Last year's 1A state champions are doing something unusual — losing.
The
Hemingway Tigers have lost four straight games and are sitting at 8-6 going into action this week. The streak is a first for coach Barry McFadden, who is in his seventh season with the team and the six losses are more than any of McFadden's past teams have had in one season.
"Never been through something like this since I got here," McFadden told the Florence Morning News. "We had only lost two or three games a year since I have been here."
The team lost eight players from last season's state title team and this year's squad is trying to make it to a fifth championship game in McFadden's tenure.
The Tigers lost three games in a holiday tournament and are now trying to turn things around.
"Our shooting hasn't come around," McFadden told the paper. "It's like when you are in a hitting slump in baseball. We are not confident and seem to get discouraged when we start missing."
WADE HAMPTON STILL UNDEFEATEDThe
Wade Hampton (Greenville) Generals, ranked third in the latest 3A poll, have rattled off 15 straight wins to start the season. They opened region play last week with a 40-point win over Greenville High School.
"With seven seniors, nine returning lettermen and three kids who have started for three years, they've put the work in and they know what to expect," coach Darryl Nance told the Greenville News. "For that reason, they put a lot of preparation into making this a good season.
"It's good to see it come to fruition, but this is the first game of the region. There are nine more games to go."
The Generals are led by senior guard
Rod Drummond, who recently scored his 1,000th career point.
GOOSE CREEK GIRLS STILL ROLLINGLast year's 64-63 state championship win by
Goose Creek over Spring Valley wasn't a fluke.
The Lady Gators, now 16-2, have been rolling in recent years. They have won 67 of their last 72 games and have a 109-14 record since the 2006-07 season.
Three starters, though, are gone from the title-winning squad, but the Gators do return
Aleighsa Welch, who was named one of the top five 4A senior girls in the state prior to the season.
Making it back to Columbia to play for another state title will be tough for the Gators, though. They were ranked seventh in the most current 4A poll, behind four undefeated teams and two one-loss teams.
"I still think Spring Valley is the team to beat and Dutch Fork will present a huge challenge," coach Tim Baldwin told the Charleston Post and Courier. "I don't want our girls to think it's going to be an easy walk through the park to get to Columbia. There are some good teams in the Midlands. As you know, it takes talent to get to the state championship. It also takes a little luck."
WRESLTING:
