The 2023-24 school year was a championship-filled one for Lexington County with eight teams from four different schools winning a state title.

For the first time ever, teams from Lexington County won the 5A football, boys basketball and baseball championships in the same year. The county also won titles in 5A cheerleading, 2A cheerleading, 2A boys basketball, 5A girls lacrosse and 2A softball.

Dutch Fork football completes its “greatest story ever”

Dutch Fork’s football team remained the top dog in 5A by winning its eighth championship after a year unlike any other.

“You don’t even know half of what we’ve been through,” head coach Tom Knotts said after his team defeated region rival White Knoll in the title game. “It’s just been a team that usually steps up. We’re going to have some people step up next year, too. That’s what’s great about football.”

The 2023 regular season was rough for Dutch Fork. The Silver Foxes started 2-5, including a region loss to White Knoll. It is the most losses the team has experienced with Knotts at the helm.

Injuries, inexperience and an assumption that the school’s previous success would roll over put Dutch Fork in a hole early. But as long as the team was in a position to make the playoffs, it would always have the opportunity to dig itself out.

“I don’t know how we went 2-5. We stopped butting heads, and we started doing things right, and the rest is history,” Knotts said. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Dutch Fork finished strong. The regular season loss to White Knoll was the last that season. The team won its last eight games, including the title game.

There were near misses, especially in the playoffs where the team had two games decided by a field goal or less. The Silver Foxes punched their ticket to the title game after beating J.L Mann on a last-second field goal, setting up a rematch with the last team to beat them, White Knoll.

“I was looking forward to it so much,” Dutch Fork defensive end Josh Smith said. “After our game we played against J.L. Mann, I looked at the scores, White Knoll vs. Summerville. I was more excited that they beat Summerville than we beat J.L. Mann.”

The championship game was a battle between two dominant defenses. Offense was hard to find until the end, and White Knoll finished the game without an offensive point on the board.

Dutch Fork’s offense eventually settled into the game and gave the team just enough separation to win 21-7.

“GSE, GSE, GSE,” the team chanted as the game came to an end.

Lexington basketball wins state title to conclude storied career of Cam Scott

For as long as Cam Scott has been alive, the Lexington basketball team had never won a championship. This year it was his goal to change that.

With the help of his teammates, Scott and the Wildcats won the 5A basketball title over Byrnes in a lopsided 67-48 win. It was the Wildcats’ first title in 24 years.

“This was the goal since 2019,” Scott said. “This is the one goal that I had on my checklist, and I’m proud to say that I can check it off.”

Scott and his partner on the court, fellow senior Jaxon Prunty, combined for 44 points. The pair were two of the top players in the state all season and proved it when the lights were the brightest.

“I can’t even put words into it right now. It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I just won a state championship,” Prunty said. “That was our last game with each other, but we’ve been playing for so long with each other. But, that just means a lot. I love that dude.”

The Wildcats steamrolled their way through the regular season, finishing 28-2 and undefeated in the region season. The team won four playoff games before reaching the championship and outscored those opponents 268-171.

Lexington took the lead in the final 20 seconds of the first quarter in the title game and never looked back. Almost the entire team got a chance to play as Scott and Prunty checked out for the final time with bright futures ahead of them.

“If this is the pinnacle of your life as a young man, as a father, as a husband, then you might want to rethink things,” head coach Eliott Pope said. “Keep working, keep striving. Things that we learned, things that you did during the season, carry those over to wherever you’re going to go in life but make sure to always want to achieve more.”

Lexington baseball gets back on top after more than a decade off the throne

Lexington baseball coach Brian Hucks doubted he would ever win another state title.

Fortunately for him, he was wrong as this season the Lexington baseball team survived many close contests to win the 2024 5A baseball title over Ashley Ridge.

“So many close games that we had to find a way to win,” Hucks said after winning game two of the championship series. “This one was no different tonight, and these kids just find a way to win in the end. That’s kind of a statement of their character, integrity and how hard they worked.”

The Wildcats ended the year 19-1 but had to endure several close matches leading up to and during the championship. The Wildcats played eight games in the postseason with four being decided by one run or less.

In the title series, Lexington swept Ashley Ridge after winning game one 1-0 and game two 3-1.

Brandon Cromer hit the go-ahead run in game two and finished the game on the mound. He became the second Brandon Cromer to win a state title at Lexington after his father, Brandon Cromer, Sr. did so in 1992.

“I did it for [my dad], my grandpa, this team,” Cromer said.

Gray Collegiate basketball wins 2A title in coach’s last dance

The Gray Collegiate basketball team wrapped up its second three-peat in seven years to close the dynasty that was built under head coach Dion Bethea.

Bethea, the program’s coach since its creation, built the program from the ground up into a regular contender. He recently departed to take a job as a college assistant.

But before he left, the War Eagles secured one more title. Gray defeated Oceanside 44-40 in a game that also served as the last in 2A for both teams.

“Everything that’s gone on both during the season and postseason, I tell you what man, it means everything,” Bethea said. “I’m so happy for all those kids. Just to get an opportunity to hold it up again. To have six of them, it’s unbelievable what we’ve built over there and the work that we’ve put into it.”

Braylhan Thomas led the way for Gray with 16 points and six rebounds. TyQuan McDuffie and LJ Britt each had six points.

“This is my fourth state championship. I won all four all four years of high school,” said Thomas, who was in his second year at Gray. “It was really personal for me to be able to go out with a win every year. That’s just the best feeling you can have is being a winner.”

Chapin girls lacrosse claim title after historic season

Chapin head coach Raven Thomas knew before the season started that she had the best girls lacrosse team in the state. The team proved her right by winning the school’s second lacrosse title after beating Fort Mill 13-4.

“These girls have worked so hard for this for four years and to see it finally come to fruition is amazing,” Thomas said. “Our seniors this year have been so dedicated in leading the team. We knew we were state champions as soon as open season started.”

The Eagles went through the regular season with its sole focus on putting itself in a position to win a title. The team beat defending champions Wando twice, Fort Mill twice and local rivals Lexington and River Bluff a combined five times.

“This whole season was geared for this moment,” Thomas said. “I made us the toughest schedule we’ve ever seen so that every game was going to be probably harder than a state championship, to know that we were more than ready for today.”

Seniors Ava-Claire Collins and Jules Brown combined for eight goals. The championship provided a storybook ending to the highly decorated careers of both girls.

“It feels surreal. It doesn’t even feel like I’m here,” Collins said.

Gray Collegiate softball dominates its way to state championship

The Gray Collegiate softball team had one of the most dominant seasons ever en route to winning a 2A championship.

The War Eagles were looking to redeem themselves after losing in the semifinal the previous season. They entered this season with a vengeance and let every team they faced feel it.

“This is the most talented team I’ve ever coached,” Gray head coach Doug Frye said.

The team finished the year 34-2 and on a win streak that lasted over two months. In the playoffs, Gray outscored its district opponents 55-5. The team went on to win all three games in the upper state by more than 10 runs.

In the championship series, Gray swept Marion with 9-1 and 8-4 wins.

“We had a tough schedule, but we came out and played well the whole year,” Frye said. “Got a good defense. We pitch well. We don’t walk many people. We’ve had a great year.”

Pair of local cheerleading teams dance to the top

Two Lexington County teams won cheerleading titles after placing first at states.

Chapin and Gray Collegiate’s cheer squads outperformed all of the competition to score the most points and win their classifications championship.

Chapin secured the 5A title after beating out fellow region foes Lexington and River Buff.

Gray Collegiate won its second 2A state title by 12.5 points, a much more definitive victory than 2022’s. That year, Gray and Chesnee tied at 285.5 points before the War Eagles claimed victory in the tiebreaker round.