The Sentinel-Progress

EASLEY — Before the game even started, Pendleton Coach Grayson Howell knew what he was up against last Friday night at Easley High School. Some of the long-time fans in the area still remember Howell when he coached in Easley. “We can’t let Whit (Rodgers) be comfortable (at quarterback),” Howell said. “We have to find a way to get him off his spot. He had a great game last week (against Pickens) in his first varsity start. He’s been slinging it for a long time. He’s special.

EASLEY — It’s official. Jameson Spitzmiller – better known as Coach Spitz to most people – has been named the varsity baseball coach at Easley High School. “It’s just really special to me,” said Coach Spitz. “Easley is what made me who I am. It’s a blessing and I’m very thankful.” He continued, “It’s just an honor to me. The best way that I can say it is … growing up at Easley High School at 16 years old, I never thought I’d end up doing something like this.

EASLEY — Elliott Reynolds is helping put Easley High School girls golf on the map. A seventh-grader at Getty’s Middle School, Reynolds has become the youngest player in South Carolina (at age 11) to start on a varsity girls golf team. Dr. Lenard Hudnal Jr., an Assistant Commissioner of Middle School Athletics for the South Carolina High School League, even sent a letter confirming the accomplishment of Reynolds.

PICKENS — It almost seemed like a backyard football game where – whatever team had the football at the end – they were going to win the game. Throw in a local rivalry just 10 minutes away, a couple of 30-minute delays due to lightning and two teams that would have played until 4 a.m. The end result: Pickens 61, Easley 41 Blue Flame coach James Reynolds quickly credited the victory as a “team win” and soaked in the season-opening win with his family on the field.

Running back Nasir Waldrop led the Powdersville football team to a 28-12 win over Seneca last Friday night. Waldrop had 25 carries for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jordan Martinez also rushed for 68 yards on 11 carries for Powdersville, while Dashton Brown had 7 carries for 46 yards. For Seneca, QB Eli Wylie was 12-of-21 for 176 yards and a touchdown. PHS led 14-6 at halftime. In other action, Daniel also won their season opener 42-28 over the Wren Hurricanes.

Congratulations to L J Shepard for bowling a 300 (755 series) on Wednesday Night (8/19) Monday Night (8/17) Kim Stidham 218 Keith Stidham 235 Scott Sisk 259 Mike Stanton 258 David Rude 237 Allen Cantrell 257 (701 series) Adger Brown 222 B J Hooper 234 Tim Lines 226 Josh Rude 202 Chase Hall 290 Chris Jordan 238 Andrew Mortimer 247 Kyle Richey 239 T J Reed 269 (706 series) Roy Collins 225 George Giles 242 Jim Stoltie Sr. 235 Gavan Calvert 249 (707 series) Tuesday Seniors (8/18) Keith DeRita 212...

SOUTH CAROLINA — In observance of National Immunization Awareness Month, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) and the South Carolina Immunization Coalition recently held a press conference at the State of South Carolina’s Health Campus focusing on the importance of vaccines and how they help to protect people of all ages from many different diseases. Vaccines are safe and effective when it comes to preventing serious diseases in children and adults.

When Clemson Cooperative Extension Service brought back the statewide competition for the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) in 2019, who knew the dynasty that it would create on the national level? WHEP is a national hands-on environmental education program dedicated to teaching youth across the country about wildlife and fisheries habitat conservation and management. Youth are given an opportunity to learn and test their wildlife knowledge in a friendly competition.

I’m sure that like me, many of you also grew up hearing stories about giants—be they from the Bible, Jack’s infamous Bean Stalk, or in the grocery store aisle in the form of every child’s favorite Jolly green giant—and it’s probably crossed your mind at least once what you would do if you were suddenly confronted with a grotesquely oversized human. No? Just me? Huh.

Growing up in Michigan, you learn to accept certain universal truths. The winters last until May, the potholes can swallow a Honda Civic, and rhubarb is a weed. At least, that’s what I thought. Every spring in the Wolverine State, rhubarb explodes along garage walls, alleyways, and chain-link fences like giant, radioactive celery. It is entirely ubiquitous. Nobody buys rhubarb in Michigan; it just appears, unbidden and aggressive. We treat it with the same casual disregard you’d give to crabgrass.