Conway, SC – Year three of ACA Armada Athletics is well underway and it was certainly a whirlwind summer, and first two years for that matter. We have come so far as an athletic department and school from the days at Beach Church and working to secure fields just to hold practice.
 
Where has the time gone?
 
This is a year of change and growth for Atlantic Collegiate Academy. We welcome three new head coaches into the fold. That trio includes a new head boys' basketball coach, a new head softball coach and a new girls' and boys' golf head coach. We are also welcoming new assistant coaches in those sports.
 
ACA has also grown by almost 200 new students for the 2025-26 school year, and we are focusing on increasing our JV offerings this year. We will offer a JV football team for the first time and will assess girls' basketball, girls' soccer, boys' soccer and softball when the winter and spring seasons roll around.
 
Due to an issue with construction on the school property, we were unable to create a cross country course so we will only be able to offer a club again for the 2025-26 year. We are making the addition of varsity teams a top priority for new sport offerings in 2026.
 
Fall officially kick things off in late August with the Girls' Tennis team playing in the Florence Tennis Association's Girls Tennis Tournament at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Tennis Center. The Armada opened against Ashley Hall from Class AAA, falling 5-0. The team faced even better competition against Class AAAA Clover in their second match, falling 4-1 in a much closer contest.
 
The Armada continued to play up in their final two matches of the tournament, both against AAAA teams. North Myrtle Beach defeated ACA 4-1 as did Wilson High.
 
Freshman Sofia Miroff posted singles victories in three of her four matches to start her prep career on the right foot. Coach Michael Roberts' squad has just five players this fall, so they will face long odds in all their matches this fall.
 
Girls Golf officially teed off for the season on August 18 as the reigning state champion runners-up at the AA level. They opened the season in the Bengal Invitational at the Columbia Country Club, in Columbia, SC, where they tied for seventh in a 21-team field. Sophomore Bella Stroupe earned a top 10 finish with a score of 77. The squad was back in action on August 25 in the Charleston Classic, once again finishing seventh, this time in a 20-team field. Stroupe was again had the low score, posting a 79 to tie for 9^th place.
 
See the full slate of girls' golf matches and tournaments HERE.
 
Volleyball began a highly anticipated season on August 28, starting things with a bang against Pinnacle Charter sister school, and perennial SCHSL powerhouse, Oceanside Collegiate. The Armada junior varsity took the measure of the Landsharks, winning 2-0 with scores of 25-13 and 25-11. The two varsity squads tangled in a five-set thriller, with Oceanside edging out the victory 3-2. The teams alternated set wins, with OCA winning the first and third sets (26-24 & 25-16) and ACA taking the second and third sets (25-18 & 27-25). Oceanside pulled out the match with a 15-6 victory in the final set.
 
The Armada earned its first victory on Tuesday, a Region 7-AA win, in straight sets against Mullins. There was no JV contest played on Tuesday. Both teams will return to action on the road at Marion High next Tuesday.
 
This season will see ACA participate in two in-season tournaments – at Northside Christian and in the Iron Horse Invitational hosted by Philip Simmons. The Armada will also host five more matches at the Flight Deck throughout the 25-26 campaign. ACA is looking for new leaders on the floor after All-State seniors Ella Handley (playing at Anderson University) and Reese Feldman graduated. See their full schedule HERE.
 
Football was schedule to play more home games than away contests for the first time this year, but that got flipped upside down by facility issues. With renovations taking place at CCU's Brooks Stadium, ACA was planning to use two different facilities in Horry County as their home field for the season. Two games – Oct. 3 vs. Marion High and Oct. 24 vs. East Clarendon High - will take place at Ashley Booth Field in Myrtle Beach.
 
The rest of the home games were scheduled to be played at the North Strand Rec Center in Longs, but it was discovered that the field there was not official sized. So, we had to make a late adjustment. The opener against Mountain View Prep was played at a neutral site – Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia – but the rest of the scheduled home dates will now be played as road games.
 
It was a busy preseason for the Armada and Coach Antoine Rivens as he hosted his first Youth Football Clinic. That event saw more than 100 Horry County youth attend and learn more about the game of football. On August 7, Coach Rivens hosted his first Ladies Football Clinic, an event that included 25 attendees who wanted to learn more about the intricacies of the game, have some fun and laughs, and fellowship with each other.
 
"This is something we want to grow and really have gain a footing as we continue to develop the culture and build the program here at ACA. It has been a huge part of what I did at other schools and believe it is vital to get this type of involvement," Rivens said.
   
During the SCACA Convention in Greenville the last week of July, I was asked to speak at one of the basketball seminars that focused on college basketball recruiting. It was a round table discussion, showcasing five different speakers, including coaches and ADs, and was attended by more than 150 high school coaches throughout the state of South Carolina.
 
As a reminder, all ACA athletes who make a JV or Varsity team are REQUIRED to pay a $75 sports participation fee prior to playing in any official contest. Also, all athletes are REQUIRED to complete their bio questionnaires as soon as possible.
 
About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Conway, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades. Learn more about ACA by visiting our website at AtlanticCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and X.