Dorman on brink of South Carolina high school hoops history after downing three-time state champion in quarterfinals

By Richard Walker

The South Carolina High School League has crowned basketball champions since 1917.

Dorman High School basketball coach Thomas Ryan accepts the 2020 S.C. 5A state title last March. Dorman’s Friday night victory means the Cavaliers are still alive to win a fifth straight championship.

And in the first 10 years, two schools – Columbia (1917-21) and Charleston (1922-26) – won five straight titles each.

A third school school is in position to join them as the Dorman Cavaliers are poised for their fifth straight Class 5A state title entering Tuesday’s semifinal against Riverside.

The Cavaliers advanced to state’s 5A Final Four by dispatching three-time 4A state champion Ridge View 60-51 on Friday night; Ridge View became a 5A school this season.

Coach Thomas Ryan, in his 15th year as Cavaliers head coach, has led his school to an impressive 126-17 record in the past five seasons that includes those four straight titles.

Ryan has guided Dorman to 11 region titles and those four state titles during his tenure. The recent title streak has been spurred by the play of 13 current or former collegians, including NCAA Division I players Justin Amadi (James Madison), Ta’Lon Cooper (Morehead State), Dave Dickerson III (USC Upstate), P.J. Hall (Clemson) and Myles Tate (Butler).

Ridge View had turned itself into a power under coach Yerrick Stoneman, who started as a student assistant in the 1994-95 season at Virginia Tech. That’s the year the Hokies won the 1995 NIT title with former Kings Mountain High School and Belmont Abbey College coach Bobby Hussey as an assistant coach and former Hunter Huss standout Shawn Smith as a standout player who hit the winning free throw of the championship game victory over Marquette.

The Blazers had won three straight 4A state titles while going 69-22 the previous three seasons.

Moved up to 5A, Ridge View went 8-0 in Region IV and finished 14-3 after last Friday’s loss to Dorman.

SCHSL basketball playoffs entering Saturday:

5A boys
Friday’s quarterfinals
Riverside 69, Mauldin 64
Dorman 60, Ridge View 51
Dutch Fork 57, Goose Creek 51
River Bluff 71, Carolina Forest 53

Tuesday’s semifinals
Riverside vs. Dorman
Dutch Fork vs. River Bluff

4A boys
Monday’s semifinals
Greenville vs. South Pointe
Hilton Head vs. Hartsville

3A boys
Saturday’s semifinals
Keenan vs. Seneca
Marlboro County vs. Orangeburg-Wilkinson

2A boys
Monday’s semifinals
Christ School Episcopal vs. Gray Collegiate
Wade Hampton vs. Woodland

1A boys
Saturday’s semifinals
Southside Christian vs. Calhoun County
Scott’s Branch vs. Baptist Hill

5A girls
Monday’s semifinals
Clover vs. Rock Hill
Wando vs. Sumter