COLUMBIA - Tugging on Superman’s cape, spitting in the wind and pulling the mask of the Lone Ranger.

Now add to that "do not" list giving additional motivation to four-time defending Class A boys’ basketball champion Calhoun County. Despite graduating undisputed team leader Alshon Jeffery, who helped the Saints win 109 of 110 games in which he played in, and point guard Deandre Guinyard, one would have assumed the Saints’ championship credentials were enough to earn another preseason number-one ranking by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association.

Instead, the top spot was bestowed to the team the Saints have defeated in the playoffs the last two seasons. Hemingway was selected as the preseason number-one in Class A boys basketball, something Tigers’ head coach Barry McFadden saw more as receiving a ‘bullseye’ rather than an honor.

“It’s like a heavyweight fighter. In order to be the champion, you have to knock him out,” said McFadden Wednesday at the preseason banquet held at Seawell’s in Columbia. “I thought that Calhoun County should have been back at number one, but due to the fact that (Region 5-A) voted Estill number one over them, the (S.C. Basketball) Coaches Association didn’t feel fit that they should be number one because they were ranked number two in their region by the coaches.

“But, all and all, I still think Calhoun County is the team to beat. We’ll probably meet again in the Lower State and if things work out and no injuries, it’ll probably be us playing for the Lower State championship.”

Such news did not shock Saints’ head coach Zam Fredrick, who this summer was again denied the S.C. Athletic Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year award (won by retired Southside head coach and St. Matthews native Louis Golden).

The biggest surprise for Fredrick was seeing how his own region voted. Although the Fighting Gators did snap Calhoun County’s state-record 81-game winning streak, they lost the remaining three meetings, two by double digits.

“I don’t know what in the world they could have based it on,” Fredrick said. “Nothing about any preseason stuff surprises me. You would think you would have some kind of basis for it, but I really can’t figure out what it could be.

“That doesn’t faze me one bit. My guys will get together and dig in and prepare the same way I always prepare and if we do that, we’ll be in pretty good position when it time’s to really be number one.”

Calhoun County will get an early shot at Estill on Dec. 15 in St. Matthews, 11 days after opening its quest for a S.C. High School League record-tying ninth state title on the road Dec. 4 against Lake City.

It could potentially meet Hemingway sooner in the Class A Division I football finals on Nov. 27 at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium if the Saints upend Chesterfield and the Tigers defeat Lamar.

Hemingway has nine of the 10 returning basketball players playing football, while the Saints have key starters in basketball (Shamier Jeffery, Brandon Thomas) who are among the major contributors on the football team.

While some coaches may frown on having players compete in more than one sport, Fredrick insists he’s never placed such restrictions.

“I’ve never had a problem with it,” Fredrick said. “You go through high school only once and you never know what you might be able to accomplish unless you try. I’ve always encouraged them in saying if that’s what’s on your mind and you really want to try it, then go for it and I hope you have all the success you can have. So that’s been the philosophy with my guys and it’s worked out pretty well for me.”

Top seniors

North’s Devonte James and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler’s Melissa Brimfield were named as the top five Class A seniors in boys and girls’ basketball.

Brimfield was joined by Lydia Mikell of Estill, Victoria McVicker of Chesterfield and Erin Carter of defending champion Christ Church, while Jones made the boys’ list along with Quinton Brown of Hemingway, Antonio Walker of Williston-Elko, Torrey Craig of Great Falls and DeShaun Hall of Landrum.

“It feels good,” James said. “I feel like I’m a stronger person for my team. By being a shooter, I feel like I can’t be stopped and that’s why I push my team. Hopefully, they’ll have the same mindset.”

Proud Bulldog

As a former South Carolina State football player, McFadden wishes nothing but more success for the seventh-ranked Bulldogs as they enter the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

“I think (Head coach Oliver) ‘Buddy’ Pough has done a great job down there and being an alumnus myself, we’re rooting for him to win the national championship.”

McFadden also keeps up to date with his former power forward Sterling Blunt, who’s struggled through injuries and position changes during his S.C. State career.

“I’ve talked to (Sterling),” McFadden said. “Sterling’s had some injuries. First it was his ankle, then he had his wrist which was hurt. Some kids bounce back off injuries, but sometimes it takes a mental toll on him. I think it was more of a mental thing for him. Never being hurt, now coming to college getting your chance and getting hurt two consecutive times with two different injuries. And then being moved from when he first got there, they told him he would be playing defensive end, then they told him he would play tight end and then he was on special teams.

“He’s going through a whole lot of transition. I told him to hang in there, do your best and everything will work itself out.”

S.C. Basketball Coaches Association preseason polls

(Boys)

Class A

1. Hemingway

2. Calhoun County

3. Great Falls

4. Estill

5. Landrum

6. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

7. Williston-Elko

8. Scott’s Branch

9. Latta

10. Military Magnet

Class 2-A

1.Wade Hampton

2. Marion

3. W.L. Keenan

4. Burke

5. Abbeville

6. Central Pageland

7. Kingstree

8. Dillon

9. Strom Thurmond

10. Mid-Carolina

Class 3-A

1. Greer

2. Battery Creek

3. Daniel

4. Lake City

5. Camden

6. J.L. Mann

7. Dreher

8. Fairfield Central

9. Lower Richland

10. Darlington

Class 4-A

1. Goose Creek

2. Gaffney

3. Dorman

4. Hillcrest

5. Fort Dorchester

6. Lexington

7. Carolina Forest

8. Sumter

9. Irmo

10. West Ashley

(Girls)

Class A

1. Christ Church

2. Indian Land

3. Timmonsville

4. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

5. C.E. Murray

6. Williston-Elko

7. Chesterfield

8. Latta

9. Landrum

10. Estill

Class 2-A

1. Marion

2. Southside

3. Eau Claire

4. Strom Thurmond

5. Silver Bluff

6. Timberland

7. Manning

8. Burke

9. Columbia

10. Bishop England

Class 3-A

1. Lower Richland

2. Myrtle Beach

3. Darlington

4. Riverside

5. J.L. Mann

6. Daniel

7. Battery Creek

8. Chester

9. North Charleston

10. Traveler’s Rest

Class 4-A

1. Spring Valley

2. Irmo

3. Goose Creek

4. Northwestern

5. Hartsville

6. Hillcrest

7. Greenwood

8. Dorman

9. Dutch Fork

10. Ridge View

SCBCA Elite Five Players

Boys: Josh Curry (Gaffney), Bruce Ellington (Berkley), DeAndre Hopkins (Daniel), Damien Leonard (J.L. Mann) and R.J. Slawson (Fort Dorchester)

Girls: Asia Dozier and Xylina McDaniel (both of Spring Valley), Camille Glymph (J.L. Mann), Latifah Coleman (Central Pageland) and Khadijah Sessions (Myrtle Beach).

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by calling (803) 533-5547 or by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com. Read his blog, Following the Bulldogs, and other stories by visiting www.thebulldogzone.com.

 

You must be logged in to comment.