Walhalla girls in Region 1-2A title hunt again
By John Devlin
Special Writer
Walhalla – The proud tradition of Walhalla girls basketball continues this season under coach Cheryl Murphy. The Razorbacks once more are in the hunt for the Region 1-2A championship, or at the very least a No. 2 seed and a home date in the Class 2A state playoffs.
“We’re a young team but one with a good bit of experience, and the girls work extremely hard,” said Murphy.
“We’ve been fortunate to have had a number of good teams here, and that tradition seems to carry over from year to year.”
Actually, the Razorbacks are cast in the underdog roles this winter. Pendleton, which has claimed back-to-back prizes and three of the past four titles, remains the team to beat. The Bulldogs established control of the race with a 62-48 win over Walhalla in the first of the two meetings of the top contenders on Jan. 22.
The Razors overcame a 17-9 deficit at the end of the first quarter with a 19-9 run in the second to take a 28-26 halftime lead. The Bulldogs, however, were clearly the better club after the break.
The setback dropped Walhalla to 10-6 overall, 3-1 in region play.
The latest edition features the youthful regular rotation of freshman point guard Heather Jankowy, sophomore guard Lindy Clark, junior wing/team captain Dionna Thompson, junior wing Halie Chambers, junior wing Ashley Plank, junior forward Brooklyn Watt and 6-foot-1 sophomore center Shanna Pearce.
“For a very young team, these girls have shown a lot of heart,” said Murphy.
Jankowy, an emerging star, had 18 points in the Pendleton showdown, and Pearce added 11.
“Heather has become a lot more comfortable with running the offense, and she’s starting to look more and more for her shot,” said Murphy.
“We’ve played pretty good defense for the most part, but we’ve had to really work hard to hold our own on the boards. That could be the key for us as we go on.”
Boys hoops off to good start
By John Devlin
Special Writer
Walhalla (12/21/09) Hal Dunlap's Walhalla High boys basketball team is off to a fast, 6-1 start this season and is eyeing a return to the Class 2A state playoffs after missing the cut in each of the past two seasons.
"We're not very tall, but we're quick and have a lot of versatile players which means we can do a lot of different things with a lot of different players, depending on the situation," said Dunlap, who is in his 11 season at Walhalla after serving a 12-year stint in charge at nearby Tamassee-Salem.
"We're in a very tough region (1-AA). Abbeville is loaded. Pendleton is always good in basketball and Liberty is very improved. Emerald is always tough, and you can never count out Crescent. We think we have a shot to qualify this season, but it won't be easy."
Walhalla's standout player is 6-0 junior Isaac Williamson, who averaged 13 points a game last season and made the all-region team.
"Isaac is a very exciting player, and we ask him to do a lot," said Dunlap. "He can play four different positions ? from point guard to power forward. He works hard and just has a lot of natural ability with a great understanding of the game."
Williamson fired in 29 points in a Dec. 15 win over archrival West-Oak.
The Razorbacks don't have a set starting lineup as such. Dunlap doles out playing time based on the challenges he faces in every game, but senior guards Grayson Gantt, Mike Brown and Joel Putnam and senior center Hunter Coker are always very much in the regular mix.
Gantt, who transferred in last season as a shooting guard, has honed his all around game to the point where he is much more than just a spot-up shooter. He tallied 25 points vs. West-Oak on Dec. 11.
"Grayson's worked had on his defense, passing and ball-handling, and he also is much better creating his own shots off the dribble," said Dunlap. "He's always been able to shoot the ball, but he's just a better all around player now."
Walhalla's versatile and deep bench features senior forward Tyler Addis, junior forward Paxton Oglesby, senior forward Sean Hassel, junior guard Matt Richardson and freshman guard Caleb Williamson, Isaac's energetic younger brother.
The Razorbacks also get plenty of help on and off the floor from sophomore guard Price Thompson, senior forwards Steve Poston, Del Nuckolls and Nick Peden, and junior centers Patrick Darragh and Brady Crane.
Walhalla harriers cap good season at state
By John Devlin
Special Writer
Walhalla (11/12/09) Walhalla High's cross country program capped another strong season on Nov. 7 at the Class 2A state championship meet at Sandhills Research Park in Columbia.
The Razorbacks girls and boys teams, guided by veteran coach Rick Somerville, finished in the Top 10 together at the season finale, marking the first time since 2006 that both teams made the cut. In all, Walhalla has produced two Top 10 teams at state five times through the years. The previous "sweeps" came in 2006, 1996, 1995, 1994 and 1992.
Sophomore Zoe Deem led the Walhalla girls to a seventh-place finish. Deem placed 17th with a personal record time of 20:53.77, falling just a bit short of earning a spot on the all-state team.
Deem cut time steadily during the lead-up to state. She clocked in at 22:04 at the Electric City Invitational in Greenwood, had a 21:59 at the Furman Invitational, a 21:38 at the Tri-County Championships and a 21:15.05 at the Upper State qualifier.
She had solid support at state from junior Lindsey Hughes (21st, 21:14.55), senior Vanessa Rodriguez (44th, 22:12.18), junior Morgan Bryant (51st, 22:24.95) and freshman Grace Moxley (81st, 23:06.32).
Senior Lauren Hill and freshman Cina Noel were also in the state starting lineup, but did not contribute to the team score of 188 points.
It was the fourth straight Top 10 finish for the Razorbacks girls, and the 12th Top 10 state performance since 1990.
The boys team returned to the Top 10 after missing the cut in both 2008 and 2007 ? finishing in ninth place with 261 points.
Eighth-grader Henley Cothran set the pace for the Razorbacks. As was the case with Deem in the girls race, Cothran ran a good race and just missed earning all-state status. In the end, he finished 18th with a time of 17:38.44.
Scoring support came from sophomore Hayden Wilson (51st, 18:29.81), freshman Kyle Henry (52nd, 18:30.26), and juniors Keegan Bodiford (72nd, 19:00.89) and Garrett Long (76th, 19:01.01).
Senior James Houtzer and junior Conner McDonald were the other runners in the starting lineup.
Given the youthful nature of both teams, Walhalla should enter the 2010 season with high expectations.
Another major highlight this season was the surprise championship run by the Razorbacks girls at the Region 1-2A gathering.
Walhalla and Pendleton finished in a first-place tie with 29 points apiece, but the Razorbacks had the edge in the tie-breaker. It's sixth, non-scoring runner cross the line ahead of Pendleton' sixth entry.
Deem, Rodriguez, Bryant and Hughes earned spots on the all-region team. Deem finished second with a 21:03. Rodriquez placed fourth with Bryant in fifth.
The boys team finished in third place and Cothran earned a spot on the all-region team.
Razorbacks looking to bounce back vs. Crescent
By John Devlin
Special Writer
Walhalla (10/12/09) - Walhalla hopes to get back on the winning track Friday at home in a key Region 1-AA game against Crescent.
Key, of course, is a relative term. The Razorbacks, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end last week in a 55-7 loss to No. 3 Abbeville, are now 5-2 overall, 1-1 in region play, and still have a shot at earning their first home game in the playoffs since 1995.
Moreover, a win will assure of the Razorbacks of finishing with a winning record for the first time since 1995.
To do that, Walhalla must run the rest of the table, starting this week against a Crescent that has a 17-10 lead in the series, including a 36-22 win last season in Iva.
Razorbacks coach John Boggs knew a lot of things had to fall just right for his team to have a chance at pulling off an upset a week ago, but was admittedly disappointed with the performance, especially on defense.
The potent Panthers piled up 511 offensive yards, 433 coming on the ground on the way to winning for the 10th time in 10 tries vs. the Razorbacks. Walhalla managed a meager 136 yards.
Things were much better for Walhalla in the region opener on Oct. 2 ? a 34-14 win over Liberty.
John Sharpe was the headliner, rushing for 245 yards and one touchdown on just 15 carries. Ryan McDonald and Zach Peters were the hit kings on defense with 14 and 10 tackles, respectively. Kicker Eli Cothran was a perfect 4-for-4 in PATs and 2-for-2 in field goals.
Sharpe is up to 856 yards rushing on 131 carries and leads the team in touchdowns (11) and scoring (72 points). Taylor Ungardo is 40-for-68 passing for 664 yards and six TDs since taking over as the starting quarterback. Mike Brown leads the receiving corps with 19 catches for 316 yards and one score.
On defense, McDonald leads the way with 56 tackles, and Easton Smith has 34 stops and six sacks.
Some bad news came the Razorbacks way with an injury to Smith.
Here is the statement made by John Boggs in a release on Tuesday:
"On a low note, standout defensive end and H-back Easton Smith's great career came to an abrupt end this past Friday at Abbeville when he suffered two broken vertebrae in his neck on a hit in the first quarter. He walked off the field under his own power, and complained of neck pain and numbness in his hands. He spent the weekend at Southern Regional Hospital in Greenwood.
"After a battery of tests, it was decided that the injury would not require surgery, but that Easton would have to remain in a neck brace for three months as the bones are allowed to heal naturally. He has experienced no more neurological symptoms from this injury and is expected to recover fully while being monitored every two weeks. He returned home Sunday. Easton had been a four-year starter, and while he will be missed as a player, we are all very thankful that this injury was not much more serious."
Razorbacks host Liberty in Region 1-2A lidlifter
By John Devlin
Special Writer
Walhalla - The Walhalla Razorbacks, off to their best start since 1995, begin the real part of the 2009 schedule Friday at home against winless Liberty in the first round of the Region 1-2A campaign.
John Boggs' team went 4-1 in non-region testing, matching the 4-1 mark posted in 1995 under Rick Pate. The Razorbacks need just two more win to be assure of their first winning record since, you guessed it, 1995.
Liberty is 0-5 this season and has lost 10 straight games. The skid began when the Red Devils fell 50-24 to Walhalla in last year's region opener. The Razorbacks have won three in a row vs. Liberty, cutting the Red Devils series lead to 19-14.
After two straight dramatic, come-from-behind wins against West-Oak and Saluda, the Razorbacks had a more pedestrian triumph last week over 3A Travelers Rest. Walhalla prevailed 21-8.
John Sharpe played a key role ? running for 156 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries and catching three passes for 36 yards and another tally. Quarterback Taylor Ungardo was 7-for-11 passing for 119 yards and two TDs. Isaac Williamston was the other offensive headliner with two receptions for 50 yards and one TD.
Ryan McDonald was one of the standouts on defense, finishing with 12.5 total tackles, including eight solos and one TFL. Williamson had seven solo tackles and broke up two TR aerials. Easton Smith (4 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 QB hurries), Jesse Wellborn (1, sack 3 QB hurries) and Aaron Andrew (2 TFL, 1 sack) and Justin Nathan (3 TFL) were the other notable contributors.
To date, Sharpe has 569 yards rushing, seven catches for 73 yards, nine touchdowns and 58 total points on the books. He is also averaging 32.1 yards on 14 punts. Ungardo is 31-for-51 for 475 yards and five TDs. Mike Brown is the top receiver with 16 catches for 226 yards.
McDonald tops the team in tackles with 57, including 5 TFL. Smith has been outstanding with 38.5 tackles, 8 TFL, 7 sacks and 14 QB hurries.
