INMAN, S.C. – In every arena of life ranging from sports to business, it is widely understood that the leaders set the tone and for one area team, that principle still rings true.
For the 2022-23 season, three Chapman High School women’s basketball players have been chosen to serve as captains for the team: senior Caroline Garner, senior Clara Gramling, and sophomore Krislyn Wilder and they've set the tone for this year's team. The trio has come up through the program together, as each of them are in their fourth season on the varsity level and to better understand why they were chosen as captains we wanted to first learn what leadership meant to them. “Having your team under control in pressure situations,” said Garner. “You need someone to lead when you need them the most. Over the past few years, the three of us have stepped up in that role and put our team where it needs to be when it comes to those situations.” “(It’s about) keeping our team composed altogether,” Wilder stated. “We make sure that we’re all staying together and not getting down, regardless of what’s happening.” “Holding your team accountable,” Gramling added. “Whether it’s in practice, during a game, or being that positive energy if the energy level is low, if we’re winning, or having fun. It’s being someone they can look to and find guidance in.” According to head coach Leslie Boyd, there was a process and discussion about the qualifications that helped determine who was selected to serve and the responsibilities that go along with the role of captain. “They were chosen by the coaches,” Boyd explained. “We talked about the players who had shown leadership both on and off the court, can command the team, and are great examples of the things we want them to hold teammates accountable for. They’ve played together for four years and are girls who are great examples of what we wanted our Sisterhood to be. We knew that all three would be great representatives and lead the team in a great way as captains.” The individual reactions from the trio after learning they were selected to be captains speaks measures about how much it means to be viewed as a leader. “I was excited,” Gramling exclaimed. “I know people can look to me and if someone has a question, I can help them. I trust Krislyn and Caroline as captains to help lead the team also. It’s nice to have two captains – one who is two years younger and another who is also a senior – and see leadership throughout the different grades.” “I was actually surprised that I was going to be a captain,” Wilder admitted. “I thought it was just going to be the two of them, but I’m definitely happy to be able to be where they are (as leaders). It’s been a great experience so far with them. I know that when (Caroline and Clara) leave, I must be able to step up and teach the team.” “I was very happy,” said Garner. “It means that the team trusts me, as well as Krislyn and Clara. They know that I can hold them accountable for their actions, but am also someone they can look up to, serve as guidance, and give them a high five, a hug, or whatever they need.” During their time on the varsity team, Boyd has noticed the positive impact that the three leaders have had on the rest of the team and program altogether. “All three of them work hard in practice every single day,” she stated. “It starts there. You want your hardest workers to be your leaders and they do a great job of leading their team every day in practice, the weight room, as well as the classroom. All three of them set the example and do the little things every single day.” “I remember Caroline joining our program as a fifth or sixth grader playing youth basketball and Clara coming in as a ninth grader who was not sure if she wanted to play basketball. It’s been fun for our coaches watching them grow as young women. Their leadership skills grew through the game – because of basketball, but not just in basketball. When they leave here, we want it to be something they know they will be part of for a lifetime.” The captains were also quick to point out that they and their teammates also share a family-type bond. “I don’t think that you will find a team as close as we are,” said Gramling. “They are like my sisters because we have grown up together. Even in the past three months, it feels like I have known them forever. Some of these girls have been with us for three (years) and for some of them, it’s their first year. We work together so well because we know each other not only in athletics, but personally.” “We’ve done a lot of team bonding,” Wilder stated. “It’s fun stuff. We all get to know each other even more every single time we hang out together. It’s great because I know that in the end, we will all still be super, super close no matter the outcome of a game.” “We put an emphasis on ‘The Sisterhood’ over the past couple of years,” Garner noted. “We’ve ran with it because we’re all so close and we know that if one of us has a bad day, we can call a teammate and they will pick you up.” When it comes to the bigger picture, the leadership shown by this year’s captains have set up the Lady Panthers basketball program for success in years to come. “I think it sets the standard of what we expect our leaders to be,” Boyd remarked. “It didn’t just start with Krislyn, Clara, and Caroline. They learned from some of the older players when they were younger. I hope that our younger players can look up to them and say, ‘I’m going to work hard in practice, try my best every day, and be a great young woman.’” -Justin Mathis INMAN, S.C. – After picking up a win at Woodruff to open the week, the Chesnee Eagles were on the road again, this time for their second showdown with the Chapman Panthers in less than a week.
It was a tightly contested matchup between the two sides from start to finish, but the host Panthers held off a late rally by the Eagles for a 69-63 victory. Chapman’s Daniel Johnson opened the scoring with a three pointer just over a minute into the game, but a Kaylob Blanton basket and Dawson Pruitt triple quickly made it a 5-3 lead for the Eagles. Johnson drained a three pointer on each of the Panthers' next three possessions and put Chapman ahead 12-5. Pruitt and Carson Williamson each knocked down a three, cutting the Chapman lead down to one point with two minutes left in the opening frame. With time winding down in the quarter, Ryan Hunter knocked down a three from the left corner and gave Chapman a 15-11 lead. In the third quarter, Daniel Wease drilled a long two pointer as the Eagles trimmed the Panther lead down to 35-32 at the 6:30 mark. With 30 seconds left in the frame, a Williamson two-pointer made it a 48-46 game and gave the Eagles a chance to tie or take the lead, but a pass from Mathai Scott to Shawn Cunningham for a layup with three seconds left made it a 50-46 score. During the final stanza, the Eagles pulled within one possession of the Panthers, 59-57, with 1:58 remaining in regulation, but a shot by Cunningham on the other end extended the Chapman advantage back out to four points at that juncture of the contest. Cunningham led all scorers with 20 points on the night, while three other Panthers – Colt McAllister (16 points), Daniel Johnson (15), and Ryan Hunter (12) – also finished in double figures. Blanton paced the Eagles with a team-high 17 points, followed by Dawson Pruitt and Daniel Wease with 11 and 10 points, respectively. GIRLS – Chapman 68, Chensee 27 A two pointer by Kara Twitty ignited a 16-0 run by the Lady Panthers in the first quarter against Chesnee. Clara Gramling and Krislyn Wilder each converted an old-fashioned three-point play, while Caroline Garner drained a triple, which helped Chapman build a 19 point lead after the frame. In the second quarter, baskets by Nykerria Proctor, Pearl Holloway, and Haley Edmonds for the Lady Eagles made it a four score game near halftime. The Lady Panthers used an 18-0 run in the second half to secure the victory and sweep the season series. “Hats off to Chesnee,” said Chapman head coach Leslie Boyd. “I have a lot of respect for Coach Byars. He does a great job of encouraging girls all the way around in the game of basketball. We knew Chesnee had a big win over Woodruff (on Monday) and we expected them to compete, which they did.” Gramling scored a game-high 21 points for Chapman, followed by Wilder (13), Garner (9), and Twitty (8). Holloway led the way for the Lady Eagles with 11 points, while Proctor finished with eight. “We want to see that energy roll,” Boyd said about the upcoming schedule over the holidays, which features a three-day tournament in Gatlinburg, Tennessee before Christmas. “Have fun and enjoy the moments (because) the games go by quickly. Now, we look up and we’re almost halfway through our season. We want to make sure that on every possession and every game, that we’re enjoying it, doing the little things well, and keeping to Chapman basketball.” On Wednesday, December 14th, the Panthers will travel to Cherokee County for a return match against Blacksburg High School, beginning with the women’s game at 6 PM. The boys’ game will follow at approximately 7:30 PM. The Eagles will next play on Thursday, December 15th at home against the East Rutherford Cavaliers. The women’s game will start at 6 PM, with the men’s game to follow at 7:30. -Justin Mathis CHESNEE, S.C. – Wednesday evening marked the second game in as many nights for the Chapman Panthers as they made the trip up the road to face the Chesnee Eagles.
A solid all-around effort helped propel the Lady Panthers to a 67-27 victory over Chesnee, marking the second straight win for Chapman. Chapman grabbed an early 4-0 lead on baskets from Kara Twitty and Clara Gramling, respectively, but then Chesnee jumped in front on a 9-0 run that was keyed by a Nykerria Proctor layup and included an Olivia Tolleson three pointer. Trailing by five, another basket by Twitty ignited a 16-2 run for the Panthers, which spanned the first and second quarters and allowed Chapman to reclaim the lead at 20-11. Krislyn Wilder poured in 11 of her game-high 15 points during the second stanza and helped Chapman extend its lead to 33-17 with 1:55 to play in the half. “I feel like we came out (on the floor) with energy from the start,” said Chapman head coach Leslie Boyd. “Just like (Tuesday night), we wanted our defense to bring the offensive energy and we did that. Krislyn does a great job of getting her teammates involved. Tonight, it was a great night for it to be her night.” In the third quarter, the Panthers utilized a 14-0 run to create an 18 point advantage at that juncture of the contest and secure the road win. “We’re proud of how (the team) appreciates the team ball aspect, (including) a lot of assists and great passes,” Boyd added. “Our girls do a great job, especially Caroline Garner, of moving without the ball and getting things going. We tell them to not be stagnant, find an open cut, go screen. I feel like we did a great job of doing the little things very well.” For the game, Wilder paced all scorers with 15 points. Three more Panthers finished in double digits, as Gramling and Garner scored 14 points apiece, along with 10 points from Twitty. Proctor led the Lady Eagles with seven points. BOYS – Chapman 68, Chesnee 42 Early on, the two clubs each exchanged the lead one time and fought to a nine-all deadlock before a Mathai Scott three-point play put Chapman ahead by three near the midway point of the opening frame. Scott’s three-point conversion sparked a quick 8-0 burst that made it a 17-9 Panther lead. Chesnee’s Daniel Wease halted the run with a jumper before Chapman built a 16 point early in the second quarter. The Eagles battled, as another basket from Wease and a shot by Noah Mvula cut the Panther advantage down to 27-16. Consecutive baskets from Daniel Johnson keyed a 9-0 Chapman run late in the quarter to build a 36-16 advantage at that juncture of the contest. Leading scorers for the Panthers were Shawn Cunningham (17 points), Ryan Hunter (12), and Johnson (10). Chesnee was led by Kaylob Blanton with 15 points, followed by Elijah Brown (10). Chapman will return to the court next Tuesday, December 7th in Inman, as they play host to the Eagles. The girls' game will start at 6:00 PM, followed by the boys at approximately 7:30 PM. On Friday, December 9th, Chesnee closes out a two-game homestand with a non-region clash against the Boiling Springs Bulldogs, which marks the second meeting of the season between the District Two schools. -Justin Mathis INMAN, SC - After spending the first two weeks of the season on the road, the Chapman Panthers opened the home portion of their 2022-23 schedule against Blacksburg.
After falling behind early, the Lady Panthers responded and came away with a 68-36 victory over the Wildcats, who entered the contest ranked third in 2A according to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. Blacksburg struck first, but never held a lead larger than three points over the first six minutes of the game. A Grace McDaniel three pointer put Chapman in the lead for the first time, 9-7, at the 2:20 mark of the opening frame. “We knew that we had a tough first couple of games (early in the season),” said Chapman head coach Leslie Boyd. “We challenged (the team) to get out there in front of the fans and have fun, have energy, and let their defense turn into offense. I feel like we did a really good job of playing team basketball tonight. We stuck to the game plan, so I’m very proud of them.” McDaniel’s shot keyed a 12-2 run, which gave Chapman a six-point lead through one quarter of play. The hosts carried that momentum into the next stanza, uncorking a 15-3 run to build a 35-17 advantage. During that stretch, Clara Gramling scored nine of her game-high 19 points, which included a triple from the wing. In the second half, a 13-1 outburst, which included a personal 6-0 run by Caroline Garner & a trio of assists by Krislyn Wilder, helped the Lady Panthers secure the win. “The girls have worked hard all summer on sharing the ball and (making) one more (pass),” Boyd stated. “I feel like during the game tonight, they really made sure that we were getting the best shot possible (on) each possession.” Kara Twitty scored nine points for Chapman, along with eight points apiece from McDaniel and Garner. Wilder and Elliot Miller also tallied seven points each for the Lady Panthers. Danica Henderson led Blacksburg with a team-high 18 points. BOYS – Chapman 80, Blacksburg 73 In the boys’ game, Chapman saw an early three-point lead turn into a seven-point deficit due to a 12-2 run by the Wildcats. The Panthers outscored Blacksburg by four points in the last 1:16 of the first quarter, which made it an 18-17 deficit. The Panthers found a groove on the offensive end of the floor and used a 13-2 run to take a 30-22 lead with 5:34 remaining in the first half. Leading by nine points at intermission, Chapman extended their lead to 57-41 with 4:38 left in the third quarter, only to see the Wildcats utilize a 15-5 run and cut the Panthers’ lead down to six entering the fourth quarter. In the final stanza, Chapman’s largest lead was three possessions (71-62 at 4:35). Blacksburg's late rally cut the Panthers' advantage down to four points twice in the last minute of regulation, but the hosts made the most of their opportunities at the charity stripe down the stretch to hold on for the win. Cunningham posted a game-high 34 points for the Panthers, followed by Daniel Johnson and Colt McAlister with 17 and 11 points, respectively. The Panthers will have a quick turnaround as they make the trip up Highway 11 to Chesnee for a non-conference showdown on Wednesday, beginning with the girl’s game at 6 PM as the boys’ game will follow at approximately 7:30 PM. -Justin Mathis |
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