By Thomas Grant Jr.

A year after winning a fifth state title and third in Class 4A, the Ridge View boys basketball team is back in Class 5A.

The Blazers are also back in their familiar spot as the team to beat. This year’s preseason S.C. Basketball Coaches Association rankings has them ranked atop the Division I standings.

Ridge View is also ranked nationally by Maxpreps.com. Junior guard Korie Corbett was also listed among the Elite boys basketball players in SCBCA and said the team has worked “non-stop, 24/7, seven days a week” in preparation for another championship season.

“I’m not really too much worried about a target being on my back,” he said. “I keep just doing plenty of work focusing on my game and my play, to be honest.”

Head coach Josh Staley, who has taken three teams to state finals and won with two of them, said focus on preparation, on and off the court, has helped them deal with expectations.

“All that we can control is our daily deposits,” he said. “All we can control is how we pay the rent every day. So, we’re going to get after it every single day, try to get better.

“We know (Class) 5A is tough. We know there’s some very good coaches. But the last couple of years (Class) 4A has been truly competitive. So we know every day we’ve got to bring it and try to get better.”

Senior point guards Reggie Mack and Yale Davis have stepped up as leaders during the preseason. Senior Treyvon Smith will be a presence at center and shooting guard Malachi Cooper continues to display a strong work ethic.

Staley looks to have his son and junior guard Talen Staley establish himself in a new role and freshmen forwards R.J. Davis and C.J. Moore will see some playing time.

Ridge View opens the season Nov. 29 against Riviera Prep at The Bash.  

Blythewood is also ranked in the preseason poll. Forward Taurus “TJ” Lewis is a preseason Top Five Boys Senior in Division I.

“We’re going to be small this year, so we’re going to have to play big this year,” he said. “We lose some shooters, so we’re going to find some offense. But mainly, we’re losing a lot of strength…so we’re going to have to play a lot more physical this year just to compete at a higher level.”

The girls’ preseason polls has Spring Valley ranked fifth in Class 5A Division I and Westwood fourth in Division II. Lady Redhawk guard Destiny Omeire was ranked a Top Five Senior and has worked to get back into “the best shape of her life” after suffering a back injury.

“We are centered around defense,” she said. “We take pride in our defense and we believe that defense wins championships. So, we really like to lock in on defense and with defense, comes good offense. So, that’s our main focus and playing with focus and playing as a team. Play cohesively and building that camaraderie and winning a championship.”

Westwood will look to overtake Ridge View in Region 5-5A. The Lady Blazers finished undefeated in Region 5-4A last year and reached the Class 4A Lower State final.

Forward Anasia Harvey, a preseason Top Five Senior in Division I, looks to lead the Lady Blazers a step further.

“The challenges are, of course we have some taller players in (Class) 5A, some great players and stuff,” she said. “But it’s not something we can’t handle. We can handle pressure and anything that come towards our way.”

SCBCA CLASS 5A PRESEASON RANKINGS

(BOYS)

Division I

1.Ridge View, 2. Dorman, 3. Summerville, 4. Mauldin, 5. Sumter, 6. Dutch Fork, 7. J.F. Byrnes, 8. West Ashley, 9. Blythewood, 10. River Bluff

(GIRLS)

Division I

1.Rock Hill, 2. J.L. Mann, 3. Summerville, 4. Mauldin, 5. Spring Valley, 6. Ashley Ridge, 7. Dorman, 8. Sumter, 9. Dutch Fork, 10. Carolina Forest

Division II

1.Gaffney, 2. Riverside, 3. Berkeley, 4. Westwood, 5. Goose Creek, 6. Greenville, 7. North Myrtle Beach, 8. Irmo, 9. Nation Ford

Photos and Videos by Thomas Grant, Jr. Feature Photo: Ridge View basketball coaches Joshua Staley and Terrance Gibson with (seated) Korie Corbett and Anasia Harvey.