Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year enters final round; voting runs through June 30

The home stretch of the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year begins today!

Voting for the final four of the annual contest opened Saturday morning and runs through Monday, June 30. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite candidates at www.theitem.com/athlete-of-the-year-2025. As we inch closer to naming the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year, let's look back at how each of the four candidates made the bracket.

JEREMIAH BURSON - SUMTER HIGH

Burson was a menace for the defense of the Sumter High football team all fall, helping power the Gamecocks to the SCHSL 5A DI state semifinals. The senior linebacker earned his spot in the bracket after an incredible performance against James Island in the third round of the postseason. He returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown to provide SHS with their first points of the evening. He added 18 tackles on the night and forced a fumble to send Sumter High to the state semifinals.

Burson went on to be named to The Sumter Item's All-Area team after leading the Gamecocks with 132 tackles on the season. He added 15 tackles for a loss, four interceptions, five pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

ASHLEY RAE HODGE - LAURENCE MANNING

Hodge is an incredible multisport athlete for the Lady Swampcats, earning the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week during basketball season. Her winning performance came during the District 9 Officials Christmas Tournament, where she averaged 23.3 points her game, while pulling down 21 rebounds, grabbing 13 steals and dishing out nine assists.

After a strong basketball season on the court, Hodge played the middle infield on the LMA softball team. She played a key role in the Lady 'Cats claiming their second-consecutive SCISA 4A state title, sweeping Wilson Hall in the championship series.

MALAYIA ENGLISH - THOMAS SUMTER

English was the heartbeat of the Thomas Sumter girls basketball team, scoring in bunches all season long. She earned her weekly honor as TSA made their return from winter break. She piled up 26 points against The King's Academy before putting up another 21 points in a 43-41 win over Trinity Collegiate.

As winter transitioned to spring, English took her talents to the track, where she helped the Lady Generals finish second as a team at the SCISA DII state championships at Orangeburg Prep. She won the 100m dash title with a time of 12.62 and took second in the 200m dash and eighth in the 400m dash.

SCOOP DENNIS - LAURENCE MANNING

Dennis dominated multiple sports at Laurence Manning, earning the weekly honor during basketball season. The freshman was named the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week after leading LMA to two overtime wins amid a 3-0 week. Two of those wins came over region foes Hilton Head Christian and John Paul II. Dennis averaged 18.5 points per game on the week. He sparked a big week with a 24-point outing in a 70-64 overtime win over HHCA.

His excellent basketball season came on the heels of a big fall on the gridiron. He was named to The Sumter Item's All-Independent team after recording 43 tackles as a defensive back, while catching 37 passes for 418 yards and six touchdowns on offense.