That’s nine! Keenan boys roll to historic state championship victory
The Keenan boys basketball team’s climb up the South Carolina record books continued Saturday.
The Raiders captured their second straight and ninth state championship overall with a 55-32 win over Wade Hampton in the Class 3A title game at Colonial Life Arena.
The nine titles tie old Charleston High School for second most in state history. Keenan trails Great Falls, which added to its record total with its 11th championship Saturday. Seven of the Raiders’ titles have come under Zach Norris, who is in his 21st season at the school.
It was the second title of the day for the school. The Keenan girls defeated Marion 53-33 to win their second championship in three years. Lee Central was the last team to sweep boys and girls title games in 2007.
“I run a certain system and if the kids buy in, I have been successful in it. And once they buy in, we do good things,” said Norris, who coached in Georgia, Williston-Elko and Newberry before taking over for Ben Trapp at Keenan. “It is playing that tough-nosed defense and taking people out of their element.
“The older guys pump it through to the younger guys. Most of them know before they get to my practices how it is going to be. It is always going to be tough.”
Norris put his team through tough practices, much to his players’ dismay, leading up to Saturday’s title game. He wanted to make sure they were ready for Wade Hampton’s zone, and their defensive intensity was on point.
The Raiders struggled in the first half, shooting only 23.5% in leading 20-19. In the second half, the Raiders shot 40% and got a big game from senior Raekwon Horton. The Class 3A Player of the Year had 19 points and 16 rebounds.
Keenan’s defense, which has been strong all postseason, limited Wade Hampton to just 18% shooting in the second half. In five playoff games, the Raiders gave up just 33 points a game.
“This week in practice we were having a hard time in practice against our teammates, so we kept going hard and grinding it out,” said Horton, who had a double-double in all five playoff games. “By the end of the game, we knew if we controlled the tempo and went hard we would win and it would be a blowout.”
Jazian Gortman added 13 points for the Raiders.
Keenan began the season by losing Dillon Jones, one of its top players who transferred to Sunrise Christian. The Raiders also started 5-6 but ended the season on a 20-game winning streak.
K: Barrino 4, Echols 6, DaSant 4, Raekwon Horton 19, Jazian Gortman 13, Daney 13, Jones 6. WH: Gray 9, Busby 2, Williams 1, Brandon Brantley 20,
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 6:34 PM.
