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G

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Gridiron
Of the
football heroes
start somewhere
The Greer Citizen
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THE SHOPS AT GREENRIDGE
1125 Woodruff Rd., Greenville, SC
864.234.8880
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LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN GREER
222 Trade Street, Greer, SC
864. 877.6525
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to keep in touch with all of our
latest sales and deals.
Guardians of the Gridiron
The Most Unique
Gameday Apparel!
Come by either one of our 2 Upstate locations and
experience the service and quality that Smith & James offers.
We have a large selection of our exclusive Cocky and Tiger
l eani ng on the Pal metto Tree l ogos. From busi ness
f or mal t o our excl usi ve Tai l gat i n col l ect i on,
Smith & James can dress you from head to toe.
THE SHOPS AT GREENRIDGE
1125 Woodruff Rd., Greenville, SC
864.234.8880
TWO CONVENIENT
LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN GREER
222 Trade Street, Greer, SC
864. 877.6525
Follow us on social media
to keep in touch with all of our
latest sales and deals.
The Greer area is packed with dynamic student athletes.
This year, with our annual high school football preview, we
wanted to highlight fve special players that bring a super hero-
type attribute to their respective teams.
We wanted to convey those skills in a comic book-style pre-
view that we could be proud of.
In talking through what the attributes of a great player should
be, the staf at The Greer Citizen decided to fnd athletes that
represent endurance, strength, speed, versatility and vision.
These fve qualities create success on the football feld and we
believe weve found fve young men who represent them well.
While our preview focuses on the talents of a select few, there
are many more players on this years high school gridiron you
will need to keep an eye on.
Whether you spend your Friday nights out in Blue Ridge, on
the bleachers at Eastside, cheering on Riverside, taking in a
Greer game at Dooley Field or supporting Byrnes at Nixon Field,
you know that nothing brings a community together quite like
local high school football.
These young men, Jon Osborne, Lyrics Klugh, Cole Hender-
son, Aaron Kane and Tay Jenkins, are not just great athletes--
theyre also great people. We couldnt have asked for better
players to work with and we want to thank each teams coach-
ing staf for allowing us to be a small part of what they are do-
ing.
No high school football preview can happen without a lot of
teamwork and efort. Our newspaper has two award-winning
page designers and graphic artists, and we believe they have
helped us create something unique. Photographer Mandy Fer-
guson worked with each player to really bring this idea to life in
photo and design. Graphic artist Julie Holcombe made magic
happen with the design, allowing our comic book to jump of
the page.
I had the pleasure of talking with each coach and player and I
hope the feature stories Ive written will help you become better
prepared for the upcoming season.
Our staf enjoyed meeting these fve men and we truly be-
lieve they will be this years Guardians of the Gridiron.
Billy Cannada, Editor
Becoming
a super hero
These young men
are not just
great athletes,
theyre also great people
03
Guardians of the Gridiron
B
lue Ridge wide receiver Tay Jenkins has
a nose for the football, and he hopes to
demonstrate that during his senior season.
With sophomore quarterback Jay Urich learning
the ropes of the ofense, Jenkins knows he will
need to step up and be a leader for the Tigers.
Im trying to give Blue Ridge the best season it
has ever had, which would be to move past the
frst round,Jenkins said. Our ultimate goal is get-
ting to the state championship and winning the
ring. In my class, weve only lost three games our
whole Blue Ridge life. We want to keep that up.
Being successful at his position means being
able to see the feld and read defenders.
You have to be one with the game,Jenkins
said. You cant let other things outside the game
be in your head. You have to think quicker than
the DB thats guarding you.
With his skill comes plenty of preparation. Jen-
kins said he spends a fair amount of time going
over plays and nailing down timings for routes.
Our playbook is all about memory, but with
timing, we just have to practice more with our
quarterback,Jenkins said. As seniors, we have to
step up because our quarterback is young. We re-
ally have to have our timing down because we
pass the ball a bunch.
Jenkins said he is excited to catch passes from
Urich.
I think its going to be a great experience,Jen-
kins said. It puts me in a leadership role to help
him out as a young quarterback. I know he looks
up to me because he tells me a lot, but I look up to
him too because thats a big role he jumped into.
So far,
during the pre-
season, Jenkins said his teammates
have been stepping up to fll in
where those that graduated left of.
Our work ethic is really good,he
said. Our seniors are stepping up be-
cause we lost a whole bunch last
year. Weve got young guys coming
in at key roles and theyre putting in
work. Were getting ready for the sea-
son to start and we cant wait.
Jenkins said he is ready to be back
under those Friday night lights.
This is my last time playing on this
feld so its bittersweet, but I cant wait
to get started,Jenkins said.
Jenkins senses a good year
for tiger football
You have
to be
one with the game.
05
Guardians of the Gridiron
Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 29 At Wade Hampton
Sept. 5 JL Mann
Sep. 12 atStephens
County, Ga
Sept. 19 at Eastside
Sept. 26 Berea
Oct. 3 at Emerald
Oct. 10 Travelers Rest
Oct. 17 Southside
Oct. 24 Chapman
Oct. 31 at Greer
Junior Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 Wade Hampton
Sept. 4 at JL Mann
sept. 11 Pickens
Sept. 25 at Berea
oct. 2 Emerald
oct. 9 at Travelers Rest
oct. 16 at Southside
oct. 23 at Chapman
oct. 30 Greer
c-team
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 Wade Hampton
Sept. 4 at JL Mann
Sept. 9 at Byrnes
sept. 18 Eastside
sept. 25 TBA
Oct. 2 Seneca
oct. 9 at Seneca
oct. 16 at Mauldin
oct. 23 TBA
Oct. 30 Wade Hampton
D-Team
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 10 at Riverside
Sept. 16 Wade Hampton
Sept. 23 Hillcrest
Sept. 30 Carolina
Oct. 7 at Travelers Rest
Oct. 14 at Greer
Oct. 21 Greenville
Oct. 28 at Eastside
Nemeses
Blue Ridge learning
to finish strong
B
lue Ridge is hungry heading into a
new season.
The Tigers want to win when it matters most,
and head coach Shane Clark said that is going
to require a little extra efort down the stretch.
The team enters 2014 looking to go a little
further than it did last year, when the season
came to an abrupt end against Belton-Honea
Path.
Weve got to learn to fnish,
Clark said. Weve gone
through seasons where weve
gotten to the playofs, but we
dont want to be a one and
done in the playofs. We want
to be able to fnish the job
right and get things done.
To get the job done, Clark
said his team will need to be
more consistent on ofense.
Ofensively, were trying to
get our quarterback situation
locked down,he said. Weve
had Ty [Montgomery] for the
last two years and hes gone
now. Jay Urich has played pret-
ty well. Hes a very coachable
kid and were looking for some
good things out of him.
Blue Ridge will return a
young defense. Clark said the
group will have to work hard to
overcome inexperience.
I think well be alright,he said. Weve obvi-
ously got some holes to fll with graduation
and that kind of stuf, but well hopefully be
able to do that with them. Thats what we tried
to do. We tried to put some guys in some of
those spots and see what they were capable of
doing. Well just have to see what we get out of
them.
The Tigers have been working to strengthen
their defensive line during the ofseason.
Obviously weve got to really rebuild our en-
tire defensive line for the most part,Clark said.
Weve got a couple of guys that did start some
games for us last year that are back, Caleb Lynn
and Zach Martin. Those guys had a pretty good
[summer] and were looking at them to step up
and play a pretty major role in everything we
have going on.
Improving is a simple process, according to
Clark.
Weve got to get better everyday,he said. If
we do that, everything will kind of take care of
itself. We need to focus on fundamentals and
doing the little things every single day.
Clark said, although the team has taken part
in plenty of scrimmages, the focus remains on
Wade Hampton.
We always say we start with No. 1, so Wade
Hampton is our game one and thats all were
thinking about the whole time,he said. Obvi-
ously, the goal is to try to win your region.
These are the kind of things we continue to
press on our guys.
We want to be able
to finish
the job right
and get things done.
Coach Shane Clark
06
Guardians of the Gridiron
W2TXT
0r1vers usuaTTy spehd hve
seconds looking at their phone
which is enough time to cover
more than the length of a
oofbaTT heTd go1hg hormaT
highway speeds.
408 W. Poinsett St.
Greer, SC 29650
864-877-8456
408 W. Poinsett St.
Greer, SC 29650
864-877-8456
# Name Yr
1 Vonta Jenkins 11
2 Tay Jenkins 12
3 Melvin Smith 12
4 Temage Green 11
6 Jason Sammons 10
7 Eric Diaz 12
8 Sonny Stephens 10
9 Justin Kemp 12
10 Jay Urich 10
11 Travis Lancaster 10
12 Mikey Urueta 12
14 Chandler Quinn 10
15 Azrin Jamison 10
16 Tommy Williams 11
17 Evan Coffin 11
18 Brian Garrett 12
19 Mathew Dawson 12
20 RJ Rogers 11
21 Grant Pcheny 10
24 Jon Michael Bright 11
25 John Patrick 11
26 Corbin Johnson 10
28 Ethan Ellison 12
32 David Wunder 10
35 Ben Brown 11
38 Jacob Arms 10
40 Zaine Lemons 10
41 Caleb Lynn 12
43 Josh McAbee 11
45 Evan Rice 11
# Name Yr
46 Hunter Griffin 11
50 Christian Mills 10
51 Andrew Parris 11
52 TJ Goldsmith 11
53 David Kenealy 12
54 Ryan Pace 11
55 Kyle Anders 11
56 Clay Kemp 10
60 Dillon Bull 12
61 James Martin 11
62 JP Clark 12
63 Gatlin Miller 12
64 Chase Bradshaw 11
65 Zach Nunamacher 11
66 Austin De La Rosa 10
73 Michael Piotrowski 12
74 Eric Budzowski 11
77 Jared Kellett 10
80 Matthew Cromer 10
81 Stephen Bishop 12
82 Charlie Bennett 10
83 Alex Nicolas 10
84 Matt Barnes 11
85 Clayton Kemp 11
88 Dejan Jackson 11
roar!
Roster
07
Guardians of the Gridiron
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Rise
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2014
Y
ou wont have much trouble spotting By-
rnes senior Lyrics Klugh on Friday nights.
The Rebels have reserved spots for Klugh on of-
fense, defense and special teams, making him one
of the most dynamic players on the roster.
Hes a good kid and a good player,Lane said.
Im expecting him to be one of the leaders of the
football team. Hes very versatile. He can play any
position on the feld. You try to put guys with their
strengths, but hes just that good of an athlete.
Were looking for a lot out of him on both sides of
the ball and on special teams.
Klugh has spent time at free safety, corner, run-
ning back, receiver, quarterback and even line-
backer, Lane said.
Versatility, to me, means being able to do mul-
tiple things like playing both sides of the ball,
Klugh said. You have to be able to run, catch,
throwjust having skills all around the feld that
other people might not have.
Klugh has always been drawn to playing multi-
ple positions.
Ive always played both sides of the ball my
whole life,he said. I just love it. Ive got to do what
Ive got to do to help my team win.
Many of Klughs scores last season came on in-
terception and kick returns. When hes on a long
run, the senior said he feels like he cannot be
caught.
Im just thinking, Get to the end zone.Thats it,
he said. Theres no looking back. Nobody can
touch you. If they do, theyll go down.
While he may be able to do it all, Byrnes will
need him to be an anchor on defense.
I see myself as the leader on the defense,Klugh
said. Im a senior and Im the only three-year start-
er on this defense. Ive got to lead by example, and
whenever the ofense needs me, Ive got to be
able
to go over
there and produce.
Byrnes kicks of the season on Friday (Aug.
22) at Northwestern. Although the Rebels
fell by a touchdown last season, Klugh said
the team will redeem itself.
The guys are staying focused,Klugh said.
We know what happened last season and
were not going to let that happen again. Were
just trying to make it through the season with no
losses.
Byrnes will travel to California in September to
take on De La Salle, which is currently one of the
top 30 high school football programs in the
country.
Its hard [to not look ahead],he said. Ev-
erybody wants to go to California, but you
cant forget about Northwestern. We have to
keep focused because we lost to them last
year. Were not going to let that happened again.
Lane said Klugh already has 16 scholarship of-
fers.
Byrnes Klugh
is the jack of all trades
Ive got to do
what Ive got to do
to help my team win.
He can play
any position
on the field.
Coach Brian Lane
FREE
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Greer
Storage, LLC
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Guardians of the Gridiron
10
R
eturning to the state champion-
ship is going to require Byrnes to go
through several top-ranked opponents.
The Rebels will face two of those opponents in
the frst three games.
Byrnes will travel to Northwestern on Aug. 22
for the season opener, where the team hopes to
avenge a loss from a season ago. The Rebels will
then head to Concord, California on Sept. 12 to
take on De La Salle.
Its defnitely tough,said new head coach Bri-
an Lane. Youve got Northwestern and then
youve got to go to California and play De La Sal-
le. Thats defnitely a tough schedule. If you want
to be the best, youve got to play the best teams
in the state and in the country. Thats what weve
got on our plate and Im looking forward to the
challenge. As a competitor, you always want to
have things that prove that youre worthy.
God doesnt give you victories, He gives you
opportunities for victory,he said.
Getting used to his new team has required
Lane to put in a lot of extra hours and hard work.
The main thing that were continuing to try to
work on is just chemistry,Lane said. Having a
new head coach with a new system that the kids
are trying to learn--those are always things
where you have to try to work out the hiccups.
Hopefully it will get better and better each week
until the hiccups disappear.
On defense, Lane said the team is still getting
used to a new system.
We brought in a new defensive coordinator
so were just trying to develop his system,Lane
said. We know what we want, but we have to
get the kids to buy in and understand and that
kind of thing. Its just the newness of everything.
In the kicking game and on special teams, the
Rebels have plenty to look forward to, according
to Lane. With several versatile athletes that can
be dangerous in the open feld, Lane said the
Rebels are going to be explosive.
We have a lot of skill guys and explosive play-
ers on special teams,Lane said. Our place kicker
is returning and our punter is returning so were
very excited about special teams and what thats
going to bring. Hopefully that can be one of our
strengths this year.
Lane played for Byrnes, coached as an assis-
tant at Byrnes and has now returned to take the
helm of the program. Lane said the whole thing
is surreal.
When I was there, we were on the rise,Lane
said. We were building a program to be nation-
ally prominent and now its just about maintain-
ing and fnding ways to make it better. Thats
usually the challenging part. You have to keep
the coaches and the kids motivated.
Despite a tough schedule, Lane is not worried
about pressure.
Theres going to be pressure no matter what
you do,Lane said. You kind of put pressure on
yourself. Im just going to be who I am and thats
all I can ever do. I let God determine the out-
come. Thats kind of how I operate.
Rebels take aim at treacherous schedule
Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 22 at Northwestern
Aug. 29 TL Hanna
Sept. 5 Open
Sept. 12 at De La Salle
(CA)
Sept. 19 at Gaffney
Sept. 26 Boiling Springs
Oct. 3 at Spartanburg
Oct. 10 Riverside
Oct. 17 at JL Mann
Oct. 24 Mauldin
Oct. 31 at Dorman
Nov. 7 Wade Hampton
Junior Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 at TL Hanna
Sept. 18 Gaffney
Sept. 25 at Boiling
Springs
Oct. 2 Spartanburg
Oct. 9 at Riverside
Oct. 16 JL Mann
Oct. 23 at Mauldin
Oct. 30 Dorman
Nov. 6 at Wade Hampton
c-team
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 at Hanna
Sept. 9 Blue Ridge @BFA
Sept. 18 Gaffney
SEpt. 25 at Boiling
Springs
Oct. 2 Spartanburg
Oct. 9 South Pointe
(@BFA)
Oct. 16 JL Mann
Oct. 23 at Mauldin
Oct. 30 Dorman
Nov. 6 at Wade Hampton
Nemeses
If you want to be
the best, youve
got to play the
best teams in the
state and in the
country.
Coach Brian Lane
Guardians of the Gridiron
11
Rep. Rita Allison
PROVEN
CONSERVATI VE
LEADERSHI P
You Are Why I Serve!
Contact: P.O. Box 93, Lyman, SC 29365
864-909-1092
RNRAllison@charter.net www.imforrita.com
...Because She Cares
and is a strong advocate for District 36
and the State of South Carolina
Have a great season
Byrnes Rebels and
Greer Yellow Jackets
Roster
yell!
# Name Yr
1 Micah Young 11
2 BJ Lane 12
3 STEADMAN Rogers 11
4 Najee Bowens 12
5 Lyrics Klugh 12
6 Nick Elmore 12
7 Aymel Lyles 12
8 Zach Talley 12
9 Chavis Dawkins 11
10 Braylin Collins 12
11 Tavin Richardson 12
12 Jaylan Foster 11
13 Jawan Caviness 12
14 James Duckett 12
15 Zach Walker 12
16 Tavize Bruton 12
17 Tegan Waters 12
18 Mason Streater 10
19 Cole Weaver 10
20 Dishawn Browning 12
# Name Yr
21 Kobe Lyles 10
22 ReJon Scott 11
23 Isaiah Hill 12
24 Deandre Martin 12
25 chauncey Cromwell 12
26 DJ Crosby 11
27 Jared Davis 12
28 Tavaris Jeter 12
29 Joshua Johnson 10
30 Lamaja Glenn 12
32 dezmon Drummond 11
33 rashad Jones 11
35 Alex Olley 11
37 Jaiquez Lyles 10
38 Noah Dawkins 12
40 Reggal Jones 11
42 Ryan Cook 12
43 Braxton Mills 10
44 Devin Dexter 11
45 Nasser Mohammad 12
# Name Yr
49 Charlie Martin 11
50 CJ Mills 11
51 Hayden Mitchem 10
53 Keshon Crate 12
55 Brett Weldon 12
56 Case Gregory 12
57 Will Hyatt 11
58 Khalil Gamble 11
59 Kendall Jeter 11
61 Austin Lister 10
62 Tyler Jenkins 11
66 Nick Rowell 12
68 Jakorian Jones 11
69 zarius Moore 10
70 jake Grimes 10
71 john Guthrie 11
72 deadrian Hargrove 12
73 tazjohne Bobo 12
74 DeQuan Jones 12
75 dominique Jamerson 12
# Name Yr
76 frankie Drummond 11
77 latrey Gist 11
78 nathan Brock 11
79 hunter Fulke 11
80 Kent Harrelson 11
81 AJ Earnhardt 11
82 zan Morrow 11
83 adrian Premo 12
84 jimyarcus Burton 12
85 ray Miller 11
87 bouvier Howard 11
88 matt Watkins 12
89 demarcus Gregory 9
90 chaz Dubois 11
96 Holden Owens 12
98 Thomas Cook 11
Guardians of the Gridiron
13
W
hen Eastside senior defensive back Jon
Osborne was diagnosed with Crohns Dis-
ease his freshman year, it would have been easy to
give up.
Instead, he became more determined.
Osborne battled through his illness to earn a
valuable spot on the Eagles roster and Eastside
coach Jef Thomason said he never made excuses.
Hes never used it as an excuse,he said. Hes al-
ways worked hard without making excuses and
we cant ask for much more than that as coaches.
Hes one of the hardest working (players) we have.
Osborne has put on nearly 40 pounds since his
junior season, gaining strength for his fnal year on
the gridiron.
Endurance, for me, is more like perseverance,
Osborne said. I wasnt really the biggest guy out
there and I wasnt really the fastest guy out there,
but Ive tried to work hard and take every oppor-
tunity I get to just go hard and try to do my best.
Despite some added pressure and nerves for his
senior year, Osborne said he is ready for it to get
kicked of.
Ive put in a lot of preparation,he said. Its my
last year playing high school football, so theres a
lot of pressure and a lot of anxious feelings. You
want to do your best and you want to shine for
your school. Weve been working hard this sum-
mer and giving it all weve got. Hopefully, well
make it happen during the season.
His role on team is simple: be a leader.
I feel like my role is just to encourage the
younger guys,Osborne said. I had a couple of
guys help me out when I was younger so I feel like
Ive got to give back. I want to help lead in any way
I can.
With what Thomason believes is the most ath-
letically gifted roster he has seen in four years,
Eastside has set out to prove itself this fall.
I think it will be an improvement [on last sea-
son],Osborne said. Our limit is ourselves. We can
do whatever we want if we just work hard and
give it all weve got.
Osborne said he
hopes to show leadership, even during the
tough times.
Youve got to lead by example,he said.
If youre being tough, guys are going to
be like, I want to be like that senior. I want
to go hard. I want to show the coaches Ive
got what it takes.
Eastside will kick of against Riverside on Aug.
29. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Were very excited,Osborne said. Ive got a
couple of friends that actually play for Riverside so
its going to be fun to see where it goes. Theres
been a little trash talking, but its all fun. Its a
huge rivalry.
Eastsides Osborne perseveres on the field
Ive tried
to work hard
and take every opportunity
I get to just go hard
and try to do my best.
Stacey Brooks
Jackson, Co-Owner
Ed Rich,
General Manager
Na4e hamptoa 8oa|erar4, 6reer - 864-8II-9090 - 4|ckbrooksboa4a.com
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The Winning Drive Starts Here!
Hes one of the
hardest working
(players) we have.
Coach Jeff Thomason
Guardians of the Gridiron
14
Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 29 Riverside
Sept. 5 Christ Church
Sept. 12 at W. Hampton
Sept. 19 Blue Ridge
Sept. 26 at Chapman
Oct. 3 Greer
Oct. 10 at Southside
Oct. 17 Berea
Oct. 24 at Trav. Rest
Oct. 31 at Emerald
Junior Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 at Riverside
Sept. 4 at Christ Church
Sept. 11 Wade Hampton
Sept. 18 at Blue Ridge
Sept. 25 Chapman
Oct. 2 at Greer
Oct. 9 Southside
Oct. 16 at Berea
Oct. 23 Travelers Rest
Oct. 30 Emerald
c-team
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 11 Wade Hampton
Sept. 18 at Blue Ridge
Nemeses
F
inishing drives was a problem for
last years Eagles.
Head coach Jef Thomason said, although his
team had seen some ofensive success, it did not
always translate into points on the scoreboard.
This year, however, that may change.
Our nemesis has been putting the ball in the
end zone,Thomason said. Weve moved the
ball on everybody weve played, but when we
get down to the red zone, we struggle. Thats
what weve really focused on this ofseason.
We hope to be able to put our defense back
on the feld after touchdowns rather than after
four-and-outs,he said.
Having a veteran group of starters return will
help the ofensive efort.
Weve got all our receivers back,Thomason
said. Our quarterback is really coaching these
guys and doing what we need him to do. This
will be his fourth season and he knows what
were trying to do.
Thomason said he is expecting a strong start
from his team, which includes his son, Ty.
Ty [Thomason] is back and has been our lead-
ing receiver for three years,he said. Hes improv-
ing each week and hes much stronger. Our
whole team is strong and Ty has worked his butt
of in the ofseason.
Weve got good speed and were more athlet-
ic than weve ever been,he said.
On defense, the Eagles are going to miss the
play of several experienced players.
Defensively, were going to have to replace
some guys we will miss,Thomason. Well miss
Mikey Fernandez and Nick Sands. Replacing
those guys and fnding
guys that are capable
of stepping in and fll-
ing those roles, thats
going to be a big deal
for our coaching staf.
Thomason said he
has seen players step
up to answer the call
on defense, however.
Weve got guys that
are stepping in and
helping us make the
transition,he said. Its
not like weve got a
bunch of guys that
havent played at all.
Some of these guys
stepped up and con-
tributed for us last year
so were hoping thats
really going to help us.
On special teams,
Thomason hopes to
have the services of a
skilled long snapper.
We just found out
that our long snapper,
Will Thorpe, may not be
back,Thomason said.
Hes a key guy and we
need some experience in that area. The great
thing about our special teams is that both of our
kickers are back. On special teams, I think were
going to be fne. Weve got two strong legs and
we plan on putting it in the end zone every time
we kick of.
Eastside will kick the season of against River-
side on Aug. 29. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Eagles improve in the red zone
Weve got
good speed
and were
more athletic
than weve
ever been.
Coach Jeff Thomason
Guardians of the Gridiron
15
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6 JORDAN MORGAN 10
7 SAM TODD 12
8 IAN LEVERETT 9
9 TJ GIST 10
10 JOVANI LAWTON 11
11 DEMARI HOLLAND 11
12 DRAKE TURNQUIST 12
13 TYIUS LEWIS 11
14 ALEX WOZNICK 11
15 TY THOMASON 12
16 BEN THOMAS 12
17 LUKE OWENBY 9
20 ERIC MARSH 12
21 BAILEY LANDRETH 10
# Name Yr
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23 NICHOLAS EDWARDS 12
24 JON OSBORNE 12
25 WILL THORPE 12
26 AUSTIN NICHOLSON 11
30 SAM BLUMER 10
32 BRANDON WILLIAMS 12
# Name Yr
33 WILKINS NORWOOD 10
34 JOSEPH HAMILTON 11
35 FADORIOUS BROWN 10
36 JACOB SMITH 11
40 JACK BEEHLER 10
42 CAMPBELL FETTER 10
43 TYLER BROWN 11
44 DESHAWN SULLIVAN 10
45 NICK FERNANDEZ 11
46 ANDREW SHAW 10
50 COLLIN WHITEHEAD 10
51 JUSTIN VOSHELL 11
52 SPENCER ROBINSON 12
53 COLE ROSSI 11
54 JOSEPH FERNANDEZ 10
# Name Yr
55 JAKE HUSKAMP 12
60 BRADLEY STEVENS 10
61 ISAIAH HARRIS 10
62 ANDREW CLOY 11
63 AIDAN KILLOUGH 11
64 ROGER HARRIS 10
69 EDUARDO ESPARZA 10
71 DRAKE GARRETT 11
72 DYLAN BLAIR 10
73 TAYLOR PATTERSON 11
74 HOLTZ JOHNSON 11
75 ZACH DIXON 10
77 THOMAS FAULKENBERRY 12
80 TRISTIAN HASHEIMI 12
81 MICHAEL GLADDEN 10
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Guardians of the Gridiron
16
Jenkins
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Base of Operations:
The Ridge
2151 Fews Chapel Rd., Greer
Support Staff:
Shane Clark, head football coach
Allies: Cheerleaders,
Corps of Cadets
Fanboys, fangirls: Tigers
Kane
Base of Operations:
The Reservation
794 Hammett Bridge Rd., Greer
Support Staff:
Phil Smith, head football coach
Allies: Cheerleaders,
Pride of Riverside
Fanboys, fangirls:
warriors
Henderson
Friday night, it begins
We pledge Bone crushing,
play making, whistle-to-whistle
action on the gridiron...
Guardians of the Gridiron
17
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Base of Operations:
Dooley Field
chandler Rd., Greer
Support Staff:
Will Young, head football coach
Allies: Cheerleaders,
G Force
Fanboys, fangirls:
Yellow Jackets
Klugh
Base of Operations:
Nixon Field
N. Danzler Rd., Duncan
Support Staff:
Brian Lane, head football coach
Allies: Cheerleaders,
Rebel Regiment
Fanboys, fangirls: Rebels
Osborne
Base of Operations:
John Carlisle Stadium
1300 Brushy Creek Rd., Taylors
Support Staff:
Jeff Thomason, head football coach
Allies: Cheerleaders,
Eagle Regiment
Fanboys, fangirls: Eagles
Friday night, it begins
We pledge Bone crushing,
play making, whistle-to-whistle
action on the gridiron...
Guardians of the Gridiron
19
G
reers 2014 season may ride on the
success of its ofensive line, and that is just
fne with senior ofensive tackle Cole Henderson.
Henderson, a 6-3, 265-pound lineman, will carry
the load for the Yellow Jackets in the trenches this
fall, joining three other returning starters up front.
I just try to come in here and get to work every-
day,Henderson said. We lost a lot of good players
last year, but were going to come back strong.
Weve got a good quarterback coming back and
some good receivers. Weve also got a good run-
ning back coming up.
Greer coach Will Young said Hendersons hard
work and leadership are going to play a vital role
in the teams success.
He is probably the hardest working kid on the
entire football team,Young said. In the weight
room, in the classroom, in practicehes just one
of those kids you can look to. He plays whistle to
whistle, does not take plays of and constantly
works as hard as he can.
Hes strong, too.
Hes one of the fve strongest kids that
weve got,Young said. He has won our weight
room award the last couple of years. Hes just fun
to coach. When youve got a guy who is going to
give it up for you on every play, all youve got to
do is be a decent football coach and get him in the
right place.
The right place for Henderson is in the middle,
blocking the opposing teams best defender.
You just try to hit guys as hard as you can,Hen-
derson said. Youve got to get mad.
Young expects a lot from his ofensive line and
they have managed to deliver in the past.
Weve always relied a lot on our front fve,
Young said. We returned four starters from last
year there and all four of them are
very good high school football players.
Theyre all a lot like Cole. They have a
great motor and work extremely hard.
Greer rushed for more than 2,000
yards a season ago and good protection
had a lot to do with it, Young said.
People say a lot about the yards Quez
got, but I think Quez will tell you too, a
lot of those yards came after he
gained 10,Young said. The frst 10
yards have to be created and theyre
created by the guys up front. What
Quez did after those 10 yards is pret-
ty special.
Blocking for such a dangerous run-
ner was an enjoyable task for Hender-
son.
It was fun blocking for Quez,he said. He could
break away very easily.
Yellow Jackets relying
on Hendersons strength
you just try to hit
guys as hard as you
can, youve got to get
mad.
He plays whistle
to whistle.
Coach Will Young
Guardians of the Gridiron
20
Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 29 CLINTON
Sept. 5 at Riverside
Sept. 12 at Union
Sept. 19 at Emerald
Sept. 26 TRAV. REST
Oct. 3 at Eastside
Oct. 10 BEREA
Oct. 17 CHAPMAN
OCt. 24 at Southside
Oct. 31 BLUE RIDGE
Junior Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 at Clinton
Sept. 4 RIVERSIDE
SEpt. 11 UNION
Sept. 18 EMERALD
Sept. 25 at Trav. Rest
Oct. 2 EASTSIDE
Oct. 9 at Berea
Oct. 16 at Chapman
OCt. 23 SOUTHSIDE
Oct. 30 at Blue Ridge
D-Team
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 10 at Trav. Rest
Sept. 16 Riverside
Sept. 23 at Greenville
Sept. 30 at Hillcrest
Sept. 7 at Eastside
Sept. 14 Blue Ridge
Oct. 21 Berea
Nov. 5 Maudlin
T
he Yellow Jackets are fnd-
ing new ways to operate
during a season of change.
Greer graduated several key se-
niors from last seasons roster, not
the least of which was the schools
all-time leading rusher Quez Nes-
bitt.
While searching for a new identi-
ty, however, Greer coach Will
Young found he had some solid
pieces to work with.
When you lose the all-time
greatest running back in the histo-
ry of the school, thats obviously
going to be a pretty big area of
need,Young said. But, weve got a
young kid named Quay Thackston
who has flled in the role pretty
well so far for us in the preseason.
The team will demonstrate a
much more balanced attack with
the ball this season, Young said.
Were going to use other peo-
ple,he said. Instead of just being
so one-dimensional like we were
with Quez Nesbitt back there, well
use some of the other good ath-
letes weve got like Adrian McGee
and Troy Pride and Dorian Lindsey
and Mario Cusano.
On the opposite side of the ball,
Greers nemesis will be inexperi-
ence on the defensive line.
Defensively, we have to contin-
ue to get better, particularly on the
defensive line,he said. We have to
get them more physical and able
to play a lot faster. Theyre getting
better everyday, but we graduated
a pretty good bit on that side of
the ball so weve got a little work to
do.
Leadership in a few key areas,
however, will supply stability for
Greers defense.
At linebacker, we have a kid, Ty-
ler Wright, who has been a two- or
three-year starter for us. Hes play-
ing pretty good right now. In the
secondary, Jackson Tipton is play-
ing pretty well. Zeke Whiteside, if
he can push himself, can play pret-
ty well too.
On special teams, Young said his
team will be athletic, but will miss
the talents of several elusive kick
returners.
We lost three of our better re-
turners on special teams in Quez
Nesbitt, Emanuel Kelly and Malek
Johnson. All three of them were
pretty dangerous with the football,
Young said. Were now turning it
over to people like Dorian Lindsey
and Adrian McGee and Deondre
Morenpeople who are more
than capable of doing a very good
job of returning the football.
Greer fans may get used to hear-
ing Lindseys name on Friday
nights. The dynamic receiver will
have his number called a lot
throughout the season, and Young
believes he is ready to step up and
shine.
Hes doing a phenomenal job,
Young said. The way he practices,
he does everything full speed with
great efort. Hes got good athletic
ability to go along with that. The
only thing were trying to preach to
him is being a little more vocal. Hes
not a very loud kid, but the way he
carries himself and the kind of per-
son he is, hes one that we would
like to see speak up more.
Greer will kick of the season on
Aug. 29 at home against Clinton.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Greer finding new identity, playmakers
Nemeses
Guardians of the Gridiron
21
# Name Yr
2 Quay Thackston 9
3 Zeke Whiteside 12
4 nick Roberson 11
5 Troy Price 11
6 Sycchaeus Bruton 12
7 Tiquan Lyles 12
9 Nakeem Hoke 12
10 Zecchariah Glidden 11
11 Mario Cusano 11
12 Dorian Lindsey 11
13 Jackson Tipton 12
14 Xavier Wright 12
15 Brice Green 10
16 Bobby Farrington 12
17 Deondre Moren 12
18 Nate Jefferson 9
19 Matthew Mason 9
20 DJ Sitton 11
21 Isaiah Long 11
22 Adam Burgess 10
24 Adrian McGee 11
25 Cedric Sullivan 12
28 Tyler Rhodes 12
29 Blake Wright 10
30 Kevon Jones 9
31 Trey Hawthorne 10
32 Wanya Wright 12
33 Jamiel Canada 11
34 Markel Warren 11
35 Chance Coleman 11
36 Cameron Kelly 10
41 Omar Fattah 10
42 Brodie Wright 10
43 Tyler Wright 12
44 Zac Boughey 12
45 Alex Graham 11
48 Tyrick Smith 9
50 Brycen Newman 9
51 Mead Cook 12
52 Garrett Poole 12
54 Matthew Pearson 9
55 Pierce Bishop 12
56 Tyreek Donaldson 11
57 Jacob Schaffner 10
58 Korey Styles 11
# Name Yr
60 NOah Hannon 10
64 Noah Blosser 10
67 Cole Henderson 12
70 Ryan McCullough 10
71 Avery Currie 9
72 Jordan hawthorne 11
74 Travigea Ware 9
75 Bradly thompson 9
76 Adam Tapp 11
77 John Marvin 10
80 Noah Glidden 9
81 Jake Arrowood 11
85 Kaylen Boston 9
88 Tyric Fleming 9
89 Andrew Ryvko 12
90 Joe Brown 12
91 Seth Shokes 12
92 CJ Collins 11
94 Gabe Rice 10
99 Andrew Messer 11
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Guardians of the Gridiron
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Sanders - Service Call ad.indd 1 8/18/14 10:51:42 AM
I
f you blink at a Riverside football game,
theres a chance you will miss junior run-
ning back Aaron Kane.
Standing just over fve feet, Kane has one attri-
bute most defenses cannot do anything about.
Speed.
It helps to be my size just because of the size of
the other players,Kane said. You cant see me
sometimes when I run up through the line. Its def-
initely an advantage.
His coaches say its hard to keep track of him
and that he gets lost in the play. Kane knows it is
hard for guys to defend him.
Its really important to have speed,he said. It
makes you advantageous to your team. Its harder
for guys to tackle you. If youre fast, you dont have
to be strong or really have any other attribute be-
cause, with speed, theres nothing the other play-
ers can do about it.
Kane said his love for the game was fueled dur-
ing a junior varsity game his freshman year.
I was playing JV a couple of years ago and it
was the frst game of the season. I was the back up
running back at the time, but I got the ball and I
ran up to the line and I almost was tackled. I spun
of the guy and it ended up being a really
long run,Kane said. I think that really
showed everyone that I can play in this
league and be successful.
When he is on a long run, only one thing
is going trough his minddo not get caught.
Nothing really super conscious is going
through your mind,Kane said. Youre just kind of
running as fast as you can and reacting to the oth-
er players.
While Kane adds some frepower to the War-
riors ofense, he said he simply plays a small role
in what the team hopes to accomplish.
I think Im important, but Im just one little
piece of this big puzzle,he said. I can be success-
ful and the guys around me can be suc-
cessful if we all do our job.
Kane said Riverside has grown from
its 0-11 season a year ago.
I expect a lot better teamwork this
year,Kane said. Our players have
known each other longer now and were a
closer group. I think that by becoming
closer, well be able to work together
more as a team.
Riversides frst test will come against
Eastside on Aug. 29. The Eagles edged
the Warriors last season, and it still has not
been forgotten, Kane said.
We are defnitely super excited for that,
he said. Were all going to be so hyped. Its a
huge things for us. Were focused on that
game. Were thinking about Eastside and well
go on from there, but Eastside is all were
thinking about right now.
Kane is ready for take off
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I think Im important,
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of this big puzzle.
with speed,
theres nothing
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can do about it
Aaron Kane
Guardians of the Gridiron
24
Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 29 at EASTSIDE
Sept. 5 GREER
Sept. 12 WOODMONT
Sept. 19 at HILLCREST
Sept. 26 SPARTANBURG
Oct. 3 BOILING SPRINGS
Oct. 10 at BYRNES
Oct. 17 at MAULDIN
Oct. 24 JL MANN
Oct. 31 at WADE HAMPTON
Nov. 7 DORMAN
Junior Varsity
DATE OPPONENT
Aug. 28 EASTSIDE
Sept. 4 at GREER
Sept. 11 OPEN
Sept. 18 HILLCREST
Sept. 25 at SPARTANBURG
Oct. 2 at BOILING
SPRINGS
Oct. 9 BYRNES
OCT. 16 MAULDIN
OCT. 23 AT JL MANN
OCT. 30 WADE HAMPTON
NOV. 6 AT DORMAN
D-team
DATE OPPONENT
SEPT. 10 BLUE RIDGE
SEPT. 16 AT GREER
SEPT. 23 MAULDIN
SEPT. 30 AT GREENVILLE
OCT. 7 OPEN
OCT. 14 AT HILLCREST
OCT. 21 WADE HAMPTON
OCT. 28 JL MANN
NOV. 5 AT WOODMONT
Nemeses
T
he Warriors were happy to see a disap-
pointing 2013 season fade into the rear-
view.
Riverside has put the past in the past this of-
season, forgetting about its winless record last
fall and refocusing for a new campaign.
They really changed after last season,head
coach Phil Smith said of his team. Were going
to have a large senior class and they were really
able to write that [0-11 record] of and come to-
gether. Weve changed the mentality. Were not
going to be the same stuf as we were last year.
Were going to be diferent, were going to be
new, were running and were staying with it.
Making positive strides will mean overcoming
some obstacles.
Ofensively, we have to know our assign-
ments across the board,Smith said. Mental mis-
takes are what really kill momentum at this point
for us.
On defense, Riverside will have to be able to
get of the feld.
Defensively, we have to improve on third
down,he said. Third down is such a big oppor-
tunity to get of the feld and we need to make
them a priority.
On special teams, Smith said he is looking for
consistency.
In the kicking game, were going to have to
have consistency from our kickers,Smith said.
Thats a big key in everything were trying to do.
Riverside spent much of the summer nailing
down a new system, but Smith said it seems to
be working.
Last year, I think the kids had to be a little
confused because we were changing so much of
what we were trying to do,he said. Now, were
running something that weve been doing for
eight months now and theyre excited. Theyre
not learning anything new, theyre just repping
it. When you have reps, things happen for the
better. Theyve had a great year so far and, hope-
fully, thats going to pay of.
Smith said his team has shown improvement
on defense.
Across the board, were starting to learn the
defenses and the coverages and the blitz
schemes,he said. Weve obviously been work-
ing on all of this over the summer, but to have
this kind of success early is just exciting.
Were so much further ahead this year than
we were last year,he continued. I do believe
were stronger and were faster.
The ofense, led by quarterback Ryan Cerino,
has gotten better as well.
Weve got some fne tuning to do on the de-
fensive front, but I think our ofensive line is do-
ing a great job,Smith said. Cerino is starting for
us for the second year at quarterback. I think his
maturity and arm strength has improved. Obvi-
ously, with the type of ofense were running, it
better suits his ability to be both a passer and a
runner.
The Warriors will have to make up for the loss
of several key seniors.
We lost some key players last year on the de-
fensive side of the ball,he said. We basically got
new guys up front on the defensive line. I think
the strength of our defense this year is going to
be our defensive backs. All of them played last
year for the most part. Thats a veteran group.
Riverside will kick of on Aug. 29 against East-
side. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Warriors: A new season and a new start
I do believe
were stronger
and were faster.
Coach Phil Smith
Guardians of the Gridiron
25
Roster
boom!
# Name Yr
1 Mark James 12
2 Robert Morrow 10
3 Emanuel Jackson 12
4 Aaron Kane 11
5 Jeremiah Bogan 11
6 Matt Watson 12
7 Corey Bridges 11
8 Antonio McGowan 11
9 Dion Blackmon 9
10 Aaron Odom 11
11 Taye Martin 12
12 Brent Jackson 12
13 Will Urich 12
14 Jordan Childs 10
15 Ryan Cerino 12
16 Kolby Brush 12
17 Hunter Faulk 11
18 Mark Thompson 12
19 Nathan Tullus 10
21 Tanner Pittman 12
# Name Yr
22 Austin Brouwer 10
23 Anthony White 10
25 Darius Smith 12
28 Nathan MacKewen 12
30 Dylan Kenefick 12
31 Kyle Hunnicutt 10
32 Jared Laymon 12
33 Bennett Von Waldner 10
35 Dondre Thompson 9
37 Robert Wang 11
38 Chase Beckmann 9
40 Will Garrett 10
41 Jack Woods 9
42 Antoine Kahaleh 10
44 Jaimeer Goodman 9
47 Imey Adamjee 12
48 Jarryd Whitson 11
49 Zach Jordan 11
50 Kyle Lambert 12
51 Donovan Dixon 11
# Name Yr
52 John Freeman 12
53 Pedro Olvera 10
54 Ian Muller 12
55 Isaiah Pretty 11
56 Andrew Langdale 11
57 Chris Mai 12
59 Stefan Garber 11
# Name Yr
60 Chris Burdette 11
61 Austin Cathey 11
62 Matt Elliott 10
64 Macaleb Collins 10
66 Marco Faultaous 11
71 Daniel Von Waldner 12
72 Tyler Langdale 12
75 Dylan Taylor 11
81 Jawan Blackmon 12
82 Ben Murphy 10
85 Jordan Paden 10
88 Jackson Boyd 12
89 Cameron Antley 12
97 Matt Torres 11
Guardians of the Gridiron
26
Boiling Springs
Aug. 29 Nation Ford
Sept. 5 Gaffney
Sept. 12 At Dutch Fork
Sept. 19 At York
Sept. 26 At Byrnes
Oct. 3 At Riverside
Oct. 10 Wade Hampton
Oct. 17 At Spartanburg
Oct. 24 Dorman
Oct. 31 JL Mann
Nov. 7 At Mauldin
Dorman
Aug. 22 At W. Hampton
Aug. 29 At Gaffney
Sept. 5 Greenwood
Sept. 12 At Rock Hill
Sept. 19 Dutch Fork
Sept. 26 At JL Mann
Oct. 3 Mauldin
Oct. 10 Spartanburg
Oct. 24 At B. Springs
Oct. 31 Byrnes
Nov. 7 At Riverside
JL Mann
Aug. 29 At Southside
Sept. 5 At Blue Ridge
Sept. 19 Greenville
Sept. 26 Dorman
Oct. 3 At W. Hampton
Oct. 10 Mauldin
Oct. 17 Byrnes
Oct. 24 At Riverside
Oct. 31 At B. Springs
Nov. 7 Spartanburg
Mauldin
Aug. 22 Berea
Aug. 29 At Hillcrest
Sept. 5 At Woodmont
Sept. 12 Laurens
Sept. 19 TL Hanna
Sept. 26 Wade Hampton
Oct. 3 At Dorman
Oct. 10 JL Mann
Oct. 17 Riverside
Oct. 24 At Byrnes
Oct. 31 Spartanburg
Nov. 7 Boiling Springs
Spartanburg
Aug. 22 Eastern
Christian academy
Sept. 5 Union County
Sept. 12 At Gaffney
Sept. 19 At Greenwood
Sept. 26 At Riverside
Oct. 3 Byrnes
Oct. 10 At Dorman
Oct. 17 Boiling Springs
Oct. 24 Wade Hampton
Oct. 31 At Mauldin
Nov. 7 At JL Mann
Wade Hampton
Aug. 22 Dorman
Aug. 29 Blue Ridge
Sept. 5 At Hillcrest
Sept. 12 Eastside
Sept. 19 At Woodmont
Sept. 26 At Mauldin
Oct. 3 JL Mann
Oct. 10 At B. Springs
Oct. 24 At Spartanburg
Oct. 31 Riverside
Nov. 7 At Byrnes
Class AAAA
Region 2
Other region Contenders
Berea
Aug. 22 Mauldin
Aug. 29 At Carolina
Academy
Sept. 5 Powdersville
Sept. 12 West-Oak
Sept. 19 Southside
Sept. 26 At Blue Ridge
Oct. 3 Chapman
Oct. 10 At Greer
Oct. 17 At Eastside
Oct. 24 Emerald
Oct. 31 At Travelers Rest
Chapman
Aug. 29 Chesnee
Sept. 5 At Woodruff
Sept. 12 At Broome
Sept. 19 Travelers Rest
Sept. 26 Eastside
Oct. 3 At Berea
Oct. 10 Emerald
Oct. 17 At Greer
Oct. 24 At Blue Ridge
Oct. 31 Southside
Emerald
Aug. 29 At Ninety Six
Sept. 5 At Daniel
Sept. 12 Abbeville
Sept. 19 Greer
Sept. 26 At Southside
Oct. 3 Blue Ridge
Oct. 10 At Chapman
Oct. 17 Travelers Rest
Oct. 24 At Berea
Oct. 31 Eastside
Southside
Aug. 22 At Ware Shoals
Aug. 29 JL Mann
Sept. 5 Carolina
Academy
Sept. 19 At Berea
Sept. 26 Emerald
Oct. 3 At Travelers Rest
Oct. 10 Eastside
Oct. 17 At Blue Ridge
Oct. 24 Greer
Oct. 31 At Chapman
Travelers Rest
Aug. 22 Southside
Christian
Aug. 29 At Landrum
Sept. 12 Powdersville
Sept. 19 At Chapman
Sept. 26 At Greer
Oct. 3 Southside
Oct. 10 At Blue Ridge
Oct. 17 At Emerald
Oct. 24 Eastside
Oct. 31 Berea
*Bold denotes area teams
Class AAA
Region 2
Guardians of the Gridiron
27
6005A Wade Hampton Blvd. Taylors
(864) 848-2885
We proudly support
upstate high school football!
Best of luck to all our area teams!
Adding kick to your football
Friday nights!
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Other region Contenders
Guardians of the Gridiron
28
508 North Main Street
(across from Greer State Bank)
877-4043
Mon.-Thurs. 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Greer
Q
F
UALITY
OODS
As a new season of high school football kicks of, a few teams in the area will be getting used
to a new schedule of region opponents. Here is a look at the region realignment for the state:
Class AAAA
Region 1: Easley, Greenville, Greenwood, Hillcrest, Laurens, TL Hanna, Westside and Woodmont
Region 2: Boiling Springs, Byrnes, Dorman, JL Mann, Mauldin, Riverside, Spartanburg and
Wade Hampton
Region 3: Clover, Fort Mill, Gafney, Nation Ford, Northwestern, Rock Hill and York
Region 4: Blythewood, Dutch Fork, Lugof-Elgin, Ridge View, Spring Valley and Westwood
Region 5: Irmo, Lexington, North Augusta, River Bluf, South Aiken and White Knoll
Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, South Florence, Sumter and West Florence
Region 7: Cane Bay, Goose Creek, James Island, Stratford, Wando and West Ashley
Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Blufton, Colleton County, Fort Dorchester and Summerville
Class AAA
Region 1: Belton-Honea Path, Daniel, Palmetto, Pickens, Seneca, Walhalla, West-Oak and Wren
Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Chapman, Eastside, Emerald, Greer, Southside and Travelers
Rest
Region 3: Broome, Chester, Clinton, Lancaster, South Pointe and Union County
Region 4: AC Flora, Camden, Chapin, Dreher, Lower Richland and Richland Northeast
Region 5: Aiken, Airport, Brookland-Cayce, Gilbert, Midland Valley and Swansea
Region 6: Crestwood, Darlington, Hartsville, Lakewood, Manning and Marlboro County
Region 7: Georgetown, Lake City, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, St. James and Wilson
Region 8: Beaufort, Berkeley, Hanahan, Hilton Head Island, Orangeburg-Wilkinson and Stall
Class AA
Region 1: Blacksburg, Carolina, Chesnee, Landrum, Liberty, Pendleton, Powdersville and
Woodruf
Region 2: Abbeville, Batesburg-Leesville, Crescent, Ninety Six, Saluda and Strom Thurmond
Region 3: Columbia, Eau Claire, Fairfeld Central, Keenan, Mid-Carolina, Newberry and Pelion
Region 4: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfeld, Indian Land and North Central
Region 5: Barnwell, Edisto, Ridgeland, Silver Bluf, Wade Hampton and Woodland
Region 6: Academic Magnet, Battery Creek, Bishop England, Garrett, North Charleston and
Whale Branch
Region 7: Andrews, Johnsonville, Kingstree, Lake Marion, Lee Central and Timberland
Region 8: Aynor, Dillon, Loris, Marion, Mullins and Waccamaw
Class A
Region 1: Calhoun Falls, Dixie, Fox Creek, McCormick, Ridge Spring-Monetta (FB only), Ware
Shoals (except FB) and Whitmire (except FB)
Region 2: Brashier Middle College, Christ Church, Greenville Charter, Greer Middle
College, S.C.S.D.B., Southside Christian, St. Josephs; Tamassee-Salem, Ware Shoals
(football only) and Whitmire (football only)
Region 3: C A Johnson, Governors School Math & Science, Great Falls; Lamar; Lewisville and
McBee
Region 4: Blackville-Hilda, Calhoun County, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, Ridge Spring-Monetta (football
only), North; Wagener-Salley and Williston-Elko
Region 5: Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Bethune-Bowman, Branchville and Denmark-
Olar; Estill
Region 6: Baptist Hill, Burke, Charleston Charter, Cross; Lincoln, Military Magnet and St. Johns
Region 7: C E Murray, East Clarendon, Hannah-Pamplico, Scotts Branch and Timmonsville
Region 8: Carvers Bay, Creek Bridge, Green Sea-Floyds, Hemingway, Lake View and Latta
Looking for lunch and some football discus-
sion? You need look no further than the Greer
Touchdown Club, which kicks of Thursday,
Aug. 28 at Greer First Baptist Church.
Weekly meetings will highlight local coach-
es, players and guest speakers.
Lunch during each meeting will be catered
by The Clock Restaurant and will begin at
11:45 a.m. The program will start shortly after
noon.
The fve area high school coaches will give
a short preview of their seasons during the
frst meeting,said Robbie Gravley with the
touchdown club. Well also have a pickem
contest that will go on throughout the year.
The touchdown club usually runs for about
11 weeks.
We ask people to come to the frst meeting
and you just join on site,Gravley said. I be-
lieve its $30 to join and you get a Greer Touch-
down Club t-shirt. You also get a discount on
the weekly lunches as a member.
Lunch each week is $8 for members and
$10 for guests.
Everybody eats lunch somewhere every
day, so why not come to a place where you
can eat lunch from The Clock and also talk
about football with your friends?Gravley said.
The Greer Touchdown Club will recognize
two Players of the Week at each meeting.
Those players will be chosen by The Greer Citi-
zen.
We try to make that a big deal,he said. We
feel like were a diferent club than a lot of the
touchdown clubs around in that we still pri-
marily feature high school football. Were not
looking to bring in the college coaches and
give Players of the Week to the start running
back at Clemson.
We want to promote high school players
and high school football.
Touchdown club kicks off aug. 28
The Greer Touchdown Club
will recognize two Players
of the Week at each meeting.
Region realignment
Guardians of the Gridiron
29
Spartanburg Medical Center 14-4542
Publication: Greer Football News
Size: 10.5 x 10
Agency: CHR Communications 704-243-6080
Sports Medicine Institute
Injuries Can Happen
Whether your athlete is on the eld or cheering
on the sidelines, fall sports can mean a visit to
the doctor. The new Sports Medicine Institute at
the Upward Star Center in Spartanburg is here
to help your athlete get back in the game. It will
open Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Headed by John Lucus IV, MD, the Sports
Medicine Institute will be staffed by doctors with
expertise in sports medicine and orthopaedic
surgery, including spine surgery and joint
replacement.
The Institute also will offer three clinics:
Sports Concussion Clinic for concussion
or post-concussion symptoms
Saturday Clinic designed to deliver
medical care to athletes injured at Friday
night athletic events
Ultrasound-Guided Injection Clinic
provides precise delivery of medication in
musculoskeletal injections
9768 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy., Suite B, Spartanburg, SC 29301 864-560-BONE (2663) SpartanburgRegional.com
For an appointment or to learn more about the
Sports Medicine Institute, call 864-560-BONE (2663).
Guardians of the Gridiron
30
The Crusaders will kick the season of on
Sept. 4 in Tigerville against Ave Maria Universi-
ty.
Jef Farrington, a Greer high grad, is entering
his second season at the helm of the program
and he returns seven starters to an ofense that
averaged 27.9 points per game last season. The
Crusaders also return seven starters on defense,
making the 2014 season one to watch.
Following is a team breakdown by position.
Offense
Quarterbacks: The Crusaders begin the sea-
season with a familiar face under center. Junior
Nelson Hughes returns after a sophomore sea-
son in which he set numerous school records,
including completion percentage (66.6 per-
cent) and passing yards (3,202), while totaling
24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Incoming
freshman Will Hunter will compete for playing
time after a successful high school career that
him throw for more than 10,000 yards and 101
passing touchdowns. Hunter rushed for more
than 600 yards and 19 touchdowns on the
ground. Sophomore transfer Mike Calabro
brings depth and experience after spending a
season at Florida Atlantic University.
Running Backs: The Crusader backfeld will
also be an area of recognizable faces. Junior
Trey Walker started all 11 games a season ago,
leading the attack with 170 carries for 877 rush-
ing yards. He proved his versatility in the pass-
ing game with 30 receptions for 230 yards and
three scores through the air.
Sophomore Simeon Byrd also returns after
totaling 324 all-purpose yards and fve total
touchdowns in nine games played last season.
Fellow sophomore Ashton Heard provides
speed, agility and versatility to the backfeld,
fully recovering from a knee injury. Incoming
freshman Tristen Jackson will hope to make an
impact after totaling more than 1,000 all-pur-
pose yards and 16 total touchdowns as a senior
at Jeferson High School in Georgia.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: The graduation
of Freddie Martino (146 receptions, 1,680 yards,
12 touchdowns in 2013) leaves an open spot at
the No. 1 receiver position, and a number of
players looking to take his place. Sophomore
Tyrecous Garrett caught 26 passes for 321 yards
and two touchdowns in 11 games last year,
while junior Tyrell Hillary saw action in every
game, totaling 15 receptions for 185 yards from
the slot. Senior Thomas Weeks III is fully recov-
ered from a broken collarbone. Robbie Brown
and senior transfer Rob Greene (Woford Col-
lege) provide additional targets for North
Greenville.
Incoming freshman Mason Sanders provides
size (66, 215 pounds) and a stout resume (85
receptions, 1,450 yards, 22 touchdowns as a se-
nior at Boiling Springs High School), while fel-
low freshman Kyle Brandt adds to the size ad-
vantage (66, 190 pounds) after catching 34
passes for 437 yards and six touchdowns as a
senior at South Pointe High a year ago. Fresh-
man Javon Smith is also expected to produce
in the passing game with quickness, agility and
the ability to lineup at multiple positions.
Brock Frisbee and Blake Bensch saw plenty of
time on the feld at tight end for North Green-
ville last season. Transfer Ricki Delos Santos
comes to North Greenville after two seasons at
Nassau Community College and is expected to
provide an immediate impact with his experi-
ence and athleticism in the passing game.
Ofensive Line: North Greenvilles ofensive
line will need to fll a few holes left by the grad-
uation of two seniors. Eight of the returning 10
linemen saw action on the feld in 2013, wheth-
er it be on ofense or on the special teams unit.
The linemen allowed just 18 sacks on the sea-
son and helped the Crusaders to 120.6 rushing
yards per game and 14 touchdowns on the
ground. Senior Armani Delaney (17 career
games, 11 starts) and junior Matthew Roches-
ter (15 games, 14 starts) return to give the team
signifcant experience up front. Senior transfer
Charles Coleman comes to Tigerville after
spending three seasons at the Citadel, having
played in 21 games at the NCAA Division I level.
Sophomores Armon Lindsay, Cory Hoesli, Dil-
lon Alford and Parks Wallington each saw play-
ing time last season. Freshman Cameron Stepp
is also expected to compete for a spot, along
with fellow freshmen Jordan Watson and Gage
Smith.
Defense
Defensive Line: Junior LeeShawn Cromedy
and sophomore Caleb Adkins are the units
most experienced players until the return of ju-
nior Antonio Barron from a knee injury sufered
in the teams fnal game last season.
Redshirt freshmen Renwick McNeil II, Antho-
ny Blair and Johnny Burch will have a chance to
make an impact in the trenches, while sopho-
more Shaquan Burney makes the move to the
defensive line after playing nine games at mid-
dle linebacker last fall. Incoming freshmen Del-
ton Bradford (64, 305 lbs) and Nick Adams (62,
260 lbs) will provide immediate size and will
compete for time up front.
Linebackers: Commonly an area of strength
for the Crusaders, the linebacker corps is look-
ing to replace one of its top producers, coping
with the departure of defensive captain Braelen
Meredith (89 tackles, 13 tackles last season). Se-
nior Nick Rodgers (81 tackles, one tackle for
loss, one sack) returns to provide experience
and leadership in the middle, while sopho-
mores Sam Houston (43 tackles, two tackles for
loss) and Quan Weeks (26 tackles, two tackles
for loss) will also see time in the middle of the
feld.
On the outside, junior Taylor Anderson
moves from the secondary after back surgery
sidelined him for the 2013 season. Fellow junior
Jalen Hammett is also expected to have an im-
mediate impact on the outside. Junior Darius
Custard moves from running back to linebacker
to provide athleticism and depth. He saw time
primarily on the special teams unit a season
ago. Seniors Rashad Simmons and John Hig-
gins also return to provide leadership and ex-
perience on the defensive side of the ball. In-
coming freshman Mycheal Payden gives North
Greenville versatility on the outside and is ex-
pected to compete for playing time early.
Secondary: The North Greenville secondary
returns all but two members. Sophomore safe-
ties KJ McDonald and Tony Godbolt return as
the last line of defense. Seniors Quantel Mack
and Andre Hennie both made the move from
corner to safety.
Story and photos by Cory Guinn
North Greenville returns key starters for 2014 season
Guardians of the Gridiron
31
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