Whale Branch 8th grader lights it up
By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
The girls basketball youth movement is alive and well at the northern end of Beaufort County, and Beaufort High’s girls are leading the charge.
After dropping five of their first six games against a brutal early-season schedule, Reggie Jones’ team had won eight of its last nine games and the Eagles were off to a 2-0 start in Region 6-4A heading into a showdown with perennial power and region newcomer Bishop England at home Tuesday.
Win or lose, the Eagles look like the top challenger for the Battling Bishops, and with a roster that includes several veteran role players alongside an uber-talented young backcourt, Beaufort could be a problem for years to come.
Leading the resurgence is freshman Jania Hayward, whose season averages of 13.5 points and 4.5 steals tell only part of the story. Hayward has stepped up her game significantly in the Eagles’ first two region contests, putting up 23 points and nine steals in a 50-37 win over Bluffton before upping the ante with 31 points and 12 swipes in a 59-32 rout of Colleton County.
Whale Branch transfer Zaria Coaxum and eighth-grader Da’Leah LaBoard give Beaufort two more capable outside shooters who can put the ball on the floor and get after it on defense, and veteran post players Carson Crosby and Davariyah Smith round out a well-balanced lineup.
Tuesday’s test against the Battling Bishops will help sort out just how soon Beaufort’s contention window opens.
Prejean leads young Warriors
Whale Branch also has an immensely talented young guard bursting onto the scene, as 8th-grader Harmony Prejean was averaging 19 points through the Warriors’ first 10 games.
Prejean scored in double digits in her first eight games of the season before playing sparingly in a rout at Hardeeville, but she had her best game yet Jan. 7 against Bridges Prep, putting up 30 points on 9-for-13 shooting to lead Whale Branch to a 55-39 win to open region play.
Bridges boys rounding into form
The season began with lofty expectations and a top-five ranking in Class 2A for the Bridges Prep boys, but the Bucs gave an uneven showing in the Bobcat Classic last month, struggling to get their up-tempo offense into high gear.
The Buccaneers came out firing in their first game of 2025, though, getting 27 points and 17 rebounds from Amarion Wilson along with 20 points from Christian Arroyo and 14 from PJ Capers in an 80-77 win over Whale Branch to start region play.
The reserves got most of the work in a 76-51 win at Cross Schools on Monday before key region matchups at home against Edisto on Tuesday and at Lake Marion on Friday.
JPII girls’ streak ends at 9
John Paul II’s girls had their winning streak snapped at nine games with a 50-38 loss to visiting Northwood Academy on Monday, leading into a critical week for the Golden Warriors.
JPII hosts Laurence Manning for its region opener on Thursday before traveling to Trinity Collegiate for another key region matchup Friday.
The loss was JPII’s first since Dec. 2 at Cross Schools, and the Golden Warriors haven’t lost back-to-back games since last February.
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
