Within the first few minutes of Friday’s matchup between Hilton Head High and Colleton County, fans were on their feet excited for a thrilling game with the top spot in Region 7-4A on the line.
Seahawk Nation got the exciting matchup they expected, but not the result they desired, as the visiting Cougars escaped with a 65-60 victory to stay unbeaten in region play.
It was a battle from the start, as the Seahawks played without co-captain Dean Seelbach for most of the first half due to foul trouble. The Seahawks rallied and were able to head into the locker room at halftime with a nine-point lead.
“We were in really bad foul trouble in the first half, and it carried over into the second half,” HHIHS forward Sam Summa said. “A lot of our guys weren’t warm because they did have to sit out that first half .”
The Seahawks let a nine-point lead slip away and during the third quarter the Cougars slid ahead. Hilton Head High missed key shots late in the second half that eventually resulted in a tough region loss.
“(Those shots) were really important for us tonight because they were open, we just had to capitalize,” leading scorer Na’Keydrick Black said.
Black led the Seahawks with 17 points, and Summa added 13 points.
Although the Seahawks lost a tough battle, they look toward Wednesday’s cross-island rivalry matchup against Hilton Head Prep.
“We are going to face good competition at Prep (on Wednesday),” Black said. “I still think we can come out with the dub.”
Story and photos by Brooke Simons
Brooke Simons is a student-athlete at Hilton Head Island High School and an aspiring journalist. She has a passion for photography and broadcasting.