Plumbers in Wando, SC

MOUNT PLEASANT — Mikey Rosa literally grew up around The Citadel’s football program.

His grandfather, retired Citadel president Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, remembers the Wando High School linebacker running around Johnson Hagood Stadium as a child.

When Mikey Rosa put pen to paper and signed an athletic football scholarship to attend the military school on Dec. 21, John Rosa looked on with a sense of pride that only a grandfather can feel.

“Citadel football has been a big part of Mikey’s life,” said John Rosa, who was The Citadel’s president from 2006-18. “This is an exciting day for Mikey and our family. The next four years are going to be special for all of us.”

Maurice Drayton was named The Citadel’s new coach less than a week ago, so the Bulldogs were expected to announce just the signing of Mikey Rosa during the early signing period.

Drayton, who is an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Raiders, will hit the recruiting trail when the NFL regular season is over on Jan. 8.

The Bulldogs are expected to add more players during the traditional football signing period, which begins on Feb. 1.

“Maurice is going to put together a wonderful program and I’m excited that Mikey will be able to be a part of that,” said John Rosa, who played quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1970-72. “Mikey is a lot better player than I ever was.”

It hasn’t been an easy fall for Mikey Rosa, who lost his father, Jonathan, in an automobile accident in September. Mikey wore a Citadel shirt at the signing ceremony that his father had given him.

“I know he’d be beaming today and telling everyone about it,” Mikey Rosa said. “I was raised to overcome adversity by my dad, and I’ve been kind of powering through it with the rest of my family. It’s not easy sometimes, but my faith keeps me going.”

Rosa recorded 213 tackles during his career with Wando. He had 29 tackles for loss, 9½ sacks, 18 quarterback hurries forced six fumbles and had an interception from his linebacker position with the Warriors.

Rosa, who had seven tackles, including three for loss, was named the South Carolina defensive MVP at the recent Shrine Bowl.

“He checks all the boxes,” said Wando football coach Rocco Adrian. “Mikey is dedicated to his craft and is a real student of the game. His work ethic during practices, in the weight room and film study make him a role model for all of his teammates. The Citadel is getting a special player.”

Despite the coaching change, Mikey Rosa said his commitment to The Citadel never wavered.

“It’s where I’m meant to be,” Mikey Rosa said. “I have not talked with Coach Drayton yet, but I’m looking forward to meeting him and start to help him recruit players and put together a class that can win a Southern Conference championship.”

Having his last name around The Citadel might be a burden for some, but it’s a challenge that Mikey said he is going to embrace.

“My last name means a lot at The Citadel,” Mikey said. “I know I’m carrying on a legacy. I want to keep the legacy going and to be great on the football field and start my own chapter.”

Charleston Southern signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown /High School

Gregory Bryant II ATH 6-1 175 Johnston/Strom Thurmond

Darriel Cannon DB 5-9 165 Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep

Uriah Howard DL 6-1 265 Bogart, Ga./Prince Ave. Christian

Kendarious Kinard OL 6-3 300 Columbia/AC Flora

Isaiah Mobley WR 6-1 185 Monroe, N.C./Parkwood

Chandler Perry LB 5-9 200 Irmo/Dutch Fork

Andrew Threatt OL 6-3 310 Chesterfield/Chesterfield HS

Steven Zayachkowsky LB 5-10 200 Indian Trial, N.C./Porter Ridge

Wofford signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown /High School

Tyler Boyce DL 6-0 260 Shelby, N.C. / Shelby

Adonis Garcia DB 6-2 183 Woodstock, Ga. / Woodstock

Jacobi Hatter DB 5-10 180 Columbus, Ga. / Carver

Santana Haynes-Goodman OL 6-5 275 Durham, N.C. / Hillside

Ben Holmes OL 6-1 285 Columbia, S.C. / A.C. Flora

J’Vion “Skoot” Luster DB 5-10 170 Columbus, Ga. / Carver

Pauly Seeley QB 6-0 185 Alma, Mich. / New Hampstead (Ga.)

Will White DB 6-1 183 Pauline, S.C. / Dorman

Coastal Carolina signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown /High School

Dario Melendez Jr DL 6-0 280 Miami/Immaculta-LaSalle

Matt Scicchitano DL 6-4 280 Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel

Derrick Maxey III DB 5-11 180 Atlanta/Hapeville Charter

Laurence Sullivan Jr. DB 5-10 185 Vicksburg, Miss./Vicksburg HS

Spencer Kishbaugh LB 6-3 210 Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area HS

Wyatt Gedeon LB 6-1 235 Avon Lake, Ohio/St. Edward

Furman signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown /High School

David Alabi BAN 6-2 240, Pickerington, Ohio,/ Pickerington

Brody Balliew OL 6-5 265 Calhoun, Ga./Calhoun

AK Burrell DB 6-0 190 Baton Rouge, La./Dutchtown

Caldwell Bussey DE 6-3 252 Hoover, Ala./ Spain Park High School

Brock Chappell TE 6-5 250 Holly Springs, N.C./ Cardinal Gibbons

Ryan Earl LB 6-2 225 Peachtree City, Ga./Trinity Christian

Nehuel Garcia QB 6-3 190 La Mirada, Calif./ La Mirada

Hayden Garner OL 6-5 280 Roanoke Rapids, N.C./ Roanoke Rapids

Raleigh Herbert LB 6-2 215 Cumming, Ga./ West Forsyth

Colton Hinton WR 5-11 175 Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge

John Holbrook WR 6-4 195 Bradenton, Fla., IMG Academy

Brayden Holmes DB 6-1 170 Alpharetta, Ga., Milton

Chris Luna OL 6-3 275 Wesley Chapel, Fla./Tampa Catholic

Brennan Tormey TE 6-7 221 Montgomery, Ala./Pike Road

Marquis Vincent DL 6-1 260 Richmond, Va./Varina High School

Just when The Citadel appeared to be playing its best basketball of the season, injuries began to take their toll on the Bulldogs’ lineup.

An upset win over Furman and a close loss to Wofford in mid-February had Citadel coach Ed Conroy thinking the Bulldogs had turned the corner heading toward March’s Southern Conference basketball tournament.

But injuries to Jackson Price, Brady Spence and Austin Ash have derailed any momentum The Citadel had generated heading into this weekend’s tournament.

The No. 9-seeded Bulldogs will take on No. 8 Mercer in the opening round of the SoCon Tournament on March 3 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. The game, which will be streamed live on ESPN+, is set to start at 5 p.m.

Conroy is not optimistic that Price, Spence or Ash will be available for the tournament.

“It’s doubtful that we’re going to have those guys back,” Conroy said. “There’s a little bit of an outside chance, but it’s very doubtful. We’re planning on going with the lineup we had last week against Mercer. I told the guys we can’t worry about who we don’t’ have. I like the way we’re playing and we’ve got enough to get the job done.

“Hopefully, that’s the way we approach it and we are able to create a little bit of March Madness this weekend.”

The 6-8 Price has been out since the VMI game on Feb. 2, while Spence, a 6-9 senior, went down with a hand injury against Wofford on Feb. 18. Ash, the SoCon’s leading 3-point shooter, was injured during the second half of the game against ETSU on Feb. 22.

“Jackson probably has the best chance of playing, but it’s not a great chance,” Conroy said.

Ash, the Iowa grad transfer, will be missed the most. His 102 treys lead the SoCon. Ash is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points and 4.6 rebounds a game.

“Austin really opens up the floor for everyone else,” Conroy said. “People have to respect his shooting and that gives other guys more room to operate.”

Mercer swept the season series with the Bulldogs with their physical play in the paint. The Bears outrebounded the Bulldogs, 82-53, in two double-digit losses.

“I think Mercer has been the most consistently physical team we played against this season,” Conroy said. “They like to impose their will on their opponents. We’ve got to do a better fighting through their physicality and protecting the paint, especially on the defensive end.”

Freshman Tony Carpio, who is coming off his best game as a Bulldog, will have to play more minutes against the Bears. The 6-8 Carpio had nine points and six rebounds against the Bears on Feb . 25.

“We’re going to need Tony to step up,” Conroy said.

Another thing the Bulldogs can’t afford to do is go 1 of 15 from 3-point range like they did in their 22-point loss to Mercer this past Saturday.

“We had some good looks, but we need to move the ball better,” Conroy said. “We’ve had a little bit longer to prepare for this game and we’ve tweaked some things that will play to the strengths of the guys we do have in the lineup.”

Clark, Durr named to All-SoCon teams

Senior Stephen Clark was named second-team all-SoCon by the league coaches.

Clark led the Bulldogs in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), assists (88) and blocked shots (56).

Madison Durr was selected to the all-freshman team. Durr averaged 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds a game.

Former South Carolina football player DeVonte Holloman has been named the new head football coach at Pinewood Prep.

Holloman replaces J.W. Myers, who was the head coach for three seasons. Myers will remain the school’s athletic director.

Holloman spent last season as an off-the-field assistant for Shane Beamer at USC. Prior to that, Holloman was the head coach at his alma mater, South Pointe High in Rock Hill, for three seasons. He led South Pointe to the Class AAAA state title in 2021.

Holloman spent four seasons at Beaufort High, three as defensive coordinator. He was the head coach at Beaufort for one year before moving to South Pointe. Holloman has a 35-11 record in his four seasons as a head coach.

“I’m excited to join the Pinewood Panthers’ family, and I look forward to continuing to build on the football program’s foundation and growth while adding championship pedigree and aspirations. We have all the tools, support and talented players. Now it’s time to put the work in,” Holloman said in a release from the school.

Denson leaves Northwood for NFL

Former Charleston Southern head football coach Autry Denson spent less than two months as the athletic director at Northwood Academy. Denson will be leaving his post to accept a job as running backs coach with the Arizona Cardinals.

Denson spent four seasons at Charleston Southern before he was not retained after the 2022 season. He took over as athletic director at Northwood Academy in January.

“God has blessed me and my family with an unbelievable opportunity,” Denson said. “With the way this came about, it can only be God. I am so appreciative and grateful for the time I had at Northwood. They are family and this is home. We look forward to what God has in store for us.”

Denson will be attending the NFL combine this weekend and will be at work next week in Arizona.

With the departure of Denson, head football coach Armando Allen will step down and assume duties as athletic director. Replacing Allen as the football coach will be former First Baptist head coach Johnny Waters.

Waters resigned down at First Baptist after the 2022 season. While at First Baptist, Waters guided the Hurricanes to a pair of state championships in 2017 and 2018.

Wrestlers earn state titles

It was a banner weekend for area high school wrestlers as nine Charleston-area grapplers captured state individual championships at the S.C. High School League state wrestling tournament, held in Anderson on Feb. 24-25.

In addition to the nine state championships, 11 other wrestlers finished as state runner-up in their respective divisions. All total, 34 athletes finished among the top four, including 16 wrestlers in Class AAAAA.

In AAAAA, state champions included Richard Springs of Fort Dorchester (106), JJ Peace of Cane Bay (120), Ben Guilliam of Summerville (138), Keith Grace of Ashley Ridge (152), Noah Nichols of Stratford (160), Mason Ayers of Summerville (182), and Pierce Carpenter-Kydd of Wando (170).

State runner-up placements in AAAAA included Caleb Herring of Summerville (126), Christian Garland of Ashley Ridge (220) and Landon Stradcutter of Stratford (285).

Earning silver medals in the Class AAAA state tournament were Gianni Bottone of Lucy Beckham (120), Thomas Johnson of James Island (132) and Pedro Lacerda of James Island (145).

Austin Guerrero of Hanahan finished second in the Class AAA 182-pound weight class.

In the Class AA/A tournament, state champions included Alex Rush of Timberland (113), Sam Cherichello of Bishop England (132), and Amonte McCray of Cross (285).

Heicol Jiminez of Military Magnet was state runner-up at 132. Timberland’s Ethan Dawson was second in the 138-pound division, while Santory Jones of Cross was second at 170 pounds. Bishop England’s Cole Preiditsch finished second at 220.

FLORENCE — Conway boys basketball’s calling card has been its defense all season, but unfortunately for the Tigers, Goose Creek’s was better.

Conway fell to Goose Creek, 43-23, in the AAAAA Boys Basketball Lower State Championship at the Florence Center on Feb. 27.

“It really hurts because we had the city behind us,” Conway senior guard/forward Cameron Alston said. “… We can’t point fingers at ourselves. Goose Creek played a good game. We didn’t come out prepared. We could’ve played way better, so it was just one of those days.”

Conway’s 23 points was by far the fewest it scored all season, with its previous low coming against Carolina Forest on Jan. 27.

The combination of the Gators’ smothering defense and the Tigers’ poor shooting night was lethal.

“On a night when you’re not making one, your defense has got to be extra, extra tight, and that’s something we’ve been able to do all year (before tonight),” Conway head coach Michael Hopkins said. “Going into this game … I thought we were similar trying to create some stuff with the defense. They made it tough for us to score. We had the easy ones (and) we didn’t make them, and then free throws, we hurt ourselves at the line. So when you’re doing that, you’re not helping yourself.”

Alston and senior forward Aiden Brantley led the way for the Tigers with six points apiece, while Elijah Dates was the high man for the Gators with 18 points.

The only scoring in the first quarter consisted of a layup from Brantley and two 3-pointers from Dates, giving Goose Creek a 6-2 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

The Gators began to pull away a little bit in the second quarter, outscoring the Tigers 11-6 with four different Goose Creek players scoring to give the Gators a 17-8 lead going into halftime. Alston scored four of Conway’s six points in the quarter.

The Gators then outscored the Tigers, 14-6, in the third quarter with Jaquell Brown leading the way with five points in the period to take a 31-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Brantley lead the Tigers in scoring in the quarter with two free throws and a layup.

The Gators closed out the game in the fourth quarter by hitting 12 free throws to come away with a 43-23 victory and move on to play Dorman in the SCHSL AAAAA title game on March 4 in Aiken.

Conway finished the season with a 27-2 record, one of the best it has ever had.

“I told them they’re part of history. That can’t be erased,” Hopkins said. “But everybody wants to win their last game, and that didn’t happen for us and I hate it for them. But it’s the nature of it. If you give it all you had, that’s all I can ask of them.”

If the Tigers want to accomplish what they did this season next year, they’ll have to do so without six of its seniors from the 2022-23 team – Brantley, Alston, guard/forward Jamarious Woodbury, forward/center Khalil Campbell, guard Amarian Charles and guard Joshua Vaught.

“All the seniors have been together since fifth grade, so they’re really my day one (guys),” Alston said. “… Best friends for life.”

Wando High School’s yearbook, Legend, lived up to its name with the recognition of Best Yearbook in South Carolina by the SC Scholastic Press Association. This marks the second year in a row Wando has claimed this title and the third time overall in the school’s history.

This year’s volume was themed “Something Within Us,” inspired by the trials and challenges Wando students faced being in school throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Co-editor for the 2022 yearbook, Lily Higgins, said she and her co-editors wanted to produce a yearbook that spotlighted the perseverance of Wando students.

“It’s something within us that took us apart and made us go through all these tribulations and come out better,” Higgins said. “What we have inside is what really strengthens us and brings us through tough times. It’s so much more than what is seen on the surface.”

Millie Rice, another co-editor of the 2022 volume, said last year’s staff was dedicated to making a memorable yearbook for Wando students to enjoy after enduring high school amid a public health crisis.

“A lot of the people had that mindset of if they were able to produce such an amazing thing during [the pandemic] then…we can produce something better because things are normal again,” Rice said. “Each person on staff wanted to make the best book.”

The Legend staff took home 12 individual awards. Wando earned more awards than any other competing yearbook in 2022 and won more first-place awards than any other yearbook in the state won total awards.

Clara Barresi, another co-editor for the award-winning yearbook, was also named a top-10 finalist for Designer of the Year by the National Scholastic Press Association. She is the 10th NSPA individual awards finalist in Legend history, and she has won more design awards than any past yearbook student.

Barresi was a designer on the yearbook staff for two years, and as one of three co-editors, she was heavily involved in the design and look of the yearbook.

“It was a way to have an outlet for my creativity throughout the school day,” Barresi said. “It taught me so much about graphic design and I just loved getting there, taking the theme and putting it into a digital asset and using all the different covers and templates.”

“The hard work of these young men and women continues to make me proud, and they continue to amaze me with their talent,” said Wando English teacher Phillip Caston who serves as the school’s yearbook adviser. “Each year, they strive to be even better than the year before, and being the absolute best in the business is their goal with all they do in producing this yearbook. They don’t just want to record Wando’s history; they want to do it with the finest quality of work.”

The following Legend staff members received SCSPA individual awards:

Members of the Wando Marching Band once again raised the bar by delivering an award-winning performance at the 2022 Bands of America Regional Championships at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 22.

The Warriors earned second place overall and won the Class AAAA award for Outstanding Visual Effect during the day-long event with their show “Ascension.” The show represents all the challenges the band overcame since the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown.

“I am beyond proud of how we performed as a band,” said Brendan Breen, Wando High School’s senior drum major. “Our band showed up ready to prove that obstacles from our previous years would not defeat us. The countless hours of rehearsal paid off, and we returned a stronger and more united Wando.”

Earlier in the day, Wando competed in the preliminaries with 28 other bands from as far away as Texas and Mississippi. The Wando Marching Band advanced to finals where, in front of a primetime audience with thousands of spectators in person and online, they delivered a stellar performance with a score of 87.525. This was Wando’s second appearance at Bands of America Orlando.

Kim Wilson, Wando’s interim principal, attended the competition. He was extremely proud of their performance.

“The members of our Wando Band and Color Guard are to be commended for their performance at the Bands of America Competition,” said Wilson. “Hard work, long hours on the practice field, determination, and perseverance was the key to their success. Our band directors and staff made sure that our students were well prepared for the challenges of such a grueling competition. I want to personally thank our parent volunteers for the many hours they devoted to ensure that our performance went off without a hitch. Also, I appreciate the hundreds of band parents who made the trip to Orlando to cheer on their children. You truly made a difference. I was honored and proud to be the principal of one of the best bands in America.”

The Warriors will now march their way to the South Carolina State Championships on Nov. 5 in Irmo. They are working towards breaking their own state record of 13 state championship titles by winning number 14.

The Bands of Wando are under the direction of Bobby Lambert, Lanie Radecke, and Jeff Handel; Michael Gray is the program coordinator for the Wando Marching Band; and Brian Winn is the director of Color Guard. The Bands of Wando thank the community, Charleston County School District, Town of Mount Pleasant, its Harmony Sponsors, the Bands of Wando Foundation, parents and alumni for their continued support. For more information visit WandoBands.org.

For some alumni, high school feels like a lifetime ago, while for others the memories are more recent. Wando High School is bringing alumni together old and young from 50 years of the school’s history for a family-friendly festival and home football game on Oct. 28.

During the evening of reconnecting and reminiscing, alumni and families can enjoy food trucks and activities, including face painting and jump castles. There will be alumni t-shirts and giveaways. Plus, appearances from JROTC, band, dance team and cheerleaders will bring back memories for those who participated during their time in high school. The event starts at 5 p.m. and alumni are invited to the football game for a recognition on the field.

“We want everybody to come back,” said Kim Wilson, the interim principal at Wando. “There are so many graduates who still live in this area. It’s amazing — I go into neighborhoods and it’s like taking roll from when I was here.”

While Wilson is serving his first year as interim principal, he is not new to the Wando community. In 1985, Wilson joined the Wando faculty as the director of guidance. He worked at the school for 25 years before becoming principal at R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston. He later served as district’s Executive Director of Secondary Learning.

However, Wando was home for his family. His wife was a teacher and cheerleading coach at the school and both of their daughters graduated from Wando.

This year has been a reunion of sorts for Wilson as he’s recognized former students who are now parents of current students. Recently, a student told Wilson that his mom was a student when Wilson worked at the school. Wilson pulled out a yearbook and the student sent photos to his mom from when she was his age.

“Every time I see a former student, I think, ‘Man they did so well,’” said Wilson. “I’m so proud of what they’ve become and so many of them have gone on to do great things in the community and outside the community.”

Wendy Nilsen Pollitzer, who graduated in 1993, plans to attend the alumni celebration and reminisce with the good friends she’s kept in touch with over the years. Facebook has allowed her to connect with several hundred people from high school. Several of her family members attended the school, including her brother and three cousins, plus her aunt who was in the first graduating class.

When thinking about Wando, the word that came to mind was family.

“It was a large family of teachers and their kids and my fellow classmates and their siblings. It goes on for years, if not decades of people that we know from Wando,” Nilsen Pollitzer said.

When recalling high school memories, both lighthearted and more serious stories came to mind. She remembers a student hotwiring a school bus as a prank and parking it in the courtyard where everyone ate lunch. When Hurricane Hugo hit her freshman year of high school, she remembers the community coming together to clean up and support those who were displaced, including students at Lincoln High School who had to share Wando’s building for the remainder of the school year.

Wilson hopes that alumni take this celebration as an opportunity to come back to Wando and experience some of the traditions that make the school what it is.

“Wando gave so much to our family and to be able to give back to the community in such a great way. It’s just exciting for me to see all that,” said Wilson

Wando is looking for representatives from each graduating class to get the word out about the 50th anniversary celebration. This fall festival and football event is the kickoff for other anniversary events planned throughout the school year. For more information and to stay up to date, visit http://bit.ly/wando50 or Wando High School 50th Anniversary on Facebook.