Boys’ basketball: Why South Pointe, Northwestern, Clover, others can make noise in 2021-22

The 2021-22 boys basketball season is underway — and high schools in York, Chester and Lancaster counties have started with a bang.

Here’s an early breakdown of each region involving Rock Hill-area teams.

Region 3-4A: South Pointe gears up for another championship run

In 4A, the South Pointe Stallions are defending their 2021 state championship, an honor they earned by defeating Hilton Head 52-50 for the title. The basketball state championship marked the first in school history and punctuated a season that saw the Stallions go 7-1 in Region 3-4A and 11-5 overall.

The Stallions, who are the preseason No. 1 pick in South Carolina 4A basketball this year, will be led by a whole bunch of returning seniors. Among them: Quan Peterson, who was tabbed as one of the top five elite seniors in 4A; point guard Chris McCullough; wing Waymond Jenerette; forward JJ Hicklin and others. Veteran head coach Melvin Watson is preparing for the upcoming season just as he usually does, he said — even though he knows that a lot more eyes are on his team this year.

“We will use the same approach that we always have, and we will play defense first,” he said. “We know we will have a big target on our back every time we go to the court.”

He has some key players to replace, but that can be done with some work.

“This will be a different team because we lost some athleticism,” he added. He’ll especially miss reserve forward and now-Gamecock wide receiver O’Mega Blake, who came off the bench for the Stallions. “We must be ready every time we play because this region is tough from top to bottom. It will be a dogfight in every game in this region.”

The Stallions are currently 0-1 on the year.

The Lancaster Bruins were second in the region and split with the formidable Stallions last season. They were 6-1 in the region, and after losing in the opening round of the postseason they finished 9-2 overall.

The Bruins opened the current season going 2-1 in the Capital City Tip Off tournament. Following that, they reeled off three state wins and stand at 5-1.

The York Cougars were third in the region last year with a mark of 3-4. They missed the postseason and finished 5-9 overall. The Cougars opened the year with losses in their first two contests.

The Catawba Ridge Copperheads were fourth with a 3-5 region record last year. They were 7-8 in all games. The Copperheads began the year by going 2-1 and finishing third in the Milltown Classic. They added two more wins after that for a 4-1 mark to date.

The Indian Land Warriors failed to win in eight region contests a year ago, and they completed the season with a mark of 2-11. The Warriors lost their season-opener, but rebounded with a pair of wins for a 2-1 mark.

Last year region finishes: 1. South Pointe 7-1/11-5, 2. Lancaster 6-1/9-2, 3. York 3-4/5-9, 4. Catawba Ridge 3-5/7-8, 5. Indian Land 0-8/2-11.

Region 3-5A: Clover battling for another playoff berth

In 5A, the Clover Blue Eagles were the only area team to earn a postseason berth last year — which is largely a function of a truncated postseason because of COVID-19 concerns. They tied with Fort Mill for second place in Region 3-5A with a record of 5-3. They got the runner-up spot on the tie breaker but lost in the opening round and wound up with an overall mark of 9-8.

The Blue Eagles were selected sixth in this year’s 5A preseason poll, and will be led by Lawrence Bartee, who was tabbed as one of the top five seniors in the state. The Winthrop basketball commit is 6-foot-10 and gives the Blue Eagles an inside scoring threat — a unique luxury in York County.

Clover opened the year going 1-2 in the Impact Sports Tournament. Since then, they have won three straight and stand at 4-2 on the year.

The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets completed last year with an overall record of 9-7. The Jackets opened the current campaign by wining two of three and finishing as the runners-up in the Miltown Classic. They split their next games and now have a record of 3-2.

The Nation Ford Falcons did not win in eight outings in the region a year ago and completed the season with an overall record of 1-15. The Falcons went 1-2 in the Milltown Classic and earned a split in their next two games for a mark of 2-3.

Gaffney, which won the region last year, and Boiling Springs will also provide tough competition once again in Region 3-5A.

Last year region finishes: 1. Gaffney 7-1/12-4, 2. Clover 5-3/9-8, 3. Fort Mill 5-3/9-7, 4. Boiling Springs 3-5/9-12, 5. Nation Ford 0-8/1-15.

Region 4-5A: Northwestern begins under new leadership

The Northwestern Trojans were 5-3 in Region 4-5A last year and tied for the runner-up spot. They lost a playoff berth on a controversial tiebreaker to Blythewood and finished 10-7 overall. When the season was over, veteran head coach John Bramlett retired, and Caleb Gaither was hired.

Bramlett said that whoever his successor is will be inheriting “a Cadillac” of a program — and Gaither is doing a lot with it. The Tojans graduated a 1,000-point scorer in AJ Thompson but returned seniors Jecari Bryson, Omari Bryson, Jalen Burnett, Antonio Willis and Joey Tindale.

“I feel good about taking over this program,” Gaither said. “They have a solid tradition. These players have been very competitive and aggressive.”

The Rock Hill Bearcats struggled last year and finished tied for fourth in Region 4-5A with a record of 1-7. They were 7-9 in all games last time around.

“I expect this year to be a battle in every game,” said Gaither, who coached at Lower Richland for the past five years and won a state title there. “This is the toughest region in the state in 5A. The three Columbia area schools that are in the region are always good, and I look for Rock Hill to be much improved.”

The Trojans and the Bearcats have already played four games. Northwestern is 4-0 to date, while Rock Hill, which won two of three games in the Milltown Classic, is 3-1.

Last year region finishes: 1. Ridge View 8-0/13-2, 2. Blythewood 5-3/8-5, 3. Northwestern 5-3/10-7, 4. Rock Hill 1-7/7-9, 5. Spring Valley 1-7/1-9.

Region 4-3A: Chester looks to improve

In 3A, the Chester Cyclones finished fourth a year ago in Region 4-3A with a 2-6 mark. They missed the postseason and completed the year with an overall record of 4-7. With some key players returning, they should be improved, but the region features top quality teams in Keenan, Mid-Carolina, Lower Richland and Fairfield Central.

The Cyclones have already played three games. They have one win and a pair of losses.

Last year region finishes: 1. Keenan 7-1/11-5, 2. Mid-Carolina 7-1/12-4, 3. Lower Richland 2-4/2-7, 4. Chester 2-6/4-7, 5. Fairfield Central 0-6/0-8.

Region 4-2A: York Prep, Andrew Jackson are loaded

In 2A, the York Prep Patriots, who were picked to finish third in the preseason poll, are looking for another banner year. They won the Region 4-2A title last year with an 11-0 mark and advanced to the postseason where they lost in the second round.

They finished the season with a sparkling record of 18-4, and they return a slew of starters — including seniors Kendall Davis, Kory Davis (top five elite senior), Jevon Long, Brenton Elliot (6-foot-7) and Ji’meion Brown (6-foot-8). York Prep also returns athletic guard and outside shooter DJ Barksdale, who is fresh off a South Pointe football state championship win last week.

Among YPA’s impressive wins to date this year: Keenan (72-48), Providence Day (48-41) and Lexington (66-40).

The Andrew Jackson Volunteers were selected fifth in the preseason poll and return Region 4-2A Player of the Year and elite senior Ca’Darrius Sowell. They finished third in Region 4-2A a year ago with a record of 6-4. They lost in the second round of the playoffs and completed the campaign with an overall mark of 9-5.

Andrew Jackson won two of three in the Hoops Invitational Tournament in Columbia. They tacked on two more victories in their next three outings for a 4-2 record to date.

Last year region finishes: 1. York Prep 11-0/18-4, 2. Andrew Jackson 6-4/10-6, 3. Cheraw 6-5/8-11, 4. Pageland Central 6-5/9-6, 5. North Central 2-5/1-7, 6. Chesterfield 1-7/1-11, 7. Buford 1-7/3-9.

Region 2-1A: Great Falls reloads

In 1A, the Great Falls Red Devils, who were the fourth-ranked team in the preseason poll, are hoping to improve on last year’s 6-6 overall mark. The Red Devils won Region 2-1A last time around with a record of 5-1 and advanced to the playoffs, where they lost in the second round.

Tali Coleman was selected as one of the top five seniors in 1A, and he is set to be the leader of this year’s team. The Red Devils opened the season with three tournament games against tough competition: They lost to a pair of 5A teams and one 4A team. in a tournament.

Since then, they have notched a wins over White Knoll, which is a 5A team, and Andrew Jackson, which is a 2A club. They stand at 2-3 on the year currently.

“We have never backed down from playing a tough schedule,” said Great Falls head coach Alex Fair. “We have to realize what we are playing for. We do not win all of those tough non-region games, but they really help us get ready for the season and the playoffs.”

The Lewisville Lions had a tough season a year ago. They did not win in six region outings and finished 1-10 in all games. They should be improved this season. The Lions are off to a slow start with losses in their first two outings.

Great Falls and Lewisville join CA Johnson and McBee in the region, which should be tough again this time around.

“This will be a tough region again this year,” added Fair. “Everybody will be better this season, and it will be a battle every night.”

Last year region finishes: 1. Great Falls 5-1/6-6, 2. CA Johnson 5-1/6-1, 3. McBee 2-4/3-6, 4. Lewisville 0-6/1-10.

This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 6:00 AM.