Don't Miss a single moment of the best prep coverage in South Carolina in print and on the web! Two For ONE!
Get HSSR ONLINE AND 12 Issues of The Sports Report FOR ONE Price $40! Click here to subscribe online!

click to return home page

click to return schools page

Powell enjoying life as Williamsburg Academy administrator

By David Shelton

Staff Writer

Kingstree – For as long as he can remember, Evan Powell wanted to be a baseball coach. But, as he grew older and became an adult, Powell’s priorities changed.

Powell got his coaching fix for about 10 years but last fall signed on at Williamsburg Academy to be the head of school, a job that would mean he would give up his coaching aspirations. With two small children to raise, it was not a difficult decision.

Powell, who graduated from Johnsonville High School and Clemson University (2000), coached baseball at T.L. Hanna High (2001-02) and Pinewood Prep (2002-2009). His last team at Pinewood won the SCISA AAA state championship, sending him into his new world with a ring.

“I loved coaching but as I grew older and changed the way I looked at things, I really had a goal to be a school adminstrator,” said Powell recently. “While I was at Pinewood I was the head of the middle school for the last four years and I got my master’s from Charleston Southern. I knew it was something I wanted to do. I’m a father first and an administrator second. I was a coach third and there just wasn’t enough time to be successful at all three so the one had to go.”

Powell took over a Pinewood Prep program that was at or near the bottom of the rung when it came to AAA baseball in SCISA. Winning the state title in his final season (he signed on at Williamsburg in the fall before his final season) was truly a memorable experience.

“I’m very proud of what we accomplished at Pinewood and it was certainly a great way to go out,” he said. “I knew well before that season ever began that I was leaving and everyone at Pinewood knew as well. We had a great group of young men who cared an awful lot about baseball and winning. I’ll never forget that season.”

Powell says he stays busy enough to miss coaching too much. He is involved, hands on, in every aspect of the school and has a full plate on a daily basis.

“I miss coaching a great deal,” he admits. “I miss the players and the practices and the game strategy. I miss preparing for a season and teaching kids. However, I love what I am doing right now. I am where I need to be and I’m doing what I need to be doing. Coaching again someday might happen but honestly, this is what I am destined to do with my life. I have no regrets at all.”

Living in Kingstree puts him closer to his hometown and to his extended family. It’s barely a 30-minute drive from his home to Johnsonville and being closer to his family is important to Powell.

“This is the closest I have been to Johnsonville since I went to college and I love being so close to my family now,” said Powell. “Kingstree is a lot like Johnsonville. It’s a small town but a close-knit community. People care about their families here and it’s a good place to live and work.

“I sometimes cannot believe how busy I am but I love it. I feel like I can have a huge impact on every student here at this school and athletics is a part of the total experience. I enjoy being able to make sure our kids have the best of everything from an educational standpoint as well as an athletic standpoint.”

 

.500 after eight games
By Tim Singleton
Special Writer
Kingstree (12/21/09)  The Williamsburg Academy girls basketball finished last season with a near .500 record and coach David Rankin has his girls off to a similar start this season with four wins in their first eight games.  
The girls have posted wins over Robert E Lee, Clarendon Hall and Coastal Christian in the early going.  
Without a lot of size for interior play, the Lady Stallions are relying on experienced ball handlers and team speed to put a few wins into the books.
"We press and run the floor. We want to get as many shots as we can. Sometimes a good shooting girls team will only hit about forty percents of their shots, so if we can create more opportunities than our opponents, then we'll come out ahead," said the coach.
The Lady Stallions have settled into an eight player rotation with Stacey Tomlinson at point guard, Anna Taylor and Nikki McCrae at the wings, Mariel Webster at forward and Carston Walker or Alex Ard in the post. Kara Ann Ard and Anne Miller Adams are providing valuable minutes off the bench.
Rounding out the roster are Leanne McFadden, Alexis Richardson, and Tara Courtney.
In their win over Coastal Christian, the girls used a balanced attack. Tomlinson led the way with 12 points on the strength of three, three point baskets. Taylor tallied nine while Walker chipped in with eight and McCrea added six. McCrea had hit double digits in the three prior games.
"I feel like our girls are playing pretty good," said the coach. "We have lost a couple of games that if we could have shot a little better they would have been wis but overall we are mving in the right direction."
The Stallions were to face Marlboro, Robert E Lee and Carolina before the Christmas break. Rankin was hopeful to improve the overall record in those games, carrying momentum over the break.