Thomas Heyward’s O’Banner ends stellar career
David Shelton • December 18, 2025
Thomas Heyward's Tony O'Banner closes his high school FB career with 8,019 all-purpose yards and 96 career TDs.
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Ridgeland – A stellar playing career for Thomas Heyward Academy standout Tony O’Banner ended with a playoff loss to Williamsburg Academy in the SCISA Class A semi-finals.
O’Banner has been one of the top players in SCISA since earning a starting nod as an eighth-grade sensation. He rushed for 848 yards that season and added 695 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman.
Things really took off as a sophomore when the 6-1, 215-pounder rushed for 2,369 yards and 37 touchdowns. He added 1,970 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior and this season he rushed for 1,220 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games.
O’Banner was a part of two state championship teams, finishing his career with 7,102 rushing yards and 96 career touchdowns. He averaged 10.6 yards per carry over his career. Add in receiving and return yards and O’Banner totaled 8,019 all-purpose yards.
“He’s a once in a lifetime type of player,” coach Daniel Bryan said in August.
This season, the Rebels finished with a 4-6 record but did notch a playoff win over Carolina Academy before the loss to Williamsburg, the eventual state champion.
O’Banner was part of a solid senior class that enjoyed championship success during their career. Another key senior this season was Josh Gibson, who played several positions during the year. Gibson finished with 980 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging a whopping 13.7 yards per carry.
Senior Tyler Hymon was the team’s leading receiver with 16 receptions for 215 yards. Seniors Dodge Peeples, Miles Stanley, Mackie Bowers, Tanner Reed and Antonio Grether were key performers along the offensive and defensive lines. Owen Palazzo performed as a linebacker and receiver. Drew Willis was a multi-purpose athlete and Jace Bessinger worked in the secondary and also at running back.
Thomas Heyward compiled a 31-16 record over the last four seasons.
Wardlaw Academy senior Taylor Hill during the 2025 championship game.
By WORTHY EVANS Contributing Writer Columbia - Last season the White Knoll girls basketball team broke through with 17 wins and made the 5A Division 2 playoffs. Shortly afterward, head coach Coretta Ferguson left to coach the Irmo girls. Also departing the Timberwolves were seniors Shaelyn Hayes , who averaged 14.4 points per game, and Emory Waters - Inman , who averaged 11.9 points. Under first-year head coach Mark Luster , the 2025-2026 White Knoll girls have a lot of returners on the roster, but are considerably young. Even so, Luster is hopeful that the team (2-4) can come together in time for Region 4-5A play. The Timberwolves opened the season with a 63-22 loss Nov. 21 to a powerful Rock Hill team led by senior guard Chloe Hudson , but held their own in a 43-29 loss against another top team, Sumter , Nov. 22 “The Rock Hill game, we got handled, but we played Sumter pretty well,” Luster said. White Knoll scored its first victory of the season with a 65-26 win over Aiken Dec. 1, but a 79-34 loss to Blythewood came Dec. 2 and a 45-27 loss to Lower Richland came Dec. 5. The Timberwolves got victory No.2 with a 50-22 defeat of Aiken Dec. 10. “We’re a young team and we’re still making mistakes, but we’ve played some good competition that’s been a lesson for us,” Luster said. “The good thing about it is that we’re going to see how well we’ve improved when we play these teams the second time around.” Having played Aiken twice, the Timberwolves traveled to Lower Richland Dec. 12 and to Blythewood Dec. 13. White Knoll heads to Laurens Dec. 16 and plays Brookland - Cayce Dec. 19 before opening region play against River Bluff Jan. 9. While losing Hayes and Waters-Inman, White Knoll has a returning leader in senior point guard Sidney White . White has been benched with an ACL injury last year. “She’s one of our better players even though she hasn’t played a game yet,” Luster said. “She’s been practicing with the team and hopefully get cleared if she passes an exam tomorrow (Dec. 12).” Another of the team’s more experienced players is junior guard Jaliyah Daniel , who played on the varsity team her freshman and sophomore years. “She’s our leading scorer right now,” Luster said. “With the ball in her hand as a point guard, she’s stepped up to be a great leader.” With White and Daniel poised to lead the team this season, the rest of the team is competing for starting slots. “Not a lot of the girls have logged varsity time,” he said. “We had some girls play in some spots for a while, but I think we’ve got some girls who can start. Valentina Paniagua is a junior and she stepped up for us and we’re looking for some good things from her. She’s had some injuries but she had a good game last night (the second win over Aiken).” Freshman Center London Thompson is one of the better players in the class of 2029. “She’s come along really well and is a great rebounder,” Luster said. “She’s going to go quite a bit further with her skills development before she leaves us.” Junior guard Desiree Butler has been a part-time starter for the Timberwolves. Luster said she’s struggled a bit but added that he likes what he’s seen from her and will likely be a regular on the floor. “Other than that, we’ve got a lot of little pieces to fit,” Luster said. “We’ve got to figure out what they can do.” White Knoll looks to have as balanced a team as it can be on the court by the time region play opens in 2026. With Luster taking the job so late in the cycle, he said he wasn’t able to put the team through summer and fall camps. “November was the first time I got the team out on the court,” Luster said. “We go out on the court against teams who have had a whole summer and fall, and we’re still installing and learning stuff. We know we’re behind the 8-ballbut we’re playing hard.” Luster said the goal for the team is to be .500 going into region play. By then he thinks the team will be playing its best basketball, and would head into the second round of region play holding it’s own. “It doesn’t get any easier for us, but I like that we have a talented group of juniors and freshmen,” Luster said. “I think we can surprise teams. We have a bright future. We’re excited about the season.” The White Knoll boys are coming off a 13-14 season in which they reached the 5A Division 2 playoffs but lost to Myrtle Beach in the first round. The Timberwolves (5-3) got off to a 1-3 start but have won four straight, including wins over 5A Division 1 state runner-up Blythewood (68-66) Dec. 2 and Lower Richland (70-50) Dec. 5. White Knoll played at Lower Richland Friday and at Blythewood on Saturday, and plays Laurens, Brookland-Cayce, and North Augusta before heading into the Lexington Roundball Classic Dec. 26-28.
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor North Augusta – The Fox Creek High School boys basketball team won four of its first six games and is in hopes of having another strong season The Predators have won 39 games over the past two seasons and reached the quarterfinals of the AAA state playoffs both years. FCHS was averaging 69 points a game with three players scoring in double figures. Senior Chanze Allen was leading the way at 14.0 followed by junior Justin Vining at 12.5 and junior Kobe Sims at 11.5 Junior Randy Robinson was the leading rebounder at 5.7 while scoring at a 6.8 clip. Senior Keori Atwell was averaging 6.7. Vining was the assists leader at 3.2. FOX CREEK GIRLS OPEN 4-5 The Fox Creek girls basketball team won four of its first nine games. However, points have been hard to come by for the Predators as they are averaging just 37 points a contest. Fox Creek returns its top three scorers from last season. Junior Jada Jennings , who averaged over 10 a game last season, is leading the way with 9.2 per game. Sophomore Mia Price , who led the team with a 10.6 average last year, is off to a slow start. She is only putting up 3.6 a game. The second leading scorer is senior Avery Schwarz at 8.3 per game. She is also the second leading rebounder at 5.6 The leading rebounder is junior Maya Kryshtalowych at 7.9. As she was last year, Kryshtalowych is the third leading scorer at 5.2. Jennings is averaging 4.2 rebounds. Fox Creek is looking to improve upon a 9-14 overall record and a 4-4 mark in region play. The Predators had to go on the road in the firt round of the playoffs and lost to Hanahan 45-38. 2 PREDATORS SELECTED FOOTBALL ALL-REGION Running back Bryson Crawford and offensive lineman/defensive lineman John Truesdell were the Fox Creek football players selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team. Crawford, who is a junior, had a tremendous season. He rushed for 1,391 yards and 21 touchdowns on 198 carries. He also caught three passes for 21 yards and a score. Truesdell, a senior, finished with 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, a team high six sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Predators who were honorable mention were junior athlete Mehki Quiller , senior outside linebacker Noah Gaines , senior offensive lineman Alec Beck , sophomore outside linebacker Kamal Grant , senior defensive back Riley Howell and junior defensive back Char’tavious Weaver .
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Florence – Florence Christian School junior defensive lineman Hayden Schwab was selected as the SCISA Region 2-AAA Defensive Player of the Year. Schwaub, who was the only returning starter on the D line for the FCS football team, had team highs in tackles with 97, tackles for loss with 11 ½ and quarterback sacks with eight, returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown, caused two fumbles and recovered another. The Eagles finished the year with an 8-3 overall record and reached the semifinals of the state playoffs. Veteran head coach Neil Minton was pleased with the team’s performance. “We had a great season,” Minton said. “We played five games against teams who played for state titles (AAA state champion Pinewood Prep in the semifinals, AAA runner-up and region foe Wilson Hall , AAAA runner-up Heathwood Hall , AA runner-up Pee Dee Academy and Class A state champion Williamsburg Academy ). Our young people battled and competed with great determination and character. I am proud of our growth and will really miss our seniors.” The Eagles were 2-3 in the games against the five title contenders. They beat Heathwood Hall 14-13 and Pee Dee 21-0 while losing to Williamsburg 34-21, Wilson Hall 34-15 for the region title and Pinewood Prep 45-6. Florence Christian had five other players selected to the All-Region 2-AAA team. They were senior Brooks Poston , senior Pierce Boykin , senior Parker Watson and juniors Josh Davis and Andrew Miller . Poston, who started in the secondary on defense, finished with 40 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defended and two fumbles caused. As a wide receiver and running back on offense, Poston caught 11 passes for 187 yards and a score and had 84 carries for 502 yards and seven touchdowns. Boykin had five sacks, 72 tackles and 10 ½ TFLs as a defensive lineman. Davis and Miller both were starting running backs on offense as well as starters in the secondary. Defensively, Davis had 37 tackles, 5 ½ TFLs, one PD and caused three fumbles, while Miller had 37 tackles, five TFLs and three sacks. Miller was FCS’ leading rusher with 884 yards and 14 touchdowns on 143 carries. Davis had 82 carries for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Watson was the starting left offensive tackle and was a 2-year starter. The Eagles look to have eight starters back on defense and six on offense. One of the returners on offense will be sophomore quarterback Riley Minton , the coach’s son. In his second season as a starter, Minton completed 68 of 113 passes for 978 yards and four touchdowns while running for 163 yards and five scores on 45 carries.
Ashley Ridge quarterback Trevor Kalisz threw for approximately 1,900 yards and nine touchdowns this season while rushing for more than 500 yards and a TD. Photo by Roger Lee
By Dennis Brunson hssr.com Associate Editor Honea Path – Belton-Honea Path High School came up just shy of a football state title again this year. The Bears fell to Oceanside Collegiate Academy in the AAA championship game for the second straight season, this time by a 28-7 count. Longtime Bears head coach Russell Blackston said he couldn’t be prouder of his team, the seniors in particular. “I mean they finished 14-1, and I’m so proud of these guys and what they’ve been able to do,” he said. “They have 50 wins in their careers, and the sun’s going to come up tomorrow.” The Bears dominated the awards for Region 1-AAA as well as its All-Region team. Junior Tajeh Watson-Martin was selected as the Region Player of the Year, senior Kylan Dixon was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year, senior Keylan Dixon was the Lineman of the Year, senior Benji Ward was the Special Teams Player of the Year and Blackston was named the Coach of the Year. Watson-Martin was selected to the All-Region team as both a wide receiver and defensive back. He had 58 receptions for 1,101 yards and 11 touchdowns while coming up with 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and four interceptions at cornerback. Kylan Dixon, a defensive tackle, finished with 41 tackles, 14 TFLs and five sacks. His brother, Keylan, was the leader of an offensive line that helped the offense average 45.7 points per game. He was a 4-time All-Region pick. Placekicker Ward scored 89 points, connecting on 80 of his 86 extra point attempts while going 3-for-4 on field goals with a long of 40 yards. The other All-Region selections were senior Noah Thomas both at quarterback and punter, junior Brody Riddle at tight end, senior MJ Earl at running back, junior Jaden Glenn and senior Jacus Paul at wide receiver, senior center Brady Spearman and junior right tackle Carter Burgess on the offensive line, juior noseguard Kamation Glenn and senior ends Ty Rainey and Kanaza Bryant on the defensive line, senior Jakyri Anderson , junior Ty Dubose and senior KJ Miles at linebacker, junior strong safety Dee Chester at defensive back and senior free safety Grady Melton as a defensive all-purpose player. Thomas threw for 2,221 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for 762 yards and 11 scores. As a punter, Thomas averaged 36.0 yards on 22 attempts. Earl rushed for 1,246 yards nd 24 touchdowns, while Jaden Glenn had 25 catches for 339 yards and seven TDs, and Paul had 19 catches for 177 yards and four TDs. On defense, Miles had 66 tackles and nine TFLs, Dubose had 78 tackles, two picks, three sacks and 11 TFLs, Melton had 35 tackles and two TFLs, Chester had 28 tackles, four picks and four TFLs, Anderson had 56 tackles and 10 TFLs, Rainey had 27 tackles, eight sacks and 12 TFLs, Kamarion Glenn had 28 tackles and 11 TFLs, and Bryant had 18 tackles, three sacks and nine TFLs.
By Roger Lee Contributing Writer Summerville – Dutch Fork has stood in the way of the Summerville Football program’s mission of winning a state championship the last few years, but nothing last forever. The Green Wave (11-3) fell to the Silver Foxes (12-1) 40-20 during the 2025 5A, Division 1 Football Championship at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg Dec. 6. The loss marks the second consecutive year Summerville has fallen to Dutch Fork in the state finals. “You can’t turn the ball over in a state championship game,” said Summerville coach Ian Rafferty . “We turned the ball over three times and they only turned it over once, but I’m proud of our kids. I don’t think the final score indicates what type of game it was. It just kind of got away from us at the end.” The good news for Green Wave fans is Summerville should return some talented starters next season. Junior running back Javyen Williams rushed for more than 2.000 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and had 18 receptions for nearly 200 yards and another two TDs. Senior Cam Grayson rushed for more than 500 yards and 12 TDs. Junior receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray led the Wave receivers with more than 1,000 receiving yards and 14 TD receptions. “Jaiden Kelly-Murray is one of the best athletes on our team,” Rafferty said. “He plays his guts out. A lot of people don’t realize late this season he played almost every single snap on offense and defense and played special teams. He is phenomenal.” Sophomore receiver Teru Davis had more than 500 receiving yards and three TDs. Senior quarterback Max Stafford threw for approximately 2,000 yards and 20 TDs. Senior QB Cooper Kafina threw for approximately 700 yards and five TDs. Junior linebacker Eli Pressley and senior JT Williams were the leading tacklers. Senior Josiah Taylor had a team-high four interceptions. The team’s feeder programs have a long history of preparing athletes for the varsity gridiron. “Our JV team finished the season 10-0 and outscored their opponents by an average score of 40-6,” Rafferty said. “I feel good about the future of Green Wave Football. We’ll be back. We will get back to work and keep coming until we get a championship. Wave Wrestling Summerville is out to a strong start on the wrestling mat. This month, Green Wave coach Daryl Tucker surpassed the 350-wins bench mark for his wrestling coaching career. As of Dec. 13, he has led Summerville to 359 dual wins. Tucker already had the most coaching wins in program history. “That’s a big number, but I tell people all the time I don’t do this by myself,” Tucker said. “I’ve had a lot of great wrestlers along the way. I’ve had some really good assistant coaches and a really supportive administration.” Summerville placed second during last weekend’s 2025 Cane Bay Duals . The Green Wave defeated Hanahan (63-18), Chapin (47-25) and Wando (53-26) to advance to the semi-finals. There, it defeated rival Ashley Ridge (42-30) to advance to the championship match. In the title match, Summerville fell 44-28 to Lugoff-Elgin . Ashley Ridge is ranked third in the 5A, Division 1 preseason poll while Summerville is ranked sixth. Lugoff-Elgin is ranked fourth in 5A, Division 2. It was the first loss of the season for Summerville, which enters this week with a 10-1 record. “We aren’t going to hang our head about losing to Lugoff,” Tucker said. “They have a really good program and there is a lot to learn from losing to a really good opponent.” The win over the Swamp Foxes is Summerville’s most prestigious of the season. “It was a really good high school match,” Tucker said. “The first three or four matches were decisions so it was tight until we hit 165.” Summerville had one wrestler too sick to wrestle, a few injuries and the members of the team who also play football have only been able to participate in a few practices so overall the team’s performance in the event shows promise. “My 150-pounder, Kayleb Pinckney , is wrestling on another level,” Tucker said. “He has really put some things together and he does things I can’t coach because he is so athletic. Another senior, Brayden Herman , had five wins today. won all five of his matches Ridge Rollison and Mason Whisenhunt stepped up at 157. Right now, we are just trying to get some guys more consistent and get better one day at a time.” Seth Seprish and Dexter Chavous are grapplers expected to make a difference in heavier classes this season. Trinton Morris didn’t participate at Cane Bay, but is expected to help strengthen the middle part of the lineup when he returns from injury.
By David Shelton Senior Writer Myrtle Beach – High school all-star football games can be vanilla, but this year’s Touchstone Energy Bowl was a surprisingly entertaining game. The 78 th Touchstone Energy North-South all-star game was won by the North, 35-27, on Dec. 9 in Myrtle Beach. The game featured big plays on offense, defense, and special teams with two blocked punts, and a kickoff return for a touchdown. “We just played an all-star game and threw it to the endzone for a chance to go into overtime and that’s what people want to see,” said South head coach Brian Smith of Barnwell. “Nobody wants to see 7-3 or 10-7 game, and nobody wants a game 40-10 either. I think it was an exciting game. Proud of the way our kids played and proud of the way their kids played.” Pickens head coach John Boggs directed the North all-stars. The win for the North gave them a 42-33 edge in the overall series. “What an effort on both sides,” Boggs said. “One team refusing to give up and the other team refusing to give up. Just two teams battling it out. Heck of a football game. Obviously, I am glad to come out on the winning side but just proud of how hard all these kids played.” Bluffton quarterback Aeden McCarthy was named the South’s Most Valuable Offensive Player while South Florence’s Terry Gordon was the South defensive MVP. McCarthy completed seven of 17 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Stratford receiver JQ Crosby had eight catches for 115 yards. Gordon had six tackles. South Pointe running back RJ Brown was the North Offensive MVP and Indian Land defensive end Mike Foster was the Defensive MVP for the North team. Brown had 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Quarterback Roper Wentsky of A.C. Flora completed nine of 11 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. Wentsky connected with Stone Furrey (Dutch Fork) on a seven-yard scoring pass to give the North a 7-0 lead with 7:14 left in the first quarter. The South answered with a McCarthy 34-yard pass to Marcus Cann (Bamberg-Ehrhardt) with four minutes left in the quarter. Brown’s six-yard run in the second quarter pushed the North back in front. South kicker CJ Falatico (Philip Simmons) booted a 25-yard field goal with :15 seconds left in the second quarter to make the halftime score 14-10. With 5:18 left in the third , Ware Shoals running back Jayden Johnson scored on a one yard run to make it 21-10 in favor of the North. A blocked punt by Foster set up another North touchdown as Brown’s two-yard run gave the North a 28-10 lead with 3:21 left in the third. McCarthy hit Carter Coleman on a 13-yard pass to make the score 28-17 early in the fourth quarter. Falatico’s 25-yard field goal pulled the South closer to 28-20 with 8:44 left in the game. Clinton’s Javen Cook returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, giving the North a 35-20 lead. Bishop England quarterback Quinn Mahoney’s eight-yard rushing score with 5:06 left in the game made it 35-27. The South had one last possession in the final two minutes and reached the North 13-yard line but was unable to score. Watkins Named Mr. Football At halftime of the all-star game, the South Carolina Coaches Association named Northwestern safety Tamarion Watkins the 2025 Mr. Football honoree. Watkins has signed with Texas A&M. The other finalists for the award included Zay Robertson of Dillon, Zion Guiles of Carver’s Bay, Kentavion Anderson of Dorman , and J’Zavien Currence of South Pointe . “The opportunity to hold this trophy and know it is mine, I am blessed,” Watkins said. “I just thank my community, coaches and family for everything they have done for me.” Watkins had 80 tackles and three interceptions this season. Northwestern won its second straight AAAAA Division II state title on Dec. 5.
By Roger Lee HSSR, Contributing Writer Orangeburg - Dutch Fork captured its fourth consecutive 5A football championship with a 40-20 win over fellow gridiron powerhouse Summerville . For some of the seniors on the Silver Foxes’ team, the win in the 5A, Division 1 Football Championship at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Dec. 6 puts them in a prestigious group. “Four rings, there aren’t that many people in the country who have done that so it shows what a special group this is,” said Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts . The coach now holds a prestigious spot in South Carolina high school football record books since this championship is his 10 th championship with Dutch Fork. That ties him with former Summerville coach John McKissick and former Woodruff coach W.L. Varner for the most state titles in a career according to Palmetto’s Finest . “Well I think it means I’m old, but that’s pretty cool,” Knotts said. “It’s special and a great tribute to those players and the great group of supporters we have. I have a lot of respect for Coach McKissick. I’ve visited him a couple of times and had a great time with him. I learned a little bit from him and I’m honored to be in his company.” Dutch Fork jumped out to a strong start as safety KJ Dupree intercepted two Green Wave pass attempts, both after a deflection by a teammate, in the opening quarter to help the Silver Foxes jump out to a 14-0 lead. The picks set up a 33-yard touchdown run by Kye Fulton and a 25-yard pass from quarterback Jaxon Knotts to Wyatt Warner . Summerville regrouped and drove 80 yards on its ensuing possession to score on a 6-yard pass from Max Stafford to Jaiden Kelly-Murray with more than nine minutes remaining in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Dutch Fork blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt and the Silver Foxes took a 14-7 lead into the half. Kellly-Murray got the Green Wave right back in the game in the first two minutes of the third, picking up a Dutch Fork fumble and returning it 43 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Summerville didn’t have as much success running the ball from that point as it did in the first half. “We just played a little more sound defense,” Knotts said. “We had to shut down the run. They were handing the ball off left and right and getting big yardage. Once we kind of shored up the run it made them more one dimensional.” Dutch Fork went on top again when Braydon Johnson took a forward pitch on a misdirection play and dashed 27 yards for a TD. The extra-point kick was wide, leaving the Silver Foxes ahead 20-14. The game was tight up until then, but Dutch Fork scored three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes. The final quarter started with a play that got the Summerville fans riled up as Dutch Fork fumbled the ball on a punt. However, the Sliver Foxes managed to recover the ball and go on to score twice before Summerville could get much going for a 40-14 lead. Knotts rushed for a one-yard TD. Shortly after, Julian Walker recovered a Summerville fumble and returned it 19 yards into the Green Wave end zone. Kyle Henry added a one-yard TD run with 3:01 remaining to seal the victory. “We got some momentum there in the third quarter and we just couldn’t capitalize on it,” said Summerville coach Ian Rafferty . “We had a hard time blocking their guys up front. You know, when you have two Power 4 guys up front it can make it difficult. Still, I’m proud of our kids. We were right there in it and the wheels just kind of fell off.” Summerville had a late touchdown drive that featured a heavy dose of running back Jayvyn Williams . He had a 40-yard run to get the ball inside the 10-yard line and capped the drive with a one-yard TD run. “I told coach Knotts we are going to keep coming,” Rafferty said. “We are going to keep trying.”
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Orangeburg – In the game of football it is the skill players (QB’s, RB’s, WR’s) that are highlighted and talked about but every coach will tell you that it is who wins in the trenches, has the best chance of winning the game. The Strom Thurmond Rebels owned the trenches Saturday afternoon at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on the campus of SC State University as they captured the schools second class AA state championship defeating the Hampton County Hurricanes 26-7. The championship was their third overall and improved their record to 3-5 in state championship game appearances. The Rebels finished the year 13-2/5-0. “This is honestly amazing. I have been doing this for long enough, I have been following the good lord long enough that I know he had a hand in this for our team. When you play Strom Thurmond Rebel football there is a brotherhood that expands beyond these young men. All the guys that came before that made Strom Thurmond football special. It was our job to continue to hold the standard,” said Rebel head coach Andrew Webb . Coach continued, “The key to us winning were the boys up front. Coach Addison did a great job of getting them ready to play. They have gotten better and they played outstanding again tonight.” The Hurricanes were in their first state championship game in just their third year of existence finished the year 11-4/4-0. “Strom Thurmond is a great football team and they were able to control the line of scrimmage. We felt all week that the team that did that would win the game and hats off to them they took it to us,” said Hampton County head coach Rob Hanna . “We also had five turnovers which is not what we do and you can’t win a game doing that against a team like Strom Thurmond. They made us pay for our mistakes.” The game started well for the Hurricanes. After their defense forced a three and out. The offense started at their 24 and moved the ball out to midfield where Jaylen Singletary ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run but the run was wiped out by an egregious penalty on the play. The flag wasn’t dropped until Singletary had reached the 10-yard line. The Canes regrouped and moved the ball down to the Rebel 24. The official’s then sent Singletary to the bench for what coach Hanna said was a mouth piece issue. It also caused a delay of game moving the ball back to the 25. On the next play Cane’s quarterback Tarell Grant took off around the left but as he neared the first down a Strom Thurmond came in with a hard tackle knocking the ball free. It was picked the Rebels Kalib Simpkins and he returned it 63 yards to the Cane’s 30. It was his first big game changing play of the game. After a holding penalty against the Rebel’s gave them a first and 20 at the Canes 40. Deonte Phillips took the hand off up the middle cut to the right and raced to the right pylon for a 40-yard touchdown run. The Rebels missed the PAT but led 6-0. The Rebel’s defense started to gain control of the line scrimmage causing a couple of penalties forcing the Cane’s into a fourth and 20. On the punt the Rebel’s ran over Cane’s punter Rafe Sullivan which liked a certain roughing the punter penalty. Somehow the official felt the hit wasn’t hard enough for the right call. The Rebel’s would take strike again when Bri’shaun Lee threw a beautiful pass down the left side that just dropped into the waiting hands of Simpkins for a 55-yard touchdown. This play was an example of why football is such a great game. Everybody on the play did their job, QB delivered the pass under pressure, the coverage was excellent, the ball was placed perfectly and the receiver finished it off. The Rebels were stopped on the two-point try but led 12-0. After Singletary had a 23-yard kickoff return to the Rebel 47. The Cane’s would move the ball to the Rebel 28 where on fourth and two Singletary was stopped for a one-yard game turning the ball over on downs. The ate of five minutes with no score. The Rebel’s took over at the their 14 and would move 86 yards in 9 plays eating up all but 24 seconds on the clock to take an 18-0 after being stopped on the two-point try, the drive was highlighted by a Lee to Simpkins 50-yard completion to the Canes’s 27. The rest of the drive was Deonte as he scored his second touchdown from the four. “Players make plays and Kaleb and Deonte have come up big for us all year,” said coach Webb. The Cane’s finally got a big play on the kick off when Tyler Davis returned 65 yards to the Rebel 10-yard line. On second down Grant hit Desmond Mathis with a 10-yard touchdown pass as time expired. Sullivan’s PAT made the score 18-7 heading into half team. The Canes would take the second half kick off and drive into Rebel territory but again the Rebel’s would turn them over on downs. The Rebels offense would had the game over to their defense after their next drive. They would drive 51 yards in 12 plays eating up almost seven minutes off the clock. Lee hit Sha Williams with a 11-yard touchdown pass. The Rebels converted the two-pointer making the score 26-7. The Rebel defense would end the next three Cane’s possessions with interceptions. Jaylen Collins would get two of the picks and Williams would and the other. Lee finished the game 5-7 for a 126 yards and two touchdowns while Phillips rushed for a game high 149 yards and two touchdowns. But the stars of the game for the Rebels were Hezekiah East , Amari McCellney , John Laster , Micah Warren, and Carter Boatwright . This group were physical from the start and they won the day for their team. The defensive front of Grayson Smith , Braylon Searles , Gardy Stone , and Kobe Windless also won the battle as they held the Canes to less than 200 yards and Singletary to 141. After the 57-yard run was called back they only allowed three runs of 10 or more yards the rest of the game. They allowed the Rebels linebackers Bryston Coleman and Mason Johnson to roam free and make tackles.