Around the State: York County

The start of the regular season could not be any closer than it is right now. That is why Prep Girls Hoops is looking at each of the 46 counties in South Carolina to spotlight the standouts in all 46 as well as the teams to look out for as we inch ever closer to tip-off.    Next on our list takes us just south of Charlotte to York County which has proven once again that it is rich in talent – in terms of individual players and teams.    #RecruitThePalmettoState   Schools in the county: Catawba Ridge HS, Clover HS, Fort Mill HS, Legion Collegiate, Nation Ford HS, Northwestern HS, Rock Hill HS, South Pointe HS, York HS, York Prep HS, Westminster Catawba HS   Catawba Ridge HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/IMG_1507-scaled-crop-2168x1424-1669121990.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-553418" /></figure>   The past couple of seasons for the 4A Copperheads have seen 20-win seasons in each. Could this be a season where coach Sheridan Pressley's Catawba Ridge bunch experiences a fair share of growing pains?    Catawba Ridge is bringing back [player_tooltip player_id='253651' first='Morgan' last='Davis'] who is returning for her senior season but saw a 2026 standout in [player_tooltip player_id='651635' first='Kaitlyn' last='Garvin'] transfer to Legion Collegiate and a 2025 standout in Makailah Davis transfer across the state line to South Meck. And that is on top of graduating Tatum Postel from last season's rendition.   The senior Davis averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest in 2022-23.    Clover HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMG_5989-crop-3889x2554-1672927220.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-577924" /></figure>   The 5A Blue Eagles may not be the team they were when they claimed the state championship in 2020-21, but Clover has proven under coach Shakkia Walker that it is still a force to be reckoned with. Clover finished with a 15-9 record in 2022-23.    Walker's Blue Eagles only graduated three seniors from last season's team. [player_tooltip player_id='372272' first='Samara' last='Lucas'] has established herself as the leader of this rendition of Clover players. Lucas managed to see playing time in all 24 games last season and averaged 8.7 points, six rebounds and 1.8 steals.   Anohter one of the Blue Eagles' veteran leaders is [player_tooltip player_id='276132' first='Marcia' last='Watt'] – a senior guard who averaged 6.7 point and 2.2 steals per contest last season. Expect contributions as well from sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='658941' first='Clara' last='Powell'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='651810' first='Kaelyn' last='Poindexter'].    Fort Mill HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/IMG_1487-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1669116696.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-553318" /></figure>   The last couple of seasons have seen the 5A Yellow Jackets qualify for a berth in the tournament only to see their season end at the hands of Spring Valley. Nathan Wruble, who was previously an assistant at Fort Mill, will be entering his second season at the helm.    Much of what the Yellow Jackets get accomplished revolves around the play of their veteran point guard [player_tooltip player_id='405388' first='Clare' last='Moore']. She understands how to organize an offense in a halfcourt set, can turn defense into offense, runs the floor well, handles the ball well and can drain 3-pointers.    Expect for Fort Mill to be the beneficiary of major contributions from [player_tooltip player_id='637733' first='Julienne' last='Chambliss'] and [player_tooltip player_id='637732' first='Jada' last='Chambliss'] this season. Jada also plays as a middle hitter on the volleyball team.    Legion Collegiate   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/IMG_0639.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-759474" /></figure>   Coming off a season where the Lancers finished the 2022-23 season with a 19-12 record, one can say the offseason concluded with a mixed bag at best for Legion Collegiate. The team did add [player_tooltip player_id='651635' first='Kaitlyn' last='Garvin'] who transferred from 4A Catawba Ridge, but managed to lose the No. 2 junior in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='253658' first='Aubrey' last='Stevenson'] to 5A Rock Hill (more on the Bearcats in a bit). [player_tooltip player_id='185416' first='Serenity' last='Woods'] also transferred to 4A South Pointe.   [player_tooltip player_id='175322' first='Tamia' last='Watkins'] also transferred back to 2A Andrew Jackson – where she played her freshman season – and E'Lyric James also left the Lancers for Rock Hill.   Garvin managed to see playing time in all 25 games the Copperheads played last season. [player_tooltip player_id='331886' first='Brianna' last='Cook'], a 5-foot-10 forward will be entering her senior season and [player_tooltip player_id='637608' first='Amelia' last='Williams'] is sure to be a worthwhile addition as the freshman is transferring from 4A Indian Land.    Nation Ford HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/IMG_1426-scaled-crop-2367x1555-1669121384.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-553408" /></figure>   The 5A Falcons took a major loss during the offseason with the transfer of Camille Kerridge to Winston Salem Christian. Nonetheless, the 2022-23 season did see the Falcons advance to the 5A tournament only to lose to Dorman in the first round.    Kelly Bennett will be entering her second season at the helm with the Falcons. Other than Kerridge, the other focal point of the Falcons was [player_tooltip player_id='299561' first='Kayla' last='Wilmore'] – a junior small forward who plays for FBC during the AAU spring and summer months.    Northwestern HS   The 2022-23 rendition of 4A Trojans girls basketball managed to finish the season with a 7-17 record. The 2022-23 rendition of 4A Trojans girls basketball also gave Wade Hampton, a team that advanced to the Upper State Finals against eventual champion North Augusta, everything it can handle and then some.    Two focal points from last season's Trojans bunch will be sorely missed. Those are [player_tooltip player_id='324542' first='JaNyia' last='Cunningham'] who transferred to another 4A school in South Pointe and Darby Grigg who is now starting her collegiate career under Kevin Pedersen at Coastal Carolina.    The question for coach ShaRon Robinson's team is simple – who steps up in their steads?    Rock Hill HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4896-crop-3449x2265-1671803856.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570786" /></figure>   We move to a couple of juggernauts from the area next. Starting with the team that two seasons ago tasted the glory of winning the school's first-ever girls basketball championship.    Following the Bearcats state championship triumph over Summerville in 2021-22, coach Kenny Orr's team had a new look thanks to graduations and transfers. Rock Hill still managed a 20-7 record and a second-round appearance in the 5A tournament where Lexington finished the Bearcats' season.   Rock Hill landed a major get by adding [player_tooltip player_id='253658' first='Aubrey' last='Stevenson'] from Legion Collegiate. She averaged nine points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals last season. The Bearcats are also returning D'Ashaj Crawford – a versatile senior that can play the one, two or three. [player_tooltip player_id='452369' first='Chloe' last='Hudson'] provides a 3-point shooting dimension to the team and has played varsity since she was an eighth grader.   E'Lyric James is a worthwhile transfer from Catawba Ridge. [player_tooltip player_id='275924' first='Sarah' last='Wildy'] also gives Rock Hill depth in the frontcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='297115' first='Imani' last='Sterling'] will return as a junior and [player_tooltip player_id='732705' first='LaKayla' last='Smith'] is coming back for her sophomore campaign. [player_tooltip player_id='732706' first='Hannah' last='Anderson'], [player_tooltip player_id='732707' first='Taylor' last='Land'] and [player_tooltip player_id='755830' first='Kaitlin' last='Ford'] are all freshmen.    South Pointe HS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/IMG_2030-crop-3610x2370-1687979491.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-687611" /></figure>   The 4A Stallions were one of the stories last season within Palmetto State high school girls basketball before suffering an unceremonious second-round exit in the tournament at the hands of eventual champion North Augusta.    Given the circumstances, such a heartbreaking defeat can break teams. For South Pointe, it encouraged the program to take the next step. The Stallions did that with the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='324542' first='JaNyia' last='Cunningham'] from another 4A school in Northwestern to replace the graduated Zaria Bell at the five. Cunningham averaged 11 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest.    One of the state's premier seniors in [player_tooltip player_id='199696' first='Victoria' last='Morris'] is the focal point for all things South Pointe. Morris averaged 14.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals in the 27 games she participated in last season. [player_tooltip player_id='429828' first='Kaleigh' last='Lucas'] may only be an eighth grader yet she plays like a veteran. She averaged 9.7 points and 2.8 steals in 2022-23. [player_tooltip player_id='185416' first='Serenity' last='Woods'] will wear Stallions red instead of Legion Collegiate green and blue next season. She averaged eight points and 1.8 steals last season.   [player_tooltip player_id='577619' first='Jayda' last='Givens'] had an impressive junior season at South Pointe. She averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 steals a game. [player_tooltip player_id='567029' first='Morgan' last='Young'] is another one of the Stallions' key pieces.   York HS   The team representing the county's namesake had a season where it won the most games since 2015-16 – when it also won 11 games. The Cougars qualified for the 4A tournament last season before being eliminated in the first round by James Island.    York's main question will be who will step up to replace one of the seven seniors that graduated from the 2022-23 team.   York Prep   The Patriots of York Prep finished with a 6-10 record last season in addition to going 4-7 against opponents in Region 5-AA.    Westminster Catawba   Westminster Catawba concluded the 2022-23 season having gone 10-18 – a highly successful season by the program's recent standards.    The team, which plays in the NCISAA, managed to make its tournament and earned a first-round win over Hickory Christian Academy before its season ended at the hands of Caldwell Academy.

The start of the regular season could not be any closer than it is right now. That is why Prep Girls Hoops is looking at each of the 46 counties in South Carolina to spotlight the standouts in all 46 as well as the teams to look out for as we inch ever closer to tip-off.