By Bill Mitchell,

Special Writer

Columbia – Championships just don’t happen. Even the best of athletes must be trained and taught. That’s where Hammond’s football coaching staff gets a big fat A for excellent.

 The Skyhawks have come away with four straight South Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class AAA state titles and compiled a 49-3 record over that span.

Athletes come and go, but coaching remains. Head coach Erik Kimrey is more than willing to cast some of the glory to his young staff.

“Our staff will return intact this year,” said Kimrey. “Plus, we are adding one old foggy -my dad. He thought he was going to take the year off, but  I said no way and he will be a tremendous addition to the staff.

Erik’s father Bill retired after last year as the only head coach Dutch Fork had ever had and brings a wealthy of experience in all phases of the game to the Hammond staff.

“His experience will be invaluable,” Erik said. “He’s helped us some in the past during the playoffs, but he’ll be available at practice now and it will be another great advantage.”

 Second year defensive coordinator John Wheeler, a former graduate assistant for Ellis Johnson at South Carolina,  has that half the game to himself.

“It all begins with John,” said Kimrey. “He was a huge addition for us last year. John loves football and cares about kids. Having him back is a huge blessing for me. I can concentrate on offense and being a head coach.

“We led the state in defense last year,” he continued. “I would be foolish if I didn’t take advantage of what he knows. I know he more than I do about defensive football and I certainly have come to appreciate a good defense.”

Helping Wheeler on the defensive staff are Jamie Scott, the strength and defensive backs coach and lawyer Chris Elliott who oversees linebackers. Gene Smith, a Columbia dentist, deals with the defensive.line.

Kimrey works with the offense along with Braylon Bennett  and Jeff Barnes directing the offensive line.

“Jeff has played virtually every spot in the line and his experience is important to me,” Kimrey said. “It’s comforting to know that he understands our blocking schemes and I can turn those front five over to him.”

The rest of the Hammond coaching lineup returns almost intact. Kristin Wescott moves up from the middle school to take over cheerleading from Amy Humphries and Ed Prythrech takes over the boys cross country team from Matt Ramsby.

“We had a good year last year and all of our programs that didn’t win the state championship are striving to get there or to return there,” said athletics director Andy Edgren. “Our coaches are focused on life lessons and getting to the top in their sport.

Hammond wraps up Spring

By Bill Mitchell
Special Writer

COLUMBIA – Hammond School is in it for the long haul and it doesn’t do shabbily in the  short run either.

Virtually all of Hammond diverse athletic program field competitive teams, although no South Carolina Independent Schools Associations championships came their way.

Hammond did win the South Carolina Independent Lacrosse League championship.

“I guess that would count as a state championship,” said athletics director Andy Edgren. “SCISA does not sanction lacrosse, but coach Jonathan Patterson did a great job with this second-year program.”

Hammond won regional titles in golf and tennis. The golf team finished sixth in the state and Tennis won a firt round match before losing to Porter-Gaud in the second.

Baseball under Ray Derrick again finished in the final four and a second-year softball team, coached by Ken Beasley, qualified for the state tournament, but was eliminated early.

“I feel that overall we had a fine spring,” Edgren said. “Almost all of our teams were competitive.”

Boys soccer lost to eventual champion Pinewood Prep in the semifinals and the girls team also lost to Pinewood, but in the quarterfinals. In track and field, the Shyhawk boys finished fifth and the girls fourth.

Hammond’s equestrian team finished eight in the nation for the second straight year  All riders earned ribbons for their accomplishment.

It’s in the long haul that Edgren is really looking for more improvement.

“We are stress life lessons in all sports,: Edgren said. “ Years down the road, nobody will know well you played, but the relationships that you formed and the character that you build will be with you forever.

Hammond coaches are urged to talk with their teams about much moe than just the fine points of a sport, but serious urge their player to think ahead.

“The coaches report back to me and we get some very good answers from it,” he said. “We want our kids to think of those things, not to just focus on the single season

“How well we do that is what really matters,” he added. “We believe that if we accomplish those things, the wins and the championships will come.”

Although the programs are on the right path, there is always room for improvement.

“We have plenty left to do,” Edgren said. “It’s a matter of think strategically in the future. We need to encourage our older players to connect with the younger ones.”

Edgren does this with clinics in which current players serve as teachers for kids in the middle and grade school levels.

“This sort of thing turns a current team into a program and all the levels of play  are present all they way down to the grade school kinds.

“It’s challenge to get people to think in the long term, not just about a individual team’s results, “ Edgren said. “It builds a connection to the future and a program, not just a team.”