Category Archives: Sports
Pickens’ Cloer recalls hunts
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
fter several weeks of action, spring turkey season is winding down in South Carolina. I can vividly remember my Grandpa W.T. Cloer working on his turkey calls.
My family’s sawmill home and Grandpa’s home were next to each other in the little sawmill village 
in the mountains of Northern Georgia in the 1950s.
Grandpa made his calls from cedar, walnut and poplar wood as he and I spent precious time together in his woodworking shop. He always made
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Flame making playoff push
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Coming out of their series with Easley, the Pickens Blue Flame knew they had a 
daunting task ahead. Their only path to the playoffs was winning the remainder of their four-game region slate.
That trek toward the playoffs began over the weekend against Travelers Rest, and
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Pickens’ Howard signs with Hampden-Sydney
PICKENS — The Pickens High School football team added another member to its signing class last 
week, as defensive lineman Peyton Howard signed to play on the next level at Hampden-Sydney College.
Howard was a difference maker on the Blue Flame’s defensive line last season, finishing fifth on the team in
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Lions one win away from perfect region slate after defeating BHP
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
CENTRAL — The Daniel High School boys’ soccer team has been among the best in the state this season, and the Lions showed no sign of slowing down during a 14-0 victory against Belton-Honea Path on senior night Monday.
“It was a great night for our seniors to get out and play,” Daniel coach Phillip Boyer said. “I told them before the game that senior night is great, but if you don’t play well, that’s what you’ll end up remembering.”
Luckily for the Daniel seniors, it was a night to remember, as seven different seniors managed to score on the Bears, including a particularly impressive day from Xander Smiley, who had a hat trick 20 minutes into the game.
After a few missed opportunities in the early minutes, the floodgates opened for the Lions in the ninth minute on a goal by Luis Lezama. The Lions scored nine more goals in the next 28 minutes to build a 10-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, it was more of the same for Daniel even after some subbing, as the Lions added four more goals to pick up the 14-0 win.
For the Lions (13-4, 9-0 Western 3A), the big win was the latest in a line of destruction in region play, in which Daniel has outscored opponents 70-2.
However, the Lions still have one more test in a trip Thursday to second-place Wren to secure a region championship and a perfect region record.
Daniel handed Wren its worst loss of the season, an 8-0 thrashing, in the first contest between the teams, but Boyer knows that the 12-3 Hurricanes still present a challenge.
“I expect it to be a dog fight,” Boyer said. “I’ve been telling the guys for the last couple of weeks that the first score doesn’t matter, because this is going to be a different game. It’s at Wren this time, and for whatever reason sometimes we don’t play well there, so we’re going to have to work harder because they have nothing to lose.”
Daniel 14, BHP 0
WHS 0 0 — 0
DWD 10 4 — 14
Goals
First half
DWD — Lezama, 9’
DWD — Smiley, 13’
DWD — Smiley, 17’
DWD — Lezama, 19’
DWD — Smiley, 20’
DWD — Tapper, 21’
DWD — J. Lizardi, 28’
DWD — Medina, 31’
DWD — Turner, 34’
DWD — R. Lizardi, 37’
Second half
DWD — Purkerson, 54’
DWD — Kome, 59’
DWD — Daniel, 72’
DWD — Patti, 77’
Blue Flame softball sweeps Liberty
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — The Pickens Blue Flame softball team opened last week with consecutive matchups against county foe Liberty, and despite a couple really close contest, the Blue Flame ended up taking both matchups.
The Blue Flame hopped out to a great start in their first game against the Red Devils last Tuesday night, as Amber Clark hit a leadoff home run.
The Blue Flame held the lead into the bottom of the second, when Liberty’s Madison Reece managed to even things up as she scored on a passed ball.
An RBI single by Ali Cannon in third gave the lead back to Pickens before
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Easley softball slides by rival Pickens
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Through three innings of Friday night’s contest between the Easley and Pickens softball teams, neither group was willing to give.
With Easley ahead just 6-5, it seemed like the game was guaranteed to go down to the wire. However, the Pickens bats just couldn’t keep up down the stretch, as Easley pulled away for a 13-5 win.
“I’m just proud of them,” Easley head coach Trish Spence said. “They don’t give up, they keep their energy up and when we’re on, we’re on. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
The Green Wave got out to a hot start in the first
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Pickens graduate Gillespie earns PBC recognition
FLORENCE — Francis Marion University freshman setter Kaylee Gillespie was named the Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Specialist of the Week for the week ending April 11.
A native of Pickens, Gillespie averaged 10.60 assists and 3.10 digs per set in three matches that week. Her totals included a pair of double-doubles: 32 assists and 12 digs against UNC Pembroke and 30 assists with 10
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Liberty’s Crossfire Volleyball makes history with 40-0 season
LIBERTY — Earlier this month, Crossfire 13 Elite Mellie won the Palmetto Regional Championships at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center to complete a perfect 40-0 regular season. It was the first-ever regional tournament championship at any age for the Crossfire Volleyball 
Club, located in Liberty.
“We were super excited heading into the regional tournament and knew we had a chance of making history again this season by winning it all,” head coach Mellie Crumpton said. “Being seeded No. 1 puts a big target on you, but the girls were mentally ready to play. They improved match by match
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Green Wave pitching staff dominating
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Sitting at 14-1 with more than half the season done, the 2021 baseball season has been a breeze thus far for the ninth-ranked Easley Green Wave.
Led by a dominant collection of bats that have scored less than seven runs just twice on the season, the Green Wave are a force to be reckoned with, and if you somehow manage to slow down their offense, good luck getting a hit on their pitching staff.
On Monday night, the Easley pitching staff picked up its third no-hitter of the year, as senior ace Josh Woody mowed down Walhalla batters
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Local volleyball team wins tourney
ATLANTA — During a grueling three-day event, Carolina One 16 Elite Pickens went 10-0 to win the 2021 Mizuno Big South National Qualifier Tournament on April 2-4 at the Georgia World Conference Center in downtown Atlanta.
The event is the largest girls’ junior indoor volleyball tournament held over a single weekend
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