By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
When electric scorer Amirah Brown landed at Beaufort High in the offseason, it was apparent that the Eagles’ girls basketball team would be a team to watch, as a certified bucket was dropped in the middle of a talented team that came on strong at the end of last season.
When senior Zaria Coaxum tracked down a loose ball and threw up a game-winner to stun Ashley Ridge 57-56 on Monday, the Eagles truly arrived as a force to be reckoned with.
The Eagles had dropped 13 straight meetings with the Swamp Foxes dating back to 2011, and Ashley Ridge thumped Beaufort by margins of 60, 58, and 58 points before a 64-47 game last January.
The big win came after two tough losses to quality opponents in the She Got Game Classic last week, as Brown poured in 23 points and Jania Hayward added 14 in a 70-54 loss to Berkeley, and Hayward had 16 and Coaxum 11 in a 41-35 loss to A.C. Reynolds (N.C.).
With Brown and Coaxum providing a veteran presence in the backcourt along with young stars Hayward and Da’Leah LaBoard, the Eagles are deep with ball-handling guards who can score at all levels, and volleyball standout Alyson Dennison gives Beaufort an athletic presence in the post.
Bishop England looks like the Eagles’ top challenger in Region 6-4A, but after Monday’s signature win, Beaufort appears to be a team with loftier goals than competing for a region title.
Beaufort (4-2) is back in action Dec. 9 at Battery Creek before traveling to Goose Creek on Dec. 10.
Lowco wrestling championship this weekend
The area’s wrestling community will converge on Hilton Head Island High School on Friday and Saturday for the annual Lowcountry Wrestling Championships.
From defending Class 4A champion May River Sharks and their Region 6-4A rivals to budding SCISA power John Paul II, every program in Beaufort and Jasper counties, as well as a handful of outlying schools, will be in action.
The middle school division will take place on Friday beginning at 4 p.m. The varsity, junior varsity, and girls division will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday
