As we approach Christmas and the final week of 2016, we take a monthly look back at the sports highlights of the year.
The new year started with a bit of a jolt to the West Bladen football program when it was announced on January 11 that Coach Russell Dove was leaving West Bladen to take the head football job at South Columbus.
In 3 years as head coach at West, Dove had taken the Knights from an 0-11 season and a 19-game losing streak before he took the job, to the play-offs in 2 of his last 3 years – they would have qualified in 2014 if not for a skirmish at Heide Trask.
Three days before Coach Dove departed, one of his former football players, Brandon Council, signed a letter of intent to play college football at the University of Akron. Council, a 6-4, 300-pound offensive lineman, graduated from West Bladen in 2015 then played that fall at Jireh Prep.
East Bladen’s girls were the top basketball story as they won 8 January games to cement their No. 1 ranking in the Class 2A State Basketball polls with a 20-0 record. Lacey Suggs posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 42-38 victory at Clinton.
Suggs pumped in 18 points as the Lady Eagles defeated West Bladen 46-16 and racked up 28 points in a 60-16 win over Pender.
West Bladen’s girls started their conference season 3-0 as Laikyn Pait lit up the scoreboard with 31 points and 15 rebounds in the best game of the month – the Lady Knights 62-56 triple overtime thriller win over Pender.
Pait recorded another double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 43-38 loss to Wallace-Rose Hill. The Lady Knights beat Union 62-50 and Heide Trask 50-32 to finish January with a 5-5 league record.
West Bladen’s boys finished January with a 5-5 conference record. The Knights rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter for a big 70-65 win at Clinton.
Stefan McDonald’s 21 points helped the Knights overcome five 3-point baskets by the Eagles Denzel Johnson in a 62-58 win over East Bladen. Sayaun Dent fired in 19 points in a 64-42 victory over Union, and the Knights beat Midway 70-59.
Eian Hines tossed in 23 points to lead East Bladen to a 70-58 win over Pender, and twin brother Ethan Hines scored 17 points in the Eagles other January victory – 60-55 over Union. Heartbreak for the Eagles came in a 56-51 loss to Midway – a game in which they led 23-3 to start the game.
West Bladen grad and Tar Heel native Rahu Purdie helped his Lander Bearcats win 6 of 7 league games and move into first place in the Peach Belt Conference East Division. Purdie scored 12 points in a win over Augusta and 13 in a victory over USC-Aiken.
West Bladen grad and Campbell University senior D. J. Mason recorded career highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds in a 70-63 loss to Presbyterian. Mason also scored 19 points against Charleston Southern.
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