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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

Expectations high for Sumter

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com The Sumter High School football team returns 10 starters from last year’s 9-3 squad that reached the second round of the 5A state playoffs before losing to Summerville.

“I think a lot of people are surprised that we have 10 starters back,” head coach Mark Barnes said.

Ah, but the one who is gone is a big one, a very big one. Quarterback Zykiem Jackson, a 3-year starter who helped the Gamecocks to two region titles.

Barnes, however, thinks he’s affected more by Jackson not being there than the players.

“It’s more weird for me than anybody else,” said Barnes, who made Jackson his starter midway through the 2015 season, his first at SHS. “I used to think players worried about who was here; this generation

doesn’t. It’s like at the YMCA (playing basketball); a player drops out you look for someone else to come in.

Our players have probably dealt with it better than I have. Me and Zykiem had been together so long, when we had that first chalk session and he wasn’t here, that was weird.

“His greatest strength was he was the ultimate winner. He was a great competitor, a do-right guy.”

That was then, this is now though, and Barnes likes where the team is at quarterback. Ontra’ Harvin is back to handle the quarterback duties.

He started the final three games of the season when Jackson broke his collarbone in the ninth game against Conway.

“As coaches, we’ve got to do a better job of puttin Ontra in a situation where he’s more comfortable,” Barnes said. “He did a great job in the three games played for us last year.

We kind of got caught (in the Conway game) because we’d prepared the

Sumter High running back Jonathan Henry (26) will be back after rushing for just under 1,000 yards last season.

Photo by Trevor Bauknight

offense for Zykiem’s strengths.

“We had Zykiem call a run play where he had the option to the pull the ball and run the ball. Now with Ontra’ when we pull the ball we have someone to throw the ball to. His arm is his strength.”

Barnes wants to throw the ball more because he likes his receiving corps with the likes of Tylee Craft, Jalen Dinkins and Tony Dinkins-McCall.

Sumter has a standout running back returning in Jonathan Henry, who rushed for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

And Henry has an outstanding line to run behind with all five starters back. The line is led by offensive tackle Zion Nelson and Tayvian Gass, who have committed to Appalachian State and Wofford, respectively.

Sumter has seven starters back on defense. Barnes said his team is going to have to develop some depth along the line.

Zion Nelson

“The biggest question on defense will be on the defensive front because we’ve been blessed my first three years with some really talented players,” Barnes said. “We’ve got guys that can play there, they just have to gain some experience.”

Senior outside linebacker Antonio Roach thinks the defense is going to be fine.

“Our defense obviously has some work to do,” Roach said. “Once it comes together and we work as a team, we’ll be good.”

Ready to begin his fourth season on Friday, Barnes thinks he has been around long enough for the program to be strong regardless of who comes and goes.

“I’ve told our players we should be better this year even though we lost some good players. It’s our fourth year in the program, and this is my first group (of seniors) that has been under our program.”

Antonio Roach

OT Senior

Coach Mark Barnes

OLB Senior

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2018 GRIDIRON

THE SUMTER ITEM

The Lakewood Gators are hoping to get gang tackling like this shown from linebacker Justin Anderson (24), linebacker Tony Brown (22) and defensive back Jalen Clea (8) when they open the regular season on Friday in Walterboro against Colleton County.

Photo by Trevor Bauknight

BY TREVOR BAUKNIGHT trevor@theitem.com Especially after Lakewood High School’s 28-6 dismantling of Lee Central in the Sumter County Football Jamboree last week at Sumter Memorial Stadium, Gator faithful just may have good reason to be excited about the changes second-year head coach Larry Cornelius has brought to the program.

“When I took over the program last year, it wasn’t about winning, it was about changing the culture,” said Cornelius, whose team started out 2-0 last year before dropping its last eight in his inaugural season. “We were very senior-heavy last year; but sometimes you have to manage what you have and kind of look to the future. We’ve paved a nice road, but we’re not at the end of the road yet -still have a lot of work to do.”

The most evident change is the more balanced attack on offense behind senior quarterback Malik Richardson, who has already committed to play college football at East

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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Lakewood ready to take next step under Cornelius

Carolina University.

Cornelius turned over the passing game to quarterbacks coach Bren Maloney in order to give Richardson and Cody Windham extra one-on-one time.

“He’s done a phenomenal job putting his stamp on our style,” said Cornelius. “I’m more of a running guy. I might put four (receivers) out there, but I still want to run it between the tackles. So it’s been a nice mesh.”

Cornelius said he thinks the top of his depth chart will be a good unit, but the weakness is depth.

“The honeymoon period is over now,” Cornelius said. “Any time you come into a new program, the numbers tend to go up. Now that they see how I am, that I’m a straightforward person, we’ve been able to add four more coaches from outside the area.

In saying that, we’re really setting the tone out there, so it’s actually pushed some kids that aren’t serious about football away from the program.

That’s what we’ve got to work on.”

Richardson leads the offense, with a bevy of tall, talented targets

in Quentin Hodge, Jalen Clea and basketball standout Juwan Perdue, playing his first year of football. All of them stand at least 6-feet-4-inches tall, and if that weren’t enough, Richardson himself at 6-4 plays receiver when junior QB Windham enters the backfield.

Senior Javontae’ Jones will carry the load at running back.

Defensively, Cornelius said he considers it the Gators’ first year of defense under new management by defensive coordinator Rodney Peebles and assistant coaches Modzelle Atkins, Ryan King and Josh Williams.

“We’re going to have a lot of sophomores starting,” Cornelius said.

“Most of the new coaches I hired are on the defensive side of the ball, so our approach on defense is just to contain. I hope we shut people out, but realistically I don’t expect that, and our offense is going to have to lead the charge.”

Cornelius did say he thinks the defense is a bit further along than he had expected in the preseason.

The Gators are big and strong on the lines, but not deep, and Lakewood has had some injury issues already in the trenches, losing one key senior, two-way anchor George Chatman, and having three others with nagging minor injuries.

Still, Cornelius is excited about his offense. ”I think our offense is going to be chaotic for defenses to stop.”

Cornelius said while he and his team focus mainly on themselves, the move into the Columbia-area 4A region will be interesting because of the balance top-to-bottom, as opposed to the Pee Dee region in which Hartsville is the perennial favorite.

“The region we’re going into is very athletic,” he said. “I think all the teams run a spread offense, which will be interesting.”

Still in building mode, Cornelius said the toughest thing to do as a new coach is to get the players to buy into his system, and that requires winning games.

“It’s kind of a Catch-22,” he said.

“The answer is to win games.”

Malik Richardson

Jamal Anderson LB/DE Senior

Coach Larry Cornelius

QB Senior

LAKEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STARTING LINEUP

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

Crestwood hopes to ride wave of playoff win

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com The Crestwood Knights picked up their first playoff victory under head coach Roosevelt Nelson last season, his fourth at the school. CHS went on the road and beat Chapin 28-14 in the opening game of the 4A state playoffs.

While Crestwood lost the following week to North Myrtle Beach, Nelson believes that triumph can be used as a big stepping stone for his 2018 team.

“It was big,” said Nelson, whose team finished the year with a 6-6 record. “Now young people want to know why and they’ve got to see things. As a coach you have a vision for your team, but they (the players) have to go out and see. We can use it as a building tool for us.”

The Knights have a mixed bag as far as returning starters go when they open the season against West Florence on Friday at Donald L. Crolley Memorial Stadium in Dalzell.

There are eight starters returning on offense, but Nelson will only have three returning starters lining up on the defensive side of the football.

“That’s (experience on offense) is going to be very important early in the season,” said Nelson, who was a standout linebacker for CHS and went on to play at Clemson. “We’re going to have to score some points early in the season to keep us in some ball games.”

Crestwood runs out of a spread formation with the intention of getting the football into the hands of its playmakers in space. Senior wide receiver Joshua Simon is a key to the

A group of Crestwood defenders hit C.E. Murray quarterback Antonio McKnight during the Sumter Sertoma Club’s Sumter County Football Jamboree last week. The Knights will put a defense with only three returning starters on the field when they play host to West Florence on Friday.

Photo by Trevor Bauknight

offense. He caught 39 passes for 687 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, but he knows the offense has to be more consistent.

“We’ve got to start fast and finish fast. Last year it seemed like we would wait until the second half. We always got rolling late. We’ve got to start rolling fast and keep rolling.”

Nelson acknowledges that Simon is going to get a lot of attention from opposing defenses, but he can’t let that hinder his production.

“He’s going to be getting double teamed a lot. He’s got to work even harder to get himself open.”

Linebacker Jamar Holliday is one of the returnees on the defensive unit.

He thinks the defense will be just fine in time.

“We’re losing so many seniors, bringing in new fellows, we’re re-

grouping,” Holliday said. “It’s a slow process, but we’re working and at the end of the day we’ll be good.”

Not only will CHS be breaking in some new players on defense, it will be breaking in some new teams in a new region. After years as a member of the 3A and 4A Pee Dee region, Crestwood and fellow Sumter School District school Lakewood are members of Region IV-4A. The other schools are A.C. Flora and Dreher located in Columbia, Lower Richland in Hopkins and Orangeburg-Wilkinson.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Nelson said of the region change. “It’s a close trip for us, and it’s some good football.

“Winning the region is one of our goals. It’s going to come back to the everyday process if we’re to win it.”

Joshua Simon WR • Senior

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2018 GRIDIRON

THE SUMTER ITEM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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Manning’s Darias Williams (33) fights for extra yardage as a host of Sumter High defenders converge on him during the Monarchs’ 21-7 loss to the Gamecocks in the third scrimmage at the 37th Sumter Sertoma Football Jamboree last Friday at Sumter Memorial Stadium.

Photo by Trevor Bauknight

Monarchs hope upgrades get them over hump

BY EDDIE LITAKER Special to The Sumter Item In head coach Keith West’s first two seasons heading up the Manning High School football program, one play has been the difference in a good and a great football season.

The Monarchs finished both seasons with a 7-4 record that included a loss in the first round of the 3A state playoffs, but West knows just how close his team has come to accomplishing something great.

“Last year we were 7-4, and the year before that we were 7-4. That doesn’t sound really all that impressive, but both years we’ve been one play away, the final play of both games, from either winning the region championship or finishing second in the region,” West said.

“Last year, we lost a really tough, hard-fought game to Bishop England on the last play of the game (and the year before to Timberland). So we feel like we’re making good strides at Manning, our kids are working hard, we’ve got some good players, we’ve got some good kids, we’ve got some good coaches. We feel like we’re moving the program forward and we’re excited about another year at Manning High School.”

West said a facilities upgrade should make a big difference as the Monarch program heads into the 2018 season.

“One great addition that we’ve had this year is we have a new fieldhouse,” West said. “We have new locker rooms, new weight rooms, film rooms and things like that. We kind of struggled the first two years to put all of that together. For example, our locker rooms were kind of old and they didn’t have doors on the lockers.

We were having trouble just keeping the kids outfitted with their equipment, so every day somebody needed a new helmet, somebody needed a new pair of shoulder pads or knee pads and it was just ongoing. Now things have settled down a lot and we’re getting things the way we want them to be. We have the film room, locker room, weight room all right there together, so we’re expecting big things this year because our kids are sort of learning how we want to do things now.”

Senior Darias Williams said meeting before the season and discussing expectations for certain players, including seniors and underclassmen who might be new to the program, helps to bring the team together.

“I see our team really dedicated to summer workouts, conditioning, practices and being on time,” said Williams, who will play running back and tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. “We just want to do something (special) this year with the effort we’ve put in at practice early mornings, and I think we’ll do good.”

Senior offensive tackle/defensive

Jamir Stukes OT/DE • Senior

tackle Jamir Stukes sees the Monarch defense continuing to make strides in the right direction this season.

“Before, we were kind of struggling,” Stukes said, “but now we’re getting to where everyone is on their assignments and (playing) with a good work ethic.”

West said depth on the offensive and defensive lines will continue to be a concern.

“We have more skills kids coming back than we do offensive and defensive linemen,” West said. “Last year we were in a situation where a lot of our offensive linemen were playing both ways. We’d lost most of those guys, not only offensive but defensive linemen as well. This year we’re having to replace those guys, and we’re kind of in the same boat again where most of our linemen that are new to the scene this year are also going to have to play defensive line and linebacker, things like that.

“So as our O-line comes around, we feel like we have more depth on the defensive line. We probably have about 10 to 12 bodies we could play on the D-line, but some of our better offensive linemen also have to play defense and defensive line. So I think as long as our O-line and D-line come together, we do feel like we have the skill kids coming back.

“We’ve got a senior returning quarterback, we’ve got returning running backs, receivers back, so we feel like with our skill kids -- our DBs,

running backs and quarterbacks -- we have a lot of experience but we don’t have as much experience on the O-line. So I think once we get our offensive line settled, we’re going to be fine.”

West, a former state championship quarterback at Sumter High who played under center for Wake Forest and led the Demon Deacons to a 39-35 Independence Bowl victory over Oregon in his senior season, said his offenses are not necessarily pass happy.

“I have a lot of 2-back principles, we use that a lot, we still want to have a power running game,” West said.

“We do throw the ball, and when we throw it we try to get our money’s worth. We go deep a lot, but we do throw short passes also to keep you off balance. I just believe in certain things and those are things we’re going to do. We try to be very balanced in what we do. We try not to depend totally on the quarterback, we try not to depend totally on the running backs, we try not to depend totally on the receivers.

“I want everybody to be involved in the offense, so we want the defense to have to worry about the running game, the passing game, the short game, and a lot of it is dictated by your talent and the type of kids that you have. We’re very blessed at Manning and we have the talent to do the things that I like to do.”

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

There’s a lot of new for Thomas Sumter

BY DANNY KELLY danny@theitem.com

New Thomas Sumter head coach Randy Stogner listens to two of his players, Tyler Millwood, foreground, and Mason Warren answer a question during The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1.

Photo by Micah Green

New Thomas Sumter Academy football head coach Randy Stogner holds no grand illusions as he prepares for his first year at the school.

“Thomas Sumter football, we’re a work in progress,” said Stogner, the longtime defensive coordinator at Crestwood who was most recently an assistant at Manning. “It’s been a while since they’ve had a winning season, but they do have success in the past.”

The Generals were 3-8 last season in the final of Troy Kessinger’s 12 season. Stogner looks to make his mark on the program.

“I’m so proud that (Headmaster) Dr. (Frank) Martin over there gave me a chance to come in and be a part of his program,” he said. “Since I’ve been there, I’ve found that there are many friends that I’ve known throughout the years that are still invested in that program, and it shows me that there’s a tradition there that’s just worth hanging on to. We’re very excited about our kids and their work ethic.”

Stogner is prepared to take on the challenge of being a firsttime head coach.

“I think in preparation for being a head coach, you learn how valuable, as a coordinator, your assistant coaches are,” he said. “Now, as a head coach, I’m learning how valuable my coordinators were and how much they need me as a head coach to support them and let them be a part and them invest in our program.”

Stogner thinks it’s important

to get his players to buy into the program to be successful.

“We have to get our players sold on the fact that this program’s not the coaches’ program, it’s their program,” he said. “And we’re here for them to make sure that they understand that they’re going to get out of it what they put into it, we’re just here to help them.”

The team is ready for the season to start after a long offseason.

We’ve worked hard all summer, tried to get ready,” Stogner said.

TSA team ran the spread on offense last year, but it will line up in the run-heavy Wing-T formation this year. Needless to say, it has led to some adjustments..

“I think the Wing-T is definitely different for us, but I think we’re learning it and Coach Stogner and the rest of the coaching staff are teaching it to us very well,” senior wingback/quarterback/defensive back Mason Warren said. “I personally like it, but I’m sure a lot of the other teammates seem to like it too, and I think it’ll work very well.”

The team has also made some important adjustments on defense.

“It’s just a lot of hard work and making sure that we read the offense right,” senior defensive back/wide receiver/ quarterback Tyler Millwood said, “and make sure that we’re there to make the tackle and not let the ball get through.”

The Generals open the season on the road against Spartanburg Christian Academy on Friday, Aug. 24.

Smith looks to bring success back to Scott’s Branch

BY DANNY KELLY danny@theitem.com Brian Smith has had tremendous success in the 1A classification of high school football. He turned a moribund program at C.E. Murray in Greeleyville into a state runner-up in the Division II class in his five years at the school.

After going 3-7 in his one season at 5A Blythewood, Smith is back at the 1A level at Scott’s Branch. He takes over a team that went 5-6 last year, and he’s excited about what he has returning.

“This is a new journey for myself, (I’m) headed over to Summerton, South Carolina, and the Scott’s Branch Eagles, who have a great, rich tradition of athletic excellence,”

Smith said at The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1.

The Eagles roster this year is an experienced one.

“We’re fortunate enough to have a team that is senior-laden with 16 seniors,” Coach Smith said. “In 1A football, that’s pretty huge. Any time you have a team with that many seniors, usually great things come.

“We plan to build the program,” Coach Smith said. “We plan to get Scott’s Branch back to where they were under Coach Leonard Johnson, which is compete for a state championship year in and year out; that’s what we expect, we expect to have great things this year.”

The Scott’s Branch players are excited to be playing under Smith this year.

“Coach Smith is a very good

Amonte Brown QB Senior

coach,” senior quarterback/defensive back Amonte Brown said. “He’s given me a lot of responsibility and I want to take on the challenge. This can carry the team to a state championship and a winning season.”

Speaking of challenges, Brown looks to tackle the tall order of playing both quarterback and defensive back.

“Playing offense and defense at the same time, I was used to it growing up as a freshman starting on the field as a quarterback and a safety, so it’s not much of a big deal,” Brown said.

“I do have an important role and I’m willing to carry this team in every way possible.”

The players have had to adjust to Smith’s defensive schemes, but they seem to be working out the kinks.

“This year we’re running some-

thing a little different, so I’ve got to get used to that new position,” outside linebacker/wide receiver Treyshawn Moore said.

“This year under Coach Smith, we’re basically just running more beat (blocks) on the defensive line,” inside linebacker/offensive guard Christaine Oliver said. “But nothing else has really changed; it’s smashmouth, 1A football.”

Scott’s Branch likes its chances to potentially win Region V this year.

“I think we got a great chance to win the region, any time we’re going into a season we expect to win the region,” Smith said. “That’s what we believe, we got plenty of talent; it’s a matter of coming together as one unit, and if we do that I don’t see any reason why we can’t be region champs.”

Christian Oliver ILB Senior

Treyshawn Moore Senior

SCOTT’S BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL STARTING LINEUP

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2018 GRIDIRON

THE SUMTER ITEM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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Swampcats want to add one more win this season

BY EDDIE LITAKER eddie@theitem.com Laurence Manning Academy head football coach Robbie Briggs hopes his sixth season heading up the Swampcat program ends at the same place that his fifth did, only with a better result for LMA. The Swampcats finished last season with a 10-3 record and played for the SCISA 3A state championship but came up short to a familiar foe in Hammond. The Skyhawks have appeared in 11 of the last 12 3A title games with nine wins during that span, including wins over LMA in 2014 and 2017.

“I guess it just goes back to last year, like the last game and everything,” senior defensive end Brad Goodson said of the high expectations LMA players strive to meet each season. “They expect us to be back there this year, and hopefully it turns out different.”

With 15 returning starters, including eight on offense and seven on defense, Briggs is excited about his team’s chances of making another strong g championship p p run.

“We have a very senior-laden team, guys who have been with the organization for the last three or four years and have done a lot of great things for us,” Briggs said. “(Senior running back) Brewer (Brunson) has been a going on 4-year starter and he’s not a guy of many words, but as far as his competitive spirit is concerned you’ve got (senior free safety) Jake (Jordan) and Brewer at the top of the list as far as guys that come ready every Friday. They don’t say a lot, they’re kind of company guys and the two positions that they play are critical. ...

These two guys have had thousands of snaps for us over the last two years and they’ve been outstanding.”

After sharing quarterback duties with Braydon Osteen last season, Burgess Jordan will be tapped to command the Swampcat offense this season.

“I thought both of those young men handled that situation with a lot of class, in terms of competitive spirit and helping each other,” Briggs said.

“Now, he’s the guy. He’s the guy for the next two years. We’ve got some guys behind him that are working and doing really well, but he’s a guy that’s not great at anything but he he’ss

really, really good at everything.

I think he’s got a great amount of respect from his teammates and we think he’s going to have a big two years. He comes from a great family and we’re real excited about where he’s at. He’s a team guy, and I think he’s excited about the opportunity.”

LMA’s strength and conditioning program has earned state championships in five of the last six years, and that aspect of preparation should continue to play a big role in the Swampcats’ efforts toward continued success.

“Coach does a good job conditioning us, so we always go onto the field mentally prepared and physically prepared,” Jordan said. “That’s all on Coach. He does a great job with that every year.”

Briggs said strength and conditioning regimens have changed quite a bit since his playing days at Manning High School and The Citadel.

“These guys work hard all summer,” Briggs said. “We had a joke the other day, when we came through we’d only work out three days a week, back in the (19)’80s and ‘90s. We require these guys to work out, I have them m from January all the way up

until now. We run them, work them out, the guys on the baseball team do the exact same thing. I mean, from a conditioning standpoint these guys are in shape year round. It’s a little different than how it used to be.”

While other area schools were wrapping up their preseasons at jamboree and scrimmage events on Aug. 10, LMA was in Montgomery, Ala., getting a jump on regular-season play at the Southeastern Commission of Independent Schools (SECIS) Kickoff Classic. The Swampcats scored on their opening drive and went into halftime tied at 14-14 before Lamar, who finished 12-3 last season while repeating as Mississippi’s 4A state champions, pulled away in the second half for a 30-14 victory.

Briggs said remaining healthy will be a major key to success this season for the Swampcats.

“We hope to play 13 games,” Briggs said. “The biggest thing is we’ve got to stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing. We feel like up front we’re really good. To be sure, we’ve got to stay healthy and be balanced. Those are the two things. We’ve got to have great quarterback play and play unselfish and kind of do what we do.”

Brad Goodson Jake Jordan Safety Senior

DE Senior

Brewer Brunson

RB/DB Senior

LAURENCE MANNING HIGH SCHOOL STARTING LINEUP

Lee Central wants to hold on to what it’s earned The Lee Central defense makes a tackle against Lakewood during the Sumter Sertoma Club’s Sumter County Football Jamboree last week at Sumter Memorial Stadium. The Stallions hope their defense will be as strong this season as it was last year when they won the Region IV-2A title. Photo by Trevor Bauknight

BY DANNY KELLY danny@theitem.com The Lee Central High School Stallions finished 11-2 in 2A last year as Region IV-2A champions, losing in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs to Saluda. As Lee Central begins the 2018 season on Friday, the job now is to defend the turf it claimed last season.

“I’m excited to be back on the grass with our guys,” fourth-year head coach Justin Danner said at The Sumter Item Media Day. “We have a young group mixed in with some old guys, so we’re excited coming off of a year where we were able to win a conference championship and make, of course, a deep run into the playoffs.

“For us this year, it’s about being able to protect what we built,” he said. “So, our guys are trying to

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make sure that they’re working to that standard, both our young guys and our older football players.”

The offseason was critical for the team’s potential success.

“We had a great summer, we worked really hard in the offseason as far as being in the weight room,” Danner said. “We believe if we can stay focused in the earlier parts of the season, because we do believe there’ll be some growing pains, we feel like we can be where we want to be, and that’s prepared to go into very tough conference play.”

Success is difficult to maintain in such a tough conference, and Danner knows that.

“As a head football coach, you think that the toughest thing is getting a program to get off the ground and be able to win, but the reality is the toughest thing is to keep winning and to keep the people happy,” he said.

Lee Central fans and students are excited to see what the Stallions can do on the gridiron this year.

“There’s been a buzz in Bishopville,” Danner said. “Our kids are working very hard and we’ve had great community support as well as administrative support, so I think if you’ve got those things going, you’ve got a chance no matter where you’re at.”

“Expectations (are) real high this season; we got a lot of people who work hard every day in practice,” senior running back Deondraye Moses said. “People are always telling us not to give up because of how the season ended last year.”

The team will rely heavily on its defense to win games.

“The key is working hard,” senior linebacker Derrick Joye said when asked how the defense will maintain success. “Play hard, go out there and play as a team.”

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM Robert E. Lee head coach David Rankin, left, laughs as Cavalier Hunter McGee answers a question during The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1. Photo by Micah Green

Robert E. Lee plans on continuing recent run of success

BY TREVOR BAUKNIGHT trevor@theitem.com The Robert E. Lee Academy varsity football team will be looking to build on a recent run of success when it takes the field this season.

The Cavaliers are coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a loss to First Baptist in the semifinal round of the SCISA 2A state playoffs. Head coach David Rankin, in his sixth season of his second tenure at REL, said the program is in great shape.

“We’re 33-6 in the last three seasons and have played for two state championships,” Rankin said during The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1l. “We’re kind of an old football team, but a little inexperienced.

We’ve got 70 (male) students in the school and 44 of them play football, so that’s a big thing for us. We play about 23 or 24 of those 44 and we only have two or three players that will play both sides of the football this year. Other than that, we’re going to go with two units.

“Participation over the summer, which is really big for us, and our 7-on-7s and our weight room program has been really good. We’re stronger than we have been, but not quite

as big. We lost six quality football players last year, two of them playing college football. So we may not have the star power we had last year, but we’ve got a lot of good football players, and we’ll go from there.

Entering a season with 14 seniors and 15 juniors that have enjoyed so much success is an enviable position for the Cavalier faithful; but REL must figure out a way to replace six starters from last year’s squad, including 4-year starting quarterback Bryce Barrett.

“We played Jet Smith, our junior quarterback, a lot the last two seasons as a freshman and sophomore,” Rankin said of Barrett’s replacement.

“We’re excited about him. He still has the running threat that Barrett had. He can’t be Bryce Barrett, with 10,000 yards in four years and 144 touchdowns passing and running, but he can be Jet Smith. He has a different skill set than Bryce had. He’s throwing the ball well, and he’s been working hard all summer to get ready for it.

“He knew he was the heir-apparent two years ago, and he’s worked really hard at it,” Rankin said. “He’s one of those guys that will probably play both ways. He’ll probably be a starting safety for us, too, but we’ll

try to keep him off defense as much as possible. He’s a threat to run and throw and we’re super excited about him.”

Smith will have his own heir-apparent right behind him in freshman Ben Hill Jr. “He’s about six-foot, 170 pounds, and he’ll get a lot of playing time this year,” Rankin said. “He throws it really well, and he’s not a running quarterback, which would change our offense when he goes in; but right now, we’re running the same thing we’ve been running -- the spread, the option game and things like that.”

One of the leaders on defense, senior linebacker Hunter McGee, said the key to the Cavaliers’ defensive success would be playing together as a team more effectively.

“We’ve got to get the whole team on the same page and get after it in practice, and not take a play off,” said McGee, who doubles at running back.

Two-way lineman Tallon McPherson attributes his unit’s recent success to the same mentality.

“Everything starts in the trenches, and we’ve been successful because we’re not afraid to ask each other what we should do if we can’t remember,” McPherson said. “We’re connected to each other, and we ask and

we encourage each other when we get a good block - ‘Good job, now get out there and do it again!’ We encourage each other on the line, and that’s how we’re able to do what we do.”

Rankin said losing three offensive linemen would be one of the challenges his team will face, but he is counting on McPherson for senior leadership up front.

“They’ve got to come through a little bit,” Rankin said. “We have a lot of guys returning, but we played a lot of sophomores on defense last year.

Our defense wasn’t where we wanted it to be last year, but I feel like we’ll be better now that they’re stronger and know better what’s going on. Up front, on the offensive and defensive lines, is where we have to improve in order to continue to be successful.”

Rankin said that even though First Baptist has moved up to the 3A ranks, the Cavaliers’ region schedule would be no picnic.

“I feel like we’ll be there,” Rankin said. “But Orangeburg Prep is going to be really good, and they dropped down (from 3A to 2A). Florence Christian is really good and Trinity-Byrnes, which played for the state title last year, returns about everybody.

We think we’ll be in the mix.”

Clarendon Hall’s Ritenour thinks program on upswing

BY DANNY KELLY danny@theitem.com Anthony Ritenour was the offensive coordinator for Clarendon Hall in 2017. He will add the head coaching duties this year, and he thinks the potential is there to have a good season.

“The Clarendon Hall program is actually looking on the up for the first time in a while,” Ritenour said at The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1. “We had a very successful year last year. I think we just hadn’t been there in so long, that when we got there, we kind of didn’t know what to do with it.”

What the Saints did was go 7-5, losing to Andrew Jackson Academy in the semifinals of the SCISA 8-man Division II state playoffs.

With a lot of returning players, the Saints look to maintain success.

“This year we have the majority of our team back, we have our numbers up,” Ritenour said. “We’re actually carrying one of the largest teams we’ve had in quite a while.

“The boys, so far, seem pretty motivated, they seem ready to get to it, kind of picking up where we left off.”

The team has had to transition to having Ritenour as head coach, but it hasn’t been too different.

“The head coach did change, but the system is going to be exactly what the guys were running last year,” sad Ritenour, who takes over for Larry Corbett. “The rest of the coaching staff is still intact, same offensive coordinator, same defensive coordinator.”

“It’s a little bit more on my plate,” he said of the dual role. “I have a lot of involvement in the school, I’m also the head basketball coach; as far as leading the team, I feel like as a coaching staff, we’ve all kind of done a great job with that, and we’re kind of still in that same role.”

The Saints look to put up big numbers like they did last year.

“We averaged roughly a little over 40 points a game last year, and we’re only losing one starter on the offense,” Coach Ritenour said.

The 8-man game is obviously a different game, and it leads to the players preparing differently both physically and mentally.

“It does (take a different mindset) because there are less people,” senior linebacker and fullback Bobby Ashba

Bobby Ashba, left, and Cade Elliott are two players Clarendon Hall will be counting on this season. Photo by Micah Green said. “More people have a bigger job, a bigger role.”

“I try to be aggressive and try to get the first hand on them,” junior defensive end/wide receiver Kade Elliott said about playing 8-man

defense. “I’ve got long arms, so I just try to get them away and then contain, basically.”

The Saints open the season on the road against Beaufort Academy on Friday, Aug. 24.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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Wilson Hall wants to avoid injuries, illness

BY TREVOR BAUKNIGHT trevor@theitem.com The Wilson Hall varsity football team had some great moments last season and some that the Baron faithful would rather forget, enroute to a 5-6 final mark and a first-round exit from the SCISA 3A state playoffs at the hands of archrival Laurence Manning Academy To say injuries and illness played a role in that uncharacteristically mundane season is putting it gently.

With more players entering the varsity program from the larger junior varsity and middle school teams, fourth-year head coach Adam Jarecki and his staff are hoping this season will play out differently.

“We feel like we’re on the way up in terms of numbers and participation, and that’s been kind of a problem the last couple of years, having to play a lot of guys both ways and having to get a lot of guys going,” said Jarecki at The Sumter Item Media Day on

Aug. 1. “With the guys we have coming back, our biggest obstacle will be replacing four or five linemen that we lost to graduation. We feel like if we can get that ironed out, we’ll be pretty solid everywhere else. Our skill positions are a lot of young guys that had to play a lot last year because of injuries, so we feel like they’re pretty experienced and ready to go.”

The Barons’ rash of injuries last year ate into the already small number of varsity players, but while Jarecki is happy to have added to that number this year, he and his staff still worry about depth.

“At the end of the year last year, we lost some key people and some younger guys had to step up and play,” said Jarecki. “And they did really well.

That’s going to help us going into this year with their experience.”

One of those younger players that had to step in last year is sophomore quarterback Wise Segars, who’ll be asked to run the offense this year.

“Last year he had to play about half the year when our senior (Jacob Cot-

Mitchell Matthews

LB Senior

ton) was sick,” Jarecki said. “He got some valuable, valuable time in last year and we feel really strongly about his capabilities. One thing we’ve been doing is using the same offense, same terminology and everything across our whole program, so when we moved him up from JV, he didn’t miss a beat.”

Senior running back Landon VanPatten ran strong last year and will be counted upon heavily again this year. His little brother, Graham, was also one of those pulled up from the JV team last year, and will be asked to share the load at H-back.

Segars will be looking for a newcomer, senior Chase Ward, as a favorite target, along with seniors Chandler Scott and Judah Cohee.

In the trenches, the plan is to shuffle a lot of players, according to Jarecki, centered around returning starters Grey Holler and Walker Knowlton.

“A lot of guys are going to have to play both ways,” Jarecki said. “That’s just the numbers.”

One of the key losses on defense was leading tackler Jake Myers, and Graham VanPatten will be asked to step into his role. Linebackers Mitchell Matthews and Campbell deHoll anchor the defense.

Both Landon VanPatten and Jarecki noted that another key to success for the Barons this season will be the elimination of little mistakes that make things difficult for a ball-control offense.

“We can’t make the little mistakes that kill us,” VanPatten said. “We have to try to be 100 percent on playmaking.”

“We’re a four-yard team,” Jarecki said. “If we don’t make that mistake -- if we don’t jump offsides or have that costly penalty that sets us back -- it’s tougher to make up those extra yards, so we’ve got to eliminate the little mistakes that can come back to haunt you.”

“And the injuries,” Jarecki said.

“That’s the biggest thing with us right now.”

Coach Adam Jarecki Landon VanPatten RB • Senior

WILSON HALL STARTING LINEUP East Clarendon’s Garrick Powell, right, answers a question while teammates Ashton Mixon, left, and Daquan McElveen listen during The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1. The Wolverines open their season on Friday on the road against Timmonsville.

Photo by Micah Green

East Clarendon after upward climb despite move to 2A

BY TREVOR BAUKNIGHT trevor@theitem.com The building continues for the East Clarendon High School football program under fourth-year head coach Scott Cook. With the Turbeville community growing, East Clarendon is stepping up from the 1A ranks to 2A this season.

That doesn’t mean the Wolverines are getting into anything unfamiliar, with several familiar out-of-conference opponents and other 1A programs also stepping up comprising their new region.

Cook, whose Wolverines posted a 2-9 record in 2017 and bowed out with a first-round loss to Cross in the 1A state playoffs, said he wasn’t surprised when he found out the program would be moving up to 2A because he knew the school’s enrollment was increasing.

“Everybody wants to go to East Clarendon because it’s a great academic school,” Cook said during The Sumter Item Media Day on Aug. 1.

“As for the program, it might change a little, but not too much. I told the boys the other day that we’re still playing 11 guys on the field.

“The schedule we’ve played the last

couple of years in the preseason and when we’ve come out of the region has been very competitive,” he said.

“When you play the likes of Latta, who will be in our conference now we’ve already played them. Lamar, the defending state champion, Lake View is always there. We played Johnsonville in a non-region game, and Hannah-Pamplico, which was in our region last year, is also moving up with us. So we’re excited for the challenges.”

Improving the Wolverines’ prospects started with an increased emphasis on strength training across the entire athletic program, and Cook said that is starting to pay off.

“We’re getting there. They can’t work out enough for me, but they’ve found out the importance of the weight room, and our whole program is starting to get there - not just football, but all of our athletic programs are starting to get really involved with our weightlifting program,” Cook said.

That has translated to improvement across the board, according to Cook, allowing him to expand the team’s approach.

“We were so young the last couple of years,” he said. “When I came from Johnsonville, where we ran the

wishbone, we had to revert back to it.

People think you run the wishbone because you have big linemen, but it’s more to help out the defense with ball control and controlling the clock.

“Now our skill position players are getting faster and working on catching the ball and the quarterback is better at passing,” Cook said. “The lines are still young, but they’re sophomores and juniors now, and they’re learning to read defenses better.”

Cook joked with the three team leaders at the Media Day event about getting on the team and pushing it, but the players were quick to accept their own roles and put the emphasis on team building.

“You don’t want a coach that’s going to be happy when you’re screwing up all the time,” said senior wide receiver Ashton Mixon.

“He’ll run us to death,” said senior receiver Garrick Powell. “But we know he loves us and wants us to work hard so we can put some wins on the board.”

“The continuity is in the commitment level of these young men,” Cook said. “Everybody that’s with us now has been with us since we got here, and getting to know them and them getting to know me -- it’s just that brotherhood that we’re trying to

build. We’re accountable to each other, and I’m talking about players and coaches, and we want them to do well, they want to do well and we have to do well.”

The Wolverines will be relying on senior skill position players like receivers Powell and Mixon, along with junior receiver Daquan McElveen.

Senior quarterback Lane Robinson will be looking for those targets as East Clarendon expands its offense, but don’t look for the Wolverines to get too fancy.

“I’m an old-school guy,” Cook said.

“I believe it’s all up front, in the offensive and defensive lines. Coming from last year, our linemen have really bought into the weightlifting program, and they’re getting stronger. If we can stay healthy on the offensive line and block well, I think we’ll be successful.

“We still have to run the ball -it’s not going to be an air raid,” he said. “But we will have to throw it some to open it up and take some of the pressure off our running backs.

We’re excited about this year. Over the last three or four years, our guys have grown mentally and physically, and we’re excited about where we’re heading.”

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

SUMTER SCHEDULE Aug. 17 Rock Hill 7:30 p.m.

CRESTWOOD SCHEDULE Aug. 17 West Florence 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 Crestwood 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 at Conway 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 at Lakewood 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Northwestern 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 Bluffton 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Lugoff-Elgin 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Blythewood 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Spring Valley 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Irmo 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Mark Barnes (4th season) Last year: 9-3 record; lost to Summerville in second round of 5A state playoffs.

Region: IV-5A -- Blythewood, Irmo, Lugoff-Elgin, Spring Valley.

Aug. 24 at Sumter 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 Richland NE 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Manning 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Darlington, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 A.C. Flora 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Lower Richland 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Dreher 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Orangeburg-Wilkinson 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Lakewood 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Roosevelt Nelson (5th season) Last year: 6-6 record; lost to North Myrtle Beach in second round of 4A state playoffs.

Region: IV-4A -- A.C. Flora, Dreher, Lakewood, Lower Richland, Orangeburg-Wilkinson.

MANNING SCHEDULE7:30 p.m.

Aug. 17 at Scott’s Branch Aug. 23 at Wilson 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 Lakewood 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 at Crestwood 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Lake City 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Academic Magnet 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Georgetown 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 at Waccamaw 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Hanahan, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 Bishop England 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Keith West (3rd year) Last year: 7-4 record; lost to Wade Hampton in first round of the 3A state playoffs.

Region: VIII-3A -- Academic Magnet, Bishop England, Georgetown, Hanahan, Waccamaw.

LAKEWOOD SCHEDULE Aug. 17 at Colleton County 7:30 p.m.

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Aug. 24 at Lake City 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 at Manning 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Sumter 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Hemingway 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Orangeburg-Wilkinson 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at A.C. Flora 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Lower Richland 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Dreher 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 Crestwood 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Larry Cornelius (2nd year) Last year: 2-8 record; did not make the 4A state playoffs.

Region: IV-4A -- A.C. Flora, Crestwood, Dreher, Lower Richland, Orangeburg-Wilkinson.

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THOMAS SUMTER SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 at Spartanburg Christian 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 Trinity-Byrnes 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Christian Academy 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Northside Christian 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 Carolina 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Robert E. Lee 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 Pee Dee 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 at The King’s Academy 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Wilson Hall 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 Dillon Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Randy Stogner (1st year) Last year: 3-8 record; did not make the SCISA 2A state playoffs.

Region: SCISA Region I-1A -- Carolina, Christian Academy, Dillon Christian, Pee Dee, The King’s Academy.

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Aug. 24 Heathwood Hall 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 First Baptist 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Porter-Gaud 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Hammond 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Pinewood Prep 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Ben Lippen 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 Augusta Christian 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 at Cardinal Newman 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Thomas Sumter 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Laurence Manning 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Adam Jarecki (4th year).

Last year: 5-6 record; lost to Laurrence Manning in first round of the SCISA 3A state playoffs.

Region: SCISA 3A -- Augusta Christian, Ben Lippen, Cardinal Newman, First Baptist, Hammond, Heathwood Hall, Laurence Manning, Pinewood Prep, Porter-Gaud.

THE SUMTER ITEM

2018 GRIDIRON

LEE CENTRAL SCHEDULE Aug. 17 at Wade Hampton 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 at C.E. Murray 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 at Timmonsville 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Carolina Christian 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Central 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Chesterfield 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Lewisville 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 at North Central 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Buford 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 Andrew Jackson 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Justin Danner (4th season) Last year: 11-2 record; won Region IV-2A title; lost to Saluda in the quarterfinals of the 2A state playoffs Region: IV-2A -- Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Chesterfield, Lewisville, North Central.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

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CLARENDON HALL SCHEDULE Aug. 24 at Beaufort Academy 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 Holly Hill 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Patrick Henry 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Calhoun 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Richard Winn 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Laurens Academy 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Newberry/Cambridge/Palmetto Christian7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Wardlaw 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Jefferson Davis 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 W.W. King 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Anthony Ritenour (1st year) Last year: 7-5 record; lost to Andrew Jackson Academy in the semifinals of the SCISA 8-Man Division II state playoffs.

Region: SCISA 8-Man Region II -- Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Laurens Academy, Newberry/Cambridge, Palmetto Christian, Richard Winn, W.W. King, Wardlaw

EAST CLARENDON SCHEDULE

Aug. 17 at Timmonsville 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 Scott’s Branch 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Aynor 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Andrews 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Mullins 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Hannah-Pamplico 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Latta 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Kingstree 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Carvers Bay 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Johnsonville 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Scott Cook (4th year) Last year: 2-9 record; lost to Cross in first round of the 1A state playoffs.

Region: VII-2A -- Andrews, Carvers Bay, Hannah-Pamplico, Johnsonville, Kingstree, Latta, Mullins.

SCOTT’S BRANCH SCHEDULE

Aug. 17 Manning 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 at East Clarendon 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 Bamberg-Ehrhardt 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 at Edisto 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Military Magnet 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Timmonsville 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Branchville 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Bethune-Bowman 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Cross 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 at C.E. Murray 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Brian Smith (1st year) Last year: 5-6 record; lost to Green Sea-Floyds in first round of the 1A state playoffs.

Region: V-1A -- Bethune-Bowman, Branchville, C.E. Murray, Cross.

ROBERT E. LEE SCHEDULE Aug. 16 Heathwood Hall 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 Pee Dee 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 at Dillon Christian 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 at The King’s Academy 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Williamsburg 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 Oakbrook Prep 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Thomas Sumter 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Florence Christian 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Carolina 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Greenwood Christian 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 Trinity-Byrnes 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: David Rankin (6th year) Last year: 10-3 record; lost to First Baptist in semifinals of the SCISA 2A state playoffs.

Region: SCISA I-2A -- Florence Christian, Greenwood Christian, Oakbrook Prep, Trinity-Byrnes, Williamsburg.

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LAURENCE MANNING SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 Augusta Christian 7:30 p.m Aug. 31 at Florence Christian 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 at Heathwood Hall 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Porter-Gaud 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 Ben Lippen 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 First Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Cardinal Newman 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Hammond 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Pinewood Prep 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 26 Wilson Hall 7:30 p.m.

Head coach: Robbie Briggs (6th year) Last year: 10-3 record; lost to Hammond in SCISA 3A state championship game.

Region: SCISA 3A -- Augusta Christian, Ben Lippen, Cardinal Newman, First Baptist, Hammond, Heathwood Hall, Pinewood Prep, Porter-Gaud, Wilson Hall.

Personalized Engraving, Trophies, Plaques, Memorials, Wedding Gifts, Corporate Awards, Economy Awards, Wood, Leather, Crystal Glass... and more

COME SEE US

We love what we do!

Voted 2018 Woman Owned Business of the Year!

703 Bultman Drive

803-775-8211

C12

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2018 GRIDIRON

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018

THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s headquarters for

50 years

almost of quality home furnishings and bedding

HUGE

SAVINGS ON THESE ITEMS AND MORE!

LIFT CHAIRS AND SCOOTERS

VAIL RECLINER

CASEY RECLINER

299

$

399

$

JASPER RECLINER

399

$

GABE RECLINER

399

$

See the Difference. Feel the Comfort.

Furniture & Bedding

3602 Broad Street Ext. Sumter, SC • (803) 494-2300 HOURS: Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri: 10:00 - 7:00 Wed - Sat: 10:00 - 5:00 • Closed Sunday