DUNCAN, SC - While the girls' golf season officially started two weeks ago, the first big tournament of the year marking the true start of the season is the Lady Rebel Invitational at River Falls, which was won this season by the Dorman Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers won with a score of 314 and were led by tournament medalist Abby Franks who shot a tournament low score of 70 to earn the tournament individual medalist honor. Chapin finished second with a score of 317 followed by in order Byrnes (329), Lexington (329), and the defending 2A state champions Chesnee finished in 5th place with a score of 332, the highest finishing non-5A school. The Eagles were led by All-Tournament golfer Olivia Roberts, who finished in fourth place overall with a score of 72. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by Dorman's Abby Franks (70), Catawba Ridge's Ellen Zeolin (71), Blythewood's Ell Stalvey (71), Mauldin's Olivia Pellerin (73), Daniel's Peyton O'Brien (75), and Lexington's Brooke Burgess (75). While Chesnee head coach Kyle Scruggs was happy with his team's fifth place finish in such a talented field, he feels his team left some shots on the course. "We're proud of what we accomplished as everyone ahead of us are at the 5A level," said Scruggs. "While I'm pleased with what we done, I feel like we threw some shots away today. I'm happy with anything in that 330 range but I felt like we had the opportunity to do better today." He also said that he'll use the lessons learned from the tournament on Tuesday to help get his team be stronger for the end of the season. "We want them to learn to minimize the damage when they get into trouble," said Scruggs. "We struggled putting today and we'll need to focus on getting better in our short game and not letting one shot dictate what happens on other holes later on." Boiling Springs' Madison Dixon just missed making the All-Tournament team on Tuesday after shooting a score of 76 and the score was impressive after getting a double bogey and going plus five on the front nine was able to shoot one under on the back nine. She also won the award for the longest drive on Tuesday amongst a group of talented golfers. Another local golfer, Olivia Ireland, led Chapman on Thursday with a score of 81. Chesnee and Boiling Springs will be back in action on Thursday when the Eagles host a match with the Bulldogs at Meadowbrook Golf Course at 4:00 PM. CHESNEE VOLLEYBALL The Chesnee volleyball team went on the road to Broome on Thursday night and struggled to get momentum as they fell to the Centurions 3-0 (15-25, 19-25, 7-25). While the Eagles struggled to get much going in the match, they still got some good individual performances as Pearl Holloway led the way with three kills, nine assists, seven digs, and two ace serves. Haley Edmonds added six digs and 11 good serves received while Olivia Richey had four kills and one block. The Eagles will return to action on Thursday night when they host 5A Spartanburg who Chesnee defeated in the Eagles Volleyball Invitational this past weekend. CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee volleyball team held their third annual volleyball tournament, third in four years after having to skip it in 2020, with a strong group of teams on Saturday.
The field included a wide group of teams from multiple classifications and from two different states with a mixture of local teams as well. The teams competed in the 2022 field were Boiling Springs, Broome, Chesnee, Crest (NC), Daniel, Fort Mill, Fountain Inn, Gaffney, Kings Mountain, RS Central, and Woodruff. "I love hosting tournaments like this because you get to see so many different teams," said Chesnee head coach Katie Jolley. "I love seeing the mixture of different teams from all the different levels and getting to see all of them come here and compete. We were glad that all the local teams were able to play and that the North Carolina schools got to compete this year." When the tournament came to an end it was Fort Mill winning their second straight gold bracket and overall championship after defeating Kings Mountain (25-22, 25-20). In the silver bracket Crest came away with the championship after defeating RS Central (25-20, 25-21). Gaffney came away with the bronze bracket championship after defeating the homestanding Chesnee team (25-16, 25-21). Coach Jolley said it's great for all the teams to get to see so much competition and for the smaller teams to get to compete against 5A teams. "We had a great mixture of 5A and 3A teams and it helps the smaller teams get to see that pace of the game," said Jolley. "For our girls playing 5A competition is a great experience and I think it's good for the 5A teams to get to work on stuff before moving to the championship brackets and seeing strong teams as well. It's good for them to all see different teams and get used to playing different like you'll have to do in region and possibly the playoffs." In pool play Boiling Springs, Fort Mill, and Kings Mountain all advanced to the gold bracket after going 3-0 in pool play and were joined by Daniel who finished 2-1 just behind Kings Mountain in pool play. The Bulldogs defeated Fountain Inn (25-12, 25-12), Woodruff (25-13, 25-14) and Crest (25-11, 18-25, 15-6) in their pool play brackets. After going undefeated in pool play the Bulldogs fell in the first round of the gold bracket after falling to Kings Mountain (25-20, 25-15). With their exit the Bulldogs finished fourth overall in the tournament. Chesnee, who was originally not scheduled to play but filled in for another team, went 0-3 in pool play but moved on to play for the championship in the bronze bracket. The Eagles defeated 5A Spartanburg in pretty impressive fashion (25-14, 25-15) before falling to the eventual bronze bracket champions Gaffney. Pearl Holloway led the Eagles on Saturday with nine kills, four aces, and 41 assists on Saturday. Haley Edmonds led the Eagles in digs on Saturday with 43 while Carlee Turner had 12 kills and five aces. Olivia Richey recorded 10 kills for the Eagles in the tournament. Coach Jolley said that she's happy with how her team played better as the tournament went along and knows they'll only be better in region from the competition they saw in the tournament. "It was important for our team to get this work in as the success just helps build your confidence with more time on the court," said Jolley. "For our team to have a win against Spartanburg and to play a lot better our second time around against Gaffney just helps us grow as we go into region play. Our two major focal points this year have been confidence and energy and for them to see those traits in bigger schools it helps them see that they don't need to focus on the mistakes but to play through them." As for other local teams both Broome and Woodruff went 1-3 in the tournament. Chesnee will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to another out of region match against Broome before returning home on Thursday when they host Spartanburg. CHESNEE, SC - The Broome football team used a big second half performance to capture a 54-28 victory over the Chesnee Eagles on Friday night.
Kamajay Brackett-Brannon got Broome off to a fast start as he found Isiah Brown through the air for a fifty-two-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the game to put the Centurions up 7-0. The Eagles responded with a drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock and saw Noah Lawter run it in from ten yards out to tie the game at seven apiece. Chesnee forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and would cash it in just over a minute later thanks to an eight-yard touchdown run by KJ Proctor to give Chesnee a 14-7 lead. Broome once again responded, this time with a one-yard touchdown run by Jaylen McGill to tie the game. With just over three minutes gone in the second quarter and right after a targeting call made against the Centurions, Kyle Martin ran it in from thirteen yards out. On the next possession, Chesnee forced a Centurion fumble that bounced right into the arms of Damarius McDowell who rumbled in from fourteen yards out to give Chesnee a two-touchdown lead with just over eight minutes to go in the first half. Broome responded with back-to-back touchdown drives to tie the game heading into halftime. The first one saw Jaylen McGill run it in from seventeen yards out and the second was thanks to a Kamajay Brackett-Brannon nine yard run with just under a minute to go in the half. The Centurions scored three time in the third quarter as Jaylen McGill got the quarter started with a sixty-three-yard touchdown run and Kamajay Brackett-Brannon followed with a sixty-seven-yard touchdown run. The final touchdown of the quarter saw Brackett-Brannon hit Zyon Wilkins for a sixty-yard touchdown pass that saw Broome take a 49-28 lead into the fourth quarter. Broome added on five more points in the fourth thanks to a safety and a thirty-seven-yard field goal by Mason Dickson. Broome's Kamajay Brackett-Brannon finished with 168 yards through the air and 130 yards on the ground with four total scores. Isiah Brown and Zyon Wilkins each finished with just over eighty yards receiving each, while Jaylen McGill added 165 yards on the ground. Kyle Martin led the Eagles with 85 total yards and a score while Hayden Webb led the way defensively with seven tackles and Noah Lawter added five tackles. Chesnee will be back in action next Friday as they host Walhalla, who had their game delayed until 2:00pm Saturday morning. The Razorbacks trailed 32-16 before the restart. LANDRUM, SC - The Chesnee girls golf team started off the defense of their state championship title with a strong victory over Landrum at the Links O'Tryon as the Eagles fired a 162, twenty-nine shots ahead of the Cardinals.
The victory is the first match in the title defense of the Eagles, as they return four starters from last year's team as the only player to graduate from last year's team was senior Sydney Roberts. Chesnee head coach Kyle Scruggs was satisfied with the performance of his team in their first match out but said he still sees areas in which the team can improve this season. "I'm pleased with how we played as we shot a team score in the 160's today," said Scruggs. "I still saw areas where we can improve as we had a few shots come up short at different points in the match that could have put us easily below 160 today. We'll keep working to improve in each match as we go along in the season." Olivia Roberts led the way for the Eagles as she won the medalist honors with a score of 36 and was followed closely behind by Addy Parker who shot a score of 37 on Thursday afternoon. They also got a solid match from Olivia Shields, who shot a 44, and from Abigail Watson who fired a score of 45. Chesnee will next return to play on Tuesday in the Lady Rebel Invitational at River Falls and Scruggs says he's looking forward to the competition that his team will face there. "I'm looking forward to the Lady Rebel Invitational on Tuesday as it's always a great tournament," said Scruggs. "When you're at that tournament you know you're facing some of the best teams in the Upstate of South Carolina from all levels and I'm looking forward to seeing how we measure up against some of those teams." After playing at the Lady Rebel Invitational, the Eagles will then host their first match of the season at Meadowbrook Golf Course against fellow district school Boiling Springs with the match set to begin at 4:00 PM. CHESNEE, SC - On Tuesday night the Chesnee volleyball team opened the regular season with a tri-match against both East Rutherford and Broome, which they split, but also honored the 2012 Chesnee Upper State championship team.
Before the matches began the Eagles fan base honored the 2012 Chesnee Upper State championship team who beat Andrew Jackson 3-0 to win the school's first Upper State championship in volleyball. While the team eventually lost to Bishop England in the 2A state championship game, current Chesnee head coach Katie Jolley says they were the team that set the foundation for future teams including the 2020 2A state championship team. "I just want to tell that team thank you for your 'State' ment year," said Jolley. "I also want to thank them for paving the way for the future of the volleyball program." In the actual match the Chesnee volleyball team started out the night by defeating East Rutherford 2-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-22) as they struggled early but eventually got the match going in their direction with a strong performance from their defense. Pearl Holloway led the Eagles with seven kills and 15 assists along with a block while Haley Edmonds added 11 digs. Carlee Turner added five kills against East Rutherford while Mitchell Wofford added four kill and Olivia Richey contributed three kills of her own. "We struggled at first but were able to get into a rhythm," said Jolley. "Our defense played really well, and our hitters were placing the ball well also." In the final match of the night the Eagles fell to 3A Broome 2-0 (25-12, 25-10) as the Eagles struggled to get their footing in the match against the Centurions. Pearl Holloway had three assists in the match while Haley Edmonds had six digs. Harley Grady and Emma Showen each picked up two digs each in the match against the Centurions. "We struggled to get going against Broome," said Jolley. "We made a lot of unforced errors and couldn't defend Broome's big hitters tonight." Chesnee will be back in action on Thursday at home in a match against Gaffney at 7:00 PM before hosting the Chesnee volleyball tournament on Saturday as the tournament begins at 8:30 AM. TIGERVILLE, SC - The Chesnee football team started off the 2022 season with a heartbreaking 42-37 road loss to the Blue Ridge Tigers on Friday night.
The Eagles got off to a good start as they forced a three and out defensively and then took a ten-play scoring drive that saw KJ Proctor hit Davion Stradford on a pass that for thirty-one yards putting the Eagles inside the five-yard line. After a penalty moved the Eagles back KJ Proctor found Kaleb Swaney for a ten-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles up 7-0 early one. It took Blue Ridge just seven plays to respond as Bryson Wyatt ran it in from sixteen yards out to tie the game. The Eagles came up empty on the next possession, but quickly bounced back by forcing a turnover and recovering at the Blue Ridge thirty-six-yard line. They struck quickly following the turnover as Proctor found a wide-open Kyle Martin for a thirty-six-yard touchdown pass that gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. Blue Ridge responded thanks to back-to-back big plays by Tucker Massey with the first being a pass to Brody Fowler for a twenty-five-yard gain and the second being a fifty-eight-yard run less than a minute of game time from when the Eagles scored. The Eagles retook the lead with just over three minutes to go in when Ezequiel Lazarin nailed a twenty-four yard field goal to put the Eagles up 17-14. The next three possessions turned out to be big for Blue Ridge as they scored on a Massey pass to Fowler to take the lead at 21-17 and on the following possession for Chesnee, Blue Ridge forced a turnover on the first play as Collin Williams picked off a Chesnee pass. The Tigers increased their lead to 28-17 with just over 30 seconds left in the half thanks to a thirty-two yard pass from Massey to Fowler once again. The third quarter belonged to the Eagles and Adonis Burgess as they came out of halftime with an eight-play drive that saw the first seven plays being runs with the last play being a twenty-one yard pass out in the flat from Proctor to Burgess to pull the Eagles within 28-24. The ensuing Tiger possession ended thanks to a Noah Lawter interception and Burgess quickly led the Eagles on a one play drive that saw him run it in from sixty-four yards out. A pair of turnovers in the fourth proved to be the difference maker as the first saw an Eagles drive stall inside the Tigers ten-yard line. The fumble was cashed in on by the Tigers with a six-yard run by Tucker Massey to give the Tigers a 35-31 lead. The next possession Chesnee turned the ball over once again and Blue Ridge cashed it in again on a three-yard run by Tucker Massey. The Eagles tried a valiant comeback as KJ Proctor hit Adonis Burgess from eleven yards out to a make the score 42-37. Chesnee tried to get the ball back, but Blue Ridge was able to recover the onside kick and run out the clock. KJ Proctor had a nice night for his first career start as he completed twelve passes for 190 yards and four scores while also running for fifty-three yards. Adonis Burgess ran for 143 yards and a score while also adding two catches for thirty-two yards and a pair of scores. Kyle Martin led the way in receiving for the Eagles as he finished with 63 yards and a score. Dylan Jolley and Noah Lawter led the way in tackles as Jolley brought down the opposing players eight times and Lawter was right behind him with seven and a half tackles. Massey completed seven passes for 113 yards and two scores while adding 184 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. Bryson Watt also had a big night with 144 yards and a pair of scores while Brody Fowler had four catches for 102 yards and a pair of scores. The Eagles will look to bounce back when they host Broome next Friday night with a 7:30 PM kickoff. The Centurions loss to Powdersville 47-23 this week and both teams will be looking for their first win on Friday night. Chesnee VolleyballJust two years removed from the 2A state championship run, the Chesnee volleyball team will look to make another deep playoff run this season as they return four starters from last year's team. The Eagles finished third in their region last year and won their first-round playoff game against Batesburg-Leesville before falling to Andrew Jackson in the second round. "We are going to have a strong core that will lead us as we return four of six starters from last year's team," said Chesnee head coach Katie Jolley. "We will be strong in both the serving and defensive areas of the game." Chesnee will be led by returning all-region player Pearl Holloway who will be joined by fellow returning starters Haley Edmonds, Maggie Blanton, and Jayla Dunn. They will also look to get some key contributions from Harley Grady this season. A couple of players that Eagles fans will want to keep an eye on are Mitchell Wofford, Hannah Bishop, and Carlee Turner who were all a part of the team last season but will be looking to step into the outside position that was left vacant from the graduation of Kaitlyn Barrett last season. After a couple preseason scrimmages against Boiling Springs and Hillcrest, the Eagles will kick off their regular season at home against Broome on August 23rd. In that same game the Chesnee community will get an opportunity to honor the 2012 Upper State Championship volleyball team for the 10th anniversary of that team's run. Chesnee Girls GolfAfter winning their first ever state championship last season the Chesnee girls golf team’s expectations haven’t changed heading into the 2022 season as they look to repeat the outstanding accomplishment again this season. While the Eagles saw highly decorated golfer Sydney Roberts, who is at Clemson now, graduate after the state championship last season they feel great about their chances of repeating this year with the return of four starters from last season’s team. The Eagles repeat bid will be led by Olivia Roberts who finished last season really strong earning both All-State and All-Region honors to help the Eagles capture the title. She will be joined by fellow All-Region players from last year Addy Parker and Olivia Shields along with fellow returning starter Abigail Watson. They will also look to get some key contributions from newcomers Abby Herrington and Skye Painter as they look to work towards repeating their numerous successes last season. While they won the state championship last season, they were also very successful outside just the state tournament as the Eagles went 8-0 in match play last season and won 5 eighteen-hole tournaments including the state tournament along with the upper state tournament. Heading into another tough season of golf, Chesnee head coach Kyle Scruggs, and fellow coach Aaron Jolley, wanted to make sure their team was prepared for the deep field of competition their team could see at the state tournament, so they scheduled another strong schedule once again this season. “We look forward to competing in the Palmetto Preview and WSCGA High School Invitational to prepare to make a run in the post season,” said Scruggs. “Our ultimate goal this year is to continue the success we had last year and try to bring another state championship back home to Chesnee.” The Eagles will kick off their 2022 season against Landrum at The Links O'Tryon on August 25th before competing in the Lady Rebel Invitational on August 30th at River Falls. Chesnee Girls TennisChesnee Cross Country**We at the Boiling Springs Sports Journal sent emails to all fall sport coaches and any team not included was because we didn't receive information prior to the posting date
Eagles Looking For Big Things In New Season And New RegionThe Chesnee Eagles enter the 2022 season coming off of a 3-8 season that saw them earn the number two seed in Region II-AA before falling in the first round of the playoffs and they look to have a strong year in a new region this season. The Eagles will move to a new region for the 2022 season as they move to Region 1-AA and it will be unique for the AA classification of football. For all sports except for football Chesnee’s region will feature Blacksburg, Greenville Tech, Greer Middle College, Landrum, and Liberty however for football since Greenville Tech and Greer Middle College do not field football teams, Abbeville and Ninety-six will move over from Region II-AA to take those spots. The Eagles will have a tough region schedule as well as a tough non-region schedule as Chesnee will open on the road at Blue Ridge on August 19th. The two schools have split the last two meetings with the road team winning each meeting. That will be followed by back-to-back home games against Broome and Walhalla on August 26th and September 2nd. The Eagles will follow that up with a trip up to North Carolina to take on the R-S Central Hilltoppers on September 9th. The Eagles will then return home on September 16th to close out the non-region schedule for the ‘Battle of Highway 221” when they take on the Woodruff Wolverines. Chesnee will open up region play on the road against the Landrum Cardinals on September 30th before getting their first region home game on October 7th when they face perennial AA power Abbeville. The Eagles will follow that up with a trip to Cherokee County to play the Blacksburg Wildcats on October 14th before wrapping up the home slate with the Ninety-Six Wildcats on October 21st in a rematch of the 2020 AA playoffs opening round game that saw the Eagles claim a 14-12 win. Chesnee will then close out the region slate with a trip to Liberty on October 28th. One benefit from last year’s season is that a lot of players got varsity experience, including several JV players who may have not expected to see the varsity level, and this will only benefit them heading into the season thanks to the depth this created and experience these players received. “There is nothing better than game experience," said Chesnee head coach Clay Lewis. "We took some lumps last year due and we're still going to be young this year. Fortunately, this year will we have young guys with varsity experience.” While the Eagles will be young overall one position group that will return a lot of experience is the offensive line as they return four starters in Tyler Wood, Jackson Ramsey, Etorian Valentine, and Cade Fisher. While Chesnee lost offensive lineman Caleb Rentz to graduation, they hope Zabian Kendrick can lock down the left tackle spot this season. “Everything starts up front in the trenches," said Lewis. "The team goes as they go. They were young last year and took some lumps, but we have four of those guys coming back and we expect those guys to help lead the way." The Eagles will have a fresh face at quarterback this season as a person with the last name Proctor will once again assume the starting role, as KJ Proctor will take the snaps for the Eagles. Proctor was 5-10 for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season while adding another twenty-three yards and a pair of scores on the ground last season against Crescent in the playoffs, as Proctor will guide the Eagle’s out of Coach Lewis’s familiar triple option attack “While he is a young kid, he is a leader," said Lewis. "He gets in there and he works, he also speaks up when he needs to and a lot of kids respect that because they know no matter the situation, he is going to work hard and be invested. Last season he got some good experience as he had some success, but he also had some moments that showed some things we need to keep working on.” The Eagles look to be strong again at running back as they expect Adonis Burgess and Kyle Martin to take the starting roles at A-Back while Austin Bigford, Prentiss Jefferies, and Hayden Webb are expected to be competing for reps as well. “We have some experience coming back at A-back as we have several players who took varsity snaps last season," said Lewis. "We have several young players who we hope can contribute in a big way.” Last year the Eagles featured Jayden Gossett and Nick Hofer at the B-back position and while the Eagles lost Gossett to graduation, they hope that Hofer can pair with Damarius McDowell and Gunter Gerstenacker to form a strong rotation this season. "When our offense is having success it is generally because our B-Backs are getting the job done," said Lewis. "This year we have several good options going into the season and we hope to be able to develop some depth at the position." The Eagles are hoping to find someone to take over the tight end role as a solid blocking tight end who can also catch a pass is one of the keys to the Eagle’s offense. Chesnee has three players they hope can contribute at tight end in Ezequiel Lazarin, Cade Spake, and Jordan Fitch. “We have to have a good blocker at tight end," said Lewis. "We also need someone we can rely on in the passing game as tight end can be lost by the defense sometimes and we need to take advantage of that.” The Eagles will look to replace Kyjmie Valentine at wide receiver this season as Davion Stradford and Kaleb Swaney will be two players expected to have big roles for the Eagles as they will also be joined by Kaleb Mason and Hudson Jones. “That group has had a great offseason and I don’t expect any drop as a group from last season," said Lewis. "I think we might be a little better this season as I feel like we have four kids who can play well for us this season." The Eagles will return experienced starters Nick Hofer and Ezequiel Lazarin on the defensive line as Jackson Ramsey, Bryson Avery, Aiden Allen Zabian Kendrick, and Clay Davis are some of the other guys who the Eagles expect to contribute. “We have several returning guys that will solidify us up the middle," said Lewis. "One area we'll need work is we're going to need to develop depth on the edge.” The linebacker position for the Eagles is one that saw over six different players record a start due to injuries at different points last season. Chesnee lost Dylan Bennett to graduation and will look to replace him from a group of players that have a lot of playing time and experience returning. The Eagles will look to Gunter Gerstenacker, Dylan Jolley, and Austin Bigford among others to have a big season this year. “We had injuries and last season we had issues with Covid quarantine," said Lewis. "While none of our kids got Covid luckily, they still had to go through the quarantine period. We didn’t know from week to week who would be out there due to quarantine or injury last year, but we believe we will have a successful season this year." Chesnee will have some experience in the secondary, but the biggest question will be depth. The Eagles return lock down corner Davion Stradford while Adonis Burgess, Noah Lawter and Kaleb Mason will look to lock down the cornerback position. Kyle Martin will look to lock down one safety spot while Hayden Webb, Jayden Williams, and Prentiss Jefferies will lock down the other spot. Austin Bigford will also help out at times as a hybrid linebacker/safety. Martin had one of the more unique debuts at the varsity level as he picked off a pass against Blacksburg and returned it sixty-five yards for a touchdown on his first varsity snap. “I think this could develop into a really good group we just need to develop some depth,” said Lewis. Entering the 2021 season one of the biggest questions for the Eagles was at the place kicker position but those questions were quickly answered by Ezequiel Lazarin. Lazarin nailed two game winning kicks for the Eagles including last year, a twenty-four yard walk off game winner over the Landrum Cardinals and a thirty-seven-yard field goal with fifteen seconds left against Legion Collegiate to give Chesnee the win. “Having him return is big for us," said Lewis. "Nothing fazes him in pressure situations, and we have a lot of confidence in him." At punter, Lazarin will compete with Cade Spake and Brenton Suddeth for the starting role. Senior Duo Looking To Pave Wave For The Eagles In 2022The Eagles will look to two seniors to lead the team this season and it just so happens they play right next to each other. Jackson Ramsey will resume his role as the starting center and off his right hip will be right guard Etorian “ET” Valentine as the duo hopes to help pave the way for a successful season for the Eagles. “Those two are our vocal leaders of our team," said Chesnee head coach Clay Lewis. "They help keep everybody accountable and will play a big role in how successful we are this season.” Ramsey will be in his second season as the starting center for the Eagles and feels good about the returning offensive line. “I feel good about the group we have coming back," said Ramsey. "We have several starters coming back and we have a new left tackle we expect to have a big year for us.” Ramsey expects the Eagles to have a really good year on the offensive side of the ball. “I think we will really come together this season," said Ramsey. "We will have a really productive season and have a good running game. We have a quarterback that can throw the ball around and helps us put some points on the board.” Ramsey’s two biggest supports are his parents Kevin and newly retired former Chesnee High School Principal Angie Ramsey. “They mean the world to me," said Ramsey. "They have always supported me since I started playing at the age of four and have always supported me from little league all the way up until now.” Ramsey said he plans to pursue a business degree at the college level after he graduates in May. Etorian Valentine, or “ET” for short is lining up to be Ramsey’s right-hand man at right guard this season and also has good expectations for the line. “I believe we will be really good up front," said Valentine. "We have size as well as experience and we have really gotten better this offseason.” One of the people who has had a major impact on Etorian is his grandfather and longtime Chesnee assistant JB Valentine. “He helps me stay motivated," said Valentine about his grandfather. "He kept me from getting down when I wasn’t getting the playing time I wanted. He has made me a better man and a better ball player.” Valentine hopes to play at the next level where he will look to pursue a business degree followed by attending real estate school to become a licensed realtor. New Faces With Chesnee Connections Join Eagles Coaching StaffThe Eagles will have four new coaches this season and they each have their own unique tie to the program.
Jerry Cash is the most recognizable name of the four to Eagles fans, as he just retired from being the head coach at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in North Carolina. He capped off his storied coaching career with 352 career wins in 52 seasons. Cash is a Chesnee graduate who returned home to coach the Eagles in the 1980’s and led the Eagles to three straight upper state title game appearances from 1990-92. He won 89 games during his storied career at Chesnee and will return home to take over as the Eagle’s defensive coordinator this season. Under Cash the Eagles will run multiple formations as the base formation could change from game to game as the staff decides which formation will best help the Eagles. He will also get a unique experience of coaching alongside his son Jay Cash and getting to coach his grandson Noah Kimbrell who is a quarterback in the Chesnee system. “Coach Cash been tremendous," said Lewis. "With as successful as he has been and his experience, that is something that will only help us as a team as he is a Chesnee guy. We are very similar in our goals and we both have the goal of one day helping Chesnee win a state championship.” “It’s been twenty-five years since I’ve been gone, but a Chesnee kid is still a Chesnee kid," said Cash. "They still work hard, and this is a good group of kids. I’m just happy to be back and able to contribute." “A lot of these coaches are Chesnee guys," said Lewis. "They want to see Chesnee succeed and that is what I hope we can do. Hopefully we can achieve that.” New wide receivers Coach DaJohn Rowland is also a former Eagle who returned home as he starred for the Eagles on both the football field and the basketball court. He played multiple positions for the Eagles including quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back during his playing days and is also a current assistant for the boys’ basketball program. “He has done an outstanding job already," said Lewis. "He is a real good teacher and has developed outstanding relationships with those kids. I’ve been really impressed with his group from spring practice until now. These kids have seen him have success on the field and look up to him in that regard.” “It just comes full circle, and it feels great to be back out here with these players," said Rowland. "I love being out here with these kids and fellow coaches." Rowland said his time with the basketball helped him prepare for his new role with the football team. “Basketball helped me get used to working with the kids and prepared for this role,' said Rowland. "It was an easy transition from basketball to football, you just have a few more kids on the team.” One of the new assistants helping out along the defensive line has perhaps one of the more unique ties to the program as Jon Barrett Lewis is the middle son of Coach Lewis and played under his father at Hibriten. He is entering his first season of coaching after finishing up his playing career at The Citadel. “It makes me feel good as a father and as a coach that he wanted to come here to learn under me and coach with me," said head coach Clay Lewis. "He had other opportunities in coaching he could have pursued, but he chose to come here and that makes me proud.” “I’ve seen a lot and have a lot of connections at the next level," said the younger Lewis. "I’ve have seen players come from different backgrounds and know what it takes to help them be successful.” Lewis said he feels like he can learn a lot from his father and the chance to coach with family was one of the main reasons he chose to come to Chesnee. “I feel like I’m going to learn a lot from him," said Lewis. "He is one of the reasons I wanted to come down here. It’s all football at the facility, but at the end of the day we are still family.” Another new assistant has multiple ties to the program as he is a former Boiling Springs Bulldog, the fellow district school for Chesnee, but he also has ties to the Chesnee athletic department as his sister Abbey is a former All-State basketball and volleyball player at Chesnee High School. Ethan Ray comes to Chesnee as a former multi-time FCS All-American long snapper from Charleston Southern and while this is his first coaching job, he has worked with long snappers in the Spartanburg area for the last several years including Chesnee’s long snappers. He will also be helping out with the defensive backs and the long snappers. “Coach Ray will be working with coach Fogle to help out our secondary this season," said Lewis. "After meeting him and listening to him talk in meetings I have no doubt he will do a tremendous job for us.” “I believe in developing these players into young men by developing their character and their discipline," said Ray. "I believe we should develop them as men first and as a player second. I'm just thankful for the opportunity that Coach Lewis has given me to become a coach and give back to my community.” |
Our Sponsors
. If you would like to join us as a sponsor please contact us at: [email protected]
Archives
October 2023
Categories |