Seahawk Holiday Classic in South Carolina: Road Warriors

When looking at a list of teams that will be on the bill for a tournament or showcase, one will typically spot assemblings in close proximity to the host school. A few will provide eye-opening exceptions to that conventional wisdom.   One of those is the annual Seahawk Holiday Classic, hosted at 4A Hilton Head Island. There were three schools – the host Seahawks, 3A Battery Creek and 5A Division 1 Sumter that were on hand from the Palmetto State. Teams from other states – including Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and West Virginia were also on hand.    We at Prep Girls Hoops were also on hand for the day's games. This was one of a few showcases that actually played games on a Sunday and we spotlight some of those out-of-state road warriors from that day.     Boston has that (Bull)dog in her. An eighth-grade prospect that has proven she belongs on the same court against more experienced competition, Sunday's play in South Carolina commenced with Boston tallying 24 points to lead her Bulldogs to a 62-41 victory over Battery Creek – an in-state foe from the 3A ranks. Boston maintains a high level of activity away from the ball and understands how to convert on tough shot attempts. She plays effective defense in transition that will prevent an opponent's fastbreak attempt. Boston is one of two eighth graders on this year's 2A Lafayette team.     Where Boston represents the youth element to this year's 2A Lafayette team, Holloway represents its veteran presence. Another Lafayette standout with that (Bull)dog in her, Holloway concluded her afternoon in the Palmetto State with a 12-point effort against in-state adversary Battery Creek. Holloway thrives in close proximity to the basket for Lafayette. She displays her efficiency not only in terms of scoring but as a rebounder. Her offensive rebounds can become two-point putbacks and she displays versatility with her ability to connect from both midrange and long range. Holloway is one of three seniors in this year's Lafayette graduating class.     Williams entered Sunday's contest off the bench for her 2A Lafayette team against South Carolina team Battery Creek. Her production was a difference-maker for the Bulldogs as they earned a 62-41 win over the Dolphins. Williams concluded her day with a 10-point performance. She is one of four juniors on this season's Lafayette assembling. The hard-nosed defense she plays can leave many opposing ball carriers turnover-prone and she can get downhill with the rock in a short amount of time. In addition to being able to handle the ball with either hand and takes care of the ball even amongst a sea of opposing defenders.     Prior to Sunday's contest opposite tournament host Hilton Head Island, Hart County had won only one game this season (against Caverna) and were in the throes of a five-game losing streak – including an earlier loss to Bradley Central at the Seahawk Holiday Classic. Jeffries helped to right the ship for the Raiders as she contributed eight points in what was a low-scoring, 42-16 blowout of the Seahawks. Providing a long-range point-getting threat for the Raiders, Jeffries splashed home two of the three 3-pointers Hart County had for Sunday's contest. She added to her day with a pair of buckets from the charity stripe.     Sometimes, a team's offensive effort does not have to be eye-popping, but simply timely and fundamentally sound. Tweedy's eight points helped the Sunday effort for Hart County as the Raiders earned a 42-16 victory over host school Hilton Head Island. Defensively, she will collect her fair share of steals, leading to additional offensive possessions for her team. Tweedy is a multi-sport athlete who has also played softball throughout her career. Tweedy stands at 5-foot-4. Finding driving lanes to the rim is a centerpiece of Tweedy's game but she can also be accurate from behind the arc. She had the other of the three 3-pointers for the Raiders that were otherwise made by Jeffries.     Aficionados of Hart County are anxiously awaiting what more is in store for Devore as the 2025-26 season unfolds. What was in store was a nine-point performance from the Raiders junior to lead her team to a defensive-minded 42-16 victory over tournament host Hilton Head Island. Even though Devore is listed as a small forward, she will have plenty of occasions where she plays the role of a traditional big. The veteran frontcourt force understands that playing in close proximity to the goal means physicality and drawing plenty of attention from defenses – and using that to her advantage to finish strong and possibly find her way to the free throw line. Combine that with her rebounding and she is a double-double possibility on a game-by-game basis.     South Alabama, Furman, Tennessee Tech and Southern Illinois have something in common. All are schools that have extended offers in the direction of this talented junior two guard from east-central Tennessee. Wilhite resembled the Division I prospect she is when her 3A Cumberland County assembling matched up against Musselman – a team from West Virginia. Wilhite was a key piece in that winning formula with points against the Lady Applemen. Wilhite's stellar work also included a 41-point outburst in a victory over 5A Division 1 Sumter – a South Carolina team. That performance against the Bulldogs also included eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.     As her career blossoms, Futrell is a name that will surely ring plenty of bells across Tennessee. Her 3A Cumberland County team put together an offensive clinic over West Virginia foe Musselman. The final score was 88-34 and Futrell put together a 16-point day. Battling for 50-50 balls may be seen as one of the “little things” but they make a big impact in helping a team get in the win column. Futrell does that. She has also proven her effectiveness as a rebounder and makes accurate passes to ensure her teammates have opportunities to make plays. Futrell is just getting started.     Spriggs knows how to come up big. Another one of the standout freshmen on this season's 3A Cumberland County roster, She was part of an offensive onslaught for her Jets that completely overwhelmed its West Virginia adversary in Musselman. One has to guard Spriggs hard on the perimeter because she will take advantage of a defensive lapse to drain 3-pointer after 3-pointer after 3-pointer. She had 28 in that contest against the Lady Applemen. Spriggs will also leave defenses confused with her ability to find driving lanes to the rim – and some of those occasions can result in her scoring three the old-fashioned way.     A grand total of seven freshmen are listed on the roster for 3A Cumberland County. A team is particularly scary when it has freshmen that play like seasoned veterans. That is the case for the Jets. Swafford's seven points helped in what was an emphatic offensive outburst that saw the Jets overwhelm Musselman of West Virginia. Swafford is one of seven freshmen that is part of this year's Cumberland County roster. One of the many things that makes Cumberland County so dangerous is the team's long-range accuracy. Swafford has established herself as one of the leading sharpshooters on this team.     The most emphatic offensive outburst of the day was courtesy of 3A Cumberland County of Tennessee – both in terms of points scored and point margin over its opponent. Wilson contributed to that dominating effort against West Virginia team Musselman by adding seven points to her Jets' total. Wilson is listed at 5-foot-6 and primarily operates at the point. She is another of the six juniors that is on this year's Cumberland County team. A hallmark to her skillset is what she gets accomplished on defense as it can leave many teams turnover-prone. Ball distribution is another strong point to her game as is putting points on the board. Wilson most recently ran with [program_tooltip program_id='715042' first='Tennessee' last='Hurricanes'] 17U on the grassroots circuit.     Ask anyone who plays for the Lady Applemen of Musselman and they would likely want to forget its Sunday contest at Hilton Head Island against Cumberland County out of Tennessee. Stevens can still be proud of her performance – she had 11 points on what was mostly a rough day at the Seahawks' office. Stevens stands at 5-foot-5 and primarily operates as a point guard. During the spring and summer months of travel ball, Stevens wears the uniform of Supreme Game Changers AAU. Among the many strong areas of her game are connecting on 3-pointers, attacking the basket and making accurate passes.     Nine times out of 10, a team has a few bright spots even if it collectively has a rough game. Dusing was one of those bright spots for Musselman from West Virginia. The team was on the wrong end of a blowout to 3A Cumberland County out of Tennessee but Dusing did everything she could to help her team with seven points. One of four 2027s on this year's Lady Applemen roster, the 5-foot-7 Musselman standout can give a team worthwhile minutes as either a guard or as a forward. What she gets accomplished as a shooting guard is a hallmark of her game meaning teams game planning against her have to guard against her 3-point shot. She is another product of the Supreme Game Changers AAU program.     Over the next several years, Fields is set to be well-accustomed to the Palmetto State. Following the 2024-25 season, Fields announced that she will play her collegiate ball at Clemson. Fields looked like the Division I commit she is as she tallied 29 points in what was a Bradley Central rout of 5A Division 1 Sumter. She stands at an even six feet and has the talent and versatility to her match her already tall stature. Defensively, she can track down an opposing ball carrier to pry the rock from said ball carrier's hands and create an additional possession for her team. She is also a skilled shot blocker. Fields has proven herself ready for the ACC – but is the ACC ready for Fields?     Long is a freshman who, during the spring and summer months of the AAU schedule, plays up in class with AEBL 2028. She contributed seven points for Bradley Central as the Bears – winners of the last three 4A state championships in Tennessee routed 5A Division 1 Sumter by a final score of 67-22. Long places plenty of emphasis on being able to handle the ball and limiting turnovers. Rebounding is another noteworthy area of her skillset that has developed and will continue to do so even more as her career evolves. One element of her game that has developed is her versatility as she can deliver solid minutes as a forward or as a guard. Back in June, Long landed her first collegiate offer – a Division I look from George Mason.

When looking at a list of teams that will be on the bill for a tournament or showcase, one will typically spot assemblings in close proximity to the host school. A few will provide eye-opening exceptions to that conventional wisdom.