COLUMBIA — Standing outside at Wednesday’s basketball state championships press conference, the sunlight reflected off Mullins boys coach Mark Gerald’s 1997 state title ring.
On Saturday, Gerald has an opportunity to give that one some company.
The Auctioneers are vying for their second title under Gerald while the Darlington and Marion girls are each looking for their firsts.
“It’s amazing to be back more than a decade later,” Gerald said. “I know after the last one, a lot of the players and fans expected us to keep coming back. But it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication just to get this point.
“I think the kids really understood that after last year.”
An undefeated 2007 campaign ended with a two-point loss to Burke in last year’s lower state final. The feelings after that loss were always in the back of their minds, Gerald said.
“We never talked about it until just before the lower state championship,” he said. “I think once they did win it and made it here, it was like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.”
Mullins will face Southside, the defending state champs and three-time defending upper state champs, at 5 p.m. for the Class 2A title.
Darlington is another team that began the season with high expectations. The Falcons cruised to a 21-2 regular season record and then capped the playoffs with wins over defending state champs Myrtle Beach and their third win over Wilson.
“It’s a great accomplishment for this team and for this program,” Darlington coach Brian Rozzelle said. “I could see what we had the first day of camp. Everything we’ve done since then has been in preparation for this opportunity.
“I have great kids. I’d like to thank them and their parents for allowing me the opportunity to coach them every day.”
The Falcons, making their first title game appearance, will face Lower Richland at 6:30 p.m. for the girls Class 3A championship.
Marion coach Leon Sturkey and his Swamp Foxes are also new to the championship game experience.
Marion will face Pendleton at 3 p.m. for the Class 2A girls state championship.
“This is the first title game this team has been a part of as far as we can trace,” Sturkey said. “First time since the late ’50s, early ’60s
at least.”
The Swamp Foxes have been perennial playoff participants under Sturkey, but never made it past the third round until this year.
“We set our goals at the beginning of each year, and this was one of them,” Sturkey said. “We had a good start to the season and things have just kind of gone on from there. We’ve had a lot of different kids step up and fill roles and work really hard to get us to this point.”
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