Ridge View’s reign: Blazers dominate Ashley Ridge for third straight state title
New faces. New roles. Same result for the Ridge View boys basketball team.
With a different starting five adjusting to new roles, the Blazers continued their title run with a 65-44 win over Ashley Ridge on Friday in the Class 5A Division I championship at Colonial Life Arena.
It was Ridge View’s third straight championship and seventh in nine seasons.
“It is fulfilling, and my cup is full because of gratitude,” Ridge View coach Joshua Staley said. “Because you taught young men if you come together, unite, put the time in that you can accomplish anything. A lot of people counted these but the only people that didn’t were ourselves. Our community and our camp didn’t because of the work we were putting in. So we are not surprised because we put in relentless hours day in and day out.”
The title caps off a banner two days for the Richland 2 School District, where Ridge View is located. The district won three state championships, with Westwood boys winning their first title Thursday and the Blythewood girls winning their second straight right before Ridge View took the floor.
The Blazers have been at the heart of the district’s domination in basketball and the program has established itself as oe of the best in the state and in the Southeast over the past decade. Ridge View’s seven state championships are tied for fourth most in state history with Columbia, Olympic, Eau Claire and Hemingway.
This year’s run definitely had its challenges. The Blazers (28-3) had to break in a new starting five from last year’s title game. But as Joshua Staley and his players said all year, when you play at Ridge View, you have to be ready once the moment arises.
The Blazers won the prestigious Arby’s Classic in Tennessee over Christmas break and lost to just one in-state team — Westwood, which won a state title Thursday. Ridge View finished the season on a 15-game winning streak.
In the postseason, Ridge View played powerhouse programs Dorman and Byrnes in back-to-back playoff games to make it to the state championship.
“We are Ridge View. We are a tradition of winners, so it feels good to get a three-peat,” said Talan Staley, the head coach’s son. “We are hard workers and everybody got new roles, but we were working hard already. We were ready for the moment.
“This is just a great state championship because a lot of people wrote us off. When Yale (Davis) and Korie (Corbett) left, they said we didn’t have anything. We didn’t have any guards or scoring. So to win it with this group is amazing.”
The Blazers trailed in three straight postseason games, but there wasn’t much doubt against Ashley Ridge.
The game was close for a little while as Ashley Ridge’s CJ Everett hit a layup to tie it at 17 early in the second quarter. But from there, it was all Blazers. Ridge View went on a 23-4 run capped off by DJ Wylie’s layup to make it 40-21 with 5:15 left in the third.
Wylie led the way with 14 points and was one of four Ridge View players in double figures. RJ Davis added 11. Talan Staley and CJ Moore each had 10.
Staley is the lone senior starter from this year’s group and checked out late in the fourth quarter for the final time as a Blazer. He will get to play for his dad one more time in two weeks at the Carolinas Classic all-star game.
“It is a bittersweet feeling,” Talan Staley said. “But it was great to play for my dad and then to see my brother play tonight. And for us to win it with our dad is a great feeling.”
It was Ashley Ridge’s first state championship appearance. The Swamp Foxes advanced to the title game on Javion Gathers’ basket with 1.4 seconds left to beat Cane Bay last week.
Everett led Ashley Ridge with 20 and Shayne Pickney added 13, including a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to cut the Blazers’ lead to 15-12.
Ridge View: DJ Wylie 14, RJ Davis 11, JT Vankallan 10, Talan Staley 10, Mack 6, Moore 6, Horton 6, McLawhorn 2
Ashley Ridge: Clayton Everett 20, Shayne Pinckney 13, McKee 3, Duncan 3, Garner 3, Gathers 2
This story was originally published March 6, 2026 at 10:43 PM.
