PREP NOTEBOOK: Mullins, Wilson look to bounce back after losses

Mullins coach Mark Gerald has been down this road before.

Two years ago, the Auctioneers dropped their first region matchup against Marion. The Auctioneers defeated the Swamp Foxes the second time around and in a one-game playoff to win the Region 8-2A title.

Mullins will likely have to do the same if it wants to win another region title.

Marion gave the Auctioneers their first loss of the season, 50-45, on Tuesday and lead the region standings by a game going into today’s games. Mullins hosts Waccamaw and Marion is at Loris.

“My guys were disappointed and hurt and felt like they let a lot of people down and themselves down. There was a lot of emotion and buildup going into that game,” Gerald said Thursday. “After you run a long winning streak, it is always kind of tough getting them on the same page.

“But we are a deep team and I think we will bounce back.”

Mullins and Marion will meet in the final game of the regular season Feb. 8 in Mullins.

Gerald said he might be without Alex Brown for tonight’s game. Brown suffered an eye injury during the loss against Marion.

The Auctioneers weren’t the only team to lose its grip on first place in a region on Tuesday.

Wilson lost 47-43 at St. James and is tied at 4-1 with the Sharks in the Region 8-3A race.

Against St. James, Wilson shot just 33 percent from the field and was 2-of-7 from the free-throw line. Wilson’s top two scorers, Brandon Jones and Alandre Davis, were held to a combined 12 points.

“We got no time to worry or be upset because you have to win the next game,” said Wilson coach DeAndre Scott, whose squad is at Myrtle Beach today. “We just got to keep winning until the next time we get to face St. James.”

Wilson will get another crack at St. James on Feb. 7 in Florence.

Scott going into Darlington Hall of Fame

Former Darlington standout Brian Scott will be inducted into the school’s hall of fame Feb. 4 during halftime of the Falcons’ game against Hartsville.

Scott played football, basketball and baseball at St. John’s and later Darlington when the schools consolidated.

“It means a lot. Anytime you get elected to anything with Hall of Fame to it, that means you’ve done something good,” Scott said. “My high school career was a great one. We were able to compete for state championships, win conference and tournament titles, go to playoffs and compete with the top players and teams in the state.

“As a kid, that’s what you want to achieve as a student-athlete in high school. There are a lot of memories that I have and will be able to share with my kids from my playing days at St. Johns and Darlington High.”

Scott excelled in all three sports in high school.

In baseball, he finished with a career .386 average, 55 RBI and was a member of the 1995 St. John’s state championship team.

In basketball, Scott averaged 22.3 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and 3.5 steals over his final two seasons. His best game came against Berkeley during his senior season when he scored 44 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and had 11 assists.

Scott was selected to play in the North-South all-star basketball game and earned MVP honors.

Scott is best known for being a receiver in football. He caught 226 passes for 3,074 yards and 35 touchdowns during his career at Darlington. He was USA Today's Player of the Year in South Carolina and honorable mention All-American during his senior season in 1996.

Scott also played in the Shrine Bowl.

Scott went on to a successful college career at South Carolina and led the Gamecocks with 40 receptions for 647 yards his senior year. He signed a free agent deal with Jets before being released.

Scott teaches and coaches football and basketball at Robert E. Lee. 

Wild race shaping up in Region 8-A

For the second straight year, the Region 8-A boys championship might come down to the last week of the season.

Johnsonville (6-2) leads the region by a half game over Carvers Bay (5-2) but five teams are within three games of the region lead — Hemingway (5-3), Latta (4-4) and Creek Bridge (3-5).

“Going into the last week of the season last year, anyone of four teams could have won the region championship,” Johnsonville coach Harris Avant said. “This region is very tough from top to bottom and you must be ready to play each night.” 

Smith tries hand at hoops

Kwinton Smith is giving basketball a try for the first time in his high school career.

Smith, who is verbally committed to South Carolina for football, joined the Dillon basketball squad two weeks ago and has played pretty well so far. The 6-foot-4 senior is averaging 11.3 points in three games for the Wildcats.

“He is a good athlete and has helped fill a need for us up front,” Dillon coach Harold Wilson said. 

Creek Bridge football coaching search

Applications are still being taken for the football coach opening at Creek Bridge High School, according to acting athletic director Paul Hudacko.

Hudacko said applications will be taken until the end of January and interviews will begin in February. He said the school hopes to have a coach named by the end of February.

The job came open in November when Al Calcutt stepped down after eight seasons.

Creek Bridge is one of two openings in the Pee Dee. Mullins also is looking for a coach after Brian Hennecy’s contract wasn’t renewed this week. 

Williams nearing 1,500-point plateau

Creek Bridge senior Vic Williams is closing in on a scoring milestone.

Williams is just 24 points shy of going over the 1,500 mark in his career. The point guard is averaging 24.3 points a game going into Creek Bridge’s game at Hemingway today.