Things Are Looking Up For The Patriots

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Edior St. George – The Dorchester Academy girls basketball team has four returning starters from a team that went 16-8 a year ago and came within a basket of playing for the SCISA AA state championship. So it is no surprise the Raiders are having a successful 2025-26 campaign. They won 15 of their first 17 games and started 3-0 in Region 2. The four returning starters are junior Palmer Kizer , junior Alyssa Grooms , junior Rylee Weathers and sophomore Emery McClure . The newcomer to the starting five is a senior in Rylee Matthews . The first two players off the bench for Dorchester are senior Lyla Owens and freshman Madison Downey . Other members of the team are sophomore Emma Branch and sophomore Brinley Pope , both first-year varsity playes. McClure leads the team as she is averaging a double-double with over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game, respectively. She’s also averaging four steals a contest. The Raiders have a balanced scoring attack as Weathers and Grooms are both averaging double figures. Matthews is averaging double figures in rebounds. Kizer, who is averaging four steals a contest, is the defensive catalyst, according to veteran head coach Callie McClure . “Kizer is at the top of our defense, setting the tone on that side of play,” said Coach McClure, who saw the Raiders drop a 44-43 decision to Laurens Academy in the semifinals. “She is feisty and quick and never runs out of gas.” DORCHESTER BOYS OPEN 9-8 The Dorchester boys basketball team won nine of its first 17 games and was 1-1 in region play. With four games still left to go in the region, Raiders head coach Nick Mcalhany thinks the best is yet to come for his team. “We still have not played our best ball yet,” Mcalhany said. “We’re looking forward to doing that as we get into region play.” Dorchester went 10-13 last season. They lost to Carolina Academy 62-53 in the first round of the AA state tournament. Senior Abe Shuler is the leader of the offense, averaging around 15 points a contest. Joining Shuler in the starting lineup are senior John Quattlebaum , junior Austin Varn , sophomore Carter Beeks and freshman Colson Williams . Other members of the team are sophomore Boone Gruber , sophomore Graham Varnadoe , senior Bradley Sievert , junior Lathan Hartzog , sophomore Warren Judy , sophomore Clayton Ziegler and junior Will Quattlebaum . Dorchester is joined in Region 2 by Faith Christian , Charleston Collegiate and Cathedral Academy .

Wilson High School's 5-Star Junior Basketball Prospect, Josh Wilson.

Larry Gamble HSSR Photo Editor Latta — Heath Mew is a senior and former two-sport athlete at Latta High School, where he played baseball and basketball before switching to only playing Golf for his senior year. Of the three sports he has participated in, he readily admits that Golf is his favorite sport, despite having just started playing the game a year ago. While Mew will close out his high school career playing golf, he does have fond memories of playing basketball from the seventh grade through his junior year. Similarly, he played baseball starting in the eighth grade through his sophomore year. Everything changed when he says, “My buddies invited me to go play golf and I found I really enjoyed the game,” he said. That outing led him to eventually play golf for on his high school team. In the classroom Mew carries a 4.512 GPA, while maintaining his online course load, and participating in sports.  For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Mew has been chosen the “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Mew is currently enrolled in dual credit courses offered by NETC. He just finished College Algebra and this semester he will take Psychology. His plans are to attend North Greenville University and work towards a degree in Physical Therapy. Afterwards, he aspires to enroll in MUSC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and make that his career. By taking the online courses through the NETC, Mew says, “It will help me prepare for the work-load and schedule I can expect with my future college work, and this helps me balance my schedule for my classes,” he said. ” By taking these classes my NETC classes will transfer, and they will count for freshman required classes which will put me ahead in my academic load.” When asked about a memorable moment in his sports career, Mew said, “Last year, I was new on the golf team, and we made it to state,” he said. “I got to play, and that first time hearing my name called to tee off, with me being new to the sport, was special. Even better, I addressed the ball for the tee shot and it was the best drive I ever hit at that point.”

Larry Gamble HSSR Photo Editor L atta - Kate Gasque is a senior student athlete at Latta High School, where she has been a member of the cheerleading squad since the eighth grade. She started on the junior varsity squad and moved up to varsity where she’s been a “back spotter” for stunts and lifts, as well as an enthusiastic leader on the sidelines. Gasque is enjoying her senior year and continuing to take NETC online classes to help prepare for college. Gasque said she enjoys cheering at football and basketball events while she calls baseball her favorite sport to watch. She enjoys her time on the sidelines of football and basketball games, two sports that have back-to-back long seasons. After high school, Gasque plans to attend Clemson University and focus on her studies. While she has enjoyed being a cheerleader, once this basketball season ends, she will miss the camaraderie of the team and friendships she has developed over the years. In the classroom, she carries a 5.240 GPA, and she says that after high school she plans to major in Agri-Business while at Clemson. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, Gasque has been chosen the “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Currently, Gasque is enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She just started taking classes this school year, and is completing classes that will fill basic requirements for freshman year of college. She has taken Math 110 and this semester will take Psychology. Gasque looks forward to going to college and a business career afterwards. When asked what NETC does to help her prepare for school after graduation, Gasque said, “Taking online classes gives me familiarity with college classwork,” she said. “It gives me the experience of completing college level work before I arrive on campus and keeps me from being completely thrown into it.” Gasque rates her overall experience as positive, saying the dual enrollment classes are; “Different than anything I’ve had to do before, but not in a bad way,” she said. “You must look for the positives sometimes as you are working through the assignments. I see a real benefit to getting an advanced taste of college classes, which helps me as a student, and one or two completed classes could reduce my course load.” As a high school student, being a hard-working cheerleader while also playing spring sports, plus being enrolled in the NETC online classes, how does Gasque manage her time? “I have to plan, so there is a balance in everything between school, sports, and life,” she said. “I put together a schedule that enables me to get all the course work completed so I don’t have to give up on doing other things.” Gasque reflected on a favorite memory cheering. “The end of each season is an emotional time,” she said. “We worked hard together at practice and games. It’s a point where we reflect on how much joy there has been, as we became a team working together as friends, helping each other every step of the way.”

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Lake City – After a season in which it posted a 17-8 record, won the Region 7-AA title and reached the lower state championship game of the state playoffs, the 2025-26 campaign hasn’t had the same magic for the Lake City High School girls basketball team. The Panthers opened with a 10-8 overall record and were 3-3 in region play. Second-year head coach Shaquetta Cooper said her team has been plagued by inconsistency. “There have been times when our team has performed well,” Cooper said. “We’ve faced numerous setbacks. We have to get healthy.” Leading the way for Lake City is freshman Hannah Riles . She leads the team in scoring with an 11.9 points-per-game average and in assists at 3.1 She is also averaging 2.9 steals and 3.8 rebounds. Senior Jada Robinson leads the team in rebounding with a 9.1 average and in steals at 3.9. She is averaging 8.3 points. Senior Trayana Burgess is just missing averaging double figures in scoring with a 9.9 average to go with 2.9 steals. Sophomore Ja’Kyla Boyle is averaging 5.8 rebounds to go with 2.6 points, freshman Shaziyah Epps is averaging 4.8 points, and senior Kailey Graham is averaging 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. Other players who are seeing regular time in the playing rotation are eighth-grader Ke’Osha Smith , senior Kierstyn Hanna and junior Brianna Shaw . LAKE CITY BOYS OPEN 5-10 The Lake City boys won just five of their first 15 games and opened 1-5 in region play. Panthers head coach Seneca Barron is not surprised with the issues. “The team is going through a rebuilding phase and is still developing chemistry,” Barron said. “Inconsistency on both ends of the floor has made it difficult to close out games. They’ve shown flashes of potential, but execution has been a challenge. “Despite the losses, the team continues to compete and gain valuable experience. This season is about growth, learning and laying the foundation for future success. The effort is there; results will follow with time and adjustments.” Senior Amari Hanna is the team’s leading scorer at 13.7 points. He is also averaging 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Senior Da’jon McClary leads in rebounds at 6.9 while scoring at a 5.5 clip. Senior Jeffery Burgess is the second leading scorer at 8.8 and is tied with Hanna for the steals lead. XyKenan Hickson is leading in assists with a 3.6 average while scoring 6.2 points a game. Senior Shayon Shavers is grabbing five boards a game while averaging 2.8 points and senior Ka’jon McClary is averaging 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.8 points. Others who are seeing regular time in the rotation are junior Anthony White , junior Jordan Dobson , freshman Zyrie McFadden , junior Jaylen Tooney , junior Alexander Rendo and junior David Singletary . .

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Honea Path – The Belton-Honea Path High School boys basketball team is trying to build off of a strong 2024-25 campaign. The Bears went 16-11 overall last season and won the Region 1-AAA championship with a 7-1 record. They also advanced to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. BHP is off to a good start this season but, of course, it all remains to be seen. “In order for the Bears to repeat that success we are going to have to improve defensively as the season wears on,” said Belton-Honea Path head coach Russ Tysl , whose team opened with a 10-5 overall record and a 2-0 start in region play. “Currently BHP is giving up nearly 57 points per contest. Many nights we are bailed out by four players who are all averaging in double figures for scoring. “From a record standpoint this team is ahead of where we were at this point last year, however, there are some places defensively where we seem behind last season’s region championship team.” The usual starting lineup for BHP is senior 4-year letterman Marshall Bolden , senior 2-year letterman Dajaun Walker and junior T.L. Hanna transfer Zi Miller-Brown at the guard spots with senior 3-year letterman Jakyri Anderson and sophomore Eugene Robinson as the forwards. Robinson was leading the team in scoring with an 18.6 points-per-game average and in rebounding with a 5.6 average. Bolden was averaging 14.5 points while being the assists leader at 3.4. Miller Brown was leading the team in steals at 2.3 while scoring at an 11.6 clip and dealing out 2.9 assists. Walker was averaging 11.2 points. Anderson was averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds. Junior Pearson Summey is the first player off the bench. He is averaging 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds. Tysl has three post players he makes good use of in 6-foot-3-inch senior Kanaza Bryant and sophomores Nick Sargent and Charlie Haynie , 6-5 and 6-4, respectively. “We tend to get much larger in the frontcourt when we sub Nick, Charlie or Kanaza into the lineup,” Tysl said. Like Sargent and Haynie, junior Cody Poole joined the varsity from the junior varsity. Junior Elijah Jackson came from Hanna with Miller Brown. Tysl hopes to solidify the Bears’ rotation coming down the homestretch of the regular season. “We will also need to create more depth off the bench with a more reliable rotation from players 7-10,” he said.

Pinewood senior Jonathan Slawson is a highly rated point guard.

By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Manning – The Laurence Manning Academy boys basketball team is off to a tremendous start. The Swampcats were victorious in 13 of their first 16 contests and started 2-0 in SCISA Region 3-AAAA. None of this has come as a surprise to second-year head coach Patrick Anderson . “I think we’ve played up to our expectations so far,” Anderson said. “This group has continued to grow as the season has progressed, and that’s been encouraging. Overall, the effort and buy-in have been there, and that’s what we challenge our guys with daily.” Laurence Manning returned four starters from last year’s 13-15 team in senior Zy Dennis , sophomore Scoop Dennis , senior Charlie Duvall and junior Ben Sanders . The Swampcats are going to have to make do without Scoop Dennis, who led them in scoring, rebounding and steals last year, for a while though. He is out with a lower leg injury. Laurence Manning had a big win over rival Wilson Hall on January 16, coming away with a 55-33 triumph. Junior Wesley Lyles , the newcomer to the starting lineup, led the Swampcats with 20 points. Duvall and Zy Dennis both had 10 and senior Whitley Boykin added eight. Despite the loss of Scoop Dennis for the time being, Anderson thinks the Swampcats’ experience is a major benefit. “Our biggest strength is our experience,” Anderson said. “We have a group that’s been through a lot of varsity basketball, and that shows in how we handle different situations throughout a game.” Other members of Region 3 along with LMA and Wilson Hall are Camden Military , Hilton Head Christian Academy , John Paul II and Trinity Collegiate . To come away with a region crown, Anderson said the Swampcats have to be steady. “To compete for a region title, we have to be consistent,” he said. “That means defending at a high level every night, valuing possessions and doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score.” LMA GIRLS OPEN REGION WITH WIN OVER WILSON HALL The Laurence Manning girls basketball team opened its region schedule with a 53-32 victory over Wilson Hall. That helped the Lady ‘Cats, who played a difficult non-region schedule, improve to 6-7 overall. Senior Lyza Prickelmyer was the star of the game for Laurence Manning with her 22-point effort. After scoring the first basket of the game, play was stopped at LMA’s Bubba Davis Gymnasium to honor Prickelmyer for going over 1,000 points for her career. She actually did that earlier in the week on the road against Orangeburg Prep . Prickelmyer has been setting the pace for the Lady ‘Cats all season. She was averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists, all team highs. She was also averaging 2.1 steals. Ashley Rae Hodge , another senior 4-year starter like Prickelmyer, led the team in steals at 2.8. She was also averaging 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Hodge had 13 points against Wilson Hall, while senior Lily Wellborn added 12. Laurence Manning head coach Lisa Ard said there is still plenty of room for improvement available to her team. “We are adjusting to each other,” said Ard, who is in her second year in charge of the program. “We’re still not playing as well as I think we can. We need to make layups, 2-footers and free throws. We can get the ball where we need to but don’t capitalize on all the opportunities we have. “Our athleticism is our strength. We are fast and athletic. We just could use a lot more basketball knowledge in a lot of situations. The other two members of Laurence Manning’s all-senior starting lineup are Maggie Welch and Marlee Black . NOONAN STEPS DOWN AS LMA FOOTBALL COACH Laurence Manning is again in search of a new football coach after Jimmy Noonan tendered his resignation in the middle of December after one year as head coach. The resignation was immediate for Noonan, who was also the middle school principal. A letter sent out by LMA to its families stated: "We want to share an update with you regarding a transition in our school leadership. Effective yesterday, Coach Jimmy Noonan has stepped down from his roles at Laurence Manning Academy as Middle School Principal and Head Football Coach. "While we are saddened to see him move on, we are deeply grateful for the devotion he has poured into our school. Coach Noonan has been an incredible blessing to this campus. He is a man of deep integrity, unwavering character, and genuine faith. His leadership, mentorship, and quiet strength have shaped not only our football program this year, but also the lives of countless Swampcats. "Please join us in wishing Coach Noonan the very best as he begins his next chapter. We are thankful for all he has contributed to LMA, and we look forward to continuing to support one another as a strong and united school family." Laurence Manning will be looking for its fifth head coach in four years. Will Furse was the head coach in 2023 before ending his 2-year stint with his resignation. Robbie Briggs was hired to replace him but stepped down in the middle of last season. Patrick Anderson was the interim head coach for the rest of the 2024 campaign. Noonan led the Swampcats to a 6-5 overall record. They got to host a playoff game in the first round of the SCISA AAAA state playoffs but lost to Porter-Gaud 13-6 in the first round.

Senior Josiah Taylor is a returning starter for Summerville.