The R-S Central Hilltoppers downed the East Rutherford Cavaliers 16-0 in the championship game of the City of Chesnee Preseason Softball Tournament on Saturday afternoon to win the two day tournament.
R-S Central finished the tournament 4-0 while East Rutherford finished the tournament 3-1 with their only loss coming in the championship game. R-S Central's Abby Pringle had a two-run blast to spark a four run first inning for the Hilltoppers and the team added five more runs in the second inning behind Makenzie Searcy's two RBI double that helped spark the scoring in the inning. Lani Warren and Sarah Holmstrom each picked up two RBI doubles in a seven run third inning for the Hilltoppers. In the bottom of the third inning East Rutherford's Carmen Pruett singled to collect the lone run of the game for the Cavaliers. From the pitching circle R-S Central was led by Emma Rogers who pitched a complete game shutout for the Hilltoppers in the championship game. The Chesnee Eagles downed the AC Flora Falcons 15-2 in the third place game as the Eagles finished the tournament a perfect 3-0. "We've done a lot of work in the batting cages the past couple of weeks and we hit the ball like we expected to," said Chesnee head softball coach Tripp Fogle about their win on Saturday. "We also played defense like we expected to and it was nice to put it all together in this game." Jade Evans got the Falcons off to a solid start when her RBI single gave AC Flora a 1-0 lead but Chesnee's Mattie Martin quickly ended the Falcons threat when she made a great unassisted double play to end the Falcons half of the inning. The Eagles Maddie Handy and Ali Scruggs each picked up two RBI doubles in the bottom half of the inning to give Chesnee a 4-1 lead when the inning came to an end. In the bottom of the second the Eagles continued to build their lead adding on four more runs as Shenandoah Bishop hit a one out two RBI double followed by Maddie Handy who hit a two run homer which was the first at the varsity level for Handy. The Eagles took complete control of the game in the bottom of the third inning as they plated seven runs in the inning which was started when Logan Lawter opened the inning with a RBI single. Lawter would come around to score two batters later on another one out two run homerun this time of the bat of Mattie Martin for her third hit of the game. Hannah Henderson added a two RBI triple while Kyleigh Thompson also drove in a run with her own triple. Ali Scruggs picked up her third RBI of the game with her second double to put the score at 15-1. AC Flora added a run in the top of the fourth on a Logan Masinsky RBI double before the time limit was reached with Chesnee's Paige Scruggs picking up the win in the circle for the Eagles. In the fifth place game Woodruff beat Chapman 11-9 in a high scoring affair that took place at Chesnee Middle School. Chesnee head softball coach Tripp Fogle was pleased with how the tournament unfolded. "All the communities that competed here were represented well and each were well supported along with being good sports all tournament long," said Fogle. "Every team got to play some good competition heading into the season and live action like this is stuff you can't simulate in practice." Chesnee softball will open their regular season on March 9th when they host the Woodruff Wolverines. The Chesnee Lady Eagles used a last second shot in overtime to down the Broome Centurions 43-41 on their way to earning the number three seed out of Region II for the upcoming 3A playoffs. "More than anything I wanted this win for Logan Lawter and Abbey Ray,” said Chesnee head coach Carey Burns. “They have meant alot to this program over the years." Broome's Sonnia Eison opened the scoring on Thursday night and Destiny West later hit a free throw to give Broome an early 3-0 lead but Chesnee answered with solid defense by shutting out Broome for the remainder of the quarter and going on a 7-0 run. Abbey Ray and Jessa Beach combined for all seven points with Ray scoring five of the points in the quarter. Chesnee continued their run as Logan Lawter sank a basket to make it a 9-0 run to open the second quarter. Broome responded with a 9-2 run of their own that saw five of the Centurion's nine points come from the free throw line to give Broome a 12-11 lead with just over four minutes left in the half. Chesnee's Jamaya Evans quickly put the Lady Eagles back in front as the game went back and forth for the remainder of the half with the final points coming from Chesnee's Brie Smith as time expired as her basket cut Broome's halftime lead to 17-16. Eison sank a basket for Broome to open the second half but Chesnee quickly responded with an 8-0 run to build a five point lead. Jamekia Evans sparked the run with five points. Broome responded with a 4-0 run to end the quarter and shrink the Eagle's lead back to one. Broome's Rachael Roper hit a free throw to open the scoring and tie the game to start what would be a back and forth fourth quarter. Neither team led by more than three points in the final frame. Ray came up big for the Eagles as she scored seven of their thirteen points in the fourth quarter as neither team found an advantage after four quarters and went to overtime tied at 37-37. Broome's Emily Cooke opened the scoring in the overtime period with a putback but Brie Smith quickly tied it up by sinking a pair of free throws. With the game tied o. the final position of the game, Chesnee's Jessa Beach collected an offensive rebound and got the put-back basket as time expired to give the Eagle's the 43-41 win. "It feels good, but I honestly didn't think it was going to go in,” said Jessa Beach about her game winning shot. “To see the shot fall was great." "I think a lot of times when you put pressure on kids and they succeed it helps their self confidence,” said Burns. “Throughout the season Jessa's self confidence has just built up and you could see it as she sank that shot." Chesnee's two seniors came up big on senior night as Abbey Ray scored fourteen points and collected fourteen rebounds. "It's sad but coming off a win makes it fell great,” said Ray about winning on senior night. “This win gives us momentum going into the playoffs." Fellow senior Logan Lawter scored five points and had a big game defensively. "I'm sad that this was my last home game but I’m really happy we pulled out the win,” said Lawter about her final home game. “We now have momentum going into the playoffs." Jamekia Evans and Jessa Beach each had solid nights as well offensively for Chesnee as Evans scored seven points while Beach added six points. Sonnia Eison lead Broome with eleven points and Emily Cooke added eight points. The win wasn’t the only great moment for Chesnee senior Abbey Ray as she entered her final home game with 997 career rebounds and in the first quarter she collected the three she needed to reach 1,000 for her career. "It is very rewarding,” said Ray about the accomplishment. “I work hard and I push myself to be better everyday. This is a goal I told my daddy I wanted to work for and achieve." "You couldn’t ask for a better athlete, student, or better kid than Abbey Ray,” said Chesnee head coach Carey Burns. “I've been blessed to be apart of her career here at Chesnee High School." Ray is listed in the South Carolina state record book for her performance in 2018 when she grabbed thirty-four rebounds against Brashier Middle College. Ray currently sits at 1,011 career rebounds. Eagles Boys Falls Short Against BroomeThe Broome Centurions used a big fourth quarter to force overtime where they pulled away to down the Chesnee Eagles 70-66 to secure the third seed out of Region II in the upcoming 3A playoffs.
The Centurions got off to a fast 5-0 start behind a basket from Markus Lindsay and a three from KJ Morgan. Chesnee closed the quarter on 15-5 run as they got a balanced scoring attack during the run as six different Eagles registered a point. AJ Littlejohn hit a three pointer as time expired in the quarter to give Chesnee a 15-10 lead after the first quarter. Chesnee built a 29-20 halftime lead behind more balanced scoring including four points from senior Matthew Lawter. They continued to build on their lead in the third as Nyquille O'Fair sank a shot with ten seconds left to help Chesnee build a 39-28 lead after the third quarter. The fourth quarter featured a huge 15-0 run by Broome to give them a 48-45 lead as the run lasted nearly three minutes and saw Kendre Sinclair score eight points. Chesnee was able to fend off the Centurions attempt at victory in the fourth quarter when the Eagles KJ Valentine hit a runner in the lane to tie the game at 59-59 with eight seconds left to force overtime. Broome opened the overtime period on a 6-0 run but Chesnee's AJ Littlejohn responded with a layup to stop the run. Littlejohn scored all seven of the Chesnee points in overtime but Broome was once again sparked by Kendre Sinclair as he scored five of the Centurions eleven points in the final frame to give Broome the 70-66 win. Nyquille O'Fair led all scorers with twenty points and AJ Littlejohn added fourteen points. Chesnee senior Matthew Lawter had a big night in his final home game as he registered ten points. "It's sad but at the same time I'm excited to see what we have in store for the playoffs." Lawter said. Fellow senior Jacob Kimbrell had a solid night defensively and added a point on the offensive end. "I feel like we have had a good season,” said Kimbrell. “This senior year I wouldn't rather take to the floor with anybody else than these guys." "It's always special to come into your last game at home no matter who it is against,” said Chesnee head coach Andy Pitt. “They both came out and laid on the line tonight." The Eagles will be the fourth seed out of Region II heading into the upcoming 3A playoffs. Chesnee BaseballThe 2020 season brings a lot of hope for the Chesnee baseball team as they were a young team last season and they will look to build on the experience the team got last year to bounce back putting the Eagles where they are used to being at the top of the region standings. Chesnee will look to rely on the leadership of seniors Blake Scruggs, an All-Region selection at catcher last season, Chris Osment, and Gabe Murabito along with sophomores Landon Thompsom and Jonah Epps while they will also look to get key innings on the mound from seniors Jacob Kimbrell, Logan Bishop, and Michael Price. The Eagles will also look to get key contributions from juniors Cam Burns, Cole Hoskyns, Michael Paslowski, Cole Davis, and Bryson Scruggs along with help from sophomore Jacob Webb and freshman Ethan Lawson. The 2020 schedule will be a tough one for the Eagles early but will be good for them as they prepare for another season in a strong region filled with a good Broome team and the preseason #2 ranked team in 3A the Chapman Panthers. To get ready for region play Chesnee will face some tough competition from North Carolina (East Rutherford, RS Central, and Chase) as well as tough competition from the top three classifications in the state at a preseason tournament. "We start our season out in the preseason tournament at Gilbert High School where we will play a mixture of 5A, 4A, and 3A opponents," said Chesnee head baseball coach Scott Wease. "That tournament along with a tough non-region schedule against some very good North Carolina schools will get us prepared for region play where we play the preseason number two team Chapman as well as a good Broome team." The Eagles will open their season at the preseason tournament, the Sandlapper Shootout Tournament at Gilbert High School, where they will face Byrnes, Pendleton, Emerald, and Aiken over the four day tournament. Chesnee's first home game will be March 16 against East Rutherford before starting region play on March 17 when they host Chapman. Chesnee Boys GolfThe 2020 season for the Chesnee Eagles golf team will be a rebuilding year after a great runner-up finish at the state tournament last season that also saw them capture the Region II-3A championship. The Eagles graduated two All-State players and four All-Region players from last year's team but hope to return to those levels soon with a new young group of players that are set to tee it up for Chesnee this year. The 2020 team will see one returner from last season as eighth grader Peyton Lawter will be the only returning player with varsity experience. They will look to also get key contributions this year from junior Ethan Collins, freshman Jackson Ramsey, and another eighth-grader Marcus Linder, who all played for the JV team last season. "With hard work and dedication we will look to compete in the region and hopefully play well enough to advance to the Upper-State championships," said Chesnee head coach Andy Pitt. "Keeping the ball in play and scrambling will be key for our team this season." Chesnee will open their season on March 10 when they host Broome at Meadowbrook Golf Course. The Eagles will also host the Eagle Invitational again this season at Meadowbrook Golf Course on April 14 starting at 10 AM. Chesnee SoftballThe Chesnee Eagles softball team will be entering the 2020 season trying to capitalize on their success from last season and the large amount of players returning to this year's team. Last season the Eagles finished second in Region II-3A and played in the 3A state tournament before being finishing second place in the District tournament. Five of the seven returning players off of last year's team were named All-Region including (P/Infielder) Paige Scruggs, (P/1B/OF) Ali Scruggs, (P/SS) Sam Carver, (C/Infielder) Mattie Martin, and (CF) Shenandoah Bishop. They will be joined by fellow returnees (C/Infielder) Hannah Henderson and (OF/1B) Kyleigh Thompson. "With seven returning starters we expect to compete for a region championship and advance deep into the playoffs," said Chesnee head coach Tripp Fogle. "All seven returners plus the newcomers to the team have been working really hard to sharpen their skills this offseason." Chesnee will also look to get key contributions this season from players like Maddie Handy, Skylar Barrett, Eva Vaca, and Logan Lawter. The Eagles will host their preseason tournament on February 28-29 before starting regular season play on March 9 when they host Woodruff. Chesnee Track And FieldThe Chesnee track and field team will look to use a solid foundation and experience to improve on a fourth place finish in region last season. The Eagles girls team will look to get strong contributions from All-Region performers Martha Cox and Jessa Beach, who also finished third in the state in discuss and shot put. They also will look for key contributions from Kymiah Blair, Mekia Evans, and Tanner Jones. The Chesnee boys team will be looking to count on the experience of All-Region performers Rodney Alexander and KJ Valentine. They will also look to get solid performances from Adam Coxey, Amari Bobo, and Bryson Thompson. Chesnee track and field will kick off their season on March 7th at Dorman. Chesnee SoccerThe Chesnee soccer team enters their second season in 2020 and will look to build on the experience they gained from last season.
Chesnee had only three seniors graduate from last year’s team but will still be a young group with only one senior on the 2020 team. They will be returning multiple juniors to this year’s team including All-Region player Savannah Williams. The Eagles will play their first home match of the season on February 27 when they host Landrum. The Chapman Panthers used a huge second quarter run to down the Chesnee Eagles 69-35 on Tuesday night. "We competed until the final buzzer," said Chesnee head coach Andy Pitt. "Everything is still in front us and we’re in the playoffs which is good." Chesnee jumped out to a 14-10 lead after one quarter of play thanks to back to back threes from AJ Littlejohn and Lorenzo Duren. Matthew Lawter scored four of his six second quarter points to open the quarter but a huge 16-0 run by Chapman that spanned over five minutes of the game gave the Panthers a 26-18 lead. Chapman followed that up with a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 32-20 halftime lead as Ke Anderson had a huge second quarter for the Panthers as he scored twelve points in the quarter. Chapman and Ke Anderson had a big quarter again in the third quarter as Chapman outscored Chesnee 20-12 to build a 52-32 lead as Anderson added six more points to his points total in the quarter. Chapman finished the game with another strong quarter outscoring Chesnee 17-3. Chapman's Ke Anderson lead all scorers with twenty-five points as Paul Mitchell added eight points and Banks Atkins scored seven points of his own. Four different Eagles tied for the team lead as Matthew Lawter, Cole Hoskyns, AJ Littlejohn, and KJ Valentine all finished the game with six points. Chesnee will host Broome in a matchup that will have a direct impact on playoff seeding Thursday night as a Chesnee win forces a tiebreaker game to determine the third seed but if Broome wins they are the third seed and Chesnee will be the fourth seed. Girls GameThe Chapman Panthers downed the Chesnee Eagles 71-38 to clinch the second seed in Region II-3A on Tuesday night.
The Panthers built a 21-10 lead after one quarter of play behind fourteen points from Paige Aho and Ke'Asia Anderson. Abbey Ray and Jessa Beach tried to keep the Eagles in it as the duo combined for eight of the Eagles ten first quarter points. A Courtney Vernon basket as time expired in the half helped the Panthers build a 32-20 lead after a back and forth second quarter. The Panthers opened the second half on a 13-4 run that was started with a Stelly Musser three-pointer just six seconds into the half. Chapman outscored the Eagles 12-6 in the final quarter as Chesnee's Logan Lawter had five points in the quarter. Chapman's Ke'Asia Anderson led all scorers with twenty points as Paige Aho and Courtney Vernon joined Anderson in double figures as Aho had twelve points and Vernon finished the night with ten points. Abbey Ray and Logan Lawter led the way for the Eagles with eleven points apiece as Ray also had nine blocks. Jessa Beach added six points from the post for Chesnee. The Eagles host Broome on Thursday night and the winner earns the third seed from the region for the upcoming 3A playoffs. |
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