By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
SAVANNAH – It’s a streak that defies logic. Effingham County and South Effingham schools are close in proximity. Students grow up in nearby neighborhoods and play in the same parks.
So how could Effingham County’s boys win 34 straight basketball games, a streak spanning 17 years, against South Effingham?
The two schools meet on the court Saturday night in Springfield with the Rebels looking for No. 35 while the Mustangs are hoping to party like it’s 2007 – the year when they last scored a victory in the annual home-and-away series.
Tip-off for the boys game is 6:30 p.m. The varsity girls game starts at 5.
“I have friends at Effingham and (the streak) is all they talk about but it doesn’t mean anything to me,” SEHS senior forward Harrison Crofts said. “To be honest, we know they’ve been good for years but we should have a good chance. I’m confident in the guys we have here.”
In Crofts’ first three years at South, his squad lost by 24, 28, 13, 29, 16 and 34 points to Effingham County. Last season, the Mustangs took their lumps and didn’t win a game against anyone.
But some recent success has lifted Crofts’ confidence. South played Woodville-Tompkins competitively in the season opener and then beat the 22-win squad from the 2023-24 season in their next meeting.
The Mustangs held a lead against Camden County and recently, despite missing two starters, were within a point heading into the fourth quarter against Groves in the Joe Greene tournament in Savannah.
And during the summer, South may have gotten the ultimate boost of confidence – an elusive win over Effingham County during summer league play.
“That’s a positive,” Mustangs coach Rico Campbell said. “Really, this team hasn’t really been a part of (all 34 losses). In basketball, you’re always looking toward the next game. We haven’t played Effingham County a thousand times in a row. … The focus is on this year.”
And this year, rebuilding Effingham County could be vulnerable. Six-foot-6 dominant post player Jordan Goldwire, a first-team all-region performer last season, graduated. Gone is long-range shooting Hayden Eason, an all-region second-teamer, and athletic guard/forward Jeremiah Lee.
Only three Rebels on the current roster played in the varsity game against South last season.
SEHS returns most of its players from the winless 2023-24 season but they return with the mindset ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
“2007? I was born in 2007,” Crofts says, laughing.
The Mustangs beat the Rebels 86-82 on Jan. 6, 2007 – since then only five of the 34 games have been decided by less than 10 points.
ECHS began the week with a 1-1 record to start the 2024-25 season. SEHS is 1-5.
“It’s going to be a good game,” Campbell said. “They have a good team. They’ll play hard, especially over there. We have to play hard and we have to finish.”
South Effingham (2-3) flips the script in the girls matchup. The Mustangs have won 10 straight games against Effingham County’s girls going back to Jan. 5, 2019.
But region player of the year Elena Hairston graduated and its young group (without a senior on the team) has sometimes struggled offensively.
Last season, South won 56-42 and 55-31.
ECHS (1-1) has shown improvement led by first-team, all-region guard Kyjana Jordan, who entered the week averaging 21.5 points a game. The Rebels won their home opener against New Hampstead.
