It is the dawn of a new era for Five Things I Think I Know presented by Coligny.
You might have noticed in the previous line (or in the past couple of weeks) that we have a new sponsor for this feature, and that means it’s no longer focused only on high school football. This space will now touch on any and all big local sports news from the past week and the upcoming week. Think of it as a new twist on the traditional sports column.
So, without further ado, here’s this week’s edition of Five Things I Think I Know presented by Coligny.
• Hilton Head High could be starting another dynasty.
The Seahawks’ girls tennis team won six consecutive Class 3A state championships from 2007-12, and they appear poised for another dominant run. HHIHS easily took down Greenville High 5-1 in the Class 4A championship match Saturday, and it did so with only one senior in the starting lineup. I don’t know if they can win six in a row again, but a run of two or three straight titles is easy to foresee. And how about coach Jennifer Weitekamper, who has three state championships and two runner-up finishes in nine years. Not too shabby.
• Beaufort County produces amazing cross country runners.
Going back to Hilton Head High standout David Adams, who still holds the state record in the 5K and went on to excel at Clemson, the Lowcountry — in spite of its absence of elevation changes — seems to produce an inordinate number of elite cross country runners. Take this weekend’s Lower State results for example: Hilton Head High swept the Class 4A team titles, Beaufort High swept the Class 4A individual titles, May River’s boys claimed the team and individual crowns in Class 3A, and May River’s girls were second to a powerhouse Waccamaw team. Imagine how good they would be if they could train on hills.
• May River and Thomas Heyward are back on track.
You never know how teams that are accustomed to dominating opponents will respond to a tough loss, let alone two tough losses in a span of three games. But both of these strong programs have been able to bounce back from their respective rough patches and advance to the second round of the playoffs. May River’s passing game was crisp in Friday’s 59-20 win over Swansea, which has been the missing element for the Sharks of late. And Thomas Heyward has refocused on the run and is steamrolling opponents. Both face difficult tests on the road Friday, but they’re playing with the kind of confidence needed to get the job done in a tough playoff environment.
• Hilton Head Christian Academy can’t afford another hiccup.
It wasn’t pretty for the Eagles in their 23-7 win over Greenwood Christian. They were uncharacteristically sloppy, and the explosive offense was quieter than usual. The good news is the Eagles were able to survive and advance, and sometimes an early scare is just what a championship-caliber team needs to propel it to a title. But make no mistake, HHCA will have to play better Friday to knock off defending SCISA 2A champion Florence Christian and advance to the state championship game.
• We’re gonna have some donnybrooks this Friday.
Every game on the local slate for the second round has a chance to be epic. That doesn’t mean they all will, but the chances that we hit on at least one or two great games is quite high. The two games being played in Beaufort County — Hartsville at Beaufort High and Florence Christian at Hilton Head Christian Academy — are especially enticing, and we’ll have comprehensive coverage of both. May River at Aynor and Thomas Heyward at Pee Dee Academy also have all the makings of instant classics, and if Whale Branch can knock off Oceanside Collegiate, that might be the biggest story in the state. Buckle up, friendos, it’s going to be a fun week.