february 2013 upstate game day

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GAME DAYFEBRUARY 2013

Feb. 10 - March 9, 2013

FREE

>> SETH BUCKLEY: LESSONS LEARNED ON LOSING END >> CHAPMAN WRESTLER JACOB UNGER NOTCHES 100TH >> ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Youth Sports Magazine

www.upstategameday.com UPSTATE facebook.com/upstategameday>> >>ATHLETE CELEBRATES ‘MIRACLE’ SIGNING DAY SPECIAL / 10-13/ 16

WILLYKORN

DYLANTHOMPSON

BYRNES LEGEND BEGINS PRO CHAPTER

FORMER BULLDOGREFLECTS ON FAITH

Don’t let injury knock you out of the tournament.

Is an injury preventing you from being your best? Get professional orthopaedic treatment and preventative care to train right and play right, no matter the game.

We are experts in treating all sports injuries from the fingers to the toes and everything in between:

• Fractures • Rotator cuff tears• Shoulder instability • Back pain• ACL tears • Cartilage tears• Ankle sprains

OA physicians: M. David Mitchell, MD; Michael P. Hoenig, MD; Michael Henderson, MD; Michael W. Funderburk, MD; James Behr, MD; Stephen Harley, MD; Mary Joan Black, MD; Anthony DiNicola, MD; Gerald L. Rollins, MD; Sonya Clark, DO.

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Orthopaedic Associates

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North Grove Medical Park, Spartanburg, SC • West Grove Park, Duncan, SC Since 1962

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Call us or visit us at myfuddruckers.com to order your cookie tray and

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baked-from-scratch daily.They’re perfect to bring to any party

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Looking for an extra copy?Upstate GameDay is located in more than 250

high-traffic Spartanburg County locations. Copies can be picked up inside many restaurants, including Bojangles, Fuddruckers, Pizza Inn, The Clock, Chick-Fil-A (eastside), bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, sporting goods stores, medical offices, gyms/fitness centers, schools, hair salons, and many more locations.

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LOCAL ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS

OF INTENT

Youth Sports boost local, regional economies

Local athlete celebrates ‘miracle’ recovery

Former Bulldog Dylan Thompson focuses on faith

Byrnes legend Willy Kornready to begin pro chapter

> 22

> 23

Leading Off

Don’t let injury knock you out of the tournament.

Is an injury preventing you from being your best? Get professional orthopaedic treatment and preventative care to train right and play right, no matter the game.

We are experts in treating all sports injuries from the fingers to the toes and everything in between:

• Fractures • Rotator cuff tears• Shoulder instability • Back pain• ACL tears • Cartilage tears• Ankle sprains

OA physicians: M. David Mitchell, MD; Michael P. Hoenig, MD; Michael Henderson, MD; Michael W. Funderburk, MD; James Behr, MD; Stephen Harley, MD; Mary Joan Black, MD; Anthony DiNicola, MD; Gerald L. Rollins, MD; Sonya Clark, DO.

faster

better

s t ro n g e r

Orthopaedic Associates

Better. Stronger. Faster.www.upstateoa.com • 864.582.6396

North Grove Medical Park, Spartanburg, SC • West Grove Park, Duncan, SC Since 1962

4 FEBRUARY 2013 u GAME DAY

ClipboardNEWS & NOTES FROM THE LOCAL YOUTH SPORTS SCENE

PLEASE SEND YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO [email protected]

Grant Serafy, a 25-year veteran of independent school and collegiate coaching, has been named coach of the women’s soccer team at Spartanburg Day School.

Serafy had a great run during his 16 years as boys’ and girls’ soccer coach at Stratford Academy in Macon, Ga., where he was also director of the largest soccer camp program in Middle Georgia. Serafy’s soccer teams at Stratford won 16 state championship titles.

Serafy also coached the Mercer University Women’s Soccer NCAA Division I team in Macon and became an integral part of the Middle Georgia soccer community, establishing free clinics and serving as a role model to young players.

In 2006, Serafy led his Mercer Women’s Soccer team to their first conference tournament since 1998. The team placed in the top two conference tournament seeds in 2007 and 2008.

Serafy was honored as the A-Sun Coach of the Year for Women in 2007 and 2008.

SERAFY

SERAFY TO HEAD SDS SOCCER Tim Tebow to speakat Impact Sports dinner

Impact Sports International will host its annual Partnership Dinner on Thursday, March 7, at the Spartanburg Expo Center with special guest, NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow.

Doors will open at 5:30pm for dinner and the program will begin at 6:30pm. Prior to the dinner program, a private reception will be held for corporate sponsors.

Individual tickets for the event are $125, and are available for purchase through the Impact Sports (impactsportsonline.org).

Corporate and table sponsorships are also available.

After a ministry presentation and overview, Tebow will join Impact Sports’ Executive Director on stage for a moderated Question & Answer Session where guests will hear first-hand about his experiences on and off the field.

Recognized as one of the greatest college football players of all time, Tebow’s collegiate career as a Gator at the University

of Florida culminated in two national championships and his being honored as the first sophomore recipient of the Heisman Trophy.

A first round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, Tebow burst onto the national stage as he led the franchise to the 2011 NFL Playoffs for the first time in six years. Tebow became a New York Jets quarterback at the start of the 2012 season.

A silent auction will be held where a select number of items autographed by Tebow will be available for all dinner attendees to bid on. Additionally, corporate sponsor guests will have the opportunity to meet Tebow and have their picture taken with him by a professional photographer at the private reception.

For more information regarding event details and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.impactsportsonline.org/dinner2013 or call (864) 278-8006.

TEBOW

Registration is ongoing for First Tee Spring Programming

Once-a-week after school classes will be available for ages 5 and up teaching life and golf skills this spring. Classes are set to begin April 15 at The Creek and April 22 at Woodfin Ridge.

For information, visit TheFirstTeeSpartanburg.org, email [email protected] or call (864) 583-7084, extension 7.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer First Tee coach can email [email protected] or call (864) 583-7084, ext. 7. Training is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 at The First Tee of Spartanburg Learning Center at The Creek Golf Club.

Tickets on sale for March 7 event

PROGRAMS

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For Men and Women (No Contact)

• American Karate & Self Defense for Children Ages 4 & Up

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• Kickin’ Kids Afterschool and Summer Camp Program

TRY ANY OF OUR TRAINING CLASSES FREE FOR A WEEK! Visit our Website! www.smakarate.com

465 East Blackstock Rd • Westside - Spartanburg • 576-8273

GAME DAY Youth Sports Magazine

EDITOR & PUBLISHERLES TIMMS III

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR / SENIOR WRITERJOHN CLAYTON

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jed BlackwellKaren L. Puckett

Seth BuckleyKyle OwingsKen Finley

Ed OverstreetPamela Dunlap

Tim Lambka

TO ADVERTISE, [email protected]

864-804-0068

WEBSITEwww.upstategameday.com

issuu.com/upstategameday/docs

CONTACT GAME DAY864-804-0068

Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine is not responsible for the return of submitted photography, artwork, or manuscripts and will not be responsible for holding fees or

similar charges.© Upstate Game Day Youth

Sports Magazine 2013

Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine is published 12 times a year by Timms Com-

munications. All contents are copyrighted by Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine, including publisher-designed advertisements, may be copied, scanned, or reproduced in any

manner without prior consent from the publisher. Unauthorized user will be billed appropriately for

such use.

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Letter From the Publisher

LES TIMMS IIIEditor / Publisher

Welcome to another issue of Upstate Game Day youth sports magazine.

All the career experts seem to agree on one thing: you need to have a passion for what you do to reach a certain level of satisfaction in life.

Here at Upstate Game Day, we are passionate about youth sports and delivering the best magazine possible. Ours is a

community-based publication, locally owned, that focuses every month on the athletes in our area, from recreational leagues, middle school programs, as well as our high schools and private schools.

I have been involved in sports since I can remember. My father was sports editor at the Spartanburg Herald-Journal and as a young boy I tagged along on a number of his assignments. I followed in his footsteps and worked for newspapers in the Southeast before launching Game Day with John Clayton in August 2011.

My wife Tammy and I have three daughters involved in sports. Our oldest is a sophomore at Anderson University where she plays collegiate golf. The other two participate in volleyball on their high school and middle school teams.

We have many athletes in the Upstate who we take great pride in covering. Game Day relies solely on sponsorships and advertising to cover costs associated with producing a full color, glossy magazine. Game Day is free of charge at over 200 locations throughout the area.

Thank you for reading this issue and let us know of any stories or suggestions. Please tell our advertisers you saw their ad in Game Day.

GAME DAY u FEBRUARY 2013 5

6 DECEMBER 2012 u GAME DAY GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 9

get plugged inpointpo>> point your browser to

spartanburgparks.orgFind out about fun offerings, classes and activities

to be had all over Spartanburg County.


GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 9

get plugged inpointpo>> point your browser to

spartanburgparks.orgFind out about fun offerings, classes and activities

to be had all over Spartanburg County.

YELLOW JACKETS SIGNALEX WATERS and D’ANTA FLEMING signed football grants-in-aid on Feb. 6 at Greer High School. Waters played offensive tackle for the Jackets and will attend Charleston Southern University. Fleming was a wide receiver/defen-sive back and special teams player. He signed with Limestone.

u More on NATIONAL SIGNING DAY, pages 11-13.

JIM FAIR / greertoday.com

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GAME DAYFEBRUARY 2013Feb. 10 - March 9, 2013

FREE

>> SETH BUCKLEY: LESSONS LEARNED ON LOSING END >> CHAPMAN WRESTLER JACOB UNGER NOTCHES 100TH >> ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Youth Sports Magazine

www.upstategameday.com UPSTATE facebook.com/upstategameday>> >>ATHLETE CELEBRATES ‘MIRACLE’ SIGNING DAY SPECIAL / 10-13/ 16

WILLYKORN

DYLANTHOMPSON

BYRNES LEGEND BEGINS PRO CHAPTER

FORMER BULLDOGREFLECTS ON FAITH

Interested in advertising in Game Day Magazine?

Please contact Les Timms III864-804-0068

[email protected]

Game Day magazine gives advertisers an unrivaled opportunity to reach the

Upstate’s passionate sports and outdoor fans.

• The Only Publication of its kind in Upstate S.C.

• Locally owned and produced.

• The perfect target mar-ket for your products and/or

services.• Read by people of all

ages and backgrounds.• Affordable advertising

rates.


Play like you’re in first but train like

you’re in second.

Athletes in Actionphotos by: John Clayton * Tim Lambka

* Les Timms III * Steve Hinds * Kevin Everton

Please submit your best pics to [email protected]

Never underestimate the heart of a

champion.

UPSTATE GAME DAY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE MONTH DANIEL BRIDGES, Landrum, BasketballBridges set a new school single-

game scoring record with a 51-point performance in January against Liberty. Bridges, a 6-foot-7 junior, joined the Cardinals this season after being home-schooled for the first two years of high school. He is averaging 20.2 points and 12 rebounds per game this season.

CHARLENDEZ BROOKS, Byrnes, Basketball

Brooks, a Western Carolina signee, led the Rebels to two victories over Class 4A top-10 teams (No. 3 Dorman and No. 7 Gaffney). Brooks controlled the defensive

end with 10 blocks and 21 rebounds in the two games. He was also an all-tournament

selection in a Cherokee, N.C. holiday tournament. The 6-foot-9 senior center is averaging 7.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game.

JADA WALLACE, Broome, BasketballWallace,

a junior, is averaging 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals per game and is the top scorer in Spartanburg County this season. The second-year captain scored 42 points in a win over Union County in early January and added 35 points and 11 rebounds a few days later against Clinton. As a member of the varsity squad since 8th grade, she has already surpassed the 1,000-point barrier for her career at Broome.

WILL THOMAS, Dorman, Wrestling

The senior wrestler won his

fourth Spartanburg County championship in January, wrestling at 119 pounds. Heading into that met, Thomas had notched 185 career wins (fourth-most in Class 4A history), including 118 by pinfall (fourth in Class 4A history). Thomas won the Class 4A state title in his weight class last year and finished third in the state in 2011.

TAYLOR JENKINS, Landrum, Basketball

Jenkins helped the Lady Cardinals get off to a fast start this season and is averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds per game along with 3 steals and 3 blocked shots per contest. She has been a team leader on and off the court.

All Sports - All Spartanburg - All the Time www.espnspartanburg.com

Student athletes in this section were voted to be recognized as ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

by their respective schools. E-mails were sent to all Spartanburg County high schools and private

schools requesting nominations.

Deadline for March edition is Feb. 28. Coaches, Athletic Directors, please email

nominations to associate editor John Clayton at [email protected]

SPONSORSHIP OF THIS NEW SECTION IS AVAILABLE. CONTACT LES TIMMS III / [email protected] / for more info

BRIDGES

BROOKS

WALLACE

JENKINS

THOMAS

By JOHN CLAYTON

INMAN -- Chapman head coach Mark Hodge told those gathered to for Ben Ziegler’s National Signing Day ceremony that the end of the quarterback’s high school career was just the beginning.

Hodge’s words were perhaps more truthful than most offered for college signees that day.

Ziegler was among more than a dozen area football players to sign letters of intent on National Signing Day with schools ranging from Central Missouri to The Citadel and Furman, but one of only a few to sign with a team that has yet to play a game.

Ever.Gaffney’s Limestone College signed and

head coach Bobby James recruited their first class of gridiron Saints this year and are scheduled to begin play in 2014.

“We’re going to spend the year working and bonding,” said Ziegler, one of three quarterbacks recruited by James, the former head coach at Wingate. “We’ll be working on team chemistry and getting ready for 2014.”

Ziegler, Woodruff defensive back Cyd Wedman and Greer receiver-defensive back D’Anta Fleming were among those joining Limestone’s first recruiting class.

“I’m excited about going to Limestone and being in the first class. I’m glad I get a year to get comfortable,” Fleming said.

During his senior season, Ziegler soldiered through an assortment of injuries, including a concussion and knee, to throw for 2,350 yards, 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 178 of 338 passing. His signature moment

as a quarterback came last season when he accounted for seven touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing) in rallying the Panthers from a 20-point deficit against Salem for a 55-47 win.

He shared Fleming’s excitement about the neophyte Saints.

“The community is great. With Gaffney High right up the road, you know it’s a football town,” Ziegler said. “I have the chance to make history with the college and maybe be the first quarterback ever to play for the team.”

Ziegler said he expects an open competition among the three quarterbacks in this year’s class -- a list that also includes T.J. Gurn (Riverside) and Jonathan Clark (Kings Mountain).

“I wasn’t promised anything,” said Ziegler, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound right hander who also has excelled at baseball at Chapman and hasn’t ruled out taking the diamond for the Saints as well. “There’s going to be a competition and that’s great. I love to

compete.”Everything from a planned stadium

and practice facility to a new weightroom and coaches offices are still in the blueprint phase, but Ziegler said the challenges of a neophyte program was part of the appeal for him.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity and a great challenge,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to go on and play for four more years, and that’s what I wanted.” GD

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY has become an annual tradition for local student-athletes ready to embark on the next chapter of their careers in the classroom and on the playing field.

This year, more than a dozen local high school seniors signed their NCAA letters of intent, accepting scholarships from colleges and universities around the country.

We were there along with beaming parents, siblings, family

and friends who shared a joy and sense of accomplishment.While National Signing Day has historically been for football

players, it is no longer only theirs. Cross country runners, soccer players and golfers also put pen to paper on the first Wednesday in February.

And more will be signing as 2013 churns on, making more dreams come true.

SAINTS on march to gridironin first year

Chapman’s Ben Ziegler among local talent to sign with Limestone

Above: Chapman QB Ben Ziegler (18) hands off to Traves Smith (25) during a preseason scrimmage in 2012. Below: Ziegler signs his NCAA Letter of Intent to play football at Limestone College. The Saints will take to the gridiron for the first time in 2014.


SPARTANBURG: FROM LEFT, Jamiee Bowe, football, Fork Union Military Acad-emy; Nate Gordon, track/cross country, Georgetown; Jamarkus Means, football, Central Missouri; Ralph Polson III, soccer, Wofford; Evie Tate, cross country, Clemson.

BYRNES: FROM LEFT, Jessica Morris, golf, Southern Wesleyan; Lillie Per-kins, golf, Spartanburg Methodist; Morgan Allen, track, Kent State; Isaiah Pin-son, football, The Citadel; Tyson Holcombe, football, Central Missouri; Colton Korn, football, Charleston Southern.

DORMAN: FROM LEFT, Trey Robinson, football, Furman; Brandon Pinckney, football, Appalachian State; Caleb Batchelor, Charleston Southern; Matt Mayes, baseball, USC Sumter; Zack Pender, baseball, USC Sumter; Luke Quillen, soccer, The Kings College (N.Y.); Ashley Beach, cross country, The Citadel.

UPSTATE GAME DAY SPOKE WITH SEVERAL AREA ATHLETES WHO SIGNED THEIR LETTERS OF INTENT ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY. HERE IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY:

“It’s so relaxed. It’s got a family feel to it. That’s what I noticed at first.” -- Spartanburg High lineman JAMARKUS MEANS on why he chose Central Missouri. “They’re going to redshirt me my first year and see if I can put around 20 pounds on. I’m OK with that.”

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to play at the collegiate level , whatever the sport might be. It’s going to be cross country and track, and I’m ready. I’m excited,” Spartanburg High runner EVIE TATE on signing with Clemson. “I loved the atmosphere there. Coach (Brad Herbster) really sold me, saying, ‘this is where you are, and this is where you can be. I can get you there.’ And the team is doing really well right now, so that’s a plus, too.”

“My top two schools were Georgetown and LSU, and the head coach (from Georgetown) came over to the house for a visit and started telling me more about the program,” said Spartanburg High mid-dis-tance runner NATE GORDON. “He sold me on it. It’s a really good school with great academics, so that sold me, too. They’re building a really strong mid-distance team, and they want me to be a part of it, so I’m really excited to be able to help.”

“I’d hoped they were going to offer me -- if they hadn’t I was ready to walk on at (South Carolina),” said Dorman quarterback TREY ROBIN-SON of signing with Furman.

Robinson received an offer from the Paladins two days prior to National Signing Day and chose Furman over Western Carolina, S.C. State and the chance to walk on with the Gamecocks.

“They called me Monday to make the offer and that night, I committed. . . . At Furman, they’re going to look at me at everything -- quarterback, safety, maybe wideout. I’m open to that. I just want to play football. At the end of the day, that’s what I want to do.”

“The coaches are saying that if I put on 20 pounds or so, I could play soon,” said Dorman defensive end and Charleston Southern signee CALEB BATCHELOR. “So, I’m starting a diet now. A redshirt would be fine, but I just want to play -- wherever I decided to go. I’m ready to get to that next level of my game. I know (Charleston Southern) can make me better. The weight program there is good and they’ve got a good strength coach, so I know I’m going to get better.”

“I feel like the program is about to take off,” said former Byrnes receiver COLTON KORN, who spent the past season at Gray Military Academy in Columbia before signing with Charleston Southern. “The recruiting class we just got was 15 or 16 players, I think, so it looks real promising.”

February 6, 2013

“In their words”

TATE

ROBINSON

PAMELA DUNLAP PHOTO

ED OVERSTREET PHOTO

JOHN CLAYTON PHOTO



By JOHN CLAYTON

It’s not unusual for coaches to become father figures for some of their athletes.But what happens when one’s

literal father figure becomes one’s coach?

The Polson family is about to find out.

Spartanburg High soccer stand out Ralph Polson III signed his letter of intent on National Signing Day to play for nearby Wofford College for head coach Ralph Polson.

“It just seemed like the right fit,” Polson III said. “Hopefully, it won’t be a tough thing. Anyway, it won’t be something we can’t overcome.”

The younger Polson was among several local athletes in sports other than football to sign letters of intent with their respec-tive colleges on National Signing Day.

Byrnes golfers Jessica Morris (Southern Wesleyan) and Lillie Perkins (Spartanburg Methodist), Dorman baseball players Matt Mayes and Zack Pender (both USC Sumter), Dorman soc-cer player Luke Quillen (Kings College, N.Y.) and Byrnes track standout Morgan Allen were among the signees.

But Polson’s decision turns Wofford soccer into a family affair.

“The great thing is, he’s grown up with the game,” Coach Polson said. “I think he sees the game

from a little different perspective than most. He’s grown up with it. He knows how it’s supposed to be played and that’s the way he tries to do it.

“I know he’s my son, but his work ethic -- he’s got a very high work rate. He’s a good team player. . . . He’s a great distributor of the ball. He sees the field well. He’s got a little bite to him, so he doesn’t mind getting stuck in but

he understands when and when not to play simple. He makes the game easier for those around him.”

Polson III chose Wofford over Stetson and Erskine (his father’s alma mater) among others.

“It came down to the last minute, but he came in and said, ‘Dad, I want to come play for you.’ I was excited to get him,” Coach Polson said. GD

More than a father figure

Wofford head soccer coach Ralph Polson will welcome son Ralph Polson III to his roster next fall. Polson III joins his coach/father and sister Megan at Wofford.

“In their words”Korn will be playing for former North Greenville

coach Jamey Chadwell at Charleston Southern. Chadwell coached Korn’s older brother, Willy, at NGU.

“I knew there was a possibility (of playing col-

legiate golf), but I wasn’t sure if I could make it,” said JESSICA MORRIS, a former Byrnes cheerleader who traded her pom-poms for golf clubs as a sophomore. Two years later, she signed to continue her links career at Southern Wesleyan. “I heard about the opportunities for scholarships in golf, and I really felt that I could do it. My dad and my grandparents really made it possible for me to do it, to push to get as good as I am right now. But I think I still have a long way to go.”

“It’s a long way from home, but it will give me a chance to grow up and see what I want to do,” said Byrnes defensive back TYSON HOLCOMBE on choosing Central Missouri. Holcombe finally ascended to the Rebels’ starting lineup as a senior and earned the scholarship. He will join Spartanburg’s Jamarkus Means and at least one other recruit from the state

on the Mules’ roster next year. “I know those guys personally. We hung out while we were up there and it was fun. We’re just going to bring a little bit of South Carolina up there.”

“SMC is a really small college and I didn’t want to go and get overwhelmed at a really big school,” said Byrnes golfer and Spartanburg Methodist signee LILLIE PERKINS, who, like Rebels teammate Jessica Morris, did not start playing until high school. “It will be nice to have my parents nearby if I really need them. And SMC has a great golf program. I’m excited to go there.”

“After the Shrine Bowl, The Citadel was the only school to of-fer me a scholarship,” said Byrnes offensive lineman ISAIAH PIN-SON, who was named to the 2012 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas roster. “Western Carolina came out there, but I didn’t hear anything from them, but then The Citadel came in. I think the Shrine Bowl really helped because they got to see me against a high level of competition. Personally, I don’t

think I did that bad in the Shrine Bowl, especially with the size I was compared to the other guys out there. I felt like I did pretty well.

“I’m so excited. The (military) experience isn’t going to be too new because of everything we do here at Byrnes. Our coaches teach us how to be on time, responsible, trustworthy and how to be accountable -- pretty much how to be men. The Citadel is going to push that and bring it on heavier, but I pretty much got a good foundation here.

Pinson currently sports a prodigious mane of hair that will face the clippers before he becomes a first-year cadet at The Citadel.

“It doesn’t really bother me,” he said of the up-coming haircut. “Hair’s hair. I’ll probably donate it.”

Chesnee receiver/defensive back MARKELL HILL signed to continue his playing career at Coastal Carolina.

“I like being by the coast,” Hill said. “When they offered, they said they needed a wide receiver to help. . . . It didn’t matter which side of the ball they put me on, but their coaches said their defensive backs were coming back and they lost a couple of receivers and they were going to try me out there.”

Hill chose the Chanticleers over an offer from North Greenville.

POLSONS MAKE ITA FAMILY AFFAIR AT WOFFORD

MORRIS

HILL

PINSON


By JOHN CLAYTON

There are Southern Classics and Southern Slams. Volleyball. Wrestling. Disc Golf. Regular Golf. Baseball. Cycling. Softball. Soccer. Name practically any sport not involving snowboards and a “Flying Tomato,” and the Upstate

can, has or could lay down a claim.It’s not just about football and auto racing

anymore.“The Upstate counties have really

succeeded in attracting some good events,” said Clemson University professor Bob Brookover, whose Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at the university’s International Institute for Tourism Research and Development conducted an economic-impact study on Tyger River Park’s first year of operation, releasing its findings in December.

“That showed that the Upstate can become a major player as a sports destination,” Brookover said.

Tyger River Park, a baseball and

softball complex featuring a dozen diamonds as well as walking trails and playgrounds, and the Carolina Elite Soccer Association (CESA) complex in Greenville are among the facilities that Brookover believes will keep spurring tourism in the Upstate.

TRP hosted some 65 events, including the NSA East Coast World Series and major USSAA and ASA tournaments, over the final 40 weeks of last year.

Altogether, more than 100,000 people visited TRP with more than 60,000 of those coming from outside Spartanburg and Greenville counties.

The financial impact of TRP alone totaled $17.6 million for Spartanburg County and another $5.8 million for Greenville

County, according to the Clemson study.“Now, the trick is to not get complacent and keep things

maintained,” Brookover said. “You have to do the little things to keep the value raised.”

Even without a premium facility, the Upstate will once again play host to the Southern Classic

volleyball tournament in late February and early March.

The tournament is being run by former Club South head Jimmy Peden and will

host nearly 400 club teams over two weekends.

“We’ve just about maxed out as far as the number of teams we can handle,”

said Peden, who last year sold Club South Volleyball to Upward but retained the

Southern Classic tournament.

NET GAME$

SOUTHERN VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC RETURNS AS THOUSANDS TO DESCEND ON AREA


Like previous years, the tournament will be held at several venues in Spartanburg and Greenville counties because there is not a single venue in Spartanburg big enough to host the event, which is divided into two divisions on two different weekends.

“We have 12 venues for the power weekend and 14 for the club weekend,” Peden said. “(Participation) has increased about 30 percent from last year, so we’re almost maxed out as far as the venues we have in our area of the Upstate. A big civic center or something like that would be great, but we don’t have that yet.”

The Club Division is set for play on Feb. 23 and the Power Division, with more than 200 teams, is set for March 2-3.

That means roughly 4,000 players along with hundreds of coaches and family members will travel to the Upstate for the Southern Classic just before spring officially arrives in the Upstate, bringing back with it baseball and softball on the diamonds at TRP and beyond.

But the work to bring events and tourism dollars to the Upstate should never be out of season, according to Brookover.

“I compare to it college football recruiting,” he said. “It’s and arms race. Somebody is always going to be building something shiny and new somewhere else. . . . You have to make sure that you are providing really good services and make sure you’re a really good host.”

Brookover suggested an entity that would

be such a recruiter for both Spartanburg and Greenville counties because research has shown that economic impact involving the neighboring counties is not restrained to county lines.

“People who visit here don’t care about one county or the other,” he said. “They’re here for an experience -- a good experience. That’s what matters to them.”

The Upstate as a whole has plenty for people to do once they arrive, Brookover said.

There are water parks and zoos. There is minor-league baseball with the Greenville Drive in the spring and summer and minor-league hockey with the Greenville Road Warriors in the winter. One can visit the Cowpens battlefield pay homage to Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan in Spartanburg and the infamous Shoeless Joe Jackson in Greenville.

Both downtowns feature restaurants meant for family dining.

The area features some of the top colleges and universities in the South -- and the country -- for prospective students who could soon be looking for choices in higher education and/or to continue their playing careers at the NCAA Division I or Division II level.

“We may not be on the ocean, but we have a ton to offer,” Brookover said. “We have the mountains and rivers and lakes. There’s BMW and Michelin. There’s plenty to keep people entertained that is unique to the area.” GD

INTRIGUING YOUTH SPORTS EVENTS

COMING FOR 2013Feb. 16 - Hub City Ice Bowl Disc

Golf Tournament, Va-Du-Mar Park (Boiling Springs)

Feb. 23 - Southern Classic Volleyball Tournament Club Division, various locations Spartanburg/Greenville

Feb. 28-March 3 - Mid-South Collegiate Softball Tournament, Tyger River Park

March 2-3 - Southern Classic Volleyball Power Division, various locations Spartan-burg/Greenville

March 8 - Country Club of Spartanburg St. Patrick’s Day Shin-Dig (junior tennis)

March 23 - Aquafina Thornblade Junior Tennis Classic, Thornblade Club, Greer

April 6 - Tame the Tyger River Race

April 12 - S.C. Open Junior State Cham-pionship, Pebble Creek, Greer

April 20-21 - CESA Interim Healthcare Spring Challenge Soccer Tournament, CESA Soccer Complex, Greenville

April 22-May 5 - SCSCL Bob Brantley Publix Challenge Cup (first round), U13-U14, Carolina FC Soccer Complex, Wellford

May 3 - Spartanburg Regional Classic (cycling), downtown Spartanburg

May 10 - Carolina’s Open Junior Championship (tennis), Wofford College, Spartanburg

May 31 - 7th Annual Rudy Vargas Junior Tennis Championships, Spartanburg Athletic Club

June 19 - USGA Junior Qualifying, Greenville Country Club-Riverside Course

June 21-23 - American Softball Asso-ciation 18U Gold Territorial National Qualifier, Tyger River Park, North Spartanburg Park

July 12 - 3rd Annual Spartanburg Ath-letic Club Summer Blast (junior tennis)

July 16-17 - SCJGA “The Blade,” Thorn-blade Golf Club, Greer

July 17-21 - USSSA Global World Series, Tyger River Park

Sept. 21-22 - 19th Annual Bobby Chapman Golf Tournament, Country Club of Spartanburg

Sept 27-29 - Gold Diamond National Exposure Tournament (softball), Tyger River Park, North Spartanburg Park

Nov. 1-3 - Gold Diamond National Exposure Tournament (softball), Tyger River Park, North Spartanburg Park

LES TIMMS III PHOTO

16 DECEMBER 2012 u GAME DAY

TylerTime

“It was pitch black. I started to get a little freaked out. . . . The next thing I remember, I woke up in the hospital.”

TYLER WILSON,on sudden illness at age 13 that was

diagnosed to be Pneumococcal Meningitis. LES TIMMS III PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

It might as well have been the monster under the bed – the boogie man in the closet, waiting in the shadows to

strike the unsuspecting, the disbelieving.

Tyler Wilson was 13 years old then. The monsters seemed just as real as the malicious thing that sent him into the darkness and left his life and future balancing precariously atop a peak of hopes and prayers.

“I asked my mom for my Bible,” Wilson recalled, now a 20-year-old junior at Lander University. “I think maybe it scared her. The

only reason I wanted to read it was I felt like I needed to. I knew I should be able to see and feel and stuff like that.”

That was nine years ago. Wilson was lying in a hospital bed, suddenly blind and unable to move. Just hours and days before, he had been a typical 13-year-

old kid growing up on Spartanburg’s west side.

He loved the outdoors – anything out there – fishing, running, jumping.

And more than any of that, he loved baseball – grass and dirt and friends and the sounds of the ball hitting bat and leather. Heaven.

Then, one day Tyler felt strange. He had a headache when he awoke, but went to school anyway because, well, that’s what Tyler did. Even at 13, he knew school was important and it was the right thing to do.

But when he came home early because the headache got worse and worse, he sat back on the sofa. His face turned a ghostly white.

His father, Todd, said somewhere on the

other side of a haze to get up. They were going to the doctor. Then, he said it again.

“Get up.”But Tyler couldn’t. His mind was telling

his body to move, but nothing happened. He managed to open his eyes, but his father’s face wasn’t there. Nothing but darkness.

“It was pitch black,” Tyler recalled. “I started to get a little freaked out. . . . The next thing I remember, I woke up in the hospital.”

The diagnosis after Tyler was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital was Pneumococcal Meningitis, a bacterial, often

Sudden illness nearly takes life of boyBUT NOW, HE’S SWINGING FOR THE FENCESTyler

Time

JOHNCLAYTON

“... IT’S A MIRACLE ... I’m Here.”

Pneumococcal meningitis is an infection that causes swell-ing and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges).

TYLER WILSON WAS 13 WHEN STRUCK DOWN BY MENINGITIS

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001632/

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

LES TIMMS III PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONGAME DAY u FEBRUARY 2013 17


life-shattering if not fatal form of meningitis.Tyler’s prognosis was 24 hours. Maybe.“The doctors were honest with us,” said

mother Karen, a heathcare professional. “They definitely prepared us for the worst.”

The Wilson family was in the middle of every parent’s nightmare.

Tyler was barely breathing on his own.Baseball and all the big-league dreams of

a 13-year-old seemed light years from that hospital room.

But he woke up. He could hear, though he was still blind. Todd talked to his son as time continued to tick on Tyler’s prognosis.

Tyler answered, though he says he doesn’t recall it.

“I was really out of it at that point,” Tyler said of speaking to the doctor, telling him he thought he was in the hospital and he knew something was wrong.

“The doctor,” Tyler said, “was amazed. . . . Within the next couple of days, miraculously, I just kept getting better.”

The flight paramedics gave Tyler an antibiotic not meant to treat Pneumococcal Meningitis en route to the hospital, the doctors said.

But they were never sure whether those drugs helped save Tyler’s life. Tyler believes something stronger than antibiotics was at work.

“It’s kind of a miracle that I’m even standing here today,” he said. “The doctors told me my percentage of walking was slim, my percentage of seeing straight was so slim. They told me that 50 percent of the people who have Pneumococcal Meningitis don’t live, and 50 percent of those people who do survive have something wrong with them – they can’t hear or they can’t see or walk.

“But I’m here today. I can see. I can walk. My memory is perfect. I haven’t had any side effects from it. It’s a miracle.”

He can play baseball – and does for Lander. He is 6-foot-3 and about 200 solid pounds. He can seek a degree from Lander that could lead him to a career in the healthcare profession.

And he can still dream of playing professional baseball, just like when he was 12 years old and the world seemed immense and everything seemed possible.

A miracle?“There were a lot of people praying for me

to get better and I think that’s the reason I’m here today,” he answered.

Karen said members of the family’s church, coworkers and friends were saying those prayers, even as the doctors said medicine could do little.

A well of emotion is dammed before it can escape as Tyler talks of miracles and such. Todd says his son is a lot like him in that regard.

Friends and teammates knew that Tyler

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“When I got sick, they told me I’d never play high school baseball. I’d

never play college baseball. They told me I’d never play professional baseball. Well, I played high school baseball. I’m a college athlete now. Honestly, I feel like if kids have faith in themselves and in God – more than anyone else

tells them – they can be anything they want to be.”

TYLER: ‘IT’S A MIRACLE’

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was sick all those years ago, but few of them know how close he came to dying.

“This is really the first time I’ve been able to talk about it. I couldn’t really tell people how I felt about it, because it was still so much of a shock and I was so in awe of what had happened to me,” Tyler said. “Used to be, if someone brought it up, I’d have to go be somewhere else because I instantly felt like I was going to start crying. It affected me emotionally. Most people don’t face death at that age.”

No, but some people do. And that is why Tyler decided to tell his story just before the beginning of a new year.

“I’ve just sort of realized over the years that everyone has a story and a testimony and mine is that God gave me the will to survive that day,” he said. “Without it, I wouldn’t be here.

“When I got sick, they told me I’d never play high school baseball. I’d never play college baseball. They told me I’d never play professional baseball. Well, I

played high school baseball. I’m a college athlete now. Honestly, I feel like if kids have faith in themselves and in God – more than anyone else tells them – they can be anything they want to be.”

This summer, Tyler will play for the Thomasville Hi-Toms in the Coastal Plains League, an amateur wooden-bat league that features some of the country’s top college baseball talent.

After that? Well, there is a lifetime waiting and there will always be monsters waiting under the bed.

But Tyler Wilson knows they can be beaten back by the light of day, early morning rays of hope and childhood dreams.

The proof is standing there. He’ll be wearing No. 25 for the Lander Bearcats this spring.

He has a story to tell and now the voice to tell it. It says dream big. It says savor every moment. It says fear can be trumped by will.

That’s quite as story -- and just in time for a brand new year. GD


By JOHN CLAYTON

INMAN – Chapman wrestler Jacob Unger came back from the Blue Ridge Mountains in late December with an aggravated case of the flu and a historic milestone at the school.

Unger, a senior wrestling at 135 pounds, notched the 100th victory of his

career at the Pisgah Duals in Canton, N.C., becoming the first Panther wrestler to reach the 100-win plateau.

Another strong season from Unger helped propel the Panthers to a second-place finish in Region III-3A and a state playoff appearance. Eastside eventually captured its ninth state team title, while Lexington won the Class 4A championship

and Bamberg-Erhardt won the Class 2A title.

“It meant a lot, especially being the first one in school history,” Unger said. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since my freshman year. It’s something I’ve definitely worked hard for, and I feel like I deserved it.”

But it didn’t come easy at the end.

Chapman wrestler Jacob Unger notches 100th victory

Milestone

Chapman wrestler Jacob Unger in action for the Panthers this past season. Unger reached the 100th-career-victory plateau in late Decem-ber and helped his team to the Class 3A state playoffs.


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Unger dragged himself to the tournament despite his illness. Thanks to the flu symptoms and altitude, he had trouble getting oxygen into his body.

“My lips and fingernails turned blue,” he said. “It was tough.”

He lost a pair of matches at Pisgah, but still managed the win he needed for No. 100. He improved his season record to 27-4 heading into Chapman’s first matches of 2013 at the Riverside Duals in early January.

Unger’s achievement seemed inevitable from the beginning for a wrestler who takes the sport seriously, wrestling year-round on AAU club teams in addition to his high school career.

“If I’m not wrestling or working out, I’m probably sleeping,” Unger said.

The mat, he said, is where things come together for him.

“I like the hard work and dedication,” Unger said. “I like the discipline you have to have. I like to work hard and I like challenges. . . . I like going into

the wrestling room and I can just let go of whatever – I can just wrestle.”

Unger plans on attending The Citadel next year and hopes to wrestle for the Bulldogs.

He said he is also the first in his family to pursue a military environment and is looking forward to the structure The Citadel will offer.

As a co-captain and team leader, assistant coach Terra Brannon said neither his nor his future plans are much of a surprise surprise.

“As a competitor, he is wonderful. He’s very determined,” said Brannon. “He’s doesn’t go out there unless he’s ready, and he’s always prepared when he goes out there.”

With the 100-victory milestone surpassed, Unger set his sights on a state title, but that quest was hindered by a late-season ankle injury. Evens so, the thought of ending his career with a title was tantalizing before the season came to an end.

“That,” he said, “would be cool.” GD


For anyone with the desire to play sports at the college or professional level, the road is long and hard. This regular feature is about

local athletes, living their dream, competing at ...

By JOHN CLAYTON

Dylan Thompson was on the sidelines for one of South Carolina’s top football moments – Jadeveon

Clowney’s helmet-removing hit against Michigan.

The former Boiling Springs prep star was on the field for another one a few moments later when he threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington to top the Wolverines in the Outback Bowl.

It was the end of an intriguing season for Thompson, a redshirt sophomore who shared quarterbacking duties with junior Connor Shaw during the season and in the Outback Bowl. He also notched victories over East Carolina and rival Clemson as a starter, demonstrating the same strong arm and poise that impressed scouts when he was at Boiling Springs.

The Clowney hit, which analysts are already calling the hit of the year, even though it happened on Jan. 1, was just as impressive from the sidelines, Thompson said.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness,’” he said. “That’s when you just thank God that (Clowney) doesn’t play for anybody else.”

Soon thereafter, Thompson, subbing for an injured Shaw, delivered a touchdown strike to Ellington just before taking a huge hit from a Wolverine defender to lift the Gamecocks to a 33-28 win over Michigan.

“Finally, I looked out there and Connor was down,” Thompson said. “The pressure? Honestly, I didn’t even think about it. I’m just kind of used to it –I go in and he rolls out or I roll out and he’s in. It’s just what we’re used to.”

Thompson played in 11 games

for the Gamecocks this past season, completing 66 of 127 pass attempts for 1,027 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions, splitting most of his time with Shaw.

His role in South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s two-headed monster at quarterback has become one that he has grown to appreciate when others may have problems splitting time at the position.

Spurrier has praised both quarterbacks’ unselfishness.

“We pull for each other. He’s a great quarterback. A great, Christian guy,” Thompson said. “We hang out together. We learn a lot from one another on and off the field.”

Speaking to an audience at The Hangar at the First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, Thompson, who was at times both funny and poignant, said his faith came to him much like that Clowney hit.

“My freshman year, I made some terrible decisions, and it wasn’t who I was,” he said. “All I cared about was me. . . . That night, I was in my dorm room and I called my pastor, Hank Williams – great name, by the way – and told him the whole thing. . . . That was April of 2011. That night, I fully gave my life to Christ.”

Since then, Thompson, who said he had a “Tebow image” as a high school student, said he has truly been “chasing” God’s will in his life.

“I honestly have the coolest conversations with God right on the field during the game,” he said.

That includes the Outback Bowl and Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.

“It was cool to see how God is right there talking to me while everybody else is just going crazy,” said Thompson. GD

Ex-Boiling Springs standout puts faith at the forefront of his game

South Carolina QB Dylan Thomas, a former Boiling Springs standout, cemented his legend with the Gamecocks with a win over Clem-son as a starter and a game-win-ning effort off the bench against Michigan in the Outback Bowl.

PAMELA DUNLAP PHOTO

By JOHN CLAYTON

What a long, strange trip it’s been. And amazingly, Willy Korn’s circuitous trip

through an often perplexing life in football isn’t done – not quite yet.

“It’s an opportunity to continue playing,” Korn said of the phone call he received from the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers. “Goal No. 1 is to beat out whoever you have to beat out and stick with the team. After that, who knows what could happen?”

Korn is still a football player, thanks to a professional contract from the Rattlers, but he told Shrine Bowl players at First Baptist of Spartanburg’s Hangar recently that is not the sum of him – nor should it be of them.

“Football is the sport you play but it’s not who you are,” Korn said. “Don’t let the game define who you are.”

There was a time when it seemed as if everyone knew the definition of Korn. After winning three state titles at Byrnes, he was one of the state’s most decorated athletes. He was a five-star recruit and signed with Clemson. From there, he would surely lead the Tigers to unprecedented glory and then on to be the highly drafted savior of an NFL franchise.

Then, real life happened.Korn injured his throwing shoulder. He

came back too soon and reinjured it. Cullen Harper won the starting job, and Korn’s Clemson career was over more quickly than it began.

With NCAA eligibility left, Korn transferred to Marshall, saying he wanted to prove his critics wrong and show them he could play at the Division I level, only to find his mechanics in shambles and his confidence in ruins.

“That’s not the mindset I should’ve had going into it,” Korn said. “I was there for two-and-a-half months and two weeks into

camp their coaching staff told me I wasn’t good enough to play for them. It’s the most frustrating and embarrassing time of my life.

“I really didn’t want to play the game anymore. I was this close to quitting.”

But he also needed some sort of closure, and he found it close to home at NCAA Division II North Greenville University’s fledgling program.

It was Tigerville, but a million miles from the bright lights of Clemson.

“At that point, I just wanted to play football,” Korn said. “I didn’t care about stats or how many times I could read my name in the newspaper. I just wanted to play football.

Korn got back to the basics that made him a prep star, rebuilding his throwing motion with the help of his father in his backyard.

Eventually, the quick release and accuracy that intrigued college scouts across the country returned as did Korn’s confidence.

“I was so gun shy after the Marshall situation, I was just timid. When things go poorly for you, it affects you mentally and it’s hard to be as aggressive as maybe you should be,” he said. “The good thing about playing at North Greenville is we played a really light schedule that first year, so I was able to kind of build myself up and get some self esteem back inside me.

“I wasn’t thinking about al the bad things.

I was thinking about the good things and could let the football fly.”

In Korn’s second season at NGU, he led the Crusaders to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals and a No. 10 ranking.

“What we were able to do there was one of the highlights of my career,” Korn said. “It was a big deal to us. . . . Everyone either transferred there or didn’t have any scholarship offers. That fueled us. We had a blue-collar mentality and looked at ourselves as a group of castaways.”

Korn’s turnaround at NGU coupled with reportedly solid workouts in front of professional scouts prior to last year’s NFL Draft

Still, NFL teams passed. So did the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

But the Rattlers, the defending AFL Champions, did not.

Korn will leave for Phoenix at the end of February, a 30-hour drive but just another leg in his long, unexpected journey.

“It may last a year, maybe two and then who knows? Other guys have made it to the CFL or NFL, like Kurt Warner,” he said. “But I’m going out there to enjoy the experience and build relationships with guys. I’d like to coach at in the college game at some point and I know relationships in football are important.” GD

Byrnes legend continues quest to follow pro dream in

Arizona with Arena team

Willy Korn (15), who resurrected his career at North Greenville, is headed to the desert after signing over the offseason with the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers.

22 DECEMBER 2012 u GAME DAY24 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY

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In February, athletic directors across the state began their annual meetings to consider business put before them by the Executive Committee of the

South Carolina High School League.They were to mull over some very

interesting choices to make.At the heart of

the discussions is the way schools will be grouped for competition for the 2014-2015 seasons. There are two new and interesting proposals on the table along with the state’s traditional realignment plan.

In a proposal set forth by League Executive Director Jerome Singleton at

the request of the members, schools would move to a five-division classification for football only. This proposal would give the four largest classifications in the state eight regions of five teams each. Teams would be able to schedule 11 regular-season games, and the top two teams from each region would advance to the playoffs.

The move would also decrease the existing number of football state champions to five from the current seven.

Area coaches and athletic directors have expressed some concern over the proposal, including the difficulty of scheduling non-region games, particularly at the proposed 5A level, and the fact that the proposal only focuses on football.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee in January, a group led by Conway High School football coach and athletic director Chuck Jordan issued another proposal: dividing the state’s schools into three classifications. At playoff time, each classification would be divided into two divisions, with six state champions not just for football, but for every sport.

Under that plan, schools would be able to play a geographically-compatible region schedule, and be paired with teams of a more similar size in the playoffs. There

would be a single, statewide points system for all sports, and 16 of the 34 teams in each division of each classification would advance to the playoffs, based on the point system, region finish, and criteria to be determined.

Each of the proposals has good points and bad, supporters and detractors. It’s up to the athletic directors to make a recommendation to the Executive Committee. It’s up to the Executive Committee to act.

Of course, they could do nothing.That would presumably leave the

League’s member schools where they currently are: four divisions, divided champions in 1A, 2A and 4A for football only, and difficult-to-understand points systems in every football playoff classification. The current structure also features far-flung travel for a number of schools, competitive disadvantages for the

smallest schools in each class, and more than half of each classification advancing to the playoff field.

Some of those things need to change. Under the current reclassification structure, a few schools statewide present location problems that make realignment a geographical nightmare. That leads to increased travel and odd regions that affect other teams, including situations in which teams participate in one region for football and a separate region for all other sports.

Anything is better than that. Whether it’s a five-class proposal that addresses football problems or an attempt at a more permanent solution through a three-team proposal, the High School League has a chance to make some significant, meaningful, useful changes to the realignment process.

Here’s hoping they’ll take it. GD

JEDBLACKWELL

HIGH SCHOOL REPORT

SCHSL HAS CHANCE TO MAKE RIGHT REALIGNMENT CALL FOR 2014-15

S.C. High School League athletic directors are considering three realignment options.

ONE WOULD REALIGN FOOTBALL REGIONS ONLY, creating five divisions; another would create three divi-sions for all sports and the third keep current alignments.

THE SCHSL IS ATTEMPTING TO CUT DOWN TRAVEL and create more geographically friendly regions across the state.


UPWARD TOURNEY PICSOR FCA COL-

UMN

Faith in Sports

Lessons learned on losing end

Playoffs in middle school basketball are always filled with drama. The one sure thing is

that you never know what to expect! Recently in the playoffs, two of the local middle school teams were playing and it was a blowout. The winning team was ahead by almost 30 points in mid-third quarter and the losing team’s coach decided to give all of his boys a chance to play.

As he shuffled his second and third team in, the opposing team continued to mash the gas and carried out a full court press. I thought to myself, surely there will be personnel changes in the 4th quarter but the first team players continued on and the rout was on.

I watched the bench on the

losing team and saw how the first team players were cheering on their buddies that were second and third string. I saw how the coach was passionately pouring into the boys even though they were down by a landslide.

While it would be easy to focus on the frustration that I had because the winning team ran the full court press the entire game, the lesson I learned that night was how in the midst of adversity, the losing team never lost sight of the bigger picture. What was the bigger picture?

All my life I have heard, it’s not where you win or lose….its how you play the game. During this playoff game, I saw that phrase come to life. The losing team’s coach loved his boys so

much…all of them…and had created an environment where the boys loved each other.

This paid dividends throughout the season and while they will not be able to pat themselves on the back as conference champs, they learned a much bigger lesson. Sports represent an opportunity for us as parents and coaches to teach life lessons that really matter.

Too many times, we have all seen coaches who are so wrapped up in the win and point spread, that they lose sight of the bigger picture. They lose sight that there are players who have sacrificed so much for the team and deserve an opportunity to “shine”, they lose sight that they should work

to instill the environment that centers on love, encouragement, effort, and team.

There is nothing wrong in striving for excellence and to reach the highest potential, but when that goal overshadows the value of relationships and a person’s value, it introduces the law of diminishing returns.

Philippians 2:3 says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves”.

This is a passage that reminds all of us to check our motives and our goals.

I am fully convinced that the coach who lost that playoff game desperately wanted to win it, but in the midst of the battle, he never lost sight of the fact that he wanted his boys to always see a bigger picture…because how you play the game really does matter….and more people see that than most coaches or players realize. For all the coaches who see the bigger picture, there are scores of parents who thank you for validating their child and for validating the hours and hours of practices, snacks, and carpool time to be part of a sport that has the potential of bringing out the best in all of us! GD

by REV. SETH BUCKLEY

Rev. Seth Buckley is Minister to Students at First Baptist Spartanburg.

Bigger picture remained in focus for players, coaches

... The losing coach wanted his boys to always see a bigger picture…because how you play the game really does matter. ...


DOC TIME

GAMEKEEPER’S THUMB

Gamekeeper’s thumb is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of

the metacarpal phalangeal joint (MCP) of the thumb. This is also called Skier’s Thumb. This injury is often seen in ball-handling athletes. The mechanism of injury is falling on an outstretched hand with a forced radial deviation of the thumb.

Running backs often suffer this injury with falls while trying to land with a football stretched out to gain extra yardage. In the high school athlete, this injury is often associated with a fracture at the base of the thumb proximal phalanx.

Diagnosis:Clinically, the thumb

will be swollen, usually with bruising, over the ulnar aspect of the MCP joint. Ecchymosis

can extend into the first web space. The athlete may have difficulty holding a football or opening a car door.

Routine x-rays should be taken to rule out a fracture. In the adolescent athlete, the growth plate often fractures. This fracture is

termed a Salter fracture and can often disrupt the proximal phalanx growth plate.

If x-rays are negative, then the thumb should be stressed to

determine potential instability. The MCP joint should be stressed in full extension and 30 degrees of flexion. A radial force to the thumb MCP joint is used. Often,a Xylocaine wrist or thumb block is used to allow relaxation. If the thumb MCP joint opens up 30 to 40 degrees more than the normal thumb, then the ulnar collateral ligament is torn. The stable thumb has a firm end point with opening less than 30 degrees than the contralateral thumb.

Treatment:Stable injuries (less than 30

degrees stress) are treated in a cast or a splint for four weeks. Football players may usually return to the field after the swelling and pain has subsided. The player should be fitted with a thumb spica plastic splint. Displaced fractures should be treated surgically with internal fixation. Unstable thumbs should be treated with surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament.

These lesions generally do not heal because of a Stener lesion. The Stener lesion is a unique anatomic alignment of the adductor aponeurosis of the thumb that blocks the ligament from remaining in contact with the bone.

The unstable ulnar collateral ligament usually is an avulsion of the proximal growth plate in adolescent athletes, but it may rupture without a fracture. These injuries are treated surgically with anatomic repair for the best results.

Chronic UCL Injuries:Chronic injuries can often

be very disabling. These injuries result in pain with opening doors and shaking

hands, and they result in significant weakness of grip strength. They generally require reconstruction of the thumb ulnar collateral ligament with a tendon graft. The palmaris longus tendon in the forearm is often used for reconstruction.

Clinical Discussion:Having a stable UCL is a

very important requirement for hand function. A stable thumb ligament is required for passing a football,shaking hands, and opening doors. This injury is often overlooked in sports injuries, and it is treated with taping and benign neglect. The knowledge of the mechanism of injury can allow coaches to warn players to “protect” their hands as they fall. Bringing the football close to the body in a tucked position not only protects the ball but may save a serious thumb injury. The knowledge of stressing the thumb ulnar collateral ligament on the field by the trainers may allow early and better treatment. This will ultimately protect our athletes from a long-term disabling problem. GD

Dr. Keith trained in Orthopedics at UNC Chapel Hill and completed a Hand

Fellowship at the Curtis Hand Center in Baltimore.

Green’s Operative Hand Surgery by David P. Green was a

source for this discussion.

JOHN E.KEITH, MD


CHIP, DON’T FLIP

Having a good short game is the key to having a good golf game. A golfer can make up for a bad day ball-striking by

having the short game to make up for the long game.

A part of this is to be an exceptional chipper of the golf ball. Many players that I see struggling with chipping is in large part due to poor form, not feel. Many golfers flip their hands at impact. This causes skulls, chunks, and overall inconsistency.

Abby Driscoll, a senior at Byrnes High School and a recent Presbyterian College golf commitment, shows in the photo at right how she has learned to hold her

angle through the chip producing much more consistent results. A good drill to learn the proper sensation for holding through finish is to think of chipping like a putting stroke with simply a different set-up.

Most golfers do not flip their wrists during a putting stroke, likewise you should not during a chip. Another good idea is to put a separate club parallel to your wedge where the grip of the second club is one to two feet higher. If you chip like this and flip your hands, the grip of the second club will hit your side and it will give you immediate feedback on your weaknesses chipping.

Try these thoughts and drills to become a short game guru and get rid of those skulls and chucks.

Happy Golfing. GD

Reach the Kyle Owings Golf Academy at (864) 205-4221

KYLEOWINGS

GOLF ACADEMY

Abby Driscoll shows she has learned to hold her angle through the chip producing much more consistent results.

Which Team Are You Really Cheering For?Do you ever evaluate your purchases and think about who you are really supporting? Are you supporting people that support you? I urge every SPORTS FANATIC to look through this magazine and

find someone you can support. These are the people that continu-ally give to your organization and children. It is time we as Citizens

rally behind local businesses that are trying to give back to their community. I urge you to flip through this magazine right now and

find someone you can support. BILLY WEBBER

(O) 864-814-4744(C) 864-621-4761

Philippians 2:2-5

New King James Version (NKJV)2 Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of

one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

CONGRATULATIONS 2012 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERSPEYTON ALLEN AND XAVIER KILLINGS


I often find myself trying to explain the importance of speed and agility training and

correcting mistakes in training and technique. I have been blessed to travel the country and learn from some of the best in the strength and conditioning industry and I want to share many of the tips I’ve learned to develop better athletes.

1. There is a misconception that speed can’t be taught. Ever athlete does have a genetic ceiling but a genetically inferior athlete can surpass a more gifted athlete by maximizing their efficiency.

2. Speed is a skill albeit a very complex one. It requires total body coordination (arms, legs and trunk) that can be developed with good coaching and a solid work ethic.

3. A good training session is not about inducing fatigue. It’s about learning to move better while managing fatigue.

4. When you train slow, you get slow. Long running

sessions to condition athletes is just about the worst thing you can do for the performance of a team sport athlete.

5. The No. 1 goal of any strength and agility program is to prevent injury. An athlete is no good if he can’t stay on the field.

6. Core stability is about an athlete being able to maintain great posture during running and cutting. Sit ups and crunches are a recipe for poor posture and a bad back.

7. Single leg stability and strength

are critical for skills such as cutting, jumping and running. Train more single leg exercises such as single leg squats, lunges and single leg deadlifts.

8. Jump training should be incorporated into any field or court athlete’s program. Technique is everything here. If an athlete doesn’t demonstrate good landing technique they can easily develop an injury. Don’t do this type of training if you don’t know what you are doing!

9. Any coach can have their athletes lift weights. Strength training is not just about lifting heavy weights. It’s

about mastering movement mechanics first, and then progressively overloading the movements.

10. Just doing drills doesn’t make an athlete better. Kids need to be coached and taught the why as well as the how.

11. Do less bench press and more pull-ups and rows.

12. You must learn how to absorb force before you learn to create it.

13. Putting force into the ground is the key to running faster, jumping higher and cutting faster. Increase your

strength to increase your force into the ground.

14. If you are not strength training during your season an athlete is losing the equivalent of one year of athletic development during their high school career.

15. Two things an athlete can control going into every training session is attitude and effort. GD

Ken Finley is a physical thera-pist and certified youth speed and agility specialist. To learn more about his youth athletic develop-ment programs you can contact him at [email protected].

Importance of speed and agility training

KENFINLEY

YOUTH FITNESS

Ken Finley works with young athletes during a recent training session. The athletes stretch and also work on building their core strength.

Batting & Athletic Training

511 Southport Rd Spartanburg, SC

864-580-0091

www. AllStarBAT.com

Hours:

M-F 3 pm—8 pm Sat 10 am—6 pm Sun 2 pm—6 pm

“Where Everyone Is An All-Star!”

Now Offering Fitness Classes With Tara Youngblood of Studio Fitness

Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays $5 per class or $25/month unlimited

Yolate’s, Motion Mix, G-Flow, PowerZen, Limberrest

*Speed & Agility Saturdays 9am

*Team Practices

*Lessons for Baseball & Softball

*Memberships

*Room Rental

and Birthday Parties

MARCH & APRIL

Readers are encouraged to send in photos, stories, upcoming sporting events, and any other submission you would like to see on the pages of this magazine.

PHOTOSSend action shots or “fans in the stands’”

to [email protected] Note what the photos cover and provide

names if you would like.

STORIESDo you have a story idea? Send story

ideas or written stories [email protected]

Story possibilities include:Inspirational storiesThe story behind an athleteA “where are they now?”Coach’s cornerStories on healthy living and active

lifestyles

STUDENT SUBMISSIONSPlayer Talk – Students can submit stories

from their point of view as an athlete. These personal essays can tell of a sports memory, describe what you have learned playing a sport, or any humorous, inspirational or fun sports related story. Include name, age and school you attend.

Send [email protected]

CLIPBOARD EVENTSSend upcoming events in Spartanburg,

Greenville and Cherokee counties, sign-ups for recreational leagues, fundraising/charitable events or other programs of interest to youth athletes.

Must be sent at least one month prior to the date of event to:

[email protected]

REACH PARENTS WHO ARE ALREADY PLANNING KIDS’ SUMMER ACTIVITIES

More information: Les Timms III864.804.0068 / [email protected]

special SUMMER CAMP editions

/ “Advertising in GAME DAY MAGAZINE helped us fill our summer volleyball camps...” > COREY HELLE, former Wofford College head volleyball coach /


BRING YOUR PARTY TO US

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1509 John B. White Sr. Blvd / Spartanburg / 864.576.83296100 Wade Hampton Blvd/Taylors / 864.877.5554

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to see all catering opportunities!

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864.576.8329

february 2013 upstate game day

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