Top photo: Beaufort High connects for a pass complete late in the second quarter. Photo by Bob Sofaly.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Beaufort High Eagles shut out Battery Creek
Beaufort High dominated its latest gridiron battle with longtime rival Battery Creek, winning via shutout. The Eagles blanked the Dolphins 49-0 on Aug. 26. With the win, Beaufort High moved to 2-0. Battery Creek dropped to 0-2 with the loss.
Leading the Beaufort High offensive onslaught, starting quarterback Clayton Ruff completed 7-of-7 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns.
Three different quarterbacks took snaps for Beaufort High in the season opener. Jeffrey Smyth replaced Ruff at quarterback for the Eagles prior to halftime. After intermission, Harrison Lane lined up at quarterback for the Eagles.
Ruff completed a 75-yard scoring pass to Rome Wallace for Beaufort High’s first touchdown.
The productive Ruff completed a 21-yard touchdown toss to Michael Smyth and connected with Reggie Jones on a 62-yard scoring pass in the second quarter.
Beaufort High owned a commanding 42-0 lead at halftime. Before the break, Jeffrey Smyth connected with Wyatt Sherpensky on a 21-yard touchdown pass to allow the Eagles to move ahead 42-0.
Leading the Eagles on the ground, Kyleik Middleton rushed 18 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
Another Beaufort High running back, Logan Adkins, rushed 14 times for 56 yards in the second half.
Defensively, Beaufort High turned in an outstanding performance, limiting Battery Creek’s offense in each quarter.
Beaufort High wasn’t without an injury in the early-season contest as Omar Cummings suffered a dislocated shoulder in the first quarter.
Both Beaufort High and Battery Creek have games scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2. Beaufort High is slated to visit Bluffton and Battery Creek is due to host Hilton Head Island. Kickoff for each upcoming high school football matchup is set for 7:30 p.m.
Beaufort Academy falls short versus Clarendon
Beaufort Academy fell short of reaching the win column for the first time in the 2016 football season on the road at Clarendon Hall. Host Clarendon Hall intercepted a pass to end the game and edge the Eagles 38-36 on Aug. 26.
With the loss, Beaufort Academy dropped to 0-2.
Clarendon Hall opened its season 1-0 with the win.
Homestanding Clarendon Hall owned multiple leads before settling for the two-point win. Beaufort Academy, however, challenged for the victory. The Scott Richard-coached Eagles were driving and moving the football consistently prior to the late interception.
Leading the Eagles offensively, quarterback Kevin Williams completed four of seven passes for 123 yards and four touchdowns.
Another Beaufort Academy passer, Trey Dean, completed his lone pass attempt for 55 yards.
Chris Boggs, ranked as Beaufort Academy’s leading receiver, reeled in four touchdown receptions for 123 yards in the heartbreaking loss.
In addition to thriving through the air, Williams rushed 12 times for 101 yards.
Multiple Beaufort Academy football players contributed during the Eagles’ second regular-season appearance. The Eagles were productive on offense, defense and special teams.
Aiding the Beaufort Academy offensive attack, Jaxon Spradling scored on an 8-yard run for the Eagles.
Showing that he’s fully recovered from an injury, Jalen Moon rushed for 65 yards and led the Beaufort Academy defensive effort.
“It was a disappointing loss for sure but we fought hard and showed a ton of guts,” Richard said, following his team’s short effort. “We came together and executed well for the most part. If this is who we are going to be then we are going to have a lot of fun this season and the wins will come. I’m very proud and excited for this team.
“We had good team defense this week. We got great contributions from some of our younger players – all of whom are critical players in the success of our football team, in particular, Will Tumlin, Daniel Richards and John Dastous. It’s fun to compete – we competed tonight.”
The Eagles are scheduled to visit Henry Academy on Friday, Sept. 2. Beaufort Academy has additional regular-season games remaining versus Holly Hill Academy, Northside Christian Academy, Cathedral Academy, Faith Christian, Andrew Jackson Academy, Coastal Christian Prep, Charleston Collegiate and Ridge Christian Academy.
Kickoff for the Beaufort Academy-Henry Academy football game is set for 7:30 p.m. in Estill.
HHCA falls to First Presbyterian
Hilton Head Christian Academy couldn’t keep up with host First Presbyterian Christian Academy in its latest outing.
Homestanding First Presbyterian Christian Academy pulled away to defeat Hilton Head Christian Academy 38-21 in an early-season high school football game on Aug. 26.
With the loss, Hilton Head Christian Academy slipped to 1-1.
First Presbyterian Christian Academy, an opponent from neighboring Georgia, moved to 2-1 with the win.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard when sophomore Dargan Cherry completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to freshman Floyd Hargrove.
Zach Doe added a touchdown for the Hilton Head Christian Academy football team in the setback.
In addition to his efforts on the ground, Hargrove reeled in three receptions for the Eagles.
Defensively, senior Craig Oliver led Hilton Head Christian Academy with 10 tackles.
Aiding Hilton Head Christian Academy’s defensive effort in the early-season high school football matchup, senior James Bartholomew and junior Chandler Edmonds delivered two interceptions apiece for the Eagles. Bartholomew returned one of his two picked off passes for a touchdown.
Hilton Head Christian Academy isn’t scheduled to return to the gridiron until Friday, Sept. 9. The Eagles are slated to host Charleston-based First Baptist School in their next outing. Hilton Head Christian Academy has other regular-season games remaining versus Colleton Prep Academy, Thomas Heyward Academy, Northwood Academy, Laurence Manning Academy, St. Andrew’s, Bethesda Academy and Hilton Head Prep.
Bluffton Bobcats level upstart May River
The Bluffton High School football team dominated in the first meeting against its new crosstown rival. The Bobcats, under the direction of head coach Ken Cribb, rolled past first-year team May River 77-3 on Aug. 26.
May River is under the guidance of head coach Rodney Summers.
With the win, Bluffton moved to 2-0.
May River dropped to 0-2 with the loss.
Bluffton took a commanding 56-3 lead into halftime.
Following the first half, with Bluffton completely in control of the contest, the final two quarters were shortened to 8 minutes apiece.
Quarterback Hunter Eldridge paced the Bluffton offensive attack, completing six of 12 passes for 147 yards.
Jermaine Patterson led Bluffton in both rushing and receiving. Patterson rushed for a team-high 61 yards. He hauled in three receptions for 89 yards as the Bobcats won easily.
Patterson scored the game’s first touchdown on a touchdown reception.
The Bluffton defense provided two early scores when Dylan Lapinski returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown and linebacker Richard Jenkins reached the end zone on a two-yard fumble return.
Patterson and I’kiem Jefferson added two more touchdowns apiece as Bluffton cruised into halftime.
Josh Staple and Myles Young added touchdowns for the Bobcats in the second half.
Another Bluffton player, Rick Storzieri, delivered a touchdown when he covered a botched May River punt snap in the end zone.
May River was limited offensively throughout the game.
Kicker Ryan Matovich supplied May River its only points on a 38-yard field goal. The Sharks’ offensive unit was held to single-digit yardage until late in the game.
May River freshman quarterback Joseph Tapscott threw three interceptions in the loss. Tapscott amassed 28 passing yards.
Both Bluffton and May River are due to return to the field Friday, Sept. 2. Bluffton is slated to host Beaufort High while May River entertains Whale Branch for its first home game. Kickoff for each of the upcoming high school football games is set for 7:30 p.m.
Hilton Head Island wallops Whale Branch
Thanks in part to three first-half touchdown passes from quarterback Collin Kaiser, the Hilton Head Island football team pulled away to beat Whale Branch 40-8 in a season opener on Aug. 26.
With the win, Hilton Head Island started its season 1-0.
Dominant Hilton Head Island led 40-0 before Whale Branch arrived on the scoreboard.
Kaiser, one of the area’s top high school quarterbacks, excelled for homestanding Hilton Head Island throughout the Seahawks’ home game versus the longtime rival.
The accurate Kaiser hooked up with teammate Tyler Hamilton on a scoring pass in the first quarter to allow Hilton Head Island to move ahead early.
Continuing to thrive after the initial period, Kaiser completed scoring passes to Bryce Singleton and Sterling White in the second quarter.
The Seahawks passed and rushed the football with great success against the Whale Branch defensive unit. Hilton Head Island fared well both through the air and on the ground. Singleton, White and John Bell added rushing touchdowns for the Seahawks in the comfortable win.
Whale Branch was held scoreless until the fourth quarter. The Warriors’ offensive attack was limited throughout the early-season affair.
Whale Branch is without longtime standout Nyles Pinckney, who is now a member of the Clemson University football team.
Both Hilton Head Island and Whale Branch are due back in action on Friday, Sept. 2. Hilton Head Island is slated to visit Battery Creek while Whale Branch ventures to May River for a game against an upstart program.
Kickoff for each upcoming high school football game featuring the Hilton Head Island and Whale Branch football programs is set for 7:30 p.m.
John Paul II falls to St. Andrew’s
The John Paul II football team fell during a second attempt to reach the win column in the 2016 season. Visiting St. Andrew’s set the tone early on Aug. 26, pulling away to defeat John Paul II 63-6.
With the loss, John Paul II dropped to 0-2.
St. Andrew’s improved to 2-0 with the win.
An experienced team, St. Andrew’s used a strong rushing attack to defeat John Paul II convincingly in the early-season high school gridiron battle.
John Paul II fell behind early. The Golden Warriors were forced to play from behind throughout the regular-season high school football matchup.
John Paul II, a young squad, scored its lone touchdown when quarterback Nyleem Wright hooked up with Karl Johnson on a 90-yard scoring pass.
Despite suffering the lopsided loss, John Paul II showed some improvement following its season opener versus Hilton Head Christian Academy one week earlier.
The Golden Warriors, under the direction of head coach Kevin Wald, also executed well at times on special teams.
Hilton Head Christian Academy had defeated the Golden Warriors 26-21 in a season opener on Aug. 19.
John Paul II is scheduled to host Palmetto Christian Academy on Friday, Sept. 2. The Golden Warriors have additional regular-season games remaining versus Hilton Head Prep, Dorchester Academy, Thomas Heyward Academy, Carolina Academy, Christian Academy, Colleton Prep Academic and Calhoun Academy.
Kickoff for the John Paul II-Palmetto Christian Academy football game is set for 7:30 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Beaufort Academy beats Hilton Head Prep
The Beaufort JV Lady Eagles defeated Hilton Head Prep in two sets, 25-20 and 25-23.
McCayla Willingham led the team with three ace serves. Tiffany Linton provided strong passing on serve receive, and led the team in kills with 4. Zyaire Middleton and Halle DeJesus provided strong setting, each with 4 sets for a kill.
The Varsity Lady Eagles also defeated Hilton Head Prep, winning all three sets: 25-18, 25-6, and 25-18.
Kaylie Richardson provided strong defense with 14 digs, along with Becca Fancher with 11 digs. Richardson and Hannah Phillips led the team with 6 offensive kills each, with Hailey Lamar contributing 5 offensive kills. Madison Gallion provided strong setting with 9 sets for kills.
Beaufort High teams sweeps HHCA squads
Beaufort High swept Hilton Head Christian Academy in varsity and junior varsity volleyball matches.
The Beaufort High junior varsity team team defeated Hilton Head Christian Academy in straight sets, winning 25-14, 25-6. With the win, the Beaufort High junior varsity squad moved to 2-0.
The Beaufort High varsity team defeated its Hilton Head Christian counterpart in an exciting come-from-behind victory. With the match going five sets, the Beaufort High varsity prevailed 23-25, 26-24, 19-25, 25-18, and 15-9. The eagles started slow but finished very strong. Julia Smith, Hannah Phillips, and Kaylie Richardson led Beaufort High with kills, tallying 12, 10 and 8 kills, respectively.
Madison Gallion provided excellent setting for the Eagles, delivering 21 sets for kills. Phillips and Hailey Lamar combined for 10 kill blocks as the Eagles won. The Beaufort High Libero, Becca Fancher, supplied the host team with strong defense and serve receive throughout the match. Gallion led the team in ace serves with five. Phillips, Smith and Macy Purdy also contributed strong serving to help the Eagles win the match. With the win, the Beaufort High varsity squad moved to 2-0.
The Beaufort High varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams were scheduled to visit May River High School in Bluffton for matches on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
Beaufort Academy edges Colleton Prep, 5-4
The Beaufort Academy girls’ tennis team edged familiar foe Colleton Prep 5-4 in its season opener on Aug. 24.
Beaufort Academy visited Colleton Prep for a key early-season region match.
The Eagles entered this week set to visit Pinewood Prep for a non-region match on Aug. 29.
Beaufort Academy girls’ tennis players Lila Alcott, Juliana Lane, Emily Potter and Caroline Moss won singles matches against Colleton Prep opponents.
The Beaufort Academy doubles team of Ansleigh Pingree and Leith Gray also won.
Beaufort Academy’s results from the early-season region match versus Colleton Prep were:
Beaufort Academy 5, Colleton Prep 4
Beaufort Academy singles winners
No. 3 Lila Alcott won 6-3, 6-0
No. 4 Juliana Lane won 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 Emily Potter won 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 Caroline Moss won 6-3, 6-2
Beaufort Academy doubles winners
No. 3 Ansleigh Pingree/Leith Gray won 6-0, 6-1
COLLEGE SOCCER
USCB dominates on the soccer field
The USCB women’s soccer team continued its impressive start to the season Aug. 26, turning in another dominant performance to defeat visiting Montreat (N.C.) 4-0 at Fin Land Field.
Cameron Croney-Clark notched a goal and an assist and Brittany Lorentz assisted on a pair of goals for the Sand Sharks, which unleashed a school-record 42 shots while limiting the Cavaliers to just one.
“The girls came out and set the tone for the second straight match,” USCB coach Ed Heberling said. “We have not done that in years past, and it is nice to dictate the match. The first half was a bit tough, as Montreat got numbers behind the ball and made it tough for us. Cameron’s goal was great and gave us some life and confidence.”
The Sand Sharks outshot the Cavaliers 20-0 in the first half but had only a 1-0 lead at the break. USCB doubled the margin less than five minutes into the second half, though, as Croney-Clark laid off a pass to MJ Orduna, who cracked a shot just under the crossbar for a 2-0 advantage.
Swedish freshman Felicia Alpenmyr added her first collegiate goal in the 67th minute, as Brittney Neser and Lorentz threaded a pair of passes through traffic and Alpenmyr tucked a shot inside the left post to make it 3-0.
FISHING
Sea Island Fly Fishers to meet Sept. 14
The Sea Island Fly Fishers will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 825 Bay St. Beaufort.
This first meeting since the summer break will feature Capt. Tuck Scott as the speaker. His subject is “Beyond Flood Tide and Lowtide Redfish for Fly Fishing in the Lowcountry.”
The public is welcome to this free event. There will be refreshments and a social hour followed by the speaker at 7 p.m.
Visit the club website at www.seaislandflyfishers.com or call Jack Baggette at 843-441-4023 with questions.
Beaufort fishing club to meet Sept. 8
The Beaufort Sport Fishing and Diving Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club located on Lady’s Island off of Meridian Road.
The social time begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
Well-known local Capt. Geordie Madlinger will discuss shore line/beach fishing including setups, rods and reels and baits of choice.
The monthly $50 drawing for weighing in one of the Year Round Tournament Species last month was won by Debbie Fries. During the September meeting there will be another $50 drawing sponsored by Butler Marine. Those attending will also receive the New DNR Artificial Reef Guide.
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.
TENNIS
Beaufort’s Larry Scheper captures 3 national titles
Larry Scheper maintained his No. 1 ranking in three age groups as well as No. 4 ranking in Mens Open, winning three new titles in the 2016 American Tennis Association (ATA) National Tennis Tournament in Fort Florida.
Scheper dominated the adult field, winning Mens 45 Singles, 45 Doubles, teaming with Maurice Green, of Salt Lake, N.Y., and 50s doubles with Kenneth Myers, of Shreveport, La.
Scheper is head coach and director of Scheper Tennis Academy in downtown Beaufort.
Scheper’s assistant coach, Winston Fields, won second place in Men’s 40 Singles.
Scheper is also the tennis coach at Beaufort Academy.
Scheper Tennis Academy Junior members participating in the ATA Nationals include Ladesha Prather in Girls 16s, Whitney Hayes, Girls 14s who teamed with Scheper’s daughter Jayda Scheper, competing into the semi-finals. Rodney Sturgis competed in boys 18s reaching the quarter finals. Adult Schper players include Janice Johnson and Jan Horan competing in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Scheper has been invited to represent the United Sates this fall with the National ATA team in an International Championship from Oct. 14-16 in Cancun, Mexico.
Scheper Tennis Academy offers daily adult tennis clinics, a junior tennis program, private lessons and free tennis for youth 10 and under from noon to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday.
For more information, contact scheper at 843-441-2935 or visit Facebook at Scheper Tennis Academy.
