From Overlooked to Contenders: Tyson Bouknight Has American Leadership Academy One Step from History

With a region title, a roster full of transfers seeking respect and a playoff path loaded with storylines, the former Lexington champion is chasing another first — this time from the sideline.

Tyson Bouknight, who led Lexington to its first SC boys basketball state title as a player, is attempting to lead American Leadership Academy to the same status as head coach. / Tyson Bouknight

It was 1996 when then-junior swingman Tyson Bouknight played a major role in Lexington High School winning its first-ever boys basketball title.

A Champion’s Mission, 29 Years Later

Now in Year Three at nearby American Leadership Academy, head coach Bouknight looks to lead the program to its first championship.

The Road Runs Through Home Court

Clinching the Region 2-2A title with last Thursday’s 66-57 win over Pelion put the Patriots in a favorable position. They will have the opportunity to play three Upper State playoff games at home before the state semifinals.

“Having homecourt advantage those first (three) rounds…will help out tremendously in getting them adjusted to the playoffs,” Bouknight said.

Those games will take place at a neutral site Feb. 27-28. The state finals will take at 4 p.m. March 5 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.

Built on Belief and Second Chances

Despite having a 14-player roster with 13 seniors who transferred from other schools, ALA lacks overall playoff experience. They are motivated by a desire to make school history and receive overall respect as players.

“A lot of these kids came from different schools that didn’t want them, let me put it that way,” he said. “They came from the bigger schools around here that said ‘You’re never going to be anything on varsity. You’re not going to start. You’re not going to score these many points. You’re not going to do this. You’re not going to do that. You’re not going to go to college and play basketball.’”

“And just by our coaches and having that faith in them and having the belief that ‘Hey, if you work and do what you’re supposed to do, it doesn’t matter if you’re at this school. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the biggest school in South Carolina. If you put in the work and do what you’re supposed to do, anything’s possible.’”

The Bailey Harris Coaching Tree in Full Bloom

The coaching legacy of Bailey Harris is running strong as ever.

This year’s playoffs have five former players/assistants of the Lexington High School coaching legend leading their respective teams:

• Tyson Bouknight (American Leadership Academy)
• Brett Jones (Dutch Fork)
• Thomas Ryan (Dorman)
• Davis Bowne (St. James)
• Devin Liferidge (Greer)

All but Liferidge, whose Yellow Jackets’ team placed second, were region champions.

Bouknight remains close with Harris, who regularly stops at the school to help with devotions and even provide tips on offensive and defensive schemes.

“Being able to talk to him throughout the years and having that relationship has helped out big time,” Bouknight said.

More State Playoff Storylines

• Ridge View boys and Blythewood girls are seeking to repeat as Class 5A Division I champions. The Blazers are seeking a third straight title under head coach Joshua Staley and six in the last eight seasons. Staley seeks to lead his third team to a third state title appearance. He also took Orangeburg-Wilkinson girls and A.C. Flora boys each to three state finals.

• Top-ranked Gray Collegiate Academy enters the post-season with an 18-game winning streak. They are seeking a seventh state title, all under head coach Dion Bethea, who returned to the school after a one-year absence to serve as a Georgia Southern college assistant.

• Defending Class 3A boys champion W.J. Keenan will be on the road for the duration of the post-season. It was one of the sanctions handed down by the SCHSL for an “open season violation.”

• Other penalties included a 13-game suspension and ban from the post-season for head coach Zach Norris. He entered this season with eight state titles, tied with Great Falls’ John Smith for second-most in state history.

• Calhoun County head coach Zam Fredrick has a state-record 10 state titles.

SCHL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Class 5A

(Division I)

(Tuesday’s Games)

J.L. Mann at Boiling Springs

Rock Hill at Spartanburg

Blythewood at Clover

Spring Valley at Mauldin

(Ridge View, Dutch Fork, J.F. Byrnes, Dorman have first-round Upper State byes)

Summerville at Lexington

Stall at Sumter

Stratford at Fort Dorchester

Wando at Ashley Ridge

(West Ashley, Carolina Forest, James Island and Cane Bay have first-round Lower State byes)

(Division II)

Monday’s Games

Catawba Ridge at Eastside

Northwestern at Fort Mill

Greenwood at Indian Land

Woodmont at Hillcrest

(Riverside, Greenville, Nation Ford and T.L. Hanna have first-round Upper State byes)

Chapin at Irmo

White Knoll at Myrtle Beach

North Myrtle Beach at Conway

Lucy Beckham at Lugoff-Elgin

(Goose Creek, St. James, Westwood and Berkeley has a first-round bye)

Class 4A

(Tuesday’s Games)

Lakewood at Westside

Seneca at Blue Ridge

Dreher at South Pointe

Wren at Laurens

A.C. Flora at Greer

Berea at Lancaster

Fountain Inn at Camden

Southside at Daniel

South Florence at Gray Collegiate

Midland Valley at Brookland-Cayce

Lower Richland at Crestwood

Hartsville at North Augusta

Aiken at Hilton Head Island

Bishop England at Wilson

Darlington at May River

South Aiken at Bluffton

Class 3A

(Monday’s Games)

Middle College at Christ Church

West-Oak at Union County

Southside Christian at Chapman

Broome at Pendleton

Palmetto at Belton-Honea Path

Woodruff at St. Joseph’s Catholic

Walhalla at Powdersville

Crescent at Mountain View Prep

Aynor at Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Newberry at Waccamaw

W.J. Keenan at North Charleston

Swansea at Georgetown

Hanahan at Loris

Silver Bluff at Oceanside Collegiate Academy

Marlboro County at Battery Creek

Dillon at Fox Creek

Class 2A

(Monday’s Games)

North Central at High Point

Batesburg-Leesville at Eau Claire

Brashier at Andrew Jackson

Fairfield Central at Liberty

Landrum at Clinton

Mid-Carolina at Saluda

Buford at American Leadership Academy

Strom Thurmond at Chesnee

Lake City at Hampton County

Woodland at York Prep

Academic Magnet at Mullins

Lake Marion at Burke

Manning at Central

Marion at Edisto

Whale Branch at Phillip Simmons

Andrews at Atlantic Collegiate

Class A

Great Falls at Abbeville

Calhoun Falls at Calhoun County

Whitmire at C.A. Johnson

North at McCormick

Lee Central at Horse Creek

Ridge Spring-Monetta at Dixie

Ware Shoals at Lamar

Lewisville at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

Hemingway at Bethune-Bowman

Cross at Denmark-Olar

Lake View at Charleston Math and Science

Baptist Hill at Green Sea-Floyds

Ridgeland at Carvers Bay

Johnsonville at Hardeeville

Branchville at Bamberg-Ehrhardt

Latta at Scott’s Branch