Sumter – Tommy Jones has stepped down as the Wilson Hall baseball head coach. For the third time.
His nephew and assistant coach, Jay Jones, will be the new head coach.
“|This was my third time at it,” said Tommy Jones, who decided to give it up again after two years. “I felt
like it was the right time. I probably felt the same way the two prior times too.
“We’ve got 11 seniors (next year), good boys, good players, good character. I’m not leaving the
cupboard bare. It was taking a little bit more time than I thought it would take, and I’ve got grandchildren
I want to see do things. It was the best time for the school, for me and my players.”
Jay Jones, the son of longtime Sumter American Legion Post 15 head coach Wallie Jones, said
when his uncle announced he was stepping down he was interested if the administration was interested in
him.
“I’ve been with that crew (as the head coach) on B team and JV (junior varsity),” Jay Jones said.
“I guess I will be able to keep climbing with them till the last rung.”
One of the 11 seniors is Dylan Jones, Jay’s son. Senior Jones DesChamps is his nephew.
Jay Jones expects Byron Kinney and Cody Williams to continue as assistants. He’s also received
an offer from his father to help out.
“I’ll certainly take him up on it,” Jay said. “I’ll definitely use him as a resource.”
The 74-year-old Tommy Jones won five SCISA state titles at Wilson Hall. He said halfway
through the season that he was having to push himself more than he had before to carry that energy.
Jones thanked former Wilson Hall headmaster Fred Moulton and new headmaster Brent Kaneft
along with those who assisted him over his three stints. They included his father, the late Bernie Jones,
who helped him the first time, and his brother Dickie Jones, who helped him the final time along with Jay
Jones, Kinney and Williams.
The others were Phil Finley, Pete Rickard, Johnny Griffin and Pat Sears.
He also got to coach two of his five sons, Kell Jones and Jeff Jones.
.There will be three other new head coaches at Wilson Hall. Sam Harrelson will be the boys golf
coach, while Ryan Dutcher will handle the girls. They replace John Bates, who coached both teams last
year. Also, the boys and girls swim teams will have a new coach in Jeanna Mahr.
Rip Ripley will be back for his second year in charge of boys basketball along with his long
tenures as the volleyball coach and boys and girls track and field coach.
Glen Rector returns as the athletic director and girls basketball coach.
Adam Jarecki is back as football coach. He will have a staff of Kurt Wilson, Chuck McCord,
Sam Watford and Horace Lee Scott.
Teresa Alexander will return as the softball head coach after leading the Lady Barons to a third
straight state title. Emma Wynn Brown returns as the girls tennis head coach, and Brent Hiott returns as
the head of the shotgun team.
Reid Schwartz returns with the boys and girls cross country teams, Curtis Helms is the bowling
head coach and Jason Bartlett is the boys soccer head coach. Natalia Hardalau will be back for her
second year as the boys tennis head coach.
The equestrian coaching position is still open.
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