How this North Myrtle Beach High athletic squad can end a 35-year state title drought
Over the past three school years, North Myrtle Beach High’s athletic programs have been rising to the highest level.
The football team reached the Class 4A state championship game in December, the volleyball team won state titles in the fall of 2018 and 2019, and the wrestling team reached the state finals in 2019.
It has taken a few decades, but in its fourth season under coach Brooke Smith, the Chiefs girls basketball team has now again reached the pinnacle.
The Chiefs (11-1) will attempt to win the program’s first state title in 35 years at noon Thursday against Westside (19-2) of Anderson in the Class 4A state championship game at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.
“It would mean a lot because it has been years since they have been [to the state finals],” senior forward Daveona Hatchell said. “Our football team went last year. So if we were to win it would be great for the community. Our community has been very behind us and supportive.”
North Myrtle Beach won its only state title in 1986 under coach Frank Moorhead – a Class 2A crown – and made its only other appearance in a state title game in 1990 under Moorhead.
Westside (19-2) has a championship drought of its own. The Rams haven’t played in the championship game since they won their third Class 3A state title in four years with a win over Myrtle Beach in 1992. The closest they got to returning was in 2002, when they lost in the semifinals by a point.
The playoffs were shortened to four rounds this year because of COVID-19.
North Myrtle Beach defeated Beaufort 54-31 in the first round and knocked off four-time defending 4A state champion North Augusta in the quarterfinals.
“The biggest moment we ever had was when we beat North Augusta because nobody expected that to happen,” Smith said. “The girls went out and executed exactly what we wanted to do.”
The outcome may come down to which team can control the pace.
In the past two rounds the Chiefs have slowed the pace and frustrated opponents with suffocating defense.
They defeated North Augusta 32-28 in the quarterfinals and Darlington 30-18 in the semifinals/Lower State finals.
“We’ve played multiple teams that average 50 to 60 points per game and we’ve managed to lower their points down to match our defense,” Smith said. “We’re willing to bring the best defense for the best offense. We’ll do what we’ve got to do.”
North Myrtle Beach has been versatile defensively, employing both man-to-man and a 2-3 zone in the semifinal win over Darlington.
“We come out and we play our game,” said NMB senior guard Ashanti White. “We don’t try to do too much and don’t let anybody else force us to do anything.”
Westside has been more prolific offensively in the playoffs, defeating Greenville 58-47 in the quarterfinals and Travelers Rest 57-42 in the semifinals.
“I am prepared for a slow pace and I feel we can adjust if needed,” said longtime Westside coach Jackie Roberts. “We would much rather pick up the pace and have a lot of pressure and force the game to be at our pace.”
Junior guard Destiny Middleton is the Rams’ leading scorer and top offensive threat, averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3 steals per game.
She is Westside’s only player averaging double figures, but the Rams have been more balanced in the playoffs. Middleton, junior guard Aziyah Bell, freshman Ahri Scott, junior Branya Pruitt and sophomore Shakari Gaines all scored between nine and 11 points in the semifinals.
Freshman Olivia Randolph is a 6-foot-1 force inside, averaging 4.1 points and team highs of 6 rebounds and nearly 3 blocks per game.
Westside is stingy defensively, allowing 36 points per game.
“They look like a very athletic group of young ladies. They have a lot of diversity on their team in terms of skills and assets,” Smith said.
Hatchell and sophomore point guard Riley Vincent have been among North Myrtle Beach’s leaders all season, junior guard Adaiah Vereen led the Chiefs with 10 points in the semifinals, and eighth-grade forward Destinee Vereen has stepped up in the playoffs.
She played 30 minutes in the quarterfinals, and in the semifinals she scored eight points while helping to hold Darlington all-state forward Summer Joseph scoreless.
“At some point between the region playoffs and the playoffs we’ve been currently playing there have been different people step up every single game,” Smith said. “The one who has recently stepped up is our eighth-grader, Destinee Vereen. She has been phenomenal for us.
“But if you look at our stats and look back at our games, we really don’t have consistently one player. Every game we have a different player who has been stepping up for us, which makes it amazing.”
North Myrtle Beach’s only loss this year is to Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School of Darlington, 45-39 on Feb. 3.
“[Coach Smith] makes it seem like home and it’s a big family, and everybody is always pushing each other,” Hatchell said.
Though the season and playoffs have been truncated by COVID-19, the adversity has brought the Westside and North Myrtle Beach teams closer together.
“Everybody was very excited about getting back together after being off all summer and not having a preseason,” Roberts said. “I really think that had a lot to do with us just being closer and being excited about being back together again. This team has been very close. . . . This is absolutely one of the best teams that I’ve had as far as jelling together.”
The game is being televised on the Grand Strand on WWMB-CW, which is Channel 8 on Spectrum cable.
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
