After defeating Hillcrest in a rainstorm on Friday night the Boiling Springs boys lacrosse team returned to an overcast field just over seventeen hours later to defeat Hammond 15-7 on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs quick turnaround victory against a former SCISA state champion is something Boiling Springs head coach Justin Mills was proud to see from his team.
"It's always hard to come out after a sloppy game and return just a few hours later to play another game," said Mills. "Our guys fought through it and put some goals on the board early. You can't never complain about a victory." The Bulldogs got started slowly falling behind 1-0 when Hammond attacker Michael Moran hit a left handed shot just two minutes into the game. Boiling Springs got their scoring started when attacker Chase Miller hit a shot from the middle of the field to tie the game and was quickly followed two minutes later by a goal from Luke Calderon who hit a bounce shot for a goal off an assist from Riley Alfonso to put the Bulldogs ahead 2-1 with just over five minutes left in the quarter. Luke Olson extended the Bulldogs on back-to-back goals that came within eighteen seconds of each other to give Boiling Springs a 4-1 lead just inside the three minute mark of the first quarter. Hammond's Michael Moran scored his second goal of the quarter with eleven seconds left in the first quarter to put the Boiling Springs lead at 4-2 when the horn sounded to end the first quarter. The second quarter was all Boiling Springs as Olsen scored his third goal of the game on a spin move to the right with a shot that found the back of the net followed by a goal from Brock Davis off a steal of a Hammond pass to put the Bulldogs up 6-2 at halftime. Midfielder Mathias Oslund started the third quarter with a goal as he ran pass multiple Hammond defenders to put the Bulldogs up 7-2 just two minutes into the second half. Attacker Elijah Smith put Boiling Springs ahead 8-2 just four minutes later when he picked up a loose ball and used a quick backwards shot that found the back of the net. Over the last minute of the third quarter into the start of the fourth quarter the Bulldogs were forced to play down a man which gave Hammond an opportunity to eat into the Boiling Springs lead. Jack Word got the scoring started for the Skyhawks with just seconds left in the third quarter when he hit a shot from the right side to put the Bulldogs lead at 8-3. The start of the fourth quarter, with the Bulldogs still down a man, saw the Skyhawks score back-to-back goals from Word and Steve Glick over the first thirty-seven seconds of the quarter to cut the Boiling Springs lead to 8-5. They added another goal three minutes later from Whit Muschamp to narrow the Boiling Springs lead to 8-6 with just over eight minutes left in the game. Boiling Springs attacker Brock Davis stopped the run by Hammond with a goal just seconds later to put the Bulldogs back up three at 9-6. The Skyhawks added their final goal of the game when Michael Moran scored his third goal of the game at the six minute mark of the fourth quarter but from that point on it was all Bulldogs. Over the final five minutes of the game the Bulldogs got two goals a piece from Mathis Oslund, Brock Davis, and Riley Alfonso as they outscored the Skyhawks 6-0 in the final portion of the fourth quarter. Outside of the stretch where they were forced to play a man down the Boiling Springs defense held a strong offense down to only four goals on Saturday which is something Coach Mills says they expect from this group. "Our defense was awesome today," said Mills. "They've had a stretch of three games counting scrimmages where they've just played well as they're the foundation of our team. We've just got to keep out of the penalty box." The Bulldogs will return to the field on Monday in a home matchup against Mauldin at 6:30 PM. As the rain poured down on Friday night so did the goals for the Boiling Springs boys lacrosse team as they opened their 2021 season with an 18-8 victory over the visiting Hillcrest Rams.
"The weather was a little sloppy tonight but we came away with a win and we'll move on to tomorrow," said Bulldogs head coach Justin Mills. The Bulldogs got started on a hot streak when attacker Riley Alfonso scored three straight goals to start the game off assists from Elijah Smith and Luke Olson to give Boiling Springs a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Attackers Chase Miller and Luke Olson added to the Bulldogs lead when they found the back of the net before Alfonso added his fourth goal of the quarter off an assist from Olson to push the Bulldogs lead to 6-0 with just over two and a half minutes to go in the quarter. "Riley came out of the gate strong," said Mills. "He's been chomping at the bit to get on the field and took advantage of the opportunity. All the seniors including Riley got hot which allowed us to get some of the young guys in which paid off in the end." Boiling Springs added to their first quarter lead when attacker Brock Davis won the ball from the Rams before taking a shot from the left side that found the back of the net to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead at the end of the quarter. Hillcrest jumped out to a fast start in the second quarter as they got back-to-back goals from Jacob Balentine and Lachlan Dunlap to put the Bulldogs lead at 7-2 just three minutes into the quarter. The Bulldogs responded with another goal from Davis that saw him break down the middle of the field before juking right and taking a shot from the right side of the field that made the Boiling Springs lead 8-2 with a little over five minutes in the half. Chance Youngblood made a great spin move for Hillcrest that allowed him to make a left handed shot that found the back of the net to put the Bulldogs lead at 8-3 just inside four minutes to go in the half. Over the final three minutes of the game Boiling Springs scored three straight goals that started when Elijah Smith intercepted a Rams pass that left him one-on-one with the goal keeper with a shot that found the back of the net. Midfielder Luke Calderone added another goal with just over a minute to go before Alfonso scored his fifth goal of the night to end the half with the Bulldogs leading 11-3. The second half started in a very similar fashion as the first half did but with a different starring name as Bulldogs midfielder Matthias Oslund scored the first three goals of the third quarter to give Boiling Springs a 14-3 lead with just over six minutes to go in the quarter. Hillcrest responded with three straight goals from three different players as Braeden Whitman, Jack White, and Justin Sibley all scored to cut the Boiling Springs lead to 14-6 with just over a minute to go in the quarter. Oslund hit his fourth goal of the quarter for the Bulldogs after weaving through three Hillcrest defenders to put the Bulldogs ahead 15-6 with thirty seconds left in the quarter. As time was running out in the quarter Hillcrest's Jacob Balentine hit his second goal of the game to put the Boiling Springs lead at 15-7 when the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. As the fourth quarter arrived the heavy rains also returned which slowed down some of the scoring the game had seen through the first three quarters. The first goal of the fourth quarter came off a shot by Bulldogs defender Ethan Westall with just over six minutes to go in the game to put them ahead 16-7. Hillcrest got their only goal of the fourth quarter when Chance Youngblood scored his second goal of the game to narrow the Boiling Springs lead to 16-8 with five and a half minutes left in regulation. With the Bulldogs ahead by eight they added two more goals off shots from Elijah Smith and Luke Olson to end the scoring for Boiling Springs on Friday night. The Bulldogs won't have much time to celebrate their victory as they return to the field Saturday for a matchup against Hammond, a former SCISA state champion, in a 1:00 PM matchup at Bulldogs Stadium. Boiling Springs BaseballThe Boiling Springs baseball team enters the 2021 season in familiar territory as their season begins with lofty expectations thrown upon them and they will look to back those expectations up on the field as the Bulldogs were recently ranked the #2 team in 5A in the SCBCA preseason poll. While the expectations are high for this team the Bulldogs just want to make sure they don’t get ahead of themselves and just come out to compete each game. “We are excited about this year’s team,” said Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lipscomb. “We have some experienced players coming back, especially with our pitchers. If we can stay healthy, score some runs, and play together this team could be very competitive.” The Bulldogs will be looking to get strong production from their pitchers this season which will start at the top of the rotation with Will Holmes and Tristan Smith. The pitchers will also have a familiar face behind the plate as senior Vance Wagner will return as the catcher for the Bulldogs this season. In total the Bulldogs will return six starters from last year’s team that will also include infielder Davis Starnes and outfielder Brent Fowler. Boiling Springs will also look to get key contributions from newcomers Ashton Smith, Jimmy Rosengrant, Landon Ellis, Hudson Wilson, and Luke Compton along with many others. The Bulldogs 2021 season will kick-off in the Spartanburg County Tournament from March 5-8 with Boiling Springs playing both Friday and Saturday at Inman Mills Park. Their first game will be against Mauldin at 7:30 PM on Friday night. Boiling Springs SoftballThe Boiling Springs softball team entered the 2020 season with high expectations and after only losing one player to graduation, the expectations still haven't changed for the Bulldogs heading into the 2021 season. A new season won't be the only thing that's different for the Bulldogs in 2021 as they enter a brand new region this year where the expectations will still to be competing for region and state championships. "With a large returning group of players. combining with a good group of up and coming players, we're really looking forward to this season," said Bulldogs head coach Randy Piazza. "As always we hope to be contending for region and state titles." Boiling Springs returns nine starters from last year's team that include three All-Region players in senior catcher Ragan Bristol, freshman pictcher/infielder Bri Stanley, and senior pitcher Olivia Hall, who is committed to play at USC-Upstate next season. Hall and Stanley will combine with Haley Owens to give the Bulldogs three strong options in the pitching circle heading into the new season. Bristol will be entering her fourth year as the starting catcher for the Bulldogs which will bring a level of comfort for the Boiling Springs pitching staff. While the Bulldogs have a lot of experience returning they will also be counting on a strong group of younger players that will be led by Sadie Parris. Boiling Springs will say goodbye to their familiar foes in Region II-5A this year and join Region III-5A that also includes Gaffney, Nation Ford, Clover, and Fort Mill. While the Bulldogs are used to seeing Gaffney in region play they are no strangers to Fort Mill and Clover as they have seen both in the 5A playoffs over the past few seasons. The Bulldogs will kickoff their regular season with a home game against Byrnes on March 15th with first pitch slated for 6:00 PM. Boiling Springs Boys LacrosseThe Boiling Springs boys lacrosse team started off their 2020 season with a lot of momentum going 4-2 before the season was canceled and they look to carry that momentum into the 2021 season. “We look to continue the momentum from 2020 with a solid mix of experience and underclassmen,” said Bulldogs head coach Justin Mills. “Our attack, defense, and goalie positions will be returning all starters while the midfield will look to Mathias Oslund, Jayden McIntyre, and Micah Shane Horton to consistently put us on the board.” Oslund and McIntyre lead a group of ten returning starters for the team that also includes Riley Alfonso, Lukus Olson, Brock Davis, Adam Dulske, Ethan Westall, Jacob Coates, Andrew Hollifield, and Jake Lipscomb. They will be joined by newcomers Horton, Chase Miller, and Elijah Smith to complete what the Bulldogs hope will be a strong team against a very competitive 2021 schedule. The Bulldogs 2021 schedule will see them face off against some of the best teams in the state as they will face Dorman, Fort Mill, and Nation Ford along with a February 27th matchup against five time state champion Hammond High School. Boiling Springs will kick off their season on February 17th against Chapin High School. Boiling Springs Girls LacrosseWith their 2020 season being cut short the Boiling Springs girls lacrosse team is looking forward to the opportunity to return to the field in 2021. "The players and coaches we're all excited for the 2021 lacrosse season." said Bulldogs head coach Michelle Lockwood. "Unfortunately last season was cut short but we feel like this season will be a success especially with all the hard work the girls have put in along with keeping a positive attitude." The Bulldogs will be returning eight players from last year's team including two defenders in senior Paula Melton and junior Brianna Mitchell along with senior midfielder Mary Bartell. They will also look to get some key contributions from underclassmen attacker Kristen Fisher along with midfielders Lani Hodge and Mia Lockwood. Boiling Springs girls lacrosse team will be the first Bulldogs spring sports season team to return to the playing field since the coronavirus pandemic began as they host TL Hanna on February 22nd at 7:00 PM. Boiling Springs Girls SoccerAfter an impressive start to last year’s season the Boiling Springs girls soccer team looks to get their 2021 season started in a similar fashion as they return ten starters from last year’s team. The Bulldogs started the 2020 season with a win over three-peat state champion JL Mann at the prestigious Viking Cup at Spring Valley with their only loss in the tournament coming against Riverside, who won the entire tournament. ”We’re looking to take the next step in accomplishing our team goals in 2021,” said head coach Jonathan Burnett. “Last season we saw some very memorable moments for the team with a strong showing at the prestigious Viking Cup and after the tournament we started region play well defeating Byrnes and then the season got canceled and a lot of opportunities were lost.” Boiling Springs will be counting on returners McKenna Wilson, Alaina Brown, Skylar Young, Claire Ladouceur, Emily Vargas, and Sami Ewing to lead the 2021 team while also getting key contributions from newcomers Abby Fisher, Sarah Posey, and Tori Beheler. “We’re going to be looking to continue the momentum that has been building to accomplish our team goals this year,” said Burnett. “We have another stellar Senior class with several four year starters returning that will be joined by a group of youth that is ready to contribute to the team. The Bulldogs look to be heading in the right direction!” Boiling Springs will start the early part of the season on the road which will include a return trip to the Viking Cup from February 26-28. The Bulldogs first home game of the season will come on April 1st against Clover in a region matchup. Boiling Springs Boys SoccerWhile the 2020 season was cut short for the Boiling Springs boys soccer team, where they finished the Covid shortened season 3-2, they have high expectations going into the 2021 season. ”We should be very competitive in a strong region this season,” said Bulldogs head coach Jack Underwood. “We only have three returning seniors on the squad but they are followed by a very strong group of experienced juniors who will help push the team, hopefully to a region title.” The Bulldogs three seniors Mark Demchuk, Jonathan Dill, and Emilio Vargas will also be their only returning starters from last year’s team. They will be joined by a talented group of juniors including Yonathan Gonzalez as they enter their first season in Region III-5A. Boiling Springs will kick off their 2021 season on March 9th on the road against Laurens before they jump into region play where they will face off against Gaffney, Clover, Fort Mill, and Nation Ford. Boiling Springs Boys GolfThe Boiling Springs golf team has a long running history of success and they expect that success to continue in 2021 as they return all five starters from last year’s team that started the season 2-0 with a match win against Gaffney along with winning the Rebel Invitational to start off the 2020 season before the season was canceled due to Covid-19. “We look to have a very good season this year with a very competitive tournament schedule,” said Bulldogs head coach Josh Pruitt. “This team has worked very hard to fight for a state title this year. We expect to win as a team and we will have some individual standouts throughout the season.” Boiling Springs returns starters Zach Phillips, Andrew Gregory, Davis Hill, Easton Keller, and Walker Greene to their 2021 team as the three seniors (Phillips, Keller, and Hill) have already signed to play college golf next season. Phillips signed to play at USC-Upstate while Keller signed with Lander, and Hill signed with Spartanburg Methodist College at a signing day in February. Freshman Clayton Taylor, who made the team as seventh grader, is a player the Bulldogs are expecting to be a key contributor this season after a year away from the team. The Bulldogs will kick off their season on March 1st at the Red Raider Invitational before looking to repeat at the Rebel Invitational a week later on March 8th. Boiling Springs Track And FieldThe Boiling Springs track and field team are looking to make a big push this season and moving towards competing for region championships. "Winning region championships in track and field are feats that haven't been accomplished here especially recently," said Bulldogs head coach Wenzler Butler. "Both our boys and girls teams feel great about the direction the team is heading. Although we're very young on both sides each team is led by quality depth across the board." On the girl's side Boiling Springs will be led by Converse College signee Taylor Locket who looks to bring home a region championship in high jump, long jump, and triple jump. Sophomore Amiah Ellis will lead the way in the hurdles while newcomers Kendall Gardner (8th grader) and Jasmine Parker (7th grader) will the lead the team in the sprint events. A host of quality young throwers in the field events will join Lockett, Ellis, Gardner, and Parker as the young Bulldogs look to make their mark in 2021. On the boy's side the Bulldogs are as deep as they have ever been while being led by juniors Keshun Watts and Jaden Johnson in the throwing events along with a host of other newcomers to the Bulldogs throwing program is setting that part of the team up for success. The lone senior Jake Skory, an all-region cross-country runner, will be leading the way on the distance side for the Bulldogs as he will be depended on a lot this year. In the horizontal jumps the Bulldogs have Zak Watson and Keo Kennan leading the way along with sophomores Jacob James and Spencer Isom leading the way in the hurdles. Rounding the team out in the sprints the Bulldogs have as deep stable of athletes led by sophomore Carmelo Martin who will contend for a conference title in the 100m, 200m and 400m and Kameron Williams in the 100m, respectively. With Marco Thomas, Jacquez Thompson, and a host of other quarter milers the Bulldogs should be strong in the 400m and 4x400m relays. The Bulldogs are also very excited with the record number of turnout they've seen for the track team this season. "With over 150 participants in the track program across the boys and girls' teams I'm extremely excited about the Bulldog's future," said Butler. Boiling Springs will kickoff their season with a intrasquad scrimmage on March 3rd before officially starting their season at home with a meet against Riverside and Chapman. Boiling Springs Boys TennisThe Boiling Springs boys tennis team lost three starters to graduation last season but believe that even with that loss they'll be stronger overall this season
"This season will be interesting as we graduated three guys out of our top lineup from our short stint of a season last year," said Bulldogs head coach Caleb Weather. "Rishi Patel has come back this year playing much stronger than he was last year and appears to be hungry for success. After him we have a string of guys who are all very talented with little gap between their abilities, which gives us a lot of hope for the strength of our overall ladder, especially in the 3-5 singles and #2 doubles spots." The Bulldogs will be returning four starters from last year's team but have nine overall returners from last year's team. Rishi Patel will be returning to lead the Bulldogs tennis program in the 2021 season while a talented group consisting of Cam Beckstrom, Seth Evans, Robert Raynor, Ben Richter, and Richie Khouri will look to bring strength to the overall team. Boiling Springs are also looking forward to the additions of Ben Reece and Preston Reece to the Bulldogs program while also welcoming back Sam Corbitt to the program. The Bulldogs expect all three to add to contribute and add to the overall depth of the 2021 Boiling Springs tennis team. The new season also welcomes the Bulldogs to a new region as they'll now be competing in Region III-5A, which the Bulldogs are looking forward to being a part of this season. They will be joined in the region with Gaffney, Fort Mill, Nation Ford, and Clover. "We are looking forward to playing and finding our place in a new region," said Weathers. "It's a region consisting of very strong team such as Fort Mill and Nation Ford." Boiling Springs will kick off their season March 4th at the Byrnes tournament with their first match coming off March 18th against Clover. After starting the spring sports season with a win on Monday the Boiling Springs girls lacrosse team improved to 2-0 after winning a 3-2 thriller over Dorman on Wednesday night.
"That game was a little too exciting," said Bulldogs head coach Michelle Lockwood. "Dorman is a very good team and we knew tonight was going to be a tough game but we came out strong and ready to play." Boiling Springs got the scoring started on Wednesday night when midfielder Lani Hodge made a break down the middle of the field before faking a pass and finding the back of the net to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 just inside the fifteen minute mark of the first half. The Bulldogs added another goal at the nine minute mark when Emma Wood entered the game for an injured player to take a penalty shot and found the right side of the net to put Boiling Springs up 2-0. Boiling Springs also got a strong first half from their defense who didn't allow the Cavaliers many open shots at the goal. "Alli Hollifield, our goalie, is playing great as she works really hard on the field and in practice," said Lockwood. "We were playing strong there in the first half but we noticed some things they were doing throughout the half and made some adjustments going into the second half. Any time you make adjustments within it can be difficult and I think that's why they were able to pick up those goals." Dorman responded out of halftime just six minutes into the new half when Nyah Elmer found the back of the net to cut the Boiling Springs lead to 2-1. Both teams were able to hold the other one scoreless for the next twelve minutes of the game until Dorman's Kathryn Snyder got a penalty shot from the left side of the field that found the right side of the net to tie the game at 2-2 with just under eight minutes to play in the game. While Dorman had brought the game to a tie the Bulldogs weren't detoured as they quickly responded when Lani Hodge scored her second goal of the game when she made a shot from the right side of the field that found the top left side of the net to put Boiling Springs back in front at 3-2 with just over five minutes to go in the game. Over the final five minutes of the game the Boiling Springs midfielders controlled the game not allowing Dorman an opportunity to tie the game as the Bulldogs held possession when the final buzzer sounded. "We were really exhausted there towards the end of the game as our midfielders only got a few chances to be subbed out," said Lockwood. "It's really hard on them when we're forced to keep them in there like that but I knew they could get the job done. They kept fighting and our team kept up the communication which was key tonight and kept us in the game." Boiling Springs will return to play on March 5th in a home region matchup against Nation Ford. On Monday night the first official spring sports event took place at Boiling Springs since everything was halted last year due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Bulldogs girls lacrosse team marked the milestone with a 10-0 victory over TL Hanna.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a fast start grabbing a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game when Bulldogs attacker Bethany Winebrenner bounced a shot pass the the Yellow Jackets goalie to start a strong first half for Boiling Springs. "This is a very good way to start our season," said Bulldogs head coach Michelle Lockwood. "TL Hanna is a team that has come a long way so were a little worried coming into this game. They played us tough the last time we faced each other so we're happy to get this win." Midfielder Mia Lockwood extended the Boiling Springs lead to 3-0 after back-to-back goals over a two minute period that ended with just under fourteen minutes to go in the first half when she found the back of the net off a shot that deflected off the bottom of the Yellow Jackets goal. Mary Bartell and Kirsten Fisher added to the Bulldogs lead when Bartell found the back of the net just inside the thirteen minute mark and was followed by a penalty shot goal from Fisher just a minute later to make the Boiling Springs lead 5-0 with over ten minutes to go in the half. The final goal of the half came at the five minute mark when midfielder Lani Hodge hit a shot while crossing over the middle of the field to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead. The first goal of the second half didn't come until the six minute mark of the half when Kirsten Fisher got her second goal of the game that found the top right of the net and extend the Bulldogs lead to 7-0. While Boiling Springs scored the first goal of the second half the TL Hanna offense made several efforts to get on the board first themselves but was swatted away by a strong defensive effort from the Bulldogs especially from freshman goalie Alli Hollifield who made two great saves on penalty shots by the Yellow Jackets. "Our goalie is a freshman and she has been working really hard for us," said Lockwood. "We have some former Boiling Springs players on our staff this year and one of them has been working hard with her to get better and you can really tell the work has been paying off especially with that performance tonight." Lani Hodge scored her second goal of the game for the Bulldogs at the four minute mark after taking a pass from behind the net to extend the lead to 8-0 in favor of Boiling Springs. With the clock nearing the three minute mark the Bulldogs pushed their lead to 9-0 when defender Breanna Mitchell came around from behind the right side of the net with a strong left handed shot that found the back of the net. Mia Lockwood found her game-high third goal of the match just inside the one minute mark when she found the back of the goal from the right side of the net off an assist from Fisher to put the Bulldogs lead at 10-0. Boiling Springs will return to action on Wednesday night when they host Dorman at Bulldogs Stadium. In a season that some doubted could even happen due to the coronavirus, the Boiling Springs boys basketball team finished off their 2020-2021 season with a 68-51 victory over High Point and sent their seniors out with a victory.
"We've been on a tough losing streak here recently but I'm just glad my four seniors were able to get a win in their last home game," said Bulldogs head coach Curtis Nash. "We've been trying to honor our seniors all week because I know how important it is when you've shed blood, sweat, and tears for a program it's good to know a program appreciates the hard work and effort you've put into it." High Point jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter behind six straight points from the Grizzlies Matthew Wathen before Bulldogs junior Julius Camp went on a 6-0 run of his own to tie the game at 6-6. Boiling Springs took their first lead when Quanye Nails sank a free throw to put the Bulldogs ahead 9-8 and extended that lead after a steal by Dominique Johnson that ended in a basket by Keeondre Keenon as Boiling Springs held an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Austin Faile got the scoring started in the second quarter on a big three pointer from the right side to give the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead. With just over six minutes to go in the second quarter and with Boiling Springs leading 14-12 senior Corey Johnson hit a three pointer to give the seniors their first score of the game which started an 8-2 run for the Bulldogs seniors as Johnson hit another three pointer to go along with a hook shot from Jacob Webber. The Bulldogs extended their lead to thirteen points on a Khalil Brown steal and layup with just under a minute to go in the half but a three-pointer by the Grizzlies Ali Khan with seconds left put the Boiling Springs lead at 31-21 when the buzzer sounded for halftime. High Point started the third quarter on 3-0 run but that was ended when Webber grabbed an offensive rebound and after being fouled on the put-back hit both free throws. With just under five minutes to go in the third quarter the Grizzlies were able to narrow the Bulldogs lead to six points but the Bulldogs ended the quarter on an 11-4 run that was punctuated by a three pointer from senior Camden Earls off an assist from Johnson to take a 48-35 lead into the final quarter. The Grizzlies started the quarter once again scoring first on a three-pointer by Khan but the Bulldogs responded with a 5-0 run by Corey Johnson to extend the Boiling Springs lead to fifteen points and the Bulldogs bumped the lead to sixteen points, their largest lead to that point of the game, on a shot by senior Tre' Bailey. High Point attempted to make a run but were never able to get closer than twelve points at the Bulldogs went on to a 68-51 victory. Boiling Springs was led on Friday night by senior Corey Johnson who scored 18 points to go along with four steals and three assists. Johnson said that being able to pick up a win in his final game meant everything to him. "It means everything to pick up a win in my final game here," said Johnson. "I've been a part of this program the last three years and while we had some up and downs this year to get a win in the final game just means a lot. Tonight was my last game here and I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to get the win." The other three seniors all ended with good games and together combined for a double-double as Camden Earls finished with six points and two rebounds while Jacob Webber finished with four points and five rebounds. They also got two points, three rebounds, and three assists from Tre' Bailey. High Point was led by Ali Khan who led all scorers with 22 points and was joined in double figures by Matthew Wathen who scored 17 points on Friday night. With the Bulldogs season ending on Friday night they will now turn their focus to the 2021-2022 season which Nash says he and his coaches are looking forward to a little more normal offseason. "While we were honoring our seniors tonight we also worked on getting some of our younger guys some minutes," said Nash. "It's part of building a program and as soon as they let us back into the gym we're going to start preparing for next season and get this program to where we want it to go." Boiling Springs held a 42-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter but it proved not to be enough as Hillcrest used a 24-11 run over the final quarter to defeat the Bulldogs 58-53 on Tuesday night.
The fourth quarter run started on four straight free throws by the Rams' David Klopper and DJ Hillard to cut the Bulldogs lead to 45-40 with just over five minutes to go in the game. Bulldogs senior Corey Johnson extended the lead back to 49-40 on four straight points but the Rams quickly responded with back-to-back three pointers from Klopper and from Sean Lindsay off a steal by Ryan Smith to narrow the Bulldogs lead to 49-46 with just under four minutes to go in the game. With just over two minutes to go in the game Isaiah Buckmire hit a layup for the Rams to narrow the lead to 51-50 in favor of the Bulldogs before Hillcrest grabbed their first lead since the first quarter at 52-51 on a steal and layup on the next possession by Klopper. Still holding a one point lead, the Rams' Smith hit a shot with just under a minute to go in the game as he was fouled to give Hillcrest a 55-51 lead. In the last minute of the game the Rams went four of five from the free throw line to help seal the victory for Hillcrest on Tuesday night. Earlier in the game Boiling Springs started out strong as Corey Johnson hit a three-pointer from the left side to give the Bulldogs the first lead of the game. Hillcrest followed that up with an 8-0 run before Boiling Springs closed the quarter on a 13-2 run of their own that started on a score by Julius Camp Jr and ended with back-to-back free throws by Camden Earls as the Bulldogs held a 16-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs held on to their lead through the second quarter as they outscored Hillcrest 14-12 in the quarter to claim a 30-22 halftime lead. Boiling Springs held a 27-22 lead with just seconds left in the half when Corey Johnson hit another big three-pointer as time expired in the half off an assist from Khalil Brown to put the Bulldogs lead at eight points. In the third quarter both teams battled to a 12-12 tie in the quarter as neither team could find an advantage and the Bulldogs held a 42-34 lead heading into the final quarter. The Bulldogs' Corey Johnson led all scorers on Tuesday night as he scored 16 points and was joined in double figures by Khalil Brown with 12 points and Camden Earls with 10 points. Julius Camp Jr and Jacob Webber combined for fifteen rebounds in the post on Tuesday night. Hillcrest had four players finish in double figures as David Klopper led the way with 14 points while Ryan Smith added 12 points followed by Isaiah Buckmire with 11 points and Sean Lindsay with 10 points. In the girls game Boiling Springs fell to Hillcrest 56-33 on Tuesday night behind a huge first three quarters that saw them outscore the Bulldogs 39-19. The fourth quarter was very close as the Rams outscored the Bulldogs 17-14 in the final quarter. Iyonna Shell for Hillcrest led all scorers with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Zakiyah Moss who scored 11 points. Senior Laisha Labra led the way for the Bulldogs on Tuesday night as she scored 16 points along with five rebounds in her final home start for Boiling Springs. Fellow senior Maddie Holcombe and freshman Kylie McMillan led the Bulldogs in rebounds collecting six rebounds each. Before the game the Bulldogs program honored legend Sheila Foster who is retiring from coaching after this season. You can read that story here. The Boiling Springs boys team will return to play on Friday night as they host High Point in their final game of the season while the Boiling Springs girls will travel to Dorman on Friday for their final game of the season. Prior to the final girls basketball game of the season on Tuesday night a loud ovation echoed throughout the Boiling Springs arena as the Boiling Springs fanbase paid tribute to their legend, Sheila Foster. While Tuesday night was the final girls home basketball game of the year it also marked Foster's final game as a coach in the Bulldogs program, as she has chosen to retire as a coach to focus on her health. While there were many cheers on Tuesday night there was also many tears from the fans, players, coaches, and even Foster herself as an era came to an end.
"It means a lot to me as tonight brought back a lot of memories," said Foster about the celebration on Tuesday night. "To have all these people that know me and love me here to celebrate just means a lot and I'll never forget this place or these people. I came from little Giles Drive to my career here at Boiling Springs, to Carolina, and then overseas professionally and I wouldn't change any of it for the world." Foster, who has been coaching with the girls basketball team for the past 15 years, was a multiple sport athlete during her Bulldogs playing career but her most successful ventures came on the basketball court. During her career at Boiling Springs Foster scored 1,348 points and grabbed 1,192 rebounds (both still Bulldogs records) including a 38 point scoring game and at least two games with 28 rebounds. She also brought the Lady Bulldogs their only state championship in girl's basketball when she stole the ball from a Wilson High School player and made the ensuing basket to wrap up the 1978 3A State Championship. Foster was also named a high school All-American for her play in 1978. After a successful high school career Foster went on to a remarkable career at the University of South Carolina where she still holds many records. At South Carolina, Foster led the Gamecocks to the postseason every season that she was there including the 1981 AIAW Final Four in her junior season and to the sweet sixteen in the inaugural women's NCAA Tournament in her senior year of 1982 which were both the best finishes in school history until recently. She finished her Gamecock career with 2,266 points and 1,427 rebounds and still holds the record for most rebounds in a career while sitting second in points scored, a record she held until 2018 when she was passed by WNBA star A'ja Wilson. Foster also registered 72 double-doubles in her college career which is another Gamecock school record. Foster's number 53 jersey is retired at both Boiling Springs and South Carolina. One couple in attendance on Tuesday night, who said they had been married 42 years, said that it meant a lot for them to be there to celebrate Foster because their first date was to go watch Foster play in high school. After leaving South Carolina Foster went on to continue her basketball career professionally overseas for many years. Foster said that she decided to retire from coaching to focus on her health after battling what she calls the three C's: cancer, car wreck, and Covid. "I'm still going to be around the school and they'll probably find me checking out basketball practice next year but my health comes first," said Foster. "I've been through the three C's but that C in Christ is a lot bigger than those and he brought me through those three C's. I'm in year seven of remission from breast cancer." Foster said that while she won't be coaching next year she will still be there for the girls whether it's cheering them on or giving them advice. She said that the opportunity she's been given over the last fifteen years to share her knowledge and experience with other generations has meant a lot to her. "As a coach I've always told the girls that I'm going to teach you what I did and I'm not going to teach you anything to make you look bad," said Foster. "I want all of them to carry that legacy on. I went from Boiling Springs to Carolina where I had my same jersey number retired twice and I want each of them to have that same opportunity as well." At intermission of the boys and girls basketball games on Friday night the Boiling Springs basketball programs honored seniors Laisha Labra, Maddie Holcombe, Cam Earls, Corey Johnson, Tre' Bailey, and Jacob Webber as the six players all played their final home region matchup in front of a large home crowd.
In the boy's game the Bulldogs fell to the visiting Indians 66-56 in a game that saw the Boiling Springs within one point midway through the third quarter before eventually falling to the Indians. Senior Corey Johnson started the game out with a nice drive down the lane to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead but the Indians quickly responded with a 14-4 run that was started on a three-pointer by Joe McGill. Gaffney went on to claim a 19-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. McGill started the second quarter the exact same way he started the first one with a three-pointer for the Indians to put Gaffney up 22-13 just thirty seconds into the quarter. Bulldogs senior Cam Earls answered McGill's shot with a three-pointer of his own starting a back and forth exchange of baskets between the two teams over the first three minutes of the quarter. Boiling Springs got within four points at 31-27 with three minutes to go in the quarter but Gaffney ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to claim a 38-27 halftime lead. Boiling Springs started the third quarter on a 4-0 run behind baskets from Johnson and Tre' Bailey to cut the Gaffney lead to seven but Gaffney's Undre Lindsay hit a three-pointer from the left corner to put the Indians lead back to ten points at 41-31. Trailing by ten the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run that started with a made shot by Johnson and a made shot by Earls put the Bulldogs within one of Gaffney at 41-40 with just over three minutes to go in the quarter. Just like in the second quarter though Gaffney ended the quarter on a run, this time a 9-2 run to hold a 50-42 lead heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter Gaffney outscored the Bulldogs 16-14 in the quarter to claim the victory as the Bulldogs were unable to get the game closer than eight points. The four Boiling Springs seniors combined to score forty-five of the Bulldogs fifty-six points on Friday night with Corey Johnson leading the way with 22 points and Cam Earls joining him in double figures with 13 points. Gaffney was led on Friday by Undre Lindsay who scored 20 points while being joined in double figures by Akeereion Flack with 16 points and Spencer Robertson with 11 points. Girls Game In the girls game Boiling Springs fell to Gaffney 58-42 behind a strong second and third quarter that saw the Indians outscore the Bulldogs 31-17 during the span. The first quarter saw the Bulldogs trailing 5-3 before finishing the quarter on a 7-1 run behind free throws by Laisha Labra, a three-pointer from Ansley King, and a basket by Olivia Shirley to claim a 10-6 lead at the end of the quarter. Labra extended the Bulldogs lead to seven points on a three-pointer to make the score 13-6 just thirty seconds into the quarter. From that point on it was all Indians as they ended the quarter on a 19-5 run that was started on a rebound and put-back by the Indians' A'Maurya Tate-Smith and ended with a rebound and put-back by Moriah Little to claim a 25-18 halftime lead. Kylie McMillan started the third quarter with a jump shot to bring Boiling Springs within five points of the Indians but three straight points by Tate-Smith extended the Gaffney lead back to eight points on their way to a 37-27 lead heading into the final quarter. After Tate-Smith extended the Gaffney lead to twelve points on the first basket of the fourth quarter, McMillan brought the Bulldogs back to within nine on a layup and the ensuing free throw after being fouled. With the Indians trying to extend their lead early in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs were able to keep it close behind big three-pointers from Labra, some of which were made from NBA range, including the last one that kept the Indians lead at 52-42. Gaffney ended the game on a 6-0 run to walk away with the 58-42 victory. Boiling Springs was led on Friday night by Laisha Labra who led all scorers in the game with 22 points including five made three-pointers. Gaffney was led on Friday night by A'Maurya Tate-Smith who scored 15 points and was joined in double figures scoring by Mikirea Shippy who scored 11 points. Both Boiling Springs teams will be back in play on Tuesday night as they host Hillcrest in an out-of-region contest. For the second straight night in a row the Boiling Springs girls basketball team was able to rally only to fall to the visiting Fort Mill Yellow Jackets 46-36 on Wednesday night.
Both teams struggled to find the basket early in the game as Fort Mill took an 8-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter the Yellow Jackets outscored the Bulldogs 12-5 and were led by Paige Wasiela who scored five points in the quarter including the last four to give Fort Mill a 20-9 halftime lead. The Yellow Jackets scored the first basket of the second half but just thirty seconds into the game Bulldogs freshman Kylie McMillan hit a three-pointer to jumpstart a 20-8 run that lasted until five minutes to go in the game for the Bulldogs. The run was led by McMillan and senior Laisha Labra who combined to score seventeen of the twenty points during the run shrinking the Fort Mill lead to one point at 30-29 with five minutes to go in the game. Just when the Bulldogs had rallied to within one point their shooting went cold as they were unable to find a basket from the field over the last two minutes of the game as Fort Mill finished the game on a 16-7 run to capture the victory over the Bulldogs. Boiling Springs was led on Wednesday night by Laisha Labra who scored 18 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. She was joined in double figures by Kylie McMillan who scored 12 points of her own while senior Maddie Holcombe tied for the lead in rebounds with six to go along with two steals. Paige Wasiela scored 18 points to lead Fort Mill on Wednesday night to go along with eight rebounds and a steal. Boiling Springs will return to action on Friday night as they host Gaffney for senior night. |
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