CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Empowering girls through sports is the goal of News 4’s January community partner, Leveling the Fields.

The Charleston-area nonprofit offers after-school sports programs for elementary school girls, aiming to introduce them to athletics early and help build pathways to leadership later in life.

Girls in the Lowcountry are learning lacrosse, soccer and basketball through the program. Founder Melyssa Jaskiewicz said exposure to sports at a young age can translate into confidence and leadership skills as they grow older.

“Only 24% of C-suite executives are female, but 94% of them played sports,” Jaskiewicz said. “If we want more women in leadership, we need more girls playing sports.”

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Jaskiewicz said cost, access and limited options often prevent girls from participating. To address those barriers, she launched Leveling the Fields’ Empower Play program in February 2024.

Through the program, coaches go directly to Title I elementary schools, eliminating transportation challenges. The nonprofit fully funds the nine-week program, which rotates through three different sports.

“The fact that we’re going onsite takes out access. We’re fully funding it, so that takes out cost,” Jaskiewicz said. “And by offering three sports, we’re taking out options as a barrier.”

The first pilot program launched in April 2024. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded into schools across Charleston and Berkeley counties, completing 11 programs in 2025.

Heading into 2026, seven schools are already signed up for spring sessions, with three additional schools on a waiting list due to funding limitations.

Jaskiewicz said the organization’s biggest expenses are coaches and equipment, but support from volunteers has been strong.

“Everyone really aligns with the mission,” she said. “Most of us played sports, some at the college level, and one even professionally. People understand how sports helped get them where they are.”

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Looking ahead, Jaskiewicz said the nonprofit hopes to expand to all 39 Title I schools across Charleston and Berkeley counties within five years, with Dorchester County potentially next.

Long term, she envisions chapters in every state within 20 years.

She said one of the most important lessons sports teach is resilience.

“The biggest thing sports teaches us is how to lose,” Jaskiewicz said. “You learn it’s not the end of the world. You get up and you keep going.”

Jaskiewicz hopes those lessons will help set the girls up for success well beyond the playing field.

For more information on Leveling the Fields, click here.

The Brenham Cubs played a solid offensive game on Friday night, but could not keep up with A&M Consolidated on their home floor.

Brenham dropped an 85-75 game to the Tigers for its third consecutive District 17-5A defeat.

The Cubs (14-10, 0-3 district) produced 28 more points than their last game on Tuesday against Huntsville. However, Brenham also allowed its second-most points in a game this season.

“I told the kids, ‘I can not be mad at how hard you played,’” Brenham coach Colby Andrews said. “It is not like it was an effort thing. It felt like every time that we could not finish an opportunity that we had at this end, they came back down and just hit a dagger.”

Brenham held two momentary leads in the second quarter. The last lead came on a putback from junior forward Lamarion Roberson with 4:23 left that gave the Cubs a 21-20 lead.

A&M Consolidated (9-11, 2-1 district) went on an eight-point run over nearly two minutes to take a 28-21 advantage. The Tigers proceeded to take a 36-26 lead into halftime.

Brenham and A&M Consolidated’s offenses went blow-for-blow in the third quarter. Both teams combined for 49 points in the period with no team building a run of more than five points. The Tigers edged the Cubs 25-24 to take a 61-50 lead into the fourth period.

A similar pace broke out in the final quarter. Brenham got its deficit down to eight points at three different times in the period, but A&M Consolidated responded each time.

After Brenham senior forward Jayden Hebert made a putback with 5:52 to play to trim the Cub deficit to 69-61, the Tigers went on a seven-point run. A 3-pointer with 3:59 remaining pushed the A&M Consolidated edge to 76-61.

After the Tiger run, Brenham could not get its deficit below 10 points.

“They do a really good job of pushing the ball and I think we struggled in that area and it was just hard to close that gap,” Andrews said. “We could not consistently either finish or get back on defense. That is a bad recipe, but it was a fun game.”

Hebert played a key role in the fourth quarter with three of his six baskets for the game. He finished with 15 points.

Junior forward Roderick Martin also had a productive second half. Martin scored five points in the third quarter and tallied seven points in the fourth period to finish with a team-leading 18 points.

“He played well and he is really stepping up into a leadership role and just keeping everybody even-keeled,” Andrews said.

Senior guard Chris Guidry and junior guard Quincy Adams each made two baskets in the final period. While Adams’ baskets made up his only four points of the game, Guidry’s fourth-quarter effort supplemented a 15-point performance. Guidry went 6-of-7 from the free throw line with four made shots.

Junior guard Dawud Majied produced two 3-pointers in the third quarter as part of a 13-point night. He made three 3-pointers overall.

Even though Andrews said Majied had a momentary lapse in confidence, he also said his shot “was much better today.”

Despite Majied’s 3-pointers being Brenham’s only deep makes of the contest, Andrews also was happy with his team’s deep shooting.

“The 3-point shot, we have actually shot a little bit better than we normally do,” he said.

Andrews also praised performances off the bench from junior guards Trelyn Kelly and Darion Curry, among others. While Curry did not get onto the scoresheet, Kelly provided five points with two made shots.

Despite a solid effort on Friday, Brenham is in a perilous position with its 0-3 district record. Andrews noted that to keep up with last year’s district-wide pace of six wins needed for a playoff spot, Brenham will need to win six of its next nine district games.

However, he also said his players remain in high spirits and are focused on improving to end their losing streak.

“They realize that I know that they are playing very hard,” Andrews said. “They also know (that) we got to make more easy shots near the basket. We got to convert those and take advantage.”

Brenham will continue its search for its first district win at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rudder, the only other winless team in District 17-5A play.

“We got to fine tune some things and get us a win,” Andrews said.

La Habra’s Acen Jimenez drives against Crean Lutheran’s Bryce Coleman as teammate Josh Desatoff sets a screen Friday night. (Photos courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs, John Luciano).

Senior guard Acen Jimenez scored 30 points, and La Habra drilled 14 3-pointers as the Highlanders defeated Crean Lutheran 69-56 before a roaring hometown crowd in a Crestview League game Friday night.  

The Highlanders (16-5, 2-1) came out firing beyond the arc and played aggressive defense, handing Crean Lutheran its first league loss.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Crean Lutheran’s Nicholas Giarrusso drives as La Habra guard Damien Ceballos defends.

La Habra’s Josh Desatoff attempts a three point shot late in the game.

Crean Lutheran’s Hunter Caplan attempts a shot.

La Habra students react to a big play Friday.

Crean Lutheran point guard Caden Jones puts up a shot.

La Habra’s Damien Ceballos takes a 3-pointer.

Crean Lutheran Head Coach Austin Loeb calls a play late in the game.

Crean Lutheran’s Chadrack Mpoyi drives to the basket as La Habra’s Noah Poppin defends Friday night.

Crean Lutheran’s Evan Mack drives to the basket against La Habra.

La Habra Coach Aaron Riekenberg talks to his team during a timeout.

Crean Lutheran’s Chadrack Mpoyi battles for a rebound against La Habra’s Noah Poppin (50) and Richard Gonzales (30).

La Habra junior Jayden Garcia sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem before the game.
PHOTO: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone

Jimenez, a Dartmouth commit, nailed four 3-pointers in the first quarter as La Habra built a 23-8 lead after eight minutes of play.

“We played great defense and that is something we take great pride in,” said Jimenez. “This was a team effort, and it gives us momentum, but we have to remain humble.”

La Habra was undersized but battled successfully throughout the game. Damien Ceballos, Jayden Martinez, Noah Poppin, Richard Gonzales and Jimenez each took turns guarding the Saints 6-11 center Chadrack Mpoyi.

“It was a great bounce-back win,” said Poppin, whose 3-pointer gave the Highlanders their biggest lead of the game at 34-16 at the 2:36 mark of the second quarter. Poppin fouled out of the game with 7:20 to play but his defense gave La Habra a big lift.

Trailing 38-21 at halftime, the Saints, behind the driving force of senior guard Nicholas Giarrusso and Evan Mack, cut the lead to single digits after three periods. Giarrusso and Mack combined to score 13 points in the quarter as Crean Lutheran outscored the Highlanders 20-12 in the quarter and set the stage for an exciting final period.

The Saints (15-6, 2-1) started the fourth quarter on a 9-3 run and gained momentum after cutting the lead to 53-50 on a bucket by Mpoyi with 2:51 remaining.

With a boisterous crowd behind the Highlanders, La Habra scored on its next five possessions getting key baskets from Aaron Wilson, Martinez, Desatoff, and back-to-back 3-pointers by Ceballos that sent the crowd into a frenzy.  

“They left me open in the corner, and it was my time to fire, and I let it fly and luckily they went in,” said Ceballos, whose second 3-pointer gave the Highlanders an unsurmountable 66-54 lead with 1:35 left in the game.

“Damien (Ceballos) was the MVP on our freshman and sophomore teams and when he got to varsity he had a different role,” said La Habra Coach Aaron Riekenberg.  “He accepted his role as not having to be the high scorer but when his time came, he nailed it. He’s all about winning.”

Wilson, a freshman, was a key factor down the stretch for La Habra, scoring seven points in the fourth quarter.

“This is all new to me; I’ve never been in this kind of environment before; it’s exciting,” said Wilson.

University of Minnesota commit Mpoyi and UC Riverside commit Giarrusso each scored 16 points to lead Crean Lutheran, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Hunter Caplan also added 11 points for the Saints.

“We didn’t play well as a team; we need to play harder,” said Mpoyi following the game.

Saints Coach Austin Loeb said his team will learn from this game.

“Jimenez and his team set the tone early by hitting all their 3’s and we didn’t adjust,” said Loeb. “But that’s what the league games are for, to get us ready for the playoffs. We will learn from this and will need to play more unselfish. This was a great environment, and they were feeding off their crowd.”

La Habra’s Desatoff summed up his team’s performance.

“I have confidence in this team, and we have heart and this win builds more confidence and momentum,” said Desatoff, who scored 12 points in the game.

NOTES:

—Both coaches Aaron Riekenberg and Austin Loeb, commented on the strength of the Crestview League. “Last year I think the Crestview League, from top to bottom, was the strongest in Orange County but this year I think we’re second behind the Trinity League,” said Riekenberg.

“The Crestview is the best non-Trinity League in the county,” Loeb added. “We have four teams in the top 15 in the county. You can’t take any night off in this league.”

—La Habra AD Paul Caffrey said, “Friday’s win may have been the biggest win of the season. We beat a very good Crean Lutheran team.” 

—-Jimenez is headed to play at Dartmouth next season. “I took a trip to Dartmouth (in Hanover, New Hampshire) and fell in love with the place, the community, the academics and the athletics.” Jimenez said. He said he also considered playing at Long Beach State, UC San Diego, Cal Poly SLO, and Georgia State but choose Dartmouth.   

—La Habra junior Jayden Garcia sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem prior to the game.

—The Highlanders forced 15 Crean Lutheran turnovers and committed only four turnovers themselves.  

Frank Migliaccio, a beloved member of the Trenton and Allen Park communities, passed away on January 10, 2026, at the age of 69. Born on October 17, 1956, in Wyandotte, Michigan, he was known for his infectious sense of humor and quick wit that made him a treasured friend to many.

Frank enjoyed a fulfilling career as a driver, retiring from DHL, where he embraced the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life. His education journey began at Trenton High School, from which he graduated in 1974, followed by earning a Computer Science Degree from CDI. This combination of practical skills and knowledge served him well in both his professional and personal endeavors.

A dedicated sports enthusiast, Frank found joy in fishing, hunting, golfing, and baseball. He generously shared his passion for the game by serving as a long-time baseball Coach for the Allen Park City and Travel Baseball Leagues, where his commitment to youth sports left a lasting impact. Additionally, he captivated audiences as an announcer for Allen Park High School football games, where his vibrant personality shone through his broadcasts.

Family was always at the center of Frank’s life. He is survived by his children, Anthony, Sam (Natalie), Jimmie (Brittany), and Joey (Brienne), who were a source of pride and joy for him. He was also a cherished grandfather to Mia and Brady. Frank’s bonds extended beyond his immediate family; he is survived by his sister, Maribeth, and brother, Joseph (Lisa), as well as his beloved nephews, Nick, Steve, and Kyle, and niece, Meg. The mother of his children, Darlene (Henry), remained a significant presence in his life, and he left behind many other loving family members and friends who will carry his memory forward. Their loyal dog, Hank, also mourns the loss of his companion.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mary Lou (Gerstner) Migliaccio, whose love and guidance shaped the man he became.

As we remember Frank, we celebrate a life filled with laughter, love, and contribution to his community. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The family wants to extend a special thank you to Select Specialty Hospital-Downriver for their exceptional care to Frank

A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 12 pm at the Woodhaven Baptist Church, 21950 Gudith, Woodhaven, MI 48183.

Memorial contributions to honor his life may be made to the family.