Prep Talk

All-Region

Here is the 2007 All-Region VI-AAA girls tennis team:

Myrtle Beach: Jordan Lazarus, Sallie Funderburk, Christina Lazarus, Tolley Rice and Kara Bellamy

Socastee: Hannah Adler, Samantha Knopsnyder and Madison Parris

Georgetown: Caroline Stalvey, Carolyn Lazzari and Chelsie Miller

St. James: Hannah Nuckles, Janine Baalmann and Sam Gulledge

Carolina Forest: Molly Johnson and Abby Davis

North Myrtle Beach: Nikki Dunavant

Region Coach of the Year: Grace George of Georgetown

Champion: Myrtle Beach

Runner-up: Socastee

Football broadcast change

For the rest of the season, Socastee's football games will be broadcast on FM radio.

The Braves will air on WRNN-FM, 99.5 instead of WRNN-AM, 1400, which has served as the home of Socastee football during the regular season. The Braves host Wilson this Friday in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs.

Myrtle Beach's first-round playoff game against Lake City will be broadcast on WJXY-FM, 93.9. The game begins at 8 p.m. at Doug Shaw Stadium.

Like normal, North Myrtle Beach will be on WNMB-AM, 900 and Conway will be on WGTR-FM, 107.9.

MB No. 2 in SC in Power Ratings

In the most recent Massey high school football power ratings, Myrtle Beach is ranked the second best team in South Carolina behind Class AAAA power Byrnes.

The Seahawks (10-0) have the ninth-best offense and the second-best defense in the state, according to the ratings, which are based on strength of opponents, scores, venues of games and the date of the game. Thus, the Seahawks - who have the 55th-rated schedule in the state, according to the rankings - rate well because their offense scores points and their defense doesn't give up many points.

The only other non-Class AAAA school in the top-14 is Blythewood, which is No. 5. However, the Bengals, the reigning Class AAA state champions, are not eligible for the postseason after they held improper practices earlier this year.

The next area school in the rankings is Conway, which comes in at No. 21. Carvers Bay is 68th, Carolina Forest is 82nd, Socastee is 87th, North Myrtle Beach is 103rd, Waccamaw is 129th, Green Sea Floyds is 135th, Andrew is 142nd, St. James is 143rd, Georgetown is 153rd, Loris is 173rd and Aynor is 179th.

In North Carolina, South Columbus is 17th and West Brunswick is 326th.

The rankings also have predictions for this week's matchups. Here are the playoff predictions:

Myrtle Beach 31, Lake City 3
Marlboro County 29, NMB 8
Wilson 27, Socastee 17
Crestwood 35, Carolina Forest 21
Silver Bluff 27, Andrews 12
Central 28, Waccamaw 10
Carvers Bay 32, Green Sea Floyds 10

To see Kenneth Massey's ratings, which are one part of the Bowl Championship Series ratings in the major college football, click here.

You rank the top 10

Week No. 11 ... You rank 'em ...

Andrews
Aynor
Carolina Forest
Carvers Bay
Conway
Georgetown
Green Sea Floyds
Loris
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Socastee
South Columbus
St. James
Waccamaw
West Brunswick (N.C.)

Week No. 11 ... You rank 'em ...

Andrews
Aynor
Carolina Forest
Carvers Bay
Conway
Georgetown
Green Sea Floyds
Loris
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Socastee
South Columbus
St. James
Waccamaw
West Brunswick (N.C.)

6 area players named to North-South roster

The Grand Strand will have six participants in the 2007 North-South All-Star football game.

According to rosters obtained by The Sun News on Monday, Myrtle Beach's Evan Rose and Eddie Jones, North Myrtle Beach's Ryan Quigley and Chip Hester, Loris' Jonathan Willard and Conway's Travis Wells were picked for the game, which will be held Dec. 8 at Coastal Carolina's Brooks Stadium.

Jones has been the area's most versatile offensive force this season, rushing for 404 yards, catching 33 passes for 549 yards and passing for two touchdowns on two attempts. He isaveraging 142 all-purpose yards per game and has 18 touchdowns in eight games. Rose has 133 tackles this season, including 17 for loss this season.

Quigley has been the area's most consistent kicker, and Hester has provided game-changing plays on offense and defense this season.

Clemson-bound Willard is rated as one of the top-10 players in South Carolina, but was overlooked for the Shrine Bowl, likely because he missed the first four games of the season with a knee injury. Still, he returned to top form and was an offensive and defense force the the Lions.

Wells has a much-lower profile, but has ``been an excellent cover corner'' for Conway, coach Chuck Jordan said. Wells has 19 tackles, four interceptions and eight pass breakups this season.

One notable omission from the 44-man South roster was Conway QB Dakota Derrick.

North-South All-Star Rosters
COLUMBIA | The rosters, with names, positions and high schools, for the 2007 SCADA North-South All-Star game were released Monday. The game will be played Dec. 8 in Conway:
NORTH
Toquavius Gilchrist, rb, Abbeville; Michael Ruff, wr, Whitmire; Cedric Jeffcoat, wr, Columbia; Tyler Brennan, qb, T.L. Hanna; Seth Strickland, qb, Laurens; Terrell Springs, db, Chester; Chris Douglas, rb, Clover; Curtis Thompson, lb, James F. Byrnes; Johnny Woods, db, Gaffney; Jamarius Robinson, db, Lewisville; Terrence Wright, lb, McBee; Joshua Harris, rb, Batesburg-Leesville; Eric Davis, k-p, Newberry; Lewis Coleman, lb, Saluda; Maurice Brown, lb, Blacksburg; Montez Hatten, rb, Westside; David Dewberry, te, Gaffney; Jeremy Simpson, db, Great Falls; Marcus Lott, db, Union County; Joseph Wideman, lb, Belton-Honea Path; Patrious Leverett, db, Ware Shoals; Michael Coates, lb, Greenwood; Seth Addis, ol, T.L. Hanna; Allen Smith, lb, Keenan; Mark Smith, dl, Riverside; Darrell Zellars, dl,Westside; Chris Benson, ol, Blythewood; Waylon Cornelius, ol, North Central; Trey Turner, dl, Clover; Jeremy Smith, ol, Dorman. Jerious Cruell, dl, Wade Hampton; Neil Brown, ol, J.L. Mann; Drae Moore, ol, Mauldin; Erick Mobley, ol, Pelion; Ben Hyder, ol, Pickens; Donte Rumph, dl, Calhoun County; Arterio Arnold, dl, Greenville; Eugene McCaskill, wr, Chester; Randall Hawkins, wr, James F. Byrnes; Charles Wright, wr, Blythewood. Chris Wallace, wr, Greenville; J.T. Floyd, wr, J.L. Mann; Marcus Thurmond, wr, North Augusta; Marquis McGowan, db, Clinton.Head coach:on Blackmon, North Central. Assistants:tobbie Blanton, Blacksburg; Scott Parker, T.L. Hanna; Mickey Crocker, J.L. Mann; Bill Harvey, Newberry; Robert W. LeRoy Jr., Indian Land.

SOUTH
Aramis Hilary, qb, Strom Thurmond; Travis Wells, db, Conwaynf; bfEddie Jones, wr, Myrtle Beachnf;tfpagcom John Carnell, qb, Hanahan; Alan Neblett, db, Allendale-Fairfax; Braden Milhouse, db, Summerville; Tyler Boyd, db, Lamar; Asheton Jordan, rb, Stratford; Dwan Byas, wr, Dillon; Leonard Paulk, db, Richland Northeast. Tarik Hall, rb, Crestwood; Michael Smith, rb, St. John's; Kieron Paulin, rb, Timberland; tfpagbcnbfChip Hester, dl, North Myrtle Beachnf;tfpagcom Chaz Washington, dl, Richland Northeast; tfpagbcnbfRyan Quigley, k, North Myrtle Beachnf;tfpagcom Adrene Byas, rb, Beaufort; tfpagbcnbfJonathan Willard, lb, Lorisnf; bfEvan Rose, lb, Myrtle Beachnf;tfpagcom Darryl Jones, dl, Goose Creek; Sherman Missick, lb, Stratford; Taylor Wyndham, lb, Swansea; Keith Colclough, dl, Sumter; B.J. Sumter, ol, Dutch Fork; David Ross, ol, Woodland; Jordan Cooper, dl,Berkeley; Bud Verner, ol, Hemingway; Marcus Middleton, ol, Timberland; Byron Jerideau, dl, Colleton County; Bruce Bagley, dl, Ridgeview. Richard Spain, ol, Summerville; Jaquan Ridges, ol, Marlboro County; Chris Brown, ol, Blackville-Hilda; Kevin McManus, dl, Fort Dorchester; Kwamaine Latham, dl, Kingstree; Jordon Mosely, ol, Spring Valley; Michael Mitchell, wr, Wando; Jonathon Wright, wr, Dillon; Joseph Carter, te, Silver Bluff; Thomas Brittle, db, Berkeley. Chris Presley, wr, Bamberg-Ehrhardt; James Dugas, te, Crestwood; Ernesto Welch, wr, Goose Creek; Brent Davis, dl, Marlboro County.Head coach:Larry Sechrist, St. John's.Assistants:t eith Crolley, Crestwood; Art Craig, Timberland; Bob Hayes, Wando; tfpagbcnbfBob Vosbrinck, North Myrtle Beachnf;tfpagcom Al Berry, Dutch Fork.

See Tuesday's edition of The Sun News for more.

MB solidifies No. 1 in Class AAA

Myrtle Beach remained at No. 1 in this week's Class AAA McClatchy high school football poll after finishing the regular season 10-0. The Seahawks had a two-point advantage on second-place Blythewood last week but extended their lead to 11 votes in this week's poll.

Myrtle Beach opens the Class AAA playoffs at home against Lake City at 8 p.m. Friday.

Carvers Bay (8-2) is the only other area team in this week's rankings. The Bears, who open the postseason at home against Green Sea Floyds on Friday, are ranked sixth in Class A.

Conway fell out of the top ten after Friday's loss to Sumter but did get two votes in this week's Class AAAA poll. The Tigers finish their regular season at home against Dutch Fork on Friday.

The polls are voted on by prep writers around the state, including Steve Wiseman (The State in Columbia), Jeff Kidd (Hilton Head Island Packet), Barry Byers (Rock Hill Herald), Jason Gilmer (Spartanburg Herald-Journal), David Hale (Beaufort Gazette) and Josh Hoke (The Sun News).

Class AAA
1. Byrnes 60
2. Summerville 54
3t.  Greenwood 45
3t. Northwestern 45
5. Sumter 28
6. Gaffney 22
7. Clover 21
8. Irmo 19
9. Berkeley 14
10. Dorman 13
Also receiving votes: South Pointe 4, Beaufort 2, Conway 2, Westside 2.

Class AAA
1.Myrtle Beach 58
2. Blythewood 47
3. Daniel 45
4. Clinton 42
5. Timberland 37
6. Airport 27
7. Chester 26
8. Greenville 19
9. Marlboro County 16
10t.  Riverside 4
10t. Union County 4
Also receiving votes: Crestwood 3, Hilton Head 2.

Class AA
1. Abbeville 58
2. Columbia 55
3. Dillon 48
4. Manning 42
5. Cheraw 32
6. Chapman 26
7. Woodruff 22
8. Hanahan 16
9. Chesnee 13
10. Batesburg-Leesville 9
Also receiving votes: Central 4, Silver Bluff 3, Bishop England 1, Gilbert 1.

Class A
1. Bamberg-Erhardt 56
2. Allendale-Fairfax 49
3. Lake View 45
4. Lamar 33
5. Ware Shoals 28
6. Carvers Bay 27
7. Blackville-Hilda 26
8. Lewisville 15
9. Hemingway 12
10. Great Falls 10
Also receiving votes: Calhoun County 7, Whitmire 6, Scott's Branch 4, Chesterfield 1.

Football playoffs finalized

With the release of the Class A playoff brackets on Sunday, we now know that eight area teams will begin postseason play this Friday. Conway and South Columbus (N.C.) will also be playoff participants, but they each have one more week left in the regular season.

Below is the schedule for this Friday's games.

What are your thoughts on the pairings? Brackets?

Class A Lower State playoffs
Green Sea Floyds at Carvers Bay, 7:30

Class AA Lower State playoffs
Andrews at Silver Bluff, 7:30
Waccamaw at Pageland Central, 7:30

Class AAA Lower State playoffs
Lake City at Myrtle Beach, 8
Wilson at Socastee, 7:30
Carolina Forest at Crestwood, 7:30
North Myrtle Beach at Marlboro County, 7:30

Regular season
Dutch Fork at Conway, 7:30
South Columbus (N.C.) at Whiteville (N.C.), 7:30
North Brunswick (N.C.) at West Brunswick (N.C.), 7:30

2nd round tennis playoffs

Two area high school girls tennis teams begin their postseasons on Monday, and two more continue their marches to the state championships.

In Class AAA, No. 4 Myrtle Beach (15-1) travels to No. 1 Brookland-Cayce (19-0) for a 4:15 p.m. match in Columbia. The Seahawks are coming off a 6-0 win against Chapin in the first round.

In Class AA, Waccamaw begins its quest for a fourth straight state championship. After beginning the postseason with a bye, the Warriors host Manning at the Debordieu Tennis Club in a 4:30 p.m. match. Waccamaw battled Manning in last year's Lower State championship, emerging with a tough 4-2 win.

Aynor, a winner of Cheraw in the first round, travels to face Bishop England in a 4 p.m. match. The Blue Jackets will face a stiff challenge from one of Class AA's best programs.

In Class A, No. 1 Green Sea Floyds (10-2) will host No. 4
Williston-Elko in a 4 p.m. match. The Trojans had a bye in the first round of the playoffs and have home-court advantage through the Lower State championship match.

Tennis playoff schedule
Class AAA state playoffs, second round: Myrtle Beach vs. Brookland Cayce, 4:15

Class AA state playoffs, second round: Manning at Waccamaw at Debordieu Tennis Club, 4:30; Aynor at Bishop England, 4

Class A state playoffs, second round: Williston-Elko at Green Sea Floyds, 4.

Class A brackets released

The brackets were finalized Sunday for South Carolina's Class A, and the area's two playoff-bound schools have an interesting matchup - each other.

Green Sea Floyds and Carvers Bay will both compete in Class A - Division I, the bigger classification and they will play each other on Friday at 7:30.

The Trojans are seeded seventh in the Lower State and will travel to the No. 2 Bears.

Green Sea Floyds (7-3) has a tough test. The Trojans were beaten 48-0 by the Bears (8-2) in the first week of October. The Bears (8-2) are defending state champions.

Look at the Class A - Division I brackets by clicking here.

Look at the Class A - Division II brackets by clicking here.

The rest of the brackets are available by clicking here.

Random thoughts from Friday's action

Tim Renfrow has done a great job getting Socastee to 7-3. The Braves aren't as talented as some of the area's teams, but they get every ounce out of the talent they have. I think that's extremely admirable. The Braves face a tough test in Wilson - a 2006 Lower State finalist and the third-place team in loaded Region V-AAA - next week, but the thing they have going for them is that they won't be themselves. They'll force Wilson to beat them.

Myrtle Beach is ... simply put, dominant. But as good as the season has been so far, the Seahawks won't be happy if they don't get to Columbia. The Seahawks showed Friday night they can also play power football and move the ball via run.

How about Carolina Forest? The Panthers have played really well the last few weeks. They are another overachieving team that has bought into the team-first mantra of coach Drew Hummel and it's paid off. They face a really stiff challenge in Crestwood, however.

North Myrtle Beach. I think people expected a lot more from the Chiefs after their success in 2006, but for whatever reason it never materialized. The good news is that they were in their game at Marlboro County - their first-round opponent - earlier this season and could have won had they made a few plays at the end.

You have to feel good for Georgetown, which got its first win the season finale. Now if West Brunswick could only get off the snide.

I'm not sure Conway's loss to Sumter means the Tigers aren't as good as the top powers in Class AAAA. Sumter was really made after last week's blowout loss to Richland Northeast and tonight's effort showed it.

Waccamaw is in the playoffs. That's great for a school that is used to only making playoff berths in sports like golf and tennis. Burney Bourne has done a great coaching job with those kids.

Andrews, Carvers Bay and probably Green Sea Floyds are also in the playoffs. Andrews will go to Silver  Bluff and we'll find out the Class A seedings later this weekend.