Eagles' Bennett helps Scott's Branch start year strong en route to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Scott's Branch is out to a great start in 2026. After playing a schedule full of bigger programs in November and December, the Eagles are putting the pieces together as region play begins. That started with a huge road victory over the top-ranked team in SCHSL 1A last week and continued as the Eagles claimed wins in their first three games of 2026.

One of the key cogs in the engine has been sophomore Fra'Jon Bennett, who has been lighting up the scoreboard and dominating the glass. Last week, his double-double powered the Eagles' victory over No. 1 Bethune-Bowman, and he hasn't slowed down, earning Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors in the process.

"It means a lot to me," Bennett said of the backing from the Scott's Branch community. "It really lets me know that they support me, and they wish me all the best."

Eagles head coach Damian Days wasn't sure exactly how Bennett would fit into the lineup when he first stepped in the door but has been blown away by the way the sophomore has blossomed since making the move from point guard to forward.

"He's developing. I started him out at point guard, but he's more poised and has a better understanding under the basket," Days said. "He plays hard; he's a 'Yes, sir. No, sir' guy. I see him developing, and I coach him a lot. I'm going to continue to have high expectations for him, but he's developing into a great all-around basketball player. When we put him under that basket, it changed everything tremendously."

Scott's Branch is a team that has played much better than their record implies this season. The Eagles entered Friday with a record of 7-9, but most of those losses were narrow defeats at the hands of 2A and 4A programs. Bennett and the Eagles knew they were better than their record and were eager to prove themselves against the top-ranked team in 1A when they made the trip to Bethune-Bowman on Jan. 6.

"It's all in our mentality and how we approach the game. We take practice seriously, workouts seriously, and we're trying to get better each and every game," Bennett said. "(Bethune-Bowman is) the No. 1 team in 1A, so we knew we had to come out hard and physical in order to compete with them. Me and the guys got together to make a plan of what we were going to do, and we executed it."

The Eagles also got out to a bit of a later start than they traditionally can because of the success of their football program. Most of the lineup was playing in the second round of the playoffs in November, not picking up a basketball. Add in a new head coach, and that's a recipe for a bumpy start, but Days was confident his team would find its footing.

"They had to get in basketball shape, then they had to learn my system and perfect it," Days said. "Once we got in shape and learned what I wanted them to do through the month of December, now we're able to come into playing 1A schools and get a few wins."

Bennett didn't just execute; he put on a show. The sophomore poured in 17 points and dominated the glass with 14 rebounds. He added two steals to help get the Eagles moving in transition, which he saw as the key to his success.

"Getting out in transition, putting myself in good spots to where my teammates could find me and pass me the ball and just making shots," Bennett said of the keys to his offensive success. "When I get rebounds, I try to look for my point guard so he can get the offense initiated. That way I can just get to my spot and make the bucket if they need me to."

Bennett said the road victory was a big confidence booster, which helped the Eagles add wins in their next two games. The first was a 62-48 win over Lake Marion, which saw Scott's Branch score 23 points in the opening quarter. Bennett finished that victory with 10 points, seven boards, five steals and three blocks. After that, the Eagles pulled out a 55-52 win over Cross on the road with Bennett adding 13 more points in the victory.

"I think that was pretty big for us," Bennett said of the win over Bethune-Bowman. "I feel like it helps us to know that we're a good team. Just because our record isn't where we want it to be doesn't mean we can't change it.

"I'm just continuing to do what I do, practicing and working out, keeping my body healthy and making sure I do what's necessary for the team in order for us to win."

Days was proud to see that Bennett and the rest of the Eagles didn't rest on their laurels after a big win.

"This team is hungry," he said. "This is an area where they talk state championship basketball, I talk state championship basketball, so they're hungry and they want to prove they're good, too. Overall, all of them just want to be great, so it's not hard coaching them, pushing them."

Because Region V-1A is so large, the Eagles don't get multiple shots at most of their region opponents. They played Branchville in their home tournament in just their second game of the season and will meet them again at the end of the regular season. They'll also get another crack at Bethune-Bowman. Everyone else is just one game, so they're focused on making every matchup count as they make a push for a region title. They don't plan on changing the recipe for success in the process.

"We're just going to continue to work," Bennett said, "continue to practice hard and take every little thing seriously so when the season is done, hopefully we'll be on top."