Daily Archives: 09/14/2016
Courier Obituaries 9-14-16
Debra W. Archer
Central — Debra Ann Walker Archer, 59, formerly of Jamaica Plains, Mass., died Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, at her home following a lengthy illness surrounded by family.
Born in Boston, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Stanley Walker and Juanita Wiggins Cleaves. She was a deli clerk with Publix in Clemson.
Fall bringing ghost story tours to mill
PICKENS — Thrill seekers will have a chance to experience a frightfully good time at Hagood Mill next month.
Appalachian ghosts and spirits have come to us through stories shared by our parents and grandparents over the last 100 years, and the fun-filled mountain tradition will continue at the mill.
Master storyteller and local legend H. Dean Watson will host a nighttime “Ghosts and Witches” paranormal walking tour at the hallowed and haunted site of Hagood Mill, located in the gateway community to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Watson, an award-winning storyteller, will share stories of the paranormal laced with tidbits of local history. Dean says the old Hagood Mill is one of the most haunted sites in Upstate South Carolina.
There will be four separate two-hour tours from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday evenings, Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27.
Guests will gather at the Visitors Welcome Center at 7 p.m.
The first stop is a tour of the old mill itself, the reputed gathering place of a coven of witches located in the settlement of Pickens 100 years ago. In the mill’s creaky interior, Watson will relate the spine-tingling story about what took place in the mill as it was told to him many years ago by his grandfather. Watson’s grandfather was an old country preacher and founding pastor of three churches in the county.
The second stop is the nearby Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site, where visitors will be treated to a light show highlighting thousand-year-old Native American rock carvings recently discovered at the site. The ancient carvings and the Cherokee flute music create a spiritual experience in itself.
The third stop is a short walk by lantern light across the last steel truss bridge in Pickens County over a gurgling stream onto the site where there will be a flickering fire. In the firelight, Watson will relate the chilling story of Utlunta (“Spearfinger” in Cherokee), a horrible stone-skinned witch from Cherokee lore. Watson says the native Cherokee people have occupied this hallowed ground far longer than the white man, and their presence can still be felt; these feelings permeate his presentation.
The fourth stop is a return to one of the site’s primitive log cabins, where Watson will share one of his most riveting ghost stories, titled “The Golden Arm” … and beware of the ending! All guests who have survived the experience will then be given a “protection token” and departing cautionary warning about “Raw Head and Bloody Bones.” Do they still haunt the site? You be the judge.
The tours will be held to a maximum of 30 people. Pre-registration and payment are required prior to the night of the tour. Register online at visitpickenscounty.com/calendar for your favorite date for only $12 for adults (16 and older) and $8 for children (7-15), no charge for ages 6 and under. Or you can also call Hagood Mill at (864) 898-2936 and register.
The Hagood mill is located just off U.S. Highway 178, three miles North of Pickens, at 138 Hagood Mill Road. Should there be a need for a rain date, one will be announced for sometime in November.
For more information, contact the Hagood Mill at (864) 898-2936 or go to visitpickenscounty.com/calendar. Those interested may also find out about Hagood Mill through Facebook and Twitter.
Easley man shot Saturday afternoon
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — An Easley woman has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of her neighbor.
Rebecca Barten Smoak, 57, faces charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to a release from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, the sheriff’s office responded to a residence on Melissa Drive in Easley following a report that a man had been shot, the release said.
Upon arrival, deputies found a man in his late fifties who appeared to have been shot at least one time in the torso “with what appeared to be a shotgun,” the release said.
The victim was transported by emergency medical personnel to a hospital, where he later died.
On Sunday, Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley released the victim’s name, following notification of his next of kin.
James Kenneth Brazeal, 58, of 100 Melissa Road, Easley, died at Greenville Memorial Hospital from a gunshot wound to the chest, Kelley said.
“Detectives from the sheriff’s office determined through investigation that a female acquaintance had come to the location and was seen by at least one witness to be in possession of a long gun just moments before a gunshot was heard by neighbors,” the release said.
Before he died, Brazeal was able to identify the person who shot him, according to the release.
Smoak was found unconscious at her nearby residence later that day, the release said. She was arrested and transported by EMS to a local hospital for treatment.
Following treatment, she was booked into the Pickens County Detention Center, where she is being held without bond.
A motive for the shooting had not been determined as of press time.
Arrest made in bank robbery
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — A man has been charged in connection with a bank robbery in Easley Thursday afternoon.
Justin Lamar Kernells, of Jameson Road in Easley, is charged with entering a bank to steal and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
According to a news release from the Easley Police Department, a white man entered the TD Bank on Calhoun Memorial Highway Thursday afternoon.
The man presented a handgun and demanded money, the release said.
He left the bank on foot, carrying an undisclosed amount of money, entering the woods behind Rock Springs Baptist Church. He was described as wearing a blue shirt and khaki shorts. He wore a camouflage head cover during the robbery.
Officers were in the area within minutes of the robbery and began looking for the suspect, the release said.
Photos of the suspect taken from security camera footage were released to the public.
Shortly afterward, a person found on the Rock Springs Church property was detained as a person of interest, the release said.
All property taken from the bank has been recovered.
Kernells was being held Tuesday at the Pickens County Detention Center on a total $60,000 surety bond.
BLWS dissolved, new tournament coming to Easley
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Easley will continue to remain the home of summer baseball, but the players are going to be a little younger than in years past.
On Aug. 26, the Little League International Board of Directors decided to do some restructuring, Big League Baseball World Series tournament director Jon Humphrey said.
Humphrey spoke at the September meeting of Easley Council on Monday.[cointent_lockedcontent]
A history of helping others
Cleon Durham was born May 9, 1936. She has always lived in Pickens. She attended Montvale Elementary School, a school that is no longer in Pickens.
She was raised on a farm, and when she was growing up she helped with gardening by hoeing corn, picking beans and tomatoes and digging up potatoes. She said she also helped her mother in the kitchen and learned to cook at an early age.
When she was 15 years old, she met her sweetheart, Kenneth Durham, at Holly Springs Church. They dated for a year before eloping.
Cleon and Kenneth were married Aug. 22, 1952. She said Holly Springs was having a revival service. Her mother thought Cleon was wearing her pretty white dress to church, but instead of going to church, she and Kenneth went to Preacher Newton’s house and got married. She was only 16 years old.
They have three sons, Randy, Bennie and Jeff. They have eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Kenneth was in ill health for 19 years. During that time, Cleon took very good care of him.
Her youngest son, Jeff, was born 14 years after Bennie. He was 12 years old when his father had a brain aneurysm, so he was able to help out at home. Kenneth died Dec. 10, 2003.
Cleon’s first job was at Harper’s Five and Ten Cent Store in Pickens. She worked there for two years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. After her children grew up, she started working for Alice Manufacturing Company at the Elljean plant. She worked in the weave room for five years. Her job was cleaning the loom harnesses.
Carol Baker/Courier
Cleon Durham was born and raised in Pickens.
She worked in the lunch room at Hagood Elementary School for five years. After leaving there, she did volunteer work at all the schools in the School District of Pickens County.
One of Cleon’s nicest characteristics is helping others. She comes to the Pickens Senior Center every weekday and serves lunch to the handicapped.
Cleon gets up early every Saturday morning and rides around in Pickens and Easley looking for yard sales. She said that is one of her favorite things to do. She buys clothes and toys for the children in her family.
Once a year she goes on vacation to Edisto Beach with her oldest son and his family. She also goes to Pigeon Forge. She says she enjoys going to the shows there and listening to country and gospel music.
Her son, Bennie, is the pastor at Marietta First Baptist Church. When the senior members of the church take trips, he invites Cleon to go with them.
Cleon is a member of Mountain Grove Baptist Church. At one time, she was a choir director there. She sings in the choir, and sometimes she and her son, Randy, sing a duet together.
Easley resident Carol Baker highlights interesting local residents and helps us get to know more about the fascinating people who call Pickens County home. If you have someone somewhere who you think people should know about, contact us at news@thepccourier.com.
Train on Main project in works in downtown Easley
By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter
jevans@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — A project is currently underway to get more “feet on the street” in downtown Easley — and give those visitors a mission while they are there.
The “Train on Main” project draws inspiration from Greenville’s “Mice on Main” and Pickens’ “Turtles on the Town” projects.
“It’s a project we’ve been working on for several months,” Bob Fedder, one of the project’s organizers, told Easley City Council during its meeting Monday night.
The project is a joint effort between the city’s Promote Easley Committee and the Easley Downtown Business Association.
Greer tops Lions with fourth-quarter flurry
By Rocky Nimmons
Publisher
rnimmons@thepccourier.com
GREER — The Daniel Lions’ season-opening winning streak came to an abrupt halt Friday night with a tough 42-28 road loss to the Greer Yellow Jackets.
The Lions hung tough most of the contest, but a 21-point Greer outburst late in the fourth quarter erased a 28-21 Daniel lead and handed first-year Lions head coach Jeff Fruster his first career loss, dropping the team to 3-1 on the young season.
[cointent_lockedcontent]”We made too many mistakes — too many special teams mistakes, too many offensive mistakes, defensive mistakes,” Fruster said after the game. “I mean, you name it, we made a mistake doing it tonight.
“Don’t get me wrong, my hat is off to Greer. They have a great bunch of athletes. We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. I felt like we competed. The effort was not in question. We just have to go back to the drawing board schematically.”
The Lions dodged bullets and answered fire throughout the night. But in the end Greer gain the upper hand when it needed it and took a hard-fought victory.
The Yellow Jackets appeared to have landed a haymaker on the third snap of the game as quarterback Trey Houston broke free, blasting up the middle for an apparent 70-yard touchdown, but thankfully for the Lion faithful a yellow flag fell for a block in the back that erased the play.
Despite the mistake, the Yellow Jackets pushed the ball to the Lions’ 11-yard line on the drive before the Daniel defensive unit halted the march and forced Greer to try a 38-yard field goal. Former Lion and current Yellow Jacket head coach Will Young called on Andres Toro, but Toro’s kick missed its mark, giving the Lions the ball at the 20.
It looked like a long night for the Lions as Daniel’s offense quickly went three and out, punting the ball away. Greer wasted little time and quickly produced points.
Jacket running back Quay White was the workhorse on the drive, carrying the ball three straight times. The first two went for six yards each, but the third again split the Daniel defenders, with White racing 42 yards for the first pointd of the night. Toro added the extra point with 6:40 left in the first quarter, giving Greer a 7-0 advantage.
Daniel’s offense could not get much going, again being forced to punt the ball away the next time it took possession.
Finally the Lion defense stepped up. On Greer’s first snap following the punt, Daniel’s Tyler Venables stepped in front of Houston’s pass. But the excitement was short-lived as the Lion offense sputtered and punted the ball away again without a first down.
Following an exchange of punts, the Lions’ offense finally started sparking. Starting at the 27-yard line, Fru’s crew traveled 73 yards in only four plays to even the contest. The biggest play on the series was the final one, in which Daniel signal caller Ben Batson hit wide receiver Brandon Peppers in stride and “B-Pep” did the rest, jetting 47 yards for a touchdown with 11:50 left in the half. Lion kicker Nick Muchow hit the PAT, evening the game at 7-7.
Rex Brown/Courtesy The Journal
Daniel freshman Billy Bruce stiff-arms a Greer defender during their game Friday night in Greer.
The game continued to be a defensive struggle until fireworks hit right before intermission. First was an incredible 50-yard punt return by Peppers, giving the Lion offense the ball at the Greer 10. One play later, Batson called his own number and raced in with only 34 seconds to play in the half. Muchow tacked on the extra point, and the momentum was on the Lion’s side.
Big “mo” didn’t last long for the blue and gold. It jumped back to the Jackets following the ensuing kickoff, as White took a Houston handoff and busted loose for an 80-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the half. Toro missed the PAT, and hte half ended with Daniel up 14-13.
After intermission, the Jacket reclaimed the lead on another huge White run. This time the bruising back raced 70 yards on the final play of a three-play drive that went 76 yards. Young elected for his Jackets to go for a two-point conversion. The conversion was successful when Matthew Huff took it in to give Greer a 21-14 lead with 7:57 to play in the third quarter.
The Lions answered back two series later when another big play got all in attendance on their feet. Again it was “B-Pep” who cause the stadium to rock as Peppers took another punt, this time racing 42 yards for a Daniel touchdown with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Muchow added the PAT, and the score was back even at 21-21.
It looked all Daniel as the Lion defense stiffened and forced a Jacket punt. The kick was downed at the Daniel 47.
On an apparent designed run, Batson hit a nice hole provided by his big offensive line and turned on the speed on his way to a 53-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ first snap. Muchow nailed the extra point, and the Lions were out front 28-21 with only 11:38 to play.
That is when the wheels fell off for the Columbia Blue and Gold, with the Jackets posting 21 unanswered points. Greer just would not let the momentum swing Daniel’s way and again took all of it back with a big play. White was a one-man wrecking crew all night, and on the kickoff following Batson’s score he exposed the Lions return team yet again, going 95 yards for a touchdown. Toro tacked on the PAT, knotting the game back up at 28-28.
The final two Greer series were short and sweet. The first was a three-play, 39-yard drive that was capped with a 22-yard run by Houston, and the second a was a 59-yard series that again lasted three plays, with the final being a 45-yard scamper by White that iced the game with 34 seconds to play. Toro was good on both PATs, and the game ended with a long ride home for the Lions.
“The defense played tough at times, but we can’t give up the big plays,” Fruster said. “There is no way we will survive our region by giving up 80-yard runs. That part of our defense has got to be improved.”
The loss, though not welcome, may have come at an opportune time for the Lions to bring them back to earth after a 3-0 start and show them that they still have work to do before region play gets underway.
“Our goal is to win them all, but this loss will be a good learning experience for us,” Fruster said. “We are going to have to go back to practicing the right way. Making sure we cover all our Ps and Qs.
“Special teams have been an emphasis. We have worked hard on them in practice and dedicated a lot of time. We just have to go back and see where our scheme is wrong on special teams and try to fix it so that part of the game is not a hindrance to us in the future.”
It does not get a bit easier this week as Westside, the fifth-ranked team overall in the state, will come to Singleton Field for homecoming this Friday.
“We will be playing a small Alabama next Friday,” Fruster said. “We will have our work cut out for us. We just have to work though on fixing Daniel. I still feel like I have a scrappy bunch that can compete with the best of them. We have to play Daniel football before we can worry about stopping an opponent.
A huge crowd of loud Daniel fans needs to be on hand to energize the pride of Lions for the game, Fruster said.
“I still want the fans to come out and support us,” he said. “I hope this first loss will not detour them. We have a bunch of kids that are highly athletic and capable of putting together many wins. We are going to learn from this one and we are going to get better.”
Game time Friday night at Singleton Field is 7:30 p.m.
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Easley pulls away for win over Wren
By Cole Little
Courier Sports
news@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — With a galloping 83-yard kick return for a touchdown in the final five minutes of the game, Easley senior Will Drawdy elicited a deafening roar from the fans inside Green Wave Stadium on Friday night, sealing his squad’s 49-32 win over archrival Wren.
The win evened the Green Wave’s record to 2-2, while Wren fell to 1-2 overall.
Capping off a second half in which Easley outscored the Hurricanes 28-11, Drawdy’s kick return to the house provided the Green Wave with just enough breathing room to avoid enduring a nerve-wracking finish, something Easley fans had become accustomed to over the early portion of the 2016 season.
In a gridiron battle of natural disasters, the Hurricanes were washed away by the Green Wave, with Wren’s defense serving as no match for Easley’s offense. Outgaining the Hurricanes 424 yards to 334 yards, Easley controlled the clock for much of the game, resulting in perhaps the most jaw-dropping statistic of the game. With a mind-blowing 35 more plays from scrimmage than Wren, Easley’s offense was controlling throughout the game.
Things didn’t start out perfectly for the Green Wave, however, as the offense was slow out of the gate.
After falling behind 7-0 early, Easley then used a defensive highlight to even the score, with Green Wave linebacker Caleb Hill picking off a pass from Wren quarterback Jay Ulrich and returning it 30 yards for a touchdown. The interception was one of three turnovers forced by Easley in the game.
Late in the first quarter, after Easley was victimized by way of a kick return touchdown by Wren, Easley quarterback Weston Black, who finished 8-of-13 for 117 yards, evened the score at 14-14 with a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bralan Fuller.
Kerry Gilstrap/Courier
Easley senior Will Drawdy scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including an 83-yard kickoff return, to help lead the Green Wave to a 49-32 win over rival Wren on Friday night.
Although Black was efficient against Wren, Easley’s running game was the driving force behind the team’s victory.
Running back Derrick Phillips was practically unstoppable, amassing 156 yards on 19 carries.
The other half of Easley’s dynamic Phillips duo, Quenten Phillips, was the first Green Wave player to power his way into the end zone on the ground against Wren, as he capped off a 77-yard drive early in the second quarter with a five-yard touchdown run.
Wren was able to knot the game up at 21-21 with a short touchdown drive just before halftime, but the second half was all Easley. Derrick Phillips powered into the end zone with a 27-yard run early in the third quarter to put the Green Wave up 28-21. Wren added a field goal later in the quarter — after a Hurricanes touchdown was nullified due to a penalty — but let the game get out of hand in the fourth.
On consecutive drives in the fourth quarter, Easley scored touchdowns to take a commanding 42-24 lead. The first touchdown ended with Black connecting with Fuller again for a touchdown pass. A 64-yard score, Black looked downfield and found a wide-open Fuller, who then turned on the jets and left Wren defenders in the dust as he crossed the goal line and put Easley up 35-24. Soon after, Drawdy finished off a quick 56-yard Easley drive with an 18-yard run for a touchdown, making the score 42-24 in favor of the home team with 7:16 left in the game, but Drawdy was not done contributing yet.
Wren cut the deficit to 10 points on the next drive, stringing together an efficient 80-yard touchdown drive, which was finished off by a successful two-point conversion, but the Hurricanes had their hearts broken when Drawdy effectively neutralized it with his ensuing kickoff return for the game’s final score.
Holding the ball for 15 more minutes than the Hurricanes, the Green Wave were even more dominant in Friday night’s clash than the 49-32 final score indicates.
Easley will travel to Oconee County this Friday to battle the 1-3 Seneca Bobcats in what should be an intense battle. The Bobcats handed the Green Wave a lopsided 38-0 loss last year, and Easley will be on the hunt for revenge this week.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Seneca’s Tom Bass Field.
Passing attack keys Red Devil comeback
By Jimmy Kirby
Courier Sports
jkirby@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — The Liberty Red Devils extended their perfect start to a perfect season with a thrilling and uncharacteristic comeback method in a 28-27 victory over 4A Blue Ridge on Friday night.
The Red Devils have characteristically been a running, grind-out-the-clock, ball-control team, but they found success through the air on a night when putting points on the board quickly was of the utmost importance.
The game started auspiciously as all the power went out in the stadium. There was no clock and no lights. The game started about 10 minutes late, and the officials on the field kept time. The power was restored with 9:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Doug Tate/Photo
Liberty junior Michael Spruill sprints away from a pair of Blue Ridge defenders on Friday night. Spruill scored twice, including the go-ahead touchdown, during the Devils’ win.
Three of the four teams the Red Devils have played this season have favored the spread game with the pass being their primary threat. This has given the Red Devils plenty of opportunity to prepare defensively. It has also helped the Red Devils improve their passing game, which paid dividends against the Tigers.
After holding the Tigers on downs to start the game, Liberty wasted no time in getting the first score of the game as the Devils marched 90 yards in just seven plays. The drive took 2:12 off the game clock. Nick Reeves connected with Kevon Tabron for 16 yards on the first play from scrimmage to the Tiger 26-yard line. After five consecutive running plays, Reeves this time found Tabron from 44 yards out to put the Red Devils up 7-0 with 7:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Liberty was right back in business when Jacob Herman recovered a Sonny Stevens fumble at the Blue Ridge 31-yard line. The Red Devils got as close as the Tiger 6-yard line after passes of 15 yards to Michael Spruill and 18 yards to Colton Leroy with a holding call in-between, but Blue Ridge blocked a 27-yard Austin Kemp field goal attempt to end the drive.
The Red Devils were on the move again very early in the second quarter, but a Reeves pass was intercepted by D.J. Willis at the Liberty 45-yard line and returned 27 yards to the Red Devil 18-yard line.
The Tigers wasted no time, as Jake Smith connected with Ethan Rice for a score on the first play of the drive to make it 7-6 after Liberty’s Victor Tetter got a hand on Neko Crist’s extra-point attempt that found its way into the chest of Herman.
The Tigers’ next score came on a four-play, 75-yard drive that took only 1:43 off the game clock. Smith found Stevens for 42 yards on the first play of the drive, then connected with Chandler Quinn for seven yards before finishing off the drive with a 29-yard pass to Stevens for the score. Smith called his own number on the two-point run to put the Tigers up 14-7.
The Red Devils then put together a great drive of their own as they marched 64 yards in 10 plays, only to be stopped at the Tiger 1-yard line with 1:32 remaining until halftime. It appeared Cavaugio Butler did cross the plane to the end zone, but the junior was marked down at the 1-yard line.
Then the unimaginable happened to the Red Devils again. They again gave up a score right before the half. This time it was not a time-expiring score, as Liberty had allowed the previous two weeks, but a bomb that went the length of the field on the first play from scrimmage as Smith found Rice for the 99-yard scoring toss to extend the Tiger lead to 21-7.
The Red Devils had plenty of scoring chances but had failed to capitalize and found themselves in a major hole for the first time this season. How would they handle the tale of two halves?
The Red Devils again came out strong offensively to start the third quarter. After a 30-yard kick return by Tabron to the Liberty 42-yard line, Reeves went to work through the air once again. He found Tabron for two yards, Spruill for 15 yards and then connected with Spruill again for a seven-yard touchdown to close the gap to 21-14.
A couple drives later, the Tigers extended their lead to 27-14. The Red Devil defense had backed the Tigers up to their own 9-yard line with a two-yard loss on the first play as Zane Boozer stopped Smith, then Jack Brissey sacked Smith for 10 more yards back to the 9-yard line. However, Smith connected with Stevens for a 91-yard bomb for the Tiger score. The Tigers then attempted a two-point pass that was intercepted by Aaron Bates to nullify the try. That ultimately would be the difference in the contest.
The Red Devils had one more drive left in them to end the third quarter. They scored on the last play of the quarter to culminate a six-play, 30-yard drive when Austin Huey scored from two yards out on the only rushing touchdown of the game.
It was Huey who gave the Red Devils great field position as he blocked a Crist punt that was downed at the Blue Ridge 30-yard line with 1:47 remaining in the quarter.
The Red Devil defense took over from there, as they never allowed Blue Ridge past their own 40-yard line.
The Red Devils started their game-winning drive with 8:44 remaining in the game. Reeves had his longest rush of the season with a 28-yard scamper to the Tiger 49-yard line. After incomplete passes on first and third down and just a one-yard rush by Reeves to the Blue Ridge 48-yard line, the Red Devils faced fourth and nine and elected to go for it. Reeves then found Tabron good for 40 yards down to the Blue Ridge 8-yard line to set up a first and goal.
Tabron gained two yards to the Tiger 6-yard line on first down. Reeves’ pass to Butler was incomplete on second down. A block below the waist pushed the Red Devils back to the 21-yard line. Consecutive incomplete passes by Reeves to Shaun Karr and Cole Murphy brought up another fourth-down attempt to gain the lead.
Facing fourth and goal from the Tiger 21-yard line and the game in the balance, Reeves threw a beautiful pass over the defender that found Michael Spruil to complete the comeback and tie the game at 27-27 with 4:29 remaining in the game. Kemp’s all-important PAT was true, and the Red Devils had the lead for good at 28-27.
After stopping the Tigers once more, the Red Devils celebrated by running out the clock and gaining their fourth win of the season.
The Red Devils won the battle of total yards 407-383. Reeves was 16-of-28 for 237 yards and one interception. Take away the two long passes by the Tigers and they were around 200 yards of offense. The chunk plays hurt the Red Devil defense by allowing the scores, but also helped in the end to keep the defense off the field and fresh for the fourth-quarter stops.
There will be little time to celebrate for the Red Devils, as they will face another 3A opponent in the Powdersville Patriots, who will bring a very balanced attack and a 2-1 record. They opened the season with a 32-22 loss to Belton-Honea Path and then put together back-to-back wins over Wren (41-28) and Seneca (38-31).
Powdersville won a region battle last season, 35-7. It should be an exciting night to see if the streak continues. The battle should be Liberty’s toughest of the season so far.
