Local athletes sign letters of intent

Some of the area’s most elite athletes recently signed scholarships in the NCAA’s early National Signing Day period.

Bishop England’s Jamie Wilson and Montana Swanson signed their letters of intent. Wilson signed to play golf at the University of South Carolina while Swanson will matriculate to USC Upstate to play volleyball.

At Hanahan, baseball players Malcolm Van Buren and Parker Futrell signed with North Carolina State and Charleston Southern respectively.

Another Hawk athlete, football player Samuel Denmark who will matriculate to Virginia Tech, took part in the ceremony but did not officially sign. Football players are not allowed to sign scholarships until the first Wednesday in February, but Denmark won’t be around much longer because he will enroll at the school, which is located in Blacksburg, in January.

Nov. 12 marked the first day of the early signing period for sports other than football and soccer. The early window ended Nov. 18. Football and soccer players can sign beginning Feb. 3. All other sports become eligible to sign on April 13.

Wilson has an impressive resume. He has won two consecutive Class AA individual state golf championships and is a good bet to make it three when the state championship is held in May.

He will golf for the Gamecocks, who finished 13th at the NCAA championships last year.

Swanson has been the Class AA player of the Year for 2014 and ’15 and has had a key role in the Bishops’ recent success, which includes 16 straight state championships, which ties a national record.

At Hanahan, Van Buren, a right-handed pitcher helped lead the Hawks to a district final last spring with a 4-1 record and a 2.38 ERA as a junior. He pitched 32 innings and allowed just 15 hits while striking out 46.

Futrell was the Hawks’ closer last spring and boasted impressive statistics, including two victories and three saves. He pitched 27 1/3 innings and tallied a 1.28 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

Coach Brian Mitchell said Futrell has great control and is calm in intense situations.

Bishop England tennis

Bishop England junior Camryn Deames finished with the silver medal in the state in the Class AA individual state tennis championships.

Deames lost to Elise Mills of Mid-Carolina by a 6-3, 6-0 decision in the finals to finish the season with a 15-7 record, which includes playoff and invitational action.

Deames topped Kaylee Jordan of Green Sea-Floyds 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round and bested Maddie Middleton of Waccamaw, 6-0, 6-1.

Deames defeated Lauren Allen of Christ Church 6-3, 6-7 (10-7) in the semifinals to advance. Deames is a three-year starter for the Bishops and split her time playing Nos. 1 and 2 singles.

Meanwhile senior Gabrielle Dacuba was selected to play in the North-South all-star matches, which were scheduled for the Pavillion in Taylors.

“Cameron and Gabrielle are great players, great competitors who worked hard,” coach Kristen Fleming Arnold said. “Both will do whatever it takes to make the team better. Both have a great sense of the team concept.”