Newspaper Page Text
thesylvaniatimes.com The Sylvania Times Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Page 3
Sophomore Aiden Tapley watches the definition of a wild pitch from While Johnson County warms up its fourth pitcher of the game. Gamecock Head Coach Josh Sheley,
Johnson County pitcher Nate Turberville as catcher Landon McCoy tries to upcoming batter Greyson Garvin, and basemnners Brayton Knight and Josh Oglesby watch (photo by
catch it (photo by Kaitlyn Snow Stossmeister). Kaitlyn Snow Stossmeister)
GAMECOCKS TOPPLE TROJANS 6-3,
REGULAR SEASON IN HOME STRETCH
In an abbreviated week that saw them split a pair of
games, the baseball Gamecocks of Josh Sheley downed
visiting Johnson County’s Trojans 6-3 on April 3. The
win came a night after a come-from-ahead 11-10 loss to
homestanding Statesboro. This week SCHS hosted possible
playoff opponent Swainsboro on Monday and went to
Metter for their final region game, a make-up from March
15, yesterday. Tomorrow the team crosses the Savannah
River for a contest with Hampton County High School
in Vamville SC. Next week there are three home games
Monday - Wednesday with Jefferson County, Hampton
County, and Jenkins County. State playoffs begin on April
23 at the home of the second seed from Region 2-A Dl,
currently Swainsboro.
Wednesday’s win over JoCo put another spotlight on
the Gamecock future as a third different freshman won for
SCHS. Of their past four wins, three have been with a ninth
grader on the mound. Greyson Garvin (1-4, 5.92) went the
distance with a four-hitter, allowing a single earned run
while striking out eight. Sophomore Slate Thompson and
junior Gatlin Scott had two hits each. In the pivotal four-
run fifth, junior Brayton Knight, seniors Josh Oglesby and
Rylan Robbins, and sophomore Bryson Scott each had rbi.
The loss was just the fourth of the season for the Trojans,
two of them to SCHS.
It was a back and forth affair in Statesboro on April 2 with
the Gamecocks coming out on the short end of the stick,
giving away a two run seventh inning lead. The Roosters
had a 5-2 lead after the top of the second and a 10-8 lead
heading into the home half of the seventh but could not hold
on. Coming off his complete-game no hitter against region
foe Claxton on March 26, freshman Holland Zipperer got
little help from his defense as the Devils plated eight in his
four innings, only two of them were earned. Three spots
for SHS in the second and the fourth were completely
unearned. Robbins (3-3, 3.80) entered in the fifth and would
have been the beneficiary of a five-run sixth, but recorded
only one out in the seventh
Offensively the Red and White recorded 12 hits and
accepted eight walks to plate ten. Gatlin Scott was 3-4
with six rbi including a bases loaded double in the sixth
while Aiden Taply, Oglesby, and Robbins had a pair each.
Thompson had three rbi and Jeremiah White had a hit and
three walks. In a four-mn second Scott and Thompson had
key rbi. In a five run sixth it was Scott’s three rbi and a bases
loaded walk to Thompson that were key.
The Lady Gamecock tennis seniors are Jayla Lovett, Lyla Johnson, Emma Rose Griner,
and Garyn Howard (photo by Dana Doss)
The Gamecock tennis seniors are John Boswell, Kade Chandler, and Bo Doss (photo by
Dana Doss)
The lone Lady Gamecock soccer senior is Gracen Kullberg
(photo by Dana Doss)
Baseball seniors are Rylan Robbins, Noah Brownlee, and Josh Oglesby (photo by Kaitlyn Snow
Stossmeister)
AROUNRmm
THE0$R]"
Okay the break is over. Only baseball suited up last
week; they split a pair of games. This is the final week
of the regular season for both soccer and tennis and both
will begin state play next week. Baseball will continue for
another two weeks. If you want a final chance to see the
Diamond Roosters in action on their home field, you have
chances Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.
I see little chance of playing at home in the state playoffs.
Third seeds rarely have that opportunity. Tennis will host
state playoff matches, possibly late this week, definitely
early next week. Fans remember that as state play begins
Booster passes are no longer valid, but then again there is
no charge for state tennis matches. By the way, the home
track meet scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled.
I have to keep you updated on specific SCHS playoff
possibilities, for Carol Schroeder. As it has been for two
weeks, soccer is set. The first round will be in East Dublin
against the currently undefeated East Laurens Lady Falcons
on April 16 beginning at 5:00. The teams have played
regularly over the years, including the 2019 and 2023 state
playoffs. They have split those postseason contests, ELHS
winning 2-1 at Kelly Memorial last season and SCHS
winning 4-1 at Falcon Field in 2019. Baseball will go
somewhere on April 23. In region 2-A Dl each of the five
teams have four, three-game, series. Their region schedule
has two more weeks, Jefferson County will be the odd
THE BREAK IS OVER,
THE TRANSFER PORTAL
AGAIN, NIL AGAIN,
PLUS A LITTLE MORE
team out. It could be April 19 evening before we know our
opponent. Each tennis team will be at home twice between
April 11 and April 24. The first opponent for each will be
either East Laurens or Jefferson County. Both tennis teams
should advance through the first two rounds and into the
quarterfinals. In the past decade (back to 2014) the girls
have made the quarterfinals eight times and the boys seven
times. Remember no state playoffs in 2020.
Another gripe about college athletic free agency, aka
the transfer portal. After her team’s quarterfinal loss to
Iowa, LSU guard Hailey Van Lith announced that she was
entering the transfer portal. Van Lith played three years at
Louisville (graduating in that time), helping the Cardinals
to three quarterfinals, one of which culminated in a Final
Four appearance. After 2023 and a quarter final loss to
none other than Iowa, she transferred to greener pastures to
play for defending national champion LSU. Of course LSU
beat Iowa in the 2023 National Championship. Now she
is leaving LSU, where all of her numbers were the lowest
since her freshman year, for her final year of eligibility at
a college to be named later. When all was said and done in
LSU’s 94-87 loss on April Fool's Day, Van Lith was 2-10
from the field including 1-6 on treys. Turns out the grass
was not greener at LSU. Too much free agency. Think JT
Daniels and his four-college career.
A quick note on NIL money, which I do mention from
Burton Kemp
Unless otherwise noted all
articles in Sports are written
by Burton Kemp, Sports Editor
time to time. If you followed March Madness from the
men’s side you became familiar with Nick Edey of Purdue.
He made an interesting comment on the subject - he says
he is missing out on a lot of money. Edey is Canadian (with
a Chinese mother). He is in the US on a student-visa, like
almost all college players from other countries. For the
most part US law forbids the holder of such a visa from
participating in anything other than “on-campus” work or a
job that furthers his academic career. At 7-4 and 300 pounds,
he has plenty of money in his future. Now that the GHSA
has legalized it, I am still waiting on the first local business
to pay a Gamecock to advertise in The Sylvania Times. The
GHSA “allows high school athletes to monetize their name,
image, and likeness while maintaining their high school
athletic eligibility.” There are several limitations.
Finally, Go Gamecocks! Wasn’t it great to see South
Carolina beat Iowa for the title? Caitlin Clark is a great
player and greatly elevated the visibility of the women’s
game this season thus bringing in a much wider viewing
audience (a different version of the Taylor Swift effect?);
basketball is, however, a team game. The Garnet and White
got 37 points from their bench Sunday while Iowa got none!
It was annoying when her turnovers were not replayed
and the camera followed her after the game and not the
SC players. Again Go Gamecocks! Yes, this is called the
bandwagon effect.