Nothing like having a little South Carolina talent come to the Phenom Platform, as Lancaster High School made its way to the Phenom New Year’s Bash to participate in two showcase games. And with two gritty and tight wins against Independence and Cannon, the Bruins now sit at 10-1 on the season.
And their only loss came to nationally ranked Dynamic Prep this season…
From what we saw though over the weekend and what they have been able to do early on this season, Lancaster is looking clearly as a team with high aspirations and as a title contender once again this season.
This is a team that checks a lot of the boxes early on this season; they have proven they can win in a variety of ways, whether it is an offensive show or a defensive battle. They have a clear leader on the team in 2025 Jordan Watford that brings tremendous versatility, scoring the ball, creating, attacking the glass, and being an impact player defensively. But this is a team that brings strong balance as well, as 2026 Malik Tinsley and 2026 Columbus Parker are two strong guards that feed off each other and can be strong scoring presences. Parker really stepped up this past weekend with a 29-point performance, being a playmaker as well as one that can knock down open shots. Tinsley has been a pest as a guard who can consistently score but also be a presence on the defensive end. 2026 RJ Brown is another prospect that helps produce and competes on both sides of the ball, while 2025 Jacarey Ballard, 2025 Zach Graham, and others help as veterans should.
Watching them in Waxhaw over the weekend, the Bruins clearly have shown they are a tight group and are battle-tested, just understanding how to find ways to win. That will go a long way this season, as this team should only continue to rack up the wins and have their eyes on the big prize.