BLYTHEWOOD – A second incident report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department surfaced late last week, again linking Richland 2 School Board member Melinda Anderson to Westwood High School head football coach Rodney Summers.
The report covers an incident of “intimidation” that took place on Oct. 30 at a Westwood High School football practice. According to the report, Anderson dispatched 69-year-old Clero Evans, of Rockingham Road in Columbia, to the football field to watch practice. Summers told deputies he felt threatened by Evans’s presence, the report states, and requested an official report for the record. Evans reportedly told deputies he had been sent by Anderson, and “after a verbal altercation” between Evans and Jason Nussbaum, the team’s trainer, Evans left the scene.
“It was more like a conversation,” Nussbaum later told The Voice. “Eventually, the guy left when told to. We had great support from everybody, and we put it in the hands of the school board where it belongs. We are here just to play ball.”
Summers declined to comment, as he gets his Redhawks ready for this week’s road trip to Greer. Nussbaum, however, called the incident “disappointing.”
“We were just looking out for our kids’ safety, as it were,” Nussbaum said. “We had a stranger in our presence. We didn’t know who he was, so we took the steps we would take with anybody.”
Anderson, who in an Oct. 7 incident reportedly threatened the life of Summers, “was told to have no contact with coach Summers or his staff,” the most recent report states.
According to the Oct. 7 report, Anderson was in a meeting at Westwood High School on Oct. 7 with Acting Superintendent Debbie Hamm and the District’s Human Resources Officer, Roosevelt Garrick Jr., to discuss the treatment of her grandson by Summers. Hamm, who filed the report, told the Sheriff’s Department that during the meeting Anderson said, “I’m so angry I just want to kill the coach, and I have a gun.” Summers was not present at the meeting.
Anderson has since denied she made that statement, and last week told The Voice the alleged incident was nothing more than “some foolishness cooked up by certain administrators.”
The Board issued a statement last week indicating that they had addressed the issue and that threats and harassment would not be tolerated. No charges were filed in either incident.
Attempts to reach Anderson for comment on this most recent report were unsuccessful at press time.
Time was running out for the Redhawks. Winless so far this season, with the playoffs looming, they needed a victory to have any chance at postseason play. They got it Friday night in convincing fashion with a 27-7 over the Bulldogs at Camden.
The win was also historically important, as it will forever remain the first football victory in the school’s history.
Head coach Rodney Summers was optimistic before the game and knew what his team had to do to win.
“We have to not turn the ball over,” Summers said. “The team who makes the fewest mistakes will win the ball game. They are struggling a bit like we are, so we have to keep them from running the ball down our throats like Flora did, and limit their possessions.
“We’ll try to (keep the ball on the ground),” Summers said. “If they force us to throw, we will. There are a couple of our players who can run but haven’t proven themselves. Maybe they will tonight.”
And run the ball Westwood did, and at least two players did, in fact, prove themselves: Christian Brown and Brandon Howard.
Howard and Brown began to prove themselves early in the first quarter. On the first scoring drive, Brown ran the ball from deep in Redhawk territory to the 35-yard line of Camden. Passes from quarterback Davis King to Diamond Williams and Adonus Lee would lead Westwood to the Camden 20-yard line with 9:31 to go in the quarter. After a few unsuccessful plays and a costly penalty, Westwood faced fourth down and 10, still on the Camden 20-yard line. Kicker Brandon Howard kicked the field goal, giving Westwood a 3-0 lead with 7:44 to go in the first quarter. The field goal was the first kick of what would be a perfect kicking night for Howard.
On the next two possessions, both Camden and Westwood would be forced to punt the ball. The Westwood punt was short, giving the Bulldogs good field position on the Westwood 40-yard line. Camden capitalized on the short punt when quarterback Ross Hough threw a 51-yard pass to Cedric Cook, who ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. Nelson Semple’s point after kick was good and Camden led at the end of the first quarter by a score of 7-3.
Westwood’s first possession of the second quarter would begin with a touchback after a Camden punt. After good yardage by Westwood, another flag would come out. Despite the fact that the game’s penalties would overwhelmingly be against Westwood (13 penalties vs. only two against Camden), this one would be against Camden, bringing up first down for Westwood. The following play, Williams carried the ball all the way to the Camden 30-yard line with 9:30 to go in the half. Brown then rushed to the Camden 23, followed by a touchdown pass to Lee at 7:42 left in the half. Howard’s PAT put Westwood up 10-7.
A good kickoff by Howard caused Camden to begin their possession on their own 21-yard line. Westwood’s tough defense held Camden in their own territory, ultimately bringing up a Camden fourth-and-1. Camden had no choice but to punt. Westwood took over on their own 28-yard line with 5:22 to go in the half.
Westwood would charge down the field, thanks to excellent running by Brown and Miquelle Canady. With 3:17 to go in the half, Canady ran the ball 15 yards to the Camden 20-yard line. Three incomplete passes brought up fourth down and 10 and Howard continued his perfect night by kicking the ball through the uprights for his second field goal of the night. With 1:53 to go in the half, Westwood led by a score of 13-7.
After the kickoff, Camden’s Dontrell Miller looked unstoppable as he headed for the Redhawks’ end zone, tightly clutching the football. Getting the blocks he needed and evading all defenders and running at full speed, Miller had but one defender left in his way – kicker Brandon Howard. Howard brought Miller crashing to the turf at mid-field with a submarine tackle, saving his team 6 points.
Camden’s final drive of the half fizzled out when Hough was intercepted and Westwood headed for the halftime locker room in the lead for only their second time, 13-7.
Camden received the second-half kickoff but was unable to get out of their own territory. While still on their own 41-yard line, Camden found itself in a fourth down and 1-yard situation. Camden made a risky gamble to go for the fourth-down conversion while far in their own territory, and the gamble did not pay off as they failed to convert and Westwood took over in excellent field position.
Westwood took advantage of their good fortune and excellent field position. The Redhawks would score their second touchdown with a 25-yard run by Brown. Howard’s PAT was good, bringing the score to 20-7, Westwood.
On their next possession, Westwood would again find itself in good field position after a fair catch on Camden’s 34-yard line. King connected with Vyncint Smith on the next play who carried it all the way to the Camden 1-yard line. The next play would result in the final score of the game when Canady carried the ball across the goal line for a touchdown with 5:31 to go in the third quarter. Howard’s point after kick made the score 27-7, Westwood .
Westwood would run out the clock with neither team scoring again.
After the game Summers told the team that if they play like they played tonight against Lower Richland, they would have to “pack a change of clothes,” meaning that they would be in the playoffs.
“The biggest thing that made tonight is you didn’t doubt yourselves. You saw it through. You guys stepped up when other guys were down. These are the things right there that make a football team. This is only the beginning. Watch those movies, read those books that show how other teams have done it. It happens for real,” Summers said to his players.
“Finally, finally. We stopped the turnovers. We’ll take it tonight. They are a tough team, but they didn’t get the breaks. We will rewrite things and get going in the right direction. Our special teams looked good, didn’t they?”
They did indeed. The night was capped off with the traditional “Ice Bath” for Summers. Coach Bonneville was doused as well!
The final regular game of the season is Friday, at home, against Lower Richland.
Westwood 3 10 14 0 27
Camden 7 0 0 0 7
Scoring
First Quarter
WHS-Howard 35 FG. (7:44)
CHS-Cook 51 pass from Hough. Semple kick. (2:44)
Second Quarter
WHS-Lee 23 pass from King. Howard kick. (7:42)
Howard 35 FG. (1:53)
Third Quarter
WHS-Brown 25 run. Howard kick. (10:01)
Canady 1 run. Howard kick. ( 5:31)
Team Statistics
CHS WHS
First Downs 12 21
Rushes/ Yards 26-78 43-210
Comp-Attempts-INT 15-33-2 12-21-0
Passing Yards 166 134
Fumbles-Lost 3-0 1-0
Penalties-Yards 2-20 13-97
RUSHING: WHS – Brown 20-133, Canady 11-53, Williams 5-35. CHS – Hough 12-58, McKenney 1-9, Brandon Hampton 2-8, Miller 5-8, Slater 5-0, Cook 1-(-5).
