December 1, 2022 | Columbia Star, The (SC)

Author/Byline: Josh Cruse; joshc@thecolumbiastar.com | Section: Article

The Ridge View Blazers capped off the 2021-2022 boys’ basketball season by winning the 5A State Championship, their fourth state championship in five seasons.

Then came changes.

It had been well known before the championship game that head coach Yerrick Stoneman would be moving on to Oak Hill High School at the end of the season.

Then there was the GG Jackson saga. He originally committed to the University of North Carolina to play for the Tar Heels beginning in the 2023-2024 season. However in July, he changed courses by reclassifing for the 2022-2023 season. He decommitted from U.N.C., and then signed with head coach Lamont Paris and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

In between Stoneman’s departure and the conclusion to Jackson’s high school career, Ridge View hired former A.C. Flora head coach Joshua Staley to lead the Blazer program.

Typically focus would be on the new coach and questions would abound about the program staying at its current level, but Staley came with excellent credentials.

Staley led the Orangeburg-Wilkinson girls’ program to three state championship appearances. Then he went to A.C. Flora and took the Falcons’ boys program to three state championship appearances, winning it all in 2016. His last state championship appearance was at the end of last season.

While Staley inherits a tradition rich program, he will have to start almost from scratch as most of the experienced players from last season have either graduated or transferred.

Josh Smith and Bishop Ukata return. While the Blazers may lack game experience, that doesn’t mean Staley is classifying Year One as a rebuilding year. One of the newcomers is a familiar face in Adonis McDaniel, who transferred from A.C. Flora. He and Tracy Stephens had sooner than expected starts to their basketball season because Ridge View’s football season came to an end following an investigation into the Blazers’ program resulted in Ridge View forfeiting all of its wins and missing out on the playoffs.

“It’s a tough situation,” Staley said. “We’re helping them with the healing process. We want to give them an opportunity to compete. We’re taking it one day at a time. We gave them some time to process what happened, but they came out right away and got to work.”

With so much change in the program, Staley feels some on the outside are counting Ridge View out. He’s already seen some tournaments, like the Chick-fil-A, leave the Blazers out. While Ridge View isn’t in some tournaments, it will still host The Bash December 15-17 and participate in the Roundball Classic at Brookland-Cayce High School December 20-23.

One of the opponents Ridge View will see at The Bash is Oak Hill Academy on December 15.

Other non-region opponents include Blythewood and Spring Valley.

The changes for Ridge View didn’t just occur inside the school. The new realignment moves the Blazers into Region 5-4A. That ensures Staley will face A.C. Flora twice. Ridge View will also see Irmo, Richland Northeast, Westwood, and Lugoff-Elgin.

Despite the amount of change, the expectations for Ridge View boys basketball won’t change.

” The players will need to take coaching every day,” Staley said. ” They will have to take every ounce of preparation seriously. They can’t take reps off. They’re talented. They need to come in with the right mindset. We as coaches have to prepare them and give them a chance to be successful.

Caption:

Ridge View head coach Joshua Staley Photo by Josh Cruse

Ridge View head coach Joshua Staley Photo by Josh Cruse