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JOHNSTON — Strom Thurmond’s football team has had to adjust to face multiple styles of play during its run to the Class AA state championship game.

Chesterfield liked to get in the shotgun and throw it downfield. Liberty liked to pack the box and lean on its power-run game. So did Chester, with the added danger of a big-play running back who could score on any snap. Fairfield Central liked the power run, too, but burned teams with its precise deep-ball passing game - and even that required some adjusting from Strom Thurmond after the Griffins lost their starting quarterback to injury.

Hampton County, the Rebels’ opponent in Saturday’s title tilt, doesn’t really resemble any of those teams. If anything, the Hurricanes play more like Strom Thurmond.

They just choose to do it at a higher tempo.

“They are extremely explosive on offense,” said Strom Thurmond head coach Andrew Webb. “They’re the No. 1 scoring offense in 2A football. They average 46 points a game. They’re physical up front on offense. They make no bones about it; they’re going to run the football. They have a quarterback that can run it, a running back that can run it, the wide receivers get involved in the run game, too.

“They make you defend sideline to sideline, and they can throw it. You defend the run so much that, when they throw it, there’s people running open everywhere. It’s going to be tough. Our guys have got to read their keys and fit gaps. We’ve got to get 11 hats to the football. Every time they snap it, they’ve got a chance to score.”

It will be a huge test for the Strom Thurmond (12-2) defense, which delights in a challenge, and it will also be a test for the Rebels’ offense - their grind-it-out, ball-control run game has chewed up a ton of clock in recent weeks, and the best defense against Hampton County (11-3) may be to keep the Hurricanes on the sideline.

Especially senior running back/defensive back Jaylen Singletary, who will see his name featured prominently in the South Carolina High School League’s single-season records upon the book’s next update.

So far this season he’s rushed for 2,482 yards and 42 touchdowns on 236 carries, and that’s not all. A touchdown catch, two interception returns for touchdowns and two house calls on kickoffs put him at 47 total scores for the year, and he posted on X on Nov. 30 that he wants to get to 50. If he does, it may not just be his name going in the record books - one more big game from him could put Hampton County’s name in there with the school’s first state championship.

47 Scores on The Season but I’m not satisfied I want 50????

— Jaylen “Sub 0??” Singletary Class Of 26 (@jjaylen18) November 30, 2025

He scores the points. He lights the fire. He is the main supplier. He is the man, but he’s not alone. Quarterback Tarell Grant doesn’t throw it much but makes it count when he does, and he’s also rushed for 640 yards and seven touchdowns on 68 carries. Desmond Mathis and former Midland Valley Mustang Karinton Sabb are the top receivers, and setting the tone up front is a physical offensive line that still springs Singletary loose even when defenses are ready for him.

“Teams knowing that he’s going to get it and him still putting up numbers is hats off to that offensive line. They do a great job up front blocking for him,” Webb said. “But him as a football player, you can go watch on film and you’re not going to find many times that the first guy that gets to him brings him down. He’s so fast. He’s shifty. He’s hard to tackle. He runs hard. He is an incredible football player. It’s not fun to prepare for him, but he sure is fun to watch on film.”

Singletary and the Hurricanes will be the latest and biggest challenge for a Strom Thurmond team that has allowed only 10.2 points per game during its nine-game win streak. The Rebels have only allowed more than 20 points in a game once during that span, and the 21 Liberty scored in the second round of the playoffs were against backups after Strom Thurmond took a 41-0 lead at halftime.

Bryston Coleman, who made the initial contact on the game-ending two-point conversion stop against Fairfield Central in the Upper State title game, leads the team in tackles with 94, and Wytravious Dugar is next with 82. Grayson Smith has a team-high 18 tackles for loss, with Grady Stone right behind him at 17. Stone and Braylon Searles each have three forced fumbles, and on rare pass attempts Hampton County will have to be aware of Kaleb Simpkins, who roams the back of the defense and has two interceptions in the postseason.

“This is obviously a big challenge. … They’re good,” Webb said. “They are good. Our boys are going to have to play to the standard, Blue Steel defense. They’re going to have to play their best on Saturday.”

The offense will, too, against a Hampton County team allowing 9.0 points per game during its eight-game win streak. Malik Terry is the top tackler with 103 in total (12 for loss), and Gavin Polite leads in tackles for loss with 17. Polite and Jayden Frazier share the team lead with four sacks apiece.

Singletary and Grant are also aces in the secondary with five interceptions apiece, and Sabb has four. Singletary has also forced a fumble and blocked two field goals.

The run game has been more of an emphasis for Strom Thurmond since their last loss on Sept. 26 to Lincoln County. Deonte Phillips has 1,054 yards and 23 touchdowns for the season, Kaden Wigfall has an even 700 on 8.8 yards per carry with eight touchdowns, and X-factor Zy Rouse has 675 yards (7.6 per carry) and 13 scores.

There’s also the added danger of quarterback Bri’Shaun Lee as a runner. The Rebels opted not to run him much during the regular season, but in the last couple of games he’s given them key carries to pick up first downs. He’s thrown for 1,776 yards and 19 touchdowns this season, with Shaheed Williams (45 catches for 762 yards and eight touchdowns) and Simpkins (34 catches for 690 yards and seven scores) as his top targets.

None of that happens, though, without an offensive line that has stayed together and healthy for practically the entire season. Left tackle Hezekiah East, left guard Amari McClenney, center John Laster, right guard Micah Warren and right tackle Carter Boatwright have set a physical tone that opponents haven’t been able to match, and they’ll look to do it one final time.

That group has been the focal point throughout the postseason, clearing the way for the run game to average 234.5 yards per game in the playoffs. Maybe more importantly, they’ve kept the ball long enough to run it an average of 39 times per game during that same stretch, and every additional carry they log is a touch (and time) Singletary and the Hurricanes don’t get.

“Coach Riley Addis, he coaches that group up front and he does a great job, takes great pride in having those guys play physical,” Webb said. “Their motto is ‘Be the first to the fight.’ First to the fight. They have gotten better and better and better as the year has gone, and we have relied on them more and more and more because they have been so good.

“Obviously, we don’t ever feel like we’re good enough. We’ve got to keep working and keep improving and keep correcting mistakes, but that group has played as good as I’ve had in my four years at Strom Thurmond. They take a lot of pride in doing their job and being the first to the fight. We’re going to need to rely on them one more time.”

WHO: Strom Thurmond (12-2) vs. Hampton County (11-3)

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - We are learning more about an armed robbery that happened at the Nixville Country Store on Sunday night.

WTOC has watched the surveillance video from the incident, but has been asked by law enforcement not to show it because they say it could jeopardize the investigation.

In it, it shows a 17-year-old working his first job as a cashier coming face-to-face with a gunman.

The security video shows the suspect walking into the store and pointing his gun at the worker’s head.

The suspect then has him go to the cash register and empty it into a book bag.

When the bag is loaded with the money, the suspect then forces the worker to lock the door of the store, which he does.

Then the suspect turns from the register, gets on the ground, and loads his bag with several cartons of cigarettes.

He then has the worker go back to the front of the store, unlock it, and the suspect leaves.

Calanthia Bibbs, the manager of the store, says that $3,000 in cash and $2,700 of Newport cigarettes were taken.

Luckily, no one was injured in this exchange.

Bibbs says the worker was shaken up by what happened, and she says when she was called about the robbery, the most important thing to her was making sure he was ok.

“His life is in my hands, so I rushed here and calmed him down,” Bibbs said. “Stuff is replaceable, but a person isn’t. My heart just goes out to him and his family.”

Bibbs says she has been the manager for 15 years at the store and in that time has had to deal with an attempted robbery, but nothing of this magnitude.

“For it to happen here is kind of shocking to us.”

If you have any information that could lead to an arrest, you are asked to contact the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, SLED, or the Nixville Country Store, which is offering a $5,000 reward.

The South Carolina School Report Cards are in for the qualifying schools of the Hampton County School District, and the results reflect a mixed bag of performances with improvements in some areas.

Of the Hampton County public schools that were evaluated for S.C. School Report Cards, two were rated "Good," four were "Average," and one was "Below Average."

All South Carolina public schools receive overall report card ratings from the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) based on a 100-point scale. Schools also receive ratings on various indicators such as academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and graduation rate. Based on the combined data, the ratings are Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average and Unsatisfactory.

What are the S.C. School Report Cards, and what do they mean?

On Nov. 3, the SCDE and the S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2025 S.C. Report Card for public schools. The S.C. Report Cards (available at www.screportcards.com) reflect data elements and student performance information from the 2024- 2025 school year. These state-issued report cards are required by federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

A Good rating is defined as school performance that exceeds the criteria "to ensure all students meet the profile of the South Carolina graduate," states the SCDE website. The H.C. School District schools rated Good this year are Brunson Elementary School and Fennell Elementary School.

An Average rating is defined as school performance that meets the criteria to ensure all students meet the profile of the South Carolina graduate. HCSD schools that met this criterion are Estill Elementary School, Hampton Intermediate School, North District Middle School and Hampton County High School.

A Below Average rating is defined as a school performance that is in jeopardy of not meeting the state's criteria. The only HCSD school to receive this rating was Estill Middle School.

Ben Hazel Elementary School and Varnville Elementary School did not receive a rating for the 2024-2025 school year, but will for the 2025-2026 school year, since they now meet the criteria of having two tested grade levels after this year's grade realignment, said HCSD officials in a release.

Did Hampton County's schools show improvement on state report cards?

The state report cards show some areas of improvement for certain schools. Here are some highlights, provided by HCSD Superintendent Dr. Glenda Sheffield in a release:

What is H.C. School District doing to improve its report cards?

Improving performance is difficult enough, but the road ahead doesn't get any easier for our public schools based on upcoming goals and standards.

The Spring 2025 accountability measures are different than the 2024 report card, specifically is the area of student progress (student growth). The criteria for measurement of student progress are more strenuous now, say HCSD officials, and is based on benchmarks for meeting the state’s 2030 goal of having 75 percent of all students at or above grade level.

Superintendent Sheffield and her leadership team say they see the recent report card ratings as "opportunities for growth," and shared a list of next steps with parents and community members.

"These initiatives reflect HCSD’s unwavering dedication to fostering a culture of growth, equity, and excellence for all students," stated Sheffield.

Sheffield said that under her leadership the HCSD is placing a strong focus on three gears to success: culture, systems, and instruction. These foundational pillars will drive HCSD to be more intentional in fostering growth across all dimensions of the district, said the superintendent.

Here are some highlights of the improvement plan:

ORANGEBURG — The Strom Thurmond football team knew there was one final test awaiting, and the Rebels knew it would be their biggest yet.

Standing in the way of their state championship dreams was a Hampton County team riding Class AA’s top-ranked scoring offense all the way to Orangeburg.

Slowing down, much less stopping, the Hurricanes was going to be a tall task for Strom Thurmond, but these Rebels never back down from a challenge. That Blue Steel defense stood strongest one last time, forcing four turnovers, holding a lethal rushing attack in check and nearly keeping Hampton County out of the end zone altogether in a 26-7 victory for the Rebels’ first state championship in 20 years.

"Awesome, man. Twenty years later, Strom Thurmond Rebels are the state champs,” said Strom Thurmond fourth-year head coach Andrew Webb. “I'm so proud of these guys, so happy for the community. All this glory goes to God. He has had His hand on us all season, all season, and we're so thankful."

The hype coming into the game surrounded Hampton County (11-4) running back Jaylen Singletary, who entered with nearly 2,500 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns to his credit. His name will soon enter the South Carolina High School League record books, and it was just a matter of how high on the single-season touchdowns list he’d get - he posted on X earlier in the week that he wanted to get to 50.

Strom Thurmond gave him zero.

"We got 11 hats to the ball,” explained Webb, whose team held the Hurricanes 39 points below their season average. “We read our keys, played defense. Same defense we played all year. We just got better and better and better as the year went. We ran to the football and played physical."

Strom Thurmond (13-2) senior Deonte Phillips led the Rebels’ rushing attack with 155 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, out-gaining and out-scoring his Hampton County counterpart. Bri’Shaun Lee passed for 126 yards and two touchdowns, finding success with both the deep ball and the short pass. Kaleb Simpkins caught three for 107 yards and a score, and Shaheed Williams made an acrobatic grab for an 11-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to all but put the game away.

"Everything starts with running the ball and the boys up front, and we did it,” Webb said. “When you're able to run the ball, it gives you chances to be one-on-one out wide. With Sha and Kaleb one-on-one out wide, we love our chances. Bri'Shaun threw some great balls tonight, and they made plays when they had opportunities."

Singletary ran for 150 yards, but he needed 30 carries to do it as the Rebels’ defense made the Hurricanes look more like the light drizzle that faded away altogether in the second half at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Jalin Collins picked off two passes and Williams had an interception and forced a fumble, which Simpkins recovered and returned 62 yards late in the first quarter to end a promising Hampton County drive. A couple plays later, Phillips rumbled into the end zone from 37 yards out to get Strom Thurmond on the board first.

Lee dialed up a long ball to Simpkins for a 55-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and after a fourth-down stop Strom Thurmond drove 84 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. Lee found Simpkins for another long pass, this one covering 44 yards, and Phillips finished off the drive from the 4 for an 18-0 lead.

That established a theme for the night of Strom Thurmond delivering every time a big play was needed.

"We made it. The turnover early, (Simpkins) picked up and ran back. Deonte pops one,” Webb said. “We hit (Simpkins) on the deep ball, touchdown. Fourth down, Sha catches one in the back of the end zone, and we controlled the ball. It was outstanding."

The lone hiccup for Strom Thurmond came when the ensuing kickoff was returned all the way to the Rebels’ 10, and on the final play of the half Grant found Desmond Mathis for a touchdown to make it 18-7 at the break.

Strom Thurmond restored order in the second half, though, with Williams making a stop on fourth down to set up a 51-yard scoring drive that ended with Lee’s touchdown pass to Williams on fourth down.

There was still plenty of time left with 1:33 to go in the third quarter, but it felt all but over considering how stingy Strom Thurmond was playing defensively. Collins picked off Grant’s next two pass attempts, the latter with only 7:04 left in the game. For good measure, Williams added another with 3:24 remaining, and from there the Rebels were able to run out the clock.

With that, an offense averaging 373.3 yards per game finished with 208. Strom Thurmond defenders caught more passes (three) by Grant than the Hurricanes’ receivers (two). The state’s leading scorer was held out of the end zone, and a team that had only six turnovers all season had it taken away four times in one night. It was the first time since Sept. 19 that Hampton County scored less than 28 points, and it matches the Hurricanes’ lowest score of the season.

"Awesome. We shouldn't have gave up the kick return before halftime. But, Blue Steel defense,” Webb said. “They played great. They take pride in it in the peach fields, and they played their best tonight."

The championship is Strom Thurmond’s third in program history, and it puts an exclamation point at the end of their first trip to the title game since winning the Class AAA crown in 2005. The Rebels finish the season with 10 consecutive wins and every box checked off of the seniors’ to-do list.

"It feels great,” said Simpkins, who on Monday will sign to play collegiately at Campbell University. “I'm sure we're going to celebrate really nice when we get back home, but it just feels great, just knowing what we set out to do is accomplished now."

Strom Thurmond’s title is the first won in football in the Aiken Standard coverage area since 2009, when Williston-Elko won the Class A, Division II championship. Many programs go longer, and some never make it, but for a program like Strom Thurmond’s two decades is an awfully long time. Saturday night, a 20-year drought in the peach fields came to an end.

"Man, this is Edgefield County. Johnston, Edgefield, Trenton. That's where we're from. That's where we're raised, and these boys take pride in playing in the peach fields,” Webb said. “We have a lot of pride in playing there, a lot of pride representing the people of Edgefield County. The championship is coming back to the peach fields tonight."

For Hampton County over the last four years, since they became their own district, they have seen a nearly 20 percent improvement in English and a three percent increase in math.

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Plans to turn around the Hampton County School District are starting to pay off.

State test scores showed gains in some key areas like English.

WTOC has a closer look at what the district is doing to make it happen.

The SC Ready Assessments that we have shone a light on before test students in English/Language Arts, Math, and Science.

For Hampton County over the last four years, since they became their own district, they have seen a nearly 20% improvement in English and a slight improvement in math.

Across the state, all schools are trying to have 75% of their students meet or exceed expectations in each of the categories by 2030.

For Hampton County, 57% of their students met or exceeded expectations in ELA, while 38% reached that mark in math.

Those two scores ranked Hampton County fourth and fifth, respectively, across the 32 Lowcountry counties.

Officials say their ELA scores have improved so much over the years because they started giving teachers high-quality instruction materials and taught their teachers how to use them.

They are now starting to use that same model in another subject.

“We’re trying that same model in math now, without letting go of all the new things we have been doing in ELA, balancing that out, but making sure we are still putting that same emphasis in math,” Hampton County School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Kristy Wood, said.

The Hampton County School District also says that the addition of two elementary schools could increase its scores.

Ben Hazel and Varnville Elementary schools each added fourth-grade classes this school year and will start receiving SC Ready report cards.

District officials say these schools are two of their higher-performing schools in the county, but they have not been receiving an SC Ready report card because they didn’t have two grade levels that took the test.

“We know the longer they are in a school, the better relationship they have, and more tailored support will be offered to them,” Wood said.

In a report from U.S. News and World Report, those two schools placed in the top 100 schools statewide out of nearly a thousand public schools.

Ben Hazel ranked 57th, and Varnville ranked 86th.