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Beaufort football, baseball teams return with playoff experience

By Stephen Prudhomme

Staff Writer

Beaufort - Mark Clifford is seeking a return to the playoffs this season for the Beaufort High football team.

Last season, the Eagles finished with a 7-5 overall record and 3-1 in Region 8-AAAA. They qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round, 37-7 to Greenwood.

Among the key returning players are senior quarterback Beau Brown and running backs Alex Simmons and Demeo Holmes. Beaufort opens its season Aug. 27 at Hilton Head High.    

Another coach aiming for a return trip to the playoffs is Brook Dixon, who heads up the baseball team.

Last season, the Eagles finished with an 8-7, 4-2 record. They opened the playoffs with a 7-0 loss to North Augusta but rebounded with a 5-0 shutout of Carolina Forest. Their season ended with a 12-1 defeat to Wando.

Top returning players include senior pitcher/catcher Beau Brown and junior first baseman/catcher Weber Pike.

Jay Gratton is the girls’ softball coach, and he returns a team with young and talented players who gained valuable experience last season. These include senior Taylor Deloach, a shortstop with outstanding speed; senior outfielder/pitcher/utility player Ariel Promislow, featuring a great arm; junior Sara Crawford, an infielder possessing a strong arm and excellent hitting skills; and freshmen catcher Natalie Moore, who features power, speed and a strong arm; pitcher/utility player Jenny Mullins and right fielder/first baseman Madison Berry.

In boys’ basketball, Beaufort, under longtime coach Bruce Beasley, finished with a 6-14, 1-6 record. Key players in the Eagles’ drive to turn things around this season and end their high school careers on a winning note include strong forward Dymonte’ Gwathney, one of the team’s top scorers and rebounders; point guard Simeon Daise, a quick and energetic player who excels at distributing the ball; shooting guard Jalen Mack, one of the team’s top outside shooters; small forward Franklin Bates and forward/center Ruben Francis. 

On the girls’ side, with Rhonda McCauley on the sidelines, the Lady Eagles finished 7-14, 0-7. Key returning players include senior center Deja Jackson and guard Arille McPhee.

David Reidmeyer coaches tennis, and Jenny Whitman heads up the volleyball team. Caroline Bostick coaches girls’ track and Herbert Glaze directs the boys. Both the boys’ and girls teams finished 13th at the state track meet.

Proving she doesn’t limit her athletic prowess to the basketball court, Deja Jackson placed in the top 10 in two field events. In the discus, she threw 112 feet, which earned her a seventh-place finish. She did even better in the shout put, finishing in fifth place with a toss of 37 feet, nine inches.

Eighth grader Madeline Aune was hardly intimidated by the state meet as one of the younger performers and served notice she will be someone to reckon with in the pole vault for the next four years. She vaulted 8 feet, 6 inches to finish in a tie for sixth place with Berkley’s Jaclyn Nobles. 

The boys also turned in some outstanding performances.

Sophomore Akeem Smalls ran a scorching 49.13 in the 400-meter dash to place third in the state. Another third-place finisher was freshman Martin Washington, who leaped 6 foot, 2 inches in the high jump. Brandon Frazier did not place in the pole vault.

Beaufort’s 4X400 relay team took fifth place with a time of 3:25.99.

 

conference play."
The Lady Eagles won't have to wait that long to see how they stack up against the better teams.
Later this month, they're playing in a Christmas tournament in Orangeburg. "We're opening up against Lower Richland, the defending 3A champs," McCauley notes. "They're a tough team. We're really working hard to prepare for that tournament."
McCauley credits her team's early success to a three-quarter trapping press and zone defense that creates turnovers and an offense averaging 60 points a game. She stresses the need to improve the man-to-man defense and reduce turnovers.
Most of Beaufort's points come from the paint, led by junior center Deja Jackson and senior forward Blake Banner, both of whom are averaging around 12 points a game. McCauley refers to the 6-1 Jackson as her main inside player. Featuring a "very solid outside jumper," Jackson is also averaging a team-high six rebounds per contest.
Banner, along with her scoring, is among the team leaders in rebounding, averaging five per game. "She's always in the right position for rebounding," her coach says.
Becca Tkach tore her MCL in volleyball, but the senior forward rebounded from that injury and is averaging eight points and four rebounds a game, along with providing tremendous leadership. McCauley says it's amazing how quickly she recovered and is able to play at a high level.
Beaufort features excellent guard play in senior Sharika Bunting and junior Arielle McPhee, both of whom are averaging around four points and four steals a game. Along with sharing excellent anticipation on defense, they're both tremendous shooters, according to their coach.
The team's sixth man is senior forward Celeste Taylor, who averages five points and four rebounds a game. A track star with outstanding jumping ability, Taylor allows fresh legs to remain in the post by subbing at forward for Banner, who can move to center and allow Jackson some rest.        
Despite her guarded optimism early in the season, McCauley has high aspirations for the Lady Eagles.
"They have no reason to think they won't win region (8-AAAA)," McCauley says. "They're improving on a daily basis. The talent is truly there. They just have to work on discipline and defense."

Beaufort boys trying to put the pieces together

By Stephen Prudhomme
Special Writer
Beaufort (12/22/09) Longtime Beaufort High boys' basketball coach Bruce Beasley is facing one of his more challenging seasons, one in which his players will learn on the fly ? literally, as he plans on employing a fast-break attack.
"We don't have any returning starters," Beasley says. "We do have some players with varsity experience, and we're trying to develop a style to have a controlled fast break and be aggressive on defense. We have the pieces to be productive and competitive. We're still in the process of putting them together."
The Eagles split their first six games, displaying a lot of energy and intensity and working "extremely hard." Beasley says they need to become more consistent with their outside shooting and focus on the basics.
"We don't have much height," says Beasley, noting that his tallest players are 6-2. "As a result, we have to box out on rebounds. We also have to do a better job of protecting the basketball."
The team's main protector is junior point guard Simeon Daise, who averaged nearly 7 points a game through the first six contests. His coach describes him as an extremely quick and energetic player who does a good job of distributing the ball.
Daise's backcourt partner is Lorenzo Moore, the only starting senior on the team. Possessing a good outside shot, the 5-10 Moore also excels on the defensive end.
The team's leading scorer during the early part of the season is Jordan Adderly, averaging 13.3 points a game. Beasley refers to him as a very good creator who can score from the outside and slash to the basket.
Dymonte' Gwathney, a wide receiver on the football team, brings athleticism and excellent rebounding to the strong forward position. The 6-2 junior is averaging a team-leading 4.6 rebounds a game and is second in scoring, at 12 points per contest. Beasley cites his leadership skills, adding that he's a streak shooter and good transition player.
Playing the center position is junior Rakeem Palmer, who's averaging 7 points and four rebounds a game. Notes Beasley: "Rakeem has a good shooting touch and good inside moves."
Beasley has a strong bench, starting with junior forward/center Ruben Francis, who boasts a decent inside shooting touch and outstanding energy and intensity. "I love his aggressiveness," Beasley says.
Junior shooting guard Jalen Mack is one of the best outside shooters on the team, while senior guard Kenny Davis excels on defense. Senior Benji Calderon has a nice outside shooting touch and the "best inside moves," and junior small forward Franklin Bates is an excellent defender. Junior point guard Keith Alston offers an excellent backup to Daise, sharing his ball distribution skills, and has a good outside shot.
 Competing in Region 8-AAAA, Beaufort is up against such "monsters" as West Ashley and Summerville. "I think we can be competitive," Beasley says. "It's just a matter of putting things together. The sky's the limit."