Newberry Academy wins regular season finale to clinch playoffs berth https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72625/newberry-academy-wins-regular-season-finale-to-clinch-playoffs-berth 2024-11-09T04:53:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Newberry Academy will travel to face Richard Winn in the first round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 8. Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — For the first time since 1998, the Newberry Academy Eagles are playoffs bound. The Eagles(3-6, 1-5 region) defeated Oakbrook Prep(0-9,0-6 region) 44-6 on the road in their regular season finale.

The two teams met on Sept.20 and the Eagles barely escaped with a win. There was no doubt in the second meeting as they scored the most points in a game this season.

Javon Conway led the way with 20 carries for 194 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Thomas McLean also had a solid outing with 64 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Emory Pye had four receptions with 57 receiving yards and one touchdown reception.

Jody Ray Miles had a monster game on the defensive line. He recorded a sack and three tackles for loss. The Eagles defense also had two turnovers including a Jackson Montgomery interception.

“I am proud of the guys for the way they fought this season and kept showing up. It hasn’t been all roses, but we are finally in the playoffs after a very long time. We played this team on homecoming and barely won it. We played much better and dominated the entire game. Proud of our guys,” said Eagles head coach Rich Doran.

Newberry Academy will travel to face Richard Winn in the first round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 8th.

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Mid-Carolina suffers first region loss at Chester https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72623/mid-carolina-suffers-first-region-loss-at-chester 2024-11-09T04:23:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

CHESTER, S.C. — Mid-Carolina(4-4, 1-1 region 3-AA) fell 42-0 on the road to Chester(4-5, 3-1 3-AA) on Friday night. The Rebels were rolling a few weeks ago,but have cool down in recent weeks.

They have now lost two of their last three games and were shut out on Friday for the third time this season. The Cyclones scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter to lead 12-0.

The Rebels couldn’t stop the bleeding and gave up 22 points in the second quarter to trail 34-0 at halftime.

Mid-Carolina struggled on both sides of the ball all night despite only giving up eight points in the second half.

“It was a tough loss but we still have everything in front of us. We still have a chance to finish with a winning record, make the playoffs and have a shot at finishing in the top two in our region. So, still a lot for us to play for but we have to correct some things on both sides of the ball moving forward,” said Rebels head coach Chris Arnoult.

Mid-Carolina will return home on Friday, Nov. 1 to face Eau Claire. The Rebels will also be at home in their regular season finale on Nov. 8th.

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Bulldogs cruise to their third consecutive win https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72621/bulldogs-cruise-to-their-third-consecutive-win 2024-11-09T04:13:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Newberry (5-3, shuts out Swansea(7-3, 2-2 region 4-AAA) 45-0 to remain number one in the region. Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

NEWBERRY — The Bulldogs keep on rolling with their third straight win. Newberry(5-3, shuts out Swansea(7-3, 2-2 region 4-AAA) 45-0 to remain number one in the region standings heading into the final week of the regular season.

Newberry’s offense once again took center stage. Kenton Caldwell went 10-of-10 from the pocket with 288 yards passing and three touchdowns. BJ Jones had 82 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ty Abrams also had a rushing touchdown as well.

Cash Brown, Jamel Howse and CJ Earl each had a receiving touchdown.

The Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and led 14-0. They put up another 24 points in the second quarter and held 38-0 lead at halftime.

Their offense scored 45 points for the second consecutive week and have put up 40 points in for the fourth consecutive game.

This was the Bulldogs third shut out of the season and they are undefeated in the region. A win this Friday on the road against Silver Buff will crown them as region champs.

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Bulldogs thump Keenan for a huge win on senior night https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72619/bulldogs-thump-keenan-for-a-huge-win-on-senior-night 2024-11-09T03:55:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

NEWBERRY — The Bulldogs played their last regular season game in 2024 at Mike Ware Field on Friday night and made a huge statement with a blowout win on senior night. Newberry(4-3, 2-0 region 4-AAA) beat Keenan(6-4, 2-2 region 4-AAA) 45-20 to remain undefeated in region play.

Kenton Caldwell dominated with five total touchdowns on the night. He threw three passing touchdowns and ran for two scores on the ground.

BJ Jones also continued his stellar junior season and added a receiving touchdown to his totals for the season. Cash Brown is also having a fantastic junior season as well. The speedy receiver found the end zone with a touchdown reception. CJ Earl and Isaiah Glymph each had touchdown receptions as well.

Bryce Satterwhite also added to his season totals with a touchdown pass. Daniel Terran, senior kicker, kept his high field goal percentage in tack by knocking down another field goal in this game.

It was a complete dominate effort by the Bulldogs in front of their home crowd for the last regular season home game.

“We just taking care of business on offense and defense each week. We are continuously trying to execute at high level on both sides of the ball and taking it week-by-week. We have put ourselves in a great position heading into the final two weeks of the season,” said Bulldogs head coach Cedrick Jeter.

Newberry will be on the road for their final two regular season games. This Friday, Nov.1, they will be on the road at Swansea.

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Wolves fall short to Limestone on homecoming https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72617/wolves-fall-short-to-limestone-on-homecoming 2024-11-09T02:29:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com

NEWBERRY — Newberry College welcomed alumni back home for homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 2nd, but had a not so welcoming performance on the field. The Wolves(3-5, 3-3 SAC) fell 35-14 to Limestone(6-3, 5-2 SAC).

Setzler Field was packed for the annual homecoming game and the crowd was excited to see the Wolves back in action after an impressive win at home against Barton in the previous week. The Wolves recent play also got them back in the Piedmont division race and a win against Limestone would’ve created a possible three-way tie in the standings for second place.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. The Wolves’ offense had a quick three and out on their opening drive, but the defense had their back. The Saints had a promising first offensive drive that ended with a turnover by the Wolves. KeSean Glover intercepted a pass on the Wolves 34-yard line.

The Wolves turned the turnover into points. Dwayne Wright found the end zone with a 16-yard rushing touchdown to give them an early 7-0 lead about midway through the first quarter.

The Saints quickly responded with a long touchdown drive of their own. Limestone starting quarterback Dustin Noller found DJ Black for a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.

It shaped out to be a good game until the second the quarter started. The bottom fell out for the Wolves after giving up two huge plays through the air for 14 points and starting quarterback Reed Charpia going down with an injury.

The Wolves’ defense played well until the halfway point of the second quarter when the Saints went on a long touchdown drive that ended with Doug Washington finding the end zone on the ground from two yards out.

Coleman Gray entered the game for the injured Charpia and he didn’t have much success. He was 0-for-3 with no passing yards and two interceptions before being exiting the game.

Newberry trailed 21-7 at the half and the frustrations boiled over as the two teams had a heated exchanged while heading to their locker rooms. Last season, the two teams came to blows and exchanged punches before law enforcement officers and both coaching staffs intervened.

The fireworks quickly went away after the half the because the Saints scored on their opening drive. Noller found Black again for 55-yard touchdown pass to give them a 28-7 lead.

Ja’Corey Martin took over at quarterback in the second half for the injured Gray. The slot receiver haven’t played quarterback since his high school days, but gave his team all he could under the circumstances.

Their offense struggled and their defense held on for as long as they could, but it wasn’t enough. Noller found Mikey Jones for a touchdown through the air about halfway through the third quarter to spoil the Wolves’ homecoming.

Martin was able to use his legs to get a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but it was a little too late. He finished the day with 148 all-purpose yards (109 rushing) and a score on the ground. Wright had 50 rushing yards and a score on the ground as well. The Wolves’ defense gave up 290 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Black had 142 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. Jones had 98 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.

“The quarterback spot has been sketchy for us this season. You got the starting quarterback on the sidelines in shorts, the backup on crutches, true freshman third string quarterback out there not knowing what’s going on and you take a guy who hadn’t took a snap in over year, you make him your fourth string quarterback,” said Wolves head coach Todd Knight.

He continued, “I have to get that kid all the credit in the world. I thought Corey played his tail off in the second half for us but it wasn’t enough. Defensively, we gave up the deep ball. We talk about every week to not give up the deep ball and we gave up three cheap ones over the top. You can’t neat anybody and that’s what we did.”

Despite being statistically out of the South Atlantic Conference title race, Knight still believes the last two weeks of the season is of importance.

“There is no question about this that we controlled our own destiny until tonight. Now we have to just go back and fight. We have to fight and have a little pride. We also have to play for each other instead of tearing each other apart and point fingers. That’s what happens when you lose one that everybody thought you were going to win and you didn’t play well,” said Knight.

Newberry College will travel to Wingate on this Saturday before returning home on Nov.16 for their regular season finale and Senior Day game against Emory & Henry.

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Wolves’ offense looks impressive in huge home win over Barton https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72615/wolves-offense-looks-impressive-in-huge-home-win-over-barton 2024-11-09T01:50:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics

NEWBERRY — The Wolves’ offense explodes on Barton to earn their second consecutive win. Newberry College(3-4, 3-2 SAC) gets a huge 41-25 win over Barton(2-6, 1-5 SAC) at home on Saturday.

The Wolves’ offense have turned things around in the last few weeks of October after starting off with back-to-back losses and only scoring a total of 12 points in those two games. They had their second best scoring game of the season and their best offensive performance at home this season.

Things started off slow and the Wolves were scoreless in the first quarter. The Bulldogs went on an eleven minute scoring drive that ended with starting quarterback Nazir Garrett finding John Flood-Brown for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Newberry trailed 7-0 heading into the second quarter, but quickly changed that. The Wolves scored 33 points in the second and third quarter, including 20 points in the second quarter.

Reed Charpia found Rico Dorsey Jr. for a 50-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 in the opening seconds of the second quarter.

The Wolves’ defense forced a turnover on downs and the offense drove the ball right down the field to get a 46-yard field goal from Bryce Earley.

Newberry rinse and repeated the same formula for both sides of the ball, their defense got a turnover on downs and the offense put up points. The Wolves got the ball back on Barton’s 12-yard line and Dwayne Wright scored a rushing touchdown from six yards out. They led 17-7 and scored on four consecutive offensive possessions in the second period.

The Bulldogs’ offense attempted to convert another fourth down, but fumbled then recovered. They recovered the fumble, but weren’t close to the first down marker.

The Wolves drove down the field and got another field goal. This time, Earley knocked it down from 22 yards. Barton was able to get a field goal late in the first half to stop the bleeding, but the Wolves held a 20-10 lead at halftime.

Barton got the ball to start the third quarter and were forced to punt. Tyleke Mathis set his team up with great field position after a 77 yard punt return. Newberry’s offense started their drive on Barton’s 20-yard line.

Wright finished off the short drive with a four yard touchdown run to give the Wolves a 26-10 lead.

The Bulldogs’ offense finally got something going and were able to go on a long scoring drive after making a change at quarterback. Trevor Nored came off the bench to throw a touchdown pass to Flood-Brown for his second touchdown reception of the game. They converted the two-point conversion attempt and now only trailed 26-18 in the closing minutes of the third quarter.

Newberry quickly regained momentum after Quez Spells broke a 78 yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive.

Things got a little tighter in the fourth quarter as Barton made it a one score game again. The Bulldogs went on a long scoring drive that ended with Nored scoring on the ground from one yard away.

The Wolves put the Bulldogs away with their final scoring drive in the middle of the fourth quarter. Trakell Murray scored a 15-yard rushing touchdown to give his team some distance and their third conference win.

Charpia had 182 passing yards and a passing touchdown. Dorsey had 119 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. The Wolves ran for 209 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

Spells had 89 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown. Wright had two rushing touchdowns and Murray ran for 36 rushing yards with a touchdown on the ground.

Barton possessed the ball 20 more minutes than Newberry and had ran double the amount of plays, but couldn’t put up points.

“Well you know sometimes the numbers lie to you. When you say they took twice as many snaps as you and had the ball twice as long as you did but you score twice as many points as they did, sometimes that doesn’t add up. At the end of the day, the only number matter is the scoreboard. I think we just had more explosive plays offensively than they did,” said Wolves head coach Todd Knight.

This win put the Wolves back in the thick of things in the South Atlantic Conference title race. They are currently in fourth place and a game behind Limestone in the Piedmont division with Limestone coming to visit them on this Saturday. Nov.1st.

“Well I am just happy we played hard at home. We haven’t played well at home this season, but we played well on the road and that was a point of emphasis this week at practice. Finish it at the house. Let’s play hard and play good in front of everybody we know and love,” said Knight. “Right now, I am focusing on homecoming and Limestone, who is a really good football team. I am not worried about our side, the Piedmont division, and those things. If you take care of next week and everything will take care of itself.”

Newberry College will host Limestone at 4:00 pm for homecoming this Saturday at Setzler Field.

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Newberry College students share what homecoming means to them https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72613/newberry-college-students-share-what-homecoming-means-to-them 2024-11-09T12:51:00Z Alexa Gamborino | Special Contributor to the Observer
Courtesy of Newberry College

NEWBERRY — Newberry College is gearing up for one of its most anticipated traditions: Homecoming Weekend. Set for November 2, this year’s celebration promises a vibrant mix of alum reunions, spirited competitions and community festivities, drawing graduates and students together to honor a legacy of camaraderie and school pride.

Homecoming is a big celebration for Newberry College in which all the students and faculty members enjoy different activities on campus, like food trucks, sports, games and other events that engage not only the students but also the community of Newberry.

This year, we interviewed Newberry College students to share their experiences about Homecoming. The first group of interviewees were two international students from Belgium and Ukraine, Renee Dorval and Sofiia Shaparenko. Renee is a sophomore who experienced homecoming for the first time last year.

She exclaimed, “In my first year, I did not expect Homecoming to be such a big event at the College. I was impressed with how the Homecoming King and Queen worked and I think it was so much fun. I was impressed by the atmosphere at the football game; there were a lot of people cheering for the Wolves, an atmosphere I had never experienced before.”

Sofiia is a freshman who has not experienced homecoming.

She stated, “It is my first Homecoming, and I think it is going to be very special for me. We have something similar in Ukraine, but it differs in the activities we make. I am excited to experience Homecoming and watch the football game; I have heard it is so much fun.”

Lastly, the final interviewee is Brayden Martinez. He is junior student-athlete from Owatonna, Minnesota.

“During Homecoming, I enjoy the festivities around campus and doing all the activities with my friends. My favorite Homecoming was the one during my first year. The soccer team had an off weekend, so my friends and I enjoyed the football game. The stadium was packed, and the atmosphere was amazing. It is a weekend of fun activities, and I see no better way to spend that than with the people I am closest with around campus,” he explained.

Homecoming is a special event for the students of Newberry College because the atmosphere and activities make everyone enjoy and have a good time. It won’t be the exception this year and the College is getting ready to host one of the year’s most anticipated events.

As Newberry College gets ready to welcome back its alums for homecoming, it’s a great chance to remember the strong connections made here. This celebration is about honoring the past and getting excited about the future, inspiring current students to carry on the legacy of those who came before them.

Join us this year in celebrating Homecoming, a tradition that honors our history while looking forward to a bright future. Whether you are a current student, an alum, or a community member, the Newberry College Homecoming promises an unforgettable experience filled with pride, spirit and community.

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Whitmire impose their will in first round playoffs win over Williston-Elko https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72610/whitmire-impose-their-will-in-first-round-playoffs-win-over-williston-elko 2024-11-09T12:48:00Z Alexa Gamborino | Special Contributor to the Observer
The lady Wolverines sweep the lady Blue Devils 3-0. Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

WHITMIRE, S.C.— Whitmire girls varsity volleyball are advancing in the state playoffs after they won their first round match against the Blue Devils of Williston-Elko. The lady Wolverines sweep the lady Blue Devils 3-0.

The match was played at the home of the Lady Wolverines, where the girls started with out on the right foot with some strong serves that helped them take an early lead. Whitmire also made a few great returns and blocks throughout the first set, while the Blue Devils struggled with unforced errors. Cierra Jones, side hitter for the Wolverines, did an incredible job closing the points with precise smashes and helping the team win the first set 25-18.

The Ladies Wolverines kept momentum in the second set, making good serves and defining smashes at the net. Whitmire managed important pressure points smartly, gaining an advantage on the second set and finishing it with a 25-23.

In the third set, the Ladies Wolverines started with some unforced errors because they wanted to win the points fast. However, they found the rhythm back getting the lead. Whitmire ended the game with a score of 25-19.

Throughout the match, the Lady Wolverines had a slow start. Nonetheless, they got their way back with patience, gaining that confidence back. Coach Andrew Bowers claims that when things do not go their way, “I tell them to prepare for the next ball. Shake it off and clear your head.”

Whitmire has great communication and connection between the players, and this match clearly shows these team elements. However, Coach Andrew Bowers claims, “They have some issues with talking. I always tell them to talk. Keep moving your feet and communicate. This is one of the fastest teams I ever had. They move very well, but they get silent, and that’s where a lot of mistakes come from.”

The Lady Wolverines will play their second round of playoffs against the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in an away match.

Congratulations to the Lady Wolverines on their first playoff win, and good luck to them in the second round of the class A volleyball state playoffs.

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Mid-Carolina wins close first round match to advance in volleyball state playoffs https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72608/mid-carolina-wins-close-first-round-match-to-advance-in-volleyball-state-playoffs 2024-11-09T12:24:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Alexa Gamborino | Special Contributor to the Observer

PROSPERITY, S.C. — The first round volleyball playoffs match up between Mid-Carolina(17-9-2, 7-2 region 3-AA) and Batesburg-Leesville( 10-17-4, 6-4 region 3-AA) was intense, thrilling and even had some controversy but the Rebels prevailed. Mid-Carolina wins a tight match by taking three of five sets, 3-2, over Batesburg-Leesville to advance in the playoffs.

The lady Rebels hosted the lady Panthers at home in the first round of the volleyball state playoffs on Wednesday, Oct. 30th. The two teams meet twice this season with both times being at the start of the season in August. The first game ended in a tie and the lady Panthers won the second game.

The first set in Wednesday’s match started off going back-and-forth between the two teams. The Panthers were in control for majority of set and held a small lead throughout.The home team were forced to call a timeout.

Then, the Rebels dug deep to win the set 26-24 after closing the set on a 5-1 run.

The second set was much like the first set with the visitors taking an early lead, but the Panther were able to close out the set with a 25-22 win. They also took the third set by the score of 25-22.

The Rebels dominated the fourth set to keep their season alive and give themselves a chance to advance. The home team won the set 25-8 and never trailed.

“This is the time you have to step it up. It’s the playoffs and you have to leave it all on the floor, the girls did. We battled them and it was close the whole time except for that fourth set. Other than that every single point was a back-and-forth,” said Rebels head coach Michael Hansen.

The fifth set came down to the wire. The two teams went back-and-forth. Mid-Carolina got off to a hot start and took an early 4-0 lead in the final set. Batesburg-Leesville called a timeout and then proceeded to go on a 4-0 run themselves to tie the game.

Mid-Carolina called a timeout after they fell behind 10-9 in the game. The back-and-forth continued and the lady Rebels gained controlled of the set after taking a 12-10 lead and never looked back. Led by the region player of the year, Callie Wilbanks, they closed out the set. Wilbanks was responsible for three of the last four points in the set. The Rebels won the set 15-13 and advanced to the second round.

“I really owe it all to my team and my coaches. I wouldn’t be the player I am without them. My teammates all lift me up to be the player that I am and I try to play my heart out every game. I love the sport and owe it everyone around me,” said Wilbanks.

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Callie Wilbanks wins region 3-AA player of the year https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72606/callie-wilbanks-wins-region-3-aa-player-of-the-year 2024-11-09T12:23:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Wilbanks Courtesy of Mid-Carolina High School Athletics

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Senior Callie Wilbanks of Mid-Carolina wins player of the year for region 3-AA. The Rebels had 16-9-2 record in the regular season and were runner-ups in the region after losing two tough fought battles to Clinton in the final week of the regular season.

“It means so much. I worked so hard in the off-season in the past four years. If you would’ve told me as a freshman that I am region player of the year and I am playing in six rotations, I would have not believed you. I have changed so much throughout the years and it means so much. It means everything honestly,” said Wilbanks

Wilbanks is also a member of the girls varsity basketball team and the varsity track and field team as well. She was the state runner-up and region champ in girls discus throw in 2024.

Congratulations to Callie and good luck in the volleyball playoffs!

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Veterans Tribute 2024 https://www.newberryobserver.com/special-sections/72563/veterans-tribute-2024 2024-11-05T12:09:38Z
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Mid-Carolina dominates Eau Claire on homecoming https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72552/mid-carolina-dominates-eau-claire-on-homecoming 2024-11-02T08:30:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Principal Ray Cooper(far right) along with the homecoming queen, first runner up and second runner up.

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Mid-Carolina(5-4, 2-1 region 3-AA) dominated Eau Claire(1-9, 0-4 region 3-AA) to pickup a huge win on homecoming and keep their hopes alive of finishing the regular season with a winning record. The Rebels defeated the Shamrocks 37-0 in Friday night to earn their fifth win in seven games.

Things started off slow for the Rebels’ offense in the first quarter with starting quarterback Ty Floyd out with an injury, but their defense picked up the slack. The defense forced a fumble early on in the first quarter and got a huge sack for a safety late in the first quarter.

Davis Ruff started at quarterback in place of the injured Floyd and he struggled as well early on with a first quarter interception that ended a promising drive for the Rebels. They still led 2-0 going into the second quarter.

Mid-Carolina special teams got in on the fun in the early parts of the second quarter with a blocked punt that they recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to take a 9-0 lead.

The run game for the Rebels got going and Montieth Brown found the end zone with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to extend their lead, 16-0.

The defense continued to play well led by Keshon Williams, Jaxson Moody and their dominate front seven. Williams got two sacks in the game and Moody got several tackles for loss and practically lived in the backfield of the Shamrocks.

Of course, AD Basnight got in the action on the offensive side of the ball. The Rebels took advantage of great field position and were able to get another rushing touchdown to add to their lead.

Basnight started and finished the drive. He had a 25 plus yard run with a unnecessary roughness penalty added on at the end of the run to set the home team up in the red zone. Then, three plays later he scored a rushing touchdown from two yards out.

The Shamrocks found themselves down 23-0 before they could blink and the Rebels were in full control at halftime.

After the homecoming festivities concluded at halftime, the Rebels quickly struck again. Ryker Woolstenhulme returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give his squad a 30-0 lead.

Eau Claire decided to switch things up in the second half by making a quarterback change, but that didn’t stop the bleeding. They attempted to hit the Rebels over the top with a deep pass but Jamarian Dewalt was not having any of it. He picked off the pass and returned for a touchdown to put the visitors to bed.

The Rebels cruised for the rest of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter to enjoy a homecoming win. Some young players even got a chance to see some action on the field.

“Well we are playing some decent football. We are a little bit sloppy at times, but a win is a win. They are hard to come by so we will take it however we can get it,” said Rebels head coach Chris Arnoult.

Mid-Carolina will have a chance to finish the regular season with a winning record, create a three-way tie in the region and improve their playoff seeding if they can beat Fairfield Central on this upcoming Friday.

“They have done something that haven’t been done here in about ten years. We are playing next week to determine basically who will be first, second or third in the region. If we win, then it will be a three-way tie for first then we will have to sort that all out. Either way, we are going to playoffs but we would like to go into it with a little momentum,” said Arnoult.

The Rebels will host Fairfield Central at home in their regular season finale on Nov. 8th.

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2024 Halloween Coloring Book https://www.newberryobserver.com/special-sections/72547/2024-halloween-coloring-book 2024-10-29T01:15:23Z

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Wolverines fall short on homecoming after strong second half comeback effort https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72542/wolverines-fall-short-on-homecoming-after-strong-second-half-comeback-effort 2024-10-26T08:00:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Blake Stribble(#1) throws pass as a defender is chasing him outside of the pocket. Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

WHITMIRE, S.C. — Whitmire finally got a chance to celebrate homecoming after it was rescheduled due to the impact left behind by Hurricane Helene. The Wolverines fought hard in the second half, but came up short. Whitmire(2-6, 1-2 region 1-A) fell at home 24-16 to McCormick(2-6, 1-1 region 1-A).

The Wolverines offense couldn’t get anything going in the first half. They had three trips inside of their opponents 20-yard line and couldn’t get anything out of those good offensive drives.

The Chiefs got the ball first in the game and scored on the opening drive. Senior starting quarterback Markese Stevens scored on the quarterback keeper from inside the five yard line to put them up 6-0 in the opening minutes of the game.

Whitmire had a good first offensive drive themselves and even converted a fourth down on the drive, but came away with no points.

It was defensive battle for majority of the game and the first quarter ended with the road team leading 6-0. Fast forward to midway through the second quarter, and Whitmire found themselves on the opponents side of the 50. Wolverines starting quarterback Blake Stribble tried to keep their good drive alive on a fourth down desperation heave that ended up in the hands of McCormick defender for an interception.

Stevens led his offense on another scoring drive to put some distance on the scoreboard. It started off with a long 40-plus yard run by Stevens and ended with him using his legs again for eight yard touchdown run. The Chiefs failed to convert the two-point conversion, but still held a 12-0 lead.

Whitmire drove the ball down the field with under two minutes left in the first half, and were faced with another fourth down near the red zone. Stribble fired another deep pass under pressure and it resulted in another interception. The Wolverines went into the held down 12-0.

After the homecoming halftime festivities concluded, the home team came out determined to turn the game around. It was a defensive battle for majority of the third quarter, but the run game finally got going for the Wolverines. Kayshaun Schumpert finished a long offensive drive with a three yard touchdown run in the closing seconds of the third quarter. He then converted the two-point conversion and Whitmire trailed now 12-8 going into the final period.

Whitmire offense started to turn things around when they speed their tempo up on offense.

The fourth quarter had offensive fireworks from both sides. After Whitmire scored to close out the third, McCormick answered on the first offensive drive of the fourth quarter with a touchdown of their own. Stevens got his third rushing touchdown of the game on a quarterback keeper inside the five yard line.

The Chiefs led 18-8 with 10 minutes left in the game.

Whitmire answered with a long offensive drive. Stribble found Kingston Green on critical fourth down for a 10-yard reception. Then, Stribble scored on a quarterback sneak on the one yard line. Schumpert converted the two point conversion to make it a one score game again, 18-16.

Whitmire attempted an onside kick and seem to have recovered it at first glance, but the referees rewarded the Chiefs with the ball after they somehow came up with it at the bottom of the pile.

The Wolverines’ defense put McCormick in a critical third down situation and Quantrell Hearst broke a long touchdown run to give his squad a 24-16 lead with under four minutes to play.

Whitmire got one last chance to possibly score and tie the game on a two-point conversion. They drove the ball right down the field, but faced another fourth down inside of the 20-yard line. The first attempt was an incomplete pass to the end zone. Both teams committed fouls on the play, so they replayed the fourth down attempt again after the offsetting penalties.

The Wolverines lined Stribble out wide and snapped the ball to Xzye Stephens who then handed it off to Stribble who was sent in motion. Then, Stribble fired a pass into the end zone in the direction of D’Angelo Ruff, but a McCormick defender broke it up to spoil the second half comeback on homecoming for the Wolverines.

“I have to do a better job of putting them in the right position to score points in the first half and have better play calls when we were inside the 20. We were inside the 20 three times in the first half and we got to find a way to punch it in,”: said Wolverines head coach Andrew Campbell. “That’s on me and like I told the kids at halftime, ‘just keep fighting and we will live and die with the results.’ You watched it, they fought to the very end and we had a chance to tie at the end of the game. The kids don’t quit and I can live with that. We are going to go back to work, fix it and move forward.”

The Wolverines showed a great effort despite their best players being hobbled. Stribble was fighting through an ankle injury. Stephens had shoulder injury from earlier this season and Schumpert also was hobbled with a bad ankle. Whitmire were forced to rely on younger players and had to adjust their offensive play calling due to the limited mobility of Stribble.

“Well that’s 1A football. We got a lot of kids banged up and not healthy, but so do they. That’s the nature of the beast, but like I always say, it don’t matter to these kids. When they put that uniform on, they are going to play to the end,” said Campbell. “No matter if they are hurt or not. They’ve been together since June and some of them before that. They love it and appreciate it for what it is, I love them for that.”

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Wolves volleyball overcome by UVA Wise https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72536/wolves-volleyball-overcome-by-uva-wise 2024-10-25T12:09:00Z Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
Newberry College volleyball team will return home on October 22 to face off against Carson-Newman at 6:00 p.m. Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics

WISE, VA — Newberry College(4-9, 1-5 SAC) fell in road conference match in three straight sets to UVA Wise(9-9, 3-6 SAC). on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The Wolves jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in set one after back-to-back kills from Anna Hapner and Samantha Shaffer. After another set of kills from the pair, both assisted by Annie Dill, the Wolves extended their lead to 14-9. Kills from Gabby Warren and Emma Christensen kept the Wolves offense rolling, gaining an 18-12 lead.

The Cavaliers offense woke up and went on a 7-2 run getting the game close with a 20-19 Wolves lead. With a 22-19 Wolves lead, the Cavaliers took matters into their own hands. Going on a 6-1 run, the Cavaliers closed set one, 25-23.

UVA Wise took an 8-1 lead to begin set two. Kills from Giovanna Ravanhani and Christensen, began the Wolves comeback attempt closing in on the Cavaliers 10-6 lead. With both teams gaining ground, the Cavaliers held their lead and ran the score up to 17-10.

Back-to-back kills from Anna Schneider got the Wolves alive, but the Cavaliers were able to hold them to only five more points in the set, winning set two 25-15.

The final set started out tight between both squads and the score was tied 5-5.The Wolves gained a 12-10 lead after a kill from Shaffer, assisted by Dill. The Cavaliers answered with an 8-1 running giving them the lead at 18-13.

With a valiant effort from the Wolves to come back, they fell short to the Cavaliers 25-21.

Newberry College volleyball team will return home on October 22 to face off against Carson-Newman at 6:00 p.m.

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Mid-Carolina finishes regular season as region 2-AA runner-up https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72534/mid-carolina-finishes-regular-season-as-region-2-aa-runner-up 2024-10-25T11:44:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Mid-Carolina girls varsity volleyball finished the regular season as region 2-AA runner-ups after losing in falling to Clinton in the five sets.

The lady Rebels(17-9-2, 8-2 region 2-AA) and the lady Red Devils(16-2, 10-0 region 2-AA) met on the court twice this week for all of the marbles, or region championship.

The first of the two matches took place on Monday, Oct. 14 at the home of the Rebels. The second match would be in Clinton on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Clinton won the first set on Tuesday by the score of 25-23, but the Rebels bounced back to win the second set 25-21. The lady Red Devils won the third set 25-20 and dropped the fourth set 25-21.

The two went back-and-forth in the final set, but Clinton pulled it out for 15-11 win. Both teams had matches in between their final meeting. They won those games and set up two scenarios in Thursday’s match. If the Rebels win, then they would be co-region champs. If the Rebels lose, then they finished as runner-ups.

Mid-Carolina traveled to Clinton in hopes of at least being co-champs. The Rebels dropped the first set 25-21. They came back to dominate the second set and third sets. They won both sets 25-16.

Clinton stormed back to win the fourth set, 25-16. Then, the Red Devils dominated the final set to win by a score of 15-6.

The Rebels are now waiting to see who their opponent is in the state playoffs and will still have a chance to host a home playoffs match despite finishing as runner-up in the region. Congratulations to the lady Rebels on their second consecutive winning season and good luck to them as well in the state playoffs!

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Whitmire suffers setback with tough road loss at Abbeville https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72532/whitmire-suffers-setback-with-tough-road-loss-at-abbeville 2024-10-25T11:09:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Greg Hollis | ghollis@newberryobserver.com

ABBEVILLE, S.C. — Whitmire suffered their worst defeat of the season on Friday, Oct. 18 at Abbeville. The Wolverines(2-5, 1-1 region 1-A) fell 59-0 to the Panthers(5-1, 2-0 region 1-A).

It wasn’t much for the Wolverines to celebrate this past Friday as the Wolverines were dominated from start to finish. It was the second time this season that Whitmire was shut out.

“Very tough game. They are a really good football team and they were clicking. They are the most complete team we have played all year and will make a deep run. We have to get heathly and focus on McCormick this week,” said Wolverines head coach Andrew Campbell.

The Wolverines will return home this week to face a struggling McCormick team. The homecoming game will kickoff on 7:30 p.m. on this Friday, Oct. 25.

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Wolves rally back in the fourth quarter to win at Catawba https://www.newberryobserver.com/top-stories/72530/wolves-rally-back-in-the-fourth-quarter-to-win-at-catawba 2024-10-25T10:00:00Z Greg Hollis ghollis@newberryobserver.com
Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics

SALISBURY, N.C. — Newberry College football picked up a much needed win on the road this past Saturday against Catawba. The Wolves(2-4, 2-2 SAC) rally from behind in the fourth quarter to win 27-21 over the Indians(2-5, 1-4 SAC).

Reed Charpia returned back from injury under center for the Wolves and his play making ability really came in clutch in the fourth quarter.

The first half was a stalemate for both squads, but Newberry finally broke the scoring drought late in the first half after a missed field goal attempt in the first quarter. Quez Spells scored on a one yard touchdown run with under two minutes left in the second quarter.

The Wolves took a 6-0 lead into halftime.

Newberry’s defense got a stop on the Indians first offensive drive in the second half and the Wolves offense answered immediately. They scored on a 45-yard drive in five plays that ended with Dwayne Wright finding the end zone on a eight yard touchdown run.

Then, the Indians finally got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. LJ Turner broke a long 75-yard touchdown run to make it a one score game, 13-7.

The home team took their first lead in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter after Juice Martin scored on 89-yard pick six.

Martin got another game changing play a few moments later after intercepting Charpia this time and returned it for 28 yards. The Indians had the ball on Newberry’s seven yard line and easily punched it in. Turner scored from the three yard line to get his second touchdown of the game.

Catawba held a 21-13 with 13:12 left in the fourth quarter.

Charpia and the Wolves offense immediately answered the back-to-back touchdowns from Catawba with a long scoring drive of their own. They went on 75-yard drive that ended with Charpia finding Rico Dorsey Jr. on third down for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Newberry failed on the two point conversion and still trailed 21-19 with eight minutes left in the game.

The Indians went on the a four minute drive, but couldn’t get anything out of it and was forced to punt. Newberry rode the momentum and capitalized with another scoring drive.

Spells ended the drive with 18-yard touchdown run for his second score of the game. The Wolves started their drive with 4:02 left on the clock and ended with :50 seconds left to play in the game.

Jalen Stradford called game for the Wolves and intercepted a pass to secure the win.

Charpia went 18-of-28 for 191 passing yards and one touchdown. Wright had 142 rushing yards with 23 attempts and a rushing touchdown. Spells had eight carries for 62 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“I was very concerned with their offense,” said head coach Todd Knight. “They took 96 snaps last week against Limestone and we held them to 50. It was going downhill quickly, and we came storming back. We will take a road win in this league anytime.”

Newberry will return home on this Saturday, Oct. 26th to face Barton. Kickoff will be at 4:00 p.m. at Setzler Field.

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2024 Gamecock HOF: Tommy Moody https://www.newberryobserver.com/news/72507/2024-gamecock-hof-tommy-moody 2024-10-22T05:19:00Z Staff report MIDLANDS — Tommy Moody may be one of the fan favorites in the 2024 class of the University of South Carolina Association of Letterman’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The former Gamecock (1970-1972) middle infielder passed away unexpectedly last October at the age of 72, and his impact on South Carolina Athletics and its fans is immeasurable because of his many off-the-field endeavors.

“Coach Tanner called to tell me they were inducting him this year, and there was no need to wait,” said Tommy’s daughter, Kasey Moody. “I was emotional. The Hall of Fame was his baby. It comes full circle. He was in charge of it for so long. He would be 100 percent honored. For my family to see him honored again in such a special way and continue to see his legacy live on in Carolina Athletics means a lot.”

When it comes to knowing Gamecock history, Tommy Moody is matched perhaps only by other legendary figures who have since passed, such as former play-by-play announcer Bob Fulton and former Sports Information Directors Don Barton and Tom Price.

“It goes back to hearing stories about his childhood and going to games with his dad,” Kasey Moody said. “He got some small offers for college. He got an offer for Clemson baseball, but he turned it down to try to walk on for the Gamecock baseball team. That shows you right there that he was Carolina through and through and die-hard Gamecock. He instilled that in me and my sister (Jamie) and his grandson, Weston. He also has another grandson, Andy, who is one, and we’re going to carry on the tradition and make sure they grow up Gamecocks, too. Some of my first memories are going to Gamecock football and baseball games. It’s been a part of our family for so very long.

“It’s been like that since the night he passed away. It’s another full-circle moment. Probably the last time people saw him was at the (previous) Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that Thursday night. He passed away that Monday night.”

Tommy also never met a stranger, and Kasey says there are many fans who tell her they may have only met him once but considered him a friend because of the way he treated everyone.

“He was everybody’s best friend,” Kasey Moody said. “Even people that only heard him on the radio, they thought of him as a friend, too. It says a lot about his personality and his character. He was a very humble guy. He never really said anything negative about the Gamecocks. Don’t get me wrong, he would get frustrated, but every year he thought it was ‘that’ year.”

Moody covered countless games for Carolina, highlighted by six College World Series appearances and two national championships and was a tremendous ambassador for the University, and Kasey said he had too many great memories to count, but she knows the Whit Merrifield hit to win the 2010 College World Series and Christian Walker’s home run in the Super Regional were among his favorites.

Tommy Moody was normally involved in a lot of the details revolving around Hall of Fame Weekend, and now that he is joining the other Gamecock legends, his family couldn’t be prouder.

“I don’t think there is a greater honor as a Gamecock,” Kasey Moody said. “What they did at Founders Park in naming the radio press box was unbelievable. I know he would have been so honored by that, but this is a different kind of honor. It just shows how valuable and how much he meant to the University, to Columbia, and to South Carolina.”

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be Friday, November 1 at the Cockaboose Club inside Williams-Brice Stadium.

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New book highlights traditional rivalry https://www.newberryobserver.com/news/72521/new-book-highlights-traditional-rivalry 2024-10-22T02:58:00Z Staff report

TYBEE ISLAND, GEORGIA — The tale of a rivalry between two college communities will soon be released in a new book, The Li’l Bronze Derby That Was!

Chip Porter, a 1981 alum of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina vividly reveals the details of the most important rivalry of his college’s football history.

In January 1947, a group of Presbyterian College fraternity friends attended a basketball game at their local rival Newberry College. Their attendance ignited the greatest small college football rivalry, not only in South Carolina, but in the entire United States of America.

The Li’l Bronze Derby That Was! examines the origin and history of the Bronze Derby, a competitive athletic rivalry between the (then) Newbery College Indians (now Wolves) and the Presbyterian College Blue Hose.

Porter, author of The Southern Massacre, The Story of the 1979 Presbyterian College Blue Hose Football Team, documents the traditional Thanksgiving football rivalry which includes social, political and economic events of the era.

The Li’l Bronze Derby That Was! is the most complete and comprehensive book of the Bronze Derby.

“When your grandfather tells you at Thanksgiving dinner that he played in The Bronze Derby, rushed for 268 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, you can call his potential bluff!,” Porter said.

The book is available as a gift for the holiday season at www,maudlinpond.com/product/bronze-derby/.

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