What have we learned in AAAA after one month?

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek – Well region play has finally arrived and teams can settle into playing teams they are most familiar with over the next five weeks.

Before you know it, the state playoffs will be upon us and in the blink of an eye, we’ll be crowning state champions.

Now is a time to reflect on what we have witnessed and learned about the teams in class AAAA in the first month of the regular season. Here are a five things that come to my mind.

(1)   Yes, Gaffney is that good.

For anyone concerned (namely me) that Gaffney might struggle early while they break in a new quarterback, rest easy. Ok, I admit it, I goofed. We all knew Gaffney had a great defense coming back from a team that won nine games last year. They had a great senior receiver (Quinshad Davis) returning on offense and some good experience along the offensive front.

But so much about Big 16 football, and AAAA football in general, is the quarterback. Joey Copeland came into the season as a senior but as a career backup to one of the state’s most versatile playmakers, DeEdward Burris. Little did we (I) know that he was super talented, super poised, with great accuracy and leadership abilities.

Now we know. Copeland is completing 71 percent of his passes. He has thrown for 1,675 yards and 18 touchdowns and he has sat the second half or fourth quarter of several games. Gaffney’s offense is averaging 504 yards per game.

(2)   Yes, Lexington’s offense is that good.

As good as Gaffney is offensively this year, the Wildcats are even better. Lexington is averaging 569 yards in total offense and 56.4 points per game. Sophomore quarterback Will Hunter has completed 69 percent of his pass attempts for 1,538 yards and 16 touchdowns, against only one pick.

Running back Kevin Miller has rushed for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 8.66 yards per carry.

The state’s top prospect, receiver Shaq Roland (see front cover) has 32 receptions for 676 yards and eight touchdowns.

There may be a team that can slow them down but it likely won’t happen until the playoffs. Lexington’s biggest problem will be defensively but if the offense continues to post 56 points a game, the defense might survive.

(3)   AAAA teams need to schedule tougher in non-region

Not picking on any one school in particular but there are definitely some jaded records heading into region play due to a lack of competitive scheduling.

Take for instance Carolina Forest, off to a 5-1 start. The lone loss came to Myrtle Beach. The wins, however, came over teams that currently sport a combined 3-22 record.

Now, no one can predict from year to year what a team will do, but Carolina Forest’s last three opponents – Battery Creek, Kingstree and North Myrtle Beach – are in the midst of long losing streaks and have no wins between them this year. In fact, the three teams did not win a game last year either.

Greenwood, on the other hand, scheduled Boiling Springs (3-2), Gaffney (5-0), Dorman (2-3) and Spartanburg (4-1) for its non-region games. And, Gaffney played Dorman, Greenwood and Byrnes in the non-region schedule.

Carolina Forest played Goose Creek in back-to-back years a few years back but this year’s team is much better equipped to take on a team like Goose Creek.

Having said all of that, Carolina Forest will contend for the region 6-AAAA title, along with Conway and South Florence. I just wonder if they have been tested enough early. We shall see.

Oh, by the way, junior running back Harold Atkinson is the real deal, regardless of the opposition.

(4)   Goose Creek fullback Virgil Smalls is a TD machine

Goose Creek’s 250-pound (or so) fullback Virgil Smalls will not win many 40-yard dash races but when the Gators get inside the five-yard line, my money is on him.

Smalls has scored 13 rushing touchdowns this season and is averaging a touchdown on every five carries. He is a perfect fit as an inside runner for Chuck Reedy’s option offense and rarely ever fumbles.

(5)   Sophomore QB’s in AAAA are going to be special.

Already mentioned that Lexington’s quarterback Will Hunter is a sophomore but there are a few more starting on the AAAA level as sophomores.

Byrnes High’s Shuler Bentley is next in a long line of successful quarterbacks and having a solid first-year as the starter. He has a good arm, is well-coached, and I thought showed good poise in a big-game environment against Gaffney.

Stratford’s Jacob Park has the look of a big-time player at 6-4, 210-pounds. Park has a good arm and is athletic. He is a solid scrambler and runs well. Plays pretty physical too, which I love to see.

Northwestern lost record-breaker Justin Worley to graduation but sophomore Mason Rudolph is already posting huge numbers (69 percent, 1,304 yards, 13 TD) in coach Kyle Richardson’s pass-happy offense. Rudolph’s numbers will be good in that offense but word has it from a coach that played against him is that Rudolph has solid skills and will be a prospect by his senior year.

There may be a few more I’m missing but those are the guys that come to mind.

Enjoy the rest of the season! I know I will!

Indians lead long list of upstate teams that enjoy early success

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Gaffney – Gaffney head coach Dan Jones admits to being a tad surprised when seeing the preseason AAAA rankings by the High School Sports Report.

Jones’s Indians were ranked sixth in the rankings, a little low in the coach’s mind.

“We had eight starters coming back on defense and some really good talented kids on offense so I figured we were a little low,” says the coach, now in his second season as the head man. “Some teams ranked ahead of us had lost quite a few folks. I wasn’t sure how good they would be but I knew we had a chance to be pretty good.”

Ok, Jones is right, we were wrong.

Gaffney has not only won all six of its games to date but have done so impressively. The Indians played a tough early schedule and never flinched, starting with a 47-0 win over Boiling Springs, a team that is now 3-2 on the season.

Dorman was next and Gaffney pulled away in the second half for a 35-14 win. Dorman started 0-3 but is now 2-3 and will likely be an eight or nine win team by November.

Greenwood came to town ranked higher than Gaffney and left with its only loss, a 47-21 thumping.

Union County took a 62-10 beating before Gaffney went to Byrnes and won, 35-13.

Greenville was no match in week five as the Indians won, 73-0.

Jones said after the Byrnes win that his team has shown tremendous focus and discipline in the early going.

“We just go to work and take care of our business,” said the coach. “This team has great leadership and great kids. We have kids who are not only good football players but good students as well. I’m real proud of them and I hope it continues.”

Leading the charge is senior quarterback Joey Copeland, who waited his turn while DeEdward Burris rolled up huge numbers as the starter the last three seasons.

Some in town said Copeland was the better “quarterback” last year and Burris could have been moved to another skill position. Regardless, Copeland is under center now and taking full advantage of the opportunity.

The 6-1, 195-pounder is lighting up opposing defenses with a deep and talented receiving corps. Copeland is completing 71 percent (95 of 134) of his attempts for 1,675 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Senior Quinshad Davis leads the team with 40 receptions for 804 yards and 10 scores. Sophomore Shaquille Davidson has 19 grabs for 495 yards, an average of 26.1 yards per catch. Brandon Bevis has 18 catches and Ryan Frock has 16.

Gaffney is averaging 504 yards in total offense per game and the starters have sat large portions of the second half in at least three games.

The defense is just as talented. The front line is anchored by Edward Bigby and Jalen Miller, who possess speed and quickness and plenty of strength.

Linebacker Savon Dukes is a stud in the middle. Cobby McDowell has four picks in six games and Marquis Brannon has three.

Gaffney is allowing just 276 yards per game and has given up six touchdowns.

“Certainly experience is our strength on defense,” says Jones. “We had eight guys back from a pretty good unit last year. Those guys play pretty hard and they take a lot of pride in what they do.”

Gaffney is not the only team in the upper state having a great year. The Easley Greenwave opened with a 5-0 record and appear to be a strong Division II contender in AAAA.

Northwestern has another gunslinger in sophomore quarterback Mason Rudolph and could possibly give Gaffney a challenge in region play.

Woodruff’s high-powered offense is rolling up huge numbers behind the play of senior Ryan Perkins at quarterback.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Blue Ridge and Greer each have a good one. Blue Ridge’s Caleb Rowe is a Maryland commitment and has picked apart every defense he has seen this fall.

Greer’s Reese Hannon is putting up good numbers as a dual threat quarterback while leading the Yellow Jackets to a great start.

Landrum High’s Brandon Cannon is another dual threat guy that has 1,100 yards passing and more than 500 yards rushing this season.

Christ Church senior Hunter Townes set a state record in a win over Carolina last week, passing for 549 yards and six touchdowns. Townes completed 40 of 61 attempts!

Southside Christian is having its best season ever and sophomore quarterback John Walker is leading the way. Walker has thrown for more than 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns in five games this season.

Taking a look at AAA regions as play begins

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek – Phase two of the 2011 football season begins this week as class AAA teams dive head first into region play.

Teams that have any hopes of participating in the state playoffs must get it done over the next five weeks or buy a ticket. Playoff bids are earned through region play with the top four teams in each region qualifying for the chance to play for the state title in December in Death Valley.

Coaches say it all the time – “what happened in the first five weeks really doesn’t matter now.” Well, it’s true. Teams that win one or two games in non-region play can flush it all away and focus on winning two or three games in region play. The more region games you can win, the better your seeding, which enhances opportunities to play at home.

Class AAA, in my mind, is now the most genuine of the state’s classifications because it is the only classification that will have just one state champion at the end. Let’s hope it stays that way.

As region play begins, here is one man’s opinion of each region in class AAA and how things might shake out.

Region 1 – This is going to be fun to watch as three teams have a legitimate shot to win the title. Belton-Honea Path is 5-0 going in while Daniel and Seneca each have one loss. One of these three will win the crown and all three of these teams could be factors in the postseason.

Region 2 – This is a hard one to read because only Wade Hampton (G) has a winning record. In fact, the Generals have three wins and Berea has one. The rest of the league is winless. In my mind, this is one of the weaker regions this year. Wade Hampton should win it going away and the other three spots are literally up for grabs.

Region 3 – Total opposite of region two. This will be a competitive race. Blue Ridge, at 5-0, is the favorite. Or is it 4-1 Greer? Clinton, Union County and Chapin are probably a little better than their record right now. I think it comes down to Blue Ridge and Greer but this region has been known for some funny finishes in the past.

Region 4 – All six teams have winning records heading into region play. This is the best region in AAA, top to bottom. Chester, South Pointe, Fairfield Central and York? Are you kidding me? Put any one of these four in region two and they win hands down. Too tough for me to call. On a limb, I take South Pointe.

Region 5 – Airport and A.C. Flora are the class of the region and one of the two will win it. Airport has a slight edge, really slight, in the battle of the birds (Eagles and Falcons in case you didn’t catch that).

Region 6 – Lakewood and Hartsville meet in the region opener and the winner might well be the champion. Lakewood is 5-0 and playing very well. Hartsville’s lone loss came to Airport and they have a really sound running game. Camden could sneak into contention but I like Hartsville by just a little bit.

Region 7 – If Bluffton doesn’t win this region, there should be an investigation. The Bobcats have too much talent and experience. Cane Bay is solid but not great. Berkeley is young with potential. The rest of the league is not good.

Region 8 – Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach. While Georgetown is improved and Wilson has athletes, the Seahawks would have to fall apart not to win this region.

Brown Chooses Notre Dame, Many Prospects Still Being Offered In South Carolina

By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Goose Creek—With five games of the 2011 football season completed in South Carolina most of the top 20 HSSR prospects are already committed to major college programs with Hanahan receiver Chris Brown (6-2,180,4.4) committing to Notre Dame on his official visit recently.

As always we would like to thank Dusty Rhodes and all the outstanding Josten’s rep’s all across South Carolina who help sponsor this recruiting feature page each month and at  hssr.com.

Brown took an official visit by himself to the Notre Dame vs. Michigan State game in mid-September and was just over-whelmed by the experience. He told HSSR on Sept., 27 that he will honor a visit to Virginia Tech with his parents later this season. He said he was committed to Notre Dame despite his planned visit to the Hokies.

Brown seemed to downplay the importance of track when choosing Notre Dame. This past May he set a state record in the triple jump of over 51 feet and with further work could develop into a world class athlete in the event. 

At the HSSR media day in mid-July Brown said he was down to Virginia Tech and South Carolina. “I love everything I saw at Notre Dame and I know it is a big time football program but I can still do track there and accomplish those goals also,” said Brown. “I promised my parents earlier that I would visit Virginia Tech with them and I will honor that.”

Brown didn’t say where he stood with the Gamecocks or even if USC had stayed in touch with him lately. He broke his collar bone in the second game of the season and could play on offense this week. “I am looking forward to getting back on the field,” he said.

      Gaffney receiver Quinshad Davis (6-4, 185) is having a huge year as a big time receiver for the Indians. After six games he has caught 40 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His high school coach Dan Jones told the HSSR on September, 27 that he had just talked to his star recruit earlier in the day about where he stood in the recruiting process. “first of all both Clemson and South Carolina have made offers very early in the process and Quinshad has remained non-committal so I don’t know what a college is suppose to do,” said Coach Jones. “Quinshad figures that if he has the type season that he is on schedule to have that he can go pretty much where he wants to go when the season is over. I don’t know if that is going to be Georgia, Florida or wherever.

“I know the coaches at Wake Forest have a good relationship with him and he and his mother will visit Wake Forest for their game with Virginia Tech (October, 15) but I think he will wait until after the season to make a decision,” said Coach Jones. “He and his mother visited Clemson for their game with Florida State and he said they really enjoyed the trip and with (Bryce) McNeil leaving Clemson that might open up a scholarship for a receiver. He went to a game at South Carolina two weeks ago and I know that they are still in the mix too.”

Coach Davis said that Davis is hoping that things work out for him. “He and Sidney Rice are about the same height and same weight and they both play basketball and I would say his comparison to Rice is fair,” said Coach Davis. “They are both super competitors. They both catch the ball so well away from their bodies.”

The only other player in the HSSR top 10 still on the board is Myrtle Beach defensive end Tyler Knox (6-4, 230) and while he has been offered by numerous major colleges some insiders indicate that he might have to go to junior college first. Time will tell but he has offers from around 15 major colleges right now. 

Clemson received their 10^th verbal commitment from Fox Creek athlete Marty Williams (6-2, 205) an in-state player during his visit to the Clemson vs. Auburn. Williams is rated in the 29^th spot in the HSSR Top 100 list and he is salted to play free safety at Clemson. He chose Clemson over Florida, Georgia, and Georgia Tech among others after receiving close to 20 offers earlier.

Josh Brown (6-5, 280) an offensive lineman from South Aiken (rated 30^th over-all) is thought to be a hard lean to Clemson and will make his decision known after the season.

To date South Carolina has pledges from four instate players (their lowest number at this time in recent memory) including the top ranked receiver Shaq Roland (6-2, 189) from Lexington, the state’s top prospect and highly regarded number seven rated prospect receiver Kwinton Smith (6-5, 195) of Dillon. USC also has a pledge from Williston-Elko running back Kendric Salley (5-11, 205) rated the number 11 prospect in the state by the HSSR. The Gamecocks also received a commitment from Chapin offensive lineman Mason Vandi (6-8, 270, 4.77) rated as the state’s 27^th best over-all prospect.

There are at least 8 to 10 quality major college prospects still on the board in the 2.5 to three star range. These players include Lexington defensive lineman-middle linebacker Rivers Bedenbaugh (6-2, 235), Goose Creek fullback Virgil Smalls (6-0, 260) Chester defensive back Tony Wright (6-0, 175), and Dutch Fork running back Brandon Quattlebaum (6-0, 200) who had 264 yards rushing against Lexington last week. Kevin Miller (5-8, 158) is a top flight athlete still on the board at Lexington along with Gaffney linebackere Savon Dukes (6-2, 225).        

              Earlier in the month this writer visited a real sleeper at Barnwell named Phazahn Odom (6-7, 225, 4.57).  Odom is a tight end with great hands and good leaping ability and he is a late blooming senior in the mold of a John Abraham who didn’t play football at Lamar until his senior season too.

“Phazahan is just now coming into his own and he is a great prospect for any college that will offer him,” said Barnwell head coach Eddie Moore. “He has unlimited potential and he is real raw but the potential for greatness is there.”

Talking About The Places I’ve Been In Just 30 Days………..

Goose Creek—Since we put the 120 page annual football issue to press at the end of August I have had the pleasure of visiting practices, or games, at around 20 different high schools and I logged just over 3,000 miles in the past month also.

My visit with second year Barnwell head coach Eddie Moore, his players and coaches in mid-September, was very enlightening and informing. It’s nice to see what winning does to a small community when you defeat teams like Williston-Elko and Bamberg-Ehrhardt for the first time in recent memory.  

I watched Barnwell practice over a two day period and I saw assistant coaches teaching and Coach Moore observing and teaching, and never once did I hear a cuss word or hear coaches scream at their players. It reminded me of a well organized mild mannered professional NFL type practice.

“I don’t think there is a better coaching staff at the AA level in the state,” said Coach Moore. “Our players understand the system much better one year later but our coaching staff has made a huge difference also.”

One of those coaches is former Vanderbilt coach Ted Cain who works with the offense. He and his family are living in Aiken with his elderly mother.  Coach Moore is fortunate to have Coach Cain and all the guys on his staff who does their jobs the right way. It will not be too long before Barnwell is back in the AA state championship hunt. They are presently 5-0 and ranked number 8 in the HSSR’s latest ranking.

I have also spent some time in the midlands area of South Carolina. I have seen games involving Lexington, Spring Valley and Dutch Fork and after years of being down at the AAAA level I can honestly say that the Midlands area of the stat is making a strong come back in the area of high school football.

You have highly experienced and highly skilled coaches like Scott Earley at Lexington, Tom Knotts at Dutch Fork, and former college coach Miles Aldridge at Spring Valley so you expect good things to happen in these programs. It’s nice to see the growth of prep football in the Midlands.

Who’s Hot Over The First Five games Of The Season?  

I give a high five to the football coaches at Liberty who are 5-0 after only winning one game in 2010. First year head Kyle Stewart gets a game ball for his huge turn around! Liberty only had four wins total over the past five seasons!

In AAAA after five games there are still four teams undefeated with Gaffney claiming the game ball from me with a 6-0 record and wins over Byrnes and Dorman. Lexington (5-0) is a high honorable mention at this point along with North Augusta (5-0) and Easley (5-0).

In AAA we have six undefeated teams and the race for the title is wide open. Myrtle Beach beat Byrnes in overtime and then Conway beat Myrtle Beach just last week and that threw some doubt towards the Seahawks chances. The six AAA undefeated teams thus far are Airport (5-0), Lakewood (5-0), Bluffton (5-0), Blue Ridge (5-0), Greer (4-0) and Belton-Honea Path (5-0). Bluffton has outscored teams 320 to 27 so watch out for them!

In AA there are currently 8 undefeated teams and I am going to just put it out there that I think Dillon will win it all when the smoke clears at Benedict College in early December. Keep in mind we have two divisions in AA this year. Woodruff (5-0) will challenge Dillon in the end for the Div. I AA title. Dillon has defeated teams 223-9 so far this season!

The other undefeated teams in AA are Liberty (5-0), Newberry (5-0), Strom Thurmond (5-0), Indian Land (5-0), Barnwell (5-0), Andrews (5-0), Timberland (5-0) and Loris (5-0). In the Div. II AA race I still think Central (after injuries heal) will emerge to challenge either Silver Bluff or Barnwell when the dust settles.

In Class A there are only two undefeated teams left after five games of the season and they are Fox Creek (6-0) and Hemingway (5-0).  Abbeville (4-1) lost to Georgia power Lincoln County and there was no shame in that. Teams like Bamberg-Ehrhardt (4-1) and Williston-Elko (4-2) can never be counted out. Chesterfield (4-1) is back and has defeated Central to prove that they are back in full force.

The HSSR game ball has to go to Fox Creek under Butch Schneider who started the program from scratch in 2006. My gut feeling is that Chesterfield or Abbeville will there in the end in Div. I A and Hemingway should be their opponent.   In Div. II A things are wide open but never count out Williston-Elko.

In SCISA AAA give a game ball to Wilson Hall (6-0) and new head coach Jet Turner. I think it will be a rematch between the Barons and Hammond when the dust settles at the end of the season.

In SCISA AA I am real high on Thomas Heyward (4-0) led by junior running back Ryan Day. Hilton Head Christian (4-1) is also a strong contender along with Thomas Sumter (3-3). The game ball goes to Nic Shuford the Rebels for a big turn around.

In SCISA Class A it looks like the top two teams to beat are Dorchester Academy and Holly Hill Academy and in 8-man SCISA it’s going to come down between Wardlaw, King, Clarendon Hall or Patrick Henry. Tradition favors Wardlaw but the early game ball goes to Casey Connors at Clarendon Hall (5-0).

Predictions are always done in jest and it always gives people something to debate and fuss over. Good luck to all teams and remember sportsmanship matters. 

Ashley Hall Over-Comes Talented Porter--Gaud Volleyball team For 3-1 Win

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Charleston--Porter-Gaud won the first game (25-20) over arch-rival Ashley Hall in girl's volleyball Tuesday but the home standing Panthers took the next three matches, 25-21, 25-23, and 25-18 to claim an important region win over their arch-rivals before a packed crowd cheering hard throughout the four games played.

"The key is any team's success and one of the keys to our program is how well our girls communicate on the floor with each other during a game," said veteran head coach Franny Slay. "My team happens to communicate real well and they know how important communication is.

"Tonight my libero (Lauren Hall) was amazing on defense and (Litza) Darby played another great game at setter and (Jessica) Graham and (Christine) Quinn were strong on the outside and had a lot of kills. It was just a compete team effort. We still have some work to do but I was proud of my team's effort."

Porter-Gaud head coach Ashley Heidtke, who had a baby girl five months ago, knows it is still a lot of volleyball to be played this season. "We didn't pass services very well tonight and we had serving errors and that hurt our chances also," said Coach Heidtke who is in the Hall of Fame at USC. "We will keep working hard and trying to correct our mistakes. They did a better job executing plays at crucial times. We are going to work as hard as we can and we are hoping to be playing at our best as the end of the year hopefully in the championship finals."     

   Earlier this season Ashley Hall defeated Porter-Gaud in the Porter-Gaud Invitational to win that tournament and the two teams will meet for a second time on October, 11 at Porter-Gaud with the region title most likely on the line. Last year Ashley Hall dominated the Cyclones earlier in the year but Porter-Gaud played their best at the end of the season and defeated Ashley Hall for the AAA SCISA title at the College of Charleston in early November. Both teams have the majority of their players back from last season and both schools are considered among the best in the state at any level.

Ashley Hall was led by senior setter and South Carolina bound Litsa Darby who had 29 assists and displayed a lot of senior leadership. Hilton Head Prep transfer Christine Quinn brought power and blocking skills to the net as she led her team with 13 kills. Senior Jessica Graham, who hit .481 for her summer travel softball team, was next in kills with 10. Lauren Hall had 29 digs over the four game set for the Cyclones as well. 

Porter-Gaud got good setter play from junior Ali Waters and the Cyclones got double digit kills from Halle Brown, Lexie Meyer, and Julia McAvoy over the four game set.

In the deciding fourth game the head ref over ruled a backline call that knotted the match up at 14 each as Panther fans booed the call. From that point on the Panthers rallied to outscore Porter-Gaud 11-4. Darby's soft kill at the net ended the very competitive matches setting up a rematch in October and possibly another meeting in the state finals.

One issue  throughout the matches was the low ceiling in the gym that resulted in at least ten misdirection type shots bouncing back at players from different angles.  

Top 10 Football games of Week Three

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek – Of course, every game played on every Friday night is a big game, and for every team, it’s the most important game.

But some games are a little bigger than others in terms of determining which teams are truly contenders and which teams might be merely pretenders in the grand scheme.

This week, we pull out 10 games around the state that we feel are the biggest games of week three. Some may indeed turn out to be great, classic games. Others may end up being duds. Nonetheless, we have our eyes on these games this Friday night.

Perhaps the top game this Friday will take place in class AAA where a pair of teams that are currently ranked among the state’s top 10 will do battle.

Undefeated Hartsville (3-0) visits 2-0 Airport in a game that should make a statement in more ways than one.

Airport has already notched an impressive win, beating third-ranked Fairfield Central, 24-21, last Friday night. The Eagles came from behind and won despite being out-gained in terms of yardage.

Hartsville is 3-0 but there are still questions as to how good this team is right now. The three victories came against a pair of AA teams (Hanahan and Lee Central) and a class A team (Lamar). Combined, those three teams have one win this season.

But the Red Foxes can run the football and Airport gave up nearly 300 yards on the ground last week. Interesting matchup to say the least.

Is it possible that Dorman opens the 2011 season with an 0-3 record? Heck, the Cavaliers rarely lose three games in an entire season. In fact, Dorman has lost three games total in the previous three seasons.

Dorman will have its hands full this Friday against a tough Greenwood team that is coming off a beating by Gaffney. Dorman knows that feeling, having lost to Gaffney as well this season.

Both of these teams are solid teams and both will be around come November. This is not a must win for either team but you can bet both teams will play as if it’s a playoff game.

Dorman has won four straight in the series and owns an 11-6 advantage in the overall series.

Another pair of undefeated teams from the midlands do battle when 3-0 Spring Valley visits 2-0 Lexington.

Spring Valley has fought and scratched its way to a good start under second-year head coach Miles Aldridge. The Vikings are not flashy but have been effective in the running game and make enough plays defensively to stay in games.

Lexington has breezed to a 2-0 start with big wins over Batesburg-Leesville and Blythewood. The Wildcats can score in a variety of ways and put tremendous pressure on the opposing defenses.

Spring Valley has won 18 of the previous 32 meetings in the series but the wildcats won last year, 56-28.

Surprising South Aiken is off to a 2-0 start after going winless last season. The Thoroughbreds face their toughest test this week at AA power Silver Bluff, also 2-0 in the early season.

Both teams are pretty solid defensively and this looks to be a low-scoring affair.

Down in the Lowcountry, the 2-0 Stratford Knights take on the 2-0 Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes in a game that will tell a little more about each team.

Both teams have been impressive against lesser opponents early on but this matchup is a good test for each.

Fort Dorchester takes a 2-0 record to 2-0 Beaufort in what could be the game that eventually decides the region 8-AAAA title. Too bad this game is played so early in the schedule.

Summerville is 2-0 but still not sure how good they are. They face a good measuring stick this week as Goose Creek comes to town.

The Gators are ranked second in class AAAA after losing a 52-51 double overtime thriller to University School of  Florida last week.

Summerville has dominated the overall series, 37-6, but Goose Creek won a shootout last year, 64-57.

Undefeated Blue Ridge, ranked in the top 10 in AAA, faces AA ranked Pendleton, also 2-0, in a game of contrasting styles. Blue Ridge likes to throw the football around the field while Pendleton likes to grind out games on the ground and eat up clock. Good match up for both schools.

The backyard brawl that is Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Barnwell resumes this week. And this year, both teams are pretty good. Each enters the game with a 2-0 record.

Barnwell has won 27 of the previous 42 games but Bamberg-Ehrhardt has dominated the series of late, winning the last seven meetings.

The top game on the SCISA level this week has top-ranked Wilson Hall visiting fourth-ranked Porter Gaud in a AAA showdown.

Wilson Hall ascended to the top spot this week after knocking off five-time defending state champion Hammond, 14-13. This will be the Barons’ first road game.

Porter Gaud is 1-1 early but very capable. The big challenge for the Cyclones will be stopping Wilson Hall’s potent running game.

HSSR SCISA Football Rankings after week two

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek - There are new teams atop two of the three  SCISA football 11-man leagues this week as top teams in AAA and A taken a fall since the season began.

In class AAA, five-time defending state champion Hammond School lost in week two, falling to Wilson Hall, 14-13.

The Barons take over the top spot in class AAA, followed by Hammond. Wilson Hall faces another challenge this week as they visit fourth-ranked Porter Gaud.

In class A, defending state champion and top-ranked Dorchester Academy dropped a game to Colleton Prep last week. That  loss propels Holly Hill Academy, off to a 2-0 start, to the top spot. But this is a very competitive classification and the Raiders have some tough games ahead.

Hilton Head Christian began the season as the top team in class AA and hold on to the spot, just barely. Undefeated starts by Williamsburg Academy and Thomas Heyward make this an interesting race early on.

Defending state champion Thomas Sumter has lost two early games but should be a contender once again by season's end.

HSSR SCISA FOOTBALL RANKINGS (September 7, 2011)

Class AAA
1. Wilson Hall
2. Hammond
3. Augusta Christian
4. Porter Gaud
5. Orangeburg Prep
6. Ben Lippen
7. Laurence Manning
8. Pinewood Prep
9. Cardinal Newman
10. Heathwood Hall

Class AA
1. Hilton Head Christian
2. Thomas Heyward
3. Williamsburg
4. Thomas Sumter
5. Hilton Head Prep

Class A
1. Holly Hill
2. Colleton Prep
3. Dorchester
4. Palmetto Christian
5. Byrnes School

Blue Ridge off to fast start with more success on the way

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Greer - In its previous nine seasons as a class AAA school, the Blue Ridge High football program has produced only one winning season.

The program has been had five winning seasons since 1990 and the school record for victories in a season is nine, accomplished twice.

If all goes as planned, the 2011 Tigers will have a big say in rewriting the football history at the school.

Now in his fourth season as the head coach at Blue Ridge, Wade Cooper has assembled a team that could indeed be a major player in class AAA come November. The Tigers have a senior-laden team that has been playing together since their freshman year and experience could make a huge difference.

"This is definitely a veteran group of players and they have been playing together for a long time," said Cooper. "They work really hard and they are very coachable. We knew a few years ago that we had a special group. They have matured each year and they have been a very focused group."

In addition to experience, the Tigers have plenty of talent. Running the show is senior Caleb Rowe at quarterback. Rowe, a 6-4, 185-pounder, is considered the state's top prospect at his position and has made a verbal commitment to Maryland.

In his team's 2-0 start, Rowe has thrown for more than 450 yards, including a six-touchdown performance in last week's win over Eastside.

"He's a talented young man, a very smart player and he's a leader," said Cooper.

Rowe has a very solid supporting cast. The receiving corps is led by senior Bryton Griffin (6-2, 202), who scored 21 touchdowns last season. Seniors Jake Lancaster and Martin Harbin, and junior Brennen Griffin all return with experience and add depth to the passing game.

Senior Tyshawn Richardson is the top returning running back and is a force a free safety on the defensive side of the ball.

Anchoring the offensive front are returning starters Matt Tooley, Luke Odom and Sam Nunamacher - all seniors.

Plenty of experience joins Richardson on defense. Seniors T.J. Howard, Quaide Kennedy and Rock Aho are the stalwarts up front.

Seniors Caleb Bennett and Josh Shaffer start at inside linebacker while seniors Seth Smith and Steven Greene are on the outside, along with junior Jonathan Bull.

Senior Rashad Bennett and junior Brandon Bowen are the starting corners. Junior Corey Dogan is the strong safety and perhaps the best overall athlete on the team, according to Cooper.

The biggest concern for Cooper is depth.

"I feel like our first line guys are as good as anyone's," said the coach. "But it's a long season and we're going to have injuries. We have to get our second-team guys ready to step up and fill in some roles."

As to how far this Tigers team can go, Cooper feels his team has as good a chance as any to represent the upper state in the AAA state finals in December.

"I think we're a good football team and we believe that when we are playing well, we can play with anyone," the coach said. "We play in a very tough region and we play a lot of tough, quality opponents. I think if we can get to the playoffs, we will be battle tested and ready to contend. That's certainly the goal."

Southside Christian aiming for best season ever

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Simpsonville - Before the 2011 football season ever started, Southside Christian head football coach Steve Lockwood felt this year's team would be the school's best ever.

Southside Christian began playing football as a member of the South Carolina High School League in 2006. The program won 11 games in the first five seasons with last year's three-win total being the high mark.

With an experienced team returning this fall, Lockwood fully anticipated the program would top three wins. As they prepare for the fourth game of 2011, the Sabres are right on schedule.

Southside Christian enters play on Friday with a 3-0 record.

"Our expectations were and still are pretty high for this team because of the experience that we have on this team," said Lockwood, who is in his third season as the head coach. "We have outstanding senior leadership. We have a senior class that excels in all sports and in academics. It's a special group of young men. They are a close knit group and they really play hard for each other. It's a group that has set their sights high and they will work as hard as they need to work to reach the goals."

Seniors start all over the field for the Sabres. The top two offensive linemen are senior center Daniel Tedder and senior guard James West.

The team's top offensive threat, senior running back Jared Lane, has rushed for 401 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 15 passes for 288 yards and two scores.

Senior Austin Kimberly is the team's top receiver with 23 receptions for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Another key receiver is senior Tyler Holland.

Senior leaders defensively include middle linebacker Daniel Stone and ends Zach Blanton and Austin McClure.

There are, however, some underclassmen that are contributing in several areas. One is quarterback where sophomore John Walker is excelling. Walker has completed 60 of 100 pass attempts for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first three games of this season.

"John has been training to be a quarterback since he was a little kid so he's pretty mature for a sophomore in terms of his poise and knowing the game," said Lockwood. "We have good receivers and he spreads the ball around well. We had some good outings in the summer seven-on-seven stuff so we felt like we had a chance to be successful offensively."

The Sabres average 43 points per game offensively through three games.

Junior Parker Howard and sophomore corner Colby Boggs are two underclassmen performing well defensively.

Southside Christian will attempt to break the school record for wins this Friday night when they play at McCormick.

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Scoring Summary
GC - Virgil Smalls 2-yard run (Masamitsu Ishibashi kick)
GC - Smalls 1-yard run (Ishibashi kick)
US - Gunnar Holcombe 5-yard pass to Jordan Cunningham (Ricky Perez kick)
GC - Smalls 2-yard run (Ishibashi kick)
US - Holcombe 29-yard pass to Cunningham (Perez kick)
GC - Kelby Bryant 82-yard interception return (Ishibashi kick)
US - MacGarrett King 90-yard kickoff return (Perez kick)
GC - Caleb Kinlaw 3-yard run (Ishibashi kick)
US - Lajuan Hunt 4-yard run (Perez kick)
US - Holcombe 29-yard pass to Daniel Braverman (Perez kick)
GC - Smalls 10-yard run (Ishibashi kick)
US - Hunt 4-yard run (Perez kick)
GC - Ishibashi 24-yard field goal
US - Perez 20-yard field goal
US - Holcombe 10-yard pass to Cunningham (Perez kick)
GC - Smalls 3-yard run (two-point run failed)

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By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Sumter--The Hammond defense has seen all they want of a double wing power offense ran straight at you that helped lead Wilson Hall to a 14-0 lead at the half, then the tired second half Barons held on to avert a fierce Skyhawk rally to hold on for a 14-13 win.

The game matched the top ranked and five time straight SCISA state champions Skyhawks coached by Eric Kimrey against the revamped ball control offense of new head coach Jet Turner who left a successful program at Clover to return to his Sumter roots. Turner is a graduate of Thomas Sumter.  

"They were not able to convert the two point conversion at the end of a hard fought game," said Coach Turner. "We are certainly happy to get out of here with a W. In the first half we did what we wanted to do. In the second half we didn't play as well and give a lot credit to Hammond for that. We don't have a lot of depth with a couple of injuries and with a lot of players getting hurt during this game we were scrambling to find replacements at times.

"Give our kids credit because they found a way to hang in there and win against a great football team," said Coach Turner. "I couldn't be more prouder of them."

Hammond head coach Eric Kimrey reminded his team after the game that the Skyhawks had lost one game in three of the years they have won state titles since 2005. He challenged his players to come to practice Monday focused on correcting mistakes and looking forward. He also praised his team for never giving up and fighting back strongly in the second half.

"The double wing is difficult offense to defend and I thought as the game went on our kids really stepped up on defense and played well," said Coach Kimrey. '"The kids at Wilson Hall are great kids too and Jet has them in a good offense an they are well coached. They will win a lot of football games this season but I feel strongly that we will bounced back and get better also.

"It was disappointing that we were not able to establish the run like we usually do," said Coach Kimrey. "We have to improve our offensive line play up-front and we have to find better ways to convert our scoring chances in the red zone. Anytime you get in a big game you have to find ways to convert in the red zone. These factors helped lead to our loss tonight against a very good Wilson Hall team."

Coach Kimrey was especially high on Bennett after the game. "He's a special player for us and we use him in so many different roles and I wish we didn't have to use him in so many different roles but he is very talented. He is the most  unselfish player that I've ever coach and we have to find ways to use him more on offense going forward." 

The Wilson Hall defense was designed to clog the running lanes of  Hammond running backs and the Baron defense limited typical 100 yard rusher Joey DeAngelis to just 24 net yards on 12 carries and versatile athlete B.J. Bennett, the teams top senior prospect, was held to 7 yards on just three carries but he caught five passes for 41 yards one a circus type catch of 18 yards in the end zone with around one minute left in the game that cut the lead to 14-13. Bennett also played well on defense at free safety.

Wilson Hall scored on the opening drive of the game advancing 54 yards in 11 plays with senior quarterback Gilbson Klapthor (6-3, 230) taking a "Tim Tebow" approach to the offense. Klapthor scored from the one with 5:52 left and Chance Buley made the first of his two PAT's on the night.

The Barons went up 14-0 on a 53 yard 10 play drive on their third possession of the half. Daniel Drakeford scored on a three yard run with 7:01 in the first half and the PAT mad it 14-0. During that scoring drive Klaptor had a 14 yard run and Logan Weiland had a nine yard run as the Barons kept the ball on the ground.   

Hammond had two three and out series on their first two possessions of the first quarter as field position favored the Barons the entire first half and the Skyhawks had no first downs in the first half. The Barons tackles leaders were led by junior Andrew Clinkscales with 7, Weiland with six including a sack, and Daniel Drakeford had five stops, plus an interception.

Playing much better in the second half the Skyhawks went to the air more with top sophomore baseball prospect Jake Nidiffer (6-3, 170) displaying a strong arm. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He did have four passes thrown right in the hands of his receivers who dropped them. Nidiffer is already a highly recruited pitching prospect  with a bright future in baseball.

On Hammond's first possession of the second half they passed and ran down to the Wilson one yard line. On fourth down the Baron defense stuffed DeAngelis for no gain and took over on downs. This was one of the key plays in the game.  

On Hammonds next possession that started from the 40 the Skyhawks advanced all  the way down to the 15 yard line with a key play being an 11 yard completion from Nidiffer   to junior Brandon Shockley for 11 yards. However a fourth down pass to Bennett was off the mark and the Barons took over on downs. One field goal on either possession could have altered the outcome of the game.

The Skyhawk defense played more upbeat in the second half as the Barons were limited to just two first downs and appeared to be worn out from the pace of their offensive attack in the first half. The Skyhawks defense was led by junior lineman prospect Roo Daniels (6-2, 250)  and sophomore Cannon Smith (6-4, 2200 who is already getting recruiting attention. Bennett was also a key cover guy on run support from his safety position along  with sophomore defensive back Logan Smith who played well also.

Hammond's 9 play final drive started with 2:52 left from the 13 yard line. This  showcased the future of Nidiffer who stepped up in a pressure situation. He hit Bennett on a two yard pass gain, then DeAngelos caught a the next three pass completions by Nidiffer for five yard gains each. The big play came on 16 yard completion to Shockley down to the 33 and then a 15 yard personal foul moved the ball to the 18 where Nidiffer tossed a touchdown pass to Bennett.

On the road Hammond could have kicked the PAT and sent the game into overtime but head coach Coach Eric Kimrey elected to go for two and the win on the road. A shuffle pass from Nidiffer to a Hammond running back was mishandled and the ball fell out of his hands ruled an incomplete pass. "Had our guy held on to the shuffle pass he would walked into the end zone," said Coach Kimrey after the game. "It was the right play call but we just didn't execute well."

For the game Hammond netted 230 yards of total offense on 42 plays. The Barons rushed for 188 yards and Klapthor completed 4 of 9 passes for 63 yards as Wilson Hall netted 251 yards on 43 plays. The Barons had 15 penalties for 103 yards in the game.

Next week Wilson Hall plays at Porter-Gaud and Hammond will host Florence Christian.

Greenwood's D.J. Goodman

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek - Intriguing early season match ups will tell a lot about some of the state's top teams that hope to be title contenders in November.

Week one saw a few good games between upper echelon teams, including Gaffney's impressive win at Dorman. The Indians have another big game this week as they host Greenwood in a contest between two top five teams.

Greenwood is ranked third this week by the High School Sports Report while Gaffney jumps to number four. The two teams have met 17 times since 1960 with Gaffney holding an 11-6 advantage.

Prior to Greenwood's 10-7 win last season, Gaffney had won six in a row in the series and have captured seven of the last nine meetings.

Greenwood head coach Gene Cathcart is putting his team through a tough non-region schedule. Following this week's game, the Eagles take on Dorman and Spartanburg in successive weeks.

"We play a tough early schedule on purpose because we think it tells us a lot about football team and it prepares us for later in the season," said Cathcart. "At a place like Greenwood, you want to play in marquee games, big games that mean something. We feel like these are the types of games our fans want to see."

Cathcart says the Indians have been as impressive on film as their two game scores might indicate.

"No apparent weaknesses anywhere," says Cathcart. "They're very good on defense. They have a lot of third-year guys that are coming of age for them. They're are as good up front as any team around. Their skill people are outstanding. The quarterback has been really good. To do what they have done in the first two weeks is really impressive. They are certainly one of the best teams in AAAA, no question."

Gaffney head coach Dan Jones is not surprised at his team's early success. The Indians did return eight starters on defense and six on offense and the veterans have performed as expected.

"I feel like our experience and depth have been really important," Jones said. "We have a group that have played together a lot over the years and they have been successful at all levels. They practice hard and they play hard. They play with confidence and they play with a passion."

Gaffney senior quarterback Joey Copeland has thrown for more than 500 yards in his two starts, the first varsity starts under center of his career. Copeland was considered the big question mark for the Indians coming into the season by everyone except Jones.

"People on the outside may not have known much about him but he's been in the program for four years and we knew what kind of player he would be for us," said Jones. "He started two years on the jayvee team and could have played last year but we had DeEdward Burris and everyone knows the player he was for us. Joey has waited for his turn and he's ready for this. I'm not surprised at all at how well he has played."

Greenwood also lost a starting quarterback from last year but Evan Sims and Jackson Miles are picking up the slack.

"We can win with either of them and both are doing a good job through camp and last week," said Cathcart.

The key matchups in the game will be Greenwood's running game against a veteran, physical Gaffney defense, and Greenwood's secondary against the passing game of Gaffney.

An effective running game for Greenwood will limit Gaffney's time on the field offensively.

"We have to move the football and avoid the turnovers and then put points on the board if we get in there close," said Cathcart.

Gaffney senior receiver Quinshad Davis (6-4), a verbal commitment to South Carolina, will pose some problems for Greenwood but Jones says the Eagles match up fairly well on the perimeter.

"They have tall corners so there may not be quite the advantage for Davis," the coach said. "Greenwood is a very physical football team. They have a bunch of guys on that defense that have played in a lot of big games for them. We know it will be a hard-hitting, physical game."

In other key games in week two, Byrnes will host Myrtle Beach in a battle of state champions. Byrnes defeated the Seahawks, 21-14, last season, and won in 2009, 65-14. Both teams are very good on defense, which should mean a low-scoring game.

Dorman and Spartanburg meet for the 55th time with Spartanburg holding a 38-16 advantage. Dorman, however, has won the last seven meetings.

Woodruff battles Clinton for the 52nd time since 1960 with Clinton holding a 32-18 edge. Clinton has won 13 of the last 15 meetings and won last year, 28-27.

Woodruff is very talented this season and boasts one of the state's top offensive units. The Wolverines hung 51 points on Greenville last week. Quarterback Ryan Perkins tossed six touchdown passes last week and fans can expect the pigskin to be in the air early and often on Friday night.

Cheraw has a 39-11 advantage in its series with area rival Chesterfield but the Rams have won four in a row.

Fairfield Central and Airport play in a battle of top AAA teams in the midlands. Airport is 1-5 against the Griffins with the lone win coming during the 1990 season.

Summerville and Berkeley renew one of the state's longest rivalries with the Green Wave having won the last five in the series.

Northwestern and York will be a game to watch as well. York is off to a 2-0 start under first-year head coach Bobby Carroll, a former Northwestern assistant. Northwestern lost their opener last week but has beaten York five straight times.

Little change in HSSR rankings after week one

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

Goose Creek - Week one of the 2011 football season went about as expected in all four of the state's public school classifications.

There were several interesting early season matchups last week, most notably the Big 16 contest between Dorman and Gaffney.

Gaffney followed up an impressive week zero win over Boiling Springs with a nice 31-14 victory over the Cavaliers. Gaffney quarterback Joey Copeland, a first-year starter, has been one of the more impressive players in Gaffney's start, throwing for 565 yards and five touchdowns in two games.

Top-ranked Goose Creek was an easy 51-7 winner over Irmo and second-ranked Byrnes walloped Ballard of Kentucky, 68-0.

Greenwood is ranked third this week after a solid start. The Eagles take on fourth-ranked Gaffney this week. More on this matchup later in the week.

Dutch Fork, now 2-0, is fifth this week, followed by Lexington and Dorman. Easley, also 2-0, is ranked eighth with North Augusta and Beaufort rounding out the top 10.

New to the AAAA rankings this week are Clover (18), Blythewood (19) and Spring Valley (20).

Few changes in AAA as the top three teams remain the same. Top-ranked Myrtle Beach visits Byrnes on Friday.

Hartsville and Airport move into the top 10 this week. Greenville falls to number nine after a loss to Woodruff.

York moves into number 11 after a 2-0 start and Marlboro County enters the top 20 at number 16 after a 2-0 start.

The state's most competitive classification is class AA and the top 10 saw very little shakeup. Dillon, Woodruff, Central, Timberland, Strom Thurmond, Silver Bluff and Columbia appear to be the class of the classification this fall.

Newberry is in at number 12 as Phil Strickland continues to build. Barnwell is off to a 2-0 start and ranked 15th. The Warhorses won only three games all of last season.

Hemingway takes over the top spot in class A. Abbeville falls to number two.

Southside Christian is a team that folks should take notice of. Sophomore quarterback John Walker has thrown for 617 yards and six touchdowns in the first two games of the season.

The High School Sports Report will release it's weekly football rankings every Monday during the season. Check out the full rankings by clicking on the football polls icon on the home page.

Late second score lifts Pinewood Prep over Northwood, 28-21

By David Shelton
Senior Writer

North Charleston - Pinewood Prep receiver Jerome Deas made the most of opportunity to play football this season, scoring three touchdowns in his team's 28-21 win over Northwood Academy in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night.

Deas, a 6-3, 230-pound basketball player at the school, did not play football last season. He was the difference between winning and losing on Saturday.

"That's what he is, a difference maker," said Pinewood Prep head coach Jody Kafina, who earned a victory in his first game as head coach. "He's such an incredible athlete. He can make plays on both sides of the ball. We had to talk his momma into letting him play football. I would guess she is pretty happy she let him play about now."

Deas and junior quarterback Bobby Casey connected on a 35-yard scoring pass with one second to play in the game to seal the victory. The two also connected on a 34-yard scoring pass and Deas returned an interception 38 yards for a third score.

Pinewood Prep running back Jared Londergan rushed for 182 yards on 21 carries to pace a solid Panther ground game. Casey passed for more than 120 yards as the Panthers tallied more than 350 total yards in a game marred by numerous penalties and mistakes on both sides.

"It's better to win ugly than lose," Kafina said. "We just have to learn how to win. We built that lead to 21-6 and we didn't handle it very well. I thought we played with a lot of effort tonight but we certainly had way too many penalties and mistakes. We ended up getting the ball last and we made it count. I'm really proud of the kids though. We were in a battle and we made mistakes but we never quit playing. We took some positive steps tonight but we know we've got a long ways to go."

The loss offset a tremendous performance by Northwood senior receiver Tyler Gross, who finished with 147 yards on eight receptions and two touchdowns. Gross made several highlight reel grabs, including a one-hand grab down the sideline for Northwood's first score, a 30-yarder from quarterback Camden Amidon.

Northwood trailed. 21-6, in the third quarter when head coach Jerry Stoots replaced Amidon with Isaiah Williams. The speedy Williams responded with several nice runs, finishing with 61 yards on the ground in the second half. His three-yard scoring run with 2:57 left in the game tied the game at 21.

"I'm really proud of the way we hung in there and gave ourselves a chance to win. We could have laid down and lost 42-6," said Stoots.

'We really hurt ourselves a lot tonight. We fumbled the ball twice inside the five-yard line, going in. That's tough to overcome. We made a lot of mistakes tonight and we really got beat up front all night. We'll go back to work and see if we can't improve by next week."

Pinewood Prep will host Ben Lippen next Friday while Northwood travels to Williamsburg Academy.

Pinewood Prep 7 7 7 7 28

Northwood 6 0 0 15 21

PP - Jerome Deas 38-yard interception return (Thomas Ferro kick)

NW - Tyler Gross 30-yard pass from Camden Amidon (Kick failed)

PP - Bobby Casey 2-yard run (Ferro kick)

PP - Deas 34-yard pass from Casey (Ferro kick)

NW - Tyler Gross 41-yard pass from Isaiah Williams (Amidon pass to Orr)

NW - Williams 3-yard run (Brandon Harrison kick)

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From Staff Reports

Charleston—Better play from the quarterbacks and kickers dominated most of the action of the second night of the 41^st annual Sertoma Classic at The Citadel August, 19 as the best crowd in five years (11,500) watched 12 teams scrimmage over a five hour period in Johnson Hagood Stadium at The Citadel.

In the first game talented Porter-Gaud senior quarterback Hudson Worthy (6-2, 188) tossed two touchdown passes to lead the Cyclones to a 28-0 rout of undermanned Lincoln. Worthy completed all five passes that he tossed for 135 yards. His two touchdown passes were caught by Cole Shannon from 46 and 39 yards respectively.

Junior running back Trey Pierce added a seven yard run and back-up quarterback Thomas Rogers scored on a 56 yard run around the right end.

“I think it (Sertoma) proved that we had a good preseason and our performance showed that we are ready for the upcoming season,” said P-G head coach Rick Reetz. “We executed well and it showed that we are going to be a good football team this season. We play Augusta Christian to start the season next week.

“Hudson was outstanding tonight and he is proving that he is going to be everything that we know he is despite the fact that Stanton Seckinger has moved on. He is truly an outstanding quarterback and we are expecting even greater things of him this season.” 

James Island quarterback Justin Bolus (6-3, 230) was very impressive in his team’s 14-0 win over Colleton County in the second game of the evening. He played like a Tim Tebow type quarterback. 

Bolus scored on a very athletic 83 yard run for the first Trojan score and then ran over several would be tacklers later on a four yard scoring run.

In the third game Pinewood Prep and North Charleston were knotted in a scoreless tie until Prep kicker Thomas Ferro drilled a lined drive 41 yard game winner just inside the left upright for a dramatic 3-0 win that sent the Pinewood faithful home with smiles on their faces.

Rookie head coach Jodie Kafina was beside himself from the field, “This is big time for us,” said Coach Kafina. “We’ve had three good scrimmages. We played a good Woodland team tough, played a good Ridgeland team to a tie and came out on top against Military Magnet. North Charleston is loaded up with a lot of good athletes so I am proud of the way our kids hung in there and found a way to win.”

In the third game of the evening Fort Dorchester, under the leadership of poised senior quarterback Ethan Long dominated St. Johns 28-0. 

Long threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Chris Rouse to get his team’s first score. On their next possession Long completed passes of 38 and 18 yards to set up a two yard scoring run by Daitwan Commordoe to make it 14-0. Charles Loftland added another score on a three yard run and reserve quarterback Baptise Staggers tossed a 21 yard pass to Keith Doctor to round out the scoring

Woodland edged Ashley Ridge 6-3 in the fourth game of the second night of the Sertoma Classic

Ashley Ridge got on the board first via a 29 yard field goal by Dalton Robinson. With just under a minute left to play the Woodland defense came up with a game winning play when LaQuan White took an interception back on a 75 yard scoring run. 

In the 5^th game of the night Wando defeated Bishop England, 15-7, in an expanded two quarter scrimmage.  

The Warriors jumped out to 15-0 lead on five yard touchdown run by Cameron Rouse that was set up by a 54 yard scamper by quarterback Josh Walker and Walker later tossed a 82 yard catch and run pass to speedy Micha Kinloch for the other score.

In the second quarter the Bishops made the game respectable on a scoring pass from quarterback Danny Croghan to Andrew Bunch from 38 yards. Bunch had several nice catches in the scrimmage.

     In the nightcap two quarter contest Summerville took advantage of two Cane Bay fumbles inside the Cobra 25 to score both of their touchdowns in the second quarter. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie in the first period as both defenses dominated play.

Following their first fumble recovery at the 7, Summerville running back Nigel Frierson scored from one yard out three plays later with 9:10 left in the contest. Then three year starter Dalton Saunders tossed a 16 yard pass to veteran Marquise Tucker in the back of the end for the Green Waves second score.

After the game veteran Wave coach John McKissick downplayed the play of his team and said that Cane Bay outplayed his team and that Summerville was fortunate to have won. McKissick will start his 60^th season at Summerville this year and he is the winningest coach at all levels of the game with a 586-138-13 career record.

During the event Sertoma Classic chairman Danny Gilbert said, “We would like to thank our sponsors, the teams, the fans and all the volunteers for making this year’s event so successful.”

Timberland rolls over Carvers Bay in season opener

By C.R. Cumbee
Staff Writer

Hemingway—After escaping last year’s meeting with a 13-6 overtime win, Timberland made sure Friday night’s game against Carvers Bay would not be as nail biting, putting together a dominant effort en route to a 49-6 victory.  The Wolves, who return 17 starters this season, scored on six of their first eight possessions and never let the Bears find any type of rhythm.

“Carvers Bay is young and we’re not, but we didn’t expect that (final score).  Offensively, the spread helped us out a lot.  You can’t put nine people in the box anymore, and if you do, we’ve got people that can throw it and catch it.  We can also run and have a great defense, so if you combine all those things it makes for a good night,” Timberland head coach Art Craig said.

Quarterback Taylor Elizondo was 5-for-7 passing for 75 yards, including a touchdown pass to Lee Mayes.  The senior signal caller also rushed for three scores. 

“He ran the offensive well, missed a couple reads in there, but he’s a senior and has that year of experience under him.  I don’t have any problem putting the ball in his hands.  He’s able to check off and put us in some good plays and it’s nice to have a senior leader back there,” Craig said.

After forcing a three-and-out on the Bears first drive, Timberland went 45 yards in three plays, finishing with a 10-yard touchdown run by Daquan Lucas.  Elizondo and Adam June also found the end zone during the first quarter.  Elizondo highlighted the ensuing period with a pair of 3-yard TD scampers.

The Wolves defense was just as productive as its counterparts.  The unit forced five turnovers and allowed only 69 yards of total offense.  The lone blemish came late in the fourth quarter, when Devin Cuttino busted through the line of scrimmage and went 53 yards for the Carvers Bay score.  Timberland’s defense also amounted for a touchdown themselves, as Thomas Gibbs returned a fumble 35 yards to pay dirt.  

“We can just fly.  We run to the football well and tackle well.  They just get smarter as we go and hopefully they’ll continue to get better,” Craig said.

Timberland travels to Hanahan next week while Carvers Bay visits Georgetown.

SCORING SUMMARY

Timberland            21            14            14            0—49

Carvers Bay            0            0            0            6—6

T – Daquan Lucas 10-yd run (Alex Krall kick)

T – Taylor Elizondo 1-yd run (Krall kick)

T – Adam June 9-yd run (Krall kick)

T – Elizondo 3-yd run (Krall kick)

T – Elizondo 3-yd run (Krall kick)

T – Lee Mayes 5-yd pass from Elizondo (Krall kick)

T – Thomas Gibbs 35-yd fumble return

CB – Devin Cuttino 53-yd run (conversion failed)

Sullivan Talks About Role Of Superintendent In Athletics At Hannah-Pamplico 

By Billy G. Baker
Publisher

Hannah-Pamplico—It’s always nice to visit with a school superintendent and talk about his role and vision for the high school athletic program that he helps oversee.

Robert Sullivan has worked in Florence County District II for 21 years and as a superintendent in a small rural community he admits the challenges are aplenty in these times. “Winning is not everything by any means but you have to work towards being competitive,” said Sullivan. “Our job is first to find the individuals who are caring and who want to mold our kids into good citizens and to provide the budgetary things that are needed to assist them.

“Our coaches work very hard with our student athletes but is very frustrating when there are cutbacks from the state,” said Sullivan. “Many people do not understand that coaches have taken cuts in their supplements the past two years and they are moving ahead without fussing or feuding. I can’t ask for a better group of coaches then the group we have at Hannah-Pamplico.”

 Sullivan describes his community as a “baseball community” and while the football program has been down the past few years he is hoping success is on the way. “The resources our coaches need in order to do their jobs in a safe manner are provided including trainers,” said Sullivan. “In these times our district might budget for one bus carrying a team and the athletic department pays for the other bus going to another event. It’s a team effort at all times.”

There is a lot of humility being demonstrated at Hannah-Pamplico also. A few years ago dedicated and hard working Kirk Mays feel out of a deer stand standing and he is now in a wheel chair but he survived a near fatal accident. The district stuck by Mays who desired to continue working and he is the school’s athletic director and head football coach. Despite being in a wheel chair Mays gets around with more ease then some of the coaches who work around him.

“Kirk works very hard and he has always been a go-getter and he never asks anyone to do what he wouldn’t do,” said Sullivan. “He does everything from wash the uniforms to coach on the field. Kirk is a very dedicated coach.”

The only major change in the varsity coaching staff at H-P for the 2011-12 school year is that Brad Drawdy will not be coaching football but is expected to be remain as the golf coach. Mary Elizabeth Bell will take over the girl’s and boy’s tennis team as well.

Adam Brown will continue on as baseball coach and coaching veteran H.M. Dixon will continue to handle boy’s track coaching duties. Debra Muldrow is coaching girl’s basketball once again and Kedral Timmons is returning as the school’s boy’s basketball coach. Jimmy Williams is returning as the girl’s track coach and Joey McDaniel will assist Brown with baseball.

The varsity football assistants include Van Coleman, Tim Mays, Williams and McDaniel. 

“Our challenge is to get our baseball players to play multiple sports,” said Sullivan. “Our kids are working hard in the weight room and we want a winning football program. You pay your bills by filling the stands.

“My job is to be very supportive of our high school principal Timothy Gibbs,” said Sullivan. “He is the one who makes recommendations to me on numerous things and we communicate all the time.”