Hartsville's Jaylen Shaw and Timmonsville's Sade Eli captured the 2013 Mister and Miss Hoop Zone Trophies as part of the 13th annual WPDE Hoop Zone Banquet at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Myrtle Beach. Shaw becomes the first Red Fox boy to capture the award, while Eli makes Timmonsville history after spending the previous two years as a Miss Hoop Zone Finalist.
Shaw captured 9 of 17 first place votes to win by a comfortable margin over Marion's Kevin Rowell. North Myrtle Beach's Jaquan Grissett became the first ever Chief to reach the podium and finished third. Eli had 10 first place votes to dominate the balloting on the girls side. Lake City sophomore Shaunice Fulmore and Myrtle Beach High senior Tanisha Brown finished in a tie for second. Brown will play Division I basketball at Charlotte.
Shaw led the Red Foxes to a Class 3A State Championship in 2012 and 2013. Teammates call him "Shaw Dog." And this young man is prime time when the game is on the line. He averaged more than 21 points a game this season, and had three steals a game. He led the area in assists, averaging eight every time he laced them up. He's been offered a college scholarship by every Big South Conference school, and has more than a dozen "other" division one college offers, and the list is growing, according to head coach Aric Samuel.
Eli wins the award after reaching the Miss Hoop Zone podium for a third straight year. She is Timmonsville's all-time scoring leader with 2,115 points. Eli led the Lady Whirlwinds to the 2012 State Championship and into the State Semi's this year. She is an elite ball handler who can play every position on the floor. Eli averaged more than 20 points a game this season with five assists a contest. Even more amazing is that she hits the glass unlike any guard in the area. Eli averages 9 and a half rebounds a game. Sade Eli is the South Carolina Class 1A Player of the Year.
The Arbor One SCISA Players of the Year were Myrtle Beach Christian Academy's Kendall Henry along with Lowcountry Prep's Rachael Exum and Trinity-Byrnes forward Brenne Fisher.
41 boys and girls players from the Pee Dee and Grand Strand were honored as part of the 2013 WPDE Hoop Zone team. The 2013 Hoop Zone Banquet will air Sunday at noon on NewsChannel 15.
Click here to see more on the 2013 WPDE Hoop Zone Team and Mr. & Mrs. Hoop Zone.
