Qualifiers

from page B1 home crowd’s energy early and surged to a 17-10 lead in the opening quarter sparked by strong shooting from beyond the arc. Senior guard Arthur Singleton was red-hot from distance, sinking three triples in just the first quarter including two in a row to finish the period with a 2317 edge. The Eagles quickly stretched the lead to double digits behind some marvelous ball movement and active hands on defense.

Singleton stayed dialed-in from distance with his fourth three off a textbook screen from Michael Dennison, and Sully Gay poked the ball away and scored at the other end to swell the home advantage to 28-17. But the potent Panthers began to press and disrupt the Eagle offense, tipping passes and forcing miscues to set up a wide-open Mykel Croker 3-pointer to cap off a 7-0 Lake City run.

Bonds had the answer with another Beaufort triple, but 6-foot-6 Amare Adams and the Panthers went right back to work to even the contest at 33 while flustering the Eagles as they brought the ball up the floor. Gay made one of two from the line to take a one-point lead into the locker room.

The intensity was raised to another level in the second half, as the Eagles came out and took back control with stage and has a good shot to medal. Making it gold will be a task, though, as defending champion and 2021 runner-up Andre McFadden of Lake City would await in the semifinals.

Jack Miller, BFT (Sr.)

Weight: 138

Qualifying details: 4th at Lower

State

First-round matchup: JoJo Morris, Belton-Honea Path (Upper State champion)

Outlook: Miller’s reward for qualifying for state for the first time is a matchup with two-time state champion Morris, who won at 126 as a freshman and 132 last year and is the favorite to add a third title in three years. Miller shouldn’t be overmatched by anyone else in

VIDEO

For video footage accompanying this story, visit https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zdsQAhJ3LRQ colades” one could ask for. Broad River Elementary School principal, Constance Goodwine-Lewis, described Washington as having a “calm spirit and nature,” who is especially dedicated to the students of Beaufort County as she was born and raised here as well. “I couldn’t ask for a better counselor.”

Singleton’s fifth 3-pointer of the contest before Dennison’s strength on the glass paid off with a beautiful putback for a 47-42 Beaufort lead. The electric matchup between Dennison and Adams continued throughout the quarter as both sides scrapped for every loose ball and possession.

Lake City found a second wind near the end of the third period in the form of senior guard AJ Graham. With his high school career on the line, Graham left it all on the court, weaving and driving to the rim for five key points in the quarter to cut the lead back to one. Huff preached defense to his group down the stretch, and the Eagles responded with a string of gutsy stops to open the fourth.

But things started to go sideways as the game hit the final minutes. A string of missed layups began to add up, and Beaufort suddenly found itself down three with under four to play. But the Eagles were more than ready to rewrite the script again. Just seconds after Dennison rose up for a tough jumper over Adams to cut it to one, Bonds stole a pass across the top of the key and jammed it through for the lead.

The Kirkland Krazies were feeling it.

It was up to the defense the bracket, though, so don’t count him out of the consolation finals.

Brandon Bolles, BFT (Jr.)

Weight: 145

Qualifying details: 4th at Lower

State

First-round matchup: Marcus

Thaxton, West-Oak (Upper State champion)

Outlook: As first-round draws for fourth-place qualifiers go, Bolles gets a break. Thaxton is a sophomore who has qualified for the first time, but as the Upper State champ, he knocked off some tough opponents to claim that perch. Barring a big upset, Bolles will have work to do in the consolation bracket to medal.

Hunter Smith, BCHS (Sr.)

Weight: 170

Qualifying details: 4th at Lower

State

First-round matchup: Damein

A three-person panel of district administrators evaluated this year’s candidates and selected the honorees. Local businesses and community members sponsored the awards and donated gifts for the district’s school counselors.

Sully Gay, center, scored his 1,000 career point Friday night during Beaufort’s second-round playoff game against the Lake City Panthers, helping the Eagles defeat the Panthers, 58-55. Sully is flanked by his mom, Angel Gilstrap, dad Chris Gay and brother Brody Gay. Sully was awarded the game ball with 1,000 stenciled on it following the game. Bob Sofaly/The Island News to lock in the rest of the way, and the Eagles rose to the challenge, forcing a pass out of bounds with a minute left on the clock. Beaufort worked its offense flawlessly as Dennison found Gay in the paint, but a pair of misses at the line gave Lake City a chance down a point. Beaufort’s swarming defense forced a Panther timeout with eight ticks left as the nervous Eagle faithful looked on. But with one swift swipe from Bonds, the nervousness turned into elation. The sopho-

Thaxton, West-Oak (Upper State champion)

Outlook: Another brutal firstround draw with last year’s 160-pound champion Thaxton opposite Smith to start. Only one other wrestler in the bracket has a state medal to their credit, though, so Smith looks like a strong contender to reach the consolation finals in his second trip to state.

John Bechtold, BFT (Sr.)

Weight: 195

Qualifying details: 4th at Lower

State

First-round matchup: Zach Nicholson, Seneca (Upper State champion) more quarterback of the state championship football team stripped the ball from Qualiek Washington and calmly finished the layup to advance the Eagles to the state’s final eight.

Outlook: Bechtold will face another senior first-time qualifier in the first round of a wide-open 195-pound bracket with only one returning state qualifier — Lower State champ Riley Hucks of Aynor — so it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge with the medals.

Singleton led the way with an astounding performance from beyond the arc, hitting six 3-pointers for 18 points. Dennison displayed his mettle on both ends and added some timely buckets for 11 points on the night. Bonds added nine including the go-ahead and game-sealing baskets in the

Jeremiah Chavez, Bridges (Soph.)

Weight: 220

Qualifying details: 4th at Lower

State

First-round matchup: Martavis

Mason, Ninety-Six (Upper State champion)

Outlook: The area’s only qualifier in Class 1A , Chavez has his work cut out in the first round with two-time defending 220-pound champion Mason awaiting, but aside from Mason and Lower State champion Justin Pardue of Buford, the rest of the bracket should be relatively competitive. His second match will be the key, but if Chavez gets past that, he has a shot to bring home hardware.

State Qualifers from the Lowco Class 4A

Champions: William Jakeway, HHIHS (106); Zao Estrada, HHIHS (113); Isaiah Wysong, MR (138); fourth, and Gay tallied nine to put him over the career 1,000-point mark. Back in December, Huff’s Eagles dropped their first six games of the hoops season. But the hard work and winning mentality of this squad has brought them in a flash to improbable heights. “It’s hard to put into words what these guys have accomplished these last couple months,” Huff said. “A lot of people have counted us out, and their grit and determination has shown day in and day out.”

Santiago Rueda, MR (152); Gabe Juarez, MR (170)

2nd: Devin Espinoza, HHIHS (170); Josh Echeverria, MR (182); Bradley Denmark, BLUF (285)

3rd: Emilio Mendoza, MR (126); Dillon Seman, MR (132); Sebastian Agnew, HHIHS (145); Shaikh Thompson, HHIHS (285)

Class 3A

Champions: Tayriq Legree, BFT (113); Elmer Linares, BCHS (120); Gunner DeGroat, BCHS (152); Colton Phares, BFT (182)

2nd: Antonio McKnight, BFT (132); Andrew Legree, BFT (152)

3rd: Sam DeGroat, BCHS (132); Anthony Phelan, BCHS (285)

4th: Jack Miller, BFT (138); Brandon Bolles, BFT (145); Hunter Smith, BCHS (170); John Bechtold, BFT (195)

Class 1A

4th: Jeremiah Chavez, Bridges (220)