May 20 2011
Lady Gators Bounced Out of Playoffs in Opening Round
Coach Larry Williamson’s East Columbus softball squad, who had completed the regular season with a perfect 18-0 record was upset in the opening round of the NCHSAA 1A playoffs with a 7-0 loss to James Kenan. This loss marks the earliest exit from the playoffs by the Lady Gators since 2003. The team had advanced to the third round in each of the past four years.
The Lady Gators hit the ball well, but right at people all night. East Columbus only had the leadoff batter reach in an inning, which didn’t come until the last of the seventh. “They had timely hits and we didn’t, we had six or seven balls hits that would normally be hits, but were hit right at them,” Williamson stated. The Lady Gators put eight hits on the board, compared to six by the Lady Tigers.
Brooke Malpass, De”Maya Berry and Madeline Pierce each had two hits for East Columbus. Malpass added a double. Samantha Malpass and Shana Cummings had the other East Columbus hits. Senior pitching ace Kelsey Jacobs absorbed the loss. She scattered five hits, walked three, and struck out five in her final appearance in a Gator uniform.
“I can’t say enough about the season we had. First undefeated regular season by a varsity team in the school’s history. The young ladies did a great job all year doing the things we need to do to win. The seniors have been the most successful group in the history of the school, winning a conference title all four years,” Williamson said.
James Kenan, a team much better than their record indicated improves to 5-11, while the Lady Gators finished their campaign at 18-1.
East Columbus finished the season with a .438 team batting average. They had five players hit at or above .500 on the season. Shana Cummings led the way at a 557 clip. Madeline Pierce was at 535, Shanita Hampton had a 523 average. Kelsi Jacobs and Brooke Malpass each finished the season with a 500 average. De’Maya Berry and Danielle Monroe each ended the season at 491. Brooke Malpass also surpassed the 400 mark ending with a 411 average.
Kelsi Jacobs finishes the season with a 10-1 record
Kelsi Jacobs ended the season with a 10-1 record on the mound. Monica Revels finished the season at 6-0. Jacobs ended with a 2.30 ERA 52 strike outs in 61 innings. Revels had a 2.28 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings on the mound.
At least four of the seniors on this year’s squad will be moving on to the next level to continue their playing career. Although they had several seniors that will be leaving, Veteran coach Williamson feels confident that this year’s senior class has laid the ground work for continued success in the future for the East Columbus softball squad.
by Gary Rabon sports@theLNR.com photos by Crystal Cecil
East Columbus Dumps Scorpions
East Columbus Lady Gators playing their first game of the season, defeated host North Brunswick Lady Scorpions 55-38 in front of a packed crowd in Leland. After trailing 14-11 after one quarter, the Lady Gators scored 10 straight points before an Alexis Mills lay-up cut the string of points with 5:15 remaining in the half. The Scorpions used their quickness to get back into the game and only trailed by a pair at 25-23 at half time.
East columbus Shanita Hampton scores at will against the Lady Scorpions-photo by Kassira Harrelson
East Columbus guard Brittney Hall came out the locker room with a hot hand, hitting three straight jumpers as the Gators went on a 11-0 run before North Brunswick could get a basket, when Mills hit a six foot jumper.
East Columbus took a 49-34 lead at the end of the third quarter on a half court basket by Shanita Hampton, who finished with game high 28 points, including 18 in the second half. The Gators defense held North Brunswick to just four points the fourth quarter. When ask what kind of adjustment she made at halftime, East Columbus coach Karlyn Stephens said, “ we had to tweak our defense a little, they were beating us back down court and making to may easy baskets”. Stephens was pleased with the win in her team’s first game out, but admitted that her team still has much work to do.
Freshman Lauren Jenkins, playing in her first varsity game finished with nine points, as did Hall. Kierston Johnson scored five and Gentle Davis added four. Senior guard Tyera Fisher and sophomore Daja White each tallied 11 points for North Brunswick. LaDonna Sloan scored seven while Barbara Graham, and Alexis Mills scored four points each.
The Gators 1-0 will host cross county rival South Columbus Lady Stallions December 3, while Coach Travis fortune’s Lady Scorpions will travel to Ashley, December 3.
By Gary Rabon sports@theLNR.com photos by Kassira Harrelson
Three Rivers Conference Football Player of the Year
goes to Ben Jenkins
ECHS football coach Toby Kasell presents Senior lineman Ben Jenkins with the Three Rivers Conference Football Player of the Year Award. In addition to his coach, Ben is pictured here with his mom, Kim. Photo by Crystal Cecil
East Columbus Ousted in Second Round of State Playoffs
Gator Cheerleaders--photo by Crystal Cecil
East Columbus for the most part has been their own worse enemy for much of the season, and the same can be said for their second round 1AA state playoff loss at Pender, November 19. East Columbus was coming off a 22-19 opening round win at Red Springs, the first playoff victory in the school’s history. The 42-8 loss to Pender was the second time this season the Gators lost to Pender, after dropping a game earlier in the season 19-6.
The Patriots got on the board first when Javon Powell scored on a nine yard run with just under eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Gators needed just one play to take the lead. Following Powell’s touchdown run, Chris McClure burst through the line and ripped off a 68 yard touchdown run on the Gator’s next play from scrimmage, and a TJ Wilson pass to Ike Mullins gave the Gators an 8-6 lead.
Patriot quarterback completed just one pass in the game, but it was a huge completion as he hit Powell for a 50-yard pass play, on the first play of the second quarter. The big gain set up Powell’s second score of the game on a 10-yard scamper. The two point conversion failed leaving the score 12-8.
That is when the Gators began to self destruct. They had a drive that stalled deep in Pender territory, then muffed a punt after a defensive stand. Pender recovered at mid-field and the Patriots held the ball the last seven minutes of the half, and scored on a Shaq Hooper’s nine yard run with just 19 seconds left in the half. A Hooper pass for the two point conversion left the Patriots with a 20-8 lead at halftime.
In the second half Pender recovered three Gator fumbles, and they scored three touchdowns of their own, all by Tyron Smith. Smith scored on a 33-yard run with 6:11 left in the third quarter, and a pair in the last quarter from 16 and eight yards out.
Pender improved to 11-2 and move on to and will travel to Goldsboro in the third round of the playoffs. The Gators completed the season with a 5-8 mark. After winning the school’s first ever conference championship last year, there were high hopes for this year’s squad. But the team battled injuries for much of the year, and had to learn a new offense, under first year head coach Toby Kassell. “ You can’t put the ball in the end zone when it’s not in your hands,” Kassell said about all the turnovers the team had in the game.
McClure, last year’s Three Rivers player of the Year, who spent most of this season on the shelf with an injured ankle led the Gators with 82 yards on 10 carries. Tyron Smith led the Patriots with 90 yards on five carries, but scored three touchdowns.
The Gators are taking a big loss due to graduation, but with a year under his belt as the Gators head man, the Gators may be a force to be reckoned with in the future as this year’s junior varsity squad finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record averaging over 40 points a game and giving up less than eight a game.
Gators Win Season Opener 32-12 over Lakewood
EAST Columbus Line
The Toby Kasell era officially got under way August 20, as the Gators raced past the visiting Lakewood Leopards 32-12 in the season opener for both squads in the “Swamp”, at Lake Waccamaw. Kassell takes over a senior laden squad that is coming off the school’s first ever conference championship, as they captured the Three Rivers co-championship with Fairmont.
Although the Gators came away with a seemingly comfortable win, Coach Kassell was far from pleased with the win. He didn’t like the way his team executed. He knows his team has to continue to improve before they take the trip to Vinegar Hill August 27, when they play the South Columbus Stallions, a team they have never beaten in 19 previous tries, including a 42-3 loss last season.
The win over the Leopards revenged a 14-3 season opening loss last year at Lakewood. The Gators’ Joe Gore jarred the ball loose from a Leopard ball carrier and scooped it up and scampered in for a 30 yard touchdown run, before the crowd had even settled into their seats giving the Gators an early 6-0 lead.
The Leopards pounded the ball into the end zone just before the gun sounded to end the first period tying the score up at 6-6. The Leopards were the next team to tack points on the board as they connected on a 10 yard pass play. Possibly the play of the night, and maybe even the year knotted the score at 12-12, when Ben Jenkins tapped an eight yard pass to himself for a touchdown pass from T.J. Wilson tying the score at 12-12 going into the locker room.
Columbus County Player of the Year last season Chris McClure scored the only points in the third period, when he scored on an eight yard dash giving the Gators an 18-12 lead, a lead they would never relinquish as they held Lakewood scoreless in the second half.
McClure scored his second touchdown of the night in the fourth period on a three yard. McClure finished the night with 122 yards on the ground. East Columbus finished the scoring on a 37 yard run by Demetri Anders and a two point conversion on a quarterback keeper by Wilson, ending the scoring for the night and sending Kassell on to the win, becoming the first Gator coach to ever win his teams opening game.
By Gary Rabon sports@theLNR.com photos by Crystal Cecil
East Columbus Spikers Off to a Fast Start
By Gary Rabon sports@thelnr.com
Photos by Crystal Cecil –Field of Dreams Photo
The East Columbus Gators volleyball team, coming off a Three Rivers 1A-2A Conference championship has come out the gate with a hot start. Coach Larry Williamson returns as coach of the Lady Gators replacing last year’s Three Rivers Conference Coach of the Karlyn Stephens, who stepped down to coach boy’s soccer.
The Gators have dropped a pair of non-conference matches to cross county rival South Columbus. They have also beaten East Bladen and Whiteville in a pair of non-conference matches. The East Bladen match went the distance with scores of 25-19, 25-15, 16-25, 20-25, and 15-13. In the Whiteville win, the Gators won in three straight matches, 25-17, 25-19, and 25-20.
Coach Williamson said he has six seniors which are giving his team much leadership. Including among the seniors includes Shanita Hampton, who was the Three Rivers Conference Player of the Year in 2009 as a junior. Coach Williamson also gave glowing reviews of the performance of junior Gentile Davis, saying her performance as been outstanding so far.
Coach Williamson will lead his squad back into action August 30 when they host Whiteville in a return match.
Gators Have Busy Pre-Season
Pre-Season Game--Copy Write LNR
The East Columbus Gators football squad had a busy pre-season under first year coach Toby Kasell. The Gators competed in two Football Jamborees recently. They traveled to Fayetteville to participate in the Short Stop Jamboree, where they played Goldsboro at Fayetteville State University. They then traveled to East Bladen where they played both West Bladen and defending Waccamaw Conference Champions East Bladen.
Kasell, in his first year at the Lake Waccamaw school surrounds himself with a strong supporting cast, as they look to repeat as Three Rivers 1A-2A Conference champions; the first in the school’s history.
The Gators will be led by a pair of the top players in the area. Lineman, Joe Gore, who has committed to Clemson, and running back, Chris McClure, the 2009 Columbus County Player of the year.
Kasell said the team is making great progress with the new offensive and defensive system he is putting in place. “We are putting a little bit of the system in at a time, and as the season goes by we will be implementing a little more. The kids are really buying into the program.” He added, “this is a great bunch of kids, they are making me look good.”
The Gators are coming off their first ever conference championship after capturing the 1A-2A Three Rivers Conference title. East Columbus finished 5-6 overall last season. They return much of last year’s team, and Coach Kasell is installing a wing T offense with T.J. Wilson moving from running back to quarter back this season.
At the Jamborees that the Gators recently participated in, Coach Kasell said the team did very well against some quality competition. In the game at Fayetteville State against Goldsboro, both teams scored twice. “It was extremely hot and Goldsboro had many more numbers than we did. We depended on several players playing both ways, but the kids responded very well.”
In the second scrimmage, just one day later, the Gators went up against East Bladen and West Bladen the same night. In the East Bladen game, the Waccamaw Conference defending champion Eagles scored four times, while the Gators scored three times. In the second half of the doubleheader East Columbus took on another Bladen County school in West Bladen. The Gators scored three times to just once for the Knights.
“Scrimmaging three teams in just two days was a good experience for us,” said Kasell. “We were able to see a lot of different things that will help us”, he added.
The Gators will be out to try to capture just their second winning season in school history this year when they open August 20, with a home tilt against the Lakewood Leopards.
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By Gary Rabon sports@theLNR.com
Photos by Crystal Cecil
