Daily Archives: 09/20/2016
Animals enjoy nature’s harvest
By Scott Stegenga
Special to The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
As summer comes to a close, nature’s harvest will continue to ripen and the harvesters will soon get a jump on the bounty that hangs free for the taking. The crews doing all the collecting are the various mammals and birds that depend on the forest’s mast and fruit crops every fall. Each creature has its favorite nut, seed or berry, and if you don’t observe them in action, you can often see the signs left behind by a hungry forager.
One piece of evidence a person may notice are areas where the ground is covered by fragments of pine cones, bits of hickory nut shells or nibbled pieces of acorns. These cuttings are the work of the gray squirrel as it begins the process of preparing for colder weather. It is often the sound of gnawing or falling scraps of husks and cones that reveals the busy rodent up in the foliage of a tree. Gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits of dogwoods and shower the ground with these cuttings as well.
Special to The Courier
Squirrels and other animals are loading up on the abundant fruits, berries, seeds and nuts available as summer comes to a close throughout the Upstate.
Chipmunks will increase their foraging activity and will be storing away large amounts of seeds and nuts. They can carry several nuts in cheek pouches at once and may store away up to 8 pounds for winter use. Several of the seed pods produced by sweet shrubs will be visited by the highly arboreal golden mouse. The tell-tale sign these mice leave behind is a round hole chewed into the pod, hanging void of its seeds.
Black bears will be seeking out oaks and beeches for ample sources of acorns and beech nuts since the soft mast crops such as blackberries, cherries and blueberries are no longer available. Bears and skunks boldly raid yellow jacket nests to get at the calorie-rich larvae, and many nests are dug up throughout the summer and fall. This feeding habit of these mammals allows hikers and hunters to notice the nests a bit easier and perhaps better avoid some painful stings. Fleshy persimmons and wild grapes will be plucked by raccoons and opossums as they forage among the tree limbs or on the ground. Once a persimmon turns soft and mushy, they are a tasty treat for humans as well.
Many species of migrating and year-round resident songbirds will be helping themselves to dogwood fruits, poison ivy berries and a variety of other berries, seeds and nuts. Blue jays are prominent planters of acorns. Jays bury hundreds of acorns, thus helping to propagate new oak trees when the seeds are not recovered later.
As more food falls to the ground, the harvest will intensify and be joined by other animals such as deer, mice and turkeys. The coming of autumn is definitely a time of work and reward for many types of wildlife. From September through November, the forest’s table will be set, the food will be served and the big feast will be underway once again.
Scott Stegenga is an interpretive ranger at Table Rock State Park.
World of Energy plans 10th annual Nat’l Hunting and Fishing Day event
SENECA — Duke Energy’s World of Energy education center at Oconee Nuclear Station will host a family event celebrating National Hunting and Fishing Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 24. This free family adventure is open to the public and held on the grounds at the World of Energy.
National Hunting and Fishing Day is made possible by partnerships with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Cabela’s, Upstate Forever, Trout Unlimited, Clemson University Cooperative Extension, Clemson University 4-H Shooting Sports, Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, The Weatherby Foundation, Elkmont Trading Company, Academy Sports & Outdoors and Duke Energy.
To celebrate the 10th annual event, Cabela’s bass angler Martha Goodfellow will be on site teaching interactive demos throughout the day. Goodfellow has fished in numerous tournaments throughout the South, capturing third place in Texas on Lake Ray Hubbard during her first tournament as a pro. She finished the lady bass angler season qualifying for the championship on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville, where she placed second in the event. In her spare time, she serves as director of the South Carolina Couples Series division of American Bass Anglers.
In addition to interactive demos with Goodfellow, National Hunting and Fishing Day activities include archery, air rifles, rock wall climbing, fly tying and casting, kayaking, fishing on Lake Keowee and much more. All activities are free, and all gear is provided.
“Clemson Extension and the Clemson 4-H Shooting Sports program are proud to be partners for the past 10 years with this celebration of hunting and fishing and the outdoors,” 4-H Natural Resource Specialist Rick Willey said. “We look forward to this event every year. It is a great opportunity for the community to come and enjoy the great outdoors in a safe, educational environment with family and friends.”
Special to The Courier
Duke Energy’s World of Energy will host its 10th annual National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration this Saturday.
Shuttle service is provided from the marked parking area off S.C. Highway 130 across from the entrance of the World of Energy. Guests can bring a picnic lunch or purchase food on site.
For more information about the Sept. 24 National Hunting and Fishing Day event, contact Duke Energy’s World of Energy at 1 (800) 777-1004, option 1, or visit www.duke-energy/worldofenergy.com.
Celebration set to remember PFD history
PICKENS — Saving lives and homes from the ravages of fire is the duty of all area firefighters do. Each day they know their lives could be put on the line. These heroes are selfless, loyal and dedicated to the communities that they serve.
The Pickens Fire Department is inviting all current and retired firefighters, their families and members of the community to a special memorial celebration recognizing the dedication of firefighters to the Pickens community.
The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 24, with an inaugural flag raising at the memorial. The memorial is located in front of the fire station at 302 Johnson St. in Pickens.
Everything has a beginning which consequently creates a history. The Pickens Fire Department is no different. Using multiple sources and old newspaper articles the following information has been compiled to give us an idea of how we arrived at where we are today.
Pickens Fire Department’s story appears to be an off-and-on story of attempts to begin a new organization. Apparently, around 1892 and 1893 there were several fires within the city that may have planted the seeds for thought of establishing a fire company. A couple of additional wells were dug in the city to make water more accessible, and from all appearances any fires were extinguished by the old-fashioned bucket brigade manned by available citizens.
At the turn of the century, the wheels of fate started to turn and the birth of the Pickens Fire Department was inevitable. From documentation available it appears the fire department struggled to “get off the ground” until 1946. While there are many factors that probably played a role in this, the most obvious would be America’s involvement and Pickens County’s support of World War I and II and the country’s struggle during the Great Depression.
The following is a chronological summary of the Pickens Fire Department’s development:
1900 — A two-wheeled cart with 2-1/2″ hose wrapped around a drum is pulled by Police Chief Hovey Nealy’s Model T, then later his Model A
February 15: A fire company is organized with approximately 25 volunteers. D.B. Finney was appointed as captain, J. Lo Thompson appointed as assistant captain and EJ Keith appointed as secretary/treasurer
March 15: A letter appears in the People’s Journal stressing the need to fund the newly formed fire company. It is determined that $500 iss needed to get the organization started, yet only $350 had been received. A call is put out to local business owners to help with the additional funding. From all appearances, the call falls on deaf ears … or empty pockets.
1922 — A new water system is completed and the mayor and town council purchases “suitable and adequate firefighting equipment and a volunteer fire company will be organized.”
1933-34 — Connie Finney returns from Florida and is hired as police chief/fire chief
1934 — City purchases a 1925 Seagrave Fire Engine from City of Danville, Va.
1936 — October: City attempts once again to organize a fire department
1937 — October: A subscription-based fire protection service is formed with $200 being raised and the remaining balance being paid by the city treasury.
1938 — December: The city of Pickens has been broken into four zones to assist the public and fire department members. The siren sounds with a respective number of blasts to represent the location of the fire.
1940 — Grace United Methodist Church burns
1941 — Connie Finney resigns and accepts the assistant fire chief position at Fort Jackson
1941-1945 — During World War 2, it appears the fire department sits silent, awaiting a new leader.
1946 — Pickens Jaycees call a meeting to organize a volunteer fire department, with Oliver Hughes being appointed as chief and Cy Rampey as assistant chief. Both are on a volunteer basis.
1948 — May 6: The Pickens Junior Chamber of Commerce puts a notice in the paper that a volunteer fire department is going to be formed in Pickens. The city will pay $1/month to each member who attends practice. Fifteen citizens sign up, and within two weeks the group is called out to its first fire.
November 4: “Pickens’ worst fire” claimed more than $115,000 worth of property as the two largest stores in Pickens went up in flames. The buildings had been constructed in 1903.
1949 — The first new fire truck (a Chevy) is purchased by the city for $5,850. The truck would earn the nickname “Old Dynamite” and serve the city for almost 30 years before being sold to the Dacusville Fire Department in 1978.
1950 — Winchester Hardwood Mill catches fire
1952 — June: New raincoats and helmets which “present a business like appearance” for the firefighters have been provided. The firefighters have set up beds in the firehouse, and at least two volunteers are staying each night to answer any fire calls.
1953 — The first two paid positions are created, with Weldon Day being named fire chief
1957 — Wilson Rowland promoted to chief upon Weldon Day’s resignation
1960 — Cy Rampey promoted to chief upon Wilson Rowland’s resignation. There is no record of a second paid man upon Rampey being named chief until 1962.
1961 — Until this time the city fire department only responded to fires within the city limits. A group of men who lived outside the city met and purchased a 1961 Ford to be used for the rural area. The truck was to be housed and staffed out of the city station; thus the beginnings of subscription-based fire protection outside of the city limits.
1962 — A pumper truck is purchased.
1963 — The “rural” truck has been sold to the city. The city has added a 1,500-gallon 1964 tanker to be used for the rural area
1965 — June: Hollingsworth House, located just outside the city, burns. This was one of the first homes constructed when Pickens was relocated to the current location. Fire chief J.C. Rampey is in command and the city fire department responds with two trucks. While many irreplaceable items were lost, the fire department was able to hold back the fire while numerous items were removed from the lower level, including a 100-year old piano and a bookshelf full of books.
1966 — The city purchases a Ford 4×4 brush truck
February 3: Pickens County Training School, Pickens Elementary School for Negros, located near Griffin Ebenezer Baptist Church, burns.
1968 — City purchases a Chevy-based American LaFrance Pumper (750-gpm) for $23,000. This gives the city a total of four trucks; prompting Mayor W. Earle Findley to say “Pickens now has the best fire protection service in this area. We can give better service in the rural area, sending out as many as three trucks at one time and still have one at the city hall.”
1970 — City now owns five trucks to include three pumpers, one tanker and a new 300-gallon brush truck
Grandy House, located on Hampton Avenue, burns
1975 — Third paid position added.
1977 — Tom Nealy promoted to chief upon Cy Rampey’s retirement.
1978 — City purchases a 750-gallon/1,000-gpm pumper for $52,000
September: First new truck (1949 Chevy) purchased by the city was sold to Dacusville Fire Department as they were attempting to get their department up and running.
December: City purchases a tanker for $34,500
1987 — A referendum was held on Oct. 27, 1987, to allow the public to vote on establishing the Pickens Area Fire Protection District. This allowed everyone within the surrounding rural area to have fire protection without having to pay a “subscription.” The referendum passed, and the city began providing full fire protection outside the city Jan. 1, 1988. The initial fire fee that was collected on individual taxes was $25 per dwelling.
1997 — Sam Simmons is hired as chief upon Tom Nealy’s retirement.
2003 — David Porter promoted to chief upon Sam Simmons’ resignation
2004 — Station at Shady Grove is built by the county and a contract is signed by the city and county for the city to provide staffing and fire protection for this station and the Shady Grove Fire District.
2005 — January: Volunteer staffing increases from 25 to 35 to accommodate the agreement to provide fire protection to the Shady Grove Fire District
July: Full-time paid staffing increases to seven firefighters, with the chief no longer working 24-hour shifts. Three full-time men are located at each station (city and Shady Grove)
2013 — Chris Elrod is promoted to Chief upon David Porter’s retirement
2014 — Department becomes the first non-EMS agency in Pickens County to obtain license to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care. The license was issued Oct. 8, 2014.
2015 — Pickens Fire Department lowers ISO rating to class 3 effective Sept. 1, 2015
Rams use big plays to deal Daniel defeat
By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — Homecoming was unkind for the Daniel High School football team on Friday night as the Westside Rams came in sporting a No. 1 statewide ranking and shellacked the Lions 41-3 in front of a huge crowd at Singleton Field in Central.
Westside, which posted nearly 500 yards of offense in the contest, went ahead early and never looked back. The Lions did manage to stay within striking distance in the first half, going into intermission down 19-3.
“We didn’t do enough to win,” Daniel coach Jeff Fruster said in frustration after the game. “We had a tight game going into the second half. They were up 19-3. That’s a two-score lead. We just didn’t do enough to get the yardage or make the stops we needed to make.
“At the end of the day, that is our loss as a staff. We need to perform better. We have to come back to playing Daniel football.”
The Lions started out with momentum on their side. Daniel got the ball first and moved the ball 17 yards in six plays. An illegal procedure call slowed the drive and forced a punt, but Westside’s Eb Jones could not hang on to the kick, fumbling the ball away, with Daniel’s Tyler Venables recovering for the Lions at the Westside 14.
Daniel pushed the ball down to the 6-yard line, but that was as close as they would get to the Ram end zone all night. Fruster elected to call on kicker Nick Muchow on fourth down, and Muchow split the uprights with 7:47 left in the first quarter to give Daniel an early 3-0 lead.
Westside answered back quickly with a 10-play drive that covered 80 yards and was capped with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Williamson to Traye Carson with 4:37 left in the first to take a lead the Rams never relinquished.
Big plays doomed the Lions all night, and none was bigger than Westside’s second touchdown, an 88-yard Dalton Walls run later in the second. The Rams tacked on a 5-yard Williamson touchdown to take the 19-3 lead into halftime.
During halftime festivities, Mia Piekutowski was crowned as the 2016 Daniel Homecoming queen.
The Daniel defense stepped up early in the second half and halted the Rams’ offense. The Lions looked to be on the march, starting from their own 2-yard line. Batson lea his unit out of the shadow of its own goalpost thanks to nice runs by freshman Billy Bruce. The drive stalled at the Lions’ 49, and again Fruster called on Muchow to punt the pigskin away.
Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Mia Piekutowski was crowned 2016 Daniel Homecoming queen at halftime of Friday night’s game against Westside.
Big plays continued to hurt the Lions after intermission. The Rams added a touchdown with 4:17 left in the third when Jyston Kendrick took the punt and bolted 84 yards for a touchdown. Again the Rams went for two, and this time it was Walls who got the call and blasted in to make the score 27-3.
The Rams defense kept the Lions in check, setting up a seven-play, 56-yard drive to start the fourth quarter. Westside’s points came on a 1-yard dive by Paul Johnson with 11:56 to play.
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Daniel’s Will Swinney looks for running room after a catch against Westside on Friday night at Singleton Field.
The final points of the evening were again the result of a big play. Starting at the Daniel 48, it took just three plays for the Rams to add to their tally. The drive started with Williamson hitting Janori Kendrick for 15 yards, followed by a 3-yard pick up by Johnson. Again Williamson went to the air on the drive’s final play and once again hit Janori Kendrick, this time for a 30-yard touchdown toss. Poore added the final PAT, giving the Rams a 41-3 victory.
Next week, the Lions will have the week off and will get a chance to catch their breath following the loss and regroup for the upcoming region schedule.
“I think what we are going to do in the off week is take some time to go back to playing Daniel football,” Fruster said. “This was just the first half of the season. It was the non-region schedule. I think we played it to the best of our abilities.
“In the second half tonight we got sloppy and we got down and we let the breaks affect us too much. Mentally we really looked down there at the end. We have to go back to being mentally strong.”
Wave fall in sloppy road trip to Seneca
By Andrew Wheaton
Courtesy The Journal
news@thepccourier.com
SENECA — It was a battle underneath a blood moon on an Upstate Friday night, and the Seneca Bobcats came away with a 12-7 victory over the visiting Easley Green Wave.
In a rather sloppy contest that featured its fair share of offensive struggles, the Bobcats were able to hold off an Easley drive in the dwindling moments to secure the win.
Even in the midst of a beautiful evening, the play on the field for both squads was quite ugly during the opening quarter. The first 10 drives of the game featured four punts, two interceptions, two lost fumbles, a turnover on downs and a blocked punt.
Seneca coach Hal Capps and Easley coach John Windham could not have been happy with the production, but both seemed to realize the game was still there for the taking.
The second quarter saw an uptick in the action, as both teams were able to light up the scoreboard with touchdowns on successive drives.
Easley struck first with an 8-yard touchdown run by running back Will Drawdy. On the next possession, Capps and the Bobcats found themselves faced with a fourth down, and the field goal unit came on for a long attempt. Seneca snapped the ball, but holder Walker Lathrop rose up, scanned the field and found fullback Drew Moore for a 25-yard gain, leaving Green Wave defenders’ heads spinning.
“We put it in this week. We thought if we could get it off it would be wide open,” Capps said of the perfectly timed fake kick.
The Bobcats continued the drive and scored on a 4-yard scamper by Jacory Benson. However, Seneca went into the locker room trailing after a missed extra point.
After much of the third period passed with no scoring, Seneca gained possession on its own 10-yard line. The Bobcats then used 11 plays to go 90 yards and take the lead on a beautiful throw and catch from quarterback Jacob Lynn to receiver Braden Galloway. The Bobcats failed to add the conversion, so the scoreboard read 12-7 in the home team’s favor moving into the fourth quarter.
The Green Wave had a few chances to push the ball into Seneca territory in the final quarter, but were not able to take the lead due to a flood of costly penalties.
“Turnovers and penalties really hurt us tonight,” Easley’s Windham said. “Give them credit for a well-played game also.”
The penalties seemed to make a huge impact on the Easley offense, as the Green Wave’s hopes were dashed in the final moments when a hail mary fell short.
Capps praised his team after the hard-fought win.
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Easley senior Will Drawdy carries the ball against Seneca on Friday night.
“They believe,” he said. “They trust me now. This is a program builder right here.”
Seneca moves to 2-3 with the win and will host Pickens this week. Easley falls to 2-3 on the 2016 campaign and will take on the undefeated Greenville Red Raiders this week.
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Easley’s Craig Barksdale reaches to wrap up Seneca quarterback Jacob Lynn during their game Friday night at Tom Bass Field.
Red Devils sputter in first loss of year
By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports
jkirby@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — Powdersville jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first half and handed the Liberty Red Devils their first loss of the season, 33-14, on Friday night.
The key to the game was field position, as most of the game was played in Liberty territory. Field position by the Patriots was pivotal in putting pressure on the Liberty defense for the entire game. The average starting field position by Powdersville was its own 49-yard line, while the Red Devils’ starting field position was their own 23-yard line.
The irony of the field position was that for the second week in a row, lighting was an issue on the field. The light pole on the home side nearest the scoreboard was the main culprit on Friday. It went out once, and the lights were re-set. The second time it went out, the decision was to continue play. Each time a team began to move the ball toward that side of the field, play would be stopped and teams would switch ends of the field so that the lighting would not be an issue.
Austin Miller intercepted an Emery Williams pass at the Liberty 26-yard line to halt the first Patriot drive, but a quick three-and-out ended the drive. A high snap sailed into the end zone, and Austin Huey batted the ball out of the end zone for a safety and a quick 2-0 Powdersville lead.
Coach Kyle Stewart didn’t think the bad punt snap affected the offensive rhythm nor set the tone for the game.
“The field position problems in the first half put us in a bad position, but it did not affect our game plan or approach,” he said. “We didn’t execute well.”
EJ Humphrey then broke a run good for 38 yards and a touchdown to put the Patriots up 9-0 moments later. The score was one of three touchdown runs for Humphrey on the evening.
Humphrey then had a 33-yard run early in the second quarter to put the Patriots up 16-0. The score capped a seven-play, 53-yard drive with 11:38 still remaining in the second quarter.
Liberty’s Victor Tetter jumped on a fumble by Keith Becknell at the Powdersville 48-yard line to ignite a drive and keep the Devils in the game midway through the second. Cole Murphy sacked Becknell and forced the fumble for the Red Devils.
Austin Huey found Murphy for 35 yards through the air down to the Patriot 5-yard line for the big play of the series. Cavaugio Butler then found the end zone from five yards out for Liberty’s first score of the game with 3:04 remaining until halftime.
Doug Tate/Photo
L.iberty’s Shaun Karr runs behind the blocking of Breck Dismukes (51) and Dylan Phillips during the Red Devils’ loss against Powdersville on Friday night.
The Red Devils were on the move again when Tay Cureton stepped in front of a Huey pass and returned it 64 yards for the dagger before halftime to put the Patriots up 23-6.
Stewart felt his offense was out of sync all night long.
“It was just one of those nights,” he said.
After having a good passing game the previous week against Blue Ridge, Reeves and the Liberty offense couldn’t get clicking against Powdersville. Reeves finished 4-of-16 for just 45 yards, one interception and two sacks.
Stewart called the offense’s performance “very frustrating.
“Mostly just to not execute what we had practiced,” he said.
Powdersville was tough to defend, as the Patriots presented a lot of speed and quickness.
Stewart said the problems the Devils faced were not that bad.
“Actually, they just hit a few big plays and had favorable field position,” he said. “Other than that, I thought the defense limited them.”
It did show on the overall stats for the game. The Red Devils held the advantage in total yards 265-199. The Patriots led the ground game 165-111, while the Red Devils held the advantage in the passing game 154-34. Huey led the Red Devils with 109 yards through the air, as he was 5-of-9 passing with one interception.
Humphrey led all rushers with 144 yards on 17 carries and the three scoring runs.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter as Butler scored his second touchdown of the game on a 51-yard run. The two-point try was good, and the Red Devils cut the lead to 23-14.
Humphrey scored from 51 yards out for his third touchdown run of the game to extend the Powdersville lead to 30-14 with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.
Austin Snow completed the scoring with a 21-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining in the game.
The Red Devils will now hit the road for three consecutive games, with a bye week included as well. They have fared well, going 4-1 through the first half of the season. The three consecutive road games will be to West-Oak, Crescent and Abbeville.
The Devils’ response this week leading up to Friday’s game against the Warriors will be a key to launching the second half of the season, Stewart said.
Brandy Karr/Photo
Liberty’s Austin Huey fights for yardage against Powdersville on Friday night.
“We’ll find out on Monday,” Stewart said. “This is a good group of guys, and I think they can refocus. Hoping we can heal up on some of the injuries.”
Pickens traveling to take on Bobcats
By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports
ejolley@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Pickens will return to play Friday night at Seneca, a team that defeated the Blue Flame twice last season.
The Bobcats won in the region matchup, 31-6, and then again in a first-round state playoff game, 42-0. Now, the two teams are in different classifications, with Seneca staying in 3A while Pickens moved up to 4A. It will be the final tune-up for the Blue Flame before region play begins Sept. 30.
Pickens (1-3) is coming off an impressive 54-21 win over West-Oak. Going into the open week with a win definitely lifted team morale after three tough-losses to open the season.
The Pickens defense has played pretty well. In a 14-0 opening-game loss to Easley, the Green Wave scored on an interception return and a long pass. The Blue Flame then got down to Pendleton 24-0, which included a fumbled punt for a touchdown, before rallying to cut the score to 24-10. A late interception return sealed that loss.
Then against Liberty, the Red Devils jumped out to a 17-0 lead, which included a safety. Pickens fought back to make it 17-14 at the half, but couldn’t muster anything in the second half before falling 24-14.
The Blue Flame have picked off six passes on the season, led by junior cornerback Daniel Hooper with two.
Inside linebackers Bryson Capps (42) and senior Cole Seaborn (41) lead the Blue Flame in tackles.
Offensively, the Blue Flame struggled until the West-Oak game. The struggle has been along the offensive line, as every game has had a different starting five. In the first game, Pickens didn’t gain a first down until the second half, and against Liberty, it was late in the second quarter before the initial first down. Braden Gravely, Jake Gantt and Hudson Burgess have started each game. The Blue Flame have been trying to develop other players along the defensive line so Gravely and senior Dorian Butler can concentrate on offense.
Tommy McGaha/seeyourphotohere.com
(LEFT)Pickens senior Robert Jones drags a Liberty defender during the Blue Flame’s loss to the Red Devils on Sept. 2. The Flame will return to action this week at Seneca after taking last week off.
(RIGHT) Pickens quarterback Tanner Stegall tosses a pass to Jared Barton during the Blue Flame’s win over West-Oak on Sept. 9.
Against Easley, Pickens had 16 plays go for negative yards. That number was cut drastically against West-Oak.
Quarterback Tanner Stegall has completed 35 of 96 passes for two scores and 491 yards. He’s been victimized by several drops. The return of senior Sam Lawson, out the last two games due to severe cramping in the Pendleton game, and second-leading receiver Kirkland Gillespie, out with a knee injury suffered in the offseason, should help there.
In the backfield, senior tailback Brandon Batson suffered a knee injury against Liberty. Senior Kyle Day and junior Jamal Blythe have stepped up there. Blythe scored on a 55-yard run and set up another with a 50-yard run against West-Oak.
The offensive line has had a different lineup each week, so the Blue Flame are hopeful the win will lead to some stability there.
Special teams has been a pleasant surprise for Pickens. Dylan Banyard is 1-for-2 on field goals, and Stone Prince is averaging 35 yards per punt. Both are in their first year kicking.
On returns, Blythe has given the Blue Flame a key lift in returning kicks with a 23-yard average. Jared Barton has come on returning punts, with three for 49 yards.
The Bobcats will present quite the challenge with tailback Jacory Benson. He was one of two Seneca backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards last season.
Last year, Pickens opened region play at Wren following the open week and had perhaps its worst game of the season. Add to that the untimely death of former Coach Bill Isaacs, and nothing went right for the Blue Flame during that two-week period.
Wren won that game, 42-12.
The week following the Seneca game will begin region play with matchups against Wren, Greenville, Daniel and Belton-Honea Path, and a non-region game versus Travelers Rest.
Tigers strike early, often against SCSU
By Scott Adamson
Courtesy The Journal
scott@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — No. 5 Clemson got a big win, South Carolina State got a big check, and the football world (as seen through eyes of Tiger faithful) returned to normal on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Dabo Swinney’s team was practically unstoppable in the opening half, racing out to a record-setting 31-0 lead in the first quarter en route to a 59-0 thumping of their Football Championship Subdivision foes.
By the time the winners did make a mistake — Greg Huegel had a worm-burner field goal attempt blocked with 3:43 left before intermission — the cushion had already inflated to 45-0. At that point, some fans decided to beat the heat and take the party back to the parking lot or the house.
Even the coaches realized this was a contest that needed to end early. Swinney and S.C. State boss Buddy Pough agreed to trim the third and fourth quarters to 12 minutes each.
The game was little more than target practice for Deshaun Watson and his teammates, who delivered the knockout blow early and continued to punch the Bulldogs after they were long out of the fight. When the final horn sounded, 92 Tigers had seen action.
Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrates as running back Wayne Gallman gets outside the South Carolina State defense for a touchdown on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“Today was a great day,” Swinney said. “It’s hard to play 92 guys and still get the shutout, I don’t care who you’re playing. I’m so proud of our guys. They played a clean game for four quarters today. This was great for our team, for our spirit and our morale. It was great to get out there today and go play.”
The margin of victory against an outmanned, lower division foe might not completely quell the concerns of fans who sweated out close calls against Auburn and Troy, but it was a good workout for the hard work ahead.
Swinney and company have a short week to get ready for a road trip to Georgia Tech on Thursday.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 3-0 on Saturday with a 38-7 victory over Vanderbilt.
Louisville, which routed No. 2 Florida State, 63-20, on Saturday, comes to Death Valley on Oct. 1.
The rout was on quickly at Frank Howard Field, as the first drive of the day ended with Watson throwing a 7-yard TD pass to Ray-Ray McCloud at the 11:33 mark of the first quarter.
Wayne Gallman tacked on the next points with a 3-yard run on Clemson’s second possession, with the kick putting the score at 14-0 with 5:20 to go in the first.
It was 21-0 before the clock ever moved again; S.C. State return man Ahmaad Harris caught a kickoff in the end zone and flipped the ball back to the referee without bothering to take a knee.
Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Clemson freshman running back Tavien Feaster scored a touchdown and led the team with 83 yards rushing against South Carolina State in his first meaningful action on Saturday.
The ball was live, safety Denzel Johnson covered it, and things had gone from bad to worse for Pough’s team.
“We’ve traveled all over the world, we’ve made a few bucks, and now we have it behind us,” Pough said. “We knew why we did it, and let’s hope that it has us ready to play on our level. I was concerned that Clemson had not played that well on offense and was afraid at what might happen. I knew that was a bad sign.”
After 30 minutes, Clemson had already racked up 319 yards, with Watson going 12-of-15 through the air for 152 yards and three scores. Those were his final numbers on the afternoon.
“I’m pleased overall, and I was really happy for those guys being able to get back to who they are,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “They were having fun, and the offense was really in rhythm coming out of the gate. What I saw was a lot of guys who were excited about other people’s success, and that was one of the trademarks of the offense we had last year — that chemistry and excitement.”
Elliott’s other half in offensive game planning, Jeff Scott, said the (more than) point-a-minute attack was just what the team needed. After subpar performances against Auburn and Troy, everything finally clicked.
“Everybody had to look at themselves and refocus,” Scott said. “Last week they had distractions, they weren’t having fun, and this week we said, ‘Hey, put that stuff away and let’s just go out there and have fun because when we have fun, we play at our best and execute.’ That’s exactly what happened.”
Clemson’s 31-point output in the first quarter was the most ever for a Tiger team in an opening frame, and after 54 minutes they owned 555 total yards while limiting S.C. State to 102.
Five different players had sacks for Brent Venables’ defensive unit.
“Coming into the game we wanted to play a clean and complete game and be good on the technical side of things,” Tiger defensive end Clelin Ferrell said. “I think we did that.”
Swinney was already subbing liberally early on, allowing backup QB Nick Schuessler to impress with a 4-for-5 stat line for 64 yards and a TD pass.
McCloud had four catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns — all before the S.C. State band came marching out.
The shortened second half was largely uneventful, although the home team did tack on two more TDs courtesy of five-star freshman Tavien Feaster (4-yard run) and Trevion Thompson (a 7-yard TD toss from Kelly Bryant).
Feaster finished with 83 yards on 12 carries to lead a ground game that amassed 227 yards.
“I’m glad that we’re 3-0,” Swinney said. “The ‘preseason’ is over now, and we have eight straight conference games. We have a quick turnaround this week and we have a lot of work to do to get ready for Georgia Tech.”
SWU professor ‘hatches’ a plan to make learning more experiential
CENTRAL — In the two years that professor Staci Johnson has taught animal science at Southern Wesleyan University, her students have visited a lot of farms, but there are limits to what they can do with someone else’s animals; at the same time, veterinary schools are big on animal handling experience.
“We want to be able to fulfill the prerequisites for vet school,” said Johnson, who now sees more students are becoming interested in entering veterinary medicine. “Almost all veterinary schools in the United States require an introductory course in animal science.”
Growing up on a farm, Johnson learned early in life about the role of farmers in caring for the welfare of their livestock. Seeking to facilitate hands-on animal handling experience, she explored her options and found that chickens would be a practical, cost-effective animal that could be housed in a small lab on the university’s Central campus.
She found an existing outbuilding on campus well-suited for housing a coop and a small chicken house. Working from plans she found online, Johnson enlisted the help of her husband Eric and her students to build the coop and small chicken house.
Student Amanda Molloseau commented that it’s nice being able to care for an animal that can’t yet take care of itself, adding that it brings out a “mommy” instinct in her.
“You have to make sure they’re fed, watered, change their paper. When they’re starting to lose their fluff, you have to make sure they’re not too cold or hot; you have to adjust the temperature. It’s just like taking care of little babies,” Molloseau said.
“I didn’t grow up on a farm but I’ve kind of been around chickens and horses,” said student Corey Cromer, adding that he’s beginning to learn how to handle them with care and feed and water them.
Although many of her students won’t enter veterinary medicine, Johnson sees practical benefits to the livestock lab.
Southern Wesleyan University students Amanda Molloseau and Corey Cromer check on nine baby chicks at the new livestock lab on the school’s Central campus. Students enrolled in Southern Wesleyan’s animal science course are beginning to benefit from the experience of handling and nurturing the chicks. Molloseau is a junior from Liberty majoring in biology, and Cromer is a senior from Central majoring in business management.
“Because chickens grow so fast — animal science is a practical biology — you get every aspect of biology within animal science; you get everything from anatomy and physiology to nutrition; you have to know about health and genetics — all those things together really encompass a whole lot of the biology classes we teach here but on a practical side,” Johnson said.
Just two days into the livestock lab project, Johnson’s students are becoming more actively involved in the learning experience.
“When we were finishing the building phase, one of the students said ‘I think we need to dig down. I’ve been reading online that some predators will burrow under the fence.’ They did it,” Johnson noted. They also began doing online research about baby chickens.
“They are taking responsibility for learning and they are applying it to a real-world problem. That’s what we try to do in all of our labs. I think they don’t even realize that I’ve snookered them into learning,” Johnson said.
After a few months, the young chickens will be sold in pairs to anyone in the surrounding community who would like them. Nearby Clemson University, where the chicks were hatched, will help market the roosters to interested buyers.
Johnson also noted that the enclosure they built could potentially be used for other small livestock in the future.
Cannon Auxiliary Football Frenzy fundraiser underway
PICKENS — Cannon Memorial Auxiliary is holding a Fall Football Frenzy fundraiser Sept. 1-30.
“Clemson, USC, Wofford, Presbyterian College and Furman have all given the auxiliary an autographed ball for the event,” 2016-2017 auxiliary president Frances Wannamaker said. “The auxiliary also has a signed ball from Pickens High School to add to the fun.”
If you would like the opportunity to win one of the footballs from your favorite school, purchase tickets at Cannon Hospital in the Auxiliary Gift and Coffee Shoppe or at the Outpatient Registration desk Monday-Friday. Select the team ball you would like to win on the ticket. The final drawing will be on Friday, Sept. 30. Participants do not need to be present to win. Money raised will help purchase new equipment for Cannon Memorial Hospital.
Are you interested in joining Cannon Memorial Auxiliary? On Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m., the auxiliary will welcome those interested in volunteering to visit the monthly meeting and learn more about volunteer opportunities at Cannon. Visit cannonhospital.org and click on the volunteer tab to learn more or call (864) 898-1252.
