tallied 18 points in the opening quarter, then erupted for 34 more in the second stanza to grab a 52-26 halftime lead.
This season, the Knights return region player of the year Ciara Mustapher and fellow all-region selection Sydnie Stepney. Mustapher leads in scoring and assists, while Stepney is tops on the team in rebounds, steals and blocks. Both players are senior captains.
“They drive what we have, Ciara offensively and Sydnie defensively,” Toliver said. “Those are two girls who work really hard. They’re leaders. Any time the gym is open, they’re in here working.”
Mustapher averages more than 20 points per game this winter. She’s been a varsity player since her freshman year.
“She’s one of the most loyal players to come through this program,” Toliver said. “She played all the way through the bumps and bruises before our state run a couple years ago. She decided she wanted to be a Knight. She stayed a Knight. In this day and age, it’s so easy to go somewhere else. It’s amazing of her to stay at the school she’s at, have pride in her program, to work hard and push her teammates.”
Stepney stacks numbers of rebounds, steals and blocks. She has a knack for making plays around the basket.
“She realized last year her thing was defense, getting steals, getting blocks and getting rebounds,” Toliver said. “She plays level-headed. She communicates well down low and lets her teammates know what is going on. She stays composed and goes after the ball. She has great instinct on the basketball, reading passes and seeing passes.”
More contributors are freshman Averi Johnson, junior captain Harleigh Mosley, sophomore Jadeyn Wright, senior Raniyah McKune and senior Zay Brown.
Stratford is at Summerville (12-1) Tuesday, Jan. 7, in a non-region game before opening the Region 7-5A slate at home Friday, Jan. 10, against Wando High School (13-1). The Knights then host Lucy Beckham (4-5) Tuesday, Jan. 14, and travel to Cane Bay (3-10) Friday, Jan. 17, and Berkeley (10-3) Tuesday, Jan. 21. Stratford caps the first rotation through league play at home versus rival Goose Creek (5-6) Friday, Jan. 24.
