The Rebirth of a program

[bbrown1240]

I think we gave Byrnes more of a fight than they wanted. I think a big turning point was our only turnover, a fumbled pitch when we were deep in Byrnes territory with the score tied at 14. Byrnes went down the field and scored after the turnover. The swing pass to the running back in the 4th was also huge as it set up Byrnes for a TD to go up two scores.

Aside from probably 5 plays, I thought out defense was phenomenal. Young is a great QB . Not sure how he got out of some of the situations he was in, but we needed to do a better job of wrapping him up and finishing the sack.

We lost to a better team in Byrnes. There's no shame in that. I wish them the best of luck the rest of the way. Great program. They are where we want to be. After tonight, I don't think we are far off. We'll see them again, hopefully soon.

Unfortunately I doubt a Sumter vs Byrnes regular season series is going to happen, so we will probably only see these guys again if we make it to a state championship game.

Sumter's entire defensive line is returning next year, which will be a scary thought for lower state teams. I feel confident in saying that our defensive line will be among the best in the state next year.

Sumter fans showed up tonight and didn't disappoint. A lot of us left with smiles on our faces knowing that we were in the game with not only the #1 team in the state, but a national powerhouse. Also, Coach Mark Barnes is putting his stamp on this program. 10 wins and a region championship for the first time since 2009. I believe Sumter football is back, and will be here for a while. Nasty defense. Power run game. We had no passing game this year, but I believe we'll work on that in the offseason with our sophomore QB...of course, after he helps us defend our basketball championship.

Well...at least I don't have to choose between going to a football game or basketball game next Friday.

[SF Band dad]

Oh yeah. Being in 5A is going to be real joy.

[Dave Pickren]

Is there a single fan in the state that is looking forward to the 5A system.

Beuller.....Bueller.......Bueller

[mikey]

Is there a single fan in the state that is looking forward to the 5A system.

Beuller.....Bueller.......Bueller

why not ? i personally would have liked NW and Spartanburg playing with the big boys this year..

[SF Band dad]

Is there a single fan in the state that is looking forward to the 5A system.

Beuller.....Bueller.......Bueller

why not ? i personally would have liked NW and Spartanburg playing with the big boys this year..

Listed below are the 10 5A schools with less than 1700 students. How many of them have a realistic chance of winning 5 games in a 5A bracket?

JL Mann
Laurens
Wade Hampton
Riverside
Westside
James Island Charter
South Florence
Greenwood
Socastee
Conway

[ByrnesRebels05]

Is there a single fan in the state that is looking forward to the 5A system.

Beuller.....Bueller.......Bueller

why not ? i personally would have liked NW and Spartanburg playing with the big boys this year..

Listed below are the 10 5A schools with less than 1700 students. How many of them have a realistic chance of winning 5 games in a 5A bracket?

JL Mann No
Laurens Yes
Wade Hampton No
Riverside No
Westside Yes
James Island Charter No
South Florence Yes
Greenwood Yes
Socastee No
Conway Yes

[mikey]

who would have said Hillcrest a few years ago ? u never know when they might have a squad..

[EHSMeanGreen]

who would have said Hillcrest a few years ago ? u never know when they might have a squad..

Me.
And I have witnesses.

First time I ever met SF Band dad and DeCav (2012 at the State Title games),
I commented to them about how much talent Hillcrest and Westside had.
(Hillcrest went 5-7 that year and Westside went 4-7).

They both looked at me like I was crazy (they still do but that is beside the point).

While I would not have predicted a State Title for Hillcrest, it was very easy to see the amount of talent that they had on the sidelines a few years ago ......and with some coaching both Hillcrest and Westside could be very competitive and soon.

Fast forward to this year....
I'll give SF Band dad credit...we had a phone conversation in May or June of this year.
The topic of conversation...
What school in your Region would be most likely to turn their program around?
His answer for Region 6 was Carolina Forest. They made the playoffs this year after only winning 6 games in the previous 3 seasons. Good call by him as they were much more competitive.

My answer for Region 1 was TL Hanna. They have tons of talent and this year they put it together. The Yellow Jackets look like one of the favorites heading into next season.

Also, for the past couple of seasons I have read some Region 3 posters talking about Nation Ford. So props to them.