Category Archives: Sports
Lady Blue Flame go 1-1 in home tri-match
PICKENS — The Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame volleyball team kicked off their season on Aug. 24 in the friendly confines of Peggy 
Harden Anthony Gymnasium at Pickens High School. That evening Pickens hosted a tri-match with Wren and T.C. Roberson.
The Lady Blue Flame team began the tri-match playing against the Roberson Rams, who made the trip down the mountain from Asheville, N.C. Roberson took the first set 26-28, but Pickens came back to win the next two sets 27-
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Red Devils Rally in Week 1
Week 1 is in the books and the Pickens County high school football did not disappoint. The Liberty Red Devils battled back to drop Carolina High. The D.W. Daniel Lions looked strong demolishing Greer. The Pickens Blue Flame fell short against Crescent, while The Easley Green Wave worked to prepare for a showdown with Daniel this coming Friday at Easley. Read all about your favorite team by subscribing to the Pickens County Courier online edition or our print edition by calling us at 864-878-6391 and get FOOTBALL FRENZY presented by Mountain View Funerals and Cremations each and every week. Click below to see complete section as it was printed.
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Pickens competes in North South Volleyball Invitational
ROCK HILL — With regular season volleyball play set to begin this week, the Pickens Blue Flame volleyball team took on one final preseason test over the weekend as they travelled to Rock Hill to play in the North-South Invitational tournament.
The Blue Flame were one of 40 teams from across North and South Carolina invited to compete at the event hosted in the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.
In pool play, Pickens went a perfect 3-0 taking down East Lincoln High School of Denver, N.C., Atlantic Collegiate
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Up and Running
Time to get into a FOOTBALL FRENZY
In their final tune-ups before the regular season, Easley, Liberty and Pickens each played in the Easley jamboree last Friday. The Red Devils opened the action with a 35-7 win over the West-Oak Warriors. Pickens took the field next dropping a 27-6 half to the Seneca Bobcats. Finally, Easley took on Rabun Gap Nacoochie High School out of Georgia falling 34-7 in one half of play. Daniel High School, not pictured, participated in the McDonald’s Kickoff Classic at Byrnes High School defeating Crest, 14-7. To read previews for each school heading into week 0, Click the link below.
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Daniel football team practices with Carolina Panthers
By Ian Taylor
Courtesy The Journal
itaylor@upstatetoday.com
CENTRAL — Many high school football players have dreams of playing at the highest level, rubbing shoulders with the best of the best in the
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County football teams gear up for season
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
COUNTY — Football fever has begun to take over Pickens County as the season approaches at break neck speeds. Practice for the local high 
school teams opened up on July 28 and this week marks the final week of scrimmages and jamborees before regular season play begins on Aug. 18.
Three county teams are set to take the field on Friday at the Easley jamboree for
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SC District 1 dropped by Central East Maui
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — Coming off a walk-off loss against the Eastern regional champion Cherry Hill Atlantic Little League, Senior League World Series 
host S.C. District 1 took on Western regional champion Central East Maui Little League of Wailuku, Hawaii, with a chance to reach the United States final of the tournament.
However, District 1 was never able to find its groove in the batter’s box picking up
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Curacao pummels New Jersey for Senior League World Series title
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — After travelling over 1700 miles to Easley for the Senior League World Series, Pabao Little League of Willemstad, Curacao, came into Saturday’s matchup with Cherry Hill Atlantic Little League of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with a chance to bring the championship trophy back to their home country.
The Caribbean champion was able to do just that in dominant fashion, blasting Cherry Hill 14-1 in five innings to cap off an unbeaten run in Easley and secure the Senior League World Series championship.
From the start, Pabao was able to take control with a leadoff single by Curly Martha followed by back to back walks from Jurdrick Profar and Deshando Trump. An error by Cherry Hill third baseman Zachary Salsbery allowed two of the base runners to score, before Clay Winklaar, Shendrion Martinus and Nathan Castillo all drove in runs to give the Caribbean champions a 5-0 advantage.
Having given up five runs without getting a single out, Cherry Hill pulled starting pitcher Aiden Ryder and replaced him with Andrew Bechtel. Bechtel was finally able to stop the bleeding for the East regional champions, but not before giving up two more runs to put Curacao ahead 7-0 in the first inning.
Kevin Rosina made quick work of Cherry Hill in the bottom of the first and the Caribbean champion went right back at New Jersey in the second. Profar and Peson Revierre each reached on singles before Bechtel was able to able pick up two outs. Still, Cherry Hill was unable to escape the inning unblemished as Martinus drove in Profar to increase the lead to 8-0.
In dire need of some run support, the Eastern champions looked to answer quickly with a lead-off walk from Tristan Perry and a single by Ryan Moyer. Rosina drew a double play to relieve some of the pressure, but Cherry Hill still managed to finally get on the board with a Brody Connors single to cut the lead to 8-1 after two innings.
Curacao refused to let Cherry Hill keep their momentum with a lead-off double by Gurshen Mogen and a single by Arsheneau Martina putting two runners into scoring position. Profar scored one on a sacrifice fly and Tromp brought home the other with double to left field before New Jersey was able to escape the inning, now trailing 10-1.
Rosina took the Eastern champions down in order in the bottom of the third and both teams struggled to gain traction in the fourth inning. However, the Caribbean champions returned to form in the batter’s box to start the fifth inning.
A double from Martha followed by walks by Profar and Tromp loaded the bases for Curacao. Following a strikeout from Revierre, Winklaar delivered a two out single to center field to score Martha and Martinus drove in Profar and Tromp on a double to boost the lead to 14-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth.
From there, Rosina finished off his gem of a game to help Curacao secure the 14-1 Senior League World Series Championship win.
IN FULL SWING
SC District 1 off to hot start in Senior League World Series
By Bru Nimmons
Sports Editor
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
EASLEY — After four days of play at the Senior League World Series, the bracket is beginning to thin out, and host S.C. District 1 is in a great position to advance to the United States final.
District 1 opened tournament play at the J.B. “Red” Owens Complex in Easley on Saturday taking on the Central regional champion Burbank
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Tournament Time
EASLEY — Coming off a rousing return to Easley last summer after a two-year COVID-19 layoff, the Senior League World Series will be returning to Pickens County this weekend.
The tournament, which pits the best 13-16-year-old baseball players from around the world against each other, will feature six international teams and six U.S. teams and will kick off this Saturday, July 29, at the J.B. “Red” Owens Complex and run through Aug. 5.
As of press time Tuesday, the international division’s qualifiers had all been chosen, while all United States division teams remained in qualifier play.
The first team selected for the tournament was host S.C. District 1. The team, which is comprised of 16 of the area’s best young players, is looking to build upon its 2-2 finish in the 2022 tournament. District 1 will play the winner of the Central regional at 7:30 p.m. on opening night.
S.C. District 1 is set to be represented by Greyson Austin (Wren), Ayden Beeco (Easley), Eli Bledsoe (Liberty), Ayden Clay (Pendleton), Landon Fowler (Powdersville), Connor Johnson (Wren), Blane Jordan (Powdersville), Tobie Lowe (Walhalla), Joey McGovern (Seneca), Jasean Perry (Daniel), Bolton Pritchard (Wren), Aedan Queen (Pendleton), Kade Scruggs (Pendleton), Jonathan Sonderfan (Easley), Trey Sutton (Easley) and Austin Vinson (Wren). Easley High School’s Cooper Sears and Banks Gambrell are listed as alternates for District 1.
Based in Ryde, Australia, the Ryde Hawks were the first team to qualify on the international side following their win in the Australian regional on May 12. The Hawks went 5-0 in regional play and defeated the Eastern Phantoms 6-4 to advance to the SLWS.
The next team to qualify was Matamoros from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. One of two teams from Mexico competing in the regional, Matamoros went unbeaten over the course of the Latin American tournament and beat their country mates from Guadalupe Linda Vista 6-5 in the championship.
In the Caribbean region, Pabao Little League, representing Willemstad, Curacao, earned their spot in the Senior League series by going a perfect 8-0 in regional play. Just like the Latin American champions, Radamés López found themselves in battle of compatriots, facing off with fellow Curacaons, Pariba Little League in the championship.
In early July, Kennemerland Little League, of Haarlem, Netherlands, pulled through in the Europe-Africa regional, going 4-1 on its way to Easley. Facing off with South Czech Republic Little League of the Czech Republic in the finals, Lazio Little League emerged victorious, 7-2.
In the final completed international regional, the East Nepean Little League, of Ottawa, Ontario, upset the previously unbeaten Diamond Baseball Little League team 3-2 in the regional championship to punch its ticket to Easley with a final record of 4-3.
As of press time, there was no information available on the final international regional in the Asia-Pacific region.
Stateside, there was still plenty of baseball to be played at press time Tuesday, with East regional champion Cherry Hill Atlantic Little League, of Cherry Hill, N.J., having won the lone completed U.S. regional.
Sixteen teams were still vying for the top spots in the Central, Southeast, Southwest and West regionals, which were set to be determined by Wednesday at the latest, making for a short preparation time for the trip to Easley.
The day before the series begins on Friday, July 28, the city will host a Fan Fest downtown, including a parade of the teams and a concert with a performance by Ansley Burns. The parade will start at 6:30 p.m.
SLWS games will begin Saturday, July 30, opening up with the Southwest regional champion taking on the West regional champion before finishing the night with Pickens County’s own S.C. District 1 team taking on the Central regional champions.
For more about the Senior League World Series in Easley, visit littleleague.org/world-series/2023/slbws/.
