Daily Archives: 09/14/2021
Courier Letters to the Editor 9-15-21
Crying for parental authority
Dear Editor,
Pastor Mark Burns of Easley, who has been known as President Donald Trump’’ favorite pastor, was so very motivational the other night at Silver Bay seafood restaurant! He has lit a fire that will be hard for anyone to put out. The question of the night was and still is, “Do you believe your child’s education is your choice?”
Of course, the more than 60 people in attendance at this planning meeting to take this message to our local School District of Pickens County (SDPC)
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DAR, SAR honor Capt. Joseph Chapman
By Ann Warmuth
Special to the Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — What began as a grave marking ceremony by the Chapman and Hagood families to honor Revolutionary War patriot Capt. Joseph Chapman quickly swelled to more than 170 people, with descendants coming from South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and even Seattle, Wash.
According to the calculations of Chapman’s fifth great-grandson, Ron Chapman, after nine generations, there are more than 1.5 million descendants of Joseph and Mary Chapman, and many of those descendants attended the ceremony. Elizabeth Chapman, a North Carolina Children of the American Revolution (NCCAR) member and one of Chapman’s direct descendants, brought
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Courier Community Calendar 9-15-21
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Story Time Plus programs planned
Each month, Boxwood Manor, located in Pendleton, and Collins Ole Towne, located in Central, are sites for Story Time Plus programs and Homeschool Days. Story Time Plus runs 10-11:30 a.m. and is designed for ages 8 and under. Admission is $3 for each child age 5 or older, with a $10 household maximum. Homeschool Day runs from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and is designed for ages 6 through 14. Admission is $5 for ages 6 and over, with a $15 household maximum.
Homeschool Day schedule
Boxwood Manor (Pendleton) — Sept. 15 or 16 (Ecology), Oct. 20 or 21 (Basic Survival Skills), Nov. 17 or 18 (The Human Body), Dec. 15 or 16 (Science and Technology)
Collins Ole Towne (Central) — Sept. 22 or 23 (Life in the 1930s), Oct. 13 or 14 (Magnetism/Electricity), Nov. 28 only (Native Americans), Dec. 22 or 23
Courier Obituaries 9-15-21
RUTH MERRITT JEFFEAUX
DACUSVILLE — Ruth Merritt Jeffeaux, 80, wife of the late Billy Jeffeaux, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021.
Born in Powdersville, she was the daughter of the late John Clinton and Sarah Lou “Sallie” Trotter Merritt.
Ruth was a member of Woodside Baptist Church. She loved the Lord, her family and her church. Her life was a reflection of her love and dedication to Him, and she honored Him in her actions of always doing and helping others however she could. She was the true meaning of a Godly woman.
She is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” Davis (Robert) of Williamston; son, Jimmy Jeffeaux (Theresa) of Greenville; sisters, Lou Ellen Pruitt (Joe) of Easley and Annette Freeman of Greenville; and grandsons, Clint Davis and Al and Matt Jeffeaux.
In addition to her parents and loving husband, she was preceded in death by sisters, Ivory Orr, Sarah Lowery Lewellyn and Joyce Merritt Williams; and a brother, Robert “Bobby” Merritt.
A visitation was held Monday, Aug. 30, at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes Northwest, with the funeral service following in the Northwest Chapel. Burial was at Graceland Cemetery West.
The family appreciated those who attended for following the CDC guidelines on social distancing and wearing a mask.
The family would like to thank Amedisys Hospice especially Bridget and Cindy for their love and care of Ruth.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Woodside Baptist Church, 301 Woodside Ave., Greenville, SC 29611, or to Amedisys Hospice, 250 Commonwealth Drive, Suite 105, Greenville, SC 29615.
FRANK TOWERS RICE SR.
EASLEY — Frank Towers Rice Sr., passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.
He was born on July 2, 1931, to Gladys Hollingsworth Smith Rice and Ibzan Rex Rice.
Towers was a lifelong resident of Greenville, with a few short stints in other places. He attended Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Georgia Tech. He was on the wrestling team and a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He developed lifelong friendships there, and they continued to gather as often as they could through the years.
While at Georgia Tech, Towers attended Marine Officer Basic School. He spent summers at Parris Island, Quantico, Va., and Fort Sill, Okla. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1952. When he graduated in 1953, Towers began active duty, serving in the Mediterranean and at Camp Lejeune. In 1965, he took command of the 57th Rifle Co., serving reserve duty. With 130 men under his command, he continued through the Vietnam era. He was a holder of the National Defense, Organized Reserve and European Occupation Ribbons. He retired as a lieutenant colonel. One of his favorite sayings was “Not as mean, not as lean, but always a Marine! Semper Fi.”
Towers met the love of his life, Betty Claire Fontaine, on a blind date set up by her great-aunt and his mother. After a long-distance courtship while she was at Mary Baldwin, they married on June 25, 1955, in Houston, Texas. They spent the next 63 years together. They lived in Surf City, N.C., Carlisle, S.C., and Pensacola, Fla., before returning to Greenville. For Towers, his family was most important. He attended every sporting event and school/church activity that he could, and he was always willing to help and mentor. In his later years, family dinner on Sunday nights was what he looked forward to all week. He loved his lima beans, Duke’s mayonnaise and a cold Guinness. He always had a good story or a joke, and his smile was contagious. After Claire’s funeral, he was sitting, watching his children and grandchildren as they talked, laughed and played Monopoly together. When asked what he was thinking, he quickly said, “Just how lucky I am.”
By Silas Albright
Courtesy The Mountaineer
news@thepccourier.com
CANDLER, N.C. — Early in the second quarter, Pickens held a 14-0 advantage over Pisgah, but the Blue Flame lost momentum and never managed to get it back, eventually falling 38-14 for their first loss of the season.
“I thought we came out strong,” Pickens head coach Chad Smith said. “I thought Pisgah came out and did what Pisgah does. They’re
a good football team, and they punched us and it took us a little too long to respond.”
Pisgah (3-0) head coach Brett Chappell said he was glad to be able to play the game against the out-of-state opponent and liked what he saw from the Blue Flame (2-1).
“Hats off to Pickens as well, good football team. I enjoy that coaching staff, too — a lot of respect for them,” Chappell said. “Their kids played hard, they came right out of the gates and they certainly didn’t back down.”
In a game played at Enka High School in Candler, N.C., after recent flooding in Haywood County, Pickens senior defensive back Ziondre Clark capitalized on an early opportunity, scooping up a Pisgah fumble and taking it 38 yards to the house to give the Blue Flame a 7-0 lead at the 7:16 mark in the first quarter.
The Blue Flame defense forced a three-and-out on Pisgah’s ensuing possession, setting their offense up at their own 24-yard line following the punt. From there, Pickens pieced together a nearly nine-minute scoring drive thanks to a couple of big fourth-down conversions.
On a fourth and three from the Pickens 41, senior quarterback Ryan Ford connected with junior wideout Jaden Jackson for a gain of 11 and a fresh set of downs. Three plays later, Ford faked a handoff but kept it himself and took it up the middle for 15 yards to set the Blue Flame up at the 33-yard line.
By the time the first quarter ended, Pickens was facing a first and goal from the 8. Pisgah’s defense buckled down and stopped the Blue Flame inches short of the goal line to bring up a key fourth down, but Pickens senior fullback Brennan Perkins forced his way into the end zone for the touchdown. Sophomore kicker Hunter Smith nailed his second extra point of the game to give the Blue Flame a 14-0 lead with just less than nine minutes left in the first half.
Smith said Perkins left the game right before halftime due to injury and did not return.
“When 15 went out, it changed the game dramatically,” Smith said.
From there, the momentum began to shift. Pisgah senior running back Ian Rogers broke free for a 39-yard score at the 7:34 mark of the second quarter to cut the Bears’ deficit in half.
On the Blue Flame’s next possession, Ford hooked up with junior tight end C.J. Hooper for a nice gain across midfield. But Pisgah’s Logan Free swooped in and ripped the ball from Hooper’s arms for a forced fumble and recovery.
Free, also Pisgah’s quarterback, finished the drive he started with a three-yard touchdown run to even the score at 14-14 with 1:34 left in the first half.
The Blue Flame offense put together a quick drive highlighted by a 20-yard run from Ford and had a first and 10 from the Pisgah 16 with 7.3 seconds left in the half. Pickens took two shots at the end zone, but both passes fell incomplete and the teams headed to the locker room knotted up.
On Pisgah’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, Free got loose for a 62-yard touchdown run to put his team up 21-14. The Black Bears never looked back.
Pickens opted to leave its offense on the field on a fourth and 11 from its own 45 and came up short. Rogers promptly took the first play of that Pisgah drive 45 yards for a touchdown, increasing the Bears’ lead to 28-14 at the 7:39 mark of the third quarter.
On its ensuing drive, Pickens faced a fourth and five from its own 40, and the pass fell incomplete. But the Blue Flame defense kept the Bears out of the end zone and forced them to settle for a 24-yard field goal. A Pickens rusher put pressure on Pisgah kicker Luke Pinkston, but the senior made the kick to push his team’s lead to 31-14.
Pickens managed to drive inside Pisgah’s red zone twice in the fourth quarter, but fell short on a fourth down and then had a pass picked off in the end zone by Free. Bears junior running back Dez Rodriguez scored on a 93-yard run with 2:32 left to play, and Pisgah went on to win 38-14.
“Give Pisgah all the credit in the world,” Smith said. “Coach Chappell does an amazing job with these guys. In my opinion, he’s one of the best coaches in either Carolina.”
The Blue Flame offense was led by senior running back Andon Rogers, who rushed 24 times for 129 yards. Ford finished with 78 yards on 16 carries and 72 yards through the air on 6-of-15 passing. Perkins picked up 32 yards on nine carries before the injury, and freshman running back Carter McCollum added 38 yards on six carries. Jackson caught five passes for 43 yards. Pickens gained 349 yards of total offense to Pisgah’s 378.
“We left some points on the board inside the 20, but it is what it is — we’ll grow from it,” Smith said. “You either win or you learn, so we learned something about ourselves tonight.”
This Friday, the Blue Flame are set to travel to J.L Mann for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Liberty readies for Powdersville
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — After suspending play over the last two weeks due to COVID-19, the Liberty Red Devils are finally set to return to action this Friday against the Powdersville Patriots.
The Red Devils last played on Aug. 27, when they fell 47-13 at home against the Berea Bulldogs. Just days after the loss, the Red Devils were forced to cancel a scheduled game against Broome.
Later that same week, the Red Devils also canceled a game with Landrum due to COVID.
The Red Devils’ home matchup with the Patriots will serve as their homecoming and should provide some much-needed action for a young team that has played
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Green Wave drop rivalry matchup at Wren
By Eugene Jolley
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
PIEDMONT — Wren hit two quick scores early and pulled away late Friday night to beat rival Easley, 55-28.
Wren (1-3) entered the game winless with losses against Powdersville and a pair of 5A powers — top-ranked Dutch Fork and third-ranked T.L. Hanna.
“We told our players all week that Wren was the best 0-3 team in the state,” Easley coach Jordan Durrah said. “We told them we were in for a challenge.We didn’t back down. I thought we fought, played extremely hard and made some mistakes. We’ll learn from
that and continue to
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Daniel overcomes slow start to blow past Hendersonville
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
HENDERSONVILLE — For the third straight week, the Daniel Lions got off to a slow start as they faced off with the Hendersonville Bearcats on the road Friday night.
However, the Lions pulled it together once more behind a strong performance from Chris Edge and a devastating pass rush to score a 42-13 win.
“Hendersonville did a great job with their game plan,” Daniel head coach Jeff Fruster said. “They came in and took away some of
the things we like to rely on. It really took us a while to figure where
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Tigers bounce back from opening loss to take care of business against SC State
By Michael Crouchley
Courtesy The Journal
michael@upstatetoday.com
CLEMSON — After suffering a season-opening loss to Georgia the previous weekend, the Clemson football team got back on track against a very different set of Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Tigers’ game against South Carolina State — an FCS team that plays in the MEAC — didn’t carry the same pedigree as the top-five showdown Sept. 4, but No. 6 Clemson took care of business at Memorial Stadium, coming away with a 49-3 win.
Regardless of the opponent, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was
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