Socastee suffered a major loss when counselor and head basketball Coach Derrick Hilton passed away over the summer.
The team honored his memory by playing their best; they ended the season with a 13-11 (4-4) overall record.
“Since his passing, we’ve been trying to find ways we can honor him and keep his memory alive,” said Athletic Director Mr.Joshua Vinson, who has been good friends with Coach Hilton since he first came to Socastee as an assistant principal.
“i’d walk in the gym and one of the first people I met was Coach Hilton, and he was just a tremendous guy,” he said.
Several things were done to honor Coach Hilton’s memory, including the team wearing shirts and other gear with a special logo, fundraising for a college scholarship, and renaming the gym after him.
Assistant Coach Alvin Green stepped into the head coach job, and Math Teacher Mr. Randy Melko stayed on as assistant coach.
“It helped our kids to keep our coaching staff together as best as possible,” Mr.Vinson said. “It was a smooth transition after losing a coach.”
Senior Herman Watson said dealing with Coach Hilton’s passing was “really hard”, but it made the team stronger.
“We had to go through that adversity – so when we get in tough situations in games or just in life, that resilience that we got from having to work through his passing, it’s really helped the team,” he said. “It made me want to work hard in athletics and academics because that’s what he pushed us for.”
Senior Quadir Scott, who was coached by Hilton since 2017, said he too honored Hilton by playing his best.
“It made a me go harder as a player and more efficient as a player,” he said, “He was always about efficiency and consistency.”
He is happy Coach Green took over as head coach.
“It’s been amazing with Coach Green,” he said. “I’ve been with Hilton and Green since 2017; those two inspired are who inspired me to be what I am in basketball.”
Senior Charlie Hill also liked having someone familiar as the new head coach.
“He’s been around all of us for a while, so that’s helped,” he said
He, too, said he and the team have grown stronger in reaction to losing Coach Hilton.
“We came together more as a family,” he said. “It gives you more of a meaning and motive out there.”
Coach Green says he misses Coach Hilton everyday.
“You know, walking in his gym in his building everyday, man, it’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him and you know, just he’s left a lasting imprint on my heart,” he said. “Just all my life in general man and you know, I miss my, miss one of my big brothers.”
