Region 2-AAA Preview: Is This the Year for St. Joseph’s Catholic?

Ask a high school basketball aficionado which months are marquee months for basketball and that query may yield a variety of answers.    Some may say March. Others may say February. Others may say May and others may respond with November.    During the course of the last several weeks, we at Prep Girls Hoops have released in-depth region-by-region previews as the start of the season across the Palmetto State draws nearer and nearer.    We began our look at 3A by breaking down the teams in Region 1-AAA and now turn our attention to the six assemblings that make up Region 2-AAA.    Powdersville   (2024-25 Record: 20-8, 10-0)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/eZy-Watermark_30-11-2024_11-01-27-3620PM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092942" style="width:531px;height:auto" /></figure>   For nine of the last 10 seasons, the Patriots have put together double-digit winning seasons. The lone exception to that was the COVID year of 2020-21 where everyone was playing compressed schedules.    This past season, Powdersville raised plenty of eyebrows across the state after winning 20 games last season. The Patriots earned a playoff berth and scored victories over Mountain View Prep and Woodruff prior to elimination at the hands of eventual state champion Walhalla.    Mike Anderson is moving into the second year of his stint as head coach. Powdersville graduated three seniors from last season's team but the transfer portal did not do the Patriots any favors. One of its key players transferred to 5A Division 2 Greenville and another moved to 4A Wren.   Key Players:   One name that did remain at Powdersville is [player_tooltip player_id='271878' first='Caroline' last='Sweet'], a product of the SC Sixers program who received an offer from Guilford College over the offseason. Sweet is a two-sport athlete who also plays volleyball. Sweet averaged 13.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.   St. Joseph's Catholic   (2024-25 Record: 15-9, 7-3)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/eZy-Watermark_18-06-2024_01-35-37-8030AM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-926847" style="width:545px;height:auto" /></figure>   Moving up from 1A to 3A is one of the more daunting reclassifications that can face a program. The talent that proudly wears St. Joseph's Catholic blue ensured that transition would be smooth.    A couple of the region rivalries that the Knights had established when it was a 1A team were maintained – namely those with Southside Christian and Christ Church.    In a 3A landscape that was more wide open than previous years, coach Natalie Satterfield's team made its presence known with victories in the tournament over Belton-Honea Path, West-Oak and Chapman before falling to Walhalla in the Upper State championship game.    Key Players:   Last season's team only graduated one senior. A standout from this year's senior class is [player_tooltip player_id='380650' first='Tiffany' last='Helmer'] who committed to Furman for volleyball over the offseason. Helmer averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.   One of the state's premier young sharpshooters in [player_tooltip player_id='831267' first='Evie' last='Adams'] is another that Knights opponents have to game plan for. A product of [program_tooltip program_id='715412' first='SC' last='Eagles'], Adams averaged 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals per game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1207787' first='Lola' last='Kelly'] is also part of the graduating class this year from St. Joseph's Catholic. She is a two-sport athlete who also plays soccer alongside her basketball achievements. Kelly averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, three steals and 2.2 assists per game.   Stella Nash gives the Knights a formidable presence in the interior. The junior big is another multi-sport athlete who spends much of her time following the basketball season on the softball diamond. Nash averaged six points and 5.8 rebounds.   A pair of sophomores bolstered St. Joseph's Catholic's rebounding efforts in their freshman campaigns. One of those was [player_tooltip player_id='975971' first='Brianna' last='Armocida']. She averaged six boards per game and also plays on the volleyball team.   Another of those 2028 names is Emi Reese Hand who also is on the volleyball team at St. Joseph's Catholic. Hand is listed at 5-foot-10 and averaged 6.6 rebounds per contest throughout 2024-25.   Carolina Academy   (2024-25 Record: 7-16, 6-4)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_2180.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1117740" style="width:543px;height:auto" /></figure>   When looking at how recent Carolina Academy seasons have unfolded, their seven-win campaign from last season can be seen as a success. This is especially true given six of those seven victories occurred in region, enabling the Trojans to qualify for the 3A state tournament.    Only one problem for the Trojans – their season was cut short in the second round of the tournament by Pendleton.    The only victory that Carolina Academy won that was not against a region foe was at 5A Division 1 Wade Hampton. Coach Jurelle Watson's team scored a 47-37 victory against the Generals on Dec. 21.    Key Players:   Orange and blue will once again be worn by Jynia Smith who steps into her junior season with Carolina Academy. Smith stands at 5-foot-5. She was the Trojans' leading point-getter from last season, averaging nine points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game.   Entering her sophomore season with the Trojans is Skylar Belcher whose 6-foot-1 stature gives Carolina Academy a formidable force in the interior. Belcher is a huge help for the Trojans' rebounding efforts given she averaged 4.9 a game.   Height is plentiful with Carolina Academy and the six foot stature of senior Jakiya Valentine is an excellent example of that. Valentine was another of the Trojans' leading board-getters, averaging 5.2 per game.   Southside Christian   (2024-25 Record: 13-8, 5-5)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/01/IMG_4561.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1169028" style="width:568px;height:auto" /></figure>   More than enough teams every season experience the classic “tale of two seasons.” Sometimes it is where a team struggles in non-region play then picks it up against region opponents. Or vice versa.    The Sabres opened the season with a 6-2 record with its only losses coming by way of Woodruff. Southside Christian did hold its own during the region slate – including a road victory at St. Joseph's Catholic in late January.    The Trojans also made that move from 1A to 3A. Southside Christian picked up a victory in the first round of the 3A state tournament over Broome before Walhalla put a lid on the Sabres' season in the second round.   Key Players:   Two key names to follow regarding Southside Christian are both beginning their senior seasons. One of them is [player_tooltip player_id='1167950' first='Ansley' last='Becks']. Listed at 5-foot-4, Becks is a two-sport athlete who also plays soccer.   The other notable name that is part of the Sabres' graduating class is [player_tooltip player_id='387116' first='Devyn' last='Blackwell'] who stands at 5-foot-10 and primarily plays at the four in the frontcourt. Blackwell's grassroots basketball career has included a stint with [program_tooltip program_id='715412' first='SC' last='Eagles'].   Christ Church   (2024-25 Record: 3-19, 2-8)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/IMG_1163-3.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-854962" style="width:580px;height:auto" /></figure>   To say that Christ Church has been through a reclassification adventure these past few seasons is an understatement.    It was not that long ago that the Cavaliers were competing as a 2A team – Christ Church won its most recent state championship a few years ago in 2A (2021-22 over Andrew Jackson to be exact).    For the past few years, the Cavaliers were in the 1A ranks and were reclassified into 3A beginning with the 2024-25 season. Originally, the plan was for Christ Church to be in 4A prior to it winning its appeal. Coach Jordan Filiatreau's team did manage to qualify for the state tournament and its time in said tournament was also cut short thanks to Walhalla.    Key Players:   There are few names who maintain a busier athletic schedule than [player_tooltip player_id='1229363' first='Saddler' last='Fox']. The Christ Church junior frontcourt standout plays soccer, lacrosse and tennis in addition to basketball. Initially a junior varsity player in the eighth grade, Fox averaged 6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals last season.   Listed at an even six feet on the Christ Church roster is Ryan Hunt who can be placed in a team's lineup as either a four or as a traditional big. Hunt averaged six rebounds and 5.4 points in 21 games.   Speaking of multi-sport athletes, the 2025-26 season will be Sophia Mahfood's junior campaign with the Cavaliers. She plays soccer in addition to basketball. Mahfood averaged 5.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 steals in 21 contests last season.   Palmetto   (2024-25 Record: 6-18, 0-10)   The Mustangs were another team that encountered the “tale of two seasons.”    Palmetto won five games prior to its region schedule – including three wins against another 3A team in Crescent. Region play arrived and it was anything but auspicious for the Mustangs.    The team dropped 12 of its last 13 matchups last season. The lone win occurred against Greer Middle College by way of a 30-point rout. Despite this, Palmetto still earned one of the 32 berths into the state tournament.    Its time at the tournament was cut short thanks to a first-round defeat by Chapman. Palmetto has not had a double-digit winning season since 2013-14.    Key Players:   One final season awaits in the high school ranks for Daijah Littlejohn and she is more than poised to finish her high school career with an exclamation point. A 5-foot-11 senior, Littlejohn averaged 6.4 rebounds, six points and just under a block per game.   Alexandria Daughenbaugh is also part of this year's graduating class at Palmetto. One can place Daughenbaugh in a starting lineup at either of the guard spots in the backcourt. Listed at 6-foot-2, the upperclassman averaged 5.1 points and 1.7 steals per game in 23 contests as a sophomore.

Ask a high school basketball aficionado which months are marquee months for basketball and that query may yield a variety of answers.