For Airport head coach Casey Bradwell, last season’s state championship wasn’t just a title, it was the culmination of years spent building a program alongside those who once wore the same uniform.

In today’s high school landscape, it’s increasingly rare to have a championship program with homegrown roots, but the Airport baseball team is just that. 

Bradwell and many of his assistants played for Airport. After his playing career, he joined the coaching staff as an assistant under the previous head coach Tim Perry. When Perry stepped down in 2021, Bradwell took over the main job.

Bradwell’s hiring has led to more than just success. His roots at the school built a community support few other teams can match.

“It means a lot to me. We put in a lot of time and effort,” Bradwell said. “ It's grassroots built. It means a little more to us because we've been through it on that same field, the losses, the wins, all of it.”

Under his leadership, Airport has reached new heights. Multiple conference championships, a handful of recognized players and the first state title in program history are just a few of the things the team has accomplished.

These achievements have created a buzz around the program and led to a passionate fanbase, which was on full display during its historic title run. 

“ We had probably 1,000 people or more at the state championship game at home,” Bradwell said. “I see people out and about like, ‘Hey man, great job last year,’ I don’t even know who they are.”

This newfound celebrity status has not gone to the team’s head. The group understands it's a new season, and going back-to-back is never easy. 

Airport currently sits at (10-1) this season. The Eagles are battling injuries to key players, but are keeping a next man up mentality as the region season heats up.

Star pitcher Cash Epps is one of the players sidelined with an injury. In his absence, the team has had to experiment with different lineups and change its game plan a few times. 

“ It doesn't matter who it is, the results still have to be the same thing. We’ve still got to win ball games,” Bradwell said. “ Things happen, and you just have to keep moving. Can’t be down on yourself.” 

Players like Daniel Butts and Rylan Bullis have stepped up and alleviated some of the pain for the team with their pitching. 

Landon Jeffcoat and Justin Sightler are a powerful hitting duo, both committed to play at the next level. 

Jeffcoat is having a monster year at the plate,  hitting .526 in 25 plate appearances, entering this week. Sightler leads the team in RBIs as well. 

Like the staff, Airport’s players are home-grown talents. Many have been in the program since their freshman year, and some have played together even before that. 

“They’re a close-knit group,” Bradwell said. “We don’t have any issues.” 

Even with a bit of bad injury luck, Airport is poised for another deep postseason run. The team has a chance to win the region title and can better its odds with wins in a two-game series against North Augusta next week.

After that, it's full steam ahead into the postseason. 

The regular season ends April 29, and the playoffs start the following week. 

“ The overall goals are getting to the playoffs to win your last game. That's been the goal for I guess 16 years now,” Bradwell said. “ Find a way to get in the playoffs and win your last game. That's the expectation. Anything short of that is, we didn't get the job done.”