Despite bitter end, year sweet for area teams

Staff photo by Mike Adams.

On Friday, a four-month journey came to an end for three area football teams. Losses by North Augusta, Strom Thurmond and Silver Bluff - the last three Aiken-area teams still in the hunt for state titles - signaled the end of the high school football season.

It was another notable season for area football teams. Six of 10 schools made the playoffs, where they combined for nine wins. Four of those teams - including the three in action on Friday - advanced to the state semifinals. That doesn't include Wardlaw Academy, which won another SCISA eight-man state championship.

Perhaps the most impressive team this year was Strom Thurmond. The Rebels were undefeated heading into the Class AA, Division II Upper State Championship. Playing against an undefeated Woodruff squad, Strom Thurmond came up just short in a thrilling contest that the Wolverines won, 41-34.

Disappointed he wouldn't get the chance to guide his team in the state championship game this Friday, Rebel head coach Lee Sawyer still reflected on his team's season with pride.

"I knew we had potential," Sawyer said of his team, which finished with a 12-1 record and another Region 3-AA championship. "They kept working and got better every week. They did an outstanding job. ... Overall, I couldn't be more proud."

The Rebels were led by a core group of 14 seniors, including Raleigh Yeldell, a three-year starter at quarterback.

"He's meant the world to this program," Sawyer said of Yeldell, who, along with offensive lineman Chris Herrin, was selected to play in the South Carolina North/South All-Star Football Game. "He's a good leader and has made a ton of plays."

Other key contributors who will be graduating include two of Yeldell's top receivers, Marquez Mathis and Shaq Dobbs, as well as powerhouse running back Malcolm Watkins. They were just a few of the players who contributed to what Sawyer said was the most explosive offense he'd been associated with.

Even without them or defensive mainstays James Bates, Nick Clark and Cullen Rhoden, among others, Sawyer said the future is bright for Strom Thurmond.

The Rebels weren't the only team led by senior contributors. No area team had as many upperclassmen who were critical to its success as North Augusta. The Yellow Jackets had 24 seniors on the roster this season, and some of them were the most spectacular players in the Aiken area.

Chief among them was Vinny Miller, who rushed for 2,689 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. Unfortunately for North Augusta, he was held in check by No. 1-seed Goose Creek in a Class AAAA, Division II semifinal, and the Yellow Jackets lost 49-6.

The loss ended what had been a spectacular season for North Augusta. The team went 12-2, and its losses came to teams that have a combined record of 24-2. Records weren't lost on head coach Dan Pippin, who, when asked about his group of seniors, said, "The last three years were like 35-6, so I would say they were pretty good."

Tyrell Hillary, DeVontez Rouse, Ifeany Okafor, Montez McGuire, Compton Daugherty, Tony Merriweather and Philip White are some more of the many members of the Yellow Jackets' senior class who made a major impact on a team that performed better than many expected this season. Pippin has lost invaluable seniors the past few years and should be prepared to move on next season.

Back on the AA level, Silver Bluff coach Al Lown is a veteran of the sidelines and knows what it takes to try to fill the shoes of departed players. Although he'll only have to fill in for eight seniors off his roster, it will be difficult to replace Cordrea Tankersley.

The quarterback is a Clemson commitment, as well as a Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas selection, and leaves big shoes. What should help Lown in the transition is the growing pains his Bulldogs suffered this season.

Because of injuries and off-the-field issues, Lown was forced to go deep down his depth chart, and several younger players received valuable playing time. They helped Silver Bluff bounce back from a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season and get past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in seven years. The Bulldogs (9-4) made it to the Class AA, Division II Lower State Championship Game, where they lost 21-0 to top-seeded Bishop England (12-1).

"We came back from a 3-3 record, with a lot of people having already given us up for dead a long time ago," Lown said. "I'm so proud of our coaches and players. We're losing a few seniors like Cordrea Tankersley and Blake Robbins, but we've got a lot of people coming back. If they can get in the weight room and work hard, we'll have a pretty good team next year."

Staff writers Jeremy Timmerman and Rob Novit contributed to this story.