And just like that, the season ends
It’s at time like these that we must lean on the wisdom of the great Dr. Seuss, who once said, “I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I Am.”
Wait, not that one. I was thinking of, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Basketball season ended early in the Lowcountry this winter — or at least earlier than we would have liked — and it came and went without a single team from the area hoisting a state championship trophy for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
One by one, our top contenders were bounced from their playoff brackets until only two remained. Cross Schools saw its streak of state titles snapped at two with a loss to Dorchester Academy in the SCISA 2A championship game, and Bluffton’s boys ran out of gas in Florence after fighting to keep pace with a quality North Augusta squad in the SCHSL 4A Lower State final. High school basketball season came to a crashing halt.
Then, we lost our safety net.
Both the USCB men and women were on the bubble for the NCAA Division II National Championships — the second-tier of March Madness — and had home games lined up in The Cove to open what we assumed would be long postseason runs.
We weren’t done cheering on the group of seniors who turned Cross Schools from an afterthought to a perennial power during their career, nor had we seen enough of the inimitable Harry Skinner, whose heroics and leadership carried the Bluffton Bobcats farther into the playoffs than they’ve ever gone.
And we surely weren’t ready to close down The Cove for the offseason after dreaming of one or both teams making their NCAA Tournament debuts in their first year of eligibility. But that’s part of the charm of competitive sports. If more than one team got to lift the trophy at the end, it wouldn’t be nearly as meaningful to those who climb to the mountaintop. The beauty is in the journey, much more than the end result.
The Stingrays’ loss in the title game wouldn’t have stung so badly if they hadn’t won back-to-back titles, first in a dominant romp through the 2023-24 campaign, then with a little more resistance — and a dose of adversity — ran it back a year ago. The fact that Cross clobbered Dorchester Academy by 16 at the end of January did not help to salve the sting, but the loss doesn’t diminish what that group of seniors did to put the program on the map.
Skinner is a generational figure who combined spectacular talent honed through a furious work ethic, as well as the magical quality of “it” that coaches and analysts often speak about. Harry has it, whatever it is. A true showman, he entertained crowds at Hilton Head Christian Academy before his second act with the Bobcats, including a history-making run to Florence that hinged on a vengeful win over powerhouse Wilson.
And the Sand Sharks? Well, they’re still just getting started. Each roster sheds only one senior, though others are certain to try out the transfer portal, and Ron Fudala and Sharon Versyp have quickly built the kind of programs that top recruits seek out.
Yeah, it always hurts when it ends. But what a ride it was.
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and is the founder of Lowco Sports. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
