The Blitz: Recent Episodes
The Sumter Item
The Blitz examines all of the latest news and storylines in Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon county sports. Hosted by The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell, Dennis Brunson, and Tim Leible.
The Wilson Hall football team has run a gauntlet in the early stages of the 2023 season.
The Barons opened against one of the top teams in SCISA 3A in Hilton Head Christian before snapping a long losing streak against their biggest rival in Laurence Manning. After another rivalry win over Thomas Sumter put Wilson Hall at 3-0, they now prepare to face their biggest challenge yet in the form of SCISA's most consistent winner, Hammond.
While this game doesn't weigh heavily on Wilson Hall's playoff implications as the Barons sit in 3A and Hammond is a 4A squad, this gives them a measuring stick to compare themselves against before diving back into 3A play for the home stretch.
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
It's always fun when Sumter School District meets in any field of play, and Friday's matchup between Sumter High and Crestwood on the gridiron should be no different.
The unbeaten Gamecocks, who currently rank No. 3 in 5A in the latest S.C. Prep Football Media Poll, welcome a 2-1 Crestwood team whose only loss was one of the most thrilling games of the season, a 62-60 scoring explosion with Gray Collegiate.
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts or read the full story here: Sumter High welcomes Crestwood for rivalry matchup full of high-flying offense - The Sumter Item (theitem.com)
Seeing the LMA Swampcats and Wilson Hall Barons go head-to-head is always a favorite rivalry on the tri-county football schedule. We brought in each team's head coach to chat about prepping for the game, establishing the tone for the season, and staying healthy.
Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts!
The Friday night lights are warming up across the tri-county area. We brought in Mark Barnes and Willie Offord, the head coaches from Sumter High School and Lakewood High School to get their last thoughts before their teams duke it out in the swamp on Friday night.
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts!
The Sumter baseball community lost a legend recently with the passing of Sam Crawford, the longtime soundtrack of the Sumter P-15's and USC Sumter Fire Ants.
We brought in Wallie Jones, the longtime head coach of the P-15's and Tim Medlin, the head coach at USC Sumter, to reminisce about the voice of Riley Park.
"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day."
With each day this week came rain. That meant the diamonds at Patriot Park, Riley Park and so many other fields were left empty almost all week.
Entering Friday, the Lady Legends were hoping to finally play one of their most anticipated matchups of the season, a meeting of the last two undefeated teams in Southern Division 2, as they traveled to Darlington.
That game, like so many other games this week, moved multiple times before the skies stayed clear just long enough to take the field at Hartsville High School.
But that was just a slight reprieve at the end of the week. After this weekend, chaos begins.
Stay tuned in to the Item Sports for coverage on the rest of the season. Here's hoping it's dry.
Don't look now, but Manning-Santee Post 68 is rolling.
Heading into Friday's series finale with Charleston, Post 68 was 4-0. They didn't get the chance to finish one game on Tuesday because of weather but haven't run into much trouble early in the summer. They allowed just five runs in their first four games, two of which were shutouts.
Hear more about their hot start in this week's episode or read the full story on theitem.com/sports.
The Sumter P-15 Lady Storm are one of the constants of American Legion softball in South Carolina.
They were one of two Sumter teams in the fold from the start, but as they enter Year 3, things are looking a bit different.
Head coach Rocky Healon had a decent idea of what his roster would look like this season, but a mix of injuries, combined with an addition of a third team at Post 15, the Lady Patriots, flipped his team upside down.
Listen to the full episode below or anywhere you get your podcasts!
STORY: Sumter Lady Storm weathering changes as they prepare for summer season - The Sumter Item (theitem.com)
Most seniors want to leave high school with a perfect memory from their final year.
For Clarendon Hall's Olivia Wilson, it was holding a state championship trophy.
Wilson and the Lady Saints won their second-straight state title last week, this year making the climb up to SCISA 2A. After losing the first game of their championship series with Calhoun Academy last Monday, it was Wilson's rousing message of, "Don't let tomorrow be my last softball game," that helped inspire the Lady Saints to win the next two nights to claim their title.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about their playoff run!
The Sumter High softball team may be young, but they're starting to put the pieces together.
The Lady Gamecocks may only have three seniors with a roster filled with eighth-graders and sophomores, but they're ready to compete.
While they finished third in Region V-5A, the team got a pleasant surprise when looking at the district brackets for the postseason. They are in District 8, one of the two districts with an at-large team and no No. 2 seed. That means the Lady Gamecocks will be at home against Cane Bay when the playoffs begin on Wednesday.
Full story here: https://www.theitem.com/stories/sumter-high-softball-beaming-with-home-playoff-game-on-the-horizon,398535
Spring break has come and gone, so that means the march to the playoffs has officially begun for the Wilson Hall softball team.
The Lady Barons have won the last two SCISA 3A state titles, and they're hoping to claim the first-ever 4A state title in a few short weeks. That road to the postseason began in earnest on Tuesday, as Wilson Hall faced the rival Lady Swampcats from Laurence Manning for their first region game, running away with a 14-3 win.
Listen to our conversation with head coach Teresa Alexander below or anywhere you get your podcasts.
This week on the Blitz we sit down with Former Lakewood baseball standout Landon DeLavan
Unsure of what to expect from his upcoming season, the former All-State pitcher just wanted to help the team however he could, whether that meant starting games, coming out of the bullpen or learning from the bench.
As it turns out, he's blossomed into quite the reliever for Tim Medlin's Fire Ants.
Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Former Lakewood standout Preston McDonald reached his own slice of history last week.
The Florence-Darlington head coach won his 500th game on March 29 with a 5-2 win over Fayetteville Tech. It was a milestone years in the making and a number he was honored to reach.
"For me, it really just means that I've been there a while," McDonald jokes. "That's a long time to be at one place, and I'm really proud of the fact that I'm not out there looking for the next job.
"We've had a lot of good players come through the program. That's really who wins games. Coaches, they write the lineup, they coach in practice and let the guys play in games. I've been really blessed to have some really great players over the years that have won a lot of games for us."
Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Two weeks ago, most of the sports world had never heard of Fairleigh Dickinson University or its point guard, former Lakewood star Grant Singleton.
That's certainly not the case anymore.
Singleton and FDU shocked the world last Friday in the NCAA Tournament, becoming just the second No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in tournament history by slaying a literal giant in Purdue.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Singleton said. "As a kid, you always want to get to the NCAA Tournament. For me, coming from DII for four years, that dream didn't look so good at first. Everything happens for a reason. When I got to FDU, I knew I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. To end my college career like that was amazing."
STORY:
Making the most of an opportunity: Former Lakewood guard Singleton shines on national stage with FDU | The Sumter Item (theitem.com)
Construction at the school affected the home track at Wilson Hall, forcing the team to host only modified meets or travel a bit more. On this episode of the Blitz, we sat down with head coach Rip Ripely to talk about how it feels to welcome a home crowd again.
The Wilson Hall track team is deep, with countless seniors at the top who understand the process and a plethora of middle school talent on the rise.
Coach Bill DeLavan slid into the studio this week to chat with Tim about some Gator baseball.
In this early season, Lakewood is battling the void left by a large graduating class last year. Including coach DeLavan's son Landon, who is now making strides on the mound for USC Sumter.
Despite losing a few arms and a few leaders, the Gators are hopeful they'll be able to continue their success. They're heading into this season with two consecutive region titles.
Follow along with us as we keep our eye on them and all the other spring sports here in Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon county.
Listen below, at theitem.com/podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The energy in the Eagles' gym has been electric.
Tim sat down in the studio with head coach Kevin Miller to talk about the mentality in his locker room as they get ready to go down to Aiken this weekend.
With the community (and some paparazzi) in tow, Scott's Branch will make their way to the University of South Carolina Aiken on Saturday to compete in their fourth consecutive state championship appearance.
For the first time in program history, the Crestwood Knights will make an appearance in the South Carolina High School League Basketball finals. As of this post, the team will have already made their trip down to the University of South Carolina Aiken where they'll face upper state challenger Wren High School Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel isn't a stranger to this pressure. In his last two coaching positions with Hunter-Kinard-Tyler and Hartsville he earned program first state titles as well. Friday should be another day in the office.
For a championship week a double header we had Scott's Branch head coach Kevin Miller in the studio as well.
For a third season in a row the Lady Gamecocks are back in the lower state playoffs. They'll face off against Stratford on Monday.
We had head coach Jeff Schaffer in the studio this week to talk about their mentality heading into Monday's make-or-break game.
Listen to this week's episode of the Blitz at theitem.com/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Eagles played for the SCHSL 1A state championship in each of the last three seasons and now begin their trek back to the title game. They hope this is the year that snaps the streak of coming in second place.
Scott's Branch closed their regular season on Thursday with another commanding win over Hemingway, completing an undefeated run in Region V.
Listen below or anywhere you get your podcasts.
In their second season as a team, Ragin Prep boys basketball took down the Region III-1A title after a win against Sandhills Academy last week.
Head coach Anthony Jackson came into the studio this week to discuss the process of building this team, setting goals, and seeing his athletes come together.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
This week on The Blitz we've got an over-the-phone chat with Manning's head wrestling coach Spencer Thomas.
Participation in the sport has been a rollercoaster. Over the past two years they've gone from 13 members to 2, then back up and back down to 6 as they head into next week's region meet.
In addition to battling low numbers, the Monarchs fought illness early this season, stripping them of practice time before heading to a tough first opponent in Airport High School.
Head coach Thomas said these were all crucial lessons that've given the kids a great outlook and mentality as they navigate the rest of the season.
Welcome back to another episode of The Blitz!
This week, we had Coach Junko Allen in the studio to talk about Team Perseverance, a local sports organization that she spearheads.
The group is starting a new, free afterschool program at the South Sumter Gym next week so we chatted about what it means to be able to give back to the community.
Listen on theitem.com/podcasts or anywhere else you get your podcast fix.
Sumter High wrestling has been bleeding members through graduation after the last few seasons with a limited cushion of younger wrestlers on the come-up.
The program has one returning senior, and bus issues left them dead in the water missing a lot of the early season.
Tim and Johnny talk about the importance of growing the sport in the area, and working with other schools and coaches to do so.
Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome back to another episode of The Blitz.
In the studio this week we had Laurence Manning Academy's Head Boys Basketball Coach Will Epps to talk about the success of last season, rebuilding the team after graduations, and getting a late start after the football team made a deep run.
This Wednesday on The Grind we're featuring Crestwood High School's Corean Nelson, so keep an eye out on theitem.com, facebook.com/theitemsports, and Youtube.com/@studiosumter
Keep up with all your local sports on theitem.com/sports
Four years after Josh Williams came to Lakewood to reboot its wrestling program, only two of its inaugural members remain.
An already niche sport area, it the wrestlers at Lakewood were impacted heavily by the pandemic.
Coach Williams stressed the power and benefits of wrestling on young athletes and wants to continue building the program long into the future.
Tune in to The Blitz anywhere you get your podcasts to keep in the loop on Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon County sports. Happy New Year!
We hope you had a festive holiday weekend!
If you're a local basketball fan you have a lot to look forward this week. The District 9 Basketball Officials Christmas Tournament begins at Manning High School on Tuesday. The championship games will be hosted at Morris College on Friday night.
https://www.theitem.com/stories/district-9-christmas-basketball-tournament-coming-to-manning,392764
For this holiday edition of the Blitz, we gave coaches a break and brought sports reporter Isaiah Lucas in to chat about the local basketball scene, what he's seen so far, and his expectations for the teams in the area.
You can listen to the episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts.
Even though exam week put athletics on hold, we sat down with Wilson Hall's Rip Ripley. This year, he added Head Basketball Coach to his duties at the school, so we spoke to him about what it's been like transitioning into the role, how the team is feeling, and what they're expecting from the season.
Prior to Friday's upset win over Sumter High, we sat down with Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel on the latest episode of The Blitz to talk all about the Knights' season!
While we chat about that matchup as a future game, we also discussed what's driving this Crestwood team and just how far Samuel thinks they can go.
The Manning basketball team is under new management, but with a familiar face. We welcomed head coach Lamont Britt on today’s episode of The Blitz to chat about his transition from assistant to head coach with the Monarchs and dove into the season ahead!
Basketball is officially upon us! To kick off basketball season we’ve got Sumter High girls basketball coach Jeff Schaffer on today’s episode of The Blitz!
We talked about the No. 10 Lady Gamecocks and how they’re adjusting early in the season without star point guard Kiara Croskey, who is recovering from tearing her ACL this spring.
The Lee Academy Cavaliers are back in the SCISA 1A title game so we welcomed head coach David Rankin on The Blitz to chat all about it!
We talked about how the Cavaliers earned a trip to their third straight championship game and dove into the upcoming matchup.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice!
The Manning football team is in the second round of the playoffs, so we welcomed head coach Reggie Kennedy on today's episode of The Blitz to chat all about it.
This was recorded before the Monarchs' trip to Gilbert was postponed to Saturday, but we still talked about adjusting to changing schedules and how Manning has gotten to this point.
The Barons are back in the playoffs, so we had Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki on this week’s episode of The Blitz to chat all about it! We went over their path to the postseason and their matchup against John Paul II.
Crestwood and Lakewood face off tonight with a home playoff game on the line so we welcomed their head coaches on today’s of The Blitz!
We sat down with Lakewood head coach Larry Cornelius and Crestwood HC Roosevelt Nelson to chat about the Sumter County matchup and the stakes for the contest.
The Crestwood football team hosts Camden tonight with the region title on the line, so we brought head coach Roosevelt Nelson onto The Blitz to chat all about it.
We talked about how the Knights here and keys to success against the Bulldogs.
The Wilson Hall football team has a massive game for homecoming tonight, so we welcomed head coach Adam Jarecki on The Blitz to chat all about it. The Barons host Pee Dee Academy as two of the last three teams that are undefeated against SCISA 3A schools, jockeying for position for playoff seeding.
The East Clarendon football team won its first game of the season on Wednesday, so we welcomed head coach Scott Cook to talk about it on today’s episode of The Blitz. We talked about their season as a whole and the Wolverines’ progression on their way to a region-opening win over Hemingway.
When two local teams have an opening on their schedules, they call each other. Scott’s Branch plays host to Lee Central Friday in a later addition to the slate, so we had both head coaches on the latest edition of The Blitz. Randall State, the first-year head coach of Scott’s Branch, and Lee Central’s Justin Danner break down their seasons to this point and look ahead to the matchup.
It’s a big rivalry week in the tri-county as Wilson Hall and Laurence Manning face off tonight. We sat down with Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki and Laurence Manning HC Will Furse to talk all about the matchup on The Blitz.
We check in on both teams through Week 1 and dive into what it always a competitive contest when Laurence Manning and Wilson Hall get together.
This week on The Blitz, we sat down Lee Academy head football coach David Rankin and Thomas Sumter head coach Brannon Tidwell to talk about their matchup tonight. While the game between the Cavaliers and Generals remains a classic rivalry, it has a different feel this year as a non-region matchup. Hear what the two coaches have to say coming into the game, which will be played at Thomas Sumter.
This week on The Blitz, Tim sat down with former Wilson Hall Athletics and Sumter P-15 Lady Legends softball player Andi Grae Wingate!
We talked about her recent decision to transfer to Southern Wesleyan to continue her softball career and her summer with the Lady Legends!
You can listen to the full episode below, at the item.com/podcasts or on your podcast player of choice.
Tim and Isaiah talk the Ja Morant's MBNO basketball tournament and more in this update.
The American Legion playoffs are in full swing and Manning-Santee is still in the thick of it!
This week on The Blitz, we brought Post 68 coach Greg King in studio to chat about the first round of the playoffs and their matchup with Richland next week.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast player of choice!
Is there a better way to spend the 4th of July than talking a little baseball? We don't think so!
We sat down with Manning-Santee's Greg King to talk about their summer of American Legion ball as the regular season comes to a close. Post 68 will now have a week off before the playoffs begin next week.
You can listen to the full episode below, at the link in our description or your podcast app of choice!
The second year of American Legion softball in South Carolina is in full swing, so we sat down with Sumter P-15 Lady Storm head coach Rocky Healon to talk all about it!
We talked about what he learned from the first year of legion softball, managing a young roster this summer and how the Lady Storm is building for long-term success.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.
School is out and Riley Park is already full of the sounds of baseball! We brought Sumter P-15's head coach Randy Twitty on this week's episode of The Blitz to chat about the season.
We went up and down their roster to see how the P-15's are looking this summer and talked about their goals for the American Legion season.
You can hear the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.
We've got a father-son duo joining us on The Blitz this week, as Lakewood Gator Baseball's Bill and Landon DeLavan sit down for a conversation about their final season together as coach and player.
We talk about Landon's All-State season and their favorite memories from their second straight region title for the Gators.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
THE CHAMPS ARE IN THE HOUSE!
Clarendon Hall softball won the 1A state title, so we had to chat about that this week on The Blitz!
We've got head coach Jeff Bays alongside Calli Yount and the Wells sisters, McKenley and Mandy, talking about their run to the state championship!
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.
The East Clarendon Wolverines baseball team is headed into the home stretch so we brought head coach Will McMillan into the studio over spring break to chat about their season on The Blitz!
We talked about his experience squad's drive to make a postseason run and how the pieces are starting to fit together for the Wolverines.
You can listen to the entire episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
The Wilson Hall Athletics track team is shining this season, so we had to bring head coach Rip Ripley on The Blitz to talk about the Barons this Easter weekend!
Along with track, we chatted a bit about his recent promotion to head boys basketball coach for the Barons.
You can listen to the entire episode below, at the link in our description or wherever you listen to podcasts!
This week on the Blitz we sit down with Lakewood Gator Softball coach Ashley Cappelmann to talk all about the Lady Gators!
We chatted about how the team has adjusted after the graduation of their star pitcher last spring and the work they're putting in to make a run at a region title.
You can listen to the entire episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice!
The Clarendon Hall softball team is crushing it this season, so we had head coach Jeffrey Bays on The Blitz to talk all about it.
We talked about his young group's run to last year's SCISA 1A state championship series and their hopes to get back again this spring.
You can listen to the full episode below, at the item.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice!
The Laurence Manning baseball team is out to a dominant start to its season, so we had to get head coach Barry Hatfield on The Blitz to talk about it.
We talk about their offensive transformation, the strength of their pitching and more!
You can listen to the entire episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
The Lakewood baseball team kicked off region play this week, so we brought head coach Bill Delavan into the studio to talk about their season on The Blitz!
The Gators come into the year with higher expectations this spring after winning their region a year ago. Now they’re working to live up to the new hype.
The Sumter girls basketball team is playing in the lower state championship today, so we had to get head coach Jeff Schaffer back on The Blitz to talk about it!
We went over the first three games of their playoff run and did a preview of today's game. Be sure to give it a listen before you head over to Florence for their game at 5:30!
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice!
The Clarendon Hall boys basketball team is headed full steam ahead into the playoffs this week, so we had to get Saints head coach Anthony Reitenour into the studio to talk all about their season on the The Blitz.
Tune in as we talk about bouncing back from their early season quarantine and the full on sprint they've had through region play for the last month and a half.
You can listen to the entire episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
The Laurence Manning Academy boys basketball team is making a push for the top of their region, so we had to bring head coach Will Epps onto The Blitz to talk about their season!
Hear about the challenge of missing time due to COVID-19 and how they're adjusting to a busy schedule since coming back.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice!
The Sumter boys basketball team came into the season as underdogs and have still managed to work their way up to No. 6 in the SCBCA polls. This week on The Blitz we welcomed in head coach Bryan Brown to talk all about the chip on their shoulders and how his team has transformed into a contender.
The Scott’s Branch boys basketball team is trying to make another run to the SCHSL 1A state championship game, so we welcomed head coach Kevin Miller into The Blitz to talk all about it.
Hear about how the Eagles have navigated being the top-ranked team in their class and what they’ll need to do to claim the evasive 1A title.
The Lee Central boys basketball team got out to a slow start this season, but they're getting hot going into region play so we had to get head coach Xavier Harry on The Blitz!
Listen as we talk about bouncing back from missing 2020 due to COVID-19, their ultra-balanced lineup and looking ahead to the region, which is out to a bit of a late start as COVID issues with Mullins and Latta forced last week's games to get postponed.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
Sumter High kicked off region play on Friday, so we had to bring girls head coach Jeff Schaffer into the studio to chat about how their season has gone so far and expectations for the region.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice!
The Crestwood High School boys basketball team is out to an electric start to its season, so this week on The Blitz, we brought head coach Aric Samuel in to talk about it.
We go over their season as a whole, touch on the championship they won in the District 9 Officials Christmas Basketball Tournament and look forward to their upcoming region slate.
You can find the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts and on your podcast app of choice!
The Thomas Sumter boys basketball team has a ton of new faces this season, so we had to have one of them on this week's episode of The Blitz!
New TSA head coach Micah Yoder joined us this week to talk about his squad.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcast or on your podcast app of choice!
The Lady Monarchs have a new head coach this season so we had to bring Verner Hilton on The Blitz to talk all about taking over the program at Manning.
You can hear our full conversation below, at theitem.com/podcast or on your podcast app of choice!
This week on The Blitz, we talked to Morris College's new head basketball coach, Christopher Brown, who is trying to come in and turn around a program that's been struggling over the last few decades.
We talked all about what brought the Sumter grad to Morris, recruiting and what it will take to revitalize the program.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice!
The Gamecocks are headed to Carolina Forest for their first rematch of the season tonight. On this week's episode of The Blitz, Sumter High head coach Mark Barnes tells us all about the matchup.
In the first game, Sumter won 36-7 at home, but Barnes is expecting a tougher matchup on the road.
You can listen to the full episode below, at https://www.theitem.com/podcasts/ or on your podcast player of choice.
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. This episode, we speak with Sumter High School's Mark Barnes.
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. This episode, we speak with Clarendon Hall's Anthony Reitenour
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. This episode, we speak with Lee Central's Justin Danner
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. This episode, we speak with Lee Academy's David Rankin.
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. This episode, we speak with Thomas Sumter's Brannon Tidwell.
High school football is back on the Blitz! Today marks the beginning of our season previews, as we welcome in all 12 area coaches to talk about the upcoming season. We’ll run this series three days a week over the next four weeks. First up is Wilson Hall head coach Adam Jarecki, who tells us about the young group of players he expects to make an impact for the Barons this fall.
It's hot out! So Dennis and Tim retreat to the studio to talk all things summer sports: American Legion baseball, softball, a quick prep football preview and what we can learn from a year of COVID policies.
This week on The Blitz, Tim is joined by Lakewood's Cakhi Fowler.
Fowler has battled a series of injuries throughout her career, but still managed to find All-State success in each of her two seasons with the Lady Gators. We talked to Fowler about how she managed to fight through pain to star for Lakewood and where he softball career currently stands.
You can listen to the full episode below, at https://www.theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
Kylic Horton has been a star at Clarendon Hall for years, but playing eight-man football at a small school hasn't given him the exposure needed to grab the attention of big time programs. After attending some camps this summer, the outside world is starting to take notice. Horton as secured two Div. I offers so far and there are likely more coming.
This week on The Blitz, P-15’s centerfielder Jackson Hoshour joins Tim in studio to talk about his freshman season at Florence-Darlington, where the Stingers played in the Junior College World Series, and preparing to make another run at a state title with Post 15.
Lakewood alum Tyreek Johnson has been with the football team at the University of South Carolina for three full seasons, though you may not have noticed. Tyreek has dealt with an unbelievable string of bad luck when it comes to his health. Everything from his shoulder to his knees have kept him off the field and in the rehab room. But right now, Tyreek is feeling good and has had a chance to show off just how good during spring practices. This week on The Blitz, we sat down with Tyreek to talk about his long road back to the field and how it feels to finally be back to full speed.
Former Sumter defensive lineman Raymond Johnson III had no clue where he would end up on Saturday morning. He was sitting in an AirBnB in Columbia watching the third day of the NFL draft, hoping to see his name roll across the screen. Over the next eight hours, he received a number of phone calls, but none of them came from a team ready to select him in the draft. When the final pick was made, Johnson still didn’t have an NFL home, but it also didn’t take much longer to find one. 45 minutes after the draft, Johnson got a call and a few minutes later he announced to a room full of his family and friends that he was signing with the New York Giants. We spent the entire third day of the draft with Johnson and his family, so this week on the Blitz we’ll recount that long day and how Johnson ended up landing with the Giants.
This is Big Apple Bound.
This week on The Blitz, we talked to former Sumter running back Nathan Harris-Waynick, who's looking to make an impact on the South Carolina football team as a walk-on this fall. We caught up with the Gamecock running back after he led the Black team in carries in the Black and Garnet spring game to talk about his first semester in the program.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or on your podcast app of choice.
You can also read more about Harris-Waynick here:
https://www.theitem.com/stories/harris-waynick-making-the-most-of-his-opportunity-as-a-preferred-walk-on,363392?fbclid=IwAR1UJ4-qr63iDuLB2BV2Zm6rxkOfXg7hiM3LUCR_0NPKUbdC9IRTswPeuIo
The Blitz has a new look this week! On the newest episode Tim and Dennis sat down in the studio and we decided to turn the camera on as we talked about spring sports as the regular season reaches it's home stretch.
You can watch the full episode below, but there's still an audio version that you can listen to on theitem.com/podcasts or your podcast app of choice.
This week on The Blitz, we talk to Crestwood's Hannah and Abby Kovalcik, along with Zadra Palumbo, to talk about their season playing with the boys soccer team.
The full episode is available below, but you can also listen at theitem.com/podcast or your podcast app of choice.
You can also read about their experience here: https://www.theitem.com/.../hanging-with-the-boys...
This week on The Blitz, assistant sports editor Tim Leible sits down with former Sumter specialist Dyson Roberts and former Manning linebacker Aaron Smith to talk about their bizarre first season of college football at South Carolina State. Hear what the duo has to say about missing out on playing in the fall, cancellations and their experience with football in the spring.
Sumter High School Fighting Gamecock Athletics Manning High Football South Carolina State Football
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or by downloading it on your preferred podcast app.
Local athletes here in Sumter have big dreams in their sports and while they have a slew of coaches to help them find success on the court or field, they don’t always have someone to teach important lessons outside of sports. Now that’s beginning to change.
This week on The Blitz, we sat down with Ericka Williams from Sumter Economic Development. She’s currently leading a new program designed to help local athletes learn new skills like dressing for success, public speaking and finance. She and a few of the students in the new Fit for Life program told me what lessons are being passed to the next generation here in Sumter.
This week on The Blitz, assistant sports editor Tim Leible talked with Sumter High School Fighting Gamecock Athletics alum CJ Felder about his complicated sophomore season at Boston College and decision to put his name into the transfer portal.
This week also marks the 50th episode of The Blitz, so we wanted to take some time to say thank you for listening as this show has changed over the last year.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com/podcasts or your regular podcast app of choice.
The Thomas Sumter archery program has only existed for six years, but the Generals didn’t take much time to find success. TSA has claimed two SCISA state titles so far and they’ll shoot for their third on Monday. This week on The Blitz, I sat down with head coach Mac McLeod to talk about their past success and what state will look like next week.
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The Blitz is a part of The Item Podcast Network, which is the audio arm of The Sumter Item. If you like what you’re hearing, the best thing you can do to support us is to subscribe to The Sumter Item. That will help ensure our team can continue bringing you local news, information and entertainment you need and want to read, watch and listen to, and we have a digital subscription rate that’s cheaper than most streaming services. Subscribe today at TheItem.com/subscribe.
Tim and Dennis look back at the year that was — masks, social distancing, cancelations and all.
t doesn’t really need to be said, but it’s been a tough year. Sports across the world have had to shift and change due to the coronavirus pandemic and it hasn’t always been easy. One of the biggest questions coming into the winter was how schools would be able to manage a sport like wrestling, where close contact is unavoidable. This week on the Blitz, I talked to Sumter head coach Brian Wilson and Lakewood head coach Mac Mota to see how they’ve tried to navigate their season.
East Clarendon upset in the first round, Sumter girls rolling and more on the high school basketball playoffs in our area.
When 2020 started, Laurence Manning senior and three sport athlete Gabe Harris had dreams of playing college baseball. When the coronavirus pandemic hit and his season was canceled, the LMA senior had to sit and watch his offers slip away, as teams stopped recruiting the 2021 senior class. Harris headed into his senior year with a lot of uncertainty surrounding his collegiate future. Eventually, he was able to find a place to continue his athletic career, though it wasn’t on the diamond. This week on The Blitz, I sat down with Harris to talk about the challenges of going through the recruiting process this year and how he ended up signing to play football at Wofford.
Last year, former Crestwood star Donald Rutledge looked like he was set up to have a strong rookie season. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts, went to training camp and played well. Unfortunately, he was cut when training camp ended and he spent what would’ve been his rookie season wading in a widening pool of free agents. But two weeks ago, Rutledge signed a futures deal with the Arizona Cardinals, putting the former Knight back on an NFL roster. This week on the Blitz, I talked with Rutledge about the challenges he faced last season and what he is looking forward to the most about his second chance in Arizona.
This week, we sit down with Sumter High School girl's basketball head coach Jeff Schaffer to discuss the pause of sports in the Sumter School District.
Pressley Harvin III has had a fairly singular football career. Looking at him, you'd think he plays linebacker, but the former Sumter High School star is in fact a punter.
Last week, Harvin did something that has never been done before, as he was the first Black player to win the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter. However, he's always been one of a kind dating back to his high school days.
We caught up with Pressley while he was on the road in Atlanta.
On this week's episode of The Blitz, we get you all caught up on the latest prep sports news around the coronavirus from Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties. Who is playing? Who isn't? Who still hasn't figured it out? Find out from Dennis and Tim this week.
This week on The Blitz, Dennis and Tim ring in the new year by looking back at the top five exciting local athletes of 2020.
Did we get it right? Who did we leave out? Sound off in the comments!
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz, we sit down with University of South Carolina Sumter athletic director and head softball coach Adrienne Cataldo to talk about what it's like to juggle both of those roles, how she's tried to help her athletes navigate the pandemic and what she's looking forward to the most about getting back to normal. If you're looking for an update on the state of Fire Ant athletics, you're not going to want to miss this episode.
We're on Spotify and iTunes too!
The Blitz is a part of The Item Podcast Network proudly presnted by SKF Sumter. Welcome to the world of reliable rotation! To apply today go to SKF.com
This week on The Blitz we look back at the 5 biggest sports stories from 2020. Were they all
This week on The Blitz, sports editor Dennis Brunson and assistant sports editor Tim Leible sit down to discuss the move by the Sumter School District to postpone all sports until Jan. 21 and what else is going on with prep sports locally.
This week on The Blitz, assistant sports editor Tim Leible talked to former Sumter basketball players CJ Felder, who is playing at Boston College, and Isaih Moore, at St. John's University, to talk about their college basketball journeys, which finally crossed this week when they duo faced off on ESPNU on Monday night.
You can listen to the full episode below or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz, assistant sports editor Tim Leible sat down with Laurence Manning head coach Austin Floyd to discuss the Swampcats' season as they prepare to face off against Hammond for the SCISA 3A championship on Friday.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz, sports editor Dennis Brunson is joined by Sumter head football coach Mark Barnes about coaching during the pandemic and preparing for the Gamecocks' playoff opener with Berkeley.
This week on The Blitz, sports editor Dennis Brunson and assistant editor Tim Leible sat down to talk about tonight's football games, as the SCISA playoffs start and Sumter School District rivals Sumter and Crestwood face off.
Listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz, our assistant sports editor Tim Leible sat down with Sumter High School Athletic Director Curtis Johnson to talk about the challenges he and the rest of Sumter School District faced this fall as they prepared for the return of sports. We also touched on the new hurdles Sumter will have to clear with winter sports around the corner.
You can listen to the full episode below, at theitem.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
The week on The Blitz, I sat down with former Crestwood running back Ty'Son Williams to talk about his time on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad as the team enters it's bye.
This week on The Blitz, Dennis and Tim, sat down to talk about the upcoming slate of football games and the postseason status for each of the local schools in Sumter, Lee and Clarendon Counties. Who's in? Who's out? Who needs a win this week? Find out on this week's episode.
Listen below or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz, The Item's Tim Leible met with members of the Sumter Sharks, the local semi-pro football team that claimed their first championship in the Independent American Football League last month. Hear about what it means to these athletes to keep representing Sumter on the gridiron.
You can listen to the full episode below or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This week on The Blitz we talked to football players from Sumter, Crestwood and Lakewood about the return of SCHSL football and what it means to finally be back on the field. We talked with Sumter's Deshawn McKnight and Nathan Harris-Waynick, Lakewood's Jayleal Fuller and Zayveon Wells and Derrick Prince and Desmond McMillan from Crestwood.
Listen to the episode below, on our website or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Former Crestwood basketball start Shaquanda Miller-McCray wasn't sure where her basketball career was going to take her after the coronavirus pandemic abruptly ended her senior season. After a lot of waiting, she finally got her answer, as she signed to play professional basketball in Serbia with ZKK 021 Novi Sad.
This week on The Blitz we sat down with Shaquanda to talk about the path she took to get to Serbia and what she expects her new basketball home to look like.
We caught up with members of the Sumter High School volleyball team after a practice this week to talk about the challenges they faced as they prepared to open their season. We sat down with head coach Heath Griffin, as well as seniors Brenna Hill and Jessica Martinez-Cruz to see how they got ready for their first two games after just four practices.
This week on The Blitz, we talk to be former Crestwood running back Ty'Son Williams to talk about his NFL journey this off-season. The undrafted free agent had a busy two weeks, as he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, scrimmaged with the team and was cut, before signing with their practice squad over the weekend. Hear about his whirlwind experience in this week's episode: The Raven.
Welcome back to another episode of The Blitz. This week, we talked to Clarendon Hall head coach Anthony Reitenour to talk about the challenges his team faced last week as they prepared for their season opener after losing two weeks due to a positive coronavirus test.
This week on The Blitz, we talked with folks from the Wilson Hall volleyball team about playing their first week of games during the coronavirus pandemic.
We are back with The Blitz this week after a long hiatus. This week we sat down with Crestwood High School alums Donald Rutledge and Ty'Son Williams to talk about their individual journeys to the NFL and how they are dealing with the weirdest off season in football history.
The Sumter Item's Tim Leible and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including the Scott's Branch boys basketball team's heartbreaking loss in the 1A state championship game.
The Sumter Item's Tim Leible and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Clarendon Hall winning their second straight title, Scott's Branch getting set to head to Columbia for the 1A boys state title game, and USC and Clemson basketball.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including some of the local high school basketball playoffs results, SCISA's Region II-3A tournament, and Clemson basketball.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Sumter basketball's big region victories over Blythewood and Spring Valley, the upcoming high school basketball playoffs, and USC and Clemson basketball.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Lakewood boys beating A.C. Flora, East Clarendon's boys team improving to 10-1, and USC and Clemson basketball.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Super Bowl LIV, USC and Clemson basketball, and a local high school basketball roundup.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell examines the latest news in Sumter area sports including Robert E. Lee and Thomas Sumter Academy completing their suspended game, and a matchup of four ranked teams meeting in Bishopville earlier this week.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including big upsets from Clemson and USC basketball, a recap of the national title game, East Clarendon's Talaysia Cooper eclipsing the 2000-point mark, and a roundup of local high school sports action.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including title game predictions, USC and Clemson basketball, Crestwood battling Sumter on Friday night, and LMA takes on Clarendon Hall on Saturday.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Clemson advancing to the NCAA football championship game, and a look back at the biggest Sumter area stories of 2019.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including signing day for South Carolina and Clemson as well as local high school basketball results.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including the start of the high school basketball season.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including LMA football advancing to the state championship game, Dennis Brunson's thought on USC and the Will Muschamp debacle, and high school basketball starting this weekend.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including round two of the high school football players, provide predictions for each local game, and discuss the release of the preseason basketball polls.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including round one of the high school football players, and provide predictions for each local game.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area sports including Manning Junior High School's championship victory over Bates on Wednesday, a preview of Crestwood vs. Lakewood, and a couple of predictions on Friday night's game.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area high school sports including Laurence Manning Academy's loss to Hammond, the upcoming SCISA volleyball tournament, and how big of a loss Anthony Dinkins-McCall's ACL injury is for Sumter football.
The Sumter Item's J. Scott Sewell and Dennis Brunson examine the latest news in Sumter area high school sports including Laurence Manning Academy golf, Robert E. Lee and Wilson Hall volleyball, and the full slate of high school football games.