2025 in review: Looking back at athletics in Sumter, Clarendon, Lee counties
As 2025 comes to a close, it's always a great time to look back at the year behind us. We had a truly spectacular year in athletics, as Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties all had a moment to shine, whether it was on the court, the gridiron and everyone in between. I wanted to highlight some of the spectacular memories from 2025 before we start to turn our attention to 2026.
HOOP DREAMS
The year always begins in the middle of basketball season, and we had some truly talented hoopers in 2025.
The tri-county saw Lee Central play in the SCHSL 1A state championship for the first time since 2017, though they ultimately fell a bit short of their goal with a loss to Military Magnet.
On the SCISA side, Ragin Prep won their first state title in any sport when they lifted the trophy in celebration after the SCISA 1A state championship game. Anthony Jackson has done an incredible job running the program since its inception, so I was thrilled to see him cut down the nets with a great group of athletes, many of whom will try to run it back this season.
SPRING WORTH REMEMBERING
As we moved into the spring, our local SCHSL and SCISA programs continued to bring home the hardware.
In softball, East Clarendon had a fairytale ending to their season, claiming the SCHSL 2A title over Saluda. They had a truly remarkable stretch to end their season, as they were on the brink of elimination against Marion before winning the second game of a doubleheader to propel them in the championship. EC then handled business against Saluda, making the long road trip on the final day of May to claim the title on the back of their senior pitcher, Laiklyn Gaskins. The EC baseball team nearly joined them in championship glory, making it to the lower state championship where they ultimately fell short against Philip Simmons.
Jumping up to 5A DI, Sumter High put together arguably the best season in program history. They advanced to the state semifinals after claiming their second district title in program history and their first since 2007. I'm really excited to see how they follow up that success this spring, led by Lillie Ivey in the circle.
On the SCISA side of the diamond, Laurence Manning claimed back-to-back SCISA 4A state championships, toppling their rivals from Wilson Hall in the process. It was an excellent three-game series, which highlighted some of the special local talent we have in the tri-county. Clarendon Hall also played for a SCISA state title, their fifth trip to the championship series in as many seasons. This time, they battled for the 3A crown but ultimately fell short.
Clarendon Hall's run in state championships coincided with the start of my time at The Item, so I've seen this group of Lady Saints grow up over that miracle run. While it's never easy to end with a loss, it's hard to overlook how incredible their half-decade run of success has been.
We can't forget about SCISA baseball before moving away from the diamond. Lee Academy claimed the 2A title with an incredible comeback win over Andrew Jackson Academy. Head coach Danny Price and company never quit after a slow start to the season and a sluggish start to their decisive championship game, and it paid off with a title.
But it wasn't just baseball and softball teams that thrived in the spring. Wilson Hall's girls track and field team lifted the state championship trophy in SCISA DI after surviving a state championship that started on Saturday and was finished two days later because of storms. Thomas Sumter nearly claimed their own title, as their girls finished as the runners-up for the DII crown with an impressive comeback in the final few events.
Two SCHSL athletes brought home hardware, too. Aliyah Hicks won the 400m dash at the SCHSL 4A state championships, while My'keriyah Holmes won the 1A state title in the spot put.
Sumter High also had a tennis player earn a trip to state, as Colt Stanley punched his ticket to the individual tournament. SHS head coach Ashley McDuffie earned coach of the year honors from the South Carolina Coaches Association after the Gamecocks earned a home playoff win in the spring.
DON'T SLEEP ON THE SUMMER
While school sports take the summer off, we had some great American Legion ball while high schools were out of session. The P-15's had another strong summer, but the stars of the show were the Lady Legends, who put together an incredible season and earned a spot in the state championship against Anderson. With a roster full of athletes who carried their high school teams to hardware, the Lady Legends were unbeaten until a heartbreaking 5-2 loss to Anderson in the championship. I always have a blast with legion ball for both baseball and softball. There's a little less going on during the summer, but the competition is still exceptional. This summer was certainly one to remember.
BACK ON THE GRIDIRON
We had another great fall on the gridiron this season with a handful of deep playoff runs. The Wilson Hall football team made it back to the SCISA 3A state championship game for the third year in a row. Unfortunately, injuries piled up for the Barons as they fell to Pinewood Prep for the second year in a row.
Alongside the Barons, Manning made it to the SCHSL 2A quarterfinals for the second year in a row, falling just short of the lower state championship with a loss to Hampton County. The Monarchs and Sumter High were both region champions this fall, though both teams fell short of their ultimate goal of returning to the state semifinals in their respective classifications. Sumter High's season ended in heartbreak in the second round in a double-overtime loss to James Island. Scott's Branch also had a milestone season, continuing an impressive two-year turnaround under Pat Fleming by finishing as region runners-up, earning a home playoff victory in the process. Unfortunately, the loss of starting quarterback Jaiven Conyers proved to be too much to overcome on a playoff run.
DOMINANCE IN THE POOL
The Sumter High and Wilson Hall swim teams both had incredible highlights this fall, thriving at their respective state meets.
Sumter High's Jordan Hewett became the program's first state champion in more than a decade, claiming first in the SCHSL 5A DI state championship in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:46.62. He also finished sixth in the 200 free.
The Barons had a big day at their own state meet just a couple of days later. Another Hewett brother, Jacob, won two individual titles and one relay title, setting program records in each event. The Wilson Hall boys finished fourth as a team. Cliff Bath added a pair of second-place finishes for the Barons.
RUNNING AWAY WITH HARDWARE
We also had an incredible season of cross country, as the Wilson Hall boys claimed their second consecutive SCISA 4A state championship. It was truly the year of the Baron runners, as their girls won a state title in track this spring before the boys had a historic title in the fall. Trip Hunt crushed the school record by more than 20 seconds as he claimed the individual state title. He was the school's second state champion in four years. As a team, the Barons set a SCISA record for combined time as all seven boys finished in the top 18 and crossed the finish line in under 17 minutes.
OUTSIDE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL SCENE
Those are the biggest moments from our high school athletes, but I also wanted to shine a light on some big moments from our native athletes.
Just before publishing this piece, former Lakewood defensive back Brandon Cisse announced his decision to go into the 2026 NFL Draft. It was a big year for the Cisse family, as Brandon transferred from North Carolina State to back home at South Carolina. He was able to team up with his younger brother, Cedric, who signed with the Gamecocks as a preferred walk-on.
This comes after watching a few local stars go through the draft process in the spring. Two Gamecocks, SHS grad O'Donnell Fortune and Crestwood grad Josh Simon, went through the NFL combine process, and I had a chance to watch their pro day at USC. Neither player was drafted but joined practice squads in New York and Atlanta, respectively. Former Manning High standout Aaron Smith signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent, joining former Sumter High defensive lineman Eric Watts in New York. Watts has since been elevated to the active roster for the Jets, playing against the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars with four total tackles.
Miles Capers had a big season for Vanderbilt. The Sumter High product had 35 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the 10-2 Commodores, who finished the regular season ranked No. 14 in the country. After just missing out on the college football playoff, Vandy will play No. 23 Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve at noon on ESPN.
It was a crazy year for local professional baseball players. Jordan Montgomery was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 season. He was traded from Arizona to Milwaukee as the Diamondbacks looked to move off the remaining money on the final year of his contract. He is a free agent as he continues his recovery. Former Wilson Hall standout JP Sears had a wild year. He started the season with the A's, as they made their move from Oakland to their temporary home in Sacramento. After a solid start to the year, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he spent the second half going back and forth between the MLB club and their Triple-A affiliate. He finished the year with a 5.04 ERA over 135 2/3 Major League innings with 117 strikeouts. He was 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA for the A's before the trade.
It's been a quiet season so far for Ja Morant in the NBA, as the former Crestwood star has battled injuries. After missing roughly half of the Grizzlies' first 25 games, he returned to the lineup on Friday, Dec. 12, scoring 21 points against the Jazz. In his first 13 games of the season, Morant is averaging 18.2 points and 7.8 assists per game.