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Tag: High School Sports

  • Eagles on the hunt for state title

    Cam Bass (18), Tyler Tanner (6), Luke Martin and assistant Coach Brent Silvia celebrate Monday’s walk-off win at the plate. | Photos: Martha Ladd

    WINNSBORO/EHRHARDT – Monday night’s matchup against Andrew Jackson Academy was one for the storybooks. Trailing the Confederates for almost the entire game, it looked to be a bleak ending for the Eagles in game one of the three-game SCISA 1A Semifinal series. In true hero fashion, sophomore Zack Taylor drove in the winning run with a walk-off double to give the Eagles the 4-3 win.

    It was a pitcher’s duel kind of night. After three scoreless innings, the Confederates took control of the game in the fourth on some key Eagle fielding errors, scoring two on passed ball. With a 2-0 lead, the Confederates looked to be in the driver’s seat.

    Luke Martin led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to right and scored off of Confederate fielding errors. The Eagles added two more base runners, but couldn’t plate any runs before ending the inning.

    The 2-1 score remained until the Eagles took the field for the top of the seventh. Richard Winn quickly got the first two Andrew Jackson batters out. Then, a Confederate runner reached first on a dropped third strike. A fielding error on the next at bat scored a run to put Andrew Jackson ahead 3-1 heading into the bottom of the frame.

    With one out looming, Hudson Wade singled on a ground ball to short that ignited the Eagles’ rally. Then, a strikeout left the Eagles with no outs to spare.

    Taylor’s seventh inning double was his 13th of the season.

    Martin reached first on an error by the shortstop, advancing Wade to second. Dru Caldwell reached base on an error from a fly to center that scored Wade and put Martin in scoring position. Brandon Miller followed with a line-drive single to center to plate Martin and tie the game at 3. Then Taylor blasted his sole hit of the night, a game-winning, walk-off double to left.

    Taylor picked up the win on the mound for the Eagles, facing 29 batters in seven innings of work. He struck out eleven, allowing only one hit and three runs.

    The Eagles took the 1-0 series advantage into Tuesday night’s rematch in Ehrhardt. The Eagles looked to be championship-ready. They took a decisive 5-1 win, punching their ticket to the title game and eliminating the Confederates from playoff contention.

    Game two started off in similar fashion with three scoreless innings, but this time the Eagles took the lead and never relinquished it.

    Austin Lancaster led off the fourth with a line drive double to right. Will Carvalho, courtesy runner for Lancaster, advanced to third when the Confederates made a fielding error from Jimmy McKeown’s ground to third. The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs when Hudson Wade was hit by a pitch. The next two Eagle batters followed with outs. Richard Winn looked to end the inning scoreless again until a shortstop error from Dru Caldwell’s grounder plated the Eagles’ first run of the night.

    The Eagles struck again in the top of the sixth. McKeown led off with a walk. Wade put McKeown on second with a fielder’s choice, and John Russell followed with a single, putting runners on first and third. Martin plated McKeown on a line-drive double to right and landed Russell in scoring position at third. Brandon Miller gave the Eagles a 4-0 advantage with a two-out single to left, scoring Russell and Martin.

    Andrew Jackson got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homerun to left, but a solid Richard Winn defense would not allow any more Confederate runs.

    The Eagles added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Cam Bass doubled to left, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to center from McKeown.

    Wade picked up his fifth win on the mound for the Eagles with the 5-1 victory. He pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and one run against 25 batters.

    Martin and Lancaster each went 2-4 at the plate with a double.

    Richard Winn’s sweep of the Confederates places them in the SCISA 1A State Championship series against Dorchester beginning Monday. Game one of the three-game series will be played at Dorchester, and the Eagles will host game two at Billy Ladd field on Tuesday. The third game, if needed, will be played on Thursday at a neutral site to be determined.

    The Eagles look to repeat history as the baseball program claimed the SCISA 2A State Title in 2007 with a 2-0 sweep of Dorchester.

    MONDAY: RICHARD WINN 4, ANDREW JACKSON 3

    AJA – 0-0-0-2-0-0-1 – 3, 1, 6

    RWA – 0-0-0-1-0-0-3 – 4, 4, 4

    HITTING: RWA – 1B: Martin, Miller, Wade. 2B: Taylor. RBI: Miller, Taylor. AJA – 1B: Chen (1-3).

    WP – Taylor 7.0 IP, 1H, 3R, 0ER, 11K, 1BB (RWA). LP – Bryce 6.2 IP, 4H, 4R, 0ER, 6K, 3BB (AJA).

    TUESDAY: RICHARD WINN 5, ANDREW JACKSON 1

    RWA – 0-0-0-1-0-3-1 – 5, 8, 0

    AJA – 0-0-0-0-0-1-0 – 1, 3, 2

    HITTING: RWA – 1B: Martin, Miller, Lancaster, Wade, Russell. 2: Lancaster, Bass, Martin. RBIs: Martin, McKe- own, Miller(2). AJA – 1B: Bryce, Colyn. HR: Brunson. RBI: Brunson.

    WP – Wade 7.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1K, 1BB, 1HR (RWA). LP – Brunson 7.0 IP, 8H, 5R, 4ER, 3K, 1BB.

  • Bengals punch ticket to State

    Blythewood claims Upper State Championship with 3-0 shutout of J.L. Mann
    Michael Gregory went 2-2 at the plate with a double and triple. | Photos: Martha Ladd

    BLYTHEWOOD – Two freshman pitchers and two big hits from Michael Gregory and Landon Lucas were just what Blythewood needed Wednesday night.

    Davis Wright and Kevin Steelman combined for seven innings of shutout ball, Gregory tripled in a run in the third and Lucas hit a solo home run in the sixth, and the Bengals clinched their first upper state championship with a 3-0 victory over J.L. Mann.

    “Unbelievable,” head coach Banks Faulkner said of Wright and Steelman’s 4-hitter. “They’ve got unbelievable poise and composure. They’re very mature beyond their years and we’ve got all the confidence in the world in them.”

    Blythewood (25-8) will play Dutch Fork for the 5A state championship in a best-of-3 series. Game one will be at Blythewood Saturday at 7. Game two will be on the road for the Bengals Tuesday night. If necessary, the deciding game will be set at a neutral site Saturday.

    “This just another step in the journey,” Faulkner said. “One of our goals in the offseason was to win the last game we played, and to do that, it’s going to take an unbelievable effort.”

    “It’s been three long years”, Faulkner, who came to coach the program from Summerville in 2016, said. “When I got here this was such a young program that looked nothing like what I left. To see them get to this point has been a process, and we’ve had some guys that have been really committed to being great. It’s been gratifying to see them accomplish this after their hard work and dedication.”

    Freshman Davis Wright picked up the win for the Bengals.

    Wright, third in the team’s rotation, had six starts on the year, but he was still a little nervous in starting the upper state title game.

    “A little bit but once I got through the first inning I was good to go,” Wright said. “It means a lot, all the work we put in, my dad, my mom supported me, all my coaches believed in me. They called the pitches and I executed, and it worked out for us.”

    Gregory provided the run support in the second inning.

    Nate Hinson led off the inning with a double and moved to third after Josh Cowan walked.

    With two out, Gregory got to the plate and took a passed ball that enabled Hinson to score the first run. Gregory then lashed out a triple that easily scored Colton Harman, Cowan’s courtesy runner.

    “It’s crazy, Gregory said. “The top of our order wasn’t performing very well at the beginning of the game and I knew I had to get something started. I went up, not worried, just trying to get the job done. I got a runner in scoring position and found a way to make it work.”

    With two runs on the board, and later Lucas’ sixth-inning shot, Wright and Steelman made it work for them, too.

    “That’s huge,” Gregory said. “They are both so talented, just being freshman and being able to have the poise to go out and combine for seven innings and that’s a huge stage for them.”

    Wright worked a clean first inning. He gave up two hits in the second with one out before striking out two straight Patriots to get out of the jam. He got into trouble in the fourth inning but escaped a bases-loaded jam when Cody Nichols grounded into a fielder’s choice.

    “Throughout the season I’ve been put out for about four innings,” Wright said. “Coach knows what he’s doing and he made the right move.”

    Freshman Kevin Steelman (24)

    Steelman found out he would take the mound last weekend, when assistant coach Trey Dyson was playing in a local golf tournament with Steelman’s dad.

    “I was working there, and I went up to him and (Dyson) tossed me a baseball and told me to change my grips and stuff,” Steelman said. “He just told me to be ready because I would be playing on Wednesday.”

    When Davis finished up, he set the stage for Steelman.

    J.L. Mann’s Tomas Frick got on board with an error to lead off the inning, but Steelman got Reed Morrissey to hit into a 6-4-3 double play on the next at-bat. Ben Lumsden flied out in centerfield to end the inning.

    The right-hander struck out two in the sixth and two more in the seventh innings—generally the territory for closer Josh Cowan, the team’s starting catcher. Because High School League rules wouldn’t allow Cowan to catch in the nightcap of a doubleheader if he pitched in the first game, Faulkner opted for Steelman to stay on the mound for as long as possible.

    “The rule makes it difficult,” Faulkner said. “If we bring in Josh, and then things don’t happen to go our way, and we can’t use him (for the deciding game). It’s a really tough rule. We were prepared to go to Landon, not an ideal situation, but I felt like Kevin was in control of the game. We were gonna give him a base runner and just let him go.”

    Steelman’s three innings of no-hit ball evaporated Mann’s chance of a comeback.

    “It was crazy. It was scary.” Steelman said. “But I believed in my stuff and just went out there and did my job, threw strikes. My coaches are always building me up. Coach Dyson and Coach Faulkner they always believed in my stuff. I’ve been working on my changeup with Coach Dyson and it really paid off today.”

    Now the Bengals set their sights on winning their last game of the season. The team knows all about Coach Faulkner’s ups and downs with the team over the last three years, and Gregory said Blythewood will do all it can to go one series further.

    “He’s our coach,” Gregory said. “It doesn’t matter what happens, we all love him. It’s been three rough years, but we’re here.”

    Blythewood 3, J.L. Mann 0

    JLM – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 4, 0

    BHS – 0-2-0-0-0-1-X – 3, 4, 2

    WP: Davis Wright (6-2) LP: Freeman S: Kevin Steelman

    Hitters: J.L. Mann – Blythewood – Michael Gregory 2-2, 3B, 2B. Landon Lucas HR (6). Nate Hinson 2B.

  • Diamond Invitational underway

    Let The Games Begin – Blythewood Town Councilman Larry Griffin threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the South Carolina Diamond Invitational at BHS on Wednesday. | Martha Ladd

    BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood baseball team finished the Region 4-5A slate of games in strong fashion, with series sweeps over Irmo, Sumter, and Spring Valley, and taking two out of three games against Lugoff-Elgin.

    Now the Bengals set their sights on the South Carolina Diamond Invitational, which opened Wednesday.

    “We’re going to have some really good competition that’ll prepare us for what we see in the playoffs,” Blythewood head coach Banks Faulkner said. “We’ve got four games to keep figuring some things out, but we like our team. We’ve got some depth.”

    Blythewood (17-5, 11-1) is ranked third among the state’s 5A teams by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association. The Bengals will meet No.1 Dorman,  Wren, and  Spartanburg, along with T.L. Hanna, along with area teams No.5 Chapin , No.9 Dutch Fork, , and Lexington.

    Landon Lucas leads the way for the Bengals at the plate with a .439 batting average, four home runs, seven doubles and 24 runs batted in.

    “It’s gonna be a good chance for us to see some new people, see some new competition,” Lucas said about the spring break tournament. “We’re looking forward to it.”

    John Lanier leads the team in homers with six, also has 24RBI, and has a team-high .570 on-base percentage. Zach Bailes is batting .419 with three doubles. Nate Hinson is batting .410 with seven doubles and 18 RBI.

    Lanier also is tops on the mound in wins with six, on top of a 0.36 earned-run average and 47 strikeouts. Lucas and Davis Wright have four wins apiece as pitchers.

    First pitch in the tournament comes at 11:30 a.m., when T.L. Hanna takes on Lexington Wednesday. Blythewood opens the invitational against Wren at 4 p.m. that day and will play Dorman at 8:30 that night.

    SC Diamond Invitational

    (Game times have been adjusted noting the possibility of inclement weather Friday.)

    Wednesday

    11:30 a.m.  – T.L. Hanna vs. LHS

    1:45 p.m. – Dutch Fork vs. Wren

    4:00 p.m. – Blythewood vs. Wren

    6:15 p.m.– Spartanburg vs. Chapin

    8:30 p.m. – Dorman vs. BHS

    10:45 p.m. – Dorman vs. Dutch Fork

    Thursday

    9:00 a.m. – LHS vs. Spartanburg

    11:15 a.m. – Lexington vs. Chapin

    1:30 p.m. – Chapin vs. T.L. Hanna,

    3:45 p.m. – Spartanburg vs. T.L. Hanna

    6:00 p.m. – Wren vs. Dorman

    8:15 p.m. – Dutch Fork vs. BHS

    Saturday

    10:00 a.m.– Fourth-place game (five innings)

    12:00 p.m.– Third-place game (five innings)

    2:00 p.m. – Consolation game (five innings)

    4:00 p.m. – Championship game

  • Smith to play in All-American Bowl

    Cam Smith (1)

    SAN ANTONIO, TX – Westwood standout defensive back and University of South Carolina commit Cam Smith now has another accolade he can pin to his already impressive resume. Smith, the third-ranked prospect in the state according to Rivals.com, has been selected to participate in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

    The All-American Bowl will be televised on NBC on Jan. 5, and its 4.4 million viewer average makes it the most-watch high school sporting event in the nation. Prominent names such as Andrew Luck, Odell Beckham Jr., Tim Tebow and Jalen Ramsey have participated in the All-American Bowl in past years.

    Smith received a bevy of offers from power-five schools, but officially made his decision to join the Gamecocks after Westwood’s season opener against Lugoff-Elgin. Rivals also has Smith listed as the 37th best cornerback in the class of 2019, and is listed as a four-star prospect.

  • Brandon Wilds called up by Jaguars

    Brandon Wilds (22) showing a glimpse of what made him a star at Blythewood and the University of South Carolina.

    JACKSONVILLE, FL – Leonard Fournette was a stellar collegiate football talent at LSU and was the fourth overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 draft. However, Fournette went down with a strained hamstring in the opening week of the 2018 season, and this opened the door for Blythewood native Brandon Wilds to be activated from the Jaguars’ practice squad.

    Wilds, a former PrepStar All-American and North-South All-star, was a running back for the Bengals from 2007 until he graduated in 2011, and he had superb career at Blythewood. As a junior, he became the first player in school history to accumulate 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. He finished his junior year with 1,551 yards and 20 touchdowns.

    He followed his stellar junior season with another strong season the following year. Wilds tallied 881 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior year. After his Blythewood career was said and done, he had racked up 500 carries for 2,700 yards and 29 touchdowns.

    He was ranked a three-star prospect and the 29th best player in the state by Rivals.com coming out of high school. Scout.com slated Wilds as the 115th running back in the country and also named him as a three-star prospect.

    East Carolina, Illinois, Arkansas and Maryland were among the major universities that showed interest in recruiting the tough running back. Eventually, Wilds elected to take his talents to the University of South Carolina and play for Steve Spurrier.

    Wilds was listed as the fifth running back on the Gamecocks’ roster heading into his freshman season in 2011, but team injuries allowed him to make an immediate impact. He started five games as a true-freshman and ran for over 147 yards against the University of Tennessee, 120 against Florida and hung 109 on the Citadel. His 486 rushing yards in his freshman season were good enough for the third highest total on the team.

    A high-ankle sprain led to Wilds being red-shirted in 2012. He kicked off the 2013 season by earning the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring at the Garnet and Black game. Despite the positive spring performance in sophomore year, he had to fight through injuries most of the 2013 season and only started two games.

    Wilds had a much better season in 2014, finishing second on the team in total rushing with 570 yards on 106 carries with four starts in 12 appearances. He had a 24-yard, game-winning touchdown that season to knock off the number-six ranked Georgia Bulldogs, and, in a game against Auburn, he became the 42nd Gamecock to ever amass 1,000 total rushing. His 143-yard performance against Tennessee that year turned out to be a career-high, and he also had a career-long 70-yard touchdown in the same game.

    The 2015 season was a big one for Wilds. He led the team in rushing in his senior year with 567 yards in nine starts and was invited to play in the National Football League’s Player’s Association Collegiate Bowl. He finished his Gamecock career as the 20th leading rusher in school history with 1,844 yards and piled up seven 100-yard rushing games.

    Wilds was not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, but quickly signed a free agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons. He had 26 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown in his NFL preseason debut against the Washington Redskins. The following week against the Cleveland Browns, he had 49 yards on eight carries and a 32-yard touchdown. Shortly after the Browns game, Wilds was waived by the Falcons.

    After his release from the Falcons, he signed to the New York Jets practice squad and got his first shot of regular season action in late 2016. His first regular season game was against the San Francisco 49ers in December, and he had four yards on two carries. He played again a couple of weeks later in a loss to the New England Patriots, but was waived the following offseason.

    Wilds had a short stint with the Cleveland Browns after his Jets’ tenure, but injuries prevented him from seeing any playing time. He signed to Jaguars practice squad on Oct. 9, 2017. He will wear no. 34 for Jacksonville.

  • Let The Games Begin – Fall Sports Preview is here

    If you are like us, you flipped the calendar to August and felt a slight shift in the air. The days are slowly getting shorter and soon, maybe…hopefully, the weather will get a little cooler.

    For us, the spectators, seasons are just getting started. But for athletes and coaches, preparation started months ago. While others’ summer days were filled with sleeping in and relaxing by the pool, these coaches and athletes spent their days designing schemes, running sprints, lifting weights, swimming laps. Getting stronger. Getting faster. Getting better. Because that’s what makes the difference come October and November. That’s what gives one team an edge.

    We don’t see the countless hours of blood, sweat and tears poured into these teams in the offseason. But we cheer for a return on those investments for athletes and coaches.

    Westwood athletics saw some returns last year. Volleyball and football made it to round three of the playoffs.  Cross Country runners made a showing at State. Many of the athletes from these teams return this year, looking to avenge their season-ending losses.

    Eagle football was bumped in the first round last year, but looks to push farther this year. To do so, they’ll have to get past newly realigned region foe Wardlaw. Cross Country enters its second season in school history with a new coach – Kristen Chaisson. Volleyball will have to overcome last season’s leadership struggles to find success on the court, especially against a tough Laurens team.

    The Griffin tennis program returns strong players and a settled coaching staff. The sky could be the limit for Syreeta Thompson’s squad. Football had a bumpy start last season, but had a strong run until Emerald dashed their playoff hopes in the third round. The region realignment places Keenan into the region, but they expect the toughest opponents continue to be Chester, Camden and Indian Land.

    Blythewood’s region shifted with the loss of White Knoll and addition of Lugoff-Elgin. Bengal volleyball, tennis and golf look to build on the foundations established last year. Will Epps returns for a second year as head of boys’ cross country and Aleshia Hawkins takes over the girls’ squad.  Perhaps the biggest change comes with the new face of the football program, Jason Seidel. Seidel, looking to change the culture of the program after its dismal 2017 season, is ‘all in.’

    Soon the stadiums, courts and gyms will be filled with our cheers (or silent golf claps). Exciting, isn’t it. A blank slate – a new season on the horizon. Where will we end up in October and November?  Only time will tell.

    Honor Roll

    We thank the many talented people who helped make the 2018 Fall Sports Preview happen. First, our sports writers.

    They report weekly from the trenches, day and night, near and far – Ross Burton, Worthy Evans, Martha Ladd and Blake Wooten.

    And our photographers who contribute vivid images of our athletes in action: Ross Burton, Leroy Howard, DeAnna Robinson, Joe Seibles, Martha Ladd and Kristy Kimball Massey, Carolina Sports Photography and especially our designers Ashley Ghere and Callie Ladd Sims.

    We also thank the following for their time and contributions: Paul Brigman, Ross Burton, Kristen Chaisson, Dustin Curtis, Demetrius Davis, Kelly Edrington, Will Epps, Robin Gaithers, Mary Hall, Aleshia Hawkins, Mary Hunter,  Ciji Kuhlmann, Brice Mann, Jason Minkel, Rachel Peake, Jason Powell, Terrell Roach, Jason Seidel, Syreeta Thompson

    Pick up a copy of the Fall Sports Preview (28 pages) today!

  • Finney invited to try out for US National Training Team

    Finney, No. 5
    Finney

    BLYTHEWOOD – The summer of 2018 is shaping up well for both former and current members of the Blythewood Bengal family. First, former Bengal Jordyn Adams was picked up in the first round of the MLB draft, and then volleyball standout Colleen Finney received an invitation to the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team Roster.

    If Finney, a rising junior and Clemson commit, delivers a strong outing, she could earn one of 12 available spots on the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, where she could potentially compete in the 2018 Under 18 NORCECA Continental Championship.

    The Bengals went 28-9-3 last season, with a solid 10-2 record in region play, and Finney contributed 59 kills and 33 triple blocks. She heads to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado to train from July 20 to Aug. 3.

  • RWA Ushers in First Hall of Fame Class

    WINNSBORO – Richard Winn Academy proudly announces the launching of an athletic Hall of Fame. The first annual Hall of Fame induction will take place during halftime of the home football game this Friday, Sept. 12, at Ruff Field. The kickoff for the football game featuring the RWA Eagles versus Charleston Collegiate will be at 7:30 p.m.

    The inaugural Hall of Fame inductees include Carol Caughman Turner, Beth Reid, Mike Robinson and Jena Barnett Johnson.

    Carol Caughman Turner was a member of the inaugural girls’ basketball team, playing from 1968-1971. Serving as team captain, she also was selected as Most Valuable Player. After graduation, she was one of the first Lady Eagles to go on to play basketball at the collegiate level, playing for Baptist College.

    Beth Reid began her high school basketball career as a seventh grader in the 1970-1971 season and was member of the inaugural softball team in 1973. She achieved numerous individual and team awards. Beth also continued her basketball career playing at the College of Charleston. After college, she returned to her Alma Mater to serve as teacher, coach and later as Head of School. In 1985 coach Reid led her basketball team to RWA’s first girls’ basketball state championship.

    Mike Robinson came to Richard Winn in 1978 as a teacher and coach. Over the years he served as head basketball coach for both girls and boys as well as golf and assistant football coach. Coach Robinson was a part of five state championships and three state runners-up teams while at RWA.

    Jena Barnett Johnson was a member of the varsity basketball program from 1980-1985 and a member of the softball team from 1980-1984. In basketball she was selected as All Conference for four years and Player of the Year for three years. During her high school career she scored 2,300 points and was named as an Honorable Mention All American. Jena went on to play basketball at Clemson University.