Daily Archives: 10/20/2015
Faith Lutheran Chapel to host annual yard sale
PICKENS — The seventh annual yard sale of Faith Lutheran Chapel will be held Oct. 23-24 from 7 a..m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds from the sale will go to local charities.
Household items, clothing, craft items, books, furniture, holiday items and baked goods will be sold. Utilizing supplemental funds from Thrivent Financial, every dollar spent will provide $1.50 to the Gleaning House to purchase needed food for Pickens residents.
With a great many reasonably priced items and support from frugal area shoppers, the yard sale that began as a means of allowing a small, beginning church to help feed the hungry of Pickens now can financially help several other area groups.
The church is located at 729 W. Main St. across from Blue Ridge Co-op.
CAST to hold monthly meeting October 27
CLEMSON — Clemson Area StoryTellers (CAST) Guild will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at The Arts Center at 212 Butler St. in Clemson.
Have stories to share? Come and tell them where you have a captive audience.
Everyone is invited to an evening of family friendly stories, poetry or music. Attend as a listener or a teller — all are welcome.
For more information, visit explorearts.org, call (864) 855-6396 or email clemsonareastorytellers@yahoo.com.
Grace United to host annual fall bazaar
PICKENS — Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens will host its annual fall bazaar and luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 12.
The event will start at 7 p.m. Admission to the bazaar is free. A turkey and dressing lunch will be available for only $10 and will be served between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The dining room and Carryout will close promptly at 1:30 p.m.
The lunch will be dine-in or carryout. Delivery service is available for four or more plates and within a five-mile radius of the the church. Call the church office at (864) 878-2161 for tickets or a delivery.
The bazaar will include baked goods, candy, handmade jewelry, handmade crafts, wood crafts, holiday items, homemade jams, jellies, pickles and the like.
Grace United Methodist Church is located at 309 E. Cedar Rock St. in Pickens.
Let’s help teach them to fish
I know where I’m sleeping tonight. And so do most of you. It would be nice if everybody could say that, but in Pickens County, they cannot.
Years ago, when our first child was still a baby, we stood in the front yard and watched our home containing everything we owned burn to the ground. We lived in a rural area, and the fire truck wasn’t coming. We had no fire insurance. We were left with our lives and the clothes hung on the clothes line.
Fowler’s former high school agricultural education teacher came to our rescue and offered a place to live for a month to give us time to get ourselves together. It was a challenging time, but we were fortunate in that Fowler was employed and we had a car.
In our very own county, there are 1,900 school age children who are homeless. That’s not counting the rest of the family. They’re often hungry. The figure is shocking.
We have single mothers with children who camp out, bounce from relative to relative if there are any in the picture or live in cars, if they own one. We have veterans whose lives have been shattered by war.
In this county, as in many in the state without mass transportation, car ownership is the last vestige of security a family may have.
One major illness, death, job loss or loss of child care can mean the difference between whether or not you can feed your children or put them to bed in a home instead of a car.
Some families in these situations stay fairly transient, because the biggest loss of all would be to lose their children. So they hide out in plain sight.
There are many fragmented efforts made in attempts to help families in these situations. Most address one or more of the consequences of being homeless. But few if any have a plan to change the circumstances causing homelessness.
Until now. Family Promise of Pickens County is a year old now, and the organization is helping people change their lives.
It’s a clear demonstration of the old proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Friday night, Cardboard Box City a first-time fundraising event for the homeless in Pickens County, will happen in Gateway Park next to Clemson Presbyterian Church in downtown Clemson. It’s sponsored by Family Promise of Pickens County, a nonprofit with volunteers from more than 14 churches of different denominations. Family Promise screens families and offers shelter, job training, food, transportation and counseling to homeless families. They help with finding affordable housing and in other ways to give families a way out of despair and into new lives where hope replaces desperation.
Anyone who wants to help can rent a space on site in Cardboard Box City and spend the night in a cardboard box of their own design. Although a space rents for $500, no amount of money will be turned down.
Schools, church groups, businesses and community organizations are all involved, putting together enough support to sleep in a box in the city.
A local businessman, who wants to remain anonymous, has challenged area businesses to sponsor a box home in Cardboard Box City. He has pledged $5,000 if his challenge is answered.
It’s not too late to get your name in the pot. If you don’t have time to build a box, there are some loaners on location. You can register online or at the site.
Meals on Wheels will be on hand running a public soup kitchen from 6-7 p.m. And there will be other special events before everyone goes to sleep.
For more information. visit familypromise.pickens.org or contact the event leader, Tom von Kaenel, at (864) 643-9197 or tom.vonkaenel@yahoo.com.
Letters to the Editor10-21-15
Concerned with Collins’ Turkey Trip
Dear Editor,
I have become worried about Rep. Neal Collins’ recent trip to Turkey that he claims “has been a political, cultural and economic tour.”
After reading all his posts and viewing all his pictures he posted on Facebook about this trip, it became obvious to me that Collins has buried his head in the sand and is in denial of what Muslims believe and what “taquia” means to Muslims.
“Taquia” is permission for a Muslim to lie under three conditions including advancing the cause of Allah and to deceive your enemies. It becomes very difficult to trust Muslims, because you don’t know if they are saying what they really believe or they are lying to Americans until they are in a stronger position within the government to fight and express their true feelings of establishing a caliphate.
I have to question Collins’ loyalty to the safety of Pickens County citizenry, as well as the safety of the citizenry of state of South Carolina and the United States of America. Did he really mean it when he swore to protect our country from all enemies, both foreign and domestic?
Here are Collins’ Facebook status quotes:
“This is an example of what I learned on this trip. My ignorance. My racism. My fears have been challenged. I know I am a better person.”
So after all these years of being a Christian and being surrounded by Christians his whole life — now that he has been around Muslims, he is a better person?
Collins wrote on Facebook that he stayed with “a wonderful Muslim family” and that “the whole family denounced Muslim extremists.” When he calls these Muslims “God-fearing people,” he is either ignorant of Islam and their ideology and beliefs and ignores the fact that Sharia law and the Constitution cannot coexist or he is complicit and is a Muslim sympathizer.
The Atlantic Institute is who sponsored the majority of the costs for Collins’ trip along with other S.C. legislators. The Atlantic Institute supports growth of Muslim Gulen charter schools here in the U.S. There is one in Greenville operating now. Many of you may know, Collins is on the House Education Committee, and this sends up red flags to me. Was their purpose to soften him up?
Please don’t vote to re-elect this man to the S.C. House, Easley voters!
Johnnelle Raines
Pickens
Vehicle donation helps transform family’s lives
By Olivia Fowler
For The Courier
ofowler@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — When Frederica Davenport drove away from D&D Motors in Greer in a 2004 Ford Explorer, she wasn’t just driving[cointent_lockedcontent]
Courtesy Photo
From left, D&D Motors general manager Skip Davenport, car recipient Frederica Davenport, Family Promise director Armilla Moore and Allstate regional director Curtis Brock were on hand for a recent car donation ceremony.
home. She was driving into a new life.
The 36-year-old single mother of three is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
A year ago, the Davenport family was homeless and without transportation. The family had nowhere to turn. Then, Family Promise of Pickens County came into their lives. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to giving homeless families a hand up, not a hand out.
Family Promise provides a safe place for families, where more than just food and shelter is available. There are 14 host churches, each in turn offering one week of housing and food to the families in the program.
Transportation, job training, counseling and other services are also given to each participating family so at the end of their months in the program they have secured affordable housing, a job and continued mentoring.
“Frederica came to Family Promise in the fall of 2014,” Family Promise director Armilla Moore said. “She and her children were homeless. She had a lot of skepticism and apprehension when she entered the program. Her children were displaced and uncertain.
“As a part of the program, they spent many nights sleeping in churches. Through Frederica’s hard work and with the help of Family Promise, she not only found housing and employment, she also found friends and family. By January 2015 she was able to move into a home with affordable rent and find full-time employment.”
Davenport had completed the program. She and her children were living together in a home she could afford in a safe neighborhood. She had a job.
The only component missing was transportation. She was scrambling for rides to work. She and the children walked miles to the grocery store, and the lack of a car seemed to be an unsolvable problem.
And then, Moore discovered a grant program sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company that donates recycled vehicles to qualified homeless families.
“We knew the chances were small,” Moore said.
But they sent in Davenport’s application and waited to hear.
Curtis Brock of Allstate said the program, 800 Charities Through Recycled Rides, donates totaled salvage vehicles that are repairable to the program. Some are donated to technical schools for automotive repair classes. But some go to families who have no other way of getting transportation. The title is signed over to the new owner.
Eddie Snipes of Allstate spotted the car and test drove it at the salvage yard to see if it would qualify.
Copart Salvage Yard delivers repairable vehicles at no charge to D&D Motors, the third partner in the program.
D&D general manager Skip Davenport said the dealership donates repairs and reconditioning of the vehicles to the program, because they want to help these families get reliable transportation. They also coordinate the donation process.
When Davenport got behind the wheel and started the engine, the expression on her face made it clear what the car represents to her.
She recently started a new job at the VA in Belton as a medical assistant and now has a way to get there. Her family is among the first in Pickens County to complete the Family Promise program.
Moore said the transformation in the entire family since they entered the program has been amazing.
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Courier Community Calendar10-21-15
• Trick or Treat on Main set in Pickens
Cannon Memorial Hospital and the City of Pickens will hold its annual Trick or Treat On Main Street on Saturday, October 31 from 5-8 p.m. for children. The event will begin at the intersection of Ann Street and Main Street in Pickens.
• Sarlin to present an evening with Wright
The Friends of the Sarlin Library are thrilled to host an evening with award-winning graphic artist Emily Wright on Monday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m.
Wright, who is employed by the Pickens County Courier, is the recipient of more than 75 Palmy Awards in South Carolina Press Association’s annual contest.
Library officials said they are honored to have her share her journey that began as a child with “doodles on birthday cards” to her role, now, in the newspaper business, as the department head of graphic design since 2007.
• Fall Festival set for PPCCD Center
The Pickens Presbyterian Church Child Development Center will host a free fall festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 311 West Main St. in Pickens.Highlights of the day’s event will include a bounce house and games for the children, as well as performances by Last Road bluegrass, Sweet Potato Pie Kids, Power House Dance, Palmetto Martial Arts, balloon art and face painting.
A silent auction will take place to help raise funds for the child development center. As part of the center’s ministry, it offers a safe learning environment for children of all abilities to learn and play together in the Pickens area.
BBQ plates and hot dog plates will be available for purchase.
• Children’s Fall Festival set in Easley
The city of Easley and Gilstrap Family Dealerships will host a Children’s Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4-8 p.m.
The event will be held around the downtown merchants and at Old Market Square in Easley. Children can trick or treat with the downtown merchants and then join a fun-filled festival with games, music, costume contests and more. The festival is free. For more, visit easleyevents.com or call (864) 423-4344.
• Lynch family reunion planned
The descendants of Captain William Lynch are having a reunion luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Holly Springs Baptist Church. A potluck lunch will be served at noon. Visitors will be able to enjoy good food, fun, fellowship and family history. For more information, contact David and Virginia Lynch at (864) 850-1787, Harold and Martha Lynch at (864) 915-1957 or Monnie and Jackie Broome at (864)270-0530 or jgbroome@juno.com.
• Georges Creek to host fall festival
Georges Creek Baptist Church in Easley will hold a fall festival, October 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. The free event will include food, candy, games and inflatables. Everyone is invited. The church is located at 1991 Saluda Dam Road in Easley. For more information, call the church at 859-6789.
Courier Obituaries 10-21-15
MR. WALTER EDWIN KING[cointent_lockedcontent]
LIBERTY — Walter Edwin King, 93, devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away on Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, at his home following an extended illness.
He was the widower of Thelma Lorene Stewart King and a son of the late Walter Leo and Gladys Juanita Smith King. He was a founding member of Ruhamah Baptist Church, where he served 45 years as a deacon. He was self-employed and retired after many years in the timber business.
Surviving are a daughter, Brenda Tyler (John) of Powdersville; three sons, Horace King (Anvy), Randal King (Judy P.), and Larry King, all of Liberty; a sister, Martha Daniels of Greenville; 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Charles Edwin King, and his wife, F. Judy King, and a daughter-in-law, Debbie King.
Graveside services to honor the life of Mr. King were held Oct. 15 at Liberty Memorial Gardens.
Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to Ruhamah Baptist Church, c/o Roy Moore, Treasurer 1610 Red Barn Rd, Liberty SC, 29657. The family would like to express our thankfulness to Homestead Hospice and the many caregivers for their compassionate care.
Liberty Mortuary is handling arrangements.
GRACE HAWKINS
LIBERTY — Grace Stewart Hawkins of Liberty passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at the Hospice House in Anderson.
Born in Pickens, she was the widow of Harry Guy Hawkins and a daughter of the late Major and Sadie Dorsey Stewart.
She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are a son, Billy Hawkins and his wife Martha of Liberty; two sisters, Mary Jones and Vivian Stewart; a brother, Carl Stewart; and grandchildren, Jason Hawkins, Olivia Hawkins, Chase Burrell, Kim Rhodes, Grant Rhodes and Addison Rhodes.
Funeral services to honor the life of Mrs. Hawkins were held Oct. 16 in the Liberty Mortuary Chapel, with burial following at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Liberty Mortuary is handling arrangements.
MAY MONROE DUNCAN
EASLEY — May Monroe Duncan, 77, passed away on Tuesday, Oct., 13, 2015, at Majesty Health and Rehab in Easley.
She was born in 1938 to the late James “Jim” and Janie Stancell Monroe.
She is survived by her son, Furman Duncan, and her brother, Robert Monroe, both of Six Mile.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Duncan; and her three children, Ricky, Bobby and Susan Duncan.
Graveside services were held Oct. 15 at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Pickens.
The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the wonderful staff of Ark Hospice and Majesty Health and Rehab.
HENRY G. LAW
CENTRAL — Henry Griffin Law, 82, husband of Carolyn Gray Law, of 439 Wood St., died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, at his home.
Born in Cartersville, Ga., he was a son of the late Henry Franklin and Virginia McKeever Law. Henry was a retired supervisor with West Point Stevens, a mason and Shriner and a member of Cannon Memorial Baptist Church. He was a former Central town councilman.
Surviving in addition to his wife of 65 years are sons, Steve Duane (Brenda) Law of Central, and James Rodney (Brenda) Law of Central; brother, Don Law of Cartersville, Ga.; sisters, Sue Brooks, Martha Hale and Joyce Siniard all of Cartersville, Ga.; grandchildren, Jason Law, Stacy Bennett, Karrie Merck and Alan Putnam; great-grandchildren, Taylor Bennett, Elijah Bennett, Hannah Bennett, Kallista Nunn, Kyliee Merck and Kahlyn Merck.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a son, Griffin Eugene Law; brothers, Charles Law and James Law; and a sister, Katie Mae Smith.
Funeral services were held Oct. 16 in the chapel of Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, Central, with burial following in Memory Gardens.
Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to OMH Foundation, in care of Hospice of the Foothills, 298 Memorial Drive, Seneca, SC 29672.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Hospice of the Foothills (Nancy), Wilma Kelley for many visits and Barbara Moore for all the thoughtfulness to the family.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or at the funeral home.
SYLVIA OTTS LIVINGSTON
EASLEY — Mrs. Sylvia Alma Otts Livingston, 74, wife of Joe E. Livingston Sr., passed away Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at her home.
Born in Little Rock, Ark., a daughter of the late Clois Edwin Otts and the late Alma Thompson Otts Baisley, Mrs. Livingston was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal faith.
Surviving, in addition to her husband of 59 years, are two sons, Ricky Livingston of Anderson, and Joe Livingston, Jr. (Crystal) of Easley; two daughters, Theresa L. Stafford (Randy) of Liberty, and Rebecca L. King (Tommy) of Pickens; one brother, William Otts of Ft. Smith, Ark.; a sister, Deloris Hatfield of Soddy Daisey, Tenn.; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Livingston was predeceased by two brothers, Edwin and Tim Otts.
Funeral services were held Oct. 18 in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown, with burial following in Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or in person at Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown, which is assisting the family.
BOBBY SWAFFORD
EASLEY — Mr. Bobby Jerry Swafford, 79, husband of the late Sarah Harrison Swafford, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Born in Oconee County, a son of the late Robert Ray and Ollie Mozelle Sosbee Swafford, Mr. Swafford retired from Alice Manufacturing and was a member of Liberty Church of God of Prophecy.
Surviving are a son, Robert “Gene” Swafford (Rhonda) of Easley; a daughter, Joan A. Stanley of Easley; a stepson, Lawrence McJunkin of Pennsylvania; a special friend, Frances Morton; two brothers, Billy and Joe Swafford of Greenville; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Swafford was predeceased by two brothers, Charles and James Swafford.
Memorial services were held Oct. 17 at Liberty Church of God of Prophecy.
Memorials may be made to Liberty Church of God of Prophecy, 373 Black Bottom Road, Liberty, SC 29657.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or in person at Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown, which is assisting the family.
BEVERLY W. DAY
EASLEY — Beverly Wells Day, 75, widow of Gary Wayne “Hootie” Day Sr., passed from this life Tuesday evening, Oct. 13, 2015, at St. Francis Hospital in Greenville.
Beverly was born in Detroit, Mich., a daughter of the late Robert William and Irene Kaurgnen Wells. She was a registered nurse and retired from Ryobi Motor Products in Pickens as occupational health nurse. Beverly was a communicant of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Easley and she was a member of The Cindy Parrott Chapter of The Daughters of The King.
Survivors include her sons, Russell Fulton Day of the home, Gary Wayne Day, Jr. of Taylors, Richard Wells Day (LaNelle) of York, and Christopher Douglas Day also of the home and grandchildren, Kelsey Day, Becca Day, Devon Frady, Hunter Day, Katie Day, Abby Day, and Marley Day and special nieces and nephew, Holly Mayer, Suzy Sonnier, and John Lee. Also surviving are sisters, Judith Warfield of Whitmire, and Margaret Lee of Piedmont.
In addition to her parents and husband, Beverly was preceded in death by a brother, Edwin Wells.
Funeral services were held Oct. 20 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Easley, with The Rev. Lee Dudley officiating. Entombment followed at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Gardens in Pickens.
A message of condolence may be expressed to the family by visiting www.DillardFunerals.com.
Memorials may be made to York Place, Thompson Children’s Home, 234 Kings Mountain Street, York, SC 29745 or to Hemophilia Resources of America, 4000 Spring Garden Street, Suite E, Greensboro, NC 27407.
FRANCES TURNER LOOPER
EASLEY — Frances Turner Looper, 89, wife of the late Clayton Willimon Looper, went to be with the Lord Wednesday Oct. 14, 2015, at Baptist Easley.
Mrs. Looper was born in Easley, the daughter of the late Ida Volrath Turner and George Turner, and a member of Arial Baptist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Marie Looper of Pickens; one sister, Sara Breazeale of Easley; and one brother, Joseph Turner of Easley.
Funeral services were held Oct. 18 in the Hillcrest Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel.
Mrs. Looper was predeceased by her husband, parents, five sisters and four brothers.
Memorials may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675.
Dillard Funeral Home is assisting the Looper family.
BETTY R. SMITH
PICKENS — Betty R. Smith, 81, wife of the late Clarence E. Smith passed away Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, at Rainey Hospice House.
Born in Pickens County, she was a daughter of the late Claudine Williams Reeves and William Wideman Reeves. Mrs. Smith was a member of East Pickens Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons; Dale Smith (Lori) of Pickens, and Don Smith of Pickens; two grandchildren, Korey Smith of Pickens, and Kayla Meekins (Eric) of Easley; and two great-grandchildren, Parker Calcutt and Bryson Meekins, both of Easley.
Funeral services were held Oct. 19 at Dillard Funeral Home Chapel, with burial following at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Gardens.
Mrs. Smith was predeceased by her husband, parents, one son, Michael Wayne Smith; two sisters, Flora Masters and Jean R. Smith; and two brothers, James (Shadow) Reeves and Alton (Cooter) Reeves.
Online condolences may be sent to www.dillardfunerals.com.
Memorials may be made to Rainey Hospice House, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, South Carolina, 29621.
Dillard Funeral Home is assisting the Smith family.
LORRAINE ANN GERLACH WALLACE
JOANNA — Lorraine Wallace, 57, wife of Terry Wallace, went to be with the Lord Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, at Laurens County Memorial Hospital.
Mrs. Wallace was born in Pickens County, a daughter of the late Janice Gillespie Gerlach and Henry Gerlach.
Survivors include her husband of 30 years; two sons, Joseph Daniel Wallace and wife Emily of Abbeville and Samuel Caleb Wallace and wife Elizabeth of Norfolk, Va.; and two grandchildren, Enslee Wallace and Ellyson Wallace of Abbeville.
Funeral services were held Oct. 14 at Dillard Funeral Home Chapel, with burial following at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Gardens.
Mrs. Wallace was predeceased by her parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Dillard Funeral Home is assisting the Wallace family.
CAROLYN G. HILL
CENTRAL — Carolyn Gentry Hill, 66, of Central, passed from this life on Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, at her home.
Carolyn was born in Fayetteville, N.C., daughter of Katherine Mills Gentry of Central and the late Dennis Abraham Gentry. She was retired from The Medical Center in Easley as an L.P.N, and she was a member of Mountain View Baptist Church.
Survivors include her mother, Katherine Mills Gentry of the home, her daughter, Angela Durham (Devin) of Pickens and her son, Scott Harper (fiancée Dawn Divis) of Clemson. Also surviving are grandchildren Katelyn Durham and Cade Durham.
A memorial service was held, Oct. 15, at Mountain View Baptist Church with The Rev. Bob Dickard and The Rev. Richard Hayes officiating.
A message of condolence may be expressed to the family by visiting www.DillardFunerals.com.
Memorials may be made to The Children’s Hospital of The Greenville Hospital System, 701 Grove Road, Greenville, SC 29601.
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Green Wave claim first region victory
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
PIEDMONT — After trailing by one point at halftime, Easley scored a touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter and then held on in the face of several [cointent_lockedcontent]comeback attempts to take a 13-7 win
Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Easley’s Bralan Fuller gets away from a Woodmont defender during the Green Wave’s win over the Wildcats on Friday night.
over Woodmont on Friday night.
The win was Easley’s first Region 1-AAAA victory of the year and kept the Green Wave’s playoff hopes alive as they prepare to host Greenwood on Friday night. Easley will finish the season with a trip to Hillcrest and a visit from Greenville.
Woodmont took the opening kickoff at its own 40-yard line but was unable to move the ball on its opening possession. Four plays later, the Wildcats punted the ball to Easley, which took over at its own 25-yard line.
From there, Will Drawdy lost a yard before Dalton Black connected with Bralan Fuller on separate plays of 24 yards then 39 yards to give the Green Wave the ball on the Woodmont 13-yard line.
Drawdy then ran the ball twice, the second for a nine-yard touchdown to put the first points on the board.
The extra point attempt by Josh Hansen failed, and Easley led 6-0 a little more than four minutes into the game.
Woodmont took its ensuing possession and drove deep into Easley territory before turning it over on downs when a Hunter King pass fell incomplete at the Green Wave 27-yard line.
After the two teams traded possessions back and forth, a promising Easley drive ended when Black was intercepted by Brandon Walker midway through the second quarter, and the Wildcats took advantage of the turnover.
Aided by a facemask penalty against Easley, Woodmont drove swiftly down the field, with King hitting Jaquan Williams for a 37-yard score on the third play of the possession. Preston St. Martin’s extra point gave the Wildcats the lead at 7-6 with four minutes to play in the opening half.
Neither team managed anything substantial offensively before the half, but the Green Wave found all the offense they needed in the early stages of the third quarter.
After the opening kickoff of the second half, despite a drive hindered by a pair of penalties against the Green Wave, Black found Fuller for a 56-yard touchdown at the 9:15 mark of the third quarter. Hansen’s extra point made the score 13-7 in favor of the visitors.
Hansen missed a 30-yard field goal that would have extended the lead when the ball sailed wide left on Easley’s next possession, but the Green Wave defense made sure the lead held up.
The Wildcats drove to inside the Easley red zone three times in the fourth quarter, but each time the Green Wave turned them away empty-handed.
On Woodmont’s first fourth-quarter possession, Green Wave defenders Ethan Meyers and Sean-Thomas Faulkner stuffed Deonte Luster for a loss of two on a fourth-down attempt from the Easley 13-yard line.
The next Wildcat drive ended when Easley’s Kaleb Dicks picked off King in the end zone, and Ivan Hill later intercepted King at the Green Wave 13-yard line.
Black finished the night just shy of 200 yards passing, while Malaki Robinson led the Green Wave ground game with 64 yards on 13 carries. Fuller was the top receiver for Easley with 159 yards on nine catches.
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Woodruff air attack too much for Devils
By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports
jkirby@thepccourier.com
WOODRUFF — Keegan Halloran threw four touchdown passes and ran for [cointent_lockedcontent]another to lead Woodruff to a convincing 48-3 victory over the Liberty Red Devils on Friday night.
Brandy Karr/Photo
Liberty’s Shaun Karr finds a hole against Woodruff on Friday night.
Halloran connected on touchdown passes of 41, 1, 82 and 14 yards, while also scoring on a 10-yard run. On the night, Halloran connected on 12-of-14 passes for 289 yards and no interceptions. The only negative was that Halloran was sacked four times by the Red Devil defense.
Not a bad night’s work for any quarterback and, by the way, Halloran is only a freshman for the Wolverines. With a continuing supporting cast, look for Halloran to establish some pretty impressive stats by the time he completes his senior season.
The Red Devils had a tough night offensively, as they managed only 113 yards of offense. The Woodruff defense held the Red Devil rushing attack in check by limiting Liberty to only 92 yards on the ground.
The best drive of the night for Liberty came in the second quarter, as the Devils drove 65 yards on 17 plays and consumed 8:32 off the clock. The success of the Red Devil drive came running the ball right at the Wolverine defense. It was truly a run-straight-at-you, grind-it-out drive that ended with a 35 yard field goal from Dylan McCall to get the Red Devils on the board with their only points of the game.
The Red Devils didn’t have any luck trying to get outside on the athletic Woodruff defense. They managed only 48 yards on 26 plays the remainder of the game.
The long drive by the Red Devils limited the Wolverines to just five plays in the second quarter, but the problem was that two of the plays resulted in touchdowns for Woodruff. A 30-yard run by Jarius Thompson made it 28-3, and the Wolverines increased the lead to 35-3 on their next possession with an 82-yard pass from Halloran to Qua Phelps.
Woodruff wasted no time to score quickly in the first quarter following the opening kick off, as the Wolverines went 59 yards in only two plays. Halloran connected with Phelps for 18 yards on the first play from scrimmage, and then found Keith Pearson for 41 yards for his first touchdown pass of the night.
The two teams agreed to a continuous clock in the second half. Woodruff managed two scores in the second half, while the Red Devils managed only 16 yards on 14 plays.
The issues didn’t lie in the Liberty effort as much as the Devils being blitzed by Halloran and the Wolverine passing game. Three quarterbacks saw action for the Wolverines and finished the night 20-of-27 with one interception and 374 yards.
Liberty tried to sneak a long pass on its first play from scrimmage, but Nick Reeves was sacked on the play for a loss of 12 yards back to the 22-yard line, and the drive never got started.
Reeves, who is the only active quarterback currently on the roster due to Austin Hughey being out recovering from a slight concussion, was expected to take all the snaps for the game. He was hobbled late in the second quarter by an apparent knee injury that forced Aaron Bates into action at quarterback for the Red Devils. Reeves returned after halftime and completed the game to give the Red Devils a lift.
With the loss, the Red Devils fell to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in region play. Pendleton will come to town this Friday night in the final home game of the season, followed by a short trip to Greenville to face Carolina to close out the season.
Woodruff improved to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in region play. The Wolverines’ hopes of going far into postseason play rest squarely on the shoulders of a freshman quarterback. Who knows what lies ahead for this young quarterback? The only question is if the Wolverines can establish enough of a running game when they need it.
The Wolverines own 10 state titles and were once led by a quarterback named Tony Rice, who led Notre Dame to a national championship while he played for legendary coach Lou Holtz. The glory days may be coming back again for Woodruff.
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