Cloudy skies with afternoon snow showers. Very cold. High 34F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..
Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Very cold. Low near 20F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected.
Updated: January 21, 2025 @ 8:09 am
South Aiken’s Kelton Walker (15) rises for a jumper against Midland Valley.
Aiken’s Tre’von Walker (10) throws down a dunk against Fox Creek.
South Aiken’s A’mya Robinson (2) rises for a layup against Midland Valley.
Aiken’s Azaria Sapp (24) tries to power her way through the Fox Creek defense.
Aiken Standard sports editor
Kyle Dawson is the sports editor of the Aiken Standard. Contact him at kdawson@aikenstandard.com.
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South Aiken’s Kelton Walker (15) rises for a jumper against Midland Valley.
Aiken’s Tre’von Walker (10) throws down a dunk against Fox Creek.
South Aiken’s A’mya Robinson (2) rises for a layup against Midland Valley.
Aiken’s Azaria Sapp (24) tries to power her way through the Fox Creek defense.
Throw out the records, throw out the recent results, throw out just about anything that might lead one to believe either Aiken or South Aiken has the upper hand in Tuesday’s high school basketball doubleheader.
And, really, throw out everything that happens in the first 28 or so minutes once the game tips off.
That’s been the nature of the rivalry, for both the boys and girls, in recent years. Look no further than last year’s boys’ series – Aiken won both by identical 64-60 scores, which look like blowouts compared to the 49-48 and 61-59 games the Hornets won the year before.
That’s four straight in the rivalry for the boys by a combined 11 points, a 4-0 record that very well could be 0-4 or somewhere in between. That’s how razor-thin the margin for error has been between these two, and Tuesday – weather permitting – at Aiken an almost entirely new group of hoopers on both sides will have the opportunity to put their stamp on the rivalry.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said South Aiken head coach Sam McDowell. “Robbie (McKenzie) does a good job with his team. They’re well-coached. They’ve got some dangerous players. They’ve got Tre’von Walker back, and he really changes the dynamic of their team. Gives them a lot of length, a lot of athleticism, can score at all three levels, left-hander, college-level basketball player. He really makes them better.
“They’re a lot like us in some regards – Julian Graham, Tarrant McKenzie, Armani Jones are some guys that come to mind, all sophomores and freshmen. They’re all contributors. They all start for them. Young team. I think us and Aiken are very similar in a lot of ways. A lot of talent. I think we’ve got a lot of potential on each roster, but a lot of youth, as well. I expect a really close, hard-fought game, just like it’s been the last several years.”
Both teams come into Tuesday coming off some difficult results. Aiken (7-10, 2-4 Region 4-AAAA) has lost five in a row, albeit three of those to top-10 teams in the state, and let a double-digit lead get away last week in a loss to Midland Valley. South Aiken (5-12, 2-4) can empathize. The T-Breds have dropped four in a row, with two of those to top-10 opponents, and also gave up multiple 10-point fourth-quarter leads to lose to Strom Thurmond and those same comeback kids from Midland Valley.
“We’re a young team, and we’re learning,” McDowell said following the T-Breds’ 65-62 loss to Midland Valley on Friday. “I’ve got … eight guys that basically did not play varsity basketball last year. Some of those guys are seniors that were hurt. We’re extremely young, but we’re getting better. I told the guys in the locker room after the game ‘We’re this close.’ We’re going to break through sooner rather than later, I really believe that. We’ve just got to keep working, keep believing, keep chopping wood, and we’ll be all right.”
There’s no better time for a turnaround than against a team’s biggest rival, and this game always seems to bring out the fireworks. The first meeting last year could’ve been “the game” for several different players, but it was ultimately George Brown who made it his by hitting seven 3-pointers in a double-overtime win. Tre’von Walker had a huge night in the second game, and seniors Joey Tracey and Jadan Young tormented the T-Breds one last time.
That spoiled some quality performances by South Aiken players, and McDowell is well aware that the winner is the one who writes the history books.
“Kelton Walker, last year at home I think he had 18 points and 15 rebounds. If we win that game, everybody’s talking about how well Kelton Walker played,” he said. “But no one was talking about that because we lost the game. He’s a senior, and he’s got a chance to go make his stamp. … The younger guys like Kyson McLeod, Deon Simpkins, Keon Raysor, Issac Elliott, Jamaal Wilson, all those guys, I’m excited to go watch them play in these games.”
The girls, who will again have the late tipoff, have split the series in each of the last two seasons, and Aiken’s sweep in 2022 was by a combined eight points. That’s how close it’s been for them, too, and their game should also be marked by the emergence of some fresh faces.
Aiken’s Malasia Jamison is one of the senior stars, and she recently reached the 1,000-career point mark. She’s a go-to threat for the Hornets (10-5, 4-2), leading them in scoring and rebounding. Not far behind is freshman sensation Azaria Sapp, as the two lead the team in minutes played, with senior Scotlynn Staley, freshman Aalija Drummings, sophomore Taylor Glover and freshman Naryah Thomas all averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
The Hornets have settled into the No. 3 slot in the region standings as the league schedule reaches its midpoint, but they know how dangerous the T-Breds (8-7, 3-3) can be – even without junior leader Semaj Faulkner.
South Aiken head coach Russell Felton knew he was going to have a young team coming into this season after losing six seniors, and he knew that he was going to have to throw some youngsters into the fire in region play.
That didn’t seem to bother Haydenn Kosinski or A’mya Robinson on Friday, as the eighth-graders combined to score 21 points and lead the team down the stretch in a come-from-behind win over Midland Valley. They combined with veterans Myracle Culbreath and Jasmine Epps to fight off a spirited effort from the Mustangs, eventually breaking through against their defensive pressure to leave with a victory.
Needless to say, there’s no shortage of storylines and potential heroes and heroines heading into Tuesday night. And these two are only just getting started, as the second game between the two will carry even more weight – it’s scheduled to be the regular-season finale.
Aiken Standard sports editor
Kyle Dawson is the sports editor of the Aiken Standard. Contact him at kdawson@aikenstandard.com.
To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers »
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