Class 2A State Championship Preview
Burke
Nickname: Bulldogs
Coach: Deon Richardson
Record: 21-4
State Championships: 3
Last State Championship Appearance: Defeated Fox Creek in 2015.
Road to Columbia: Defeated Academic Magnet 77-72; Kingstree 80-61; Carvers Bay 97-86; Calhoun County 54-53.
Probable Starters: Isaiah Holloway Sr. 5’11 (9.9 ppg), Sidney Robinson Sr. 5’10 (11.8 ppg), Marquez Watson Soph. 6’2 (9.5 ppg), Algenard Young Sr. 6 ‘2(8.4 ppg), Anthony Hill Sr. 6’4 (13ppg).
Key Reserve: Kweashon Nelson Jr. 6’2 (4.5 ppg), Delonza Simmons Jr. 5’10 (4.7 ppg).
Tariq Simmons
Keenan
Nickname: Raiders
Coach: Zach Norris
Record: 22-5
State Championships: 6
Last State Championship Appearance: Beat Hardeeville-Ridgeville 69-46.
Road to Columbia: Defeated Blacksburg 89-31; Lee Central 71-48; Greenville Tech 57-44: Gray Collegiate 73-58.
Probable Starter: Tariq Simmons Sr. 6’2 (18.4 ppg), Rodriquez Marshall Sr. 6’0 (9.2 ppg), Latrell Taylor Soph. 6’2 (4.8 ppg), Dillon Jones Fr. 6’5 (9.6 ppg), Ervin Stone Jr. 6’4 (5.8 ppg).
Key Reserve: Dantrell Sligh-Rodgers Sr. 6’4 (5.0 ppg), Derrick Sinkler soph. 6’2 (5.3 ppg), Q’Darius Sanders Soph. 5’9 (3.7 ppg).
TIDBITS: This is a Rematch of the 2010 Class 2A state championship game in which Keenan beat Burke. The Raiders are the only team out of the 10 teams that made it to State Championship game without winning their region or a share of it.
Burke moved up from Class A this year and defeated last year Class A state champions Calhoun County 54-53. Burke is two years removed from winning the State Championship in 2015.
Keenan had to beat Region foe Gray Collegiate in the Upper State finals. The Raiders had lost to the Eagles two times in the regular season. Keenan is the only team in the state to defeat Spartanburg Day.
Tariq Simmons has committed to The Citadel for next season. Simmons has scored 1827 points with one game left in his career at Keenan.