By Shellie Murdaugh
The Island News
RIDGELAND — Jasper County School District officials achieved game, set, and match when they opened their new tennis courts Thursday, Oct. 22 in Ridgeland.
The district held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its four new tennis courts which are located behind Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence in the district’s athletic complex.
Jim Demos, current Public Tennis Incorporated Executive Director, credited former PTI President and Executive Director Wayne Lilley with bringing the courts to the high school campus.
“Lilley was instrumental in making the courts become reality,” Demos said.
Demos said Lilley, who retired last year, had been able to secure more than $182,000 in funding for the courts from three United States Tennis Association sources, which included the national USTA branch, the USTA Southern branch and USTA South Carolina.
“Without his efforts, these four courts would still be on the drawing board,” he said. “Here they are today, ready for play.”
Jasper County School District Interim Superintendent Laura Hickson said the new courts will allow students to extend their educational experiences outside of the four walls of a classroom.
“It means creating opportunities for our student scholars to discover their gifts, develop their talents and build confidence on the courts,” she said.
Hickson said the new courts would benefit students and the community as a whole.
“We definitely hope this will spread into the community where we have increased activity on the court,” Hickson said. “We don’t want to have this beautiful court and not have our community benefit from it. Our scholars live in the community, so we would love them come out and play with their parents and families. We are looking forward to this court being a part of our entire community.”
Hickson said the tennis club will first get underway to allow students to learn the game. Later on, she said a tennis team is expected to represent the district and allow it to compete not only around the area but throughout the Lowcountry and beyond.
Tom Ruth, USTA South Carolina Board Treasurer, said the organization would be operating future programs at the new facility.
“Our goal is to grow the game of tennis throughout the state of South Carolina,” he said. “We are excited to give everybody the sport of a lifetime and we hope you take that opportunity.”
The new tennis club will feature a group of students from throughout the high school, including Chanyah Williams.
Williams, a sophomore at Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence, said the courts would benefit all of the students involved in the tennis club.
“It will help us build teamwork, responsibility, friendships and it will help bring so many kids together,” Williams said. “The tennis court will teach us responsibility about how to balance our school work and our activities outside of school.”
Adrianne Maybank, Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence Principal, said she was excited for her students and how the courts would benefit them.
“I know that these kids are going to take advantage of the opportunities here and they are looking forward to it,” she said.
Shellie Murdaugh, who joined The Island News in October 2026, formerly worked as a reporter for The Jasper County Sun Times and Bluffton Today. She also worked for newspapers in Hampton and Colleton counties in South Carolina and in North Carolina at The Richmond County Daily Journal. She can be reached at shelliemurdaugh@gmail.com.
