By Jed Blackwell
Sports Editor

Photo By Jed Blackwell
Chesnee’s Justin Guy, Casey Jones, Robert Jackson and Clint Cooper have their sights set on pancakes this season. The Eagles’ offensive line prides itself in finishing off blocks and paving the way for its offense.

Chesnee offensive line coach Todd Gossett doesn’t let his linemen go hungry. He makes sure they fill up on pancakes every Friday.
Chesnee’s massive line prides itself on completing blocks, driving opponents into the turf and taking them completely out of the play - resulting in a ‘pancake’ statistic for the lineman responsible.
Last year, the Eagles had three players with a dozen or more pancakes. This year, they’re hoping for more.

For the rest of the story see this week’s newspaper.

By Leon G. Russ
HOMETOWN NEWS

Photo By Phil Buchheit
Dorman’s Charone Peake hauls in a long reception against Laurens last week. Peake and the Cavaliers defeated the Raiders 28-0 in two quarters of action.

The Byrnes Rebels haters, and there are scores of them, had already been whispering that the time was right for the perennial football powerhouse to fall from their lofty perch.  The whispers were the Rebels would lose three to four games this year.
Those haters had plenty to smile about during the Broome Jamboree Friday night as the Rebels turned the ball over on their first four possessions.
The Rebels first four possessions saw an interception off a tipped pass, a running back coughing up the football, another interception and yet another picked off pass.

For the rest of the story see this week’s newspaper.

By Stan Olenik
For Hometown News

Photo By Jed Blackwell
Wofford football players work through drills on Monday evening. The Terriers returned to campus Sunday, with Monday’s practice marking the beginning of fall camp.

After all the coaches had their say and before the Wofford Terriers left the field following their first practice of the new season they heard a very important message. It wasn’t from Mike Ayers it was from one of their own. Senior guard Pat Illig told the 90 or so players that attitude was just as important as anything they worked on in practice.
The All-SoCon performer told his teammates they needed to come to practice with a great attitude and be excited to be playing football. He urged them to work hard and to take advantage of every day on the field to get better.
“It is all about your attitude and it is about your work when you get here,” said Terrier head coach Mike Ayers. “We have some old hats that are great leaders who know attitude is critical,” said the coach.
After winning all or a portion of the Southern Conference title in 2007 and 2008, last year was a disappointment. Wofford finished the year with a 3-8 record and only notched two wins in the conference. The losing season was the first for Wofford in eight years.
The Terrier’s sideline often looked like a MASH unit last year. Injuries didn’t just hurt the Wofford season, it destroyed the year. Promising young players were forced into action before they were ready and often out of position.
This year Ayers not only wants to see a winning attitude develop in pre-season practice but he also wants to produce a solid two-deep depth chart.
“We are just starting the process and we have a long way to go. We had a good practice to start. We felt like the guys were moving around pretty well,” said the coach.
While the Terriers return a number of starters from last year’s team, the door is open for any newcomer to step forward and claim a spot in the lineup. Ayers has been pleased with the quality of the Terrier’s recruiting classes in the past few years and expect some of the rookies to make an impact this season.
“Anybody that shows us he can play is going to play,. They don’t have to be an upper classman to play for us,” he said.
One of the features of the first practice is an extra emphasis on conditioning. “The kids are in good shape, not tip-top shape. We are going to make sure we are one of the most fit teams in the country. We are stressing fundamentals from blocking, to pad level to steps and angles,” said Ayers.
The Terriers open the season at Ohio University on September 4 and play the following week at Charleston Southern before hosting Union of Kentucky on September 18 for the team’s first home game of the year.

Craig Weick, a senior wide receiver, could miss the first five games of the season due to a foot injury he suffered last week in practice.
As a junior, Weick caught 23 passes for 430 yards, scoring nine touchdowns.
“He came down wrong and cracked a bone in his foot,” coach Chris Miller said.  “As of now, we are probably looking at six to eight weeks before we have him back.
“He is probably one of the best we have, no doubt. But we have a good rotation of receivers, so I think we will be OK.”
Weick¹s injury was part of an up-and-down first week of practice for the Rebels that included the start of contact drills.
“I feel like we are getting better and are getting up to speed with everything,” Miller said.  “I wasn’t as pleased with Friday, though.
“Because of the heat, I think we were dragging a little. We have to pick up the pace.”
Byrnes will have two opportunities to pick things up this week.  The Rebels traveled to Chester for a scrimmage last night, and will play Polk County in the Border Showcase on Saturday in Shelby.
“We have to establish our ones and twos,” Miller said.  “We have to find out who is going to step up and who is going to make plays.  There isn’t much time before the season starts, so these are things we need to get done now.”
Byrnes will finish its preseason schedule with a visit to Woodruff on Tuesday and a meeting with Rock Hill in the Broome Jamboree on Aug. 20.
The Rebels open the season on Aug. 28 against Hoover, Ala.  The game will be played in Rock Hill, and televised on ESPN.

Area football teams will get their first taste of live action this weekend, as three local jamborees host  ten teams from Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.
First on deck is the Wolverine Jamboree at Woodruff on Thursday night. Action will start at 6:30 with Chesnee facing off against Clinton, followed by Chapman taking on Laurens and the host Wolverines battling Boiling Springs in the nightcap.
Woodruff Athletic Director Scott Lawson said the matchups for the jamboree were definitely intriguing.
“There’s a lot of crossover in there,” he said. “ We’ll play Clinton in Week 2, Chesnee in Week 3, and Chapman in Week 4. We play Laurens the next night in the Clintoon Jamboree. Chapman will play Chesnee and Clinton in addition to us. We think we’ve got some real interesting matchups. So many of these teams play each other in so many combinations, we think it will give everybody a good look at some future opponents.”
Lawson also thinks that slightly cooler temperatures and the 6:30 start should keep the jamboree on schedule.
“I won’t worry about the Thursday schedule until at least Tuesday, but we don’t think the heat should be a big issue,” Lawson said.
On Friday, Blacksburg will host the third annual Iron City Jamboree. Chesnee will see its second jamboree action against A.L. Brown from Kannapolis, N.C. to start the evening, followed by Landrum taking on Southside Christian, Broome facing Kings Mountain, and Blacksburg hosting McCormick to round out the evening. Games will begin at 6:00.
Blacksburg head coach Mickey Moss said the jamboree should offer a good night of action.
“Brown is a traditional power is North Carolina, and Chesnee is a very good team this year, so you’ve got a great game to start,” he said. “Landrum and Southside Christian have a good region rivalry, Broome and Kings Mountain are both good teams, and McCormick is very talented. I talked to their coach and he said they’ve got the most speed he’s had down there. They were good last year, and I think they’re good again. We’re not playing a patsy as the home team, we’re going to have a challenge. I think folks will get their money’s worth on Friday.”
The other major jamboree featuring a number of local teams is the annual Border Showcase event. Hosted by Polk County High School, the event will again be played at Shelby, N.C. and will feature three area teams. The night will begin with Byrnes taking on Polk County, followed by Spartanburg against Crest. Gaffney will play Shelby in the nightcap. Action will begin at 6:30.

Photo By Jed Blackwell
Chesnee offensive linemen concentrate on leverage and balance as they work their way through the chute last Friday morning. The offensive line is expected to be a strong point for the Eagles this season.

The first day of football practice for local teams was last Friday, and Hometown News was on the scene for several area practices. Here’s a look at how the first day went at a handful of local schools.

Football teams may not be able to have contract drills for the first three days of practice, but that doesn’t prevent Byrnes coach Chris Miller from making the most of that time.
“Those first three days are always important,” Miller said.  “You get ready for the first day of practice by getting your offense put in and working on your defensive coverages.  If you do all of those things, the first day of contact takes care of itself.”
Between 100-110 players showed up for Monday’s first day of practice at Beech Springs.  Fans littered the hills surrounding the fields, and along with Miller were treated to a few surprises.
“We had several younger players who showed they are ready to step up,” Miller said.  “That is going to give us good backups, which is something we haven’t had over the last few years.”
Miller was also pleased with the cooler temperatures that greeted the team Monday.
“The weather was great,” Miller said.  “We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Byrnes will continue to practice each day, from 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. until the start of school.
The Rebels’ first scrimmage will be Tuesday at Chester.  That will be followed by a matchup against Polk County in the Border Showcase on Aug. 14, a visit to Woodruff on Aug. 17, and a meeting with Rock Hill in the Broome Jamboree on Aug. 20.
Woodruff
•Woodruff Coach Brian Lane was all smiles during the Wolverines first practice Monday morning as cloudy weather and cool temperatures surrounded his practice field.
“The Lord has blessed us today,” said Lane as he addressed his team as they were stretching and getting loose.
The team was broken into groups and rotated through a number of different drills showcasing each individual’s speed, agility, power, and skill.  After these drills, the Wolverines ran some plays and Junior QB Ryan Perkins showed off his arm to coaches, teammates and on-lookers.  Perkins who is only a junior will undoubtedly have some huge shoes to feel as he replaces Jake Lambert, but one thing became obvious on Monday Morning and that is the fact that Perkins has a cannon for an arm.
“How did he fit that in there,” one Wolverine asked a teammate after Perkins delivered a twenty-yard high  strike down the middle of the field that found its way through four defenders.
“First down, move those chains,” Coach Lane shouted after the brilliant pass and catch.
Despite significant losses upfront on the offensive line and a broken ankle that will likely have star receiver BJ Johnson sidelined until Week 5 of the season, the Wolverines look more than competitive heading into the 2010 season.
“We have to replace alot from last year’s team but we have six guys coming back on defense,” said Lane.
“We are going to surprise some people this year,” said Lane as he watched his new QB throw another strike.
Boiling Springs
•The Boiling Springs Bulldogs enjoyed the low temps at Monday’s practice they just didn’t enjoy running the same plays over and over and over again.
The most oft repeated phrase out of Head Coach Bruce Clark and his assistant coaches on this day?  “Do it again.”
At times it felt like a geography lesson as coaches barked out Chicago, Dallas or Texas to alert players to plays and formations.
Later on when running back Tyler Leath made a sharp cut and kicked up a clod of dirt, you might have thought running backs and tight ends coach Chris Powell was a horticulturalist when he yelled, “Dang it man you’re tearing up my grass!”
It was Powell’s way of reminding Leath to keep his feet up and going.
Later during a passing drill a receiver fell hard to the turf.  He got no sympathy as shouts of “Get up!  Get up!  Ain’t no one going to feel sorry for you,” rang out across the field.
Coach Clark was just happy to be back on the field at the start of this year’s practices.  “It’s good to be back, it’s good to see the Bulldogs back on the field,” he said with a smile.
Asked who he liked in the early practices he smiled and said, “I like all of them.  We’re going to be good.  We’ve got some talented kids that just need some game experience.”
Chapman
•The cool, overcast weather was a welcome sight Saturday and Monday, and had some coaches wishing they were meterologists.
“I wish we’d seen this weather coming,” Chapman head coach Kevin Farmer said. “We built in a break today, and I’d rather be out here taking advantage of the clouds.”
Farmer said while the low temperatures were a treat, he’d like to see training camp heat up, at least a little bit.
“You want it a little hot,” he said. “You’ve got to have that to get in better shape.”
On the field, the Panthers look to be solid. Josh Henderson will be the team’s new quarterback and will direct the offense, while Moose Durham returns at linebacker to anchor the defense.
Dorman
•At Dorman on Saturday’s rainy second day of practice, a couple of ex-Cavaliers who have moved on to the college ranks were on hand to watch their former team.
Malcolm Boyd and Brandon Thomas watched from the sidelines as the Cavaliers went through the paces on Saturday. Both were still excited about last year’s state title for Dorman, and both had high hopes for the team.
“I think they’re gonna be good again,” Thomas said. “I think they can do it.”
The Cavaliers must replace eight starters from last year’s stingy defense, but have six starters back on the offensive side, including ESPN Top 15 player Charone Peake.
Chesnee
•On Friday at Chesnee, the temperatures (and the intensity) were much higher. The Eagles spent much of the first part of the morning on defensive work, and defensive coordinator Louis Story was pleased with the effort, despite the High School League’s ban on contact. After watching his players fly to a ball carrier, raise both arms and spin harmlessly away without touching, Story praised the intensity of his team.
“I know it’s the hardest thing in the world, after all you’ve been taught, to see a man with the football and not hit him,” Story said. “But this is a key time. See yourself breaking down and making the tackle. Visualize violence. See that helmet popping off. I know it’s tough, but contact will come soon enough.”
Defense is expected to be one of the Eagles’ strong points, as is play on the offensive line.
Broome
•Broome coach Todd Staley anxiously watched his squad go through drills, correcting routes and sending receivers in the right direction. Around the field, other coaches barked instructions as the Centurions went through the first day of practice.
“I think it’s going pretty well,” Staley said. “The weather’s not too bad, the attitude is good, and we’re getting good effort. It’s a pretty good first day.”
Blacksburg
•Blacksburg enjoyed an interesting first day, with team pictures capping off the day’s activities in the evening. Coach Mickey Moss said the Wildcats had a good early-morning practice despite some setbacks.
“We’ve got a few bumps and bruises, a couple who haven’t been cleared, but we’ll be ok,” he said. “These kids have a great attitude, and we had a good practice this morning.

Photo By Preston Burch
Byrnes quarterback Zach Blair fires a pass during Monday’s practice. Blair will take over the controls of the Rebels offense from Chas Dodd.

Reports by Joel Fitzpatrick at Byrnes, Phil Buchheit at Woodruff, Leon Russ at Boiling Springs, and Jed Blackwell at Chapman, Dorman, Chesnee, Broome and Blacksburg.

Photo by Leon G. Russ
Spartanburg Blue Eagle Brody Geer (USC Upstate) avoids the slide of Tennessee Tornado Tito Mendoza to turn a double play in action on Saturday.  The Blue Eagles swept the Tornado and went 6-0 on the week to climb into first place.

The Spartanburg Blue Eagles headed into the fifth week of action looking to put distance between themselves and the Asheville Redbirds and gain on the division leading Tennessee Tornado.
They accomplished both, sweeping a four game series with the Redbirds and then sweeping the Tornado in a doubleheader to finish the week 6-0. 
The birds are tied with the Tornado atop the Western Division but they claim first due to having bested the Tornado in head to head match ups.

For more in Sports, see this week’s local HOMETOWN NEWS paper.

Ms. Beth Broom tosses out the first pitch as play opens for the 2010 District 3 Dixie Youth Minors All-Star Tournament.

The District 3 Dixie Youth Minors All-Star Tournament opened play on Friday, July 2 in Whitmire.
Teams from Abbeville, Batesburg-Leesville, Clinton, Edgefield, Laurens, Mid-Carolina, and Saluda are participating in bracket play.
At 5 p.m., Abbeville and the host team Mid-Carolina took the filed for the opening contest.
Before play began, Ms. Beth Broom tossed out the first pitch to kick off the tournament.
Ms. Broom was recognized for her time and dedication to the town of Whitmire and the Whitmire Recreation Department.
Play got under way in Game 1 with Abbeville taking a 9-0 win over Mid-Carolina.  In the 2nd game Clinton edged Edgefield 11-10 for the victory.  In the final game of the evening, Laurens downed Saluda 12-2.

Prepping the field before a game at the Dixie Youth Tournament in Whitmire, Wayne Boulware puts the chalk down for the
batters boxes.

For more in Sports, see your local HOMETOWN NEWS paper.

Photo By Jed Blackwell
Federico Rossi (left) and Fabrizio Cupellini attended Bobby Bentley’s football camp last week. Cupellini hosted Bentley at an Italian camp in February, and visited Bentley’s camp last week in return.

When Bobby Bentley traveled to Rome last winter to participate in a football camp, he called it the opportunity of a lifetime.
Last week, he returned that opportunity.
Fabrizio Cupellini, the coach from Rome who organized Bentley’s visit, and Federico Rossi, a 15-year-old player from Grosetto, participated last week in Bentley’s football camp at USC Upstate. It was an eye-opening experience for both coach and player.
“It’s just great,” Cupellini said on the evening of the first camp session. “To come here and see how it’s done, to continue our relationship with Coach Bentley, it just brings a whole new meaning to what we do.”
Cupellini explained that in Italy, football is a novelty, a sport that people are still trying to learn.
“It’s considered one of the most dangerous sports, especially by Italian mothers,” he said with a laugh.
The coach pointed out that involvement in football is still not commonplace in Italy.
“It’s the exception to the rule,” he said. “Italy is a soccer country. When you are exposed to something every day, sometimes you look for something else, you crave something different. That’s what football is. You don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. You want a sport that speaks to your soul. It’s not just the technical side of the sport we want to learn, but the moral and the spiritual.”
Rossi said seeing the camp firsthand, along with special camp guests like former NFL head coach Sam Wyche and current NFL quarterback Tyler Thigpen, was a strange and interesting experience.
“Coming from such a small movement in Italy, to see how huge the sport is here is a little strange,” he said. “But it’s a great opportunity, and it’s a really beautiful experience.”
Bentley was thrilled to have the visitors at his camp.
“To have them come over is unbelievable,” he said. “Fabrizio is working with us, and I think what he’s trying to do with Italian football is amazing. Federico is learning every day. I hope it’s a great experience for them.”
Bentley also said he thought his other campers would benefit from the visit.
“It’s a cultural experience for the other guys, just to be able to talk to them, to visit with them, to see how they love the game,” Bentley said. “Our guys can definitely learn from that.
Cupellini was equally pleased with Bentley’s approach to the game.
“Some of the things we do are so complicated, but he makes everything so relevant, so easy to learn,” Cupellini said. “We were really blessed that he was able to visit us and help us show players how to develop their skills. We’re happy to be able to come here and learn more.”

For more in sports, see this week’s local HOMETOWN NEWS.

Photo By Jed Blackwell

A Byrnes receiver hauls in a pass behind a Myrtle Beach defender during last week’s Southern Classic 7-on-7
tournament at Spartanburg High School. The Rebels beat Spartanburg in the tournament final to take the tournament title.

See story, page 1B in the Middle Tyger Times or any local Hometown News paper in the B section.