Eau Claire’s Carlos Dubois and Bruce Taylor converge on C.A. Johnson’s Wilbert Jones. The 50th annual Richland Sertoma Sportsarama kicked off the local high school football season at Memorial Stadium Saturday, August 14. The celebration featured a commemorative program, a kick–off greeting from the legendary voice of the Gamecocks Bob Fulton, and eight local schools, seven of which were from Richland District One: A.C. Flora, C.A. Johnson, Columbia, Dreher, Lower Richland, and Keenan. District Two’s Richland Northeast completed the field. The teams were matched up to play two 10–minute quarters each.

A.C. Flora, Columbia, Dreher, Eau Claire, and Lower Richland were all in the first Sportsarama played in 1960. Dentsville High, also a participant in 1960 under Coach Harry Parone, became a middle school in 1970 producing Spring Valley High School that year and Richland Northeast in 1978. The Richland Northeast Cavaliers represented Dentsville in this year’s 50th anniversary.

Dreher’s Josh Wilkins dives to try and bring down Lower Richland’s Desmond Wallace. The C.A. Johnson Hornets and Eau Claire Shamrocks started the action, and the Shamrocks got on the board early. Beginning at their own 35 yard line, the Shamrocks marched down the field with a steady dose of running from Reggie Folk. He rushed five times for 24 yards. Quarterback Marquise Boyan completed the drive with his second pass, a 16–yard strike to Jordan Stuckey in the end zone.

The Hornets could not get anything going. They fumbled the ensuing kickoff, then fumbled on their next possession, and started the second quarter by allowing a safety. After the Hornet defense drew a turnover of its own from the Shamrocks, Eau Claire quickly got the ball back with an interception. On the sixth play from inside the Hornet 15 yard line, Boyan finally poked it in from the one to give Eau Claire a 16–0 lead.

Miss Sportsarama Dreher’s Elizabeth C. Wright After another Hornet interception, the C.A. Johnson defense took matters into its own hands recovering a Shamrock fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. An unsuccessful 2–point conversion made for a 16–6 final.

Two new coaches took the field in the next game: Josh Stepp for the Dreher Blue Devils and Wayne Farmer for the Lower Richland Diamond Hornets. The Diamond Hornets started shaky fumbling on their first possession, but the Blue Devils returned the ball quickly after a four–and–out and a partially blocked punt that set–up Lower Richland at midfield. Runs of 30, seven, and five yards set up quarterback Collis Martin’s run of nine yards for the first score of the match–up. The 2–point conversion attempt failed.

Mr. Sportsarama Lower Richland’s Ethan O. Adams The Lower Richland defense shut down the Blue Devils again, and the Diamond Hornets struck quickly from midfield when Martin hit Desmond Wallace with a pass at the 20 yard line. Wallace made a few nifty cuts and coasted into the end zone. Kendrick Roach ran in the 2–point conversion to give Lower Richland a 14–0 lead.

After another Dreher punt, the Diamond Hornets completed an 87–yard drive topped off by a 28–yard run for a touchdown by Wallace. Roach again was successful on the 2–point conversion to make it a 22–0 lead.

The Blue Devils got on the board when quarterback Kibwe Dixon found Daniel Bethea in the end zone for a 20–yard touchdown. The ensuing onsides kick was recovered to essentially end the contest at 22–7.

The Columbia Capitals took the soggy field next against the Richland Northeast Cavaliers. The Capitals marched 65 yards on their opening possession with a steady dose of the vintage Columbia running game, but it was a 23–yard pass on fourth– and–four from Kynicholas Tyler to Case Gladney from the Cavalier 24 yard line that kept the drive going. DeErik Bradley went the final yard to give Columbia a 6–0 lead.

Columbia’s DeErik Bradley runs as Richland Northeast’s Miles Thomas lunges for him. The Cavalier offense moved the ball effectively 42 yards with its own triple–option style attack and the running of quarterback La’Derrick Cohens and running back Darius Paulk, but a fumble at midfield ended the threat.

The Capitals then moved the ball to the Cavalier five yard line, but an incomplete pass on fourth down ended the drive.The Cavaliers then drove to midfield again, but a questionable called interception gave the ball back to the Capitals. That and the soggy conditions left the game at 6–0.

A.C. Flora’s Jake Lewis runs through the Keenan defense. The final contest was an offensive show by the A.C. Flora Falcons against the Keenan Raiders. The Falcons took the opening drive from their own 45 yard line and three straight first downs to drive to the Keenan 10 yard line. Edward Kirkland ran for ten of his 37 yards on the drive for the touchdown.

The Raiders bounced back driving from their own 20 yard line to the A.C. Flora 39 yard line, but were forced to punt. Neither team could do much with its next possessions, but the after a 17–yard Keenan punt, the Falcons found themselves with the ball at the Keenan 19 yard line. After a run got nothing, Falcon quarterback Ste-phen Cagle floated a pass perfectly to Sam Caldera in the back of the end zone to give A.C. Flora a 14–0 lead.

Eau Claire’s Michael Diggs closes in on C.A. Johnson quarterback Jonathan Goodman. After another Keenan punt and a good return by Jamey Dye with 4:57 remaining in the contest, the Falcons took over at the Raider 25 yard line. Five plays later, backup quarterback Jake Lewis appeared to throw a five– yard touchdown pass to Mac Rice, but the second flag of the drive nullified the touchdown and another penalty gave the Falcons a third–and–14 from the Keenan 15 yard line.

A.C. Flora receiver Lucas Carlton then took advantage of single coverage to get loose in the end zone where Lewis found him to give the Falcons a 21–0 lead with 3:06 remaining.

The Raiders went three–and–out, and the Falcons ran out the clock to end the 50th edition of the Sertoma Sportsarama.

Lower Richland’s Ethan Adams was chosen as Mr. Sportsarama, and Dreher’s Elizabeth Wright was awarded Miss Sportsarama. Keenan’s band earned Best Band, and the Dreher cheerleaders took home the prize for best cheer squad. Keenan won the Charlie Stuart School Spirit Award for the second straight year.
Columbia band members keep the party going despite the downpour.
The Dreher cheerleaders won the Best Cheerleading Squad award for the 2010 Sportsarama.
C.A. Johnson band members dance in the stands at Sportsarama.
Art Baker, Eau Claire’s coach in 1960, talks football in the stands at Sportsarama with Bill Brissey, Brookland–Cayce’s coach in 1960. They are flanked by Baker’s wife Edith and Chris Weston, junior vice president of Sertoma International and Columbia Sertoma member. Photo contributed by Steve Etheredge
Dreher back Andrew Goyins runs as Lower Richland’s Eric Wider pursues.
A.C. Flora’s Sam Caldera celebrates a TD catch against Keenan.
Dr. Guy Castles (Richland Sertoma president in 1960 when the first Sportsarama was held) and Steve Etheredge chat at this year’s Sportsarama.