Shawn Michael Matthews has lived and breathed sports his entire life.
He grew up running up and down the aisles of Simpson Hardware and Sports as the son of the general manager. When they weren't at the store, Shawn Michael was at home watching South Carolina with his family or competing with his older sister Molly and cousins in whatever game grabbed their attention at the moment.
By the time high school rolled around at Wilson Hall, Shawn Michael's passion only grew. He jumped into the starting lineup on the basketball team by his sophomore year. He's a standout on the soccer team in the spring and lined up at tight end for the football team in the fall as they played for two consecutive SCISA 3A state championships, though he battled some injuries along the way.
Now, he's looking to lead the Baron basketball team further than they've been during his time in high school. In doing so, he wants to lay a foundation for years to come.
"I want to get farther than we've been at state; I want to keep winning," Shawn Michael said. "I kind of want to be a better senior and just a good leader, so when I leave, the people below me have that image and they know what a good leader is who leads in the Lord."
RAISED TO LEAD
The Matthews family is built on the same code with which their patriarch guides the family business. Shawn Matthews prides himself on leading a company that cares for its customers. He made sure to teach his children those same core values.
"When you talk about leadership, it's the family mantra. It's how we treat people, how we stay humble and the world does not revolve around you," Shawn said. "All of those very important characteristics that every parent would try to impart on their child, no matter what they were participating in. He got that, as the third child, in spades."
That leadership shows itself in the way the Matthewses compete. Before Shawn Michael made the jump to varsity athletics, his older sister Lucy was a standout three-sport athlete in volleyball, basketball and track. As Shawn Michael rose through the ranks, he wanted to surpass his sister.
"We kinda joke, but the whole family, everything we do is competitive. It's healthy competition, but it is kind of the truth," Shawn Michael said. "I think that's really what propelled me to where I am now because I just kind of always wanted to compete, especially with Lucy. Lucy was always kind of in the limelight here at Wilson Hall. She's a great athlete, and I just kind of wanted to be better. That's the competition.
"I want my little brother Sims to come up here and be so much better than me. I think Lucy felt the same way. That's always been encouraging. It's healthy competition, so we all can get better."
That competitive nature makes it even more special when a sibling voices support of your success.
"I remember when he was in the sixth grade, there was an assembly where he made a lot of shots in front of the whole school," Shawn said. "She was in high school, but it made an impact on her, and she let him know that she was impressed. That doesn't come easily from her."
Rip Ripley has been able to see that competitive fire in all the Matthews siblings. He coached Lucy in volleyball and track before taking over as the boys basketball coach Shawn Michael's sophomore year. He even briefly coached their older sister, Mary Catherine, in track.
"It's kinda cool when you see families like that because their core values are the same across all of their kids; you see it in the way they behave and they act, but they are kind of unique in their personalities. It's fun to coach multiple siblings like that because you get to see those unique personalities," Rip said. "Shawn is a very self-driven kid, as all the Matthewses are. They have a great motor and want to do great things. Kinda like Lucy and Mary Catherine, there's never a question that they're going to be successful in whatever they choose to do, whether that was sports related or not.
"Shawn Michael's work ethic shows the way he's improved. He plays travel ball over the summer, and he'll be one of those guys, even in the summer and even in the fall during football, he'll come in and get shots up. He'll come in during study hall, after school, after practice sometimes. Constantly wanting to get better is something that comes kinda naturally."
Shawn Michael also has a fierce hunger to grow as a leader every day. Rip has only seen him improve in that role as he's matured over the years.
"He buys into our culture. We talk all the time that we're trying to build not just for this season but seasons future, and a lot of times it's hard for seniors to understand that," Ripley said. "He is leading this group where they really do understand that, they understand the value of that, and they're trying to build that culture and build the program. We have our 'Ripley Rules' that I have with my kids, and our Rule 7 is 'Leave it better than you found it.' We talk about that with this senior group, and it's something they're taking on, and he's a big part of this group doing a good job of that."
PERFECTLY TIMED PARTNERSHIP
When Shawn Michael first made the jump to varsity basketball, he was a role player on a senior-laden squad as a freshman. That season was Eddie Talley's final season as the Baron head coach, as he was preparing to turn the program over to Rip.
As Rip took over, this new young core was forming at Wilson Hall. Shawn Michael was joined by fellow sophomores Hugh Humphries and Knox Buxton as important contributors, alongside junior Daniel Burton. Freshman Ford Wilder was also joining the fold, starting a partnership that led to a lot of wins at Wilson Hall during the ensuing two seasons. While Burton graduated, most of that core group is still together, a rare experience for a high school athlete.
"It kinda felt like Rip and I together were learning through the people in front of us, and then my sophomore year is where I took on a bigger role and Coach Rip became head coach. I think that kind of growth together that I felt was really helpful," Shawn Michael said. "(That core group of players) were all kind of just propelled onto the stage, and we had to perform. We would figure out how to do it, and it worked."
During the next two seasons, Shawn Michael formed an incredible trio with Burton and Humphries. Shawn Michael's role shifted over time, as he moved from the wing to being the team's primary point guard. Behind him were two dynamic big men that were rebounding and shot-blocking machines.
"A lot of my success in those years I attribute to Hugh and Daniel because both of them made life early easy for me," Shawn Michael said.
The Barons saw growth every year. During Shawn Michael's freshman season in 2021-22, the Barons won just eight games. That total jumped to 13 his sophomore year. Last season, they claimed 24 victories, winning the regular season and tournament region titles, alongside a tournament championship at the District 9 Officials Christmas Tournament.
But that magical run ended in the second round of the playoffs with a loss to eventual state runners-up Augusta Christian. Then Burton graduated and left for The Citadel. While most of that core is back, the Barons had to reinvent themselves without their two towers in the middle.
"Most of our roles have shifted a little bit. The people watching the game don't really tell, but I mean a lot of times I'm a main rebounder and running the floor and not ball handling at first because it's just kind of the role we need," Shawn Michael said. "As a group, that's been part of the growth early this year, and some of our hiccups have been from that. We're learning to grow and learning that we can't just rely on Daniel to get a rebound or to make a block now, so we've gotta fend for ourselves a little more. I think that'll really push us farther in the state tournament than the past years."
Shawn Michael has done a little bit of everything for the Barons this winter, averaging 13.1 points per game while pulling down 5.5 rebounds per contest and dishing out 3.8 assists. When Humphries was sick and missed a game during their Christmas tournament, Shawn Michael stepped in to play center. That flexibility is a boon for Rip.
"With Shawn, as a coach, it gives us some flexibility with how we call plays, how we run stuff, who we run it for because we've got guys that are pretty interchangeable and can run multiple positions," Rip said. "The cool thing is they're seeing the value of it. Last year, he was predominantly the point guard. We had size inside; he handled the ball all the time. Now he sees why it's good for him to play the post because he can get some mismatches where he can do certain things, and he's a big, strong kid that rebounds really well, that passes really well. Having that versatility definitely helps us as a team, 100%."
Shawn Michael doesn't mind being asked to play outside of his comfort zone on the court. He just wants to win.
"It kind of comes from being a point guard and back to my family. I'm competitive, and it's not just me," Shawn Michael said. "We're a team, and if my coach tells me the best opportunity for us to win is me playing a spot I don't normally play, it's what you've got to do. I think that point guard mentality to do what you've got to do to win, and not be so selfish, has really helped me get there."
OVERCOMING INJURY
Shawn Michael was a part of the Baron football team as they played for two straight SCISA state championships, though both seasons came at a cost.
As a junior, Shawn Michael hurt his ankle and missed a huge chunk of the season. This fall, he injured his knee and worked tirelessly to get back on the field for the state championship, where he helped set up a touchdown in their heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Pinewood Prep.
"It helped me understand that quick turnaround; at times you have to be adaptable and you have to change," Shawn Michael said of overcoming injuries during football. "It was hard at times because it's not the sport I love the most, but I think it helped me learn what is important to me. Things come and the cards are dealt, and you've just got to do what you've got to do."
The decision to claw his way back onto the field for the state championship was obvious to Shawn Michael, but that's not the case with every athlete in the shifting sports landscape.
"It was fun talking to him through that process because he does love basketball, but he also didn't want to leave his football team behind," Rip said. "He fought to get back to play in that state championship game because he knew, not only for himself the importance of getting back and playing, but for his team and for our school, what that meant for him to be out there.
"He understood the value of being a part of that team. That's rare today at a lot of levels, where kids look to themselves and ask what they want to do, not what they need to do. I think he did a great job of navigating that process."
Shawn Michael also showed an ability to adapt, something that his father has witnessed his entire life.
"He just has a personality where he's not going to get worked up in any scenario," Shawn said. "It was special just to watch the determination and how he wanted to get back at it. But even his disappointments, his injuries, his losses, he takes in stride, and it ends up fueling the type of person he becomes."
CAREER AFTER WILSON HALL
Shawn Michael still has plenty of time with the Barons. He still has about a month of basketball left before turning his attention to soccer in the spring.
But once he graduates, Shawn Michael's playing days may be over. He's going to try to walk on at Wofford, but he's ready to turn to a new way to stay involved in the game he loves by getting into coaching.
"One, not being good enough to go to the NBA probably is a big factor," Shawn Michael joked about what caught his eye about the profession. "But I've been blessed with some great coaches like Coach Rip, Coach Talley. I can see it from my parents, I just want to give everything I can to the next generation because it's how you grow better people and you learn."
Rip loves the idea of his star senior joining the coaching ranks. After seeing the way he coaches his teammates and the next generation of athletes during camps, he can't think of a better fit for Shawn Michael.
"We have a couple guys this year that are new to basketball, new to varsity basketball specifically. Shawn has been really pivotal in teaching his teammates certain things," Rip said. "He knows what I'm looking for, he knows what my expectations are, and he's done a good job kinda showing those teammates how to do things.
"We do a lot with our JV program, so we practice together a lot at times, we do a lot of things with the youth in the area that's kinda tied into my Next Level program, and Shawn has volunteered with that in the past. You see the way he leads is very encouraging and nurturing. I think it lends itself very easily to coaching; I think that would be a phenomenal decision for him. Hopefully he'll do it back at Wilson Hall with us. I think he'd be a natural at that."
More Articles to Read