The Blitz

The Wilson Hall football team has run a gauntlet in the early stages of the 2023 season.The Barons opened against one of the top teams in SCISA 3A in Hilton Head Christian before snapping a long losing streak against their biggest rival in Laurence Manning. After another rivalry win over Thomas Sumter put Wilson Hall at 3-0, they now prepare to face their biggest challenge yet in the form of SCISA's most consistent winner, Hammond.While this game doesn't weigh heavily on Wilson Hall's playoff implications as the Barons sit in 3A and Hammond is a 4A squad, this gives them a measuring stick to compare themselves against before diving back into 3A play for the home stretch.Listen anywhere you get your podcasts.

It's always fun when Sumter School District meets in any field of play, and Friday's matchup between Sumter High and Crestwood on the gridiron should be no different.The unbeaten Gamecocks, who currently rank No. 3 in 5A in the latest S.C. Prep Football Media Poll, welcome a 2-1 Crestwood team whose only loss was one of the most thrilling games of the season, a 62-60 scoring explosion with Gray Collegiate.Listen anywhere you get your podcasts or read the full story here: Sumter High welcomes Crestwood for rivalry matchup full of high-flying offense - The Sumter Item (theitem.com)

Seeing the LMA Swampcats and Wilson Hall Barons go head-to-head is always a favorite rivalry on the tri-county football schedule. We brought in each team's head coach to chat about prepping for the game, establishing the tone for the season, and staying healthy. Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts!

The Friday night lights are warming up across the tri-county area. We brought in Mark Barnes and Willie Offord, the head coaches from Sumter High School and Lakewood High School to get their last thoughts before their teams duke it out in the swamp on Friday night. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts!

The Sumter baseball community lost a legend recently with the passing of Sam Crawford, the longtime soundtrack of the Sumter P-15's and USC Sumter Fire Ants.We brought in Wallie Jones, the longtime head coach of the P-15's and Tim Medlin, the head coach at USC Sumter, to reminisce about the voice of Riley Park.

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day."With each day this week came rain. That meant the diamonds at Patriot Park, Riley Park and so many other fields were left empty almost all week.Entering Friday, the Lady Legends were hoping to finally play one of their most anticipated matchups of the season, a meeting of the last two undefeated teams in Southern Division 2, as they traveled to Darlington.That game, like so many other games this week, moved multiple times before the skies stayed clear just long enough to take the field at Hartsville High School.But that was just a slight reprieve at the end of the week. After this weekend, chaos begins.Stay tuned in to the Item Sports for coverage on the rest of the season. Here's hoping it's dry.  

Don't look now, but Manning-Santee Post 68 is rolling.Heading into Friday's series finale with Charleston, Post 68 was 4-0. They didn't get the chance to finish one game on Tuesday because of weather but haven't run into much trouble early in the summer. They allowed just five runs in their first four games, two of which were shutouts.Hear more about their hot start in this week's episode or read the full story on theitem.com/sports.

The Sumter P-15 Lady Storm are one of the constants of American Legion softball in South Carolina.They were one of two Sumter teams in the fold from the start, but as they enter Year 3, things are looking a bit different.Head coach Rocky Healon had a decent idea of what his roster would look like this season, but a mix of injuries, combined with an addition of a third team at Post 15, the Lady Patriots, flipped his team upside down.Listen to the full episode below or anywhere you get your podcasts!STORY: Sumter Lady Storm weathering changes as they prepare for summer season - The Sumter Item (theitem.com)

Most seniors want to leave high school with a perfect memory from their final year.For Clarendon Hall's Olivia Wilson, it was holding a state championship trophy.Wilson and the Lady Saints won their second-straight state title last week, this year making the climb up to SCISA 2A. After losing the first game of their championship series with Calhoun Academy last Monday, it was Wilson's rousing message of, "Don't let tomorrow be my last softball game," that helped inspire the Lady Saints to win the next two nights to claim their title.Listen to the full episode to hear more about their playoff run!

The Sumter High softball team may be young, but they're starting to put the pieces together.The Lady Gamecocks may only have three seniors with a roster filled with eighth-graders and sophomores, but they're ready to compete.While they finished third in Region V-5A, the team got a pleasant surprise when looking at the district brackets for the postseason. They are in District 8, one of the two districts with an at-large team and no No. 2 seed. That means the Lady Gamecocks will be at home against Cane Bay when the playoffs begin on Wednesday.Full story here: https://www.theitem.com/stories/sumter-high-softball-beaming-with-home-playoff-game-on-the-horizon,398535

Spring break has come and gone, so that means the march to the playoffs has officially begun for the Wilson Hall softball team.The Lady Barons have won the last two SCISA 3A state titles, and they're hoping to claim the first-ever 4A state title in a few short weeks. That road to the postseason began in earnest on Tuesday, as Wilson Hall faced the rival Lady Swampcats from Laurence Manning for their first region game, running away with a 14-3 win.Listen to our conversation with head coach Teresa Alexander below or anywhere you get your podcasts.

This week on the Blitz we sit down with Former Lakewood baseball standout Landon DeLavanUnsure of what to expect from his upcoming season, the former All-State pitcher just wanted to help the team however he could, whether that meant starting games, coming out of the bullpen or learning from the bench.As it turns out, he's blossomed into quite the reliever for Tim Medlin's Fire Ants.Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Former Lakewood standout Preston McDonald reached his own slice of history last week.The Florence-Darlington head coach won his 500th game on March 29 with a 5-2 win over Fayetteville Tech. It was a milestone years in the making and a number he was honored to reach."For me, it really just means that I've been there a while," McDonald jokes. "That's a long time to be at one place, and I'm really proud of the fact that I'm not out there looking for the next job."We've had a lot of good players come through the program. That's really who wins games. Coaches, they write the lineup, they coach in practice and let the guys play in games. I've been really blessed to have some really great players over the years that have won a lot of games for us."Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Two weeks ago, most of the sports world had never heard of Fairleigh Dickinson University or its point guard, former Lakewood star Grant Singleton.That's certainly not the case anymore.Singleton and FDU shocked the world last Friday in the NCAA Tournament, becoming just the second No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in tournament history by slaying a literal giant in Purdue."It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Singleton said. "As a kid, you always want to get to the NCAA Tournament. For me, coming from DII for four years, that dream didn't look so good at first. Everything happens for a reason. When I got to FDU, I knew I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. To end my college career like that was amazing."STORY:Making the most of an opportunity: Former Lakewood guard Singleton shines on national stage with FDU | The Sumter Item (theitem.com)

Construction at the school affected the home track at Wilson Hall, forcing the team to host only modified meets or travel a bit more. On this episode of the Blitz, we sat down with head coach Rip Ripely to talk about how it feels to welcome a home crowd again. The Wilson Hall track team is deep, with countless seniors at the top who understand the process and a plethora of middle school talent on the rise. 

Coach Bill DeLavan slid into the studio this week to chat with Tim about some Gator baseball.In this early season, Lakewood is battling the void left by a large graduating class last year. Including coach DeLavan's son Landon, who is now making strides on the mound for USC Sumter. Despite losing a few arms and a few leaders, the Gators are hopeful they'll be able to continue their success. They're heading into this season with two consecutive region titles. Follow along with us as we keep our eye on them and all the other spring sports here in Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon county. Listen below, at theitem.com/podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The energy in the Eagles' gym has been electric.Tim sat down in the studio with head coach Kevin Miller to talk about the mentality in his locker room as they get ready to go down to Aiken this weekend.With the community (and some paparazzi) in tow, Scott's Branch will make their way to the University of South Carolina Aiken on Saturday to compete in their fourth consecutive state championship appearance.

For the first time in program history, the Crestwood Knights will make an appearance in the South Carolina High School League Basketball finals. As of this post, the team will have already made their trip down to the University of South Carolina Aiken where they'll face upper state challenger Wren High School Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel isn't a stranger to this pressure. In his last two coaching positions with Hunter-Kinard-Tyler and Hartsville he earned program first state titles as well. Friday should be another day in the office.For a championship week a double header we had Scott's Branch head coach Kevin Miller in the studio as well.

For a third season in a row the Lady Gamecocks are back in the lower state playoffs. They'll face off against Stratford on Monday. We had head coach Jeff Schaffer in the studio this week to talk about their mentality heading into Monday's make-or-break game. Listen to this week's episode of the Blitz at theitem.com/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Eagles played for the SCHSL 1A state championship in each of the last three seasons and now begin their trek back to the title game. They hope this is the year that snaps the streak of coming in second place.Scott's Branch closed their regular season on Thursday with another commanding win over Hemingway, completing an undefeated run in Region V.Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.

In their second season as a team, Ragin Prep boys basketball took down the Region III-1A title after a win against Sandhills Academy last week. Head coach Anthony Jackson came into the studio this week to discuss the process of building this team, setting goals, and seeing his athletes come together. You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.

This week on The Blitz we've got an over-the-phone chat with Manning's head wrestling coach Spencer Thomas. Participation in the sport has been a rollercoaster. Over the past two years they've gone from 13 members to 2, then back up and back down to 6 as they head into next week's region meet. In addition to battling low numbers, the Monarchs fought illness early this season, stripping them of practice time before heading to a tough first opponent in Airport High School. Head coach Thomas said these were all crucial lessons that've given the kids a great outlook and mentality as they navigate the rest of the season. 

Welcome back to another episode of The Blitz!This week, we had Coach Junko Allen in the studio to talk about Team Perseverance, a local sports organization that she spearheads. The group is starting a new, free afterschool program at the South Sumter Gym next week so we chatted about what it means to be able to give back to the community. Listen on theitem.com/podcasts or anywhere else you get your podcast fix. 

Sumter High wrestling has been bleeding members through graduation after the last few seasons with a limited cushion of younger wrestlers on the come-up.The program has one returning senior, and bus issues left them dead in the water missing a lot of the early season.Tim and Johnny talk about the importance of growing the sport in the area, and working with other schools and coaches to do so.Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back to another episode of The Blitz. In the studio this week we had Laurence Manning Academy's Head Boys Basketball Coach Will Epps to talk about the success of last season, rebuilding the team after graduations, and getting a late start after the football team made a deep run. This Wednesday on The Grind we're featuring Crestwood High School's Corean Nelson, so keep an eye out on theitem.com, facebook.com/theitemsports, and Youtube.com/@studiosumterKeep up with all your local sports on theitem.com/sports

Four years after Josh Williams came to Lakewood to reboot its wrestling program, only two of its inaugural members remain.An already niche sport area, it the wrestlers at Lakewood were impacted heavily by the pandemic. Coach Williams stressed the power and benefits of wrestling on young athletes and wants to continue building the program long into the future. Tune in to The Blitz anywhere you get your podcasts to keep in the loop on Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon County sports. Happy New Year!

We hope you had a festive holiday weekend! If you're a local basketball fan you have a lot to look forward this week. The District 9 Basketball Officials Christmas Tournament begins at Manning High School on Tuesday. The championship games will be hosted at Morris College on Friday night. https://www.theitem.com/stories/district-9-christmas-basketball-tournament-coming-to-manning,392764For this holiday edition of the Blitz, we gave coaches a break and brought sports reporter Isaiah Lucas in to chat about the local basketball scene, what he's seen so far, and his expectations for the teams in the area. You can listen to the episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. 

Even though exam week put athletics on hold, we sat down with Wilson Hall's Rip Ripley. This year, he added Head Basketball Coach to his duties at the school, so we spoke to him about what it's been like transitioning into the role, how the team is feeling, and what they're expecting from the season. 

Prior to Friday's upset win over Sumter High, we sat down with Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel on the latest episode of The Blitz to talk all about the Knights' season!While we chat about that matchup as a future game, we also discussed what's driving this Crestwood team and just how far Samuel thinks they can go.

The Manning basketball team is under new management, but with a familiar face. We welcomed head coach Lamont Britt on today's episode of The Blitz to chat about his transition from assistant to head coach with the Monarchs and dove into the season ahead!

Basketball is officially upon us! To kick off basketball season we've got Sumter High girls basketball coach Jeff Schaffer on today's episode of The Blitz!We talked about the No. 10 Lady Gamecocks and how they're adjusting early in the season without star point guard Kiara Croskey, who is recovering from tearing her ACL this spring.

The Lee Academy Cavaliers are back in the SCISA 1A title game so we welcomed head coach David Rankin on The Blitz to chat all about it! We talked about how the Cavaliers earned a trip to their third straight championship game and dove into the upcoming matchup. You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice!

The Manning football team is in the second round of the playoffs, so we welcomed head coach Reggie Kennedy on today's episode of The Blitz to chat all about it.This was recorded before the Monarchs' trip to Gilbert was postponed to Saturday, but we still talked about adjusting to changing schedules and how Manning has gotten to this point.

The Barons are back in the playoffs, so we had Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki on this week's episode of The Blitz to chat all about it! We went over their path to the postseason and their matchup against John Paul II.

Crestwood and Lakewood face off tonight with a home playoff game on the line so we welcomed their head coaches on today's of The Blitz!We sat down with Lakewood head coach Larry Cornelius and Crestwood HC Roosevelt Nelson to chat about the Sumter County matchup and the stakes for the contest.

The Crestwood football team hosts Camden tonight with the region title on the line, so we brought head coach Roosevelt Nelson onto The Blitz to chat all about it.We talked about how the Knights here and keys to success against the Bulldogs.

The Wilson Hall football team has a massive game for homecoming tonight, so we welcomed head coach Adam Jarecki on The Blitz to chat all about it. The Barons host Pee Dee Academy as two of the last three teams that are undefeated against SCISA 3A schools, jockeying for position for playoff seeding.

The East Clarendon football team won its first game of the season on Wednesday, so we welcomed head coach Scott Cook to talk about it on today's episode of The Blitz. We talked about their season as a whole and the Wolverines' progression on their way to a region-opening win over Hemingway.

When two local teams have an opening on their schedules, they call each other. Scott's Branch plays host to Lee Central Friday in a later addition to the slate, so we had both head coaches on the latest edition of The Blitz. Randall State, the first-year head coach of Scott's Branch, and Lee Central's Justin Danner break down their seasons to this point and look ahead to the matchup.

It's a big rivalry week in the tri-county as Wilson Hall and Laurence Manning face off tonight. We sat down with Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki and Laurence Manning HC Will Furse to talk all about the matchup on The Blitz.We check in on both teams through Week 1 and dive into what it always a competitive contest when Laurence Manning and Wilson Hall get together.

This week on The Blitz, we sat down Lee Academy head football coach David Rankin and Thomas Sumter head coach Brannon Tidwell to talk about their matchup tonight. While the game between the Cavaliers and Generals remains a classic rivalry, it has a different feel this year as a non-region matchup. Hear what the two coaches have to say coming into the game, which will be played at Thomas Sumter.

Tim and Isaiah talk the Ja Morant's MBNO basketball tournament and more in this update.

This week on The Blitz, Tim sat down with former Wilson Hall Athletics and Sumter P-15 Lady Legends softball player Andi Grae Wingate!We talked about her recent decision to transfer to Southern Wesleyan to continue her softball career and her summer with the Lady Legends!You can listen to the full episode below, at the item.com/podcasts or on your podcast player of choice.

The American Legion playoffs are in full swing and Manning-Santee is still in the thick of it! This week on The Blitz, we brought Post 68 coach Greg King in studio to chat about the first round of the playoffs and their matchup with Richland next week.You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast player of choice!

Is there a better way to spend the 4th of July than talking a little baseball? We don't think so!We sat down with Manning-Santee's Greg King to talk about their summer of American Legion ball as the regular season comes to a close. Post 68 will now have a week off before the playoffs begin next week.You can listen to the full episode below, at the link in our description or your podcast app of choice!

The second year of American Legion softball in South Carolina is in full swing, so we sat down with Sumter P-15 Lady Storm head coach Rocky Healon to talk all about it!We talked about what he learned from the first year of legion softball, managing a young roster this summer and how the Lady Storm is building for long-term success.You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.

We've got a father-son duo joining us on The Blitz this week, as Lakewood Gator Baseball's Bill and Landon DeLavan sit down for a conversation about their final season together as coach and player.We talk about Landon's All-State season and their favorite memories from their second straight region title for the Gators.You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.

School is out and Riley Park is already full of the sounds of baseball! We brought Sumter P-15's head coach Randy Twitty on this week's episode of The Blitz to chat about the season.We went up and down their roster to see how the P-15's are looking this summer and talked about their goals for the American Legion season.You can hear the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.