COLUMBIA, S.C. — The SCISA schools kicked off preseason practice Thursday morning and for the Hammond Skyhawks, the mission is simple - win a sixth consecutive state championship.
The Skyhawks had won four in a row when former head coach Erik Kimrey departed for the South Carolina staff. Former Hammond assistant Jon Wheeler, who had also been a head coach at Heathwood Hall and St. Joseph's in Greenville, came back to Columbia and continued the tradition by leading the Skyhawks to the Class 3A title last November.
But 2022 will mark a shift in the SCISA landscape with the addition of a new 4A classification which will include the Hammond program. Also, the third game of the season will take Hammond to Gaffney where they will face the Indians who are the defending state champions of Class 5A.