Thomas Heyward boys basketball coach Philip Rhodes still lies awake at night thinking about ways he can help his team score.
"You go home and re-think, ‘What can we do, what can we do?' " Rhodes said.
But neither Rhodes nor the team has lost hope in qualifying for a SCISA Class AA playoff spot because the Rebels' defense has been strong.

Thomas Heyward's season has sometimes been too easy, admits junior Jamie Malphrus. The girls basketball team began the week 17-0 (6-0 Region 1-AA), including lopsided wins last week against region opponents Cathedral Academy (65-11) and Beaufort Academy (65-20).
"You just want to joke around," Malphrus said.
But Malphrus is serious about Thomas Heyward returning to the state Class AA final. Malphrus said she's "always ready" for the playoffs, which begin Feb. 17, and expects the competition to improve and to be challenging.

Eight Jasper County public school football players are expected to sign National Letters of Intent Wednesday (Feb. 1) on national signing day.

Torray Amlett scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday night to lead the visiting Ridgeland's boys past their archrival Hardeeville in a wild 80-67 shootout.
Ridgeland's Jeremiah Nelson finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists and Terrance Frazier added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
By winning their fourth straight game the Jaguars improved to 8-8 overall and 5-2 in Region 5-A. The win was Ridgeland's seventh consecutive against Hardeeville.

She's the team's rookie, the little sister, but recently Ridgeland eighth-grader NyJae Boozer has shown she belongs.
The 5-foot-8 Boozer began the season expecting to eventually be an important part of the Jaguars' girls basketball team's inside game, but since the season opener Boozer's said she's been comfortable making the jump from junior varsity to varsity.
Last week Boozer proved it.
In a 37-27 victory over Region 5-A foe Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Boozer started and scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Not even a hot start by its rival Saturday night could prevent Ridgeland's girls basketball team from remaining unbeaten in Region 5-A.
The Jaguars rallied to beat the host Hurricanes 52-38 after Hardeeville scored the first 12 points.
Once usual starters April Jenkins and Teleatha Dopson entered the game, the Jaguars (12-4, 7-0) finished the first quarter strong and trailed 13-11. They led 23-22 at halftime and outscored Hardeeville 14-4 in the third quarter.
"Just taking care of business," Ridgeland coach Frederick Toomer said. "Business as usual."

In Thomas Heyward's 83-20 home win last Friday night against Cathedral Academy the Rebels made 39 field goals, had six double-digit scorers, did not allow a point until they held a 28-point lead and had one player score her first varsity points.
The rout was expected, but coach Gary Mazzanna is concerned about the team's recent lopsided victories. Thomas Heyward (12-0, 2-0 SCISA Region 1-AA as of Monday) has won by an average of 30 points per game in its last six games and Mazzanna is "very worried" about the lack of competition.

Hardeeville coach Kevin Wilson is not worried about his boys basketball team being intimidated when it hosts Ridgeland Saturday night
The Hurricanes are undersized, but Wilson's 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-5 guards have been aggressive all season.
"The little guys don't shy away," he said.
Saturday renews the boys and girls rivalries. Hardeeville's boys have lost six consecutive games to Ridgeland and the Hurricanes' girls have lost three straight to the Jaguars.

A majority of Thomas Heyward's boys basketball players played football and consider football their favorite sport. Senior JD Tuten said it took time for him to adjust to basketball, noting he was still outside throwing a football when the basketball season began in late November.
Guard Ryan Day said sometimes the intensity isn't as high as during football season, but a big adjustment has been the physical play. Day is used to the contact of football, but he's learned to move his feet on defense. At 5-foot-7, Day has learned going all out to the hoop is not always the best plan.

After consecutive road losses last week, Ridgeland boys basketball coach Jeremiah Faber didn't hide his frustration
"Oh, I'm struggling," Faber said last Thursday.
The Jaguars lost 48-47 at Region 5-A foe Whale Branch on Jan. 3 and the next night fell 46-43 in double overtime at Hilton Head High. The Jaguars could not hold on to a 30-18 fourth-quarter lead.