TheState.com: Ron Morris

Pressure forges second ring for AC Flora

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:30 EDT

ONE OF THE MOST difficult achievements in all of sports is to repeat as champion. Getting one for the ring finger on one hand is tricky at best. Adding one to the ring finger on the other hand is problematic to say the least.

Andy Hallett did the math for his A.C. Flora baseball team.

“It’s a simple equation,” Hallett said. “We believe if it’s worth doing it, it’s worth being the best.

“If you’re going to dig a ditch, make it the best ditch. If you’re going to mow your yard, make it the best yard. When we step on the field, we want to be the best that we can.”

A.C. Flora is the best in the state for a second consecutive season, defeating Airport on Monday night for the Class 3A championship.

Morris: Allen University’s baseball crown deserves dusting

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:34 EDT

FIFTY-THREE YEARS WILL scramble the memory of almost any baseball player. Bloop singles of long ago become line drives to the gap today.

Members of the Allen University baseball team long since have forgotten most of the details from the 1960 season, their mental files gathering dust as they carried on with their lives over the past five decades.

One thing every member of that team remembers clearly, though, is that Allen won the 1960 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. A trophy that sits encased at the Adams Gymnatorium on the Allen campus proves that, even though a history of the SIAC lists Florida A&M as the champion.

State Sen. Darrell Jackson plans to present a resolution on June 4 to the state Legislature recognizing Allen’s championship.

“It’s long overdue with the baseball team,” Jackson says. “It’s really sad they haven’t been recognized formally.”

Morris: Irmo and Lexington have much to be proud about

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:38 EDT

PHIL SAVITZ ONLY briefly joined in the celebration that erupted among Irmo High players and coaches immediately after Mattison Gossett’s game-winning goal on penalty kicks Saturday night at Gilbert High.

When you win 14 state Class 4A championships at one school, maybe the postgame parties become old hat. Or maybe you learn after 23 state championship-game appearances how to temper your emotions. Or perhaps you are just a classy coach.

Instead of joining his team’s dog pile and before exchanging hugs with players and coaches, Savitz headedy toward a Lexington High team that was sprawled in various states of disbelief and dejection at midfield.

First, Savitz shook hands with Lexington coach Will Gettys, whose club played like a team that makes annual trips to the title game instead of a club that was making the school’s first appearance on the big stage.

Then Savitz began consoling the inconsolable Lexington players, one by one.

Morris: Lexington’s Josh Reagan could be the next Michael Roth

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:34 EDT

JOSH REAGAN COMPLETED his warm-up tosses at Carolina Stadium moments before Friday night’s Class 4A state championship game when Lexington High pitching coach Banks Faulkner motioned for Reagan to join catcher Nick Ciuffo on the bullpen bench.

Faulkner was a pitcher for Lexington on its last state title club in 1999. Earlier in the week, he dug around an old dresser drawer at home to find his championship ring. In the bullpen, he pulled the ring out of his back pocket.

“I’ve got something special for you tonight,” Faulkner told Reagan as he flashed the ring. “This is something that nobody, no matter how old or fat or ugly I get, can take away from me and that team.

“Now it’s your time.”

Reagan then went out and won a championship ring for him and his Lexington teammates. The left-hander, whose idol is former South Carolina great Michael Roth, performed his finest Roth impersonation with a three-hitter in Lexington’s 4-0 victory.

Morris: Hartsville ninth-grader is a softball prodigy

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:45 EDT

THERE ARE A few things you can get only at a Hartsville High softball game. What other concession stand in the state serves up chicken bog or shrimp and grits?

Then there is the Cayla Drotar Show.

Over the past two seasons, Drotar’s right arm has produced 42 wins against four losses and one Class 3A state championship. The aluminum bat she carries to home plate is responsible over those two seasons for a .500 batting average and 16 home runs.

Did I mention that Drotar is a ninth-grader?

Even though the likes of Georgia, Alabama and UCLA continue to keep an eye on her at summer travel team games, Drotar has given South Carolina her word. In four more years, she will play for the Gamecocks. By then, she should even have her driver’s license.

Morris: Title stays with Jordan

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:07 EDT

MOST OF THE time, Homer Jordan is remembered as one of the great high school athletes Athens, Ga., has ever seen. Yet every once in a while, a customer will enter National Champions Detailing in Athens and recognize the owner as the starting quarterback on Clemson’s 1981 championship football team.

Jordan’s father was taken from him at a young age. His mother died a couple of years ago. His wife of 29 years, Deborah, is battling breast cancer. Whatever the curves thrown his way, though, Jordan says the national title will live with him forever.

“That’s something that can never be taken away from you,” says the 53-year-old Jordan who will be inducted Monday into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. “An entire lifetime, it stays with you. That’s amazing.”

From an early age, Jordan says he was driven to leave his mark in athletics.

Jordan was 11 when the father he was named for died, leaving behind his wife, Alice, and four children. Jordan was the lone boy among older sisters Betty and Dathne and younger sister Iris.

Morris: Coker sounds like a winner

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:52 EDT

HARTSVILLE TRADITIONS BE darned. One ring of the Coker College campus bell tower, which long ago began signaling a victory by one of its athletic teams, was not enough.

So when the Coker baseball team arrived late Monday with a Conference Carolinas championship trophy in tow, an assault on the bell tower began some 500 yards away at the entrance to campus. The players bounded off the bus, briefly hoisted coach Dave Schmotzer to their shoulders, then sprinted across campus and took turns clanging the bell.

Schmotzer said he felt like a rock star, fully prepared to unveil his Bruce Springsteen impersonation of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.”

“To see the genuine love for one another, it’s something you can only get through sports,” Schmotzer said. “You can’t get this in an art class or a history class. You can only get this through sport. To be able to see the glee and the accomplishment ... It brought me to my knees.”

Most of the faculty and a sizable number of students joined in the celebration of the championship game victory over King (Tenn.) College and the qualification for the May 16-19 NCAA regional tournament. The site will be determined late Sunday, with the regional winner advancing to the NCAA Division II College World Series.

Morris: Home destiny for USC remains in play

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:52 EDT

SOUTH CAROLINA dropped a couple of games to Vanderbilt, missed an opportunity Sunday to gain a win against a highly ranked team, and probably fell out of contention for a national seed in the NCAA tournament.

Yet all was not lost over the windy, rainy weekend at Carolina Stadium. USC still is very much a contender to make a rare fourth consecutive trip to the College World Series.

Barring a total collapse over the final two weekends of the regular season, USC remains a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament. Also, a strong showing at home against Georgia and on the road against Mississippi State over the final two weekends of the regular season will position the Gamecocks nicely to host an NCAA regional tournament.

“We kind of control our own destiny, so to speak,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said following Sunday’s rainout. “That being said, the challenges in front of us are very big.”

Gaining a national seed, which assures a team of hosting both a regional and Super Regional, is remote. With a 13-10 conference record and 33-14 overall mark, USC likely would have to sweep Georgia and Mississippi State and win a game or two in the SEC tournament to be among the nation’s top-eight ranked teams.

Morris: USC closer Tyler Webb is unflappable

Sat, 04 May 2013 23:16 EDT

BUSY PITCHERS

USC’s all-time pitching appearance leaders:

Player	App.	Years
Matt Price	102	2009-12
Tyler Webb	99	2010-2013
Michael Roth	94	2009-12
Rob Mosser	88	1990-93
Aaron Rawl	87	2002-05
Jason Pomar	87	1997-00
Jamie Poston	86	1997-00
Kip Bouknight	81	1998-01

YOUNG TYLER WEBB’S left arm hung like a wet rag as he trudged off the old Sarge Frye Field on that sweltering hot June afternoon in 2007. The hopes and dreams of a budding star pitcher were shredded like the ligament in his left elbow.

Gone like the wind was an expected scholarship offer from South Carolina, the program Webb dreamed of pitching for one day. Seemingly gone as well was the prospect of some day pursuing a professional baseball career.

MORRIS: Benedict’s base-stealing prowess irks some foes

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:21 EDT

BENEDICT’S BASE-STEALING bandits took their thievery to another level this college baseball season. They stole an NCAA Division II-record 333 bases, more than twice the total of their closest partner in crime.

Benedict set NCAA records with 32 stolen bases in one game, including a record 10 in one inning. Kevin Davis led the NCAA with 58 steals, just ahead of teammates Jocquese Brunson and Elisha McDaniel, who ranked second and fourth in the country with 50 and 39 steals, respectively.

“It’s fun to be part of something exciting. This is history,” says Selwyn Young, whose team has led the nation in stolen bases in each of his five seasons at Benedict. “This isn’t something that is done every day. I played baseball for a long time. I’ve coached baseball for a long time. This is unheard of. It doesn’t happen every day. It doesn’t happen every year.”

Raised eyebrows from around Division II baseball have come with the unprecedented attention gained by Benedict for its propensity to run like rabbits on the bases

The questions are usually about how Benedict might be taking advantage of playing competition that is not well schooled in the fundamentals of either holding runners on base or throwing them out by catchers.

Morris: Swinney’s Tigers have rare chance

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:59 EDT

DABO SWINNEY does not hide the goals he sets for his Clemson football team, at least not to the media. The same five goals are posted every season on the same wall of the team meeting room, which also serves as a news conference setting, in the West End Zone of Memorial Stadium.

The goals:

1.Win the opener

2.Win the Atlantic Division

3.Win the state championship

Morris: Savitz winds down career at Irmo

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:34 EDT

SAVITZ SUCCESS

A year-by-year look at the 33-season coaching career of Irmo High boys soccer coach Phil Savitz:

HIS 33-YEAR career as the Irmo boys’ soccer coach coming to a close, Phil Savitz cannot help but turn nostalgic with each passing milestone and game. Thursday night , for instance, Savitz will participate in his final senior night celebration as part of Irmo’s regular-season home finale.

There will be the end of the regular season and one last run at a 14th state championship under Savitz. Then it will end, final hugs will be exchanged, and Savitz will be on his way to Lexington’s new River Bluff High next year to build a program anew.

“It has hit me in stages and I’m sure will continue to for quite awhile,” Savitz says. “I’m sure there are people who have left jobs after a long time where they were saying good riddance and I can’t wait to get out of here, and they were miserable.

MORRIS: Preaching the joy of fishing

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:03 EDT

BOBBY WILSON developed a love for the outdoors at an early age. Wilson’s father, R.E. “Ears” Wilson, made a name for himself as a high school football coach around the state, and for having a passion for fishing.

One Sunday morning, Dad informed his son that the two would skip attendance at the Presbyterian church, instead opting to explore a brim bed outside Chester. For young Bobby, there was nothing like a day of fishing with his father.

On Monday, the elder Wilson ran into his pastor at the Chester city swimming pool.

“Coach Wilson, we missed you and your family in church Sunday,” Bobby recalls of the conversation between the two.

“I know, Reverend, something just came up,” Wilson’s dad replied.

Scorecards keep fans in the game

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:59 EDT

A PROUD fraternity exists among scorekeeping baseball fans. If you do not believe it, then stand among the group that religiously gathers at the grease board behind home plate for games at Carolina Stadium. They do not say it, but the implied message is that there exists a higher degree of sophistication about baseball within the alliance of scorekeepers.

Chances are good South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal will be there, penciling the starting lineups in her scorebook. Ever-prepared, she keeps a couple of scorebooks in her car at all times, just in case she happens upon a baseball game while traveling. Sixty-six year old Marsha Cole is likely to be there as well, entering the night’s starters into her iPad, the surest sign of room for new technology in the love of scorekeeping.

“What do you want to go to the game for if you don’t keep score?” asks 85-year-old Stan Kyzer, who has been recording each play of USC games off and on since 1975. “You know what’s going on in the game with a scorecard.”

It helps that Carolina Stadium is scorekeeping friendly. Scorecards are available free to all paying customers. Starting lineups are posted 30 minutes or so before the first pitch. While that might seem like basic stuff at a ballpark, it is not these days. A scorecard — and even a roster — was nowhere to be found on my recent visit to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., to see the Tampa Bay Rays play.

That was OK. Like Toal and Cole, I long have carried a scorebook to games, whether working or just enjoying. I’ve been keeping score at baseball games since I was 10. My father, a radio play-by-play announcer, taught me the finer points of 6-4-3 double-plays as we shivered in the press box at University of Wyoming games.

Morris: Panthers vow to wow at stadium

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:15 EDT

LEAVE IT TO THE NFL to operate ahead of the curve. Recognizing that attendance is slipping while no-shows are rising, the NFL is taking bold steps to get fans off their couches at home and into stadium seats.

The Carolina Panthers, with a recently released $300 million master plan of renovations to Bank of America Stadium, are joining the charge to make attending pro football games a more fan-friendly experience.

How the Panthers secure that hefty sum of money remains in the political lobbying stage with state and Charlotte officials. But there is no doubt about where a significant chunk of the dough will go, according to Panthers president Danny Morrison, who spoke Wednesday at USC.

Nearly two years ago, when Morrison began formulating the renovation plans, team president Jerry Richardson made it clear what the emphasis should be.

“He told us ... the master plan has to impact all fans, not just concentrate on the premium areas,” Morrison says. “His point to us ... was that we need to make sure the majority of things impact all 70,000 fans, not just the premium areas.”

Morris: Monte Lee has his bases covered

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:12 EDT

NEVER ACCUSE Monte Lee of being incapable of adapting to change. The former South Carolina assistant coach, whose College of Charleston club rolls into Carolina Stadium tonight, continues to steer his program through a sea of changes.

In five seasons, Lee has re-directed College of Charleston’s recruiting efforts, tailored his team’s game to the new steroid-free bats era of college baseball, and soon will deal with competing in a different conference.

The one constant has been winning.

“Sustained success,” Lee says, “that’s the big thing.”

Through his first four seasons, College of Charleston averaged 39 wins, captured one Southern Conference regular-season championship, and appeared in two NCAA regional tournaments. The Cougars are 20-15 this season, including an 11-6 standing in the conference that leaves them one-half game out of first place.

Morris: Ticket to the NFL

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:56 EDT

rmorris@thestate.com

SOMEWHERE along the whirlwind tour from Charlotte to Atlanta and back, perhaps while riding the Amtrak train or maybe the Greyhound bus, Jordan Mosely learned something about himself.

Nothing — not even 26 hours with little or no sleep — could prevent him from pursuing his dream of playing in the National Football League. Additionally, dealing with the unexpected only strengthened his resolve.

Mosely’s reward for overcoming adversity and performing at a high level during the March 17 NFL Regional Combine in Atlanta was an invitation to perform again today and Monday in Dallas along with 218 other draft-eligible prospects at the Super Regional Combine.

“Jordan, obviously is over-the-moon exited to get to go out there and compete,” says Austin Atkinson, Mosely’s 35-year-old agent, whose aim is to get his client drafted by an NFL team (not likely) or get him signed to participate in an NFL preseason camp (25 percent of Super Regional participants a year ago were invited to an NFL camp).

Ron Morris: Cisco sees nothing but upside

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:48 EDT

MIKE CISCO, THE Mount Pleasant product and former South Carolina pitcher, recently was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Angels. In return for Cisco, the Phillies received nothing. Not another player, nor cash, nor even a bag of broken bats.

Cisco is believed to be the first professional player ever traded for nothing.

Rather than being embarrassed by the turn of events, Cisco sees his assignment to the Arkansas Travelers of the Class AA Texas League as another opportunity to one day pitch in the major leagues. He also sees it as one more chance to prove critics (OK, the Phillies as well) that he is a big-league pitching prospect.

“I think that all the adversity you run through makes you who you are in the end,” Cisco said by phone Wednesday in Little Rock. He says he is delighted to be with an organization that believes in him.

Apparently, the Phillies no longer considered Cisco a prospect, despite remarkable numbers he posted in five seasons in the Philadelphia minor-league system. He carries a career 29-22 record and 2.93 earned run average into this season. Over 411 innings, Cisco’s outstanding control and ability to change speeds has resulted in 302 strikeouts and 104 non-intentional walks.

Dawn Staley’s work not done at the University of South Carolina

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:50 EDT

IT WOULD HAVE been a shame for Dawn Staley to bolt for Ohio State while construction of her South Carolina women’s basketball program is starting to take shape as a national power.

There is no doubting that, after proving it can sustain success through a transitional season, Staley and USC are primed to gain elite status. It is not too far fetched to believe the Gamecocks soon will be knocking on the door of the NCAA tournament’s Final Four.

Through five seasons, Dawn Staley has stamped her imprint on the program. Her teams play outstanding defense, limiting opponents to 35 percent shooting and a shade below 50 points per game this past season.

It is the kind of pressure, swarming defense that makes USC competitive in every game, regardless of the opponent. Staley tells anyone who will listen — including her team — that playing defense is a decision. She decided long ago in her coaching career that her teams would play solid defense.

As a result, USC was able this past season to win 25 games, including 11 of 16 in the SEC, and advance to the NCAA tournament round of 32 despite having major deficiencies on offense. The Gamecocks possessed neither a go-to scorer nor a consistent long-range shooter and converted a crippling 56 percent of their free-throw attempts.

USC’s Staley to meet with OSU

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 00:24 EDT

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is one of three candidates for the vacant Ohio State coaching position and will interview for the job early next week, The State has learned.

USC athletics director Ray Tanner said Friday that Ohio State had contacted him about interviewing Staley, and he granted the Big Ten school permission. Staley is expected to be in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday to interview, according to a source.

“I can’t confirm or deny that,” Staley said when contacted Friday.

Staley just completed her fifth season at USC. Her teams have posted a 92-66 record, including 38-40 in the Southeastern Conference. Her past two teams advanced to the Sweet 16 and the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State fired coach Jim Foster on March 19 after 11 seasons that included six Big Ten regular-season championships, four Big Ten tournament titles and 10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances until this past season.