Monthly Archives: September 2016
Train on Main project in works in downtown Easley
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — A project is currently underway to get more “feet on the street” in downtown Easley — and give those visitors a mission while they are there.
The “Train on Main” project draws inspiration from Greenville’s “Mice on Main” and Pickens’ “Turtles on the Town” projects.
“It’s a project we’ve been working on for several months,” Bob Fedder, one of the project’s organizers, told Easley City Council during its meeting Monday night.
The project is a joint effort between the city’s Promote Easley Committee and the Easley Downtown Business Association.
Greer tops Lions with fourth-quarter flurry
By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com
GREER — The Daniel Lions’ season-opening winning streak came to an abrupt halt Friday night with a tough 42-28 road loss to the Greer Yellow Jackets.
The Lions hung tough most of the contest, but a 21-point Greer outburst late in the fourth quarter erased a 28-21 Daniel lead and handed first-year Lions head coach Jeff Fruster his first career loss, dropping the team to 3-1 on the young season.
[cointent_lockedcontent]”We made too many mistakes — too many special teams mistakes, too many offensive mistakes, defensive mistakes,” Fruster said after the game. “I mean, you name it, we made a mistake doing it tonight.
“Don’t get me wrong, my hat is off to Greer. They have a great bunch of athletes. We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. I felt like we competed. The effort was not in question. We just have to go back to the drawing board schematically.”
The Lions dodged bullets and answered fire throughout the night. But in the end Greer gain the upper hand when it needed it and took a hard-fought victory.
The Yellow Jackets appeared to have landed a haymaker on the third snap of the game as quarterback Trey Houston broke free, blasting up the middle for an apparent 70-yard touchdown, but thankfully for the Lion faithful a yellow flag fell for a block in the back that erased the play.
Despite the mistake, the Yellow Jackets pushed the ball to the Lions’ 11-yard line on the drive before the Daniel defensive unit halted the march and forced Greer to try a 38-yard field goal. Former Lion and current Yellow Jacket head coach Will Young called on Andres Toro, but Toro’s kick missed its mark, giving the Lions the ball at the 20.
It looked like a long night for the Lions as Daniel’s offense quickly went three and out, punting the ball away. Greer wasted little time and quickly produced points.
Jacket running back Quay White was the workhorse on the drive, carrying the ball three straight times. The first two went for six yards each, but the third again split the Daniel defenders, with White racing 42 yards for the first pointd of the night. Toro added the extra point with 6:40 left in the first quarter, giving Greer a 7-0 advantage.
Daniel’s offense could not get much going, again being forced to punt the ball away the next time it took possession.
Finally the Lion defense stepped up. On Greer’s first snap following the punt, Daniel’s Tyler Venables stepped in front of Houston’s pass. But the excitement was short-lived as the Lion offense sputtered and punted the ball away again without a first down.
Following an exchange of punts, the Lions’ offense finally started sparking. Starting at the 27-yard line, Fru’s crew traveled 73 yards in only four plays to even the contest. The biggest play on the series was the final one, in which Daniel signal caller Ben Batson hit wide receiver Brandon Peppers in stride and “B-Pep” did the rest, jetting 47 yards for a touchdown with 11:50 left in the half. Lion kicker Nick Muchow hit the PAT, evening the game at 7-7.
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Daniel freshman Billy Bruce stiff-arms a Greer defender during their game Friday night in Greer.
The game continued to be a defensive struggle until fireworks hit right before intermission. First was an incredible 50-yard punt return by Peppers, giving the Lion offense the ball at the Greer 10. One play later, Batson called his own number and raced in with only 34 seconds to play in the half. Muchow tacked on the extra point, and the momentum was on the Lion’s side.
Big “mo” didn’t last long for the blue and gold. It jumped back to the Jackets following the ensuing kickoff, as White took a Houston handoff and busted loose for an 80-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the half. Toro missed the PAT, and hte half ended with Daniel up 14-13.
After intermission, the Jacket reclaimed the lead on another huge White run. This time the bruising back raced 70 yards on the final play of a three-play drive that went 76 yards. Young elected for his Jackets to go for a two-point conversion. The conversion was successful when Matthew Huff took it in to give Greer a 21-14 lead with 7:57 to play in the third quarter.
The Lions answered back two series later when another big play got all in attendance on their feet. Again it was “B-Pep” who cause the stadium to rock as Peppers took another punt, this time racing 42 yards for a Daniel touchdown with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Muchow added the PAT, and the score was back even at 21-21.
It looked all Daniel as the Lion defense stiffened and forced a Jacket punt. The kick was downed at the Daniel 47.
On an apparent designed run, Batson hit a nice hole provided by his big offensive line and turned on the speed on his way to a 53-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ first snap. Muchow nailed the extra point, and the Lions were out front 28-21 with only 11:38 to play.
That is when the wheels fell off for the Columbia Blue and Gold, with the Jackets posting 21 unanswered points. Greer just would not let the momentum swing Daniel’s way and again took all of it back with a big play. White was a one-man wrecking crew all night, and on the kickoff following Batson’s score he exposed the Lions return team yet again, going 95 yards for a touchdown. Toro tacked on the PAT, knotting the game back up at 28-28.
The final two Greer series were short and sweet. The first was a three-play, 39-yard drive that was capped with a 22-yard run by Houston, and the second a was a 59-yard series that again lasted three plays, with the final being a 45-yard scamper by White that iced the game with 34 seconds to play. Toro was good on both PATs, and the game ended with a long ride home for the Lions.
“The defense played tough at times, but we can’t give up the big plays,” Fruster said. “There is no way we will survive our region by giving up 80-yard runs. That part of our defense has got to be improved.”
The loss, though not welcome, may have come at an opportune time for the Lions to bring them back to earth after a 3-0 start and show them that they still have work to do before region play gets underway.
“Our goal is to win them all, but this loss will be a good learning experience for us,” Fruster said. “We are going to have to go back to practicing the right way. Making sure we cover all our Ps and Qs.
“Special teams have been an emphasis. We have worked hard on them in practice and dedicated a lot of time. We just have to go back and see where our scheme is wrong on special teams and try to fix it so that part of the game is not a hindrance to us in the future.”
It does not get a bit easier this week as Westside, the fifth-ranked team overall in the state, will come to Singleton Field for homecoming this Friday.
“We will be playing a small Alabama next Friday,” Fruster said. “We will have our work cut out for us. We just have to work though on fixing Daniel. I still feel like I have a scrappy bunch that can compete with the best of them. We have to play Daniel football before we can worry about stopping an opponent.
A huge crowd of loud Daniel fans needs to be on hand to energize the pride of Lions for the game, Fruster said.
“I still want the fans to come out and support us,” he said. “I hope this first loss will not detour them. We have a bunch of kids that are highly athletic and capable of putting together many wins. We are going to learn from this one and we are going to get better.”
Game time Friday night at Singleton Field is 7:30 p.m.
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Easley pulls away for win over Wren
By Cole Little
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — With a galloping 83-yard kick return for a touchdown in the final five minutes of the game, Easley senior Will Drawdy elicited a deafening roar from the fans inside Green Wave Stadium on Friday night, sealing his squad’s 49-32 win over archrival Wren.
The win evened the Green Wave’s record to 2-2, while Wren fell to 1-2 overall.
Capping off a second half in which Easley outscored the Hurricanes 28-11, Drawdy’s kick return to the house provided the Green Wave with just enough breathing room to avoid enduring a nerve-wracking finish, something Easley fans had become accustomed to over the early portion of the 2016 season.
In a gridiron battle of natural disasters, the Hurricanes were washed away by the Green Wave, with Wren’s defense serving as no match for Easley’s offense. Outgaining the Hurricanes 424 yards to 334 yards, Easley controlled the clock for much of the game, resulting in perhaps the most jaw-dropping statistic of the game. With a mind-blowing 35 more plays from scrimmage than Wren, Easley’s offense was controlling throughout the game.
Things didn’t start out perfectly for the Green Wave, however, as the offense was slow out of the gate.
After falling behind 7-0 early, Easley then used a defensive highlight to even the score, with Green Wave linebacker Caleb Hill picking off a pass from Wren quarterback Jay Ulrich and returning it 30 yards for a touchdown. The interception was one of three turnovers forced by Easley in the game.
Late in the first quarter, after Easley was victimized by way of a kick return touchdown by Wren, Easley quarterback Weston Black, who finished 8-of-13 for 117 yards, evened the score at 14-14 with a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bralan Fuller.
Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Easley senior Will Drawdy scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including an 83-yard kickoff return, to help lead the Green Wave to a 49-32 win over rival Wren on Friday night.
Although Black was efficient against Wren, Easley’s running game was the driving force behind the team’s victory.
Running back Derrick Phillips was practically unstoppable, amassing 156 yards on 19 carries.
The other half of Easley’s dynamic Phillips duo, Quenten Phillips, was the first Green Wave player to power his way into the end zone on the ground against Wren, as he capped off a 77-yard drive early in the second quarter with a five-yard touchdown run.
Wren was able to knot the game up at 21-21 with a short touchdown drive just before halftime, but the second half was all Easley. Derrick Phillips powered into the end zone with a 27-yard run early in the third quarter to put the Green Wave up 28-21. Wren added a field goal later in the quarter — after a Hurricanes touchdown was nullified due to a penalty — but let the game get out of hand in the fourth.
On consecutive drives in the fourth quarter, Easley scored touchdowns to take a commanding 42-24 lead. The first touchdown ended with Black connecting with Fuller again for a touchdown pass. A 64-yard score, Black looked downfield and found a wide-open Fuller, who then turned on the jets and left Wren defenders in the dust as he crossed the goal line and put Easley up 35-24. Soon after, Drawdy finished off a quick 56-yard Easley drive with an 18-yard run for a touchdown, making the score 42-24 in favor of the home team with 7:16 left in the game, but Drawdy was not done contributing yet.
Wren cut the deficit to 10 points on the next drive, stringing together an efficient 80-yard touchdown drive, which was finished off by a successful two-point conversion, but the Hurricanes had their hearts broken when Drawdy effectively neutralized it with his ensuing kickoff return for the game’s final score.
Holding the ball for 15 more minutes than the Hurricanes, the Green Wave were even more dominant in Friday night’s clash than the 49-32 final score indicates.
Easley will travel to Oconee County this Friday to battle the 1-3 Seneca Bobcats in what should be an intense battle. The Bobcats handed the Green Wave a lopsided 38-0 loss last year, and Easley will be on the hunt for revenge this week.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Seneca’s Tom Bass Field.
Passing attack keys Red Devil comeback
By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports
jkirby@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — The Liberty Red Devils extended their perfect start to a perfect season with a thrilling and uncharacteristic comeback method in a 28-27 victory over 4A Blue Ridge on Friday night.
The Red Devils have characteristically been a running, grind-out-the-clock, ball-control team, but they found success through the air on a night when putting points on the board quickly was of the utmost importance.
The game started auspiciously as all the power went out in the stadium. There was no clock and no lights. The game started about 10 minutes late, and the officials on the field kept time. The power was restored with 9:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Doug Tate/Photo
Liberty junior Michael Spruill sprints away from a pair of Blue Ridge defenders on Friday night. Spruill scored twice, including the go-ahead touchdown, during the Devils’ win.
Three of the four teams the Red Devils have played this season have favored the spread game with the pass being their primary threat. This has given the Red Devils plenty of opportunity to prepare defensively. It has also helped the Red Devils improve their passing game, which paid dividends against the Tigers.
After holding the Tigers on downs to start the game, Liberty wasted no time in getting the first score of the game as the Devils marched 90 yards in just seven plays. The drive took 2:12 off the game clock. Nick Reeves connected with Kevon Tabron for 16 yards on the first play from scrimmage to the Tiger 26-yard line. After five consecutive running plays, Reeves this time found Tabron from 44 yards out to put the Red Devils up 7-0 with 7:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Liberty was right back in business when Jacob Herman recovered a Sonny Stevens fumble at the Blue Ridge 31-yard line. The Red Devils got as close as the Tiger 6-yard line after passes of 15 yards to Michael Spruill and 18 yards to Colton Leroy with a holding call in-between, but Blue Ridge blocked a 27-yard Austin Kemp field goal attempt to end the drive.
The Red Devils were on the move again very early in the second quarter, but a Reeves pass was intercepted by D.J. Willis at the Liberty 45-yard line and returned 27 yards to the Red Devil 18-yard line.
The Tigers wasted no time, as Jake Smith connected with Ethan Rice for a score on the first play of the drive to make it 7-6 after Liberty’s Victor Tetter got a hand on Neko Crist’s extra-point attempt that found its way into the chest of Herman.
The Tigers’ next score came on a four-play, 75-yard drive that took only 1:43 off the game clock. Smith found Stevens for 42 yards on the first play of the drive, then connected with Chandler Quinn for seven yards before finishing off the drive with a 29-yard pass to Stevens for the score. Smith called his own number on the two-point run to put the Tigers up 14-7.
The Red Devils then put together a great drive of their own as they marched 64 yards in 10 plays, only to be stopped at the Tiger 1-yard line with 1:32 remaining until halftime. It appeared Cavaugio Butler did cross the plane to the end zone, but the junior was marked down at the 1-yard line.
Then the unimaginable happened to the Red Devils again. They again gave up a score right before the half. This time it was not a time-expiring score, as Liberty had allowed the previous two weeks, but a bomb that went the length of the field on the first play from scrimmage as Smith found Rice for the 99-yard scoring toss to extend the Tiger lead to 21-7.
The Red Devils had plenty of scoring chances but had failed to capitalize and found themselves in a major hole for the first time this season. How would they handle the tale of two halves?
The Red Devils again came out strong offensively to start the third quarter. After a 30-yard kick return by Tabron to the Liberty 42-yard line, Reeves went to work through the air once again. He found Tabron for two yards, Spruill for 15 yards and then connected with Spruill again for a seven-yard touchdown to close the gap to 21-14.
A couple drives later, the Tigers extended their lead to 27-14. The Red Devil defense had backed the Tigers up to their own 9-yard line with a two-yard loss on the first play as Zane Boozer stopped Smith, then Jack Brissey sacked Smith for 10 more yards back to the 9-yard line. However, Smith connected with Stevens for a 91-yard bomb for the Tiger score. The Tigers then attempted a two-point pass that was intercepted by Aaron Bates to nullify the try. That ultimately would be the difference in the contest.
The Red Devils had one more drive left in them to end the third quarter. They scored on the last play of the quarter to culminate a six-play, 30-yard drive when Austin Huey scored from two yards out on the only rushing touchdown of the game.
It was Huey who gave the Red Devils great field position as he blocked a Crist punt that was downed at the Blue Ridge 30-yard line with 1:47 remaining in the quarter.
The Red Devil defense took over from there, as they never allowed Blue Ridge past their own 40-yard line.
The Red Devils started their game-winning drive with 8:44 remaining in the game. Reeves had his longest rush of the season with a 28-yard scamper to the Tiger 49-yard line. After incomplete passes on first and third down and just a one-yard rush by Reeves to the Blue Ridge 48-yard line, the Red Devils faced fourth and nine and elected to go for it. Reeves then found Tabron good for 40 yards down to the Blue Ridge 8-yard line to set up a first and goal.
Tabron gained two yards to the Tiger 6-yard line on first down. Reeves’ pass to Butler was incomplete on second down. A block below the waist pushed the Red Devils back to the 21-yard line. Consecutive incomplete passes by Reeves to Shaun Karr and Cole Murphy brought up another fourth-down attempt to gain the lead.
Facing fourth and goal from the Tiger 21-yard line and the game in the balance, Reeves threw a beautiful pass over the defender that found Michael Spruil to complete the comeback and tie the game at 27-27 with 4:29 remaining in the game. Kemp’s all-important PAT was true, and the Red Devils had the lead for good at 28-27.
After stopping the Tigers once more, the Red Devils celebrated by running out the clock and gaining their fourth win of the season.
The Red Devils won the battle of total yards 407-383. Reeves was 16-of-28 for 237 yards and one interception. Take away the two long passes by the Tigers and they were around 200 yards of offense. The chunk plays hurt the Red Devil defense by allowing the scores, but also helped in the end to keep the defense off the field and fresh for the fourth-quarter stops.
There will be little time to celebrate for the Red Devils, as they will face another 3A opponent in the Powdersville Patriots, who will bring a very balanced attack and a 2-1 record. They opened the season with a 32-22 loss to Belton-Honea Path and then put together back-to-back wins over Wren (41-28) and Seneca (38-31).
Powdersville won a region battle last season, 35-7. It should be an exciting night to see if the streak continues. The battle should be Liberty’s toughest of the season so far.
Explosive plays help Pickens in first win
Tommy McGaha/seeyourphotohere.com
Pickens’ Bryson Capps fights for yardage against West-Oak on Friday night.
By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports
ejolley@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Needing a win desperately Friday night, the Pickens Blue Flame exploded for 27 second-quarter points thanks to some big plays in beating winless West-Oak, 54-21.
Pickens (1-3) will have an open date this Friday night and will return to action Sept. 23 at Seneca.
Wanting to go into the open week on a high note, the Blue Flame turned to the big play. The win also earned Pickens head coach John Boggs a Gatorade bath.
“I will take it every week,” Boggs said. “We’ll gladly take a bath of Gatorade every week if it comes after a win.”
The Blue Flame’s initial drive resulted in a 39-yard field goal attempt that just missed to the left with 9:19 left in the first quarter.
The first score came on the third series. Quarterback Tanner Stegall had a 21-yard keeper and a 21-yard pass play to Jared Barton. Three plays later, Stegall kept it around the right end with 2:28 left in the first quarter. Dylan Banyard’s kick made it 7-0.
West-Oak, also looking for its first win, answered with an eight-play drive in which Pickens was penalized five times. Lee Jordan took a quick pitch right from four yards out for the score, and his kick tied the game at 7-7 with 10:43 left in the opening half.
That seemed to awaken the Blue Flame. First, they went 65 yards in six plays, keyed by Jamal Blythe’s 51-yard run. Bryson Capps scored from a yard out with 8:53 left in the half.
Then, after forcing a three-and-out series, Pickens got it back and went quick, as the two-play, 74-yard drive was capped by Stegall rolling right and hitting Robert Jones behind two defenders for a 70-yard scoring strike with 6:49 left in the half.
“Jamal (Blythe) stepped in and gave a big spark for us,” Boggs said. “I thought Kyle Day ran the ball well for us all night. Tanner (Stegall) continues to do a good job with his legs. Then that long ball to Robert Jones, backed up down there, was a perfect ball.
“I was proud of our guys all the way around tonight. I thought our defense played well. We made some mistakes early with some penalties that kept some drives alive. I was very proud of our effort overall in everything. Stone (Prince) punted the ball well. We had a couple of break downs on our PATs that we have to fix and get better. We also had a couple of breakdowns on our kickoff coverage.”
Barton’s 21-yard punt return set up the next score. Blythe took a pitch around the left side, destroyed a defender at the 30 with a back stiff-arm and scored from 55 yards out with 2:43 left in the half.
West-Oak answered, as Peyton Tollison hit Jacob Prater for a 41-yard scoring strike with 1:14 left in the half.
That left plenty of time for the big-play Blue Flame, as they covered 55 yards in seven plays, keyed by Stegall’s 40-yard keeper to the 1-yard line. Day scored from a yard out with 12 seconds left, making it 34-14 at the half as the kick was blocked.
The Pickens defense came up big in the second half. Daniel Hooper picked off a pass at the 20 to stop a drive. Prater was injured on the drive for West-Oak and was taken away by ambulance. It left for an odd scene later, as Prince hurt his arm for Pickens. He was taken to the Warriors’ sideline as Prater was receiving care there. Prince returned to the Pickens sideline following a later injury.
The Blue Flame offense kept rolling, and again Barton keyed it with a 21-yard punt return. The drive covered 36 yards in 12 plays. The big play was a Stegall keep for 15 on third and 17. Six plays later, Capps scored from a yard out with 5:46 left in the quarter, making it 41-14.
“Jared Barton did a good job of returning punts and catching the ball,” Boggs said. “That’s the big thing on punt returns is catching the ball. Catching and not going anywhere is better than letting it roll.”
Capps came up with a big play on defense on the next series as the snap to Tollison was high, and in his effort to recover, he was hit by Capps, causing another fumble that was scooped up by Lenny Russell at the Warriors’ 43.
On first down, Stegall fired deep for Cole Stewart, netting 41 yards. Two plays later, Stegall took a draw play from three yards out for the score with 3:08 left in the third quarter, making it 48-14.
The defense came up big again as Tollison tried to make a pitch downfield and it was recovered by Jared Pace.
West-Oak did get another score as Seth McLaughlin scored from four yards out with 9:48 left, making it 48-21.
A lot of reserves got to play, and Cameron Galloway finished the scoring with a 34-yard burst with 8:08 left, making it 54-21.
Kent Townsend recovered another West-Oak fumble in sealing the first win of the season.
There was another change in the starting lineup along the offensive line, and senior right tackle Richie James came up big.
“I’m proud of that kid,” Boggs said of James. “Richie stepped up all week long in practice. He had some opportunities and took advantage of them. He earned every snap he played tonight. I’m very proud of him, and that’s not anything against the guys that he stepped in for. He just knows what to do. He’s aggressive and he gets after it.”
Tommy McGaha/seeyourphotohere.com
Pickens’ Robert Jones runs underneath a long pass from quarterback Tanner Stegall in front of a West-Oak defender on Friday night. Jones scored on a 70-yard pass from Stegall.
The win capped an unusual week with the students being out of school three days.
“We had a really strange week,” Boggs said. “We had Labor Day Monday, which all coaches hate Labor Day — all football coaches do. We had Tuesday as an in-service day and Wednesday as an in-service day. We had coaches scattered all over the district in meetings.
“We made the decision back in the summer to go at 6 in the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that puts a whole new set of challenges on you. No. 1, you’ve got to get them up and get them here. If they are here, how will they be? We went at 7 on Monday morning and other than three guys — I knew where they were with family — they were here. On Tuesday, we were missing one, and that’s varsity and JV. On Wednesday, we were missing one. Other than that, all of these kids were here. That says a lot about these kids and their dedication, their commitment to each other and their commitment to the program.
“I told the coaches that there were probably a lot of coaches in our situation where players didn’t show up for practice Monday morning. And they just had Monday. We had to deal with Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a great practice Tuesday and had a pretty good practice Wednesday. It was a whole heck of a lot cooler. We had a really good week of preparation. I was really proud of the kids for the way they responded this week. Last week’s loss was tough, and for them to bounce back like they did says a lot about them and their character.”
Tigers outlast Trojans
By Cole Little
Courtesy ClemsonTigers.com
news@thepccourier.com
CLEMSON — The second-ranked Clemson Tigers extended their home winning streak to 17 games on Saturday, defeating Troy 30-24 at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers (2-0) were led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was 27-of-53 passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns, as he moved ahead of Woodrow Dantzler for third place on Clemson’s all-time passing yards list.
The first quarter featured little scoring, as both teams struggled to develop any type of offensive rhythm. Favorable field position following a punt allowed the Trojans (1-1) to convert a short drive into the game’s first score, a 39-yard field goal by Ryan Kay. On the ensuing possession, the Tigers reciprocated with a 26-yard field goal by Greg Huegel.
The second quarter was a far different story. Watson took advantage of a Troy turnover by throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow, marking the sophomore’s fourth straight game with a touchdown reception.
Interceptions played a key role in the second quarter, with Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers throwing three to Clemson linebackers Jalen Williams, Kendall Joseph and Dorian O’Daniel.
Williams’ interception, which was the byproduct of a tipped pass at the line, bailed out the Tigers, who had just turned the ball over in their own territory.
A 66-yard touchdown run by Troy running back Jabir Frye tied the score at 10-10.
Late in the quarter, Clemson’s Ray-Ray McCloud appeared to have returned a punt for an electrifying touchdown, but dropped the ball on the 1-yard line, and after a lengthy video review, Troy took over on a touchback.
After Kay missed a 48-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds, the Tigers took a 13-10 advantage into halftime.
McCloud, who had seven catches for 86 yards in the game, had three receptions on a key third-quarter drive en route to a goal-line situation. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins then made the second-most important reception of his college career later in the drive in the fourth quarter, a one-yard touchdown grab, the first of his career, that gave the Tigers a 20-10 lead.
Clemson scored to take a 27-10 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game when Watson found Deon Cain in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown. After a Huegel field goal with 2:25 remaining, Troy drove 68 yards and scored to cut the deficit to 30-24, as Silvers connected with Deondre Douglas for a one-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds remaining. The Tigers recovered the ensuing onside kick and held on for the 30-24 victory.
The Tigers will host South Carolina State at noon this Saturday.
More charges in Central shooting
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — A third person has been charged in connection with the shooting of a Tri-County Technical College student last month.
Haleigh Lynn Wallace, 19, of Clemson, is charged with felony accessory after the fact. She was arrested Wednesday, according to a news release from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
She is accused of helping hide a gun allegedly used in the shooting and also helping to hide another suspect, according to warrants.
Wallace was released Wednesday afternoon after posting bond, the release said.
The shooting occurred on Aug. 28 at The Cottages at Clemson, an apartment complex on Smoke Rise Drive in Central.
Deputies were dispatched after reports of gunfire within the complex.
Deputies found the streets within the complex “locked down” with “numerous pedestrians standing in the streets,” according to a release from the sheriff’s office
The victim, identified as 21-year-old Jaye Andrew Stuck of Pomaria, was found with what was determined to be a gunshot wound to the neck or head area. He was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Stuck is still recovering, the release said.
Witnesses told investigators both the victim and the suspected shooter were attending a party held at 102 Sunrise Lane within the complex.
A crowd of between 500-1,000 people is believed to have been present when a physical confrontation erupted between several men, including the victim, the release said.
“During the encounter, one round was discharged at the victim, striking him while he was on the ground in the struggle,” the release said.
A 9-mm pistol was recovered from the scene.
Two men also face charges in connection with the shooting.
Jackson Quaid Rowland, 21, is charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Daniel Dixon, 21, is charged with felony accessory after the fact. He was arrested shortly after the shooting and is accused of helping clean and hide the gun allegedly used in the shooting.
Pickens Fire Department plans dedication service
PICKENS — Saving lives and homes for the ravages of fire is what all area firefighters do. Each day they know their lives could be put on the line. These heros 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. on 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.
Pickens High Athletic Hall of Fame nominations open
PICKENS — The Pickens Athletic Association is now accepting nominations for the 2016 class of the Pickens High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
The 2016 Hall of Fame Game is scheduled for Oct. 14, when the Blue Flame play host to the Wren Golden Hurricanes
Nominations may be sent to Pickens High or dropped off at the Pickens County Courier, The Corner Drug Store or Brock’s Department Store. Nomination forms can also be picked up at these locations. Deadline is Oct. 7.
Enrollment up at SWU for fall 2016
CENTRAL — At the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year, Southern Wesleyan University again experienced record enrollment.
According to Chad Peters, vice president for enrollment, traditional enrollment is up to 756 full-time equivalent (FTE), representing a six percent increase over enrollment at the beginning of the last academic year. According to Peters, freshmen and transfer students totaled 257.
Also, student housing has reached an all-time high. According to Dr. Joe Brockinton, vice president for student life, 455 students moved into residence halls and apartments on the Central campus – an increase of 32 students over last year this time. To accommodate future growth, Southern Wesleyan has begun construction on a new residence hall, capable of housing 243 students when it opens for the Fall 2017 Semester.
In addition to the traditional program at Central, a total of 932 students are enrolled in adult and graduate studies and online degree programs across the state. Of that number, 358 are enrolled in graduate degree programs and 574 are in undergraduate programs.
“As Southern Wesleyan University fills an incredibly important need in the region, we sense a movement happening at all our campuses and online,” university president Dr. Todd Voss said. “Our focus on being a faith-filled community with a passion to serve, provides a foundation for learning that is truly inspiring. We recognize the need in this State and country for leaders who have the courage and conviction to work hard, stand in the gap and pursue integrity and honor in all vocations, and our SWU grads are doing just that.”
Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ.
