East Clarendon head coaching staff undergoes overhaul
Former Lakewood girls basketball coach Demetress Adams-Ludd now at EC
Turbeville – The head coaches staff at East Clarendon High School has undergone a major
overhaul entering the upcoming school year. Of the 15 sports offered by the school, eight will have new
coaches in charge.
A lot of the change came about when Scott Cook was relieved of his duties of athletic director
and football head coach last spring. He was also the baseball head coach and was told he could continue
to do that but chose not to return.
Former Lakewood head coach Larry Cornelius was hired as the new football coach. Curtis
Johnson, who was named the interim athletic director and was an assistant to Cook for both football and
baseball, is now the athletic director and the baseball head coach.
The other new head coaches will be for boys basketball, girls basketball, volleyball, softball, girls
tennis and boys soccer.
The new boys hoops coach is an old boys hoops coach in Patrick Kelly. Kelly was last the EC
boys coach over a decade ago. He had remained at the school where he has been the boys and girls cross
country coach as well as the boys golf coach. Kelly led the Wolverines to the 2022 Class A golf title.
The new girls basketball coach is Demetress Adams-Ludd. The former girls coach at Lakewood,
Adams-Ludd was also a standout basketball player at the University of South Carolina.
The new volleyball coach is Jessica Boyington, the new softball coach is Jason Newsome and
Morgan Keefe is the new girls tennis coach. The search is still on for a boys soccer coach.
Kevin Graham will return as the boys track and field coach while Candice Barron returns as
the girls track coach. Barron will also be back as the cheer coach, and Graham will once again be the
wrestling coach.
“I’m excited about the staff we have at EC,” said Johnson, the former AD at Sumter High and a
baseball head coach at Westwood and Crestwood. “These coaches provide a variety insights and
experiences that can help push our athletes to be successful in sports and in life.”
Cornelius had been at Lakewood for the past six seasons. Cornelius took over an LHS
program that had gone 1-19 in the two previous seasons. The Gators were 19-38 during his tenure, but
had made the AAA state playoffs in three of the past four seasons.
“We did turn things around at Lakewood, making the playoffs three of the last four years,”
Cornelius said. “I felt like I had made all the difference I could make at Lakewood and it was time to
move on. I hated to leave the kids (at Lakewood) hanging, but I felt like this is what was best for me and
my boys personally. Honestly, it’s a family decision.”
Cornelius is a single father to Takoda, who will be a sophomore for the upcoming school year,
and Skyler, who will be entering the seventh grade. The ECHS middle school and high school students
are all on the same campus, and Cornelius said that works out best for him as a coach and a dad as both of
the sons will be part of the football programs of which Cornelius will be in charge.
“This is not a job I took to be here a year or two,” Cornelius said. “I’m here until I’m fired or I feel I
can't make a difference anymore.”
Cornelius said he had been having around 60 student-athletes between the B team and the varsity
team for summer workouts. That exceeded his expectations.
“I’m not predicting any miracles, but I think we have the ability to make the playoffs in Year 1.
With the summer workouts, it’s about changing the culture, being on time, being disciplined.”
The Wolverines will open their season on August 25 on the road against Latta.
About us
Recognizing the achievements of young athletes in South Carolina since 1986.