A run stuffing defensive performance and a thirty-one second scoring spree helped propel the Chesnee Eagles to a 35-13 win over former region rival the Christ Church Cavaliers.
"I thought our defense played well tonight as they really controlled the game,” said Chesnee head coach Clay Lewis. “We just have to continue to work and improve each week." In front of a packed home crowd the special teams and defense got the scoring started as the Eagles defensive line was dominate early as Jacob Ingle, Cole Hoskyns, Colby Davis, and Logan Bishop all made huge plays along the line in the first quarter. The biggest play by the defensive front was blocking a Christ Church field goal attempt deep in Chesnee territory that was picked up by Camden Burns and returned eighty-two yards for the first touchdown of the game with 1:31 left in the first quarter. That play jump started a twenty-one point scoring spree for the Eagles. A personal foul penalty against Christ Church would allow the Eagles to kickoff from the the Cavaliers forty-five yard line. The Eagles kicked an onside kick from that spot and Trevor Blankenship would come up with the recovery for the Eagles. On the first play from scrimmage quarterback Jacob Kimbrell would hit wide receiver Alijah Means for a thirty-two yard touchdown pass. "We didn't have much to lose there after the fifteen yard penalty,” said Lewis. “We just went for it and tried to get a little momentum." After the Kimbrell pass the Cavaliers were called for another personal foul that allowed the Eagles to attempt another onside kick. This time Chesnee kicker Ian Harris would follow his own kick and recover it just past the ten yard mark. A long pass from Kimbrell to Cole Hoskyns set the Eagles up inside the Christ Church ten yard line and Avery Fogle would later punch it in from four yards out to put Chesnee up by three scores. The Eagles exited the locker room at halftime up three scores and AJ Littlejohn made sure to extend the Eagles lead as he took a inside reverse handoff to the endzone from sixty-seven yards out to extend Chesnee's lead to twenty-eight just a little over thirty seconds into the third quarter. Christ Church would respond on their ensuing possession as Ryan Johnsen hit Beattie Ashmore from twenty-five yards out to pull the Cavaliers to within twenty-one points. Fogle once again found the endzone this time from forty-four yards out with just over eight minutes left in the game. Christ Church kept fighting back as Ryan Johnsen connected on his second touchdown pass of the game this time to Arun Chandler from ten yards out with just under six minutes left. After the teams traded possessions back and forth over the final few minutes Chesnee got a big tackle from Caleb Stepp with just under a minute to play to help end any chance of a Cavaliers comeback. Chesnee's defensive held the Cavaliers to negative thirty-three yards rushing on twenty-one carries. "They have improved weekly,” said Lewis about his defense. “I'm real proud of the defensive coaches as they put a good plan together this week. The kids went out and executed and I was real pleased with their effort." One big improvement from last week was the improvements of the B-backs. This week Avery Fogle, Camden Burns, and Dylan Bennett combined for twelve carries for one-hundred and six yards and two touchdowns. "In this offense we want to establish the B-back and get him in-between the tackles and make them come in,” said Lewis. “Then we want to work everything inside-out. That opens everything else up for our offense.” The Eagles will be back at home next week as they host the Blue Ridge Tigers. In a crowded field full of top high school golf teams the Chesnee Eagles proved that they were the cream of the crop as they captured the 2019 Rebels Invitational shooting a team score of 309 and finishing two shots ahead of defending 5A state championship winning Lexington Wildcats (311). The Eagles victory marks the second straight year that a school from Spartanburg District Two has won the tournament as fellow district school Boiling Springs won the tournament last year and finished in fourth place this year.
The Eagles said that one of their main goals coming into the tournament was focusing on playing great as a team. "We're more focused on what we're trying to do as a team," said Chesnee girl's golf coach Kyle Scruggs. "The goal is to try and win tournaments and put ourselves in that situation. They got it done today as a team and that's what matters." While the Boiling Springs Bulldogs weren't able to repeat their performance from last season the coaches were impressed with how the team has improved with several new faces on the team from last season and knows competing in such a strong tournament will only make them better. "We are very proud of the girls as all of our girls either shot the same score or improved their score from this tournament last year," said Bulldogs head coach Shannon Turner. "It's good for us to be out here with all this strong competition so we can get a good look at where we're going to need to get to our ultimate goal at the end of the season." Both schools were well represented on Thursday as Chesnee's Sydney Roberts (73) and Isabella Britt (74) along with Boiling Springs' Madison Dixon (74) and MK Talledo (75) all made the All-Tournament team. Dixon also was Co-Medalist on Wednesday at River Falls as the Bulldogs defeated Byrnes. "Our girls played really good today," said Scruggs. "They didn't play their best on every hole but they fought hard all day." The two teams will both return to action on September 3 as they will both compete in the Palmetto Preview at Mid-Carolina Country Club. The Chesnee Eagles came up just short in the first game of the Clay Lewis era at Chesnee as Woodruff scored the final fourteen points of the game to pull out the 28-20 victory in front of a large crowd at W.L. Varner Stadium.
“One thing I'm proud of is the kid's effort,” said Chesnee head coach Clay Lewis. “They fought hard the whole game and they gave themselves a chance. As long as we keep improving week to week I think we will be fine." Woodruff couldn't have asked for a better start to the game as the Eagles fumbled the opening kickoff which the Wolverines recovered and took possession of the ball inside the Eagle's twenty yard line. Woodruff punched it in a few plays later on a Chandler Sorenson two yard run to give the Wolverines a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest. After a back and forth defensive battle for most of the first quarter and the start of the second quarter Chesnee tied the game at seven all with a one yard Camden Burns touchdown run on fourth down with 9:35 left in the second quarter. The Chesnee first scoring drive along with the other two in the game was of the long and multiple play variety which was part of the game plan. "We want to be a ball control offense and eat up clock to keep our defense off the field,” said Lewis. “We did some good things throughout the game and this is the first year these guys have run this type of offense." Woodruff would regain the lead with just under two minutes left in the half as Chandler Sorenson punched it in once again for the Wolverines this time from thirty-five yards out to give Woodruff a 14-7 halftime lead. Chesnee’s Camden Burns also make a big play defensively on the Wolverines opening drive of the second half when he deflected a pass to the end zone on fourth down which caused Woodruff to turn the ball over on downs. After stopping a solid Wolverines drive to open the second half Chesnee would respond with a one yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Jacob Kimbrell on fourth down to tie the game at fourteen with just under two minutes to go in the third quarter. The Eagles grabbed their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter when Kimbrell found Alijah Means from ten yards out for a touchdown to give Chesnee a 20-14 lead early in the final quarter. After a Chesnee fumble Woodruff would tie the game up at twenty when BJ Bailey hit Omarion McKelvin for a sixty-two yard scoring strike on the first play after the turnover with 6:37 left in the game. Woodruff failed to take the lead after missing a two-point conversion attempt. The Wolverines did retake the lead just over three minutes later as Shamare Dendy found the endzone from thirty-one yards out to give Woodruff an eight point lead after the score and a successful two point try with 3:20 left in the contest. Dendy finished with 199 total yards with 171 yards coming on the ground. Chesnee was unable to convert a fourth down try in their own territory on the ensuing drive and the Wolverines were able to run out the clock to seal the victory. Jacob Kimbrell had a good night for Chesnee as he finished with 129 total yards and two touchdowns. He was eight of twelve for ninety yards and a touchdown through the air while gaining thirty-nine yards on thirteen carries with a score on the ground also. "He made some good plays for us,” said Lewis. “He is a tough kid that played hard and he’s almost like a linebacker at quarterback. He is a winner and he did a great job for us." Adam Coxey was one of several Eagle defenders to have a solid game as he shifted between cornerback and safety. "Adam is a good player for us,” said Lewis. “He is a kid that can really be a difference maker for us and is a good tackler out there.” The Eagles will look to get their first win of the season next week as Chesnee will host Christ Church in a matchup of former region opponents. Eagles VolleyballChesnee volleyball had a strong first season under new head coach Katie Jolley in 2018 as they finished with a 17-10 overall record while earning a second place finish in Region II-3A. The Lady Eagles were able to defeat Union County in the first round of the playoffs before losing to eventual state champions Powdersville in the second round. One early season question for the Lady Eagles is how do they replace Abby Fisher who was lost to graduation. Fisher was the key setter on the 2018 squad and finished her career with over one-thousand career assists. The frontline looks to be a strength for the Lady Eagles as they return 3A All-State and Region II-3A Player of the Year Abbey Ray along with All-Region selection AC Yelton. The two have combined to form a powerful duo over the years as both are looking to pass the one-thousand career kills mark and they look to continue that production as they look to lead the Lady Eagles to another playoff run. Another key returner is Shelby Harris who also was named to the All-Region team. Harris came on strong in the second half of the season and was able to solidify the Libero position for the Lady Eagles to help lead the team to a strong region finish. Anna Sullivan, Shenandoah Bishop, and Kaitlyn Barrett all return to help the Eagles as Sullivan will be key at the net defensively for the Lady Eagles. Barrett who was also named All-Region is developing into another solid striker to pair with Ray and Yelton. Bishop is an All-Around player who is solid on both the front and back lines. Jessa Beach, Holly Hines, and Karley Swaney will look to strengthen an already deep Lady Eagles squad. The Lady Eagles will start off their 2019 home schedule with a match against Greer on August 28th and hope it will propel them to a long playoff run this season. Eagles Girls GolfThe Chesnee Lady Eagles golf team had a solid inaugural season as they won the Region II-3A title and finished as runners-up at the 3A Upper State Tournament.
Coach Kyle Scruggs returns for his second season leading the Lady Eagles program with another impressive squad. as returning All-State and All-Region performer Sydney Roberts hopes to have another strong season for the Lady Eagles. Roberts will be joined on the team by her sister seventh grader Olivia Roberts who the Eagles look to get a strong season from. Becca Watson and Caitlyn Cash also were named to the All-Region squad last season. Isabella Britt is also looking for a strong season for the Lady Eagles as she has already helped the Lady Eagles win the Ponderosa Preview Preseason Tournament with a second place individual finish. Britt and Roberts, who finished third at the tournament, were both named to the All-Tournament team. Addie Vinesett and Paige Scruggs look to round out a strong Lady Eagles squad that looks to defend it's Region II-3A Title and hopes to makes another run at both the Upper State and State Championships. Lewis Takes Over Eagles Football ProgramChesnee Athletic Director James Hyatt said that when he saw that new Chesnee head football coach Clay Lewis was born in Roberson County, NC and was raised on a tobacco farm he knew "he was a tough son of a gun and a hard worker." That work ethic along with Lewis' track record as a head coach are two of the things that caught Hyatt's attention. When asked what will help him succeed at Chesnee Coach Lewis pointed out his experience at Hibriten High School in North Carolina. "The number one thing is my experience," said Coach Lewis. "The program I just left in North Carolina was not always a great program and we had to build the program up. We built that program up from twenty-seven straight losses to where we finished last year's regular season with thirty straight wins. I have experienced being in a struggling program and have learned how to build that program up." Chesnee has made a lot of changes to the football stadium as well this off-season from remodeling the inside of the Chesnee fieldhouse and including many other upgrade grades around the stadium. The community effort lead by Coach Lewis, Coach Hyatt, and the Chesnee Booster Club has given the Chesnee Football team a much better place to call home and Lewis is thankful for the communities support of these projects, "It's meant a whole lot for the community to buy into our program," said Coach Lewis. "Our kids work hard in the off-season and the kids want to win. The community has been very supportive of our team and they want a team that does well and that is what we are working towards." Coach Lewis says that it is very important to have everyone buying in to the program. "I'm not one to just do things for one season," said Coach Lewis. "We are going to start to do things the right way and build a program." Eagles Look To Improve In 2019Last season was a rough year for Chesnee Football that saw them finish in fourth place in Region II-3A, and fall on the road in the first round of the playoffs. The Eagles lost players like OL/DL Malik Busby, WR/DB Dez Tate, DB Matthew Wood, and WR/DB/QB Kyler Reagan to graduation after the 2018 season however the cupboard is not bare for the Eagles. Chesnee has several great returning players including sophomore Cole Hoskyns. who was an All-Region selection last season, and several players joining the varsity team from JV as they look to rebuild quickly behind new head coach Clay Lewis who lead Hibriten High School in NC to a state title in 2017. Offensively this season Chesnee will transition from a spread offense to an option attack similar to the one Coach Lewis ran the past several years at Hibriten. Coach Lewis looks to improve the team's production on the ground after the Eagles averaged only ninety yards a game rushing a game last season. "I believe in order to be a successful football team you have to be able to run the ball," said Coach Lewis. "We need to establish our running game and be efficient in our pass game to have success." Chesnee is returning starting quarterback Jacob Kimbrell along with fellow quarterbacks Camden Burns and Nyquille Ofair all of whom Coach Lewis expects to see playing time in his system this season. "We will go through preseason practice and everyday will be a competition not just at quarterback," said Coach Lewis. "We will evaluate those guys and see which guy gives us the best opportunity to be successful. All three of those guys are real good players and they will all be on the field somewhere." Another returning bright spot is junior wideout Alijah Means who really helped the Eagles make the playoffs last season with his seven catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns against Carolina. Means finished the year with twenty catches for 230 yards and four touchdowns. One of the strengths coming into the season for Chesnee is it's offensive line, a group that improved in every game last season and has several key returners. "I have been very impressed with Jacob Ingle and Brayden Sprinkle," said Coach Lewis. "Corey Seay and Blaine Thompson are doing a good job just to mention a few as those guys are really coming around and they are young guys. Carson McDowell will in the mix along with Parker Robinson and Caleb Rentz as well who really impressed me this spring." Chesnee had a relative inexperienced defensive last season but that experience should pay off this season as they return top tacklers Avery Fogle and Cole Hoskyns. "We expect those two to be leaders for us but we have to keep developing defensively," said Coach Lewis. Coach Lewis has said that he is pleased with what he has seen this spring and summer from his defense. "We have had some kids out there that have done a really good job for us," said Coach Lewis. "Rodney Alexander has done a great job throughout the summer along with Camden Burns. Nyquille Ofair, AJ Littlejohn, Adam Coxey, and Lorenzo Duren are some of the experienced players coming back and we expect them to do a good job every single week." On special teams, Chesnee is also returning punter Cole Hoskyns, and kicker Ian Harris who both had solid seasons last year. One of the biggest changes this off-season besides the offense has been the strength and conditioning program. "It's a work in progress," said Coach Lewis. "The main thing is to get in the weight room and hold kids accountable by making sure they have great technique and giving great effort in everything they do. It is going to take us a year to get everything implemented and do things the way we need to be doing them but we have made great strides since April. Fogle Looks To Lead On And Off The Football FieldChesnee senior linebacker Avery Fogle has had an eventful few months that started with being elected student body president and then a trip to Anderson University where he participated in Palmetto Boys State all while preparing for the upcoming football season.
"It has been a crazy summer but a fun one," said Fogle. "I'm excited to get back on the football field and help my team have a great season." Fogle said being elected student president has also helped him on the football field. "It has given me the confidence that my peers believe in me and that has helped with my confidence and belief in myself on the football field," said Fogle. Fogle is one of the key returning players on what is expected to be a much improved Eaglez defense as Fogle finished last season with fifty tackles, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception. New Chesnee head coach Clay Lewis is expecting big things out of his senior linebacker. "He is a hard nosed kid, he is very smart, and he understands the game," said Coach Lewis. "One of the things I noticed on last year's film is just how hard he plays." Not only does Coach Lewis expect big things from his senior but so does Fogle's father and Chesnee Assistant Tripp Fogle. "I'm proud of him," said Fogle. "He has worked hard and is a great kid." |
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