Christ Church Stuns Fox Creek on Last Second Three And Ridge View Wins Third Straight South Carolina Title

Drama and domination were the theme of Day Two of the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) boys' basketball finals at Colonial Life Arena.

David Dixon nailed a corner 3-pointer with 12 seconds that gave Christ Church the 52-49 victory over Fox Creek, 52-49, in the Class 3A final. The Class 5A Division I final saw Ridge View break open a close contest after one quarter by shutting down first-time finalist Ashley Ridge the rest of the way for the 65-44 win.

This was the third consecutive state title for Ridge View and fourth in the last seven years. For Christ Church, this was their fourth title in six years and third in a different classification

Dixon Ends High School Career with Game-Winner

The final seconds of the Class 3A final came down to two seniors playing their final high school game.

Forward Keori Atwall of Fox Creek and guard David Dixon of Christ Church Episcopal were a combined 0-10 from 3-point range. As time expired, they would take the final and most memorable shots of their respective high school careers.

Down 49-46, Predators’ guard Kobe Sims drove upcourt and found an open Atwall in the left corner. He calmly fired in a 3-pointer through the nets to tie the game.

Christ Church still had 18 seconds to set up for the game-winning shot. After catching the ball from the top of the key, Jude Law found a streaking Reid Hipp at his left wing.

As Hipp dribbled towards the paint, he rifled a high pass to Dixon in the right corner. Catching the ball with one hand and landing between the high school and college 3-point arc, Dixon swiftly set up and arched a shot over Fox Creek forward Randy Robinson for the go-ahead basket with 7.4 seconds left.

The Predators rushed the ball upcourt, but Sims’ final shot attempt at the buzzer hit the front of the rim. Christ Church teammates mobbed Dixon in celebration having secured the 52-49 win.

Practice Makes Perfect on Final Play

He finished as the Cavaliers’ top scorer with 12 points. Dixon was 0-3 from behind the arc, but was not hesitant about taking the last shot.

“It felt good,” Dixon said. “It felt good. I was confident.”

Head coach John Butler gave his players full credit for the game-winner. In fact, he was trying to decide on the sidelines whether to call a timeout or let the players play through.

“We always tell the shooters get to the corners, guards get to the rim,” he said. “They did what we practice every day, and David came through big and hit the big shot.”

Fox Creek Takes Early Lead

The game started in favor of the Predators. Robinson scored eight of his game-high 13 points in the first quarter to lead 19-12.

Christ Church responded by holding Fox Creek to four points in the second quarter. Down 23-16, the Cavaliers scored the final seven points of the half.

Fittingly, it was a 3-pointer by Christ Church’s Ty Young that tied the game at 23-23. The Cavaliers opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 34-25 lead with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

Cavaliers, Predators Battle to the Finish

Fox Creek continued to battle back staying within four points for most of the fourth quarter. A pair of free throws by Sims made it 49-46 with 44 seconds left.

Christ Church were in position to add to its lead. Hipp missed both attempts, setting up the frenetic finish leading to the Cavaliers’ third state title in four years.

They finished the season 26-1, the lone loss to San Jose Prep at a holiday tournament.

A Battle-Tested Ridge View

Compared to the third round and Upper State finals, the state title game proved anticlimactic for Ridge View, as it cruised past Ashley Ridge, 65-44.

The Blazers had to overcome double-digit deficits against Region 2-5A state powers Dorman and J.F. Byrnes to advance back to the championship.

Those games gave Ridge View no reason to panic after Ashley Ridge tied the game for the second and last time at 17-17 with 6:26 left in the second quarter. Just like the wins over the Cavaliers and Rebels, the Blazers stepped up their efforts on both ends of the court.

“We basically played two state championships before this game,” senior guard Talan Staley said. “It was great practice. Last game against Byrnes we were down 11 in the third quarter and came back. So, it was good practice for the state championship.”

South carolina basketball Ridge View — Ridge View forward D.J. Wylie | Ridge View boys basketball

A 3-point play by All-State R.J. Davis was followed by back-to-back layups by J.T. Vankallen. Playing for the last time in a final for head coach/father Joshua Staley, guard Talan Staley answered a Shayne Pinckney layup with a 3-pointer.

A free throw by C.J. Moore and baskets by Davis and C.J. Moore closed out the 15-2 half-ending run. Once the second half began, Ridge View seized control of the game with unrelenting fastbreak points off turnovers to push the lead to 60-32.

With Ridge View limiting dribble penetration, the Swamp Foxes managed just eight points in the third quarter. Aside from Pinckney’s 20 points and 13 from All-State guard Clayton Everett Jr., Ashley Ridge saw its offensive output limited by the swarming Blazer defense that forced 16 turnovers.

While the Swamp Foxes won the rebounding battle 27-16, it was held to 39.1 percent shooting from the field and 6-17 (35.3 percent) from 3-point range.

Davis led Ridge View with 11 points, while Staley and VanKallen each added 10 points.

“This is just a great state championship because a lot of people wrote us off,” the younger Staley said. “They said we didn’t have nothing. We didn’t have any guards…winning with this group was just amazing.”

South Carolina boys' basketball Ridge View — Ridge View with the Class 5A Division I title | Thomas Grant Jr.

Persistence Pays Off for Blazers’ Head Coach

For Ridge View head coach Joshua Staley, the win improved his career state title game record to 4-5 with three schools (Orangeburg-Wilkinson girls, A.C. Flora and Ridge View boys) going to the finals each three times.

“I was on the other side,” Staley said. “We were getting our butt kicked by 30 and 40 in the state championship. I lost my first five before I won one. But that’s what makes life beautiful. You get the opportunity to keep working and share your testimony with somebody else so that they know what you’re working to.”

Ridge View joined Westwood boys and Blythewood girls in winning state titles out of Richland School District Two. The three teams combined for an overall record of 76-9.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7B6woiJbNF8utHPW7 (video interview with Joshua Staley)