SPARTANBURG, SC - Over the last two days, all the track and field teams in Spartanburg County gathered together at Broome High School to determine who is the best in the county at each event, with the final event wrapping up on Wednesday evening.
The teams in our coverage area had some big days and some were able to leave Broome calling themselves county champions after the two days of competition came to an end. Chapman's Shamon Black won the boy's 110m hurdles event with a time of 14.51 which was two-tenths of a second faster than second place to be named the county champion in the event. Boiling Springs's Grayson Crowe finished in fourth place of the event. Taylor Dunning from Chapman also won a county championship in the boy's pole vault event with a mark of 14-6, three feet higher than the next closest competitor. Chesnee's Clay Davis won the county championship for the Eagles in the boy's shot put event on Tuesday, while John Simmons from Boiling Springs finished in fourth place of the event. Chapman's Rashawn Cunningham and Boiling Springs's Aidan Kenny finished in second and third place of the boy's high jump event, finishing behind county champion Shrawmaine Carson from Spartanburg. Cunningham also finished in second place of the boy's long jump. The Panthers also saw Colt McAlister finish in third place of the boy's 400m dash event. Boiling Springs's boy's 4x100m relay team came away with a third-place finish behind only county champion Spartanburg and fellow region rival Dorman. Boiling Springs and Chesnee also came away with fourth and fifth place finishes in the boy's 4x400m relay event. On the girl's side of the event Chapman's Marquisha Sturdivant won the county championship in the girl's high jump event. Boiling Springs's Katelyn Grate finished in second place of the girl's 100m hurdles event, finishing just behind Dorman's Rebecca Okebe who was the county champion. The Bulldogs girl's 4x100m relay team finished in second place at the county track championships, behind only Dorman. All the teams will now begin to prepare for their upcoming region championships along with the upper state meets. BOYS COUNTY TRACK CHAMPIONS 100m - Qmazia Watson, Byrnes 200m - Raheim Harris, Spartanburg 400m - Joshua Taliaferro, Spartanburg 800m - Knox Eaton, Spartanburg 1600m - Andrew Cleland, Dorman 3200m - Mason Burgess, Spartanburg Christian Academy 110m hurdles - Shamon Black, Chapman 400m hurdles - Christian Roberts, Spartanburg 4x100m relay - Spartanburg 4x400m relay - Spartanburg High Jump - Shrawmaine Carson, Spartanburg Long Jump - Torrean Davis, Spartanburg Triple Jump - Jamarius Brown, Dorman Pole Vault - Taylor Dunning, Chapman Discuss - Roderick Gist, Spartanburg Javelin - Ryan Vaughn Jr, Spartanburg Shot Put - Clay Davis, Chesnee GIRLS COUNTY CHAMPIONS 100m - A'Kyra Webster, Spartanburg 200m - A'Kyra Webster, Spartanburg 400m - Nia Glover, Spartanburg 800m - Elloree Flippin, Carolina Homeschool 1600m - McKee Kent, Spartanburg Day School 3200m - Elizabeth Ludwick, Dorman 100m Hurdles - Rebecca Okebe, Dorman 400m Hurdles - Rebecca Okebe, Dorman 4x100m Relay - Dorman 4x400m Relay - Dorman High Jump - Marquisha Sturdivant, Chapman Long Jump - Zenobia Hall, Byrnes Triple Jump - Zenobia Hall, Byrnes Pole Vault - Molly Yarborough, Dorman Discuss - Riley Vaughn, Spartanburg Javelin - Sydney Price, Landrum Shot Put - Riley Vaughn, Spartanburg SPARTANBURG, SC - The High Point Academy softball team jumped ahead early against the visiting St. Joseph's Knights and never looked back as they captured an 11-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon.
The Grizzlies scored at least one run in each inning that they came to bat and took advantage of the Knights mistakes, including five errors, to capture the victory. It was the second big victory for High Point this month as they also picked up a 10-5 victory over Spartanburg High School on March 5th. High Point got a solid performance from the pitching circle from Julie Raines as she went five innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven batters. She also had a stellar night at the plate going two of three with two RBIs and two runs scored. The Grizzlies scored three runs in their first trip to the plate as Alyx Creel walked to start the inning before stealing second base and advancing to third base on a groundout. She scored on the next at-bat on a passed ball to give her team a 1-0 lead. On the same at-bat that Creel scored, Emily Hart walked before advancing to third on a passed ball and a steal. She made the score 2-0 when Raines singled through the left side of the infield. She later scored on an error to make the Grizzlies 3-0 after the first inning. High Point scored four more runs in the bottom of the second inning as Aaliyah Little, who walked to lead off the inning, scored on Isabella Espinal's groundout to first base. Creel reached base again via a walk before stealing both second and third bases before scoring on a single by Kyleigh Lawter to put the Grizzlies up 5-0 over the Knights. Later in the inning, the Grizzlies added two more runs to push the score to 7-0 at the end of the second inning when Cheyenne Howard hit doubled to centerfield scoring both Hart and Raines. Hight Point added three more runs in the third inning including a single by Raines to right field allowing Creel and Lawter to score during the at-bat. Ella Zhuk added another run in the fourth inning to push the Grizzlies lead to 11-0 before St Joseph's added their only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning. High Point will return to action on Wednesday in a road matchup against Blacksburg. DUNCAN, SC - In what has become the unofficial signal for the start of the boys' golf season in the Spartanburg County area, multiple local teams kicked off their season with strong performance in the 2024 version of the Rebel Invitational held at River Falls Plantation on Tuesday.
It was a local rivalry that battled for the top spot as the Dorman Cavaliers, who won the tournament, shot a score of 296 to finish four shots ahead of Spartanburg who fired a score of 300 at the course. The Cavaliers were led by Casey Kosney and Will Ruth who both shots scores of 70 as they tied with Spartanburg's Davis Petty, who also shot a 70. Kosney won the medalist honors after defeating the other two in a playoff matchup. Chesnee led our local teams finishing in sixth place, just 10 shots behind the Cavaliers, with a score of 306. The Eagles were led by Creighton Rentz and Caleb Green who both shot scores of 75 and were just ahead of teammate Peyton Lawter who shot a score of 76 himself. Boiling Springs finished in eighth place with a score of 320 as they were without their normal number one golfer Clayton Taylor. In his absence the Bulldogs were led by Walker Ingram who shot a score of 77 just ahead of teammate Owen Rodier who shot a score of 78 over the 18-hole tournament. Chapman finished the tournament with a team score of 348 but their top golfer Will McCraw came one shot of tying for medalist honors as he made the All-Tournament team with a score of 71, which was one shot below par. Spartanburg Chrisitan Academy also competed in the tournament finishing with a score of 373 as they were led by Logan Colburn who fired a score of 83 at the course for the Warriors. The All-Tournament team saw every golfer shoot under par as Kosney, Ruth, Petty, and McCraw were joined by Mauldin's Evan Eassay (71) and TL Hanna's Erik Erienkeuser (71). The Rebel Invitational had 25 different teams competing this season as besides the teams from the Spartanburg area they were joined by teams from the Columbia, Rock Hill, and Anderson areas of the state. Boiling Springs will next compete in the Bengal Invitational from March 11th - 12th while Chesnee will next play in match play against Broome and Woodruff at the Creek on March 14th. Chapman will return to the course on March 12th when they host Greer and Clinton at Village Greens golf course. INMAN, S.C. – As time wound down in overtime Thursday night, the Broome Centurions and Chapman Panthers were deadlocked at 74 in a chaotic Region 3-3A clash. On this night, it would be the royal blue that had the last word.
Broome guard Lance Henderson found Ja’Coreyun Broadus in the front court, who made a leaping catch and weaved his way to the rim for the game-winning layup with three seconds left, lifting the Centurions to a thrilling 76-74 victory over Chapman. “I knew (Broadus) had separation back there,” Broome head coach Hal McManus recalled. “He made a great catch over his outside shoulder… he had to catch it, then go back across his body to make the shot. That was a tougher shot than it looked like because of his body angle. I’m very proud of Lance getting the ball to him and him having the toughness to make that shot.” With under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, two baskets – one apiece by Kamajay Brackett-Brannon and D.T. Thompson – keyed a 7-0 burst that built a 60-53 Broome lead. Shortly thereafter, a Hawken Smith three-pointer and two Josiah Moore free throws helped Chapman cut the deficit down to 61-58 with 57 seconds left in regulation. Moments later, J.P. Davis banked home a triple from the left corner to beat the buzzer and force the extra frame. With just under two minutes to go in overtime, Grayden Humphries knocked down a shot on consecutive possessions and gave Chapman a 70-66 lead. Broome responded with a Henderson triple that slashed the deficit to one with 90 seconds left. “What a roller coaster of emotions,” McManus remarked. “Towards the end of the fourth quarter, we were up seven, but they just kept on chipping away. Our thought process going in (to overtime) was ‘Hey, this is fun. We’ve got another four minutes of basketball. Let’s go compete for another four minutes and see what happens.’ They took that mantra and ran with it.” Two Shawn Cunningham free throws put the Panthers up by three, 72-69, but the Centurions produced another answer as a Levi Bishop free throw line jumper and Xavier Hill free throw tied the game with just under a minute remaining. After two more Cunningham free throws, Broadus knocked down a shot from close range and tied the game at 74 with less than 25 seconds to play in the contest. “For us to get a stop on that last possession and then get a layup with three seconds left was big,” added McManus. “This was a tough environment to play in. Hats off to Chapman. They had a great student section and they were on us tonight. That’s what it should be like. I thought our kids were very resilient and battled through some adversity tonight.” Broome (14-12, 5-3 Region) had four players finish in double figures, led by Hill with a game-high 21 points. Broadus scored 19 points, followed by Brackett-Brannon with 16 and Henderson with 11 points, respectively. Moon scored a team-high 14 points for Chapman. Humphries, Smith, and Max Carter recorded nine points each, while Cunningham, Davis, and Moore tallied eight points apiece for the Panthers. 3A Men’s Basketball playoffs 1st Round – Tuesday, Feb. 13th · Broome at Seneca – 7 PM · Chapman at Daniel – TBA SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The first trip through the Region 3-3A schedule continued Tuesday evening as the Broome Centurions hosted the Chapman Panthers. The two sides battled from start to finish, but when the dust settled, the Centurions emerged with a 56-51 victory.
A Chelsea Fleming layup keyed a 10-4 run for the Centurions over the first four-plus minutes of the game, which also featured a pair of shots from Reagan Lee. Chapman answered by scoring six of the last eight points, as baskets from Annastyn Smith, Kara Twitty, and Kamryn Thompkins trimmed the Broome advantage down to 12-10 after one quarter of play. Twitty tied the game at 12 early in the second quarter before a Lee three-pointer put Broome back in front on the ensuing Centurion possession. Later, nine consecutive points by Smith and a Rylan Ivey corner triple over the last 4:42 of the frame made for a 26-23 Panther advantage. Trailing by three entering the final stanza, consecutive baskets by Dakota Mitchell sparked an 8-0 run out of the quarter break for Broome, which staked the Centurions to a 44-36 lead with less than seven minutes to play. Anaya Wofford also knocked down a pair of close range shots during the run. Back-to-back baskets from Ivey and Smith cut the score down to 44-43 with just over four minutes left. Two shots by Lee keyed a 7-2 burst for Broome and extended the lead to 51-45 with 2:29 to go. An Elliot Miller free throw line pulled the Panthers within three points, 54-51, but Broome knocked down two free throws to secure the win. Lee scored a team-high 15 points for Broome, while Wofford also finished in double figures with 14 points. Smith posted a game-high 22 points for Chapman, followed by Ivey with 11. Broome (9-12, 2-2 Region 3-3A) will wrap up a two-game homestand with a region showdown against Travelers Rest on Friday, January 26th at 6 PM. Chapman (11-7, 1-3) will return to action on Friday in a road region matchup against Carolina at 6 PM. MEN – Broome 66, Chapman 47 A D.T. Thompson layup ignited an 18-5 run for Broome over the first six-plus minutes of the contest. During the run, the Centurions picked up contributions from Ja’Coreyun Broadus, Lance Henderson, and Xavier Hill. Consecutive baskets by Shawn Cunningham helped Chapman cut the deficit down to eight points before a Hill layup made for a 20-10 Centurion lead after the first quarter. Back-to-back shots by Hawken Smith pulled the Panthers within a five point deficit, 20-15, with six minutes left in the opening half. Later, back-to-back layups by Colt McAllister and Cunningham cut the Centurion advantage down to 29-26 at the intermission. A Broadus drive and finish at the rim uncorked a 23-8 run for Broome during the third quarter, which was capped off by a Henderson fastbreak layup and created a 52-34 Centurion lead at that juncture of the contest. The Centurions were led by Hill and Broadus, who each scored a game-high 20 points, followed by Henderson with 18. Cunningham scored a team-high 16 points for Chapman, along with 14 points from McAllister. Chapman (8-10, 1-3 Region 3-3A) will travel over to Carolina High School on Friday for a 7:30 PM region contest. Broome (11-10, 2-2) will host the Travelers Rest Devildogs in region action this Friday at 7:30 PM. INMAN, S.C. – Chapman kicked off the start of a new holiday tradition when they held the first ever games in the New Year's Classic basketball tournament on Tuesday, which was the beginning of the new three-day tournament.
On the hardwood, the host Panthers clashed with the Broome Centurions to wrap up the first of the three-night round robin tournament. It was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, but a late basket led Broome to a 47-44 victory over the Panthers. A Josiah Moore fastbreak layup helped put Chapman ahead by a 10-5 margin with under two minutes left in the first quarter, but the Centurions countered with a 6-0 burst to take a one point lead at the end of the frame. An 11-0 run – featuring a Xavier hill three-pointer from the wing – extended Broome’s lead to 22-11 just past the midway point of the second stanza, but a personal 7-0 run by Chapman’s Colt McAllister made it a 24-20 margin at intermission. “I thought we really played pretty tough and had a consistent game, except for three two-minute periods,” said Broome head coach Hal McManus. “Last week, we went through some periods where we didn’t get any good shots in the last two games we played (at Landrum’s Battle at the Border tournament). Tonight, in the first three minutes, we had some good shots, but we didn’t get close to them. That’s frustrating, but I think it says that both teams were guarding well and playing pretty good defense.” The Centurions used a quick 5-0 burst to create a nine point lead, but a 9-0 run for the Panthers tied the game at 29. During the run, Nazar Acker knocked down a shot from close range, while Colby Moon drained a three-pointer. A McAllister runner in the lane and Humphries triple made it a 35-31 Panther lead entering the final frame. Trailing by five with under three minutes to play, Ja’Coreyun Broadus muscled in a shot from the low post and cut the Chapman lead to 43-40. A couple of possessions later, Lance Henderson drained a triple from the left wing, tying the game at 43. Just over a minute later, Hill made a layup for the Centurions with 58 seconds left in regulation. “He’s a guy that if you watched him in warmups, walking around, or if you see him in school, you’d think he was sleepwalking,” McManus remarked about Broadus. “He’s like that until it’s time to make a play and then BAM! He gets that big time rebound, putback, or you see somebody flash through the lane, and it’s him. He is the same kid all the time. He’s a great teammate… I’m proud and happy for him.” Broadus posted a game-high 20 points for the Centurions, followed by Hill with 11 points. For Chapman, McAllister scored a team-high 12 points, while Shawn Cunningham and JP Davis each added seven points. On Wednesday, Broome will face Spartanburg Christian Academy at 6 PM, while Chapman plays Brashier Middle College at 7:30. In between the two matchups on Tuesday night, a special presentation was held to honor the late Gene Stallard for his induction into the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The legendary coach patrolled the sidelines in Inman for 22 seasons, guiding the Panther basketball program to four region championships and seven state runner-up finishes, while also earning Coach of the Year recognition four times. Stallard compiled a 421-232 record (64.5 winning percentage) in 25 seasons as head coach, which includes his three seasons at the helm of both Lockhart basketball program prior to arriving at Chapman. Tuesday scores from New Year’s Classic Brashier Middle College 57, Spartanburg Christian Broome 47, Chapman 44 Tournament schedule WEDNESDAY 6:00 PM: Broome vs Spartanburg Christian Academy 7:30 PM: Brashier Middle College vs Chapman THURSDAY 6:00 PM: BMC vs Broome 7:30 PM: SCA vs Chapman LANDRUM, S.C. – After a few days away from the court to celebrate the Christmas holiday, Thursday marked the start of the 24th annual Battle At The Border tournament at Landrum High School, which featured several area teams.
WOMEN – St. Joseph’s 54, Chapman 49 After a tough first half, Chapman battled back against the Knights during the second 16 minutes of the contest. Annastyn Smith caught fire from behind the arc, knocking down three straight shots in as many possessions for the Panthers, while Krislyn Wilder converted a three-point play the old fashioned way. Kara Twitty and Elliot Miller each knocked down a shot from close range, followed by a Smith free throw line jumper that cut the Knights’ lead down to 42-33 entering the final frame. Layups by Twitty and Grace McDaniel pulled the Panthers within a seven point margin, 44-37, one minute into the fourth quarter. However, a pair of shots from long distance helped the Knights hang on late to win the game. Wilder posted a game-high 19 points for the Panthers, while Smith also finished in double figures with 13 points. Next up for Chapman (7-4) is a Silver Bracket matchup against Boiling Springs on Friday, December 29th at 11:30 AM. Landrum 57, Boiling Springs 36 Boiling Springs got off to a strong start against the host Lady Cardinals by constantly attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line. Of the Bulldogs’ first 12 points, Sarah Ezell accounted for seven of them – all from the charity stripe. Two shots from long distance – one each by Landrum's Kaylee Cortez and Savannah Brown – put the Cardinals up by two before the Bulldog's Allison Ramirez tied the game at 12 with a baseline jumper. With a minute left in the frame, Cortez hit a free-throw line jumper to put Landrum ahead by a 14-12 margin. Less than 10 seconds into the final stanza, a Natalie Trudell three-pointer for Boiling Springs from the left wing slashed the deficit down to 37-31, but the Cardinals answered with a 13-2 run during the midway point of the frame. Cortez led all scorers with a game-high 17 points for the Cardinals, while Brown and Kylie Fortner finished with 15 and 13, respectively. Ezell posted a team-high 16 points for the Lady Bulldogs. MEN – St. Joseph’s 41, Chapman 36 The Panthers jumped out to an early three-point lead on the strength of four points apiece from Hawken Smith and Max Carter along with a Grayden Humphries triple. St. Joseph’s doubled up Chapman in the second stanza, outscoring them 14-7 in the quarter and which allowed the Knights to claim a 22-18 lead at intermission. Shawn Cunningham scored five of the Panthers’ 14 points in the third quarter. Smith also knocked down a pair of tough shots, while Humphries added another three-pointer and Nazar Ackbar knocked down a shot from close range. In the final frame, a stingy defensive effort by St. Joseph’s held Chapman to four points and allowed the Knights (14-0) to emerge with the win. Cunningham (CHP) and Mazza (STJ) each posted a game-high 13 points for their respective teams. Smith also finished in double figures with 10 points for the Panthers. On Friday, Chapman (4-5) will face Blue Ridge in a Silver Bracket contest at 1 PM on Friday. Battle At The Border Day One scores WOMEN · Shannon Forest 40, Woodruff 32 · Landrum 57, Boiling Springs 36 · St. Joseph’s 54, Chapman 49 MEN · Woodruff 57, Blue Ridge 52 · Broome 75, Shannon Forest 37 · Landrum 76, Spartanburg Christian 33 BATB Day Two Lineup (Team listed 2nd is the designated “home” team) WOMEN · 10 AM: Woodruff vs West Henderson · 11:30 AM: Chapman vs Boiling Springs · 4 PM: Shannon Forest vs Gaffney · 5:30 PM: St. Joseph’s vs Landrum MEN · 1 PM: Blue Ridge vs Chapman · 2:30 PM: Shannon Forest vs Spartanburg Christian Academy · 7 PM: Woodruff vs St. Joseph’s · 8:30 PM: Broome vs Landrum SPARTANBURG, SC - In his final performance in Spartanburg County before starting his college career, Andrew Gregory got a little revenge against a course he played his last high school tournament on in May.
Gregory, who was playing in his first ever Spartanburg County Amateur tournament, started the three-day tournament out strong on Friday with a score of 69 as he never shot a score over that on all three days for a tournament low score of 205 (69, 67,69). "I played a pretty solid day today," said Gregory. "I'm really proud of myself winning this tournament. It feels great to get a little revenge against the course, I wish I had been able to do it those two days of the 5A tournament, but this is pretty good too. This win gives me a lot more confidence for the next time I come and play this course." Gregory won the three-day tournament holding off a familiar face to him in second place, his former high school teammate Zach Phillips who finished the tournament three shots back with a score of 211. He said knowing his old teammate and longtime friend was the one behind him was a motivating factor. "I saw Zach on the leaderboard after the first day and I told him I got you tomorrow," said Gregory with a laugh. "I think that motivated me on the weekend trying to beat him and it was a lot of fun out there. I had a blast." Phillips, who said that the tournament was the first time he's played golf in a few months as he's been busy caddying for his brother on the Korn Ferry Tour, was happy with how he played after such a layoff from the game. "It just feels good to be playing golf again since I haven't played in a few months as I've been on the road with my brother trying to help him out," said Phillips. "I kind of shocked myself with how well I played." Gregory and Phillips weren't the only Bulldogs at the top of the leaderboard as Robbie Biershenk finished in a tie for sixth at 214 while Nick Biershenk and Walker Greene tied for 11th place with scores of 216. Gregory will now begin his college career at Liberty University on August 19th. BOILING SPRINGS, SC - For many years the building that sits along Old Furnace Rd has served as a high school, elementary school, middle school, or community resource center in the Boiling Springs area since 1941 to numerous generations and on Saturday those same people got one last chance to say goodbye to an old friend.
As part of a sale by Spartanburg School District Two, the land the old school sits upon will soon be part of a development project as one of the old parking lots has already been turned into an entrance for construction vehicles. The building which became the first high school for the Boiling Springs community in 1941 has served many purposes throughout the years. It served as a high school from 1941-1958, an elementary school from 1958-1987, a middle school from 1988-2006, and has been the home of the Upstate Resource Center since 2007. As numerous members of the community walked through the halls there were many memories being shared between themselves and to even their children and grandchildren. A quick glance of the cars in the parking lot saw people coming from all over the United States to get one last glimpse of the building that so many have called home at one point or another. While stories were being told there was a lot of emotions being shared as well over the loss of such an iconic building in the community. Some emotions were sadness about the loss of an old friend to others who expressed anger over the loss of the building. The one thing that they were all thankful for though was the opportunity that the people of the Upstate Resource Center gave them all to walk the halls of the building one more time, which the director of the Upstate Resource Center Kelly Ezell was glad to be able to make happen. "This building is a special place because there are multiple generations that have benefited from this facility in our community," said Ezell. "I walked into this building 16 years ago all by myself and that was the start of the Upstate Resource Center. This building is special for all the multiple generations that it represents, not just for my family but for multiple families. We have probably had over 800-900 people walk through this building today and most of them came through with multiple generations and it's special to know there's someone like that has touched so many people." There were many stories being shared about relationships that began there along with families bonded over the shared experience of going to school there. One man, Bob Parris a 1969 graduate of Boiling Springs, even said that he learned about a historical moment in the country on the steps of the building that now face what is Walgreens in November of 1963. "We had been out playing football during a late recess and the Spartanburg Junior College used to have some guys that came up here to give us football lessons over in that area behind the school," said Parris. "As we were walking back in the school on those steps right over there on the east side of the building the principal met us out there and called us together. It was there that he let us know that President Kennedy had been shot and killed. It's sad to know this building won't be here anymore because it has so much history to me, in fact I want to get a picture of those steps because every time I passed by them that thought would come to my mind." Parris said he was very happy that he got the opportunity to go through the building that holds so many memories to him one last time. "I'm so glad they gave us this opportunity to go through here," said Parris. "As I go through the building it brings back so many more memories of the teachers and the classes." Ezell said that getting to hear all the people's stories about the building was special. "I've heard stories about the memories of students and teachers and the special bonds between friends that were developed here," said Ezell. "There are stories about sweethearts and so many other things that we've gotten to hear today." Ezell has operated the Upstate Resource Center for 16 years and while they will be sad to see the facility go away, they're looking forward to the future of the organization. "It's going to be sad to come by here and not see the building here anymore," said Ezell. "The resource center is not made of brick and mortar though. It's about people: the staff, the volunteers, and the community that supports us. We can do our work in just about any building and we're going to continue to do that. Yes, we're going to miss this building but we're going to continue to serve families in our community." The Upstate Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that is funded by donations from the community that serves families and works to help them thrive. "Families are the fabric of our society," said Ezell. "When our families are strong our economy, our educational system, our faith based organizations and our civic organizations are all stronger because of the family unit. We want to serve families to help them thrive." With the current building soon to be gone, the Upstate Resource Center will be moving to a temporary facility at 340 Blalock Road, where they have relocated most of their services. Their adult education programs (GED and English as a second language classes) have been relocated to Boiling Springs First Baptist Church currently. The organization has a vision for a new facility to be built on land they were given by the school district on Blalock Road. The new facility they look to build will be 10,000 square feet with community space, educational space, and a space for families. The Upstate Resource Center will be doing fundraising to help in the cost of the building of the new facility but Ezell wanted to make sure that without the generosity of the community the facility wouldn't be able to operate. "We feel like the community will help us in raising the funds for the new facility," said Ezell. "We're successful in writing grants but in order to sustain the organization the biggest asset that we have is individuals, families, and businesses in our community making donations on a monthly basis. When we know what we have coming in ahead each month it makes it so much easier to plan our budget and every little bit anyone can give helps." If you’d like to find out more about the Upstate Family Resource Center or how you can help support them visit their website https://www.upstatefrc.org. For More Pictures From This Event Please Click This Link SPARTANBURG, SC - On Monday afternoon the Broome boys basketball team was introduced to the new leader of their program as former coach Hal McManus returned to take over the reins of the basketball program.
McManus takes over for former coach Will Hickson, who left to take another job in the state, and returns to a job where he once led the Centurions to a state championship in 2005 after they defeated Lee Central 66-57 to claim the 2A state championship. McManus, who has been the athletic director at Liberty High School for the last two years, returns to the basketball court for the first time since leaving Boiling Springs in 2020. He said that the chance to return to a place that he and his family still consider home is a special opportunity that he never knew if he would get but is glad he has gotten this chance. "It has been quite the journey for me and my family the last few years as it has almost come full circle as my family and I are excited to be returning to Broome," said McManus. "My kids grew up in that building and we have a lot of great memories there. I talked to my wife Allison a few years ago and said I'd love to finish my career at Broome and I'm so thankful and blessed that God opened this door to allow me to return there. I'm happy as I could be to be back." McManus said it's crazy how different his life is now from his first time there because when he first took the job he had young kids and now one is taking over a high school volleyball program and the other is finishing up his freshman year of college. "My emotions have been all over the place thinking about this opportunity at Broome," said McManus. "My first practice at Broome, my daughter Hannah was about a year old trying to peek over my leg to see what was going on and now she is going to be running her own volleyball program at West Ashley and Trey is finishing his freshman year of college. When I was first there, they both acted like they ran the place because they knew where everything was at and were always looking for new places to play. While they're growing up now, Broome has been a big part of their lives as well." When McManus first took the job at Broome he had father, long time Hall of Fame Byrnes coach Harold McManus coaching with him, and now he hopes to have the opportunity to be joined by another generation on the bench, his son Trey McManus. "If I can look to the left of me on the bench and see Trey McManus and get to share that experience with him like I got to share with my dad, I don't think it gets better than that," said McManus. "I'm excited about the chance for him to be on the bench with me at Broome, a place that has meant so much to our family. I was lucky to have my dad here with me the first time as you don't have many opportunities to have the best coach in the state there with you on the bench. Trey's personality is a lot like my dad and he is straight shooter who will tell me like it is, and he'll be a good sounding board for me during games." McManus said that in his first meeting with the team on Monday, he learned that some of his players once had dads and uncles that played for him the first time he was at Broome. "The fun part is that two of the kids I met with, their dads played for me and another kid's uncle played for me at Broome," said McManus. "For me to get the opportunity to coach the kids of my former players is the definition of going full circle and I'm going to love those guys just like I loved their family before them. The opportunity to get some of the guys that played for me the first time back involved in the program is special too because I think it's important for the young men at Broome to hear other voices than just mine and to hear from guys that have been in their shoes. We rolled up our sleeves and got to work when we first got here the first time and those guys just continued to work. They were tough and hard-nosed and that's what helped us build the program the first time around. I'm happy to be back and feel I have 12-15 years left in me and I want to get to work real soon and build this program back up." While the McManus name is well known from his first time at Broome, he said that he wants anyone that doesn't know him to know that he's bringing a program of accountability to the Centurions. "I want them to know that I'm going to run an exemplary program that excels both athletically and academically," said McManus. "We're into building better humans, as well as better husbands and fathers down the road as we want to do stuff the right way. We talked today about it today that we're going to hold the kids accountable for their actions at all times, whether that's at school, out of school, or on the weekends because they're always representing our program. We want to build relationships with all the kids because if you don't do that, then I think the X's and O's can just go out the door. They have to know we're not here for them just while they're playing athletics but that we're there for them the rest of their lives. I told them they'll have to come punch the clock each day because I can't change who I am coaching wise because I have the same intesity that I had 28 years ago. I told them I may be upset at times but I'm also teaching at the same time. I told them I may be the first one to yell at them but I told them I'll also be the first one to congratulate them." He said that having the opportunity to return to coach basketball in Spartanburg County is special because it's such a great place for basketball in the state. "I don't think there's a better place to play basketball wise than Spartanburg County," said McManus. "All of the teams here are so well coached and the coaches are disciplined and their teams play the right way. It's such a competitive county when it comes to basketball as the smaller schools aren't afraid of the bigger schools in this county as they all want to see how they matchup against the others. The coaches in Spartanburg have always had comradery, as everyone here is willing to help each other out when you're not playing each other." One interesting matchup for McManus this season will be a non-region matchup where he will faceoff against a former player for the first time as he'll coach against new Chesnee head coach Zach Baldinelli, who was a former player of his at Boiling Springs. "That will be an emotional day for me because I think it's hard when you see that kid you love like your own and your job is to defeat them," said McManus. "I'm proud of him getting a head coaching job at such a young age and I know he'll do wonderful things at Chesnee. Now, don't get me wrong I want to defeat him just like he wants to defeat me as the competitiveness won't go away but I think the emotions will be tough. Once the ball is tipped off it’s going to be just another basketball game but afterwards when he shake hands and talk I’m sure the emotions will return. I’ve told him I’ll be pulling for him in every game but two this year.” McManus will look to get started right away as he says he’s busy working on the Centurions summer schedule as they'll be busy playing in the area. |
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