Star Alert player blocking Team Unified at the basket during the SWAT Classic.
Travis Petty Jr | The Laurinburg Exchange
Xavier Bines, right, the Scotland Swat team preparing for their opponent at the SWAT Classic.
Travis Petty Jr | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — When you think of Scotland County sports teams, those that usually come to mind are the Highland Hooligans and the Scotland High School Fighting Scots. But how could there be only two teams and two sports that people think of in Scotland County, with all the talent here?
However, on June 21, 2025, the first annual SWAT Classic (Scotland Warriors Achieving Triumph) took place for seventh and eighth-grade students at the Wagram Recreation Center in Wagram, NC. The event was put together for teams to scrimmage against fellow opponents and showcase the basketball talent here in Scotland County.
Xavier Bines is the director of the SWAT Classic. Also, a coach for the Scotland Swat, Bines, is no stranger to the Scotland community and basketball fans here. On Dec 23, 2023, he hosted an alumni basketball event where former players from Scotland, Richmond Senior, Hoke County and Marlboro County participated in a basketball game.
“I want to put the county on notice that we are a basketball town as well,” Bines said. “We want exposure to the county for basketball; however, at the end of the day, we have some talented kids that can play basketball.”
Eight teams participated in the classic with the first game starting at 9:15 a.m.
The teams for the event included, Jammers-Bright, Team Unified, Carolina Heat, Richmond Jammers, Taken By Force, Scotland Swat, Star Alert and the Scotland Swat B.
The Classic had many things to offer: players fighting for rebounds, diving for loose balls, blocked shots and parents cheering loudly from the sidelines. If you were a basketball enthusiast, this was the place to be.
“There was amazing, good competitive basketball today and here in Laurinburg, NC. I just wanna give these kids something to do and stay out of the streets,” Bines stated.
Though this is only the beginning, there is still some work to be done in order for people to recognize Scotland County as a basketball town. On July 6, 2025, Bines is teaming up with an organization called the Court Bullies at Laurel Hill to have another SWAT Classic.
“Keep having basketball tournaments all summer and shining the light on Scotland County basketball. There are some kids here who can really make it far if they keep working. My job is to keep the kids busy,” Bines said.
When asked about the basketball area in Scotland County, Bines was not hesitant to respond, stating, “Tough, resilient and underrated.”
Travis Petty Jr can be reached at tpetty@cmpapers.com and twitter @T_PettySports.