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AC Flora Falcons
By WORTHY EVANS Columbia - The A.C. Flora baseball team is no stranger to playoff brackets and titles, having won seven state championships under head coach Andy Hallett. Many of this year’s Falcons actually are newcomers to the varsity level, and Hallett says they’re learning the ins and outs of the program every day. “We’re just trying to find our way and understand what it’s like to play varsity baseball at a young age,” Hallett said. “Represent the program and understand that people don’t care how old you are, it’s still varsity baseball. The kids are growing every day that we’re out here. I’m excited to coach them and they’re a lot of fun to be around.” Indeed, Flora is young. The first five players in the batting order are sophomores, First baseman Tyler Hernandez , second baseman (and Falcons quarterback in football) Roper Wentzky , outfielder Charlie Scott , third baseman Jack Chetwood , and outfielder Scott Graham . Behind them is the only senior in the lineup, outfielder Evan Smith . Freshmen Rohan Bremmer and Joe Ray usually hit in the seventh and eighth slots. Junior catcher Lucus Biel rounds out the usual lineup, but freshman catcher Dylan Hernandez makes the order depending on the starting pitcher. Senior right-handers Hank Collins and Ryan Harrelson top the list of starting pitchers. Juniors Carter Harrington , Luke Shalkham , Harris Rivers , and Adger Johnson also see time on the mound, as well as sophomores Scott, Tyler Hernandez , and Sam McCutcheon . The Falcons got off to an 0-5 start this season, with two of those losses were by one run apiece. A.C. Flora has since improved to 5-5 and 4-0 in Region 5-4A as of March 28. “Every game is important with the roster we have. We’re not looking ahead, we’re not looking behind, we’re focusing on the task at hand,” Hallett said. “As long as we don’t get caught up in a lot of noise. I told the guys (after the first four games) that we’re two hits away from being 2-2, and if we’re 2-2, nobody cares. Don’t panic, don’t push the button, don’t listen to the noise, concentrate on what you do and things will balance out.” Since that time they chalked up their first win of the season, a 7-5 victory over Dreher March 16. The Falcons beat Westwood twice to open region play, and recently beat Richland Northeast Twice. They won those games, each by 10 runs or more, by a total score of 58-8. A.C. Flora is currently playing in their longtime tournament, the Forest Acres Classic. This year features Dutch Fork , Miller, Va., Brookland-Cayce, Dorman, Oceanside Collegiate, Defending 5A champion River Bluff, and Region 4-4A champion Airport. We’re excited about that,” Hallett said. “It’s going to be a really good crowd, and I look forward to watching baseball besides playing in it. It’s always fun to sit around and watch baseball all day right here at the park.” The A.C. Flora softball team got off to a 9-0 start to the season before running into Dixie and Gray Collegiate Academy. The Falcons lost 4-1 and 6-5 to the Hornets March 23, then fell 13-2 to the War Eagles March 25. At 2-0 in Region 5-4A, A.C. Flora resumes region play April 9 at Irmo.
Final Top 10 girls and boys ranked below story
Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Photos from the SCHSL Basketball Tournament, from the Florence Center for the Riverside HS vs AC Flora girls in the Class AAAA Championship basketball game on Saturday. High resolution prints and digital downloads from this event are available at www.LarryGamble.com by clicking this link to the photos.
By WORTHY EVANS HSSR Contributing Writer Columbia - Yes. The 4A state championship game for the A.C. Flora girls basketball team was just plain bad. The Falcons fell 62-32 to Riverside Saturday night at the Florence Center. The Warriors outrebounded them 59-33, lashed out a 16-0 run to start the third quarter and pushed their lead to double digits. Falcons leading scorer Terriana Gray , a senior who averaged 17.8 points per game going into Saturday, scored just six points. A.C. Flora’s shooting was 10-for-49 or 20.4 percent, on the night. Head coach Jacob Thompson knows these facts. He said his team is well aware that it was not the best day for Falcons basketball. Thompson and the girls also know that this year was the team’s best year in a long time. A.C. Flora finished Region 5-4A 8-2 and in second place for the second straight year. The Falcons ran through the playoffs and beat region champion Ridge View 47-42 to win the lower state championship—going one game better than last season, when Westwood beat the Falcons for the lower state crown. They finished the season 23-8 and in spite of the loss to the Warriors, A.C. Flora’s girls program promises a bevy of good seasons to come. “That group right there, no matter what you say to them, they’re going to go do what they need to do, and that’s what they’ve done all year,” Thompson said. “So getting here is a testament to them. They deserve all that credit, all that love, all the support that we’ve got from all these fans who showed up tonight, they deserve that.” Thompson has a great respect for his seniors, who with the seniors last year were the ones who put the program on a good foundation in the first place. Among them is Gray, an Alabama A&M signee who scored a team-high 13 points against Ridge View in the lower state championship win. She and the seniors leave the program on a high note, Thompson said. “They’re so amazing. They’re going to do great things. Not just with Terriana Gray going to Alabama A&M , but Jazmine McDonough-Craft and Emily Curnell and the other three seniors Rihanna Hylton , Juell Wethington , and Ruqiya Bashir , They’re going to be amazing young women. And the group coming back is not going to want to feel this again. So hopefully that drives them.” The Riverside loss may well drive the returners next year to go one game better—as the 2023-24 Falcons went one game better than last year. Even though Saturday at the Florence Center did not go as hoped, Thompson said the girls proved themselves repeatedly over the season, and did everything they could to make the program better than before. “I told them from the beginning that they’re special, and I mean that,” Thompson said. “Tonight didn’t turn out like we wanted. Riverside’s a really good team. They did a lot of great things and frustrated us at times to where we missed some shots. But how much I love and respect that group of girls in there, I can’t put it into words.” The A.C. Flora boys basketball team finished 20-6 and 7-3, third place behind Westwood and Ridge View. While they did not claim the region title, the Falcons played spoiler to the Blazers, beating them 46-45 Feb. 9 and handing the region championship to Westwood. The Falcons beat Colleton County 63-49, but fell 44-35 to Wilson in the second round.
By WORTHY EVANS The A.C. Flora girls basketball team suffered a setback in their drive to go one game better than last year’s 4A upper-state championship game appearance. The Falcons lost 45-43 to region leader Ridge View Jan. 23 and are now one game behind the Blazers in the standings. The best way to bounce back, head coach Jacob Thompson figured, was to shake off the loss and focus on playing the team that beat them for the upper state title—Westwood on Friday Jan. 26. The young Redhawks, who lost their first region game in three years when they lost 66-63 at A.C. Flora Jan. 5, rallied in the second quarter to tie the game at 22 by halftime. The Falcons (16-6, 5-1) unleashed a steady surge of offense and defense throughout the second half and closed out a 55-40 victory. “Tonight was step one. Tuesday we lost a tough one. We had a lead, gave up a basket late—she hit a shot and I’m not mad about that, but we had to come back and focus, and we knew what was coming ( Westwood )” Thompson said, noting Westwood’s prowess under head coach Gregory Bauldrick . “It was going to be tough—that’s a good team, great program, great coach, so you knew what you were getting which is awesome on a Friday night.” Senior Terriana Gray had 20 points and sophomores Tamira Delaney and Skylar McClary both had 10 points in the win over the Redhawks. The winning formula is what his team did in the second half: press, and attack the basket. “This is what we talked about at halftime, stay in our press. Stay aggressive, stay aggressive, stay aggressive,” he said. “We challenged a couple of them … to go and be aggressive—I think people hear the word aggressive and they think we want you to take each and every shot. It’s getting downhill. Our goal is downhill all night long. We try to put pressure on the other team to stop it. We just stayed there and continued to battle. The seven that we played tonight really gave us everything they got.” The Falcons look to keep on pressing through their next three games, Richland Northeast Jan. 30, Irmo Feb. 2, and Lugoff-Elgin Feb. 6. Should A.C. Flora win those games, they will play Ridge View again, this time at home, for the region championship in the regular season finale. “We’ve got to take care of business,” Thompson said. “Hopefully we do what we’re supposed to do with the next three and set up a big game with Ridge View. That’s going to be for the region title, one way or another, and then we’re getting ready for the playoffs.” Gray averages 18.2 points, 3.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game to lead the Falcons. McCray averages 10.7 points. Junior Madison Mickens averages 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Mickens rolled her ankle at Ridge View and was out of the lineup Friday night. “We got good news today, nothing’s broken, just a sprain,” Thompson said. “So hopefully we get her back in a week or two right before the playoffs.”
WORTHY EVANS Columbia - Even though A.C. Flora’s volleyball team is 7-5 overall and 4-2 in Region 5-4A, head coach Erin Groves said this is not the team’s greatest year. But for the sixth-year Falcons coach, it may be the best year. “I’ve had Coach of the Year, we won region, we got into lower state,” she explained about that year Flora went 25-8 and 10-0 in the region in 2019. “But this group of girls is really special to me. We might not make it past second or third round, but I feel like it’s more than just volleyball. It’s really great humans who have put in a lot of work for what they’re doing, and it’s something that they’re going to be able to pull from later on.” Flora, which lost three starters to graduation last year, has several leaders among its group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Senior Margaret Blackstone , in her fourth year with the team, leads the Falcons with her experience. Another senior, Natalie Adams , is a transfer from Clover and brings more aggressiveness to the team. “She’s been a big came-changer for us. She’s fearless,” Grove said. “She flies all over the court.” Two seniors relatively new to the program have also impacted the team. Ava Grier is in her second year with the varsity team and has been a utility player but specializes in blocks . A strong volleyball player to begin with, Grove said that it’s the intangibles that she brings to the team that are priceless. “I’m over the moon with that child,” Grove said. “She’s a natural ray of sunshine. I’ve never met a nicer human being in my 40 years of existence. And she makes major blocks. It’s like a warm hug for your heart watching this girl who is a natural athlete put in the work.” Ana Williams is in her third year playing volleyball and has worked her way from the JV team last year to a starting position on the right side. “She’s just ripping balls,” Grove said. “It’s so cool to see it.” Senior middle hitter Mimi Mansaray has been a court leader for the past three years. “The kid always gives 100 percent every time,” Grove said. What also drives Groves’ emotional response to this team is the changes each player had to make in order to create a stronger lineup. Sophomore Alex Coleman’s move from middle hitter to outside hitter comes to Groves’ mind first and foremost. She’s been very patient with herself,” Grove said. “When you play in the middle, everything is fast and the tempo slows down outside. She’s been super patient at adjusting.” Sophomore Courtney Burgess is in her first year as the team’s setter, and she’s handled that change well. “She hit for us last year, and she stepped up into the setter position and did fantastic,” Grove said. “She’s picking up all the many levels a setter has to pick up to be effective.” With these Falcons, Grove admits that she feels emotional. “And I’m not really emotional,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud with the kids than in this year. They love each other, work hard for each other, trust in me and in all the girls. There’s a big buy in and we’re accomplishing more things than in the last few seasons. We’re on an upswing.” It’s coming at the right time, too, Grove said. The Falcons play three region matches in the first week of October, and three more in the second week. After that comes the postseason. “There’s only two weeks guaranteed, then it’s off to the playoffs,” Grove said. “I think they feel focused, recommitted, reenergized. The next two weeks are busy, but I’m excited to see what we do.” And, Grove said, she’s rooting for them to make this season even more special. “I want to give them a big win. They deserve that feeling,” Groves said. “But ultimately, this group of girls I’m not going to have to worry about. They don’t need that. They’ll be able to do hard things, they’ll be able to fall back on things they’ve learned about themselves because of this team.”
By WORTHY EVANS Columbia - The A.C. Flora football team lost a bunch of playmakers from last year’s 13-1 run that ended in a lower-state championship loss to South Florence . After Thursday night’s 61-13 drubbing of arch-rival Dreher at Columbia’s Memorial Stadium, head coach Ken Floyd and his staff may have found a few answers for the 2023 season. Falcons sophomore quarterback Roper Wentzky passed for 228 yards and threw four touchdown passes, senior running back Noah Kelson rushed for 229 yards and four TDs on 24 attempts, and sophomore Kendell Byrd had four catches for 86 yards and two scores. Compared with Flora’s season opening 24-23 loss at Greenwood Aug. 18, Thursday night’s victory was much sweeter. “This is a really young football team and going into Greenwood and the hostile environment, we didn’t do good,” second-year head coach Ken Floyd said. “We weren’t ready for it, but I think we grew from it and that’s what you want. I think tonight it all came together and I liked what I saw. I think if we can keep it going, man, it’s only positive.” After last season A.C. Flora lost running back Markel Townsend (2,660 rushing yards, 40 touchdowns), quarterback Carew Bates (1,682 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing TDs), and receiver Christopher Lofton (54 catches, 804 yards, 9 touchdowns), among other playmakers on both sides of the football. This year the young Falcons entered the crucible of the season having played just one scrimmage, against Timberland. They even missed out on their Sportsarama game when the Richland District 1 Sertoma event was shortened because of an approaching rainstorm. Even without those preseason benchmarks, A.C. Flora was able to give Greenville a game. Down 20-7 at halftime, the Falcons scored two late touchdowns to get within 24-23 before time ran out on them. Against Dreher, Flora moved the ball freely throughout the game. Kelson closed out a long Falcons drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone with 38 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 6-0. Early in the second quarter, Wentzky connected with Kendall Byrd for a 61-yard catch-and run play to put the Falcons up 13-0. A.C. Flora made it 20-0 in the closing minute of the half with a Wentzky-to- Carter Toole TD pass with 45 seconds left before intermission. A pair of Kelson touchdown runs made it 33-0 halfway through the third quarter. Dreher finally scored on Colby Fuller’s 30-yard TD pass to Kyrell Scales late in the quarter, but the Falcons scored four more TDs in the final 12 minutes. From week zero to week one, Floyd said he sees improvement in both Wentzky and Kelson. “Roper’s the guy, man. He’s going to continue to get better and better the more times he’s in there, he’s very confident, he’s very precise, he anticipates throws and he’s intelligent, and it showed tonight,” he said. “Noah’s a workhorse. He’s a dog, he runs so hard. Last week he didn’t have a whole lot of room and so he was nitpicking himself, but this week he did a great job of being patient and hitting the holes.” The Falcons play host to Brookland-Cayce Sept. 8 and Dreher hosts Lakewood Friday. Dreher 0 0 7 6 – 13 A.C. Flora 6 14 13 28 – 61 First Quarter F - Noah Kelson 1 run (kick failed) :38 Second Quarter F - Kendall Byrd 61 pass from Roper Wentzky (Carter Toole kick) 11:35 F - Riley Pegram 21 pass from Wentzky (Toole kick) :45 Third Quarter F - Kelson 43 run (Toole kick) 8:48 F - Kelson 16 run (kick failed) 6:30 D - Kyrell Scales 30 pass from Colby Fuller (Will McCollum kick) :53 Fourth Quarter F -Byrd 14 pass from Wentzky (Grant Hill kick) 11:09 D -Tyler Teasdell 90 kick return (kick failed) 10:54 F - Colby Ridgell 2 pass from Wentzky (Toole kick)) 8:27 F- Ryan BIggerstaff 32 interception return (Hill kick) 8:07 F – Kelson 2 run (Hill kick) :29 Dreher AC Flora First downs 10 18 Rushes-Yards 20-27 32-238 Passing yards 100 228 Att-Com-Int 25-10-3 22-16-0 Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties-yards 5-70 1-10 Punts-Avg 6-28.1 3-36.0 INDIVIDUAL RUSHING D- Caleb Timmons 7-26, Colby Fuller 5-(-20), Luka Cruz 2-13, Tyler Teasdell 1-5, Jakari Gantt 2-(-5), Tyrell Bowens 0-0, Team 2-8. F-Noah Kelson 24-229, Roper Wentzky 3-(-7), Solomon Nelson 2-11, Heath Moser 1-5, Trenle Wright 1-3, Team 1-(-2). PASSING D- Colby Fuller 10-25-3. F-Roper Wentzky 15-21-0. RECEIVING D-Tyler Teasdell 4-37, Tyrell Bowens 1-15, Kaleb Berry 1-15, Kyrell Scales 3-33, Jayden Haygood 1-0 . F- Kendall Byrd 4-86, Riley Peagram 3-45, Colby Ridgell 2-11, Max Elliott 1-7, Solomon Nelson 1-37, Braxton Murray 1-4, Aiden Sauls 1-4, Trenle Wright 1-10, Owen Barker 1-11, Paul Choate 1-15.
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