Williamsburg Defeats Thomas Heyward, 37-20, To Advance To SCISA Class A Finals This Saturday At SC State

Billy Baker • November 17, 2025

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Kingstree-Williamsburg Academy junior running back Grant Small rushed for 272 yards on 37 carries, including a touchdown, helping lead the Stallions to a 37-20 win over Thomas Heyward, to advance to the SCISA Class A Finals against Colleton Prep.


The SCISA Class A finals game will take place at South Carolina State University on Saturday November 22 at 3:30 p.m. Colleton Prep advanced with a 22-16 win over Dorchester Academy.


This will be the 5th year in a row the Stallions have made it to a SCISA state finals game. They made the SCISA AA finals in 2021, losing to Hilton Head Christian. They won the AA title in 2022 with a win over Colleton Prep. In 2023, they lost to Bethesda Academy in the AA finals. In 2024, they competed in the SCISA Class A finals and lost to Thomas Heyward.


In school history, the Stallions have won two state football titles, the other one was in 2013 against Colleton Prep also. They have won 13 regions titles in school history also.


After the big win over the Rebels, head WA coach Will Furse shared his thoughts on the win. “It feels great right now, and this is what you want to strive for when the season begins, and at our school competing for a state championship is always a goal, and while we try not to think about it too much, it is always in the back of our minds,” said Coach Furse.


“We still have a lot of work to do in preparing to play for Colleton Prep because they are a really good team,” said Coach Furse. “We have our hands full competing against them this week.”


Coach Furse was pleased with the effort of Small, who came into the game with over 1,600 yards to his credit. “Grant ran hard and he has been very consistent from game-to-game this season, and he does a great job of understanding the blocking schemes of our offensive line and I have to give them praise also,” said Coach Fuse. “We have really good linemen like Mason Cribb at left tackle, Sammy Tomlinson at left guard, Poppy Livingston is at center, Connor Morris and Michael Ard take turns at right guard, and Marlin Morris plays at right tackle.


“Our tight ends also block extremely well,” said Coach Fuse. “Those guys are Charlie Caulder, Jay Kellahan and Seth Cherinko also plays there.


“We also have some excellent assistant coaches who work with these guys on offense,” said Coach Fuse. “Ken Kellahan is our offensive line coach and John Floyd works with our tight ends, and they have done a good job developing our blocking schemes on offense.”


Coach Fuse also praised the play of senior quarterback Micah Balder who has been on the team for four years. “Micah can do anything we ask him to do, and he is a tremendous passer,” said Coach Fuse. “He also runs the option well and he makes good reads.”


Caulder, a junior wing caught a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone against Thomas Heyward and Coach Fuse said that “he is a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses.”


The defense has allowed teams just over 13 points a game this season. Ard, a junior MLB, leads the Stallions defense coming into the game with THA with 114 tackles, including three sacks. Kellahan, a senior OLB, was next on the index with 76 tackles, followed by Caulder, an OLB with 52 tackles and 13 TFL along with junior FS Hall Dukes who came into the game with THA with 39 tackles and a team leading five interceptions. Balder had 38 tackles and two picks after 10 games.


Junior OLB Seth Cherinko and soph DB Lane Patrick each had 35 tackles after 10 games followed by nose guard Marlon Morris who had 31 tackles and three TFL. Soph DB Gamble Wilson had 28 tackles and four picks after 10 games. Freshman DB Caden Morris, a top catching prospect in baseball, had 29 tackles and one pick while Tomlinson, a junior DL, had 26 tackles and two TFL. Soph FS Weston McKenzie contributed 15 tackles and one TFL coming into the THA game.


Thomas Heyward head coach Daniel Bryan told the HSSR after game. “I am 100 per cent proud of my boys from start to finish this season,” he said. “We are 180 degrees better from where we were when we started the season.


“We are going to miss a group of hard-working seniors like Tony O’Banner, Dodge Peeples, Josh Gibson, Jayden Powell and Miles Stanley, who played a bunch of football for us the past few years,” said Coach Bryan. “We had 12 total seniors on the team. The others are Mackie Bowers, Drew Willis, Jace Bessinger, Tyler Hymon, Owen Palazzo, Antonio Grether, Tanner Reed, and our first- year senior who played well is Mackie Bowers.


“I thought we hung with them until the fourth quarter until we took some shots that didn’t work out and that is what you try to do once you get behind,” said Coach Bryan. “I was proud of the effort of my players, but it just didn’t work out fore us tonight.”


O’Banner, a highly regarded RB scored on a 55-yard touchdown in the game, and he finished off a five-year career with around 7,000 total rushing yards and over 100 touchdowns scored.


Thomas Heyward led 6-0 early in the game when Josh Gibson returned the opening kick-off for an 88- yard score. Gibson scored a second TD on an 80- yard run and O’Banner’s 55-yard sprint down the Stallion sideline accounted for the Rebel’s three scores and 20 total points all in the first half.


After the Rebel’s scored on the opening kick-off the Stallions answered on their first drive marching 61 yards in 8 plays with Balder scoring on a keeper from seven yards out. The PAT failed and the score was tied at six with 8:22 left in the first quarter.



By half-time, WA held a 22-20 lead as RB Eli Brown scored from one-yard with 5:20 left in the second period and Caulder caught a two-point conversion pass that put WA up 14-6 at the time. Caulder caught a five-yard touchdown pass with three seconds left in the first half, and Caden Morris caught a two-point conversion pass that gave the Stallions the lead for good, 22-20 at the break.


In the second half WA got a five-yard rushing TD from Small, and he also ran in a two-point conversion to put the Stallions up 30-20 with 7:43 left in the third period. WA scored their final touchdown of the game on a pass from Balder to Caulder in the back of the end zone with 4:12 left in the game. Small ran in the two-point conversion to make the final score 37-20.


In a post-game reception in the WA cafeteria after the game, several players were interviewed about the win, and the upcoming state championship game.


Grant Small said, “I run hard and follow my blocking and when I make contact with the defense I turned my pads into them. I like the spin move, but I do not know if it is necessary. I also like to hurdle over tacklers. I will be running the 400 meters this Spring in track. The win was great tonight, but we must finish it this week at SC State.”


Micah Balder: “I have been on the varsity for four years and this being my senior year it would be great to go out with a state championship. We were really concerned about this game tonight, and we prepared really hard for it. I have a good offensive line, good receivers, and it helps that we can run or pass on about every play.”


Connor Morris: “I have worked hard in the weight room, and I am benching around 475 now. This is my second year on the varsity, and I enjoy playing with my younger brother. This was a great win tonight, but our focus now is on our gamer Friday night. We are going to leave it all on the field I promise you.”


Note: Due to extreme loudness in the room (celebrations) several other interviews could not be transcribed coherently.

 

   

   

 

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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