It is early December in a football-rich city. Basketball teams will need a couple more weeks to clean up their acts.

Points were hard to come by in the matchup between the Rock Hill and Clover, but a 15-2 fourth-quarter run provided just enough points Tuesday as the Lady Bearcats rallied from behind for the second consecutive game, winning 36-34.

With just under a minute remaining, the Rock Hill Bearcats grouped around coach Bobby Stevens holding onto a four-point lead over Clover. They broke the huddle with the phrase "finish," something that had been a challenge for the Bearcats over the past couple of seasons.

Fort Mill's Yellow Jackets saw a glimpse of the future as they beat Rock Hill 43-34 in a non-region basketball game Wednesday night at Rock Hill High School.

The football players on defense at Rock Hill High school have heard the buzz.

High school football teams in The Herald's circulation area have done well in this year's state playoffs. Class AAAA is split into two divisions, and with eight teams left, four -- Northwestern, South Pointe, Rock Hill and Lancaster -- are from the Herald's circulation area. In Class AAA, Chester is charging toward another appearance in the state finals.

Rock Hill High School senior Seth Neely signed a National Letter of Intent Tuesday afternoon to play baseball for the Clemson Tigers beginning with the 2010 season.

Rock Hill spotted Fort Dorchester a 3-0 lead, then rattled off 34-unanswered points to win 34-10 in the first round of the Upper State playoffs.

Two of the area's top running backs will be watching from the sidelines when their teams begin the Class AAAA Division I playoffs this week.

South Pointe's Harold White is a coach's delight. The senior linebacker talks the talk, gets his teammates fired up just as much as he is, then goes out and plays his heart out.