Spartanburg Day School athletic director Mike Cerino.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —It’s not often you get to build a football program from the ground up, but that is exactly what Spartanburg Day football coach Partick Moffitt (actually the Director of Football) has been experiencing for the past year as the school transitions from a middle school program into a varsity program by the Fall of 2026. This past May Coach Moffit worked out 36 candidates for the junior varsity program that the school will have in the Fall. By 2026, the Griffin’s will be playing varsity football likely at the AA level. “We went 3-3 in the six games we played with a group of middle schoolers in the fall and we were mildly shocked at the fan support we got at games and how unity starting a football program was bringing to the school,” said Coach Moffitt. “Having some success in the early going helped everyone’s confidence also.” Spartanburg Day played games against Christ Church , Southside Christian and St . Jospeh’s last season. “Our numbers have picked up in a year from 20 kids playing on our 5 th to 8 th grade team last year to now having 36 players competing to play at the junior varsity level and that is very positive,” said Coach Moffitt. “When we had May football drills it was like teaching some kids real basic fundamentals of the game because many of them had never played the sport before,” said Coach Moffitt. “It is a really hands on experience for sure.” Coming all of the May drill period into June Coach Moffitt has a really good idea of who his better players come August when the team plays even more competitive games. He starting quarterback will be Rutledge Hall described as a dual threat with a high football I-Q. He was a starting free safety on the middle school team last year. “Rutledge has a good arm and he uses his feet when he has to escape pressure also,” said Coach Moffitt. The likely starting running back out of the spread offense is likely rising freshman Bennett Johnson . Johnson gained 163 yards and scored two touchdowns last season as a middle schooler. The offense uses four receivers. Camden Teal , who recently won the 800 meters run at the SCISA State track meet, will be one starting receivers. He had seven catches for 99 yards last season. He will be joined by Tyler Fermanders , Chandler Wilson , and the team is still seeking that 4 th receiver. The offensive line will be comprised of left tackle Nicholas Quinn , right tackle Charlie Birch , center Sammy Crain , right guard Cale Willoughby and left guard Gibbes Montgomery. Many of the offensive players will flip to defense and play both ways. Quinn and Birch flip to defensive ends while Willoughby flips to defensive tackle. Newcomer Lawson Robinson will start at defensive tackle. “Lawson is an 8 th grader with a high motor and he plays a very physical type game,” said Coach Moffitt” The Griffins defense will consist of four linebackers. They are Charles Wilson , Mike Bennett , Heath Boyd , or Rutledge. Ben Visk could also see some action at linebacker. The three deep secondaries will consist of Fermanders, Camden Teel , and a flip between Rutledge and Visk. Charles Wilson is the place kicker and Charlei Birch is handling punting duties. “Our goals are to keep kids engaged in the sport and hope that they fall in love with practice,” said Coach Moffitt. “We just hope our young players continue to develop and build off our successes of our first season. We hope everyone of them develop into good football players.” Right now, Coach Moffitt has one assistant coach and he is Justin Crain who works with both lines. A little later this summer Chris Cormier will be joining the program as the defensive coordinator. Coach Cormier was a top athlete who played in the highly successful St. Aquinas Florida prep football program in the late 1990’s. The team will begin the season on August, 29 against the Greenville Hurricanes.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg — Spartanburg Day varsity tennis coach Bob Allsbrook is returning a text from this writer while 30,000 feet in the air, on a flight to Barbados, where he has come to spend two weeks to work as a tennis instructor to guests at the resort island where he will also be staying. A month earlier, Coach Allsbroook was coaching the Spartanburg Day Boy’s tennis team to their second straight championship win over traditional power Hilton Head Prep at the Cayce Tennis Center in Columbia. The hard-fought matches lasted for nearly five hours and the Griffins finally won 5-4 with a win in number two doubles at the very end of the 9 match event. “Last year with SCISA realignment we were never in the same classification with Hilton Head Prep so we never played each other,” said Coach Allsbrook, who has been involved in the sport of tennis for most of his life, even playing on the pro tour for a while. “Our players got upset last season when witnessed one of the Hilton Head parents showing off some cupcakes she had made that was already congratulating them for winning the state championship, and that gave the team extra juice, and we won like five of the six singles matches. “So, we knew they would come loaded for bear this season, and they did for sure,” said Coach Allsbrook. “We spilt the six singles matches 3-3 and we had split two of the doubles matches so it was 4-4 with our number two doubles team left on the court in the last match.” During a break in the final match of the day, Coach Allsbrook went over to give a pep talk to Nathan Harris who was teamed with number one singles player Charlie Forgerty in the last doubles match of the competition. “I went over to Nathan and told him, You got this!” A short while later Harris hit a return volley shot for the game winner helping lift the Griffins to a 5-4 win, their second straight SCISA AAA win over Hilton Head Prep that had not lost a state title match in quite a while, prior to last year. The six-man singles team consisted of sophomore Charlie Fogerty at one single. He won his state title match 6-2, 6-2. Bradley Johnson Jr won at two singles 6-3 and 6-2. Price Nelson won at three singles 7-5 and 6-4. Hilton Head Prep won the next three matches over number four senior Lane Greer , number fiver Harris and number six Griffins performer Bennett Johnson, an 8 th grader , who lost in close competitive matches. John and Nelson played number one doubles while Johnson and Greer played number three doubles. Those matches went 1-1 so the two doubles team of Forgerty and Harris decided the match. “Winning this year was even sweeter because we didn’t sneak up on them this year,” said Coach Allsbrook. “They brought a lot more fans with them this year also. We are losing two seniors to graduation but we have several up-and-coming players as good as the one’s we are losing. These two up and coming players are freshman Henry Gosnell and 7 th grader Parker Wilson .” Coach Allsbrook said that none of the six players who competed in the state finals had lost a match this season. Since 1987 Coach Allsbrook has won 20 state titles high school tennis, 13 of them have been with teams from Spartanburg Day. “I guess we will meet Hilton Head Prep in the state finals once again next season and we know that both teams will bring their A game for sure,” he said. “I tell my players all the time that you can’t go undefeated if you don’t win the match, you are currently competing in.”

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —The Spartanburg Day Griffins golf team, under the direction of head coach Travis Linder, are heavily favored to win their SCISA region tournament to be held on April 21 st at the Village Green Golf Course, and one week later, the Griffins are expected to compete very well at the SCISA AAA Golf State Championships to be held once again on the Hackler Course in Myrtle Beach. “We had only two head-to-head matches this Spring because we mainly competed in big tournaments involving larger public schools,” said Coach Linder. “Our best showing so far was in the Spartanburg County Invitational where we competed very well against 14 other teams, including schools like Dorman , Spartanburg , and Gaffney . In the Spartanburg County event, junior Matthew Roff , playing in the number one slot for the Griffins, placed fourth over-all with a round of 75, earning him a spot on the All-tournament team. Eighth grade golfer Kingston Linder was 11 th over-all at the Spartanburg County event when he fired a 77 and just missed earning a spot on the all-tournament team. In most golf matches, or tournaments, a team enters five golfers and the top four scores count. The team’s lone senior is Carter Boyd and he shot a 78 at the Spartanburg County event. Other participants in the county event included 7 th grade golfer Will Miller and freshman Ben Brown . Brown usually shoots in the mid-80’s and he has been on the team for three seasons. Reid Hines is a talented 7 th grader who is the on the varsity team also. The team also participated in the Rebel Invitational hosted by Byrnes High earlier this Spring. The Griffins finished 14th over-all in that event. The top four scorers in that event included Will Miller (82), Kingston Linder (83), Ben Brown (85) and AK Milner (87). The focus now is the upcoming region championship match against region foes First Presbyterian Academy and Spartanburg Christian, scheduled for the Village Green Golf course on April, 21 st . “We will start ramping up our practices to include two 18-hole rounds a week, when at the start of the season we played a lot of 9-hole practice rounds,” said Coach Linder. “These two 18-hole rounds help us determine player seedings for both the region tournament, and if we win the region, we go to state so these matches during the week help us place the players one through for five based on how they are playing at the time. “We are favored to win the region and I was not the head coach last year but I think the team placed third in the SCISA AAA state finals last year,” said Coach Linder. “I think that Matthew Roff’s father told me his son will be playing on the Hackler Course for the 5 th straight year, so being a senior, he will likely play at number one, if we advance to the finals after region as we expect to.” Last year the Griffins shot a team composite of 581 to finish third behind first place Hilton Head Prep (581) and second place Hilton Head Christian (588). Five golfers represent each team and they play two back-to-back 18-hole rounds on consecutive days with the top four lowest scores counting in the team totals. Two golfers return this year to the Griffins who played in the state finals last year. Roff shot 76-80-156 and Boyd shot 78-81-159 last year in the state finals. “In the state finals in May it is usually hot weather, so we start working on our stamina by playing more 18-hole practice rounds later in the season,” said Coach Linder. “Those last six holes on a hot day can be difficult if you do not prepare for them. “I feel like if this young group of golfers stick together, we have the foundation to compete for state championships in the near future,” said Coach Linder. Coach Linder also wanted to cite the talents of two up and coming junior varsity golfers in the Spartanburg Day program. They are 7 th grader Jack Langley and 8 th grader Tab Connor .

 By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —Nearing the end of his second season as the head baseball coach at Spartanburg Day , former Red’s major leaguer Travis “ Gookie ” Dawkins is having a great time working with developing young baseball players, regardless of what the record of the Griffins might be. “Until we are able to develop more pitching depth, I am okay with only scheduling 10 regular season games a year,” said Coach Dawkins. ”We are definitely going to work on getting more games in next season, perhaps as many as 14 to 16.” As of April, 10 the Griffins were (3-4, 0-2) and they are just coming back off of their Spring break. Their three wins have come over Hampton Park twice (13-7 and 8-5) and they have defeated Upstate (8-5). The four losses were against Oakbrook Prep , Greenwood Christian , Upstate , and Spartanburg Christian . “We have only two regular season games left against Spartanburg Christian (April, 21) and Oakbrook Prep (April, 23),” said Coach Dawkins. “I would not mind picking up a game or two if I could find one available. “Our top two hitters this season have been our shortstop/catcher junior Matty Lyle (.556, 8 RBI’s, three doubles and one triple), and he has focused more on catching lately, and the other top hitter is 8 th grade center fielder Lavonte Henderson (.471, 5 RBI’s two doubles and one triple). “Matty and Jackson Harris are two of our better team leaders,” said Coach Dawkins. “Harris is a freshman short stop/third baseman for us with next level potential if he keeps developing and believing in himself. Harris has pitched five innings for us and he his defense is ahead of his hitting right now.” Harris bats in the two-hole. On the mound he has worked 11 innings to date with a team leading 11 strike-outs. Senior catcher Coleman Tolbert has had a fine season as he is currently batting .462 with six RBI’s and six stolen bases. “Coleman has had marked improvement over last year and that is always a good thing,” said Coach Dawkins. “He has been swinging the bat really well this season.” Gabe Smith plays third base, shortstop, and in the outfield and he is currently batting .375. The teams lead-off batter is LHP Easton Bell , and first year player on the team. Coach Dawkins has referred to Bell as the team’s Bulldog on the mound. Bell has worked 7.6 innings on the mound and he has four K’s. He has the best ERA on the staff at 2.86. At the plate Bell is currently batting .286. Senior first baseman Luke Bryant bats in the clean-up slot. He has four RBI’s on the season. Senior Brandon Ledford bats in the 7th slot ad he has contributed four RBI’s. Rounding out the batting order for the Griffins is 7 th grader second baseman Oakley Humphries who has scored three runs and contributed three hits this season. Other key reserves making contributions to the team include 7 th grade second baseman Kendall Glenn , 8 th grader Tyler Fernanders , along with 7 th grade catcher/outfielder Charlie Birch . “We pretty much need to win-out the rest of the season to have a shot at making the play-offs,” said Coach Dawkins. “I have been very impressed with the work ethic on this team. “When I was a young player trying to learn the game of baseball, as a very young person, I had my own struggles learning the importance of fielding, hitting, and catching a baseball,” said Coach Dawkins. “All a young player can do is to learn from their mistakes, be focused on correcting mistakes and strive to work hard to become a fundamentally sound player. The key is to eventually develop a consistent successful routine.” Some of the better winning moments this year happened in the team’s 8-5 win over Upstate. In that game Lyle was 2-of-3 with two RBI’s including a triple. In the same win Tolbert contributed a double and one RBI. Henderson also had a double in the game and Harris had a single. Lyle worked five innings on the mound against Upstate allowing just five hits while striking-out two baters. When Coach Dawkins was asked if the Griffins had a newcomer MVP this season, he replied. “Bell and Henderson have been very effective at the plate this season and both these guys are getting better with every game.” Coach Dawkins is assisted by Hunter Gneisig . The team statistician is James Lyle .

Billy Baker Publisher Spartanburg —The Spartanburg Day boy’ soccer program was 1-1 headed into the school’s Spring break and the young men in the program are under the tutelage of head coach Graham Brewer . “We are currently 1-1. with a win against Chesnee High School in penalty kicks,” said Coach Brewer. “Our next game is March 28 against the Curtis Baptist School . “We have a small team made up of 14 hard-working players,” said Coach Brewer. “My hope is that this team will continue to grow and bond as a unit. I hope we are able to compete, and win in our region, with the end goal of securing a playoff berth.” Coach Brewer said the core group of team leaders are made up from senior goal keeper Colin Winkler , junior center back Noah Brush , and junior center back Brice Henderson .  “Colin and Brice have both been involved in the program since middle school,” said Coach Brewer. “Noah has been involved since ninth grade. “Colin transitioned to the position late and has stepped in the last couple years,” Coach Brewer. “He has grown not only in skill but as a leader. His communication and guidance are key to the team’s success on the field. “Brice has been a key member of our defense at the varsity level, starting from 8th grade,” said Coach Brewer. “His intensity and desire to win is next to no one. He elevates the team from a physical perspective and is irreplaceable. “Noah is one of the more technically sound players on the squad,” said Coach Brewer. “He provides a great balance in terms of ability and physicality. His understanding of the game allows him to support the rest of the team.” Spartanburg Day Boy’s Line-up: #0 Colin Winkler, Senior, GK #6 Gleb Varenov, Senior, RB #10, Noah Brusch, Junior, CB #22, Brice Henderson, Junior, CB #11 Jacob Cochran, Junior, LB #7 Liam Mezgar, Freshman, CDM #4 Niles Murphy, 8th Grade, RM #26 Armin Pader, Freshman, CM #12 Aidan Darr, Senior, CM #8 Gavin Mason, Sophomore, LM #9 Reese Cook, Junior, ST Coach Emily Rossie Directs The Spartanburg Day’s Girl’s Soccer Team The Spartanburg Day girls’ soccer team is head coached by Emily Rossi and going into the school’s Spring break the Lady Griffins were 02 but focused on steady improvement. “It's my first year in this role, so I do not know how long many of the players have been a part of this program,” said Coach Rossi. “Our more experienced players on team are senior striker Grace Becker who provides ingenuity on the pitch. Senior mid-fielder Kaytlin McKimpsey displays grit. Both of these players represent determination. “Our main goal is to establish a strong defense that can easily transition to offense,” said Coach Rossi. Other starting members of the girl’s team include: Senior marking back Mya Ferguson , and senior marking back Anna Vincent. Mary Franklin Gilman is a starting mid-fielder/keeper along with junior mid-fielder Vivi Darr and junior striker Aiala Llona. Rounding out the starters are sophomore marking back Hannah Vincent, sophomore marking back/mid-fielder Aishwarya Tuggudemde., sophomore mid-fielder Shan Zhang, and sophomore keeper Kaeleigh Hull. Key back-ups include: senior Charlotte Roark , senior Mirabelle Ferguson junior Leticia Motta , junior Cardie Tan, junior Camille Cleland, sophomore Aroa Sala Iribarren, sophomore Chole Smith, sophomores Maddie Parker and two freshmen Bella and Bentley Cobb. Coach Rossi is assisted by Joe Anderson and Anna Aceto - Korn . The athletic trainer is Jonathan Green .

Spartanburg Day Griffins Boys’ Basketball Headed To The Play-offs  By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —The ole adage that it is not how you drive, but how you arrive, that matters most could certainly be applied to the 2024-25 Spartanburg Day Griffins boys’ basketball team under the coaching tutelage of Gregg Nibert . “We started the season 0-2, and lost our best player to an injury in the very first game of the season but we kept working, got our best player back and went on a three-game win streak towards the end of the season, so we are feeling good right now,” said Coach Nibert who spent a number of years as the head basketball coach at Presbyterian College. The team was 5-9 and 3-4 near the conclusion of the regular season. Their three straight wins came over FPAASF twice (51-38 and 64-50) along with a huge win over rival Spartanburg Christian (57-40) on February, 4. On February, 7 the Griffins lost to Greenwood Christian (49-45) after taking a huge lead in the game. “At one point we were up nearly 20 points but their two fine guards started hitting a bunch of threes in the second half to get back in it,” said Coach Nibert. “We are certainly very proud of our senior Payne Wood who scored 28 points in the game. He was the young man who got hurt in our first game of the season and we were glad to get him back. “Payne is a natural great shooting guard but out of need we have had to play him a lot at point guard position,” said Coach Nibert. Coach Nibert also mentioned the stellar play of Estonia Exchange student Ron Rank who had 11 rebounds and six assists in the Greenwood Chrisitan game. Rank is the leading scorer on the season at 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a game. Junior forward Brice Henderson finished the regular season scoring 8.9 points a game along with 5.1 rebounds. Coach Nibert has described Henderson as a good on-ball defender. Junior shooting guard Thomas Hyde finished the regular season averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds an outing. Coach Nibert has talked about his three-point shooting accuracy. Wood, who has a strong desire to play at the next level, finished the season averaging 10 points a game. Sophomore guard Gabe Smith finished the regular season at 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. The team’s top rebounder for the season was 6-4 senior Price Nelson at 6.5 recoveries per game while averaging four inside points a game. Other key reserves on the team include sophomore guard Evan Bourla , junior guard Evans Taylor, senior guard Coleman Tolbert along with sophomore Brienn Daniel Ayerdi and senior Aiden Darr . Matt Barr is also a junior forward. The SCISA play-off bracket will be announced on February, 13 th . “The guys know their roles entering the play-offs and we just have to maintain our focus and play excellent defense,” said Coach Nibert. “We are excited to be playing in the play-offs” Spartanburg Day Girls Get Win Over Greenwood Christian 45-44 On February, 7 Despite being 4-12 and 2-4 at the end of the regular season the Lady Griffins took a hard-fought 45-44 win over Greenwood Chrisitan to conclude the regular season. They also defeated Greenwood Chrisitan by the score of 46-2 on January, 28. Team members for the 2024-25 season included seniors Kaytlin McJimpsey , and Grace Becker , along with juniors Manoela Feuerschuette , Aiala Llona Diez and Maria Neves . The sophomores were comprised by Layla Lemmonds , Sarah Johnson , Merrill Loring , Hannah Vincent and Katelyn Vincent . The team is head coached by Brian Wood .

Spartanburg Day Varsity Boys Basketball team.