Five storylines for this weekend’s SC state basketball championships
The South Carolina High School League basketball championships will be held Friday and Saturday in Colonial Life Arena.
Here are five things to watch this weekend’s games:
Midlands teams in position to have big showing
Midlands teams won five state titles last year, which tied the most for one season by area teams. The only other time that was done before was in 1994. There is a chance that can be duplicated this season with Keenan boys and girls, Gray Collegiate boys, Ridge View boys and Spring Valley girls making it to championship weekend.
Of those, four of them – Keenan girls, Gray Collegiate, Ridge View and Spring Valley – all won championships last season. If the Keenan boys win, they will be tied with Calhoun County for third all-time for most championships with eight.
Three-peat on minds of Dorman, North Augusta and Hemingway
With four Midlands teams go for back-to-back titles, Dorman boys, North Augusta girls and Hemingway boys will look to win their third straight titles.
No boys’ team has won three in a row since Calhoun County (2006-09). Dorman, coached by Lexington native Thomas Ryan, hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent this season.
North Augusta girls’ run is even more impressive as it hasn’t lost to an in-state team since 2016. The Yellow Jackets are trying to become the first Class 4A team to win three straight since Dutch Fork in 2012-14. Bishop England is the last team in any class to win three in a row when it won four straight from 2014-17.
Hemingway is making its 10th state title appearance since 2004. The Tigers are tied with Keenan, Eau Claire, Columbia and the former Olympia high with seven titles all-time.
Newcomers to the dance
Four teams will be making their first title appearances – High Point Academy boys and girls, South Pointe girls and Berkeley.
High Point Academy is in just its third year of athletics and will send both teams in the Class A championship games. HPA is a free charter school is located in Spartanburg and will likely move up to Class 2A in the next realignment with his enrollment increasing.
South Pointe girls are making their first appearance after defeating Westwood in Class 4A Upper State championship. Before this season, the farthest the Stallions had got in the playoffs was state semifinals in 2008.
Berkeley, which moved up to Class 5A this year, is in the title game for the first time. The Stags handed Lexington their first loss in the Class 5A Lower State championship. Berkeley is led by all-star players Ishan White and Trevor Smalls.
Butler’s status up in the air
Ridgeland-Hardeeville might be without one of its top players for the Class 3A matchup with Keenan.
Class 3A Co-Player of the Year Rashamel Butler was suspended for Lower State championship game after getting two technical in the third round against Marion. R-H coach Jeremiah Faber said after Saturday’s win over Manning that he is expected to find out Monday on Butler’s status for the title game.
Crashing the party
Of the 20 teams playing this weekend, only two weren’t ranked in the final regular season S.C. Basketball Coaches polls – Wilson and Andrew Jackson.
Wilson began the preseason ranked at No. 2 in Class 4A but had its ups and downs during the season. But the Tigers have found their groove in the playoffs, knocking off region rivals Hartsville and Darlington to make their second straight title game.
Andrew Jackson wasn’t ranked in the preseason or final regular season poll. The Volunteers are making their first title appearance since 1980.
This story was originally published February 24, 2019 at 5:53 PM.
