INMAN, S.C. – As a familiar tune by Kool And The Gang appropriately rang throughout the auditorium, Chapman High School celebrated fifteen (15) student-athletes who signed to play a collegiate sport on Thursday morning.
Four members of the Region 3-3A championship football team will take to the gridiron at the next level, having won four straight region crowns in their time at Chapman. Lineman Abraham Fyffe was the first to put pen to paper, signing to become a member of the Erskine Flying Fleet. Fyffe has been a member of the varsity team for four seasons, serving as a three-year starter on the line. “I’d like to thank my parents for what they’ve done for me. I’d also like to thank Coach Watson for bringing out my potential, work ethic and never giving up on me, Coach Moss for always telling the truth, Coach Settle for always being there for me when I needed him, Coach Strickland for helping me cool off when I got too mad or getting me mad when I need it, and Coach Cab for always supporting me and having my back.” Defensive back Nigel Pate will head to Hickory, North Carolina to play at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Pate was also a three-year starter in the secondary for Chapman. While at Lenoir-Rhyne, he intends to study mass communications. “This opportunity would not be possible without my parents and the sacrifices they made so I could be here today. Thank you for always supporting me no matter what. Thank you to Coach Strickland for always pushing me to be my best, Coach Cab for always believing in me and never letting me doubt myself, Coach Gray for being such a big role model in my life, and to my teammates who have become family over the years. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.” Offensive lineman Jack Settle, who served as an anchor in the trenches for the Panthers, will join a Limestone University team coached by former NFL wide receiver Mike Furrey. The Saints finished with an 8-4 record in 2022, earning the first NCAA Division II playoff berth in the nine year history of the Saints program. “I’d like to thank my family for supporting me – especially my mom and dad – for always sticking by my side through everything and sacrificing so much for me to be happy. Thank you to my brother for always being by my side for my entire life and inspiring me to be my best self. Thank you to Coach Cab and Coach Dailey for giving me the chance to show my abilities on the field and Coach Watson for pushing me to be my best. Shoutout to Coach Fusaro, who has been around my entire life. I appreciate him always helping and giving me opportunities to succeed.” Kaden Thompson was also a key facet on the Panther defense in 2022, where he played multiple positions and finished as one of the leading tacklers on the campaign. Thompson will also be heading to North Carolina, where he will suit up for the Brevard College Tornados. “Shoutout to my mom for making sure that we had everything we needed growing up and raising me to be the man I am today. Thank you to my brother for inspiring me to follow in his footsteps and for being my biggest role model. Thank you to my sister for being there for me when I needed someone to talk to. Thank you to all the teachers and staff for pushing me to be good in the classroom and achieve all the goals I had.” The Chapman baseball team also saw four seniors commit to play at the collegiate level, with each of them choosing a school in a different region of the Palmetto State. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Cogdell will travel down Interstate 26 to join the Newberry College Wolves, where he will major in either sports medicine or computer science. “As I look to the future, I am reminded of the many blessings that have led up to this point. I’d like to thank my parents, who have always been there from the start. Thank you to the rest of my family and baseball coaches from over the years… and a big shoutout to Coach Fusaro, Settle, Moss, and all the Chapman coaches.” Infielder Jarren Metcalf is headed to Greenwood County, where he will become a Lander University Bearcat. While attending Lander, he plans on studying kinesiology. “I want to thank my mom and dad for everything they’ve taught me, which has shaped me into the young man I am today. Thank you to my sisters Macy and Reagan for being people I can count on, and the best role models a little brother can have. With my grandfather being the former head baseball coach and my dad having played here, it has been a huge blessing and honor to follow in their footsteps. One thing that comes with (Chapman baseball) is that the coaches not only teach you the game, but that you’re so much more than a baseball player.” Outfielder Cason Owens also put pen to paper and signed to play at the University of South Carolina-Sumter. “Thank you to my parents for all the hours you have put in driving me all over the country to play baseball. I would like to thank the rest of my family for supporting me and being at almost every game. Lastly, I want to thank all my coaches and teammates here at Chapman (because) y’all have made this an unforgettable experience.” Catcher Johann Rodriguez signed on the dotted line to play for the Charleston Southern University Buccaneers. He was also awarded the Keegan Johnson Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of a former Panther student-athlete who tragically passed away at the age of 17. “I’d like to start out by thanking my family for their unwavering love and support and sacrificing so much to help me achieve my goals. To my coaches and teammates, thank you for pushing me to be my best, and teaching me skills and strategies I need to succeed and for believing in me. I am grateful for the time and energy you’ve invested in me, and I will carry those lessons with me for the rest of my life.” Three members of the Chapman cross country/track and field program all put their names on the dotted line to compete collegiately. Polly Addington, Olivia Thornton, and Colby Wines will all be continuing their cross country and/or track and field careers at the next level. Addington and Thornton each chose Spartanburg Methodist College, for track and cross country, respectively. Wines will be competing in both cross country and track/field at Erskine. Addington plans to major in business management, while Thornton will pursue a degree in nursing. “I’m so excited to start this new journey in my life at Spartanburg Methodist College. I’d like to thank my parents who have believed in and supported me at every track meet. I’d like to thank my coaches who haven’t given up on me and pushed me to be a better person on and off the track.” “To my parents and family, thank you for supporting me in all ways, pushing me constantly, and for the endless prayers. I also couldn’t have done this without Coach Edwards and Coach Green encouraging me daily. I’m so grateful for this next chapter in my life and so thankful for I’ve spent at Chapman these last four years.” Wines will be competing in both cross country and track & field at Erskine College. “I’ve chosen to attend Erskine because I believe it’s the best place to prepare me for my life choices and goals. With the coach and team there, it is going to allow me to hit new levels in running that I’ve never even thought of. Thank you to my mother for coming to every single one of my races and always supporting me.” A pair of standouts for the Lady Panthers softball team also signed to play at the next level in Spartanburg County. Shortstop Sarah Byrd signed to play at Spartanburg Methodist College. Dating back to the 2022 season, Byrd is batting .452 with 13 doubles, eight triples, two home runs, 50 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Byrd intends to earn her associates in science degree while attending SMC. “I chose SMC because it was close to home, and I felt it was the right fit for me. I want to thank my parents, teammates, and travel ball coaches for helping me become the athlete I’ve become today and supporting me along this journey. I’d also like to thank Coach Green and Coach Tidd for always having confidence in me and being some of the best coaches that I’ve been coached by at Chapman.” Infielder Abby Gossett put pen to paper and signed with Wofford College, where she intends to major in biology and minor in Spanish on the pre-med track. She will also be part of the Terriers’ first softball team, which is set to begin play in the spring of 2024. Over the past two seasons, Gossett has a .490 batting average with 13 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, and 62 RBI. “As I was exploring colleges, I fell in love with Wofford because of the friendly environment and great education it provides. Thank you to my parents and the rest of my family for helping me get to every practice, lesson, camp, and tournament over the years. Thank you to Coach Green for all the time and effort you have poured into me, and to Coach Tidd for your willingness to stay after practice for extra reps and being there to support me since the travel ball days.” Senior golfer Olivia Ireland signed to play collegiately at Lee University. In her five years with the women’s golf team, she earned all-region honors five times, region player of the year twice, and three all-state awards. She also finished as runner-up in both the upper state and state tournaments this past season. Ireland plans on majoring in finance. “I chose Lee University because of the community and atmosphere there. I thought it was the best place for me to grow as an athlete, student, and a person. Thank you to my coaches, family, and teammates for always supporting and helping me get to where I am today.” Senior angler Rylan Green will also attend Erskine College, where he will be able to continue his fishing career at the next level. Among the highlights of his time with the Panther fishing team was competing in the Bassmaster Classic twice, which features only 10 teams from around the United States. Green intends to study biology with the hopes of entering the medical field. “Fishing has always been a passion of mine and I look forward to pursuing my dreams at the collegiate level. I’d like to thank my boat captain, Mark Bradley, who has treated me like a son for the last six years. He has not only taught me about fishing, but also some important life lessons. I’d also like to thank my mom and dad for supporting me through all my decisions and for being willing to drop anything for me at any time. I’d like to thank Jonathan Stafford from Lake Bowen Baptist for helping me in my walk with the Lord. I’d like to thank my friends, teachers, and past coaches everything you’ve done.” INMAN, S.C. – With time winding down in regulation, the Chapman boys’ soccer team was in search of an equalizer to force extra time. However, that goal never came for the Panthers.
A couple of late chances narrowly missed the mark in the latter stages, allowing the Greer Yellow Jackets to escape with a 2-1 win over Chapman in a non-region match, spoiling the Panthers’ pursuit of the first unbeaten season in program history. Greer launched a pair of shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of the match, both of which were caught by Chapman netminder Daniel Johnson. Three minutes later, a Panther attempted to clear the ball out of the six yard box, but it ricocheted and landed on the foot of a Yellow Jacket player who then found the back of the net for a 1-0 Greer lead. “I was happy with the way we fought all the way until the end,” said Chapman head coach Chris Dowdell. “We tried to equalize, but we just couldn’t finish. Greer is a talented team and it’s always good to go up against bigger schools… these guys stepped up, played their hearts out, and learned a lot.” Chapman responded in the 29th minute on a breakaway as Rowan Block put a shot on goal from 10 yards out on the right side but was deflected by the Greer goalkeeper. The deflection ended up in front of Jakob Schall on the left side, who fired one to the top shelf from 12 yards away and tied the match at one. Over the last eight minutes of the half, Johnson recorded four more saves and a deflection out of bounds, which kept the game at a one-all deadlock at the break. “Daniel is outstanding,” stated Dowdell. “I always tell my goalkeepers to make every save you’re supposed to, and then pull one out of thin air. He made a couple of saves that I didn’t think he was going to be able to make, so he doubled that up. He’s had a rough year… over the past couple of weeks, he has gotten back to himself. He’s a spectacular goalkeeper when he’s on his game. He’s one of the best in the area.” The match stayed that way until just past the midway point of the second stanza, as a Yellow Jacket found an opening in the 66th minute and launched a shot to the top right corner for a 2-1 Greer advantage. Six minutes later, the Panthers lined up a corner kick from the left side. The ball landed inside the 18 yard box and a Chapman player fired a shot towards the net from close range, but the Greer keeper dove and made the save. The Panthers had an identical opportunity in the 34th minute, but the Yellow Jackets made yet another stop. The closest chance for Chapman occurred in the 86th minute, as they tallied a pair of shots at the net from inside the 18’. The first one was deflected, but the follow up shot narrowly missed by less than a foot, narrowly missing the top right corner of the goal. “Some of the guys were really upset,” Dowdell admitted. “To go undefeated in soccer during a regular season is incredibly hard. It’s such a cruel sport. For these guys to finish 13-1-1 with the amount of youth and inexperience we have on this side is incredible. It’s a testament to how dedicated and committed they’ve been this year and we’re looking for them to get better in the future.” “(Our team) knows what defeat tastes like and they know they don’t like it. I scheduled this game before the playoffs because Greer historically has been very talented. I wanted a test for our young guys before we get to where the games really matter.” Chapman (13-1-1) will have a few days off before hosting a first round match in the 3A playoffs on Monday, May 1st. Further details about the first round matchup were not available at the time this story was published. INMAN, S.C. – The Chapman Panthers closed out Region 3-3A play on Friday with the penultimate regular season home game against Travelers Rest. On this night, it was several key plays in the field that lifted the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the Devildogs.
The Devildogs appeared poised to score the first run of the game in the first inning on a double to right, but Chapman’s Kole Brown fielded the one-hopper off the wall. Brown fired a frozen rope towards the infield, where Hudson Moss relayed it to catcher Johann Rodriguez for the 9-4-2 putout, thwarting the threat. “I saw that K.B. had a good read on that ball,” Rodriguez recalled. “He got to the ball quickly and we had a good relay. I saw the runner, so I yelled, ‘Four!’ and was able to get the runner out. From there, we just kept battling defensively for (pitcher) Jacob Cogdell and ended up getting the win.” Moss led off the Panther half of the inning with a double to right, followed by a Devin Roe bunt single that put runners on the corners. Brown singled through the right side of the infield, scoring Moss. Next up was Rodriguez, who drilled a two-RBI base hit to right-center, plating Roe and Brown for a 3-0 Chapman lead. After scoring once in the second, the Devildogs added another on a single to left center. On the play, the batter tried turning the base knock into a double, but Roe threw a dart to Moss at second base for the putout. “(Assistant coach) Tim Beach has done an unbelievable job with our outfielders,” said Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro. “We have outstanding players that we try to recognize a ton, but we also have some outstanding coaches, too. We have some of the best coaches in the state (and) I truly believe that.” “Coach Beach has taken over as the outfield coach and has really worked hard with those guys on throwing from the outfield. The two outfield assists were huge and took runs off the board. I’m super proud of him from the coaching side and our outfielders for putting in the work to continue to get better.” Jarren Metcalf fielded a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop and fired it to first for the last out in the fourth. Hank Tolleson also made a nifty play at the hot corner on a chopper along the left side of the infield, erasing a potential base hit. Rodriguez caught a Devildog baserunner attempting to steal second to begin the sixth. Following a one-out walk, Jack Settle started a 3-6-3 double play to end the frame. Peyton Hodge drove a triple to the right-centerfield alley in the third, allowing Wesley Shipman to score from first base and make it a 4-2 Panther advantage. Jacob Cogdell held the Devildogs to two runs on five hits in five innings of work, while striking out three. Hunter Bland closed out the game with two scoreless innings for the save. Bland also earned a win earlier in the week against Chesnee. “I’m super proud of Hank,” Fusaro stated. “He was a young man who was our starting shortstop on a JV team that has only lost one game. When Coleman went down, we were looking through our program for somebody that could play third. We knew that in years past, Hank has played some third, short and second, and that he has the skill set and mental makeup to do it. I’m really proud of how he has handled that.” “It’s awesome,” Rodriguez added about the defense. “If it’s a tough play and they make a great play on it, it is awesome. We want to make sure that our pitchers pound the strike zone and that we always have their back when the ball is put in play. We kept our heads up. Some things didn’t go our way, but we kept battling, focused on the next pitch, and getting an out.” Chapman (16-7, 6-2) returns to action on Tuesday with a road game against Woodruff. The game is slated for a 6:30 PM start. Spring sports scoreboard from Friday, April 21st Softball – Chapman 14, Travelers Rest 3 (six innings) · CHP now 15-4 overall o 8-0 in region · Next game: at Gaffney, April 24th (Varsity only) o 6 PM start Girls’ Soccer – Chapman 2, Travelers Rest 2 · Chapman wins 5-4 on penalty kicks · Lady Panthers improve to 11-3 overall o 7-1 in region · Next match: at Greer, April 24th (Varsity only) o Starts at 6 PM Boys’ Soccer – Chapman 1, Travelers Rest 0 · Panthers improve to 13-0-1 overall o 8-0 in region · Next match: home vs Greer, April 25th o JV at 5:30 PM o Varsity at 7 PM INMAN, S.C. – Pitching was the name of the game on Thursday evening as two hurlers posted a strong outing, propelling the Chapman Panthers to a 7-1 victory over the Woodruff Wolverines in non-region action.
Woodruff struck first in the opening frame on two hits and a delayed double steal, plating a run for a 1-0 Wolverine lead. Chapman tied the game at one in the bottom of the frame as Hudson Moss smacked a leadoff double to right-center and scored on a Kole Brown double to left. Jack Settle toed the slab for the Panthers and threw five solid innings, navigating around a couple of scoring threats and holding the Wolverines to one run on five hits. The right-hander also finished with three strikeouts on the ledger. Devin Roe was hit by a pitch to begin the third, advanced to third base on another Brown double, and scored on a Johann Rodriguez sacrifice fly to center, breaking the deadlock, and giving Chapman a 2-1 lead. Southpaw Jesse Raines entered the game from the bullpen and did his part, posting a pair of scoreless innings and striking out four of the seven Wolverine batters that he faced for a two-inning save. “Jack gave us a really good start,” said Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro. “He gave us a chance right there. It was a lot of fun to see him go out there and throw well. Jesse’s got ‘it’ and it is just a matter of him understanding that he has ‘it’. We challenge these guys that when their playing careers are over, we don’t want them to look back and have regrets." “Jesse is a young man that has tons of talent. We’re hoping he is starting to catch fire here late in the season because he’s a guy that can help us. It was exciting to see him go out there and attack those two innings. It was a really good night for our pitching staff.” Cason Owens started the sixth with a base hit, followed by a free pass to Raines to put two on with one out. Cole Daugherty and Coleman Gray entered the game as runners for Owens and Raines, respectively, and both scored. Daugherty sprinted home on a Peyton Hodge single to right, while Gray crossed the plate on a Moss double to left. Hunter Bland (courtesy runner for Hodge) and Moss both scored on a Roe opposite-field double down the right field line, while a wild pitch scored Roe from third, extending the Panther advantage to 7-1 at that juncture of the contest. “It was pretty good baseball played by two pretty good teams,” Fusaro stated. “These are two playoff teams. I challenged our guys, especially in the late innings, to not be content with a one, two, or three run lead. Good teams find a way to add one more to the lead and that’s what we were trying to do there. Hodge came up with the big hit to drive that run in, then some other guys followed suit and did the same. It was a well-played baseball game.” Chapman (15-7) closes out a busy week with a home Region 3-3A contest against Travelers Rest. The game is slated for a 7:45 PM start. INMAN, S.C. – Wednesday marked a significant Region 3-3A showdown between the Blue Ridge Tigers and Chapman Panthers on the softball diamond, as one team had its sights set on accomplishing a goal.
One big inning paired with some key defensive plays helped Chapman emerge with a 6-2 victory over the Tigers and clinch the region championship. Krislyn Wilder led off the inning with a single to right and stole second, while Sarah Byrd drew a walk, putting two aboard on for the Panthers. Reagan Garrett then sent a full count offering to the left-center field wall, scoring Wilder and Byrd for a 2-0 lead. On the very next pitch, Abby Gossett sent a two-run blast the opposite way to right, which brought home Kayla Hardin (courtesy runner for Garrett) and staked Chapman to a 4-0 lead. “We had to get used to the pitcher,” Gossett stated. “After we saw her a couple of times, we were able to get our energy up and put some hits together after that. Honestly, I’ve never hit a home run with that trajectory. I was a little surprised when it went over, but I knew that I had hit it pretty good.” Defensively, the Panthers made a handful of plays that proved to be key. Wilder made a sliding catch in the fourth, taking away what appeared to be a base hit to shallow center. In the sixth, a chopper was hit between third base and shortstop. Garrett quickly made the grab, looked the runner back to second, and made the out at first. The second happened in the final frame as she made a diving grab near third and fired it to Whitley at first for the out. “I was just looking for the ball,” Garrett said. “I wanted the ball every pitch. I was making sure that I had it and made a good throw to first. It felt pretty good to do that because I haven’t had many reps at third base, so I knew making that play helped a lot.” Ally Kay Nodine hit a two-run shot to center in the fourth that cut the deficit down to two. In that same inning, Wilder recorded another base knock to begin the Panthers’ fourth and scored from first on a Byrd single to right-center, making it a three-run Panther advantage. Later in the sixth, Gossett lined a base hit just inside the third base bag and scored on a Sophie Whitley two-out double down the left field line, extending the Chapman lead to 6-2. “We’re excited,” exclaimed Chapman head coach Casey Green. “I talked to them earlier in the season about goals. This was our first goal – to win the region, set ourselves up nicely for the playoffs, and to keep home field advantage while we could. It feels nice to check one off and to be able to go after the next one.” Gossett finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Wilder also was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Whitley also recorded a two-hit game, while Garrett, Byrd, and Rylan Ivey each tallied one hit apiece. Chapman (14-4, 7-0 Region) will return to action on Friday at Travelers Rest. NOTE: The varsity game will start at 5:30 PM and will be followed by the JV game. TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – For the second time in 24 hours, the Chapman Panthers hit the diamond, this time in a Region 3-3A matchup on the road against Travelers Rest. Key contributions at the plate and a stellar relief appearance powered Chapman to a 10-4 victory over the Devildogs, securing a second place finish in the region.
Right-hander Lawson Harris took the mound midway through the contest and did yeoman’s work for the Panthers, scattering five hits and tossing four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. “I know (Lawson) can start and I know that he wants to start,” said Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro. “Lawson has been in games as a reliever more than any player on our team this year. He has really fit into that role because of his mental toughness. We’re so fortunate to have Lawson as part of our team. It was big for him to throw those four innings and essentially hold (Travelers Rest) there.” Entering the third inning with a one run lead, Kole Brown launched a solo home run to left for a 3-1 Chapman advantage. Later in the inning, Jack Settle recorded a two-RBI base hit that scored Johann Rodriguez and Wesley Shipman for a five run Panther lead. Later in the sixth, Chapman scored three more runs as Rodriguez smacked a two-RBI triple to the right-centerfield wall that drove in Brown and Devin Roe. Harris put down an RBI sacrifice bunt along the first base side to plate Rodriguez and make it a 10-4 lead for the Panthers. “We need some guys to come up in huge situations,” stated Fusaro. “Jack hit a huge two out, two-RBI single that gave us a little bit of a cushion. K.B. (Kole Brown) is still working to figure it out at the varsity level, but he is a lot of fun to watch play. Johann has been doing this for four years now. He's been competing at a high level and is starting to get his swagger and confidence back in the box. We have a lot of guys in this lineup that can swing the bat, but we just need guys to be able to handle pressure situations. Those three came up clutch in those situations tonight.” Brown finished the night 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored, while Rodriguez also notched a pair of hits. “This is a group that can be really, really good,” Fusaro added. “We were able to execute from the middle innings on and get the win, which is nice. I’m really excited for the opportunity to practice tomorrow – the only day we can this week – to be able to clean up some things and get ready to go.” Chapman (14-7, 7-2 Region) will close out the week with a two-game homestand, beginning on Thursday in non-region action against Woodruff. Game time is slated for 6:30 PM. SOFTBALL: Chapman 22, Travelers Rest 1 The Lady Panthers looked to continue their winning ways in Region 3-3A play on Tuesday against the Devildogs and did just that, pulling away for the victory in five innings. Right-hander Reagan Garrett took the circle for Chapman and kept the Devildog lineup in check, limiting them to an unearned run on three hits while striking out six batters in four innings of work. Autumn Fisher and Abby Gossett each tallied a game-high three hits and four runs batted in, while Krislyn Wilder crossed home plate four times, notching two hits (one double) and two walks. Sarah Byrd picked up a pair of hits (two triples) and two RBI in three at-bats, while Garrett added two hits and three RBI. Sophie Whitley also finished with two hits and two runs driven in. As a team, the Panthers compiled 11 extra-base hits (four doubles, three triples, and four home runs). Chapman (13-4, 6-0 Region) faces a quick turnaround as they host Blue Ridge on Wednesday at 6 PM. TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – The Chapman Panthers boys soccer team entered Tuesday night’s Region 3-3A road matchup with only one goal at the forefront.
Just win. A pair of first half goals helped set the tone and propelled the Panthers to a 3-1 victory over the Travelers Rest Devildogs, which marked consecutive region championships for Chapman. Travelers Rest gained possession early and launched two shots on goal in the first six minutes of the contest. The first one occurred in the third minute from 18 yards out, where a Chapman defender quickly stepped in and turned it away. The latter of the two tries landed in the hands of Panther netminder Daniel Johnson. One minute later, John Anderson found the back of the net on the line of the six yard box off an assist from Rowan Block, staking the Panthers to a 1-0 lead. Not long after that, Chapman found its way back up field as Block found Jakob Schall in stride for a goal and a 2-0 Panther advantage. “I thought Travelers Rest was very good,” said Chapman head coach Chris DowDell. “They have good players in good spots on the field and are very dangerous. We have a young team, and I am proud of them because we had four freshmen and three sophomores starting, along with missing one of our best players in the midfield.” “They did what we asked them to and as a coach, you can’t ask for anything more. You have to trust the process, system, and each other, and they did.” The Devildogs answered back 10 minutes later as Jean Segura got behind the Panther defense along the right side and sent one into the net from eight yards out that cut the deficit to 2-1, which was the margin midway through the match. Chapman put up a trio of tries in the early portion of the second stanza, beginning with two shots on goal over a three minute span from the 18’ that each narrowly missed. Two minutes later, Brandon Vallecillo threaded a pass between two Devildog defenders to Tyler Garcia for a goal from seven yards out on the left side, making it a 3-1 lead for the Panthers at that juncture of the match. “It’s been really fun to watch,” DowDell remarked about the growth of the young core on the team. “The fun part of coaching and teaching is getting to watch kids develop as players and see them buy in… they have started to realize when they must ‘flip the switch’.” On the night, the Panthers’ defensive alignment held the Devildogs to five total shots, with only two that registered on goal. “We start teaching defense (on) day one. We start with one on one, then build it up to a team formation throughout the first couple weeks of training. We tell the boys that the foundation of our team will be defense. If they commit themselves to good and smart defending, we will find a lot of success. It’s hard to score in soccer, but it’s really hard to score against a good defensive team.” The Panthers (12-0-1, 7-0 Region) will host Travelers Rest on Friday evening in the last home match of the season, with kickoff slated for 7:30 PM. Senior Night festivities will take place between the girls and boys soccer matches. GIRLS – Travelers Rest 3, Chapman 1 It was a battle of two undefeated teams in Region 3-3A play as the Lady Panthers clashed with Travelers Rest. A pair of early goals proved to be key as the Lady Devildogs dealt Chapman their first loss on the region slate. Chapman had a few early opportunities but could not convert. In the tenth minute, the Panthers had a three-on-three breakaway and put three shots on goal within a 10 second span, which resulted in two deflections and a narrow miss to the right. Nine minutes later, the Devildogs stole the ball outside the 18’ and put a shot on goal, but the shot was turned away by the Panthers. But in the 25th minute, Addie Hawkins slid behind the defense and fired a strike from just inside the 18’ for a goal, staking Travelers Rest out to a 1-0 lead. “We knew that they were going to come at us early and they did,” said Chapman head coach Will Maley. “We countered pretty well. We just couldn’t put the ball away (in the net) in those first couple of minutes. I thought we had a couple of good looks and could get a goal or two out of those. The bad thing about the game is that if you’re not putting it on the frame, it could come back to bite you. Tonight, it did.” Travelers Rest made it a 2-0 advantage in the 44th minute on an Ashley Rose Wilson shot from inside the six yard box on the left side. Twelve minutes later, Wilson added another goal to the ledger on a shot from 15 yards out off a pass from Hawkins. The Panthers got on the board in the latter stages of the match when Illyana Washington put a corner kick on goal that ricocheted off a Devildog defender into the net, providing the final margin. Chapman (10-3, 6-1 Region) will host their last home match of the regular season on Friday against Travelers Rest, with a scheduled start time of 5:30 PM. CHESNEE, S.C. – Two longtime foes – the Chapman Panthers and Chesnee Eagles – renewed a longstanding rivalry series at Dean Jones Stadium on Monday evening. It began as a pitching duel, but two big innings helped Chapman pick up an 11-6 victory over Chesnee.
Hunter Bland and Jordan Fitch started the contest on the hill for the Panthers and Eagles, respectively, and both hurlers proved to be stingy. Bland and Fitch each tossed three innings and tallied three strikeouts apiece. Fitch allowed one hit and two runs (one unearned), while Bland held the Eagles hitless, yielding an unearned run. Johann Rodriguez drew a one-out walk in the second inning and scored from first base when Jarren Metcalf sent a triple to the centerfield wall. Metcalf scored on an error two batters later, which gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead. “This is what we need – to play baseball,” said Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro. “We love being able to play these guys. I want our guys to have to go into places like this and compete. Coach Wease does an unbelievable job (at Chesnee). This is exactly what we needed – to play a quality baseball team in an unbelievable environment and community, and to see our guys come through.” Chesnee cut the deficit in half during their third turn at the plate as Eli Henderson reached on a throwing error. Henderson moved up to second following a walk issued to Carson Gossett and later scored on another throwing error, making it a 2-1 game. Hudson Moss led off the fifth with a bunt single and later advanced to third before scoring on a wild pitch for a 3-1 Chapman lead. Cason Owens and Peyton Hodge each reached on a base hit to open the sixth, where Owens scored on a Moss bunt single. Hodge and Moss touched home plate on a two-RBI Kole Brown base knock, while Brown scored on a Jack Settle double to left-center field for a six run Panther lead. “I want to do anything I can to help the team,” Moss stated about his mindset for every game. “That is all I want to do. I don’t try to do too much at the plate – just see the ball and hit it back up the middle.” Chesnee responded in the bottom of the sixth by stringing together three straight hits with two outs. Tucker Johnson notched a base hit and came around to score on an Ethan Lawson double to left field. Lawson touched home plate on a Daniel Wease base knock to left, which made it a 7-3 score. Chapman sent 10 up to bat in the seventh and scored four more runs for a seven run advantage, but Chesnee continued to battle. In the last at bat, two free passes and a Gossett single loaded the bases with none out for the Eagles. Dawson Pruitt and Johnson each recorded an RBI walk, while Kyle Martin scored from third on an error and cut the deficit down to five, but a pair of strikeouts by Owens ended the game and secured the win for the Panthers. “You want to play Chapman,” Chesnee head coach Scott Wease said. “We’ve played them for years and it’s always been a great rivalry. We got down 7-1 (in the sixth) and could’ve rolled over, but we got a few runs back. They went up a little bit more, but we showed some fight in the last inning too. We kept fighting all the way to the end. It didn’t work out for us, but we get a chance to play again tomorrow.” Chapman · Hudson Moss: 3-5, two RBI, three runs scored. · Kole Brown: 2-5, three RBI, run scored. Chesnee · Tucker Johnson: 1-3, RBI, run scored. · Ethan Lawson: 1-4, RBI, run scored. Chapman (13-7) continues its four-game-in-five-day stretch with a road Region 3-3A matchup at Travelers Rest on Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Chesnee also faces a quick 24 hour turnaround, as the Eagles will make the trip over to face the Broome Centurions on Tuesday night at 8 PM. GREER, S.C. – The de facto Region 3-3A championship series between the Blue Ridge Tigers and Chapman Panthers concluded on Thursday evening in northern Greenville County. Missed opportunities came back to haunt the Panthers in a 10-1 loss to the Tigers.
Hudson Moss was hit by a pitch to begin the game and later advanced to third base, but the Panthers couldn’t drive him in. Over the next three innings, Chapman saw seven runners reach base safely – including a bases loaded situation with two outs in the second – but came up empty. On the night, the Panthers left a baker’s dozen on the basepaths. Blue Ridge (15-2, 6-0) struck for five runs in the third on the strength of three hits and a walk. Alex Kiniry batted in a run with a base knock, while Drew Culpepper plated a pair of runs with a single to center. Culpepper drove in a team-high three runs for the Tigers. Wesley Shipman singled, while Devin Roe and Cason Owens each earned a free pass to load the bases with two outs for the Panthers in the fifth. Jarren Metcalf smacked an RBI single to left, scoring Shipman to make it a 7-1 deficit at that juncture of the contest. Chapman (12-7, 4-2) turns its attention to a four-game-in-five-day stretch, beginning with a non-conference game at Chesnee on Monday at 6 PM. JV Baseball: Chapman 10, Blue Ridge 2 – Panthers sweep season series by a combined score of 20-2. DUNCAN, S.C. – A clash between two teams separated by 10 miles came down to one pitch on Tuesday night at ‘The Backyard’. The ball left the bat with a resounding smack towards left-center field and appeared to be an extra-base hit.
As the ball began to take flight, Chapman’s Cason Owens took off from his spot in left and as the USC Sumter commit made a mad dash he then swooped in for the catch, preserving a 2-1 victory for the Chapman Panthers over the Byrnes Rebels. “Go get it, run it down, and make a play for my boys,” Owens said about the play. “That’s all you can do. This shows that we’re a good enough team to win close games… It gives us confidence after a couple of bad games to come back and get a good win against a really good team. Byrnes always plays us hard every single year. Those games prepare us for what we’re going to see in the playoffs.” The game-saving grab capped off a strong showing by Jacob Cogdell on the mound. The right-hander scattered three hits and one run over six and two-thirds innings of work, striking out five batters along with three walks. Kole Brown ripped a one-out double down the left field line in the fourth inning and scored on a Wesley Shipman base hit to right, staking the Panthers to a 1-0 lead. Byrnes put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but a grounder back to the mound ended the frame. “Come in and attack, get outs, and trust the guys behind me,” Cogdell stated about the mentality on the mound. “Going into a big series next week against Blue Ridge, we knew that we had to come out and show we had improved from the past two (games). I was able to keep them off balance all night. I didn’t have many strikeouts, but my guys behind me (on defense) made the plays.” Devin Roe opened the fifth with a leadoff double to the left field corner, moved over to third on a Cole Daugherty sacrifice bunt, and touched home plate on a passed ball, making it a 2-0 lead. A fielder’s choice, error, and walk loaded the bases for the Rebels with two outs in the seventh. Connor Crenshaw earned an RBI the hard way on a hit-by-pitch, which forced home a run and cut it to a 2-1 score prior to the game-ending flyout. “I told the guys (postgame) that if you ever aspire to be an ace of a staff… you’ve got to do what Jacob Cogdell did tonight,” Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro said. “That young man came out here, put himself on that mound, and carried us all the way through. My hat’s off to him. He’s the ace of our program and we’re blessed to have him as part of it.” “We haven’t moved (Cason) from left field because he has made plays like that all year. That’s just a game-winning play by another senior and competitor. I’m just so proud of him on the transition to left field (from third base) and how he’s played out there.” Next up for Chapman (12-5) is a home region contest against Blue Ridge on Tuesday. The game is slated for a 7:45 PM start. JV Baseball – Chapman 13, Byrnes 5 (six innings) |
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