Missy Fowler doesn’t know where the time went.
As the Byrnes girls head basketball coach watched her two senior forwards, Jaida Johnson and Caroline Turner, walk to half-court on Friday to be celebrated on Senior Night, it finally hit her.
She doesn’t have long left with two players who have meant so much to the Lady Rebel program.
“Jaida and Caroline have been a part of this program for four years. They represent what we want Lady Rebel basketball to be all about,” said Fowler. “They’re great people. They’re great teammates. They’ve been dedicated to basketball throughout."
“If I can coach girls like Jaida and Caroline every year, I will take that every time.”
When Johnson and Turner walked to mid-court, both flanked by their families, their Lady Rebel teammates cheered them on loudly from the sidelines. It’s clear that both players, for as good as they are in the post, are even better as people and leaders for Byrnes girls basketball.
“This is such a surreal feeling,” said Johnson. “It’s like I’m really finding out that I’m actually about to graduate. I’m leaving this team after being here for four years of my life. It’s sad. This team has had such a great bond, and I’ve become friends with so many great people through basketball.”
“There is a lot of emotion for me on a day like this,” said Turner. “Seeing all of my teammates and all the people in the crowd cheering for us. It’s special. And this community truly comes out to support us and loves to watch us play. It’s not like that everywhere, but it’s special here.”
The pair of post players have played beside each other for a while now. Their dynamic duo formed in middle school, when they both played for Florence Chapel.
They carried that compatibility to high school, leaving a tremendous mark on the program throughout their Byrnes careers.
They’ve left arguably the biggest mark on the program this year, however.
Both players have been huge pieces to the Lady Rebels’ successful 2025-26 season. Byrnes finished the regular season 23-3, good for the most wins in program history.
“In such a tight region like [Region 2-5A], it makes me proud,” said Fowler after Friday night’s regular season finale victory over Riverside. “But I went back in the locker room tonight and saw tears being shed, and that had nothing to do with wins or losses. It was because of the bond shared by this team. That’s what makes this all worth it.”
“I’m proud of us as a team,” said Johnson. “In the beginning, I don’t think we were expected to do this. But we’ve shown our maturity and our skill this season. I’m excited to see how far we can take this in the playoffs if we keep trusting each other and playing our game.”
That playoff run begins tonight for Byrnes.
The Lady Rebels earned the No. 6 seed in the Class 5-A Division 1 playoffs. They’ll begin the journey toward the state championship with a home game against No. 11 seed Boiling Springs. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
“Knowing what we’ve already accomplished gives us confidence,” said Turner. “We have confidence now that we can beat anyone, as long as we keep playing even better and stronger during the playoffs.”
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