United Way kicks off campaign

August 20, 2005

By SHAVONNE POTTS
Index-Journal staff writer

As the first kicker sent the football flying across the field during Friday night’s Greenwood Jamboree, volunteers with the United Way of Greenwood and Abbeville Counties were kicking off their 2005 Community Campaign.
Campaign Chairman Martin Moore said United Way officials thought that the jamboree was a good forum to tell people more about the United Way and announce this year’s campaign goal.
“It’s a good way to get the word out, and we are trying to make a difference in the lives of people in the community,” Moore said.
This year’s goal is to raise $1.7 million, and the Pacesetter companies already have begun fundraising. Pacesetters is a group of about a dozen companies that begin campaigning a month ahead.
“Some companies have already exceeded their goal,” Moore said.
He said it will take many volunteers, companies and donors to reach the total campaign goal.
“I think the community has really been supportive and building on what’s been done,” Moore said.
A number of volunteers were on hand at the jamboree to help spread the word about the United Way and its campaign, including high school students and campaign supporters.
Brent Parris, chairman of the industrial division portion of the campaign, was one such volunteer.
“We’re hoping for another successful year,” he said. The industrial division is usually the largest group of contributors.
Parris said organizers also hope that despite recent industry closings, other companies will step in to join new companies in the fundraising effort.
Phillip Crump, 15, has been volunteering with the United Way for about 10 years now.
It helps that dad, Tim Ervolina, is the United Way executive director. During the Jamboree, Crump along with others sold spirit bracelets to passersby.
“I’ve always felt pretty good and at ease about volunteering,” he said, “and I know it’s going to a good cause.”
The money raised helps with programs at many agencies such as the Greenwood Family YMCA, Boy Scouts, MEG’s House and Bowers-Rodgers Home.
For information about the 2005 Community Campaign, call the United Way at 229-4103.

Eagles and Vikings like last tuneup

Greenwood, Emerald get victories, while Abbeville and Ware Shoals finish tied

August 20, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

Fans of five area high school football teams piled in Friday night at J.W. Babb Stadium to get one last unofficial look before things start for real next week.
Greenwood had all it could handle in a 14-7 win over Newberry in the jamboree’s finale.
Emerald defeated Ninety Six, 25-14, in the middle contest, for its second jamboree win over the Wildcats.
Abbeville finished the opener with its second tie in as many jamboree appearances, matching Ware Shoals, 6-6.
The Eagles got on the board early, thanks to some special teams help.
Newberry punter Eric Davis had trouble with the snap on fourth down deep in the Bulldogs’ side of the field. The ball was hiked over his head and he recovered it inside the Newberry 20-yard line.
Two plays later, senior tailback Robert Robinson busted through for a 5-yard score. Kicker Clay Baldwin’s extra point gave Greenwood a 7-0 lead.
But that would be the last time the Eagles would truly threaten until after Newberry, which had yardage from nine different backs, tied the game in the second quarter.
Newberry’s Courtney Nance capped a 58-yard, 3-minute 59-second drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Davis booted the extra point to tie the score at 7.
But the Eagles responded on their ensuing possession. Senior quarterback Armanti Edwards, who was 1-of-4 for 16 yards and an interception before the drive, connected on a pair of crucial passes, including the game-winning toss.
On the 11th play of the drive, a fourth-and-8 from the Newberry 34, Edwards lofted a fade pass to Reggie James. The senior receiver outjumped Newberry’s Rodrick Tucker and strode the two yards in for the score. Baldwin’s PAT made it 14-7.
Newberry had 2:21 remaining to make another tying drive. After two first downs, however, a short run and three straight incompletions turned the ball over on downs to Greenwood with 10.6 seconds remaining.
Despite picking up its second win in as many jamborees, Greenwood coach Shell Dula wasn’t happy with the way things turned out against the defending Region III-AA champion Bulldogs.
“They rammed it down our throats and did what they wanted to,” said Dula, whose Eagles open the season next week against crosstown rival Emerald. “They’re good. I take nothing away from Newberry, but we have to be better than that.
“I certainly hope we show up for the Emerald game. We have to play better.”
Emerald shined against the Wildcats for a second time this preseason.
After picking up only one touchdown in the Vikings’ 16-0 win over Ninety Six in the Region III-AA Jamboree last week, senior QB Dan Wideman accounted for all four Emerald scores Friday. He rushed four times for 63 yards and three scores, and completed 10 passes to six different receivers, including one touchdown.
“Dan is an exceptional talent,” Emerald coach Mac Bryan said. “He can run and he can throw. He’s becoming an excellent decision-maker with the football.”
The passing TD got the Vikings on the board first. Emerald needed only one play on its second possession to make a change to the scoreboard.
Wideman rolled out left, found Justin Calhoun open on a go route and while in stride, launched a deep pass that Calhoun snagged for the touchdown.
The Vikings missed on the extra point to keep it 6-0.
The Wildcats claimed the lead on the Vikings’ next offensive possession. On fourth-and-18 from the Emerald 20, the snap flew over freshman punter James Childress’ head and it was recovered by Ninety Six’s Michael Kidd for the score, the Wildcats’ first TD of the early season.
Taylor Wolfe booted the PAT for a 7-6 lead.
On the Vikings’ ensuing possession, Wideman threw a halfback screen to Josh Bovill, who ran down the right sideline for a 42-yard pickup.
Five plays later, the Emerald QB picked up the first of three rushing touchdowns, scoring on an 8-yard draw play to give the Vikings the 12-7 advantage.
Ninety Six responded with a long drive on its next possession. The Wildcats, aided by two consecutive 15-yard penalties on Emerald, went 96 yards on 11 plays. Sophomore quarterback Forrest Dove, playing his third jamboree for starting QB Stan Doolittle, capped the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Kass Etheredge for the Wildcats’ first offensive score in three jamborees. Doolittle, a two-time All-Lakelands quarterback, is still recovering from an injury suffered in a scrimmage game.
Wolfe’s second PAT gave Ninety Six a 14-12 lead.
“We score offensively for the first time, so that’s good,” Ninety Six coach Mike Doolittle said. “We’re still making some very basic mistakes on defense, but I’ll fix that tonight.”
That would be all the Wildcats would get, as it was all Dan Wideman from there.
But Wideman and the Vikings’ offense did get a bit of help from the special teams.
With Ninety Six buried deep in its own territory on fourth down, the Vikings sent the house after Wolfe and a pair of Emerald players dove in for the block, which was recovered on the 6-yard line.
One play was all Wideman needed to find the end zone, rolling out to the right and sprinting in for the score.
However, it Wideman’s next run that proved to be the showstopper. Three plays after taking over when Emerald’s Emmanuel Smith intercepted a Dove pass, Wideman took off on a first-down play.
Wideman got to the left sideline and after a blistering block from the 5-foot-8, 151-pound Calhoun, Wideman was home-free for the score.
Emerald’s Josh Taylor’s extra point made it 25-14.
Abbeville grabbed the early lead against Ware Shoals, scoring the jamboree’s first points.
After turning the ball over deep in Ware Shoals territory on its first possession, the Panthers put together a 10-play scoring drive on its second go around, eating up more than five minutes off the clock.
On fourth and goal from the 5, junior quarterback Mack Hite rolled out for his second pass of the game and found a wide-open Dexter Starks for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers missed the extra point attempt, giving them a 6-0 lead.
Fullback James Moore highlighted the scoring drive, carrying the ball four times for 21 yards. Moore finished with 47 yards rushing.
“Something we had yet to do this year was drive the football, and at times we looked pretty decent doing it,” Abbeville coach Jamie Nickles said.
The Panthers’ lead would be short lived.
The Hornets took over on the ensuing possession at their own 20, and matched the Abbeville drive with one of their own, one that took more plays and lasted longer.
Ware Shoals drove the ball 80 yards on 16 plays, picking up five first downs and using up 7:14 off the clock.
Patrious Leverett opened the possession with a 7-yard run. The sophomore wingback carried the ball seven more times for 31 yards, including the one carry for 1 yard needed for the touchdown. Leverett finished with 42 rushing yards.
However like the Panthers, the Hornets missed on the point after, leaving the score knotted at 6. “I’m proud of the way we played,” Ware Shoals coach Jeff Murdock said. “We were a little unfocused. We’re happy to get ready for a real game. We played well against extremely good competition.”
Each team had at least one possession to break the deadlocked score, but both teams had one drive end in a punt and the clock ran out on Ware Shoals’ final possession.

Opinion

How the words are used clouds views of nominee

August 20, 2005

Partial or half truths can be used for many things. For example, that’s a technique used sometimes to mislead.
Recent headlines may not have meant to mislead, but that was the effect. They suggested that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts once upon a time decided that prayer in school was constitutional. That’s only part of the truth. However, if readers didn’t at least scan the article under the headlines, they’d think Roberts was saying flat out that it’s OK to have school prayers.
That, of course, is not what he said at all. Still, it’s a good example of how those who’d like to see his nomination derailed don’t make the effort to put his conclusion in the proper perspective. They obviously want to create a false impression, one that could create problems for Roberts and President Bush.

IT WAS REPORTED THAT as a White House lawyer, Roberts supported efforts in the Congress to roll back a Supreme Court ruling against schools having a silent period that could be used for prayer or meditation. Without the full statement, it may seem that way. What Roberts actually said, though, was that any ban on voluntary school prayer seems indefensible.
The key words, of course, are voluntary and indefensible. Included in his views on that 1985 court ruling was that Roberts said he found nothing in the Constitution that would prohibit a moment of silence to let students pray in public schools. Five years later, Roberts said any suggestion that “the Constitution prohibits such a moment of silent reflection – or even silent ‘prayer’ –seems indefensible.

ACTIVISTS ON BOTH SIDES in the fight over Roberts’ nomination to the U. S. Supreme Court argue that what the judge said provides an important clue to his feelings about separation of church and state.
That’s smoke in the first degree. Roberts simply said there’s nothing in the Constitution about moments of silence. He’s right.
That, however, hasn’t stopped the practice of seeing things with a biased eye. Nothing’s said in the Constitution about prayer or silent meditation. Neither Roberts nor anyone else can find anything. Some, however, interpret it as they’d like to see it. What’s there can be interpreted, to be sure. What’s not there, though, very often is the cause of conflict. Too often, it seems, what’s not there should have no bearing ….. but does.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Obituaries

Carl Dumont Holliday

McCORMICK — Carl Dumont Holliday, Greenfield Drive, died Friday, Aug. 19, 2005 at his home. The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Strom Funeral Home.