High school sports, April 30: Prep’s Fox, Heyward’s Driscoll named region’s best

Tyler Fox of Hilton Head Prep and Thomas Heyward’s Conner Driscoll were selected to share Player of the Year honors in SCISA 2A Region IV, while Hilton Head Christian’s Matt Smith was named the region’s coach of the year.

The trio of area schools claimed 12 of the 15 places on the all-region team, with each squad placing four players apiece.

Fox hit .400 during the regular season for Prep with four home runs, eight doubles and 18 RBIs. He also made 11 appearances on the mound, going 5-3 with a 3.54 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts.

Driscoll batted .390 for the Rebels with 19 RBIs, along with a 3-2 record and 3.05 ERA on the mound.

Smith, in his second season, led Hilton Head Christian within a game of the region crown before falling to Prep in the regular-season finale. The Eagles enter the playoffs with a 10-8 record.

Also making the all-region team were Prep’s Gavin Hurlbut, Cem Caglayan and E.J. Churchich; Thomas Heyward’s Blake Bannon, Anthony Sanders and Bryce Tillotson and the HHCA quartet of John Blackshire, James Bartholomew, Andy Ballard and J.D. Monts.

Airport 11, Beaufort 1: Drew Luckey led off the game with a home run, but that proved to be the Eagles’ only scoring in its Class 3-A playoff opener.

The Eagles still trailed just 3-1 through four innings before Airport put six runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Beaufort faces an elimination game Monday at home against Lake City.

Hilton Head Island 5, Gilbert 4: The Seahawks notched their eighth consecutive victory by upending the top-seeded Indians. Hilton Head Island advanced to a second-round game Monday at Darlington.

SOFTBALL

Gilbert 3, Beaufort 1: Emily Cook went 2-for-3 and drove home the Eagles’ lone run as Beaufort struggled to produce offense in its Class 3-A playoff opener.

Cook’s second-inning single brought home Krislynn Coolong to give the Eagles a brief 1-0 lead. Mary Claire Sumner held Gilbert in check until a two-run burst in the bottom of the third.

The Eagles, who managed just three hits in all, will seek to keep their playoff hopes alive Monday at home against Myrtle Beach.

Midland Valley 5, Hilton Head Island 0: The Seahawks managed just three hits on the evening, with just one coming after a first-inning threat.

Singles by Miley Ray and Olivia Workman put a runner on third with one out in the first, but the Seahawks could not cash it in. Emily Workman had Hilton Head Island’s other hit.

The Seahawks will travel Monday to St. James for an elimination game.

BOYS’ GOLF

Bluffton 3rd at Southern Cross: Brandon McBride fired a 1-over-par 73 and Alec Weary added a 75 as the Bobcats positioned themselves nine shots behind leader Christ School after the first day at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken.

Drew Weary carded a 76 for Bluffton, as did Hilton Head Christian’s Matt Lehman. The Eagles, who won the team title last year, headed to the final round 15 shots off the pace.

HHCA’s Daniel Azallion and R.J. Bartolomucci posted opening 77s. So did Hilton Head Island’s Travis Mancill, invited as an individual.

BOYS’ SOCCER

John Paul II 5, Battery Creek 2: Elijah Moreno and Sebastian Laverde scored two goals apiece to lead the Golden Warriors.

Josue Hurtado tallied JP2’s other goal and assisted one another, while Karl Johnson added two assists. Goalkeeper Sam Villalobos also assisted on a first-half goal and came up with nine saves.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "High school sports, April 30: Prep’s Fox, Heyward’s Driscoll named region’s best."