Milestone moment! Calhoun County boys win 10th SC basketball state title
The Calhoun County High School boys basketball team’s climb up the state record books continued Friday.
The Saints won their 10th state championship with a 53-49 win over Scott’s Branch in the Class A title game at USC Aiken’s Convocation Center.
The 10 championships are second most in state history behind Great Falls’ 11. All 10 have come under coach Zam Fredrick, a former University of South Carolina standout. It was the Saints’ first title since 2016.
“I try not to think about it leading up to the game, because you want to make sure your guys are focused in on what you need to be,” Fredrick said. “But it is very special, I won’t deny that. It speaks volumes of the young men I got in Calhoun County, that go out and work hard. We pride ourselves on being the hardest workers in the game.
“We proved that tonight. Scott’s Branch was tough and kept coming but we stayed steady in what we were doing.”
After the game, Fredrick flashed 10 fingers up to commemorate the 10 titles as he went and hugged his grandchild and son Zam Jr., who played for his father and went on to play for South Carolina.
Russell Brunson led the Saints with 21 points. Christopher Mickell and Kamaree Watson each added 11. Mickell hit the shot of the game for the Saints late in the fourth quarter.
With Calhoun up 48-46, Mickell drained a 3-pointer to put the Saints up 51-46 with 50 seconds left.
“Big shot, big shot,” Fredrick said of Mickell. “I was on the bench, hollering ‘Rotate!’ one more time, but he took it. He a senior and I’m so happy for him.”
Randy Gibson led Scott’s Branch with 17 points and Tyler Kind added 12.
It was the third straight state championship appearances for the Eagles, which lost the two previous seasons to Great Falls and Southside Christian.
SB” Sinkler 8, Rendel 5, Randy Gibson 17, Tyler Kind 12, Ballard 7. CC: Russell Brunson 21, Christopher Mickell 11, Kamaree Watson 11, Zachary 4, Steady 1, Pelzer 1, Scott 2, Guinyard 1.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 4:33 PM.
