Copperhead Classic: Day Three Recaps
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As of today, we are officially in the new year that is 2024. Prior to that “3” becoming a “4” on our calendars, 2023 came to a close with one of the final midseason tournaments of the season. Several girls…
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Continue ReadingAs of today, we are officially in the new year that is 2024. Prior to that “3” becoming a “4” on our calendars, 2023 came to a close with one of the final midseason tournaments of the season.
Several girls and boys teams converged on 4A Catawba Ridge HS to take part in the Copperhead Classic. Given the school located in the Charlotte metropolitan area, one can expect for teams from both Carolinas to be represented – which was certainly the case.
We at Prep Girls Hoops also made the drive up to Catawba Ridge to be part of the final day’s festivities. Here is how the four girls contests of the day unfolded.
Marvin Ridge vs. Catawba Ridge
The day’s play began at approximately 12 noon in a contest of a North Carolina “Ridge” and a South Carolina “Ridge.”
It was not long ago that the Mavericks of 4A Marvin Ridge took part in the Y.C. Winborn Classic at Rock Hill. Going into Saturday, Marvin Ridge earned a victory over Fort Mill on the first day of the tournament before being placed in the third place game via a loss to Dutch Fork.
For the host Copperheads, to say that this season has been one of hard luck would be an understatement. Before the weekend’s tournament, the lone win for Catawba Ridge was against Brashier Middle College. The Copperheads did pick up a win over York Prep to go into the winner’s bracket before a loss to 4A Palisades.
Marvin Ridge would claim third place as they defeated Catawba Ridge by a margin of 73-42.
Remember What Happened Last Time?
It was only a month ago when these two teams met last. It was a contest one would forget if one sports Catawba Ridge colors. The Mavericks earned a victory over the Copperheads in a rout.
How Things Progressed
The first pair of points would be tallied by Catawba Ridge. A lot more would be scored by Marvin Ridge afterwards. Following one frame’s completion in the third place game, the Mavericks led the Copperheads by a score of 15-7.
Stanza number two gave the impression that the final point margin of this one would not be as lopsided as the earlier contest was. As the 10 minutes of halftime commenced, Marvin Ridge led Catawba Ridge with the score being 33-25.
Then the third quarter happened. An extended run by the Mavericks ballooned what was a single-digit Marvin Ridge advantage at the half into the 20s. Third place at the Copperhead Classic was in sight for the Mavericks as their lead was 56-31 after three periods.
The dominant third quarter for Marvin Ridge appeared to make the fourth quarter essentially academic. When all was said and done, the Mavericks would claim third place with Catawba Ridge landing in fourth for the tournament.
Primetime Performers
With 18 points, Ella Chepul Ella Chepul 5'11" | SF Marvin Ridge | 2024 NC led all scorers for Saturday afternoon’s contest She once again displayed a great deal of accuracy from behind the 3-point line as she was true on three of her attempts.
Kate Schindler Kate Schindler 6'0" | CG Marvin Ridge | 2026 State NC had herself another great day on the court. Schindler added 15 points to the Mavericks’ total. She consistently displayed an ability to place points on the board at all three levels.
A pair of 10-point scorers paced the efforts for the homestanding Copperheads. One of those was Morgan Davis Morgan Davis 5'10" | PF Catawba Ridge | 2024 State SC , Catawba Ridge’s senior four forward. Ball handling ability and drawing contact to get to the free throw line are among her strong points.
Freshman guard Taylor Reilly Taylor Reilly 5'7" | CG Catawba Ridge | 2027 State SC was the other 10-point scorer for the Copperheads. Out of the 10 points she placed on the board, six of those occurred in the first half of play. Reilly is listed at 5-foot-7.
What’s Next?
Both teams will be on the road at schools from the other Carolina. Marvin Ridge will be at Nation Ford on Tuesday. The following day, Catawba Ridge will travel to South Point.
South Point vs. York Prep
Speaking of the Red Raiders…
Entering this season’s Copperhead Classic, South Point had a 4-3 record with two of those losses coming at the hands of 5A Fort Mill (the other was to 2A North Wilkes). The Red Raiders were on the receiving end of a decision to Dutch Fork – and a third defeat to Fort Mill.
York Prep also encountered plenty of hard luck at the tournament. The Patriots came into play on Thursday with three losses – two to Legion Collegiate. Defeats to host Catawba Ridge and 3A Broome got York Prep its spot in Saturday’s seventh place contest.
Seventh place in the Copperhead Classic would go to South Point. The Red Raiders notched a 62-41 victory over York Prep.
How Things Progressed
Neither South Point nor York Prep displayed that they were (Copper)head and shoulders better than the other team in the first half. An entertaining opening number between the Red Raiders and Patriots would conclude with South Point holding a 17-13 lead.
Accurate 3-point shooting was a benefit to the Red Raiders in the second half – and they also took advantage of what appeared to be a lack of scoring depth for the Patriots. At the half, South Point’s lead grew to 38-24.
The Red Raiders then utilized its interior strength to increase its advantage over York Prep into the 20s. Eight minutes loomed before a South Point victory in the seventh place game as they led 57-33 over the Patriots.
It was no longer a matter of if the Red Raiders would win – but what the final point margin would be. That final point margin would be 22 as South Point would leave Catawba Ridge HS having finished seventh at the Copperhead Classic.
Primetime Performers
Amya Graham Amya Graham 5'9" | SF South Point | 2025 NC would conclude her time at Catawba Ridge HS with a 24-point performance. The Red Raiders were able to locate Graham with regularity in the interior. When she had the ball in her hands, she did the rest. Graham is one of three team captains for South Point.
With 13 points, Lexi Birtwistle also played an integral role in the win for South Point. The Red Raiders made five 3-pointers for the game with two of them departing from Birtwistle’s hands. She is another of the team captains.
The face of the Patriots’ interior efforts is senior Payton Munsey Payton Munsey 6'0" | C York Prep | 2024 State SC . The six-foot big played like one on Saturday afternoon with 23 points. In addition to finding high-percentage baskets and rebounding the ball, she also had plenty of opportunities at the free throw line.
What’s Next?
Ironically, after playing at a Catawba Ridge-hosted tournament, the Red Raiders will host the Copperheads on Wednesday. York Prep on Tuesday will be at one of the 2A teams to beat in Andrew Jackson.
Dutch Fork vs. Palisades
We then arrived at the part of the program where it was time to crown champions.
First up was the Copperhead Classic crown itself – which was vied for by Dutch Fork and Palisades. The Silver Foxes have had a banner 2023-24 thus far. A pair of 4A teams in A.C. Flora and Aiken have been the lone teams to put blemishes on Dutch Fork’s season resume thus far. The team’s trail to the championship game was blazed with wins over South Point and Marvin Ridge.
As for Palisades (one of the newest high schools in North Carolina), it entered play on Saturday with a 6-7 record – but that mark was 4-7 prior to the start of the end-of-year tournament. The 4A Pumas earned a berth in the championship after a couple of close victories over Broome and Catawba Ridge.
This year’s Copperhead Classic champion would be the Silver Foxes by virtue of its 72-21 win over the Pumas.
How Things Progressed
In the Silver Foxes’ bid to claim the first girls win for a South Carolina team over a North Carolina foe that Saturday, Dutch Fork did the Palmetto State proud. By beginning the contest with a 17-0 run, the Silver Foxes led the Pumas by a margin of 20-2 with one in the books.
The Pumas looked completely outmatched against a Dutch Fork team that has been among the elite teams in 5A South Carolina play this season. The Silver Foxes would bring a commanding 42-8 lead into the 10 minutes of halftime.
If the suspense level of this contest was low in the second quarter, it was practically zero in the third quarter with Dutch Fork continuing to lead by a very comfortable margin. The margin was 52-16 Silver Foxes after three frames.
Winning one of the final midseason tournaments of the 2023-24 slate is an emphatic way to finish the 2023 calendar year. It is how Dutch Fork would celebrate as they took Copperheads Classic championship hardware back with it to the Midlands.
Primetime Performers
What makes the Silver Foxes so lethal is how they can get plenty of production from all areas of the court. One star who gives them plenty of it is junior Michaela Fairwell Michaela Fairwell 5'10" | SG Dutch Fork | 2025 State SC . She finished with 19 points and can play either as a two or three.
The Pumas were no match for Christyonna Jackson Christyonna Jackson 5'10" | PF Dutch Fork | 2024 State SC , Dutch Fork’s resident frontcourt force. She added 16 points to the Silver Foxes’ total. While listed as a four on the Dutch Fork roster, she will also play as a five.
In the backcourt, veteran point guard Antoinet Cheeseboro Antoinet Cheeseboro 5'6" | CG Dutch Fork | 2024 State SC does what she does on a game-by-game basis. She finished with 11 points and continues to display what the Wolves of Newberry are getting once she graduates from Dutch Fork.
While the Silver Foxes made things difficult for Palisades from start to finish, there was a bright spot. That was junior Tynilla Simpkins. She finished with 13 points but only had three made field goals. Much of Simpkins’ production was at the free throw line.
What’s Next?
The Silver Foxes will return to the court on Tuesday when they host another Midlands 5A school in Spring Valley. The Pumas on Friday will be in conference action at Olympic.
Fort Mill vs. Broome
The final girls contest of the day would take place at Catawba Ridge’s auxiliary gym.
It was the consolation bracket championship between Fort Mill and Broome. With the season that the Yellow Jackets had going into this year’s Copperhead Classic, Fort Mill had to be considered a favorite to possibly win it. Instead, the Yellow Jackets suffered its second loss of the season at the hands of Marvin Ridge (the first was to Charlotte Country Day) to be placed in the consolation bracket. Fort Mill bounced back with a win over South Point.
As for Broome, the Copperhead Classic represented the second midseason tournament the team has taken part in this season (the Varner Tip-Off at 3A Woodruff was the first). Two of its wins going into the tournament were against 2A Chesnee. The Centurions suffered a narrow loss to Palisades to begin the tournament before defeating York Prep to clinch a berth in the consolation championship game.
That consolation championship would be claimed by Fort Mill as they defeated the Centurions with the final being 73-27.
How Things Progressed
Things started swimmingly for the Yellow Jackets as they jumped out to an 11-5 lead early. The Centurions managed to respond by trimming its deficit to one (12-11) before an 8-0 Fort Mill push closed the first quarter. Eight minutes of runs ended with the Yellow Jackets leading 20-11 with one in the books.
Girls games 1-3 of Saturday’s play had concluded in routs for the winning teams. The second quarter painted a picture that the fourth may also be the same. At the half, Fort Mill had a 38-18 lead over Broome.
Defense was key element of the third quarter as both Fort Mill and Broome encountered their fair share of struggles from the field. One quarter remained in the girls portion of the Copperhead Classic with the Yellow Jackets having doubled up on the Centurions by a margin of 48-24.
And that final stanza would prove that all four girls matchups at the Copperhead Classic would end in routs. Fort Mill’s victory was every bit as emphatic as those earlier from Marvin Ridge, South Point and Dutch Fork.
Primetime Performers
Julienne Chambliss Julienne Chambliss 5'6" | PG Fort Mill | 2026 State SC had another big game for the Yellow Jackets. Chambliss led all scorers with 13 points. She was not in the starting lineup but still proved how valuable she was in the Fort Mill win.
The Yellow Jackets also got a boost off of their bench. That came in the form of Zoe Williams. She added 11 points to Fort Mill’s efforts. Williams may have only scored two field goals, but did plenty of work at the free throw line.
Broome’s efforts were spearheaded by a pair of seven-point scorers – one from the Centurions’ starting five and the other from the bench. The one from the team’s starting five was junior guard Chelsea Fleming.
The one from the bench was Lily Trejo – a 2025. Alongside her work on the basketball court, Trejo’s career has also include playing junior varsity volleyball as a defensive specialist and libero.
What’s Next?
Fort Mill will be back on its home court on Friday as Lancaster pays a visit to the Yellow Jackets’ hive. Broome will also be back on is home court on Wednesday to take on a premier 2A assembling in Landrum.