Six Way-Too-Early State Championship Contenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>June offered an early glimpse at what the 2025-26 season could look like across South Carolina, as team camps, showcases, and live periods provided opportunities to evaluate some of the state's top programs. While there is still plenty of offseason left and rosters can continue to change, a handful of teams stood out based on what I saw throughout the month. These six programs have the talent, depth, and pieces in place to put themselves firmly in the conversation as way-too-early state championship contenders heading towards the winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ridge View Blazers - Class AAAAA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Ridge View Blazers will not only be one of the best teams in the state this season, but they also have a chance to push for a national ranking. They have won 5 State Championships this decade, including three straight under Head Coach Josh Staley. Tal Staley is their biggest departing piece from last season, but they bring back four other starters and are already seeing improvement from [player_tooltip player_id='2559297' first='Noah' last='Sanders'], [player_tooltip player_id='2872232' first='Sidney' last='Haney'], and Gregory Williams Jr. . The talent speaks for itself with the Blazers, as they have 3 players ranked in the Top 10 of their respective classes in [player_tooltip player_id='2104388' first='Robert' last='Wylie'], [player_tooltip player_id='2373165' first='CJ' last='Moore'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1982894' first='RJ' last='Davis'], but a guy like [player_tooltip player_id='2139480' first='Christopher' last='Horton'], who waited his turn and will presumably be the starting Point Guard, is the reason why they are among the state's best year after year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>James Island Trojans - Class AAAAA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although the Blazers are the current favorite in 5A, I think James Island is a team that can give them a really good run. They add two elite pieces to a backcourt that struggled last season, getting back [player_tooltip player_id='1669880' first='Bryce' last='Ward'] from injury and [player_tooltip player_id='2456044' first='Anton' last='Daniels'] via transfer. Daniels will be the guy who sets the table and gets the Trojans through their sets, while Ward is one of the most gifted scorers in the state. Mix in some intriguing wings like [player_tooltip player_id='2460128' first='Maison' last='Logan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2420724' first='Joshua' last='Gladden'] next to the #1 Player in South Carolina's 2029 Class, [player_tooltip player_id='3665725' first='Jeremiah' last='Triplin'], and James Island has size and athleticism across the floor. The depth might be a little bit of a question mark heading into 2026-27, but if the Trojans can stay healthy and lock in a rumored addition, they will beat the team to be in Charleston.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Irmo Yellow Jackets - Class AAAA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4A Lower State looks like a gauntlet right now, but Irmo is one of the early favorites to play in Colonial Life Arena in March. They bring all but one player back from a 20-win team a season ago, including double-digit scorers [player_tooltip player_id='2908504' first='Christian' last='Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='2816511' first='Khiry' last='White'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3345741' first='Oshon' last='Browman']. [player_tooltip player_id='3670422' first='Kaleb' last='Copeland'], who only played 14 games due to injury in his sophomore season, looked terrific in June and could be a guy who does a little bit of everything to unlock their other best players. Similarly, [player_tooltip player_id='2414076' first='Tanner' last='McCray'] averaged 4.7 assists per game last season and is one of the most underrated rising-senior Point Guards in the state. I really like all of the pieces that the Yellow Jackets have and think this could be the group that puts them back atop the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Atlantic Collegiate Armada - Class AAA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite having two of last season's starters depart via transfer, I still feel great about the Armada's chances in 3A. That is due in large part to two elite additions - the return of Shooting Guard Seeger Medalie and SCISA All-State selection [player_tooltip player_id='2352782' first='Nick' last='Lindsay']. Medalie spent one year at Morvian Prep and instantly becomes one of the premier catch-and-shoot threats in the state, while Lindsay is a guy who fits in perfectly because of his desire to do all the little things to impact winning. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2420721' first='RJ' last='Vereen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2856552' first='Rock' last='Govan'] will also be key pieces, with Vereen's size and athleticism creating mismatches against 3A opponents and Govan's scoring ability taking over stretches of the game. If they can get another piece to step up consistently, Atlantic Collegiate certainly could win its second State Championship in three seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Landrum Cardinals - Class AA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Landrum Cardinals are a team I really enjoyed watching in June. Despite averaging over 17 points per game as a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='2722119' first='Noah' last='Dodd'] looks to have taken another leap, particularly with his playmaking and spot-up shooting. Dodd will be one of the best guards in 2A and should make a push for an All-State selection, but they have a few other options in the backcourt who can get the job done, too. In the frontcourt, 6'8" big man [player_tooltip player_id='2712152' first='Isaiah' last='Atkins'] will have a high usage, particularly against smaller competition. He does have some skill on the perimeter as well, but if they can get him to be as productive defensively as he is offensively, the combination of Dodd and Atkins will be a hard one to stop. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marion Swamp Foxes - Class A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rounding out my list of six way-too-early State Championship contenders are the Marion Swamp Foxes. We know that Class A will be divided into two divisions for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, but we don't yet know which schools will be in which divisions. However, whatever division they are placed in, Marion will be one of the teams to beat. [player_tooltip player_id='2412592' first='Ian' last='Gause'] looked great in June, and his two-way dominance will be hard for any 1A school to match up with. [player_tooltip player_id='3459463' first='Joshaun' last='Grant'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2743961' first='Jayden' last='Nowlin'] are two other very strong pieces and will look to run the game for the Swamp Foxes, with [player_tooltip player_id='2791479' first='Rodrick' last='Dickerson'] and <strong>Jacaurie Brown</strong> rounding out the starting five. With Marion, the consistency of their offense will determine how far they can go, but they definitely enter the season as one of the teams to beat in Class A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->