upstate game day

SPECIAL EDITION: BEST OF 2014

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BY JOHN CLAYTON / P.12

STARTING POINT

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> SUPER DRIVE: LANDON COHEN soaring on, off field

> TIGER BOUND: TAVIEN FEASTER makes it official

Deion Holmes and a group of 10 year olds

dominated the competition years ago. The team is no more, but the

I-TOWN BALLERS learned valuable lessons they carry

with them today...

vol. 4, no. 3PLEASE TAKE ONEFREE!

>> NATIONAL SIGNING DAY FEATURES & PHOTOS >> NEXT LEVEL: SPENCER COLLINS, CHARLENDEZ BROOKS >> ATHLETES IN ACTION PHOTOS & MORE

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; Dr. Chi Lim, MD.

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

GAME DAY u upstategameday.com 3

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; Dr. Chi Lim, MD.

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

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

high-traffic locations. Copies may be picked up inside many restaurants, including Bojangles, Fuddruckers, Pizza Inn, The Clock, Chick-Fil-A (eastside & Hwy 290), bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Academy Sports, medical offices, gyms/fitness centers, schools, hair salons, and many more locations.

For more information, email [email protected].

> 10

> 12

> 18

LANDON COHEN soaring on field, in community

I-TOWN BALLERS’ legacy continues on local courts

TAVIEN FEASTER choosesTigers over Vols, Auburn

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Big day arrives for athletes

SPENCER COLLINS

CHARLENDEZ BROOKS

> 22

> 30> 31

Leading Off

Spartanburg Medical Center 14-4641Publication: Game Day - Front Cover

Size: 8.375” x 10.875” Agency: CHR Communications • 704-243-6080

Injuries Can Happen

Whether you are on the field or cheering on the sidelines, sports can mean a visit to the doctor. The Sports Medicine Institute at the Upward Star Center in Spartanburg is here to help your athlete get back in the game.

Progressive programs combined with experts from orthopaedic surgery, physical therapy and sports medicine help your athlete achieve optimal results.

The Sports Medicine Institute is headed up by John Lucas IV, M.D. Dr. Lucas, a sports medicine specialist, is part of the Medical Group of the Carolinas, a group of 275 physicians in 20 specialties.

Sports Medicine Institute

For an appointment or to learn more about the Sports Medicine Institute, call 864-641-7400.

The Institute offers two clinics:

Sports Concussion Clinic – for concussion or post-concussion symptoms

Ultrasound-Guided Injection Clinic – provides precise delivery of medication in musculoskeletal injections

9768 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy., Suite B, Spartanburg, SC 29301 • 864-641-7400 • SpartanburgRegional.com

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For more information, call 864-641-7400.

SpartanburgRegional.com

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Spring Break Camp at Wofford College: April 6 - 9 Break with us to become faster, stronger and more explosive!

Ages 8-12 – 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. / $60

Ages 13-18 – 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. / $80

Together, We Keep Your Athlete Running

Spartanburg Regional Rehabilitation Services has teamed up with STACK Velocity Sports Performance to keep your star athlete or weekend warrior free from athletic injuries, and help them mend when injuries happen.

At STACK, our expert coaches help athletes of all levels become faster and stronger. Learning the proper mechanics of training, developing core strength, agility skills, flexibility and balance are all part of proper training for injury prevention.

When injuries do happen, the Spartanburg Regional Rehabilitation Services team of physical, occupational and hand therapists are there to return you or your athlete to your former level of fitness.

STACK Velocity Sports Performance offers a proven program chosen by more athletes nationwide. Our Spring Break curriculum places a high priority on running technique, athlete coordination, balance and relative strength and an introduction to essential muscular movement patterns.

Our services are offered in several convenient locations across the Spartanburg area, including:

Thomas E. Hannah YMCA 151 Ribault St, Suite 200 Spartanburg

Upward – Sports Medicine Institute 9768 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy, Suite C Spartanburg

Pelham Medical Center 2755 South Hwy 14, Greer

Rehabilitation Services – East 480 Floyd Rd, Spartanburg

Rehabilitation Services – Skylyn 1702 Skylyn Dr, Spartanburg

Spartanburg Medical Center 15-4692Publication: Game Day - Back Cover

Size: 8.375” x 10.875” Agency: CHR Communications • 704-243-6080

GAME DAY Sports Magazine

EDITOR & PUBLISHER /LAYOUT/DESIGN EDITOR

LES TIMMS IIIles.timms

@upstategameday.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR / SENIOR WRITER

JOHN [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF SALES& MARKETING

MATT [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

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North Greenville’s Martin Alcox elevates over the net to get a kill against Pepperdine in a mens’ volleyball match at the Upward Star Center recently.The Waves defeated NGU 3-0.The Crusaders are in the first year of fielding mens volleyball.

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NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LOCAL SPORTS SCENE

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First Tee names McGetrick director of programmingThe First Tee of Spartanburg & Cherokee Counties is

pleased to announce the hiring of Sara Anne McGetrick as Director of Programming & Development with respon-sibility for programming oversight for the organization, promoting positive values through the game of golf to over 25,000 boys and girls through Open Enrollment classes at The Creek, Woodfin Ridge, and Cherokee National golf clubs as well as outreach and school partnerships.

McGetrick will also assist Executive Director, Fran Dunn, with management strategies and development ac-tivities. “Over the past 30 days, I have spoken with creden-tialed candidates. None is a better fit nor more qualified and engaged to promote our youth development mission than Sara Anne,” Dunn said.

Prior to returning to Spartanburg in 2011 to direct the inaugural Converse College women’s golf program, McGetrick taught golf professionally in Colorado for over 20 years. McGetrick was a student athlete at Spartanburg High School, and played golf for Furman University

under Mic Potter, a 1994 National Golf Coaches Hall of Fame inductee. While playing for the Paladins, McGetrick won two indi-vidual tournaments, and helped her team qualify for the Division I NCAA National Championships in each of her four seasons.

After earning a BA in Sports Management from Furman in 1985, McGetrick turned pro and played on

the LPGA tour from 1986-1992. During her time on the tour, she garnered a top-3 finish in three tour events.

“Being involved with a dynamic global organization like The First Tee is very exciting. The local chapter has expanded its youth development mission exponentially over the past four years. I am beyond thrilled at this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our youth as golfers and future citizens,” McGetrick said.

McGETRICK

TEBOW MAKES NIGHT SHINE

Local sports broadcast person-ality Matt Smith has joined Upstate Game Day as Director of Sales & Marketing.

Smith has been covering sports in Upstate South Carolina for more than a decade. Formerly the presi-dent of ESPN Spartanburg, “Smitty” is best known from his time as co-host of the radio talk show “Open Mic Daily.”

In addition to his time as a commentator, Smith has worked in a play-by-play capacity for ESPN3, ESPNU and CSS.

Smith will oversee sales and marketing efforts and help the magazine build additional revenue streams. He will also con-tribute a column on a regular basis as well as share other editorial duties.

“We are very pleased that Matt has joined us,” said Les Timms III, editor and publisher.

“He is well respected in the Up-state and will play a key role helping us build the magazine, in addition to providing expertise to help us move into other platforms.”

After breaking into journalism at the Spartanburg Herald-Jour-nal, Smith ventured into radio to develop “Open Mic Daily” and spearheaded the launch of ESPN Spartanburg. Smith would go on to call games for the Spartanburg Vikings, Dorman Cavaliers, Boiling Springs Bulldogs, Broome Centuri-ons, USC Upstate Spartans, among others.

While acting as president at ESPN Spartanburg, he created the High School Command Center, a multi-platform program utilizing social media in concert with whipa-round coverage to broadcast Friday Night football in a new way.

Most recently, he’s also been seen as an opinion maker on WSPA’s Scene on 7.

SMITH

Sports veteranMatt Smith joins

‘Upstate Game Day’

Upstate teens and adults with special needs had a chance to experience prom Friday night. Brookwood Church in Simpsonville was one of 50 sites across the U.S. to hold a Night to Shine prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Founda-tion. Tebow made a surprise appearance.

GWINN DAVIS photo


The Upward Star Center opened in September and has hosted a vast array of special events and

tournaments, drawing thousands of athletes and families to Spartanburg and the Upstate.

In January, The Star Center hosted the prestigious Winter Bump Volleyball Classic in which teams from Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas competed for age specific titles. Most of all though, it gave Spartanburg and the Upward Star Center a chance to shine.

Comments from guests ranged from “I’ve never seen anything like this...” “Unbelievable... fantastic... great place for kids!”

The $19 million complex is host to Upward basketball and volleyball, rock climbing, baseball, softball, la-crosse and soccer. Non-sports events include birthday parties, meetings and special conferences.

This summer the complex will hold a a series of 10 weekly sports camps that will begin in June.

UPWARD STAR CENTER MAKES SUCCESSFUL DEBUTSCENES FROM THE WINTER BUMP VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC

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Spartanburg East Office875 East Main Street

NOT A FOUNDERS MEMBER? Visit RelaxJoinFounders.com to see

if you qualify for membership.Federally insured by NCUA.

USC Upstate’s Ty Greene (5) celebrates a victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans at the G.B. Hodge Center earlier this season.

Spartanburg’s only indoor tennis courts

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SPARTAN VICTORY


By JOHN CLAYTONOn Twitter @JCTweetsOn

Months went by for LANDON COHEN af-ter the former Spartanburg High standout was released in the NFL preseason by the

Buffalo Bills.

But as the Christmas lights were beginning to shine in Spartanburg, a phone call came that gave new breath to Cohen’s football dreams.

In November, as Cohen built his Spartanburg-based valet business with his partners and lifelong friends, cousins Terence Dawkins and Jeff Dawkins, the defending NFL Champion Seattle Seahawks gave the defensive end an envi-able shot at a Super Bowl ring.

“It was a great experience. After all the media days and all that, it wasn’t too busy,” Cohen said. “It was a business trip. We didn’t get the result that we wanted to get, but in

every game, there’s going to be a winner and a loser.”The Sehawks were just about a yard away from a go-ahead

Hometown hero LANDON COHEN makes

community his business

Landon Cohen (67) and Seahawks DE Cliff Avril (56) after Seattle’s

NFC Championship win over Green Bay.

Landon Cohen poses with Terrie Fowler’s kindergarten class at E.P. Todd Elementary.

SUPER DRIVE


touchdown in the final minute when an inter-ception ended Cohen’s chance of becoming the first former Spartanburg High School player to earn a Super Bowl ring since quarterback Steve Fuller won with the Chicago Bears in 1986.

To be so close, a half-yard away and we didn’t get the job done,” Cohen said. “But that’s just the nature of the game. If you watched the (NFL Championship), a lot of things went our way in that game. A lot of things went our way against the Patriots, but we came up short.”

Cohen, who left Spartanburg to start at Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference, may have won the two-week-long media circus leading up to the game.

The story of the valet who went from park-ing cars in his hometown to the Seahawks roster became a national story first reported by Yahoo! Sports.

It wasn’t exactly “Rudy”, but it certainly turned Cohen’s into the feel-good story of the Super Bowl.

Cohen and the Dawkins cousins started The Valet, LLC in Spartanburg last year.

“We were looking for a way to serve,” Cohen said. “We wanted to do something that we could serve people. We were thinking about do some-thing good for our city.”

The business has been growing, and may have received at least a little boost from the publicity surrounding the Super Bowl.

“(Business) was good before we left, but we’re doing a lot more business outside of spar-tanburg and Greenville,” Cohen said, noting that people who have read his story online may be finding their way to The Valet website (theva-let864.com). “I would like to think people are starting to understand why we do what we do as a valet company.”

ADMITTEDLY, THAT TOOK A LITTLE TIME when the business first began in Spartan-burg.

Then, people were wary of the new business and sometimes even called the police about the service.

“I think some people couldn’t conceive that our town would have a valet service,” he said.

Cohen has spent parts of six seasons with six different NFL teams, including the first two out of Ohio with the Detroit Lions.

Even if Cohen didn’t always know his next NFL destination -- or if there would be one -- he always returned home. Lately, he pursued his business interests while training for his next NFL shot, but always he returned to local class-rooms to volunteer.

At E.P. Todd Elementary, he returns to the kindergarten classroom of his former teacher, Terrie Fowler, as well as Mary Wright Elemen-tary.

“They really don’t understand what it means that he’s a football player, but he has a way of talking to (the children),” Fowler said. “It’s just

the way he gets down on their level and talks with them. He has a way to relate to them that’s special. They’re not threatened, but they want to do better to please him.”

FOWLER AND COHEN have remained close over the years.

“I have the utmost respect and love for (my former teachers),” Cohen said. “(Fowler) taught me how to read and that means a lot to me.”

So, now Cohen pays it forward to the members of a new generation who he knows may someday have NFL aspirations or dreams of college.

“I don’t think they realize how much energy and the kind of strength they give me,” Cohen said of the young students. “Because I play football, I think it shows the younger generation they can do it. People may tell them they can’t, but if they work hard and keep at it, they can anything they want to do.”

Cohen is now the favorite Seattle Seahawk at E.P. Todd.

And its favorite valet.“It’s all hand in hand,” Cohen said. “I keep

the same ethic, the same integrity in the way I work with the valet business or with the kids or with football. I’m able to turn each thing off and go full intent on the task at hand.”

He hasn’t decided whether part of that task will be another try at an NFL roster when train-ing camps open in August or if it might be with the Seahawks.

But he figures to be ready if the phone rings again.

“It was one of those things where I contin-ued to work out and do the things I was sup-posed to do to be ready,” Cohen said. “I prepared for (the Seattle) opportunity.

“I fall in love with the process and the jour-ney and the hard work -- and it’s not really hard work when you love what you do.” UGD

“I FALL IN LOVE with the process

and the journey and the hard work --

and it’s not really hard work when you love what

you do.”

Cohen shares some Super Bowl memories with students at E.P. Todd.

LANDON COHEN

Cohen with friend and former kindergarten teacher, Terrie Fowler.


‘I-TOWN’ STILL BALLIN’

Not so long ago, a special team of young athletes came together to build a winning tradition. The team is no more, but the victories

continue for the players who have grown into young men and athletes on the county’s football fields and basketball courts.

One standout -- 2A Player of the Year Deion Holmes -- gives credit to the I-TOWN BALLERS

for helping him become the player he is today...

THE I-TOWN BALLERS

10-Under team competed in

regional and national AAU

tournaments and captured

their share of wins. The

team was coached by

Valorie Whiteside and her

husband Joaquin, both of

whom played professional-

ly in Europe.

1st row-L to R: Jaylen Pet-

tit, Darius Williams, Richey

Shell, G Proctor

2nd row-L to R: Colton

(Cujo) Ayers, Deion Holmes,

JJ Arcega-Whiteside and

Drew Copeland.



DEION HOLMES, the reigning S.C. Class 2A Player of the Year,

established himself as the top scorer and arguably the best player in Spartanburg County as a junior.

But that was last year.The sequel proved even

better.As a senior, Holmes upped

his scoring average from 31 to nearly 40 points per game, in-cluding a school record-setting 61-point performance in Jan-uary that he followed up with a 60-point game in an early February win over Liberty. Ev-ery point added to his Chesnee career scoring record.

His rebounds improved as well -- from 12 per game last year to 15 this year. Assists, too.

WITH FIVE MID-MA-JOR OFFERS IN HAND, Holmes has already made a verbal commitment to head coach Eddie Payne’s improv-ing USC Upstate program. He repeated as the Class 2A Player of the Year and has certainly made a case for Mr. Basketball honors.

“It’s been a pleasure watch-ing him,” said Chesnee head coach Andy Pitt. “He’s having to play through a little bit more maybe than some of the other guys are, physicality-wise, go-ing to the basket.

“But, not really, (his perfor-mances) don’t surprise me. He’s improved his game. His 3-point shooting was probably his weakness at the end of last year. He shot it pretty well there in the third quarter (in a 38-point effort against Pendleton). But he’s worked extremely hard to get to that point.”

And that point closed in on the end of an extraordinary high school career -- one of the best and most lauded careers in the history of basketball in Spartanburg County.

“I think my confidence hasn’t been where it needed to be, but I think it’s getting there,” Holmes said. “It’s continuously growing.”

BUT THERE WAS AN-OTHER POINT -- a point where it all began for Holmes and a group of players who came together to compete for a very successful 10-under AAU team called the I-Town Ballers.

That team’s roster included some of the top athletes found lately on basketball courts and football fields across the county.

On National Signing Day, Feb. 4, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Dorman teammate Aron Span signed letters of intent to play football at Stanford and The Citadel, respectively. When Holmes signs with USC Upstate, he will be the third Di-vision I signee from the I-Town Ballers 10-Under team with other hopefuls on area football and basketball rosters.

“It’s very amazing,” Holmes said. “Back then, we did what we did then, and we’re still

“EVERYBODY LOOKED AT US AND THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO KILL US because we weren’t as big as

everybody else. But we’d end up winning the tournament. We had great team chemistry and played

really well together.”

COLTON AYERS / oakbrook prep

Two-time Class 2A Player of the Year Deion Holmes (11) of Chesnee drives against an opponent earlier this season.

Colton Ayers, left, of Oakbrook Prep recalls great team chemistry with I-Town.

GWINN DAVIS photo

GWINN DAVIS photo


doing what we did. We got after it then, and we’re still progressing, trying to get better every day.”

The I-Town (the “I” is for In-man) roster, also included Nathan Alimagham of Dorman, Colton Ayers of Oakbrook Prep, junior football and basketball standouts Mike Murphy and Tavaris Scott of Spartanburg High and Chap-man’s quartet of Jaylen Pettit, Ritchie Shell, Tyshann Mabry and Drew Copeland.

“Everybody looked at us and thought they were going to kill us because we weren’t as big as everybody else,” Ayers recalled. “But we’d end up winning the tournament. We had great team chemistry and played really well together.”

THE I-TOWN TEAM STAYED together for several years, moving up through the AAU age divisions and continuing their winning ways in regional and national tournaments.

“Playing against (those players) every day and having us push each other definitely helped,” Ayers said. “Knowing where we stood practicing against each other helped us get better.”

The I-Town team was coached by current Dorman girls head coach and Inman native Valorie Whiteside and husband Joaquin, both of whom played professional-ly in Europe.

“When we go to other places

and see these guys all playing and all excelling, it feels really good,” Whiteside said. “All that work we put in, laying down a good foun-dation carried over.

“They were coachable. They were kids, so they were open to coaching. They were boxing out; they were playing help-team de-fense all because they were willing to learn.”

Copeland, whose senior bas-ketball season at Chapman ended prematurely due to a knee injury, said that early coaching helped the entire roster develop.

“We were playing a 1-3-1 (defense),” Copeland said. “We learned a lot of the fundamentals of higher level defenses. And we were trying to push the ball on fast breaks -- you just don’t see that at that age.”

HOLMES ATTRIBUTES SOME OF THE SUCCESS he has enjoyed to the coaching he received as a 10-year-old.

“It helped me develop. It helped me grow,” Holmes said. “Back then, it was learning the little things. Now, I don’t have to think about the little things.”

One thing about Holmes, Ayers said, is that the Chesnee star always had a knack for scoring, and that hasn’t changed at all.

“Those 40-point games -- that’s just ridiculous,” Ayers said. “But if anybody could do it, it would be (Holmes). He could always score.”

Ritchie Shell (35) is one of four Chapman players who played for I-Town along with Drew Cope-land (right) and Jaylen Pettit (10), below.

“We learned a lot of the fundamentals

of higher level defenses. And we

were trying to push the ball on fast

breaks -- you just don’t see that at

that age.”

DREW COPELAND

I-TOWN / from page 13

GWINN DAVIS photos


ScrambleEaster Egg

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UPCOMING Events

Saturday, April 25It is time again to prepare for the Spartanburg

County Parks Department’s yearly paddling celebra-tion. This promises to be a fun event for all.

MORE INFO: WWW.SPARTANBURGPARKS.ORG/TAME-TYGER/

195 DILLARD PARK, DUNCAN, SC 29334

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9:30 -12 noon

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Athletes in Actionphotos by: • Steve Hinds • Les Timms III • Clay Seebeck

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PPPlease submit your best pics to [email protected]


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BEAST OF THE SOUTHEAST CHAMPSUPWARD STARS 17-1 captured first place in the Beast of the Southeast volleyball tournament in Atlanta during February. Back row (l-r) assistant coach Ken Wentzel, assistant coach Stephanie Palmer, Lily Dempsey, Hannah Lancaster, Thayer Hall, Marianna Warren,Emily Russell, and Coach Kevin Wentzel. Front row, Megan Jones, Morgan Ballard, Madelyn Watts, Courtney Koehler. Dorman’s Thayer Hall was named Most Valuable Beast in the 17-year-old Open division.

HIGH5


By MATT SMITHOn Twitter @gamedaysmitty

A trio of hats adorned a table in front of Spar-tanburg’s Tavien Feast-

er at his commitment cere-mony on Feb. 3. Three hats meant to represent a shell game of “where will he go?”

But when the state’s top running back prospect for 2016 pulled an orange and white cap from a Dillard’s shopping bag at his back, it was revealed what had been poorly hidden. Feaster’s choice was Clemson.

The Vikings’ 5-star standout had briefly juked toward the Tennessee hat and hedged to the Auburn hat, but the 200 fans and media assembled at the ceremony didn’t fall for either fake. There were no gasps of surprise, only shouts of joy at his decision. The Tennessee and Auburn hats laid limply on the table like empty pillowcases amidst the applause.

“Clemson is like family. They always treated me like a priority,” Feaster said. “Coach (Dabo) Swinney preaches that family environment and that’s what I love about Clemson.”

Feaster wasn’t thinking of just his football family as he made his com-mitment, but of his mother Latasha McElrath and his father Terry Feaster, “committing now will make life easier. There’s been a lot of stress on my family.”

TIGER boundFamily focus makes

decision an easy one for Vikings’ TAVIEN FEASTER

“I’ve never

coached a better player.”

CHRIS MILLER

Spartanburg High School coach Chris Miller speaks as Tavien Feaster, mother Latasha McElrath and father Terry Feaster are seated before the big announcement.

Tavien Feaster breaks a tackle en route to gaining extra yardage during a recent contest



There may be fewer phone calls, texts and questions in the coming months, but it would be naïve to think the country’s top schools will stop vying for the services of such a rare prospect.

How rare? Spartanburg coach Chris Miller said of Feast-

er, “I’ve never coached a better player.” That puts Feaster in the company of former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, whom Miller coached at Byrnes.

But a more appropriate comparison for Spartanburg’s no. 28 is Clemson’s former no. 28, CJ Spiller. Spiller starred in track as a Tiger and Feaster, already a state champion in the 100 and 200 meters, plans to follow Spiller’s lead as a two-sport collegian. The similarities don’t stop

there. In both instances, Spiller and Feaster tabbed Clemson’s environment as a deciding factor and each time Clemson had to box out the SEC to land commitments.

In Spiller’s case, it was his home-state Florida Gators. Perhaps, the most important trait shared by Spiller and Feaster is the level of their character, “Clemson got a tremendous athlete, but a better young man,” said Spartanburg athletic director Todd Staley.

The two no. 28’s may have much in common, but to this point, their recruiting stories are very different. During the courtship of Spiller, when Dabo Swinney was Clemson’s recruiting coordina-tor, the Gators didn’t go quietly. Spiller didn’t make his decision known until signing day of his senior year and many observers thought Spiller would land at Florida or Florida State. Spiller opted to

leave the Sunshine State behind and left his mother weeping at his ceremony in 2006.

In 2011, Rivals.com named the competition over Spiller its top recruiting battle of the decade. On the other hand, Swinney and the Tigers have been Feaster’s clear leader since extending a schol-arship offer after the first game of his sophomore season.

Spiller’s announcement was met with silence from an assembled crowd in Lake Butler. Feaster’s announcement was met with only beaming smiles, cheers and back slaps from family and friends.

Clemson will still expect a fight from Auburn, Tennessee; or a dark-horse contender like Ala-bama, Florida State, Georgia or South Carolina. Tennessee finished fifth in the Rivals.com recruit-ing rankings for 2015 and Auburn was just a stride back at no. 6. Those Tigers and the Volunteers didn’t climb so near the top of the recruiting food chain by giving up easily. But Clemson is first and there is no clear cut second place. “It was close between Auburn and Tennessee. If it were between those two, I couldn’t have made my decision, yet. I would have to wait it out a little longer,” Feaster said.

The distinction between a verbal commitment and a letter of intent is a significant one. College coaches have likened the period between a com-mitment and signing day as hand-to-hand combat.

It is 11 months before Clemson can officially claim its prize, after all. But Clemson has become a recruiting power in its own right, finishing fourth in the 2015 Rivals.com recruiting rankings. For his part, Feaster is saying all the things Clemson fans and coaches want to hear, “Clemson feels like home to me.”

In the meantime, Feaster has a track season remaining at the high school level under Glover Smiley and standing just paces away from the 2014 state championship trophy, Miller was also quick to remind everyone while Feaster is committed to Clemson for 2016, “he’s committed to me for 2015.” UGD

“CLEMSON IS LIKE FAMILY. They

always treated me like a priority. Coach Swinney preaches that

family environment and that’s what I

love about Clemson.”

TAVIEN FEASTER

SPILLER

Tavien Feaster stands with his parents following the announcement. Left, Feaster is interviewed by the media.

See our Upstate GameDay channelon YouTube for additional coverage

LES TIMMS III photos

NATIONALSIGNING DAY

2015

Dreams were realized and dozens

of feel-good memories were

made for student-athletes in several sports the first Wednesday

of February.



DaShawn Davis massaged his cheek muscles between the clicks and flashes of cameras.

Smiling can be tough.But Davis was smiling as he signed

with Presbyterian College -- and that was one of dozens of feel-good stories to come out of National Signing Day in the Upstate.

While football gets most of the atten-tion on the first Wednesday in February -- National Signing Day for that sport -- dreams were realized in several sports for local athletes, including baseball, softball, tennis, soccer and others.

All Davis did at Chapman was leave with just about every receiving record that matters, breaking those of former team-mate and current South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

No Panther before had recorded at least 50 catches in three straight seasons. He holds school career records for catches with 218 and receiving hards with 3,572. His 85 catches for 1,600 yards are also single-season records.

But those numbers were superceded by others in the minds of many college coaches.

At 5-foot-8, 155 pounds, Davis was considered too small. His 4.47-second time in the 40-yard-dash was considered a step too slow by some college coaches.

“At the beginning, it was kind of frus-trating,” Davis said. “Teams were saying I was too small or too short, but my (Chap-

man) coaches helped me a lot with it.”

Davis watched as a junior as teammates Samuel and Malik Gray (East Car-olina) signed with Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs, hoping he would get the same chance.

His senior season was all-star caliber, despite the absence of Samuel on the other side. Then, Davis flashed in the North-South All-Star game with a circus catch that set up a touch-down, finishing with two receptions for 48 yards.

“It was probably the best week of my life,” Davis said of his All-Star appearance. “I got to compete against some really good athletes and people who were going to Division I also.

“It was very important for me with myself to see where I was at with my ath-letic abilities.”

Chapman head coach Mark Hodge said there he has no doubts about Davis, as a player or as a person, lauding Davis for his work and achievements as an ath-lete and a leader.

“I kept talking to coaches -- I was talking to some schools that were 2-9 or 3-8 and I said, ‘Listen, you keep doing that with your 6-2 receivers, and I’ll be talking to somebody else in two years,” Hodge said.

“If a guy can play, he can play -- and I think PC got a steal.”

Davis, who Hodge said is the quintes-sential slot receiver for a spread offense, said members of the Blue Hose coaching staff told him he’d have the chance to play right away in head coach Harold Nichols’ wide-open offense.

“I like everything about PC -- the campus, the professors, everything,” Davis said. “I just felt like I was at home.”

Other Chapman signings

TAYLOR EDWARDS, SMC, TennisEdwards is following older sister Vic-

toria’s footsteps onto the tennis courts at Spartanburg Methodist.

“I just know Zach (Williams) is a really good coach and keeps in contact really well.”

At SMC, Edwards wants to receive an associate’s degree in the arts and work toward becoming a photojournalist.

BEN NOE, Limestone, Soccer (Limestone) is one of the top pro-

grams in the nation in Division II. It was just a reall good fit for me.”

Noe said he doesn’t expect a lot of playing time as a freshman but said he will challenge for a spot in the lineup as an upper classman.

Chapman’s Davis catches on with Blue Hose“IF A GUY CAN PLAY, HE CAN PLAY -- AND I THINK PC GOT A STEAL.” MARK HODGE

From left, DaShawn Davis (football, Presbyterian), Taylor Edwards (tennis, SMC) and Ben Noe (soccer, Limestone) signed NCAA National Letters of Intent.



BOILING SPRINGS> NOTES & QUOTES

The NAIA University of the Cumber-lands in Williamsburg, Ky., got a package deal with friends/linebackers Cameron Baxley and B.J. Stewart.

“We decided to go on up there together,” Stewart said. “We’ve played outside linebacker together for two years, so I thought I could feed of him and he could feed off me on the field.”

The two plan to be roommates when they arrive on campus this summer.

“I wanted to room with him and stay with one of my friends,” Baxley said.

Stewart plans to major in engineer-ing, and Baxley in education.

JASON HILL knows his college des-tination very well. His father, Jason Sr., played quarterback at Wofford for head coach Mike Ayers in the 1990s.

As a receiver for the Bulldogs, Hill had 82 catches for 1,362 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

He knows in the Terriers’ run-heavy offense, his numbers won’t be nearly as lofty.

“I enjoy blocking, so I’ve just got to go in there and block, and catch the ball when it’s thrown my way.”

OLIVIA MATSUDA, SMC, Softball“Going to SMC, I’m going to be able

to figure out what I want to do while I take my general ed courses. I can figure out what I’m good at, and what I’m not good at. ... I can go there and better my softball skills and possibly get into a four-year school that I couldn’t get into now and play softball.”

LAUREL PARRIS, Converse, Soccer“It’s a really good school and it has

really good program. I like it being all girls because it will help me focus and do better. I fell in love with the campus.”

Parris kept her commitment to Con-verse despite a coaching change with the Valkyries. She wants to major in Spanish.

TYLER LINDSAY, Newberry, FootballThe transfer from Boiling Springs

High School and this family atmosphere to Newberry College, a smaller college, is a similar atmosphere. I feel like I’m not a number, I’m part of a family there.”

The defensive lineman expects to redshirt as a freshman to get bigger and stronger for the college game. He plans on majoring in chemistry.

COLE MANGUM, Appalachian State, WrestlingAfter being a part of a string of six

straight county team championships with the Bulldogs and winning a pair of individual county titles, Mangum chose Appalachian State to continue his career.

“Being a part of this team has really helped me,” Mangum said. “Every since my freshman year, I’ve been coming in and getting beat up, and that’s helped me a lot.

“And that’s the way it’s going to be at App State -- I’m going to go up there and get beat up and learn some more.”

Mangum said he could be redshirt-ed as a freshman. He wants to study nursing.

Boiling Springs athletes, from left, Cole Mangum (wrestling, Appalachian St.), Cameron Baxley (football, Cumberlands), Laurel Parris (soccer, Converse), Tyler Lindsay (football, Newberry), Olivia Matsuda (softball, SMC), B.J. Stewart (football, Cumberlands) and Jason HIll (football, Wofford) signed letters of intent on National Signing Day.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 2015SPARTANBURG COUNTY SCHOOLS


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On occasion, a ball carrier will have to wait for the traffic to clear, a hole to open, and then seize the opportunity. Broome running back Des Anderson racked up 2,154 yards rushing and 30 total touchdowns last season while patiently awaiting the right college offer. The offer finally presented itself to the North-South all-star selection in the form of Middle Tennessee.

Broome coach Jet Turner thinks Rick Stockstill and the Blue Raiders will be a great fit for Anderson, “Des is a super player. An explosive runner. He’s a game-changer. Middle Tennessee came in late, but they’ll be very happy. Des is excited, too.”

Anderson, a state champion long jumper, may also contin-ue his track career at Middle Tennessee.

Anderson’s teammate, linebacker Bavuier Jackson, has signed his letter of intent to compete in both football and

track at Limestone College. Jack-son played in the Shrine Bowl after tallying 95 tackles for the Centurions.

Jackson will be joined at Limestone by Alex Mathis, who will compete in women’s soccer. Mathis is a prolific goal-scorer

with a career highlighted by being named Region III-3A player of the year and an all-state selection.

From left, Broome’s Bauvier Jackson (football/track, Limestone), Des Anderson (football, Middle Tennessee) and Alex Mathis (soccer, Limestone) signed on National Signing Day.

BYRNES> NOTES & QUOTES

TAVIN RICHARDSON became the second standout receiver from the area to sign with Kentucky in as many years.

Richardson ended his career at Byrnes with 2,272 receiving yards, av-eraging 13.1 yards per reception and catching 23 touchdown passes.

“I think we can be a pretty good team,” he said. “We’re pretty young. ... I think we can be pretty good.”

Woodruff wideout Blake Bone signed with the Wildcats last year.

“I visited four times and every time I went I fell in love with the place. It was like home to me.”

B.J. LANE Charleston Southern“I’m always up for competi-

tion and all those teams -- Coastal Carolina, Citadel -- put up great competition.”

Lane also reflected on playing for his father, Brian Lane, at Woodruff and then at Byrnes.

“It’s been the best experience of my life, playing for my father. He’s an amazing man.”

LYRICS KLUGH Towson“They told me I may have a

chance to start, but I’m not going to use that to not work hard. I’m just going to have to work hard to make sure of that.”

ISAIAH HILLMiami (Ohio)Hill gained just over 2,000

yards rushing for the Rebels in his

three varsity seasons. He never gained 1,000 yards in a single sea-son as a cog in Byrnes’ pass-first offense, but he averaged 7.7 yards per carry and scored 28 rushing touchdowns for his career.

“They came in early in the spring of my junior year and they offered me. I went up there for a visit, and I loved it.

“I’m the first person in my family to go to college, so this means a lot.”

NOAH DAWKINSThe Citadel“I just like The Citadel as a

place. It’s great coaching. I’ll have

great people around me. I just think it’s a great place to be.”

Dawkins, a linebacker, plans to major in business management.

BRAYLIN COLLINSEastern Michigan“The coaches believe I could

come in and start as a freshman, so that made my choice a lot easier.

“Me and Isaiah will be playing one another, so that’ll be a great opportunity for both of us.”

Collins turned in an out-standing senior season to get the attention of Eastern Michigan with 45 catches for 867 yards

(19.3 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns.

DI’SHAWN BROWNINGDean Junior College(Franklin, Mass.)

“At one time, I didn’t think anyone was going to offer me an opportunity.

“It’ll be a good opportunity for me to go up there and grow as a man and with football and convince everybody that I deserve a chance at a four-year program.”

Browning played outside line-backer for the Rebels.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 2015SPARTANBURG COUNTY SCHOOLS

Six Byrnes football players signed on National Signing Day. Seated, from left, Isaiah Hill (Miami-Ohio), Lyrics Klugh (Tow-son), B.J. Lane (Charleston Southern), Tavin Richardson (Kentucky). Standing from left, Byrnes head football coach Brian Lane, Noah Dawkins (Citadel), Braylin Collins (Eastern Michigan) and Di’Shawn Browning (Dean Jr. College).

DORMAN

J.J. ARCEGA-WHITE-SIDE, Stanford, Football

The Parade All-American donned the “nerd glasses” tradi-tionally worn by Stanford’s ath-letic signees, a nod to the school’s tough academic requirements and the way the studenty body, including athletes, are viewed from the outside.

Arcega-Whiteside will be viewing Stanford from the inside-out after signing with the Cardinal, fulfilling a verbal com-mitment he made in the fall.

“The coaches and the players there have really welcomed me there,” said Arcega-Whiteside, who was snubbed by in-state powers Clemson and South Carolina even as schools such as Michigan State, Maryland and North Carolina courted him.

“It’s definitely a blessing to be able to go to a team that plays such a high level of football and in the PAC-12 and has such high-level academics. It’s defi-nitely the best of both worlds.”

> NOTES & QUOTES

ARON SPAN, Citadel, Football“It’s a great academic school.

The coaches are amazing -- it’s a family feel, and Charleston is a great location. ... (The military system) and the chance to play football is a great opportunity.”

WYATT ROGERS, Union College, Football“I love the coaches -- they

treated me like family. I think it would be a great place to play.”

“I’m going to work my hard-est. That’s what every player has to do to get on the field.”

LOGAN ROBINSON, Charleston Southern, FootballOn being recruited by former

Byrnes star Willy Korn, who is now on the Charleston Southern coaching staff: “That was really nice. (Korn) seemed like a really cool dude. He sort of reflected

the whole team. I really feel a lot of love and that I’m going to have a lot of good relationships.”

AUSTIN EUBANKS, Charleston Southern, Football

“I’m going to be hitting the weights a lot harder and working with my private coaches, just grinding and trying to get better.”

“(Charleston Southern) is in-credible. I went down and visited for a game and I was impressed immediately.”

CASSANDRA PANKEY, Wofford, Soccer

“The academic environment is really vigorous. The soccer program is by far the best one I’ve seen in the state.”

“It’s extremely competitive. I know I’ll be playing against some of the girls I’ve been playing against who are going to PC and Furman. I’ll be playing against them in the future, so it’s going to be cool to continue those rival-ries a little bit.”

Dorman signees included (back row, from left) Wyatt Rogers (football, Union (Ky.) College), Logan Robinson (football, Charleston Southern), Aron Span (football, Citadel), J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (football, Stanford). Front row, from left, Cassandra Pankey (soccer, Wofford), Austin Eubanks (football, Charleston Southern).

Friends and families show their support for the Dorman signees following the ceremony.


SPARTANBURG> NOTES & QUOTES

The Vikings sent three to the next level when cross country runner Myers McKinney and football players Cedarious Rookard and Landon Kunak signed National Letters of Intent.

McKinney is a three-time All-State selection who began running in eighth grade.

He hopes to run both cross country and track at Wake forest.

Rookard, a 5-11, 195-pound defensive back was a multi-dimensional player for the Vikings. He made 69 tackles, returned two interceptions for touchdowns, returned three kickoffs for scores, and also had two touchdowns as a wide receiver, including a catch in the 4A Division II state title game that made one of ESPN Sports Center’s Top 10 plays of the day.

Kunak, a 6-2, 185-pound kicker, booted four field goals and 78 extra points. He av-eraged 39.3 yards per punt,

Spartanburg High School signees included (from left) Myers McKinney (cross country, Wake Forest), Cedarious Rookard (football, Troy State) and Landon Kunak (football, East Tennessee State). Spartanburg High School principal Jeff Stevens is pictured with the group.

including one of 73 yards.

Myers McKinney“Love sense of community (at

Wake Forest). They’re committed to excellence... Through blessings o’plenty could not be happier.”

Cedarious Rookard“I’ve been looking forward

to this for a long time. It’s a big step in my life. Started playing football when I was about 10 years old. I never pictured myself being here.”

Landon Kunak“I love what they’re doing

at ETSU in trying to build the program. It had the added appeal that I could go in and start right away. They’re giving me and everyone else an equal opportu-nity.”

SMOORE GEMS

P H O T O G R A P H YSports • Action • Journalism

SMOOREGEMS.SMUGMUG.COMe: [email protected]

BLUE RIDGEAbby Koger, Citadel, SoccerTay Jenkins, Lenoir-Rhyne, Football

CAROLINATracy Scott, North Greenville, Football

CHRIST CHURCHThad Mangum, Wofford, FootballMichael Batson, Clemson, FootballDorien Dickey, Jacksonville State, FootballJonathan Morse, Emory, Swimming

EASTSIDETy Thomas, Clemson, Football

GREENVILLEJalen Wilkes, N.C. Central, FootballR.J. Brooks, Tusculum, FootballLonginus Nnodim, Wofford, Football

GREERJackson Tipton, Union College, FootballCole Henderson, Lenoir-Rhyne, FootballTiquan Lyles, Newberry, Football

HILLCRESTLauren Adkins, PC, VolleyballRoderick Stoddard, Army, FootballJamarion McBride, Coastal Carolina, FootballKevin Eichelberger, Union College, FootballSeth Nichols, Union College, FootballTay Scott, Wingate, FootballKenny Sims, Ga. Military, Football

J.L. MANNDevante Edwards, Limestone, Football

Brady Harrison, Limestone, FootballTyreko Miles, Limestone, FootballTyler Vaughn, Anderson, BaseballJonah Witt, Erskine, BaseballHank Nichols, South Carolina, BaseballDestiney Miller, ETSU, SoftballMolly Lynch, Miami, SoccerBailey Ellis, Newberry, SoccerMason Gilpin, Navy, SoccerMichele Bottari, Clemson, SoccerAlexus Harris, Bethune-Cookman, TrackHeyward Brown, TCU, SwimmingKyra Atkins, ETSU, TrackDesiree Ross, Elon, Track

MAULDINLogan Edwards, Carson-Newman, FootballZach Starnes, Maranatha Baptist, FootballTaz Richardson, Tusculum, FootballNathan Reily, PC, FootballKalia Shaw, Warren Wilson, BasketballHailey Norman, Meredith College, LacrosseRyan WIlson, Gardner Webb, TennisMegan Edwards, Newberry, SoccerRegan Hill, Newberry, SoccerSydney Shaw, Brevard, SoccerAustin Anderson, Baseball, CokerJustin Dean, Baseball, Lenoir-RhyneGriffin Templeton, Baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne

RIVERSIDEEmanuel Jackson, Lenoir-Rhyne, FootballKodiJean Taylor Johnson, Newberry, SoccerChandler Pumphrey, USC Upstate, Soccer

ST. JOSEPH’SJacob Milam, Wofford, FootballJackson Tipton, Union College, Football

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 2015GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS

CHRIST CHURCH: (from left) Michael Batson (football, Clemson), Do-rien Dickey (football, Jacksonville State), Thad Mangum (football, Wofford), Jonathan Morse (swimming, Emory).

HILLCREST: (front row L-R) Seth Nichols (football, Union College), Lauren Adkins (volleyball, Presbyterian), Jamarion McBride (football, Coastal Carolina). Back row: Kenny Sims (football, Georgia Military), Kevin Eichelberger (football, Union College), Tay Scott (football, Wingate) Roder-ick Stoddard (football, West Point).

SOUTHSIDE CHRISTIANAshlynn Powell, PC, SoccerBraden Myus, Furman, Soccer

WADE HAMPTONTaylor Warren, USC Salkahatchie, SoftballKylie Kelly, USC Salkahatchie, SoftballLogan Strange, Arkansas-Little Rock, Soccer

Kelsey Yeager, PC, SoccerCameron Ward, North Greenville, SoccerJulien Coulomb, Stetson, SoccerDarrien Patterson, Union College, FootballJackson Strange, Anderson, BaseballJalen Williams, Furman, BasketballJared McCarson, Erskine, BaseballJoseph Strange, Anderson, BaseballRidge Chapman, SMC, Baseball

TERESA POPLIN photo

STEPHEN MOORE photo


If not for a call from his Easley High School coach, Spencer Collins might have missed an important milestone in

his Wofford basketball career.

Collins, a junior guard, came into a January matchup with the Citadel just 11 points shy of 1,000 for his Wofford career.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Collins said after a late January win over Western Carolina. “My high school coach (Kent Stallard) let me know. . . . I wasn’t really focused on myself, I was focused on the team. We lost, and it was a confer-ence game so that was really huge.”

While the Southern Conference loss in Charleston dampened any would-be celebration by Collins, who scored 12 points in the loss to become the 45th 1,000-point scorer in Wofford history, the milestone made a little history.

Collins joined seniors Karl Cochran and Lee Skinner in Wofford’s 1,000-point club, marking the first time the Terriers have had three 1,000-point scorers on their roster in team history.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without support from my family and my teammates,” Collins said.

Nor could he have done it without an amaz-ing amount of consistency throughout his career, beginning with this freshman year at Easley High School.

Collins entered the varsity starting lineup with the Green Wave as a freshman and never left it. Four years later at Wofford, he arrived on cam-pus and promptly earned a spot in Mike Young’s starting lineup as a freshman.

Over more than 70 games and more than 1,000 career points, Collins is still there, ever the model of consistency.

Like his approach to 1,000 points, Collins said he is vaguely aware of his impressive sev-en-year streak as a starter.

“I’m aware of it, but at the same time, I just want to come in and work hard every day,” he said. “As a team, we’re just trying to progress every day.”

There were no promises, though.When Collins arrived, the Terriers were en-

joying one of their most successful runs in school history.

But that success, including Southern Confer-ence titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, attracted Collins.

“When I came here, they’d gone to the NCAA’s twice,” he said. “From the start, I really enjoyed being around the guys on my visit. I enjoy the school, the people, the academics.”

Collins is majoring in history at Wofford and is looking forward to a future as a teacher and coach.

“Anything is possible,” Collins advised younger players. “It all starts with working hard every day --believing in yourself, that you can do anything with hard work.” UGD

For anyone with the desire to play sports at the college or professional level, the road is long and hard. This reg-ular feature is about local athletes, living their dream.

MILESTONE MANFrom high school to college - 8 years - Wofford 1,000-point scorer Spencer Collins hasn’t missed a game out of starting lineups

Wofford’s Spencer Collins has started every game since his freshman year at Easley High School and recently joined the Terriers’ fraternity of 1,000-point scorers.

NEXT LEVEL



Charlendez Brooks left Byrnes High School with a basketball scholarship to Western Carolina and a sleep

disorder he didn’t even know he had.

As campus life in Culhowee, N.C. buzzed around him, Brooks began displaying symp-toms related to narcolepsy, most notably Exces-sive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS).

“I slept a lot during the day,” Brooks said after the Catamounts’ January visit to Wofford. “And I ate a lot at night.”

According to the Nation-al Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, EDS is experienced by almost all individuals diagnosed with narcolepsy and interferes with daily activities regardless of the amount of sleep one gets each night.

“People with EDS describe it as a persistent sense of mental cloudiness, a lack of energy, a depressed mood, or extreme exhaustion,” a description on the Institute’s website read.

In the case of Brooks, that meant going to class and basketball practices -- all part of the busy life of a college freshman, were bigger chores than they would be otherwise.

There is no known cure for narcolepsy, which statistics say effects about one in 3,000 people, but it can be treated with medication and therapy. Brooks said he was able to get treatment at a sleep disorder clinic and is on medication for the condition.

But before he found treatment, his Western Carolina teammates helped him through the haze.

“My teammates and everybody helped me get to practice, class and everything,” Brooks said. “The team really helped me get through it.”

When Brooks left Byrnes, he was 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds. He has since grown to 6-9, but

gained the literal “freshman 20” pounds due in part to his sleep disorder and was up to 290 pounds his freshman year. Now, he is down to 250 pounds, healthier and happier as a redshirt freshman.

A bout with pneumonia in January ham-pered his progress and playing time this season, but Brooks believes his future is in line with that of the young Catamounts, who have only two seniors on their roster.

“When I first got there as a freshman, I wasn’t expecting too much,” Brooks said. “But we’ve got a good upside. It’s just getting better from here.”

Brooks, known for his defensive presence

in the post and as a shot blocker at Byrnes, said he has worked on his low-post offense and his mid-range jumpshot while getting stronger in the weightroom.

“My midrange game has gotten better,” he said.

Brooks’ first two years at Western Carolina have had no shortage of trials, but he has perse-vered and offered that advice to younger players pursuing their athletic dreams.

“Don’t listen to the critics,” he advised. “Everybody says, ‘You’re not going to make it; you’re not going to be successful,’ but don’t listen. Keep working and keep grinding every day and it can happen for you.” UGD

BROOKS

BIG CAT’Ex-Byrnes standout Charlendez Brooks overcomes weight, sleep disorder to followhoops dream at Western Carolina

Former Byrnes standout Charlendez Brooks’ (41) career at Western Carolina got off to a tough start as the player suffered from narcolepsy.


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COMMENTARYS.C. high schools should make a statement

My hope for Matt Colburn is that he will become a Heisman Trophy winner and holder of an encyclope-

dia full of college football records, and he will one day stare across the field at current Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino just before he carries a cadre of the coach’s de-fenders into the end zone for a game-win-ning touchdown.

And I hope that game matters more to Petri-no than any game he has ever or will ever coach.

Justice. Twenty-four hours before Colburn, South

Carolina’s Mr. Football and Dutch Fork’s star run-ning back, was to sign his scholarship offer to play college football at Louisville, Petrino rescinded

the offer, saying the team needed more defensive backs on its 2015 roster.

And with that, the story of South Carolina’s Mr. Football became a cautionary tale.

Forget that Colburn had shut down recruiters from other schools and had been committed to Louisville for eight months; forget that he

never wavered from that commitment; forget that,

by all accounts, Colburn is a great kid, so great in fact one of the few football offers that remained on the table on National Signing Day was from the U.S. Naval Academy -- a place where words like “commitment” and “honor” still have place in the business of college sports.

Let Colburn’s story be a warning to recruits who are sold on one school or one coach early in the process. As arduous as the call- and text-filled recruiting process can be, try to enjoy it; take your official visits; keep your options open.

Just as importantly, know who you’re dealing with -- and maybe this was the biggest mistake made by Colburn and his family.

They failed to recognize just who and what Petrino, who is understandably no longer wel-come to recruit at Dutch Fork High School, is.

They should’ve asked Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons. Blank hired Petrino to coach

the Falcons in 2007 -- five years, $24 million -- but 13 games into that contract, Petrino bolted for the head-coaching job at Arkansas. He left a 78-word letter posted in the locker room to notify his players.

They should’ve asked Tommy Tuberville. In 2003, Petrino, a former Auburn assistant under Tuberville, had taken the Louisville job but then interviewed with Auburn boosters for the Auburn post, despite the fact that Tuberville had yet to be fired.

They should’ve asked any pig-loving fan in Arkansas. After the Atlanta fiasco, Petrino was caught in a web of lies centering around a mo-torcycle accident, a recently graduated Arkansas volleyball player with whom he was having an affair and fired.

His penance was one year at Football Cham-pionship Subdivision Western Kentucky before returning to Louisville.

But Petrino wins football games, so he is hired by those willing to sell piece of their souls for wins over losses. So much for penance.

And because he wins and gets players to the NFL, and because Louisville has worked hard to upgrade its facilities, talented players like Colburn want to play there.

It’s just that Colburn won’t get the chance. He was offered a “Gray Shirt,” which means he would be allowed to enroll at Louisville in January and his scholarship would count toward the class of 2016.

Unless the coaching staff is no longer there

(and Petrino does move around a lot) or if Petrino changed his mind again.

Understandably, Colburn passed, opting to choose among the Division I programs that could still make an offer.

Jeremy Wahman writes for one Louisville on-line fan site or the other and is a Petrino apologist. I can only assume that this is a full time job and comes with benefits, dental and the like.

Wahman said, too bad for Colburn, but it happens. Besides, that Gray Shirt is there to be had, right?

“We are a big time program and these things happen,” wrote Wahman, whose bio says he played for the Cardinals for a year back in 1995. Twenty years later, he uses “we” when talking about the Cardinals. “Broken record, I get it. We will get a kid tomorrow that will flip unexpectedly and it will be no different. We will say, ‘the kid’s doing what’s best for him.’ Why does that not hold true the other way around?”

Here’s why: These are 18-year-old kids. In most cases, the biggest decisions they’ve made to this point in their lives is who to take to prom.

They are tugged and pulled like a chew toy between a Pit Bull and a Rottweiler. Coaches at-tempt to manipulate them and make pitches that would shame a used-car salesman.

To the players, it isn’t “just business.” It’s their lives.

See, it is different. Petrino and his staff had a better read on what

their returning 2015 roster would look like long before calling Colburn less than 24 hours before he was to sign with Louisville. They just chose to cover themselves rather than give Colburn an early out of his commitment or at least advise him to re-open his recruitment.

So, no, Louisville is not a big-time program. The hopes of that left for Texas with former head coach Charlie Strong and when Lousville admin-istrators decided to sell a little of their souls to bring back Petrino.

Local high school coaches don’t have to do that.

Like Dutch Fork head coach Tom Knotts, area coaches should ban Louisville from recruiting their players while the current staff is in place.

I know the likes of Dave Gutshall, Chris Miller, Brian Lane and the other coaches in the Upstate have their players’ best interests at heart.

Heeding the cautionary tale of Matt Colburn and keeping them away from Petrino and Louis-ville would prove it. UGD

JOHNCLAYTON

Louisville coach Bobby Petrino.

>> BUCKY ROGERS>> SETH BUCKLEY>> KEN FINLEYIN

SID

E

Colburn


“Hi!” “Hey, How are you?”“I’m great, how about you?”

How many times have you said these phrases? About a thousand? More? Me too.

How many of those thousand have you actually meant? How many times when your life was in sham-bles or your heart was crumbling did you say those empty words?

Our culture is full of the fake. We fake happiness, we fake friendships, we fake love, and we fake care. We fake concern, and at times we even fake anger, just to get people off our backs. Why is that? Why do we shut people out and play life safe? I think it’s rooted in pride.

There’s a certain pride that’s good. It’s natural and wonderful to

feel pride when your son hits his first home run, when your daughter aces a shot, or when your friend gets a big promotion he’s worked really hard for. But another pride is much more subtle, and much more toxic. At the end of the day, we just don’t want people to know we have hurts and scars.

If that’s you (and I’d be willing to bet it is), here are a few things to keep in mind:

1) You’re in good company. Nobody likes to have their weak-nesses and dirty laundry aired for the world to see. Don’t think you’re alone in this.

2) Everyone’s got them. No one on this planet, no matter how clean and nice their Facebook profile may seem, has it together. Everyone has

some crazy stuff happening just below the surface. Some have just had more practice in hiding it better than others.

3) There is a relief that is beyond words that happens when you can get past that fear of embarrassment and actually be open and transpar-ent with someone. Real, authentic, life-changing relationships can occur that will free you beyond what you can even fathom right now. Imagine that 100 pounds of baggage you feel on your shoulders being lifted off.

4) The only way to deal with some of life’s issues, is to be real about it. Stop hanging on to pride and start being really open with someone you trust and respect. Allow them to speak into your life. Just try it and see what happens.

Want to take your life, your marriage, your parenting, your team, your co-workers, to an all new place? Be honest with them. Let your pride down and get real. You might just find that everyone else around you is just as messed up as you are (and you’d be right). So, YOLO. We have one life. Let’s at least be real with one another. You owe yourself and those you say you love at least that much. UGD

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The Long Road to SuccessTo be a champion is hard.

Take this year’s Super Bowl for instance. The Se-

attle Seahawks were one yard away from becoming Super Bowl champions when perhaps an ill-conceived play call took place. I’ve heard a lot of criticism of that final offensive play call. Obviously it didn’t work out the way the coaches planned and the team took a lot of heat for not running the ball from the one yard line.

What is most interesting to me is not the criticism, but to see the response of individuals to the hard-ships of sports and life in general. You see champions are not defined by winning and losing but rather the way in which they handle ad-versity. Even after a Russell Wilson interception at the end of the Super Bowl here is what he posted on his Twitter account, ‘Every setback has a major comeback.’

Russell Wilson understands that to be a champion you have to get back up after you are knocked down. I believe Russell is a champi-on in his mindset and his prepara-tion. That one pass will not define who he is and who he will become. He has the fight and determination to show up every day, work hard and continue pushing his limits until he reaches his goals.

Success is a journey not a destination.

The road to success looks more like a winding mountain road.

There will always be twists and turns during the journey. Every work out, every training session should be designed to push you to a new level. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

Consider the following people and how they handled adversity.

Walt Disney was fired from a local newspaper when he was young for “lacking imagination.”

The Beatles were rejected by the first record label they approached being told they had “no future in show business.”

Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, before returning to it years later and reinvigorating the company.

Oprah was, at one point,

demoted from her news anchor position being told she didn’t have a TV personality.

Albert Einstein was told he’d never amount too much after not speaking until the age of 4.

Beethoven was told as a young musician that he was a “hopeless composer.”

Michael Jordan failed to make his high school basketball team during his sophomore year.

They are famous people who experienced failures. However they went on to succeed in their respec-tive fields not because they got lucky, not because they happened to find success but because they per-sisted. They persisted through the

failure, used it as a learning tool and became better because of it.

What all these people also have in common is that they didn’t listen to what people said about them and they didn’t let obstacles stop them from changing the world. They con-tinued to pursue their passion and most importantly were consistent in their efforts to achieve their goals.

Bill Bradley, former NBA all-star and US senator once said, ‘Success is a daily task.’

How do you handle adversity? You will, at some point, fail in what you’re doing. And you must, must, must be disciplined and tough enough to know that failure may be the thing you need to get to the next level.

Be willing to fail by challeng-ing yourself beyond your comfort zone. Then, be willing to persist and succeed. UGD

Ken Finley is a physical therapist and certified youth speed and agility

specialist. To learn more about his youth athletic development programs

please contact Finley at [email protected].

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pain complaint or known musculo-skeletal injury. These movement patterns are de-signed to provide observable perfor-mance of basic loco motor, manipu-lative and stabilizing movements by placing an individual in extreme posi-tions where weaknesses and imbal-ances become noticeable if appropri-ate mobility and motor control is not utilized. The seven components of the Perfor-mance Evaluation are grip strength, hexagon agility, vertical jump, triple hop & stop, laser timed 10-20-40 yard dash, agility shuttle (5-10-5) and a 300 yard repeat shuttle. For any questions regarding the Inte-grated Assessment or any other training need, please contact a STACK Velocity Sports Performance coach at 864-641-7400. Gary Hazelwood M.Ed., CSCS, USAW SRHS STACK Velocity Sports Performance

Knowledge Is Power

The gym became silent as the microphone passed to Dorman wide receiver,

J.J. Arcega Whiteside. The most decorated football player in school history was about to officially tell the press and student body where he was going to attend school.

As he unfolded his pre-paredspeech, the first statement out of his mouth was, “First of all, I want to give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the opportuni-ty to play football.” My first response was…”Wow!”

I had watched JJ play foot-ball and basketball ever since his ninth grade year and knew from the beginning that he was going to be an impact player. As

the years went by, what set him apart from the other players was how he never let notoriety get to his head. There was no

doubt in anyone’s mind that he was going to be special his senior year and for sure, he did not disappoint. The culmination of all of the hard work, practice, camps, clinics, and more, all came down to this moment that so many had anticipated. Once again, he did not disappoint.

After just about everyone had left the gymnasium, Mick-ey Sobeski and I went over to get a picture with JJ whom we both had grown to deeply love.

I looked at JJ and said, “JJ, you didn’t have to say what you said at the beginning of your speech today.” He looked at me with that big grin and said, “Yessir I did have to. I wanted everyone here to know what was most important to me.” Once again inside I said…”Wow”

JJ never once said anything about being perfect, because like Scripture teachers, there is no one perfect person. But the topic that he brought up is something that every athlete and coach should consider.

What is the most important thing in your life?

If sports is the most im-portant thing in your life, then you will constantly battle to be number one, win the trophy, and crush the opponent, all in your effort to find self-worth and value. At the end of the day, we should reflect on what Paul said in Philippians 3:8, “Yes, everything else is worth-less when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”

The most important thing in our life can be determined by how much time, effort, money, and energy is expended. What is your most important thing?

When Buffalo Bills Quar-

terback, Frank Reich, led the greatest playoff comeback win in NFL history in 1993, he was swamped by the media after the game outside of the locker room. As he emerged, the ques-tions flew at him. He calmly opened up a piece of paper and read the words to the song, “In Christ Alone”

“In Christ alone will I gloryThough I could pride myself in battles wonFor I’ve been blessed beyond measureAnd by His strength alone, I overcome

Oh, I could stop and count successesLike diamonds in my handsBut these trophies could not equalTo the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone I place my trustAnd find my glory in the power of the crossIn every victory let it be said of meMy source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone”

After reading these words…..he folded up his piece of paper…and left the interview.

Why?

Because he had just shared with them his most important thing! UGD

The Most Important Thing

SETH BUCKLEYSPORTSFAITH

From left, Seth Buckley, JJ ArcegaWhiteside and Mickey Sobeski.

A former college football player, Rev. Seth Buckley is minister

to students at First Baptist Spartanburg.

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