Region 1-A Preview

It was back in March when the 2024-25 high school girls basketball season concluded. A grand total of six teams departed from the Florence Center with championship hardware – including Military Magnet which once again stood atop the 1A field.    As the 2025-26 season draws ever closer there are a number of 1A teams looking to knock coach Nathaniel Taylor's Eagles off their perch – including those in Region 1-A. In addition, the state championships are slated to make their triumphant return to Columbia's Colonial Life Arena for the first time since COVID.    Without further ado, here is a look at the teams that comprise Region 1-A.    Dixie   (2024-25 Record: 14-8, 14-2)   Believe it or not, the team that stood atop Region 1-A was not Abbeville, Calhoun Falls Charter, Ware Shoals or even McCormick.    It was a Hornets team that was mired in two-win purgatory as recently as the 2022-23 campaign. Going from two victories to nine wins to 14 is quite an achievement for a program that flies under the radar as much as Dixie does.    The Hornets' season did come to a close at the hands of Lewisville in the first round of the state tournament and last year's team did graduate five seniors. Anyone what was not a senior on last year's Dixie team was a junior. The goal for the Hornets is to return to the 1A tournament and make an even deeper postseason run.    Key Players:   The Hornets may have lost its leading scorer from last season but Jaliya Turner was a major piece to Dixie's success in 2024-25. The senior guard averaged 8.8 points and 3.5 steals in 17 games last season.   Abbeville   (2024-25 Record: 14-7, 13-3)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/02/IMG_6107-crop-1966x1291-1739284923.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1187912" style="width:510px;height:auto" /></figure>   Abbeville is a school that typically garners the bulk of its high school sports headlines from August to November.   This past season displayed that Abbeville can make moves in the realm of high school girls basketball as well. Coach Ellis Belton's team went from being winless in 2023-24 to a 14-win season in 2024-25. That was as many wins as the Panthers had compiled in their previous six seasons – combined.    The Panthers' run through the 1A tournament last season included a first-round win over Calhoun County before being eliminated by a North team that advanced to the Upper State championship game. If Abbeville can duplicate last season's success, it can continue to put the state on notice.    Key Players:   Amiya McManus returns to wear Panthers burgundy and gold for her freshman season. She played in 14 games in 2024-25 for Abbeville and averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 steals a contest.   Where McManus provides young talent for Abbeville, [player_tooltip player_id='1318924' first='Andreyah' last='Sanders'] is a veteran of the team. The 5-foot-5 Panthers senior point guard wore Abbeville's colors on 21 occasions last season.   Calhoun Falls Charter   (2024-25 Record: 14-7, 12-4)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/02/IMG_6222-crop-2640x1733-1739284646.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1187880" style="width:544px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Blue Flashes have been in the 1A contenders' chat for the past five seasons. Can Calhoun Falls Charter make it six?    Calhoun Falls Charter's 2024-25 commenced with a loss to 2A Ninety Six before reeling off seven consecutive victories prior to mid-January. It was when region play began where the Blue Flashes encountered waters that were a bit less tranquil than their non-region slate.    Last season's Calhoun Falls Charter season concluded at the hands of Ridge Spring-Monetta in the first round of the 1A tournament. The Blue Flashes also will have big shoes to fill following the graduation of Autumn Thomas.    Key Players:   With Thomas' days at Calhoun Falls Charter having come to a close, the Blue Flashes will need someone new to assume the primary leadership role for the team. Perhaps, senior center [player_tooltip player_id='1318917' first='Tamariuna' last='Paul'], who averaged eight rebounds and 7.2 points per game last season for Calhoun Falls Charter could be just that.   Ware Shoals   (2024-25 Record: 11-12, 10-6)   For three seasons recently, the Hornets went winless.    That was before two seasons ago when Ware Shoals was in the win column on seven different occasions – and last season when the Hornets compiled 11 wins. The hiring of Ben Webb as head coach paid dividends for the Hornets as they had its first double-digit winning season since 2008-09 when they were in the win column on 13 occasions.    Even though the Hornets' 2024-25 season concluded in the first round of last year's state tournament with a blowout loss to C.A. Johnson, Ware Shoals appears to be headed in the right direction under Webb's stewardship.    Key Players:   Stella Eicchorn is returning for her junior season with the Hornets. Eicchorn averaged a double-double of 15.4 points and 14.2 rebounds per contest. Eicchorn plays both basketball and softball for Ware Shoals.   McCormick   (2024-25 Record: 8-10, 8-5)   Realignment also meant reshuffling of regions even for teams that maintained their classifications. This meant that Region 1-A was no longer one where McCormick and Calhoun Falls Charter would decide said region.    The immediate objective for the Chiefs this season appears obvious – improve its fortunes against non-region foes. Finding success against region rivals may do wonders for one's chances of playing basketball into February – but what about when one gets to the February frenzy?    More than likely, a team will match up against non-region teams in the playoffs. That is what happened when McCormick faced off against Hunter-Kinard-Tyler in the first round of last season's tournament and suffered defeat by a wide margin.   Thornwell   (2024-25 Record: 7-13, 6-10)   The 2025-26 season will be only the third girls basketball season since the original Thornwell HS closed then returned as a charter school.    Two seasons ago, the Saints only won two games – both contests were against South Carolina School for the Deaf & Blind. Last season, Thornwell displayed that it belonged on the same court as teams such as Whitmire and even non-conference 1A foes such as Wagener-Salley.    Jamaal Brown assumes the reins at the Saints for a team that was routed in the first round of the 1A tournament by the state power that is Lee Central – which advanced to the 1A championship game against Military Magnet.    The tournament appearance automatically made last season for Thornwell successful and the goal now is to keep taking those baby steps to climb further and further up the region standings.    Key Players:   One name to watch out for is sophomore guard Aly Jeter. She is a two-sport athlete who plays volleyball alongside what she gets accomplished on the basketball court. Jeter is listed at 5-foot-3.   Another name to keep out for with Thornwell is Jessi Pitts. She is a 5-foot-5 guard who is entering her senior season with the Saints. Pitts plays three sports – basketball, volleyball and softball.   Whitmire   (2024-25 Record: 4-18, 4-12)   The last time the Wolverines finished a season with a double-digit win total was 2008-09. The four-win season from 2024-25 is a far distance from that 11-win campaign.    When GREEN Upstate and South Carolina School for the Deaf & Blind account for all four of a team's victories, that will lead to questions. GREEN Upstate simply took the place of Thornwell which Whitmire earned a pair of victories over in 2023-24.    The Wolverines only graduated one senior from its 2024-25 version. When expectations are low heading into a season, it can mean said team is playing with house money. But when expectations are low, they are so for a reason.    Key Players:   Brooklyn Babb is a two-sport athlete who garnered all-region honors last season. Babb plays softball alongside her basketball accomplishments. She averaged 12.3 points and 2.7 steals in 19 games in 2024-25. Her first season in the varsity ranks was in the eighth grade.   GREEN Upstate   GREEN Upstate was 0-17 last season.    SC School for the Deaf & Blind   South Carolina School for the Deaf & Blind was 0-13 last season.

It was back in March when the 2024-25 high school girls basketball season concluded. A grand total of six teams departed from the Florence Center with championship hardware – including Military Magnet which once again stood atop the 1A field.