Sports briefs for August 31st-September 6th

Photo above: Battery Creek’s quarterback Jordan Gywn, left, evades Beaufort High’s Brendan Bowersox during the first half of the non-conference, cross-town-rivalry game Aug. 25 at BHS. Photo by Bob Sofaly.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Smith leads Eagles past Battery Creek 

Quarterback Jeffrey Smyth threw for 180 yards and rushed for 133 yards to lead Beaufort High past Battery Creek 48-13 in an early-season high school football game on Aug. 25.

Familiar foes, Beaufort High and Battle Creek are longtime rivals. 

With the win, Beaufort High moved to 2-0

Battery Creek dropped to 0-2 with the loss. 

Beaufort High, under the direction of head coach Mark Clifford, remained in the win column after outlasting Wando 14-10 in a season opener on Aug. 18. 

Smyth excelled for Beaufort High throughout the early-season high school football game. 

Multiple players contributed for the Eagles in the victory. Kyleik Middleton rushed for two touchdowns. Another Eagle, Reggie Jones, returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. 

Junior receiver Reed Reichel hauled in five receptions for 115 yards. 

Dominant Beaufort High led 27-0 before Battery Creek scored its first touchdown. 

The Dolphins had to punt a dozen times. 

Battery Creek remained in the loss column following a setback to Swansea in a season opener. Swansea beat the Dolphins 27-13 in a season opener on Aug. 18. 

Both Beaufort High and Battery Creek are due back on the field for games later in the week. Beaufort High is slated to host longtime rival Bluffton while Battery Creek visits Hilton Head Island. 

Whale Branch falls to Hilton Head Island

Whale Branch barely missed landing in the win column on Aug. 25. Visiting Hilton Head Island prevented Whale Branch from winning its season-opener, edging the Warriors 22-21.

The Warriors and Seahawks swapped leads during the early-season high school football game. 

With the loss, Whale Branch opened its season 0-1,

Hilton Head Island started its campaign 1-0 with the win. 

Special teams played a big part in Hilton Head Island’s victory. Hilton Head Island kicker Jonathon Orr drilled a 22-yard field goal with 3 minutes remaining to allow the Seahawks to pull out the hard-fought win. The Hilton Head Island kicker drilled three field goals in the Seahawks’ victory. 

Battling back to win, Hilton Head Island scored the game’s final 12 points.

Jamel Moultrie delivered a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Warriors in the third quarter. Moultrie’s scoring run allowed Whale Branch to move ahead 21-10.

But Hilton Head Island wouldn’t be denied the win. 

Whale Branch’s regular-season schedule includes additional games versus May River, Beaufort High, Battery Creek, Bluffton, Woodland, North Charleston, Garrett Academy Tech and Burke.  

Both Whale Branch and Hilton Head Island are due back on the field on Friday, Sept. 1. Whale Branch is scheduled to entertain May River while Hilton Head Island hosts Battery Creek. 

Beaufort Academy drops game to Clarendon Hall

Visiting Beaufort Academy couldn’t keep up with Clarendon Hall during its second game in the young 2017 high school football season. Clarendon Hall pulled away to beat the Eagles 46-28 in an early-season gridiron get-together on Aug. 25. 

With the loss, Beaufort Academy dropped to 0-2.  

Clarendon Hall moved to 2-0 with the win. 

Deshawn Epps helped to lead Beaufort Academy offensively, rushing for 215 yards and two touchdowns. 

Quarterback Dawson Coleman completed 13-of-17 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. 

Daniel Richards emerged as Coleman’s top target, hauling in six receptions for 86 yards. 

Charlie Weeden and Daijon Galloway added one touchdown reception apiece for the Eagles in the loss.

Showing much improvement, Beaufort Academy battled back from a 10-point deficit in the first half to cut the lead to two points in the fourth quarter. But Beaufort Academy eventually finished short of earning its first win in the 2017 season. 

Defensively, Jaxon Spratling led Beaufort Academy with 14 tackles. 

Clarendon Hall captured its second win after clobbering Cathedral Academy 60-12  in a season opener on Aug. 18.

The Eagles remained in the loss column after falling to St. John’s Christian Academy in a season opener. St. John’s Christian Academy beat Beaufort Academy 51-8 in a season opener on Aug. 18.

Beaufort Academy is scheduled to visit Henry Academy on Friday, Sept. 1.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Beaufort Academy coach steps down

Locally, a boys’ high school basketball program will be under the direction of a late addition head coach during the upcoming 2017-18 season. Beaufort Academy announced that longtime boys’ basketball head coach Chip Dinkins is stepping down. 

Dinkins missed most of last season after suffering a torn aorta. He started coaching at Beaufort Academy in 1999 as the boys’ basketball junior varsity coach and has made history ever since. 

“Coach Dinkins and I have worked and coached together at Beaufort Academy for three years, but have been good friends for a long time,” said Beaufort Academy Athletic Director Neal McCarty. “Coach Dinkins had a great run coaching at his alma mater, 10 teams qualified for state playoffs, and won a state championship in 2006. Unfortunately, he missed most of his final season coaching due to a torn aorta. However, I have a good feeling that he still will be involved in some capacity. Chip is a legend around campus, and the ‘Voice of the Eagles’ on Fridaynights in the fall. I can’t thank Coach Dinkins enough for everything he has done for our school and basketball program up to today. Beaufort Academy is a better place, and basketball is a better program because of Coach Dinkins.”

Traditionally, the Beaufort Academy boys’ basketball program begins preseason practice in mid-October each year. 

Beaufort Academy is in the search process of finding the next varsity boys’ basketball head coach. Anyone interested should send their resume and references to McCarty at nmccarty@beaufortacademy.org. For more information, call 843-524-3393, ext. 240.

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Beaufort varsity team defeats Fort Dorchester 

Beaufort High defeated Fort Dorchester 2-0 (25-9, 25-20) in a varsity high school volleyball match on Aug. 23. 

Madison Gallion, Cheyanne Newberry and Kaylie Richardson provided strong serving for the Eagles in the winning effort. 

Hailey Lamar and Chase Vaigneur logged high kill percentages while Gallion delivered strong setting for the Beaufort High volleyball team.

Strong defensive play from Newberry and Caroline Malphrus aided the Eagles in the win.

Hilton Head Christian Academy outlasted Beaufort Academy 2-1 (22-25, 25-11, 16-25) in another varsity match.

The Beaufort High junior varsity swept both Fort Dorchester and Hilton Head Christian Academy. More on the Beaufort junior varsity team’s sweep follows. 

Beaufort junior varsity sweeps Fort Dorchester, Hilton Head Christian Academy: The Beaufort High junior varsity volleyball team swept Fort Dorchester and Hilton Head Christian Academy in junior varsity matches on Aug. 23. 

Beaufort High blanked Fort Dorchester 2-0 (25-23, 25-21) in a junior varsity match.

The Lady Eagles shut out Hilton Head Christian Academy 2-0 (25-11, 25-16) in another junior varsity match. 

Beaufort High had 85 percent service accuracy. Jasmine Callender led the Beaufort junior varsity with eight aces and seven kills. Olive Renforth added four aces and five kills for the Lady Eagles. Hayley Trader provided four aces while Layla Warren added four aces of her own and provided 100 percent service accuracy.

Beaufort Academy blanks Clarendon Hall: Beaufort Academy blanked Clarendon Hall 3-0 (25-17, 25-8, 25-14) in a high school volleyball varsity match on Friday. 

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

BA grad Weslake scores in Tigers’ win

Four different Tigers scored as the Clemson University women’s soccer team defeated UNCG 4-0 on Aug. 27 at UNCG Soccer Stadium. With the win, Clemson improves to 4-0 overall, while the Spartans slip to 1-3.

After 42 minutes of play, Sam Staab put the ball in play on a corner kick, finding Mackenzie Smith who headed it backward to junior Patrice DiPasquale, who buried it away, giving Clemson a 1-0 lead heading into halftime and her first goal of the season.

In the 55th minute, Jenna Polonsky scored from 30 yards out in deep midfield, to increase the lead to 2-0 with her fourth goal of the season. One minute later, senior Shannon Horgan sent a cross from the left wing to junior Miranda Weslake, who headed the ball into the bottom left corner, putting the Tigers up 3-0. Weslake is a Beaufort Academy graduate. Less than 60 seconds later, the Spartans committed a foul in the box, setting up a penalty kick for Horgan, who converted for her first goal of the season.

For the match, the Tigers outshot UNCG 17-4, and 9-2 in shots on goal. Clemson took nine corner kicks, converting on one of them, while the Spartans had just two. Sophomores Sandy MacIver and Melanie Stiles split time in goal in the match, each with one save.

Prior to arriving at Clemson, Eddie Radwanski spent 10 seasons as the head coach at UNCG, where he amassed a 139-65-13 record and led the Spartans to five NCAA tournament appearances during his tenure. In his time at UNCG as a player, he was a two-time All-American and captain of the school’s NCAA Division III men’s soccer national championship teams in 1982 and 1983.  In 2000, he was inducted into the UNC Greensboro Hall of Fame. Sunday’s match was his first time returning to UNCG Soccer Stadium since taking over the program at Clemson.

The Tigers will return to action at 5 p.m.Friday, Sept. 1, as they host VCU at Historic Riggs Field.

GOLF

United Way to hold golf tournament

The United Way of the Lowcountry is inviting the public to participate in the 17th Annual Golf Invitational on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at Secession Golf Club. 

Registration and lunch will begin at 11 a.m. with the shotgun start at 1 p.m.   

Proceeds from the event benefit United Way of the Lowcountry, serving Beaufort and Jasper counties. United Way of the Lowcountry works to meet the immediate needs of the community and create lasting positive change through Community Impact, focusing on Basic Needs, Education, Health and Income/Family Stability.  

The 17th Annual Golf Invitational is sponsored by Publix, Cleland Site Prep, Dividend Assets Capital, LLC, Hargray, Hilton Head BMW, Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Secession Golf Club and Turbeville Insurance Agency.  

For more information about the tournament, visit www.uwlowcountry.org or contact Michelle Frier at mfrier@uwlowcountry.org or at 843-982-3040.  

FISHING

Fishing, diving club to meet Sept. 14

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s September meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road. 

The social begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

John Satterfield, of the Beaufort Sail & Power Squadron, will speak on medical emergencies during boating activities that may save a life. Additionally, Dr. Jane Kokinakis and Dr. Rebecca Epstein from the Beaufort Eye Center will present ideas to how to protect your face and eyes while fishing.

In related news, Steven Bettilyon won the monthly $50 weigh-in drawing sponsored by Chris Butler at Butler Marine.

Guests are welcome and you do not need a reservation.

For additional information, contact Capt. Frank Gibson at 843-522-2122 or email fgibson@islc.net.

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