Around the State: Spartanburg County

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Prep Girls Hoops keeps moving along here in the Palmetto State. Next stop is in the Upstate in Spartanburg County. This area of the state is always producing talent and this year looks to be no different. Who are some of these ladies in Spartanburg County? Well, maybe you should jump on board and SUBSCRIBE today. Remember to #RecruitThePalmettoState

Schools in the County: Boiling Springs HS, Broome HS, Byrnes HS, Chapman HS, Chesnee HS, Dorman HS, High Point Academy, Landrum HS, Oakbrook Prep, Spartanburg HS, Spartanburg Christian, Spartanburg Day and Woodruff HS

Boiling Springs HS

Leslie Mills served as coach of the 5A Bulldogs last season and the team finished with a 7-18 record. It appeared as if last season would see improvement at Boiling Springs, but the Bulldogs not only concluded 2022-23 with a 10 game losing streak but finished 0-8 in region.

This season, a new coach will be calling the plays as Breanna Ray will serve in Mills’ stead. The Bulldogs do play in a tough region with teams such as Dorman, Byrnes, Gaffney and Spartanburg lurking.

A pair of 2024s make up the nucleus of this year’s rendition of Boiling Springs basketball. One of them is Kylie McMillan Kylie McMillan 5'8" | CG Boiling Springs | 2024 SC who primarily operates in the backcourt. The other is Sarah Ezell Sarah Ezell 6'1" | PF Boiling Springs | 2024 State SC who leads Boiling Springs’ frontcourt efforts as a forward.

Broome HS

The Centurions finished with a record of 12-12. How the 3A team performed against region opponents did not do Broome any favors as they finished 2-6 in its region.

Broome advanced to the second round of last season’s 3A tournament only to run into eventual runners-up Wren.

Byrnes HS

Missy Fowler has been the head coach at 5A Byrnes since 2016. During her time at the helm with the Rebels, her team has seen itself in the win column more often than not.

The 2022-23 season looked like it was going to be an exception at first. That was before Byrnes played, arguably, their best basketball during the region portion of the schedule to conclude the season with a 13-13 record. Against Region 2-5A foes, the Rebels finished 6-2 along with a first-round postseason victory against Blythewood in overtime. Josie Workman graduated and is now at North Greenville University.

As a senior, Timmerian Miller Timmerian Miller 5'4" | PG Byrnes | 2024 State SC will be entering her final season with the Rebels. Last season, she averaged 6.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. One of Byrnes’ signature players is junior Te’Ericka Dowling Te’Ericka Dowling 5'8" | PG Byrnes | 2025 State SC . She played in 24 games last season and averaged 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals. Jaida Johnson Jaida Johnson 5'11" | C Byrnes | 2026 State SC , a 5-foot-11 sophomore center, averaged 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman.

Chapman HS

The 3A Panthers graduated one of their signature players last season in Clara Gramling. Chapman also managed to earn a win in last season’s 3A tournament at the expense of intra-county foe Woodruff before running into Southside.

Wes Hatchette is the new head coach at Chapman replacing Leslie Boyd who went on to accept the Spartanburg job. Neutral site games gave the Panthers the most problems last season as they went 1-7 in those matchups.

Returning for the Panthers is Krislyn Wilder Krislyn Wilder 5'5" | CG Chapman | 2025 State SC . The junior who is also the team’s captain averaged 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.2 steals per contest. Of course, Chapman is anything but a one-woman show. The team also has Kara Twitty Kara Twitty 5'11" | PF Chapman | 2026 State SC who averaged 6.9 rebounds and 5.8 points last season. Two other featured players are Annastyn Smith Annastyn Smith 5'7" | SG Chapman | 2027 SC and Elliot Miller Elliot Miller 5'5" | PG Chapman | 2026 State SC .

Chesnee HS

In 2022-23, Chesnee finished with a record of 7-17 and a 3-7 mark against Region 1-AA opponents.

Dorman HS

If it is one thing the 5A Cavaliers are almost never short on, it is talent. A team has to have talent throughout the roster to put together the number of winning seasons Dorman has in recent years.

Coach Ashlen Dewart Dorn will be in her second season at the helm with the Cavaliers as she took over the reins after the resignation of longtime Dorman coach Valorie Whiteside. Neutral site contests also gave the Cavaliers trouble as well. Dorman went 8-2 at home and 7-2 on the road but only 2-5 at neutral sites for a 17-10 record.

Dorman earned a Preseason Top 10 honor (No. 6) from the SCBCA and one reason for that, perhaps, is the experience the Cavaliers will enter the season with. That experience will come in handy to replace Dasia Ferguson who graduated. Nakiyah Kelly Nakiyah Kelly 5'11" | PF Dorman | 2024 State SC was a Preseason 5A Top 5 pick from the SCBCA. She averaged 9.5 rebounds, 6.4 points, 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks last season. Jenna Cothran Jenna Cothran 5'6" | SG Dorman | 2024 State SC is also returning for her senior season. She averaged 5.9 points in 2022-23. Nevaeh West Nevaeh West 5'6" | PF Dorman | 2024 State SC is another senior on the Cavaliers’ roster and she averaged 5.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game along with 1.4 steals. Briana Cathcart Briana Cathcart 5'4" | CG Dorman | 2024 State SC , a 5-foot-5 guard, is another of the team’s seniors.

Last season, Morgan White Morgan White 6'4" | C Dorman | 2026 State SC got the opportunity to prove her worth to the team as a freshman. She played in 26 games and averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. The Cavaliers also have a talented sophomore in Rihanna Wallace Rihanna Wallace 5'4" | PG Dorman | 2026 State SC as well as two talented freshmen in Makayla Moore Makayla Moore 5'0" | PG Dorman | 2027 SC and Kimora Evans Kimora Evans 5'4" | PG Dawkins M.S. / Dorman | 2027 SC .

High Point Academy

There may be few teams that suffered a bigger hit from last season than the Grizzlies of 1A High Point Academy.

Previously, the Grizzlies were one of the 1A field’s premier teams alongside Denmark-Olar and Military Magnet, but that has the potential to change following graduating all three of its big three in Olivia Martin, Vivian Bracebridge and KaDerrah Beason.

Jamaal Brown, a former star at Spartanburg HS, is entering his second season at the helm at High Point Academy. Brown will have his work cut out for him. Expect for senior Chantel Lyles Chantel Lyles 5'5" | CG High Point Academy | 2024 SC and junior Karla Bracebridge Karla Bracebridge 5'10" | PF High Point Academy | 2025 State SC to make significant contributions throughout the season for the Grizzlies.

Landrum HS

Two seasons ago, the Cardinals were one victory shy of a trip to USC-Aiken and the 2A state championship game before Landrum’s title aspirations were dashed thanks to eventual champion Christ Church.

Landrum still had another stellar season in 2022-23 as Jared St. Charles’ squad still finished with a record of 18-7 and an 8-2 showing against region rivals. The Cardinals were surprisingly leapfrogged by what was previously a struggling Blacksburg team in the region standings then encountered a second-round exit from the 2A tournament at the hands of Silver Bluff.

Two of Landrum’s big three are entering their senior seasons so one can expect improved fortunes for the Cardinals. One of those is Savannah Brown Savannah Brown 5'11" | PF Landrum | 2024 State SC , who has played AAU with FCA Eagles. Brown averaged 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and one steal per game last season. Two words. Unsigned. Senior.

Another upperclassman who will be back in Cardinals red this season is Kaylee Cortez Kaylee Cortez 5'4" | PG Landrum | 2024 State SC . She played in all 25 games last season and averaged 15.7 points and 2.8 steals per contest. Kylie Fortner Kylie Fortner 5'5" | CG Landrum | 2026 State SC , an Upstate Rebels product, had a breakout season as a freshman as she averaged 13.7 points and 1.6 steals per game.

Oakbrook Prep

The Knights concluded the season with a record of 1-19. The lone win came on the road at Spartanburg Christian.

Spartanburg HS

The Vikings get plenty of attention in Palmetto State high school sports circles for having some of the nicest facilities in the state. It is fitting that 5A Spartanburg has a girls basketball team certainly fitting of its plush digs.

Spartanburg began last season strong out of the gate, but came back down to earth once region play began and the Dormans, Byrnes, and Gaffneys of the South Carolina high school girls hoops landscape began posing problems for the Vikings. The team does have a new coach in Leslie Boyd who previously was at 3A Chapman. The previous coach, Sharon Dillon, retired following an 18-year stint at her alma mater Spartanburg.

Boyd will surely be impressed with the talent she will have to work with – and the experience the Vikings will have should lead to improved fortunes. Genesis Young Genesis Young 5'10" | PF Spartanburg | 2024 State SC , who earned Preseason Top 5 Senior honors from the SCBCA, is one of the premier bigs in the state. She averaged 15 rebounds, 13.4 points, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Another upperclassman is Eliza Phillips Eliza Phillips 5'5" | CG Spartanburg | 2024 State SC – a 5-foot-5 guard.

Kam Sainvil Kam Sainvil 5'5" | CG Spartanburg | 2025 State SC bolsters the Vikings’ backcourt scoring depth. She averaged 9.4 points, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 2022-23. Azaria Sims Azaria Sims 5'5" | SG Spartanburg | 2027 SC will be in her freshman season.

Spartanburg Christian

Spartanburg Christian’s lone victory of the 2022-23 campaign came in its region against Oakbrook Prep.

Spartanburg Day

When the SCISA realignment was announced prior to last season, Spartanburg Day moved up from the 2A classification to the 3A ranks. Needless to say, the Griffins’ first season as a SCISA 3A participant was forgettable.

Spartanburg Day only finished with four wins on the season – a 4-11 record to be exact. Two of those wins were against Spartanburg Christian, another was at the expense of Oakbrook Prep and the other was against Laurens Academy.

A pair of juniors in Kaitlyn McJimpsey and Grace Becker Grace Becker 5'6" | SG Spartanburg Day | 2025 State SC is sure to be the focal point of much of what Spartanburg Day does in 2023-24.

Woodruff HS

If not for an undefeated run that Emerald had throughout region play last season, the Wolverines may have taken home a region crown.

A 6-2 mark that the Wolverines compiled through region play was what propelled Woodruff to a second-place finish in a division where Woodruff was expected to finish no less than third. The overall mark for coach Jon Jensen’s assembling was 13-11, but encountered an unceremonious end in the first round of the tournament thanks to Chapman.

Alli Burnette may have graduated, but Sadie Burnette Sadie Burnette 5'10" | SG Woodruff | 2025 State SC is returning for her junior stint in the Wolverines’ colors. The younger of the Burnette sisters averaged 13.2 points, five rebounds and 3.3 steals in the 24 games she played for Woodruff in 2022-23.

As for Jensyn Turner Jensyn Turner 5'7" | PG Woodruff | 2026 State SC , she is a two-sport athlete who excels on the volleyball court in addition to her hoops pursuits. Turner has played at the varsity level since the seventh grade and averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 steals 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 19 games.