WINNSBORO – Three Fairfield Central student-athletes signed
their letters of intent on Wednesday, March 2. Pictured at left, Stephon
Gadsden, quarterback for the Griffins, made his plans to play football at South
Carolina State University official. According to stats on Maxpreps, Gadsden
averaged 99 passing yards per game and 65.2 rushing yards per game in his
career as a Griffin.
At right, twins Tamerra and Tanisha English signed their
letters of intent for track and field at Oakland City University. Tamerra
English was a part of last season’s 4×100 relay team, which finished first in
the region. She also placed third at region in javelin. Tanisha English placed
second at region in 100m hurdles and fifth in high jump and shot put.
The Fairfield Central boys team at the state meet.
COLUMBIA – In no surprising feat, senior Griffin Joshua Mosley crossed the finish line first for Fairfield Central last Friday at the South Carolina High School League’s 3A State meet. Mosley finished in ninth place for an All-State (top 10) finish with a time of 17:24.63.
Joshua Mosley | Photos: James Witherspoon
Hank White
Eighth grader Nygel Woodard finished second for the Griffins
and in 43rd place of the 113 runners with an 18:42.99 finish. Freshman Hank
White followed in 68th place at 19:27.98. Eighth grader Sidney Wilson and
sophomore Rylan Woodard also finished under 20 minutes. Wilson finished at
19:47.31 for 78th place, a personal best, and Woodard finished at 19:56.34 for
the 80 spot. Sophomore Malachi Woodard
rounded out the Griffins’ times at 21:07.48.
Mosley’s experience combined with tenaciousness of young talent catapulted the Griffins into their first region finish in program history this year.
The Bengals take the field for their 2021 home opener.
BLYTHEWOOD – Desmond Boatwright blasted through Fairfield Central defenders Monday night. Backup quarterback David Herndon had enough touch on the ball to throw three touchdown passes. Together, they and the rest of the Blythewood football team closed out a 22-6 victory over 3A rival Fairfield Central Monday night.
Boatwright had 169 yards on 22 carries on the night. Herndon
started in lieu of sophomore Harrison Collins, who broke his hand before the
season opener. The 6-0 junior threw TD passes of 6, 30, and 23 yards, along
with a 2-point conversion pass in the first half to give the Bengals a 20-0
halftime lead.
“I’ve got to give our O-line credit and Desmond did a great
job,” Blythewood head coach Jason Seidel said. “We left some points off the
board though, and you have to give Fairfield credit, we had some drives but we
shot ourselves in the foot. It was a typical first game.”
Herndon coming in on short notice was a concern going in,
but the signal caller relied on receivers Jake Parker, Josh Gray, and Johnathan
Harper to take in touchdown passes and give Blythewood a good cushion going
into the second half.
“I was proud of him,” Seidel said. “It’s gonna take some time. He’ll miss a couple of plays here and there because he’s still learning the signals, but it happens.”
Fairfield defenders take down the Bengal runner. | Photos: Anthony Montgomery
For the Griffins, who had seen their fall practice
practically erased by COVID, came in without the pleasure of having scrimmaged
opponents in the preseason. That lack of practice showed, head coach Demetrius
Davis said.
“The one thing we couldn’t afford to do we did,” he said. “I
was hoping we would be able to come through and even if it was the first time
we went live, be able to overcome some of the mistakes. Playing a team of this
caliber in your first game you’ve got to be able to come out and play
mistake-free and create some turnovers. And we couldn’t get that done.”
The Bengals defense limited the Griffins to 160 total yards
on the night, 87 rushing and 73 passing.
“Our defense was great, and I love the special teams,”
Seidel said. “Our punter (Will Rowe, three punts and a 47.0 average on the
night) did a great job of changing field position.”
Blythewood turned the ball over on downs deep into Fairfield
Central territory on its first drive. The Bengals second drive paid off as they
ground out the clock with Boatwright runs and scored on Herndon’s 6-yard
touchdown pass to Parker with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
Up 6-0, the Bengals defense made a key stop. Fairfield Central went backwards on the next possession, punting from the15-yard line and setting up Blythewood at the Griffins’ 30-yard line. Three plays later Herndon struck again with a 30-yard touchdown strike to Gary at the 10:41 mark.
Herndon’s third TD pass of the half came with 4:38 left as
he found Harper from 23 yards out. After having missed an extra point and
failed on a 2-point conversion on its first scores, Herndon made good on the
third attempt, a pass to Chris Thomas for two points to give Blythewood a 20-0
lead at halftime.
Blythewood spent the third quarter running the clock out on
Boatwright runs, then pinning Fairfield Central back deep in its own territory.
Doing so led to a safety when Jordan Clark tackled Tyderian Grier in the end
zone at the 9:03 mark of the fourth.
Fairfield Central finally managed a small drive in the final
minutes of the game, an 11-play 40-yarder capped with Semaj Young’s 2-yard TD
run with 20 seconds left.
“I feel like we won the second half,” Davis said. We did a
better job in the second half than in the first one. Our defense pretty much
shut them out. We did some good things on defense, and the only points they got
was on that safety, and that was on me, that wasn’t a great call.”
Blythewood travels to Westwood for the latest Battle of the
Woods—and the right to wield the Jeanne Schmidt Memorial Trophy Friday.
Covid-19 forced last year’s meeting to be cancelled. Westwood beat Blythewood
14-7 in the rivalry in 2019.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Seidel said. “We’ve got to make
sure we’re ready to go. This happened to us two years ago, we played on a
Monday and went to Westwood and lost. A lot of our kids remember that.”
Fairfield Central plays host to Lancaster Monday night.
“A team makes the best strides between week one and week two,
so hopefully we can get this film,” Davis said. “This is the first chance we’ve
been able to go up against some guys. Hopefully we’ll do better next week.”
Fairfield Central – 0-0-0-6 — 6
Blythewood – 6-14-0-2 — 22
First Quarter
B – Jake Parker 6 pass from David Herndon
(kick failed) :18
Second Quarter
B – Josh Gray 30 pass from Herndon (pass
failed) 10:41
B – Johnathan Harper 23 pass from Herndon
(Chris Thomas pass from Herndon) 4:38
Fourth Quarter
B – Team safety 9:03
F – Semaj Young 2 run (kick failed) :20
FC Blythewood
First Downs 10 12
Rushes-Yards 30-87 37-157
Passing Yards 73 82
Att-Com-Int 20-7-0 8-5-0
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1
Penalties-Yards 6-30 7-45
Punts-Avg. 5-36.6 3-47.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: FC– Stephon Gadsden 16-70, Semaj Young
5-16, Donovan Watkins 3-20, Kensley Copeland 2-5, TyDerian Grier 1-14, Team
1-(-38). Blythewood – Desmond Boatwright 22-169, David Herndon 9-(-26), James
Lyles 2-0, Curtis Hilton Jr.3-14.
PASSING: FC – Stephon Gadsden 7-20-0. Blythewood –
David Herndon 5-8-0.
Larry Perry played shortstop for the SC Braves. | Martha Ladd
WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central recently announced that alum Larry Perry will be the next head baseball coach for the Griffins.
“Coach Perry comes to us with a wealth of baseball
knowledge,” Fairfield Central’s announcement said.
Perry
Perry, a 2007 graduate, was a baseball standout for the Griffins and played travel ball with the SC Braves, a team loaded with Midlands baseball talent. The Braves played in USSSA and Triple Crown tournaments.
After high school, Perry played for two seasons at USC
Sumter before moving on to finish his collegiate career as a USC Beaufort Sand
Shark.
In his final year as a USCS Fire Ant, Perry batted .351 in
49 games played. He had 53 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs and 31 RBIs in 151
at bats. Perry’s fielding percentage was .957 with 27 putouts, 52 assists and
only 4 errors, helping the team to a 47-7 record.
In the 2010 season at USCB, Perry was named 2nd Team
All-Conference. Perry’s statistics remain in the record books at USCB. His
single-season batting average of .392 and 53 runs are each sixth best in school
history. Perry is one of only three Sand Sharks to hit two triples in a game.
Perry’s on-base percentage of .422 remains in the top 15 of USCB players. He is
third-best in single-season stolen bases with 21. His 29 career stolen bases at
USCB is sixth best in program history.
Perry returned to Winnsboro and has worked as an Athletic
Specialist with the Fairfield County Parks and Recreation Department.
“This is truly a blessing,” Perry said in a statement on
Facebook. “Dr. Swilley and Coach Roach thank you for the opportunity, it feels
good to be home!”
HOPKINS – Last Friday’s Track and Field championships may not have been the finish that the Griffins’ wanted, but it was a good one nonetheless. Sharmelle Holmes, Tamerra English and Joshua Mosley represented Fairfield Central in their respective events last Friday at the SC High School League AAA State Championships.
Sharmelle Holmes
Holmes took home second place in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.41. Ja’Lencia Griffin of Manning took first place at 25.14. Holmes also finished fourth in the 100m dash with a time of 12.48. Griffin also took first at 12.33.
Joshua Mosley finished fourth for Fairfield in the 3200
meter run finals with a 9:53.66 finish, a new personal best for him.
Pendleton’s Ronan O’Neill finished first in the event at 9:35.39.
Tamerra English finished seventh in javelin at 70-08.00.
Bishop England’s Hope-Elaine Stowell took first place.
The Griffin girls team finished second in the region this season.
COLUMBIA – At the Region 4-3A meet, the Griffin girls team finished in second place behind Mid-Carolina, while the Griffin Boys placed last, but junior Joshua Mosley continued to dominate in the distance events, pulling first place finishes in the 800m run (2:11.12), the 1600m run (5:01.97) and the 3200m run (10:42.20).
Other top-five finishes for the boys were:
Evelino Reyes-Hawes finished second in high jump for the Griffins at 5-8.
Tydarion Grier: 100m dash (5th place, 11.13) and long jump (5th place, 19-4.5)
Mosley, Reyes-Hawes, and the 4×100 and 4×800 relay teams qualified for Upper State this weekend
Sharmelle Holmes highlighted the Griffin girls team with
first place finishes in the 100m dash (12.09), the 200m dash (25.33) and the
400m dash (1:00.88).
Fairfield’s relay team of Tamerra English, Natalia Gray,
Anaya Peay and Holmes placed first in the 4x100m relay finals with a time of
50.53.
The Griffin girls also saw a handful of second place
finishes. Tamerra English placed second in the 100m hurdles. The 4x400m relay
team of Celysha Jackson, Teairra McDuffie, Anaya Peay and Ericka Kelly placed
second, and the 4×800 relay team of Jackson, McDuffie, English and SaKira Hayes
also finished second.
Other top-five finishers for the girls were:
Natalia Gray: 100m dash (5th place, 13.17)
SaKira Hayes: 1600m run (3rd place, 6:26.26) and 3200m run (5th place, 16:42.58)
Tanisha English: high jump (5th place, 4-2) and shot put (5th place, 26-6)
Tamerra English: javelin (3rd place, 67-2)
Ericka Kelly: shot put (3rd place, 28-6) and javelin (5th place, 56-9.5)
Holmes, Hayes, Tamerra English, Gray, Kelly, Tanisha
English, and the 4×100, 4×400 and 4x800m relay teams qualified for 3A Upper
State.
The Griffins head to Upper State this weekend in hopes of qualifying for the State meet next weekend.
COLUMBIA – Joshua Mosley represented Fairfield Central at
the Ben Lippen School’s George Johnson Falcon Invitational on April 10. Mosley
took first place in the 3200 meter run finals with a time of 10:13.54, two
seconds ahead of second place finisher Judson Taylor of Lexington High School.
Mosley, a junior, set his personal record in the 3200 meter run at the March 6 Diamond Hornets Invitational with a time of 10:03.09.
The Griffins were set to compete in Lugoff Elgin’s meet on
Wednesday, but scores were not available at press time. They will travel to
Keenan for the Raider Twilight Invitational on April 16 and to Columbia
International University on April 17 for the Rams High School Invitational.
Gov. Henry McMaster presents the S.C. Teacher of the Year plaque to Chanda Jefferson. Looking on are S.C. Superintendent of Schools Molly Spearman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Fairfield School District Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green. Photo: South Carolina Department of Education
WINNSBORO – When Chanda Jefferson was named South Carolina’s 2020 Teacher of the Year last week, she made more than her mother proud. All of Fairfield County was bursting at the seams with pride for one of its own.
A native of Beech Island, SC, Jefferson has been teaching for eight years, the last three as a Biology teacher at Fairfield Central High School. Prior to that Jefferson was named S.C. Outstanding Biology Teacher in 2014, and was one of 20 teachers to receive the Princeton University Fellowship for Teachers. Other honors during her career include being invited by a Harvard University professor to speak to world-renowned scientists and researchers at the 74th Annual Society of Developmental Biology Conference in Utah.
“This has been a crazy adventure and a blessing at the same time!” Jefferson posted on her Facebook page.
FCSD honored Jefferson in a parade in front of Fairfield Central on Monday. Other District Teachers of the Year and 2019 Dual Enrollment graduates were also honored during the parade. | Martha Ladd
The day after being named the top teacher in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster honored the state’s new 2020 Teacher of the Year, and on Monday, the Fairfield County School District held a parade on Highway 321 in Winnsboro in Jefferson’s honor.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Jefferson traces her love for teaching to her childhood.
“As a child, I enjoyed playing school with my nieces, nephews, and cousins. I always took the role of teacher,” she said.
Jefferson said she is thrilled to be honored and that the work of every teacher is something to be recognized on a regular basis.
“Each day that we walk through the doors of our schools and classrooms, we positively impact the lives of students and that deserves to be celebrated every day, every day,” Jefferson said. “I am so thankful, honored, humbled and blessed to stand before you as the 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.”
Jefferson has said her goal is forming relationships and lighting the way towards achievement for her students and the students across South Carolina.
“Each year, teachers receive students from all walks of life, and it is our job to teach them. Some students enter our classrooms with a village of support, while others enter alone,” she said. “Yet no matter how they arrive to our classrooms, we must build relationships with them, engage them, and show them that we care. All students will face challenging situations, hardships, and confusion, but in the midst of varying degrees of adversity, teachers have the power to show them how knowledge, uniqueness, and individual interests can empower them and create endless possibilities in life.”
Jefferson will receive a total of $25,000 and the keys to a new BMW to use while serving a one-year residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement. Jefferson will be a roving ambassador providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements and other duties as she serves as the spokesperson for 50,000 teachers.
Her winnings will also include a set of new tires – for when she’s finished with her new ride – and a Jostens ring.
COLUMBIA – Chanda Jefferson of Fairfield Central High School was named the 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year last night in Columbia.
Jefferson received a total of $25,000, use of a BMW for a year and will serve a one-year residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement.
WINNSBORO – The 6th annual Fairfield County School District Hall of Fame gala was held April 27 in the school gym. A welcome by Tracie Swilley, Principal of FCHS and the introduction of the inductees was followed by dinner and entertainment by Seven Show Band. This year’s inductees include Russell N. Feaster, Sr., Jessie C. Gaston, Lloyd J. McGriff, Carolyn P. Pierce, James E. Smalls (posthumously) and Gloria B. Thomas.
