Sonic Christmas Classic: Soaring at the Falcons’ Nest
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The Holiday tournament part of the schedule is in full swing. Of course, some tournaments are bigger and smaller than others. The Sonic Christmas Tournament held at Darlington HS is one of the smaller gatherings of this part of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Holiday tournament part of the schedule is in full swing. Of course, some tournaments are bigger and smaller than others.
The Sonic Christmas Tournament held at Darlington HS is one of the smaller gatherings of this part of the season with only four girls and four boys teams taking part. But – these are the tournaments that must also be lauded for prioritizing quality over quantity.
We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trip to Darlington for the Tuesday of games that saw Cheraw defeat C.A. Johnson and the Falcons defeat the Raiders of Hannah-Pamplico. Here are a few noteworthy standouts from those two aforementioned contests.
Worrell is one of two team captains per the roster for 2A Cheraw. Both team captains (senior Ryquel Brown being the other) saw significant playing time in the Braves’ matchup against 1A C.A. Johnson and it resulted in a 44-30 victory for Cheraw. Worrell led all scorers with 15 points. Her height advantage certainly came in handy when doing work on either the offensive or defensive glass. Worrell knows the correct moments to score and the correct moments to pass as she plays the game with a pass-first mentality while knowing she can put points on the board. She plays a variety of spots on the court – including both of the guard spots and as a forward.
Anyah Banks Anyah Banks 5'6" | SF Cheraw | 2027 State SC
Anyah Banks Anyah Banks 5'6" | SF Cheraw | 2027 State SC
Banks is the lone freshman listed on the Cheraw roster. Her play indicated that the Braves will have something to build around in the coming seasons. In her team’s 44-30 victory over C.A. Johnson to start this year’s Sonic Christmas Classic, Banks tallied 12 points in what was a competitive contest between the two teams. Along with her scoring capabilities, Banks displays a great deal of quickness with the ball in her hand and combines her height with plenty of length. Banks also understands that the game is played on contact and is willing to get to the free throw line.
Sa’Nya Murray
Sa’Nya Murray
Murray was another of the double-digit point scorers for Cheraw in its 44-30 win over C.A. Johnson. A 10-point outing for the 2025 was instrumental in the 2A Braves earning their sixth victory of the 2023-24 campaign. Cheraw’s sixth win of the season means the team is only three wins shy of matching its victory total (nine) from the entire 2022-23 season with plenty of games left to go. A major reason for why this season has seen an improved Braves rendition is Murray’s athleticism that she displays – particularly on the defensive end of the floor. She is also a gifted transition playmaker and shot blocker.
Dana Isaac
Dana Isaac
Isaac’s 1A C.A. Johnson Hornets gave 2A Cheraw from start to finish even if it was not the result the team was looking. She paced the Hornets’ attack with eight points. Isaac is listed at 5-foot-4 per the C.A. Johnson roster. She primarily plays at the two in the backcourt. Only two 3-pointers were made for the entire game between the two teams. Both were by Hornets players and one of them departed from Isaac’s hands. She can throw opposing defenses for a loop with her ability to not only sink her attempts from long range, but also attack the rim and possibly draw contact to get to the free throw line.
There is having few answers for a big bruiser in the interior – and then there is having zero answers. Hannah-Pamplico had zero answers for the Falcons star sophomore big. Joseph finished with 26 points in what was a dominant performance in host Darlington’s first contest of this year’s Sonic Christmas Classic. If she had the ball close to the basket, she was practically automatic from close range. If Joseph did not convert on the high-percentage shot on the first try, she would do so after corralling an offensive rebound. If all else failed, she would draw contact to get to the free throw line and even attempted a few tries from midrange.
Yasmine Douglas Yasmine Douglas 5'7" | SG Darlington | 2027 State SC
Yasmine Douglas Yasmine Douglas 5'7" | SG Darlington | 2027 State SC
The final girls game of Tuesday’s play at the Falcons’ nest saw the host team put together a dominant performance against the Raiders of 1A Hannah-Pamplico. Douglas added to Darlington’s offensive depth on Tuesday as she concluded Tuesday’s game with 13 points. She came off the bench and played productive minutes for the Falcons on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she effectively attacked the rim and the defense she played left the Raiders prone to turning the ball over. While Darlington did encounter much success with its interior game, the Falcons did make two of their attempts from behind the arc. One of those was courtesy of Douglas.
Jayla Graham
Jayla Graham
Overall, it was a rough day at the office for 1A Hannah-Pamplico, but there was one Raider who proved to be a bright spot for the team wearing red. The Raiders were on the receiving end of the 75-31 decision to host school Darlington, but Graham did what she could with a 20-point performance. Graham showcased what she could do from long range in addition to how skilled of a ball handler she is. The senior guard also drew plenty of contact which gave her opportunities at the free throw line. While Graham displayed that she can effectively organize an offense in the halfcourt game, she can also get from one end of the floor to the other quickly with the ball in her hand.