Region 6-AAA Preview: The O2 (Oceanside vs. Orangeburg) Region?

The many high school basketball courts across South Carolina have been dormant over the last few months. With our calendars now being set to November, it will not be long before that is not the case anymore.    Those gyms will soon be full once again. Squeaking sneakers, dribbling balls, the swish of the ball as it goes through the net, referee's whistles and crowds going wild. Coming to a basketball court near you.    Throughout the last few weeks, Prep Girls Hoops has been looking at every region in the state by analyzing every team in the various regions.    We conclude our look at the 3A field – one that Walhalla won last season – by previewing Region 6-AAA.    Oceanside Collegiate   (2024-25 Record: 22-6, 7-1)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/IMG_9921.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-848924" style="width:556px;height:auto" /></figure>   Considering how much of a stir Oceanside Collegiate (and Gray Collegiate, for that matter) caused in South Carolina's high school sports landscape, there was much anticipation as to where the Landsharks would, well…land in reclassification.    Oceanside Collegiate moved up from 2A to 3A – and coach Mandy Harrison's Landsharks did the same thing they did as a 2A participant – win and win a lot. Given that 3A no longer had to deal with the behemoth that was Camden, last season's field was more wide open that in previous years.   The Landsharks earned victories over Silver Bluff, Waccamaw and Keenan prior to a heartbreaking loss in the 3A Lower State championship game to Dillon. Given that Oceanside Collegiate only graduated two seniors, the Landsharks will likely remain in the 3A contenders' chat once again.    Key Players:    Oceanside Collegiate will graduate an impressive 2026 class. Included in said class is [player_tooltip player_id='496228' first='Josie' last='Hanks'] who is a talented veteran combo guard. Hanks is a multi-sport athlete who also plays soccer in addition to her basketball achievements.    Any team looking to earn victories over the Landsharks also have to find a way to contain [player_tooltip player_id='688841' first='Henley' last='Hanks']. She is another veteran guard that is part of Oceanside Collegiate's 2026 graduating class.    The Landsharks' stacked senior class also includes another guard in [player_tooltip player_id='688645' first='Ella' last='Hunter']. As a 2026, her grassroots career is in the history books and she spent her final time on the AAU circuit running with [program_tooltip program_id='713840' first='Charleston' last='Raptors'].    Guards may make up the nucleus of Oceanside Collegiate but the Landsharks also have a formidable presence in its interior in the form of [player_tooltip player_id='932684' first='Lauren' last='Hagmeyer'], who will begin her junior season.   Orangeburg-Wilkinson   (2024-25 Record: 15-7, 6-2)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/eZy-Watermark_02-12-2024_04-20-17-6500AM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1094081" style="width:574px;height:auto" /></figure>   In similar fashion as with Hampton County, the 2025-26 Bruins will soon say farewell to its current gymnasium as construction on the new, larger Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS is expected to finish by next year.   Regardless of where the Bruins are playing, one can count on coach Cedrick Simpson to have his team in the 3A contenders' conversation from start to finish. With reclassification, Orangeburg-Wilkinson remained in 3A but moved from Region 5-AAA to Region 6-AAA.    The Bruins were on the bad end of a surprising first-round 3A state tournament defeat to Marlboro County. Orangeburg-Wilkinson only graduated a pair of seniors from last season's team.    Key Players:   Much of Orangeburg-Wilkinson's core is advancing into their senior seasons. This includes [player_tooltip player_id='1318965' first='Alexia' last='Cleckley']. She averaged 10.1 points and 1.3 steals per contest last season. Cleckley is listed at 5-foot-5.    [player_tooltip player_id='452371' first='Harmoni' last='Williams'] is also returning for her senior season in Bruins burgundy and orange. Williams averaged eight points, 3.9 steals and 3.6 assists per game last season. She is a two-sport athlete who also plays soccer alongside her hoops achievements.    [player_tooltip player_id='1318962' first='Shanaza' last='McCorkle'] is another name part of that veteran core for Orangeburg-Wilkinson. McCorkle averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 steals per matchup last season. McCorkle stands at 5-foot-4.    The presence of De'Leon Steward turns an Orangeburg-Wilkinson big three into a core four. Steward is beginning her sophomore season with the Bruins. Steward is playing her third season at the varsity level after beginning her career as an eighth grader. She averaged 7.3 points and 2.1 steals per game.    Hanahan   (2024-25 Record: 15-9, 5-3)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/02/IMG_7291-crop-2340x1537-1739546778.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1191791" style="width:576px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Hawks displayed last season that Region 6-AAA was not a duopoly as was predicted by many a Palmetto State hoops pundit.    Hanahan moved from Region 8-AAA to Region 6-AAA. Being in a region with Oceanside Collegiate and Orangeburg-Wilkinson can be a daunting task, but the Hawks managed to notch a win over the Bruins in early February. Hanahan was part of the 3A field of 32 and earned a win over Fox Creek prior to being eliminated by eventual state runner-up Dillon.    Last season was the first for Steve Childers at the helm of the Hanahan program. Three seniors graduated from last year's team.   Key Players:   After playing in 26 games as a freshman, Bri Johnsen saw significant improvement in her sophomore season albeit with a slightly smaller sample size. Johnsen averaged 9.5 points, 4.4 steals and 3.3 rebounds in 24 games.    [player_tooltip player_id='1180688' first='Brianna' last='Allen'] experienced significant playing time as a freshman as she too played in all of Hanahan's 24 games last season. Allen was one of the team's leading rebounding, hauling in 3.1 plus 1.5 steals per game.    [player_tooltip player_id='1318930' first='Ellie' last='Tyson'] is beginning her junior season with Hanahan. A main name in the Hawks' backcourt, Tyson is a two-sport athlete who also plays soccer alongside her basketball achievements. Tyson also played in all 24 of the Hawks' games in 2024-25.    Selena Riley is beginning her junior season with Hanahan. The veteran guard was one of the leading rebounders on last season's Hawks. Riley averaged 4.3 rebounds in the 23 games she played.    Another of the Hawks' primary board-getters was Elisea Meadows. She competed in 19 games this past season for Hanahan. Meadows averaged 4.1 rebounds in addition to 1.3 steals. Meadows is beginning her junior season.   Battery Creek   (2024-25 Record: 4-16)   Battery Creek was not affected by reclassification as much as other teams were. It stayed in 3A and only moved from Region 8-AAA to Region 6-AAA.    The Dolphins were arguably the team to beat in the 3A ranks back during the mid-90s as Battery Creek won a couple of state championships during that time period. Things began auspiciously last season for Battery Creek as it began the season 3-2 – including two wins over Whale Branch and one over Bridges Prep.    The rest of the season then happened and the Dolphins' only victory for the rest of the season occurred against North Charleston before suffering a first-round playoff exit at the hands of Loris.    Coach Tierra Scott-Aiken's team graduated five seniors in 2024-25.   Key Players:   Makayla Wilson is beginning her senior season at Battery Creek. She maintains a very busy athletic schedule considering she also plays volleyball and soccer in addition to her hoops accomplishments.    The Dolphins' 2026 graduating class also includes Quannazia Jones. She is listed at 5-foot-5 and primarily operates in the frontcourt as a three forward. Jones is poised to finish her high school career with a flourish after a solid season as a junior.    Ziyadah Eugene also had an impressive season for Battery Creek as a freshman in 2024-25. This talented guard is now moving into her sophomore season sporting Dolphins navy blue and gold hues.    North Charleston    (2024-25 Record: 0-21, 0-7)   The Cougars of 2024-25 were not exactly the same Cougars we saw as recently as 2019-20 when North Charleston prevailed in the 2A state championship game over Christ Church.    All but one of North Charleston's defeats was by double-digits – and a Jan. 7 defeat at home against Military Magnet was nearly by triple digits. That lone Cougars loss that was a single-digit defeat was a 25-21 decision against 1A Baptist Hill.    North Charleston prevailed in the 1979-80 state championship game over the same Pendleton team that defeated it the previous year. It was also on the receiving end of back-to-back state losses in the mid-2000s to J.L. Mann.

The many high school basketball courts across South Carolina have been dormant over the last few months. With our calendars now being set to November, it will not be long before that is not the case anymore.