Woodruff Fall Sports Come to an End as Winter Looms
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Fall sports have come to an end for Woodruff Middle and High School athletes, and as the weather turns cold, athletes move indoors for the winter sports seasons. Looking back on the season, fall sports for the Wolverines and Cubs saw a mixture of highs and lows, excitements and disappoints, with all of it a building block to an exciting future. Here is a look back on the 2021 fall sports season for Woodruff’s athletes:
We Are the Champions:
The Woodruff Middle School volleyball team was simply perfect. The Lady Cubs rolled through their season with an undefeated record before capturing the Foothills Conference Tournament championship by defeating Campobello-Gramling and Rainbow Lake in the thrilling semifinal and title matches. With a final record of 14-0, the future of volleyball looks very bright, with a talented host of players set to infuse the high school program with exciting new talent.
On the Way Up:
Following a winless, COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Woodruff Middle School Cubs football team was looking to improve entering the 2021 campaign. Things started with a bang as Woodruff defeated Gaffney’s Ewing Middle School to start the season and ended their schedule with a drubbing of Rainbow Lake and a 48-0 trouncing of Union’s Sims Middle School. It was certainly a great bounce-back season for the Cubs, and with a cast of talented eighth graders on their way to the high school next year, Woodruff football is in good hands for the foreseeable future.
Thousand Yard Club:
The Woodruff Wolverine football team might not have had the season they were anticipating, finishing 5-6 while falling to defending state champion Daniel in the second round of the play-offs. However, stars still shone brightly under the Friday Night Lights. One of those standouts was senior running back Damarian Elmore, who turned in one of the best seasons in school history. Elmore finished with 1,315 rushing yards, eleventh all-time in a single season in Woodruff history, and scored 21 touchdowns. One of the few seniors on the roster, Elmore was a team captain and leader for the Wolverines. With a season for the ages, he will be remembered as a great Woodruff running back.
Growing Pains:
The varsity volleyball program went through what one might term as a rebuilding year following the graduation of a multitude of all-region players from the 2020 squad, but 2021’s Lady Wolverines were a team that strove to get better every day and fought their way through a tough schedule with a determined, competitive fire. While the Lady Wolverines fell just short of a play-off berth, the foundation remains firm for a young team and program set to be a contender in the 3A ranks for years to come.
Causing Racket:
The Lady Wolverines’ tennis program took a huge step forward in 2021, finishing with a 10-5 record and earning the number three seed from Region 3-3A. Coach Lea Ann Skinner’s squad advanced to the second round of the state play-offs, led by the talented trio of Lauryn Beeler and Lily and Coco Zheng. Still a young unit, Lady Wolverine tennis is another program on the rise at Woodruff High School.
Running Towards Success:
The Woodruff girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams were led by incredibly young rosters this season. Still, each group of runners continued to get better and better as the season advanced. The ladies’ team finished third in the region while the boys’ took fourth place. The Wolverine girls finished eighth place in the state qualifier meet, which allowed them to compete for the statewide championship, where they finished in the top 16 statewide in the 3A classification, led by Erin McCallion, who finished seventeenth overall in the individual state qualifying race. According to coach Ty Skinner, this season was a huge step forward for the program. He expects both teams to contend for the region championship in 2022.
All-Region Awesome:
A total of 14 Woodruff High School athletes were selected to 2021 fall sports Region 3-3A all-conference teams. The Wolverines who earned this high honor are:
Football- Mathias Dial, Tae Goggins, Cooper Lee, Jailen Tribble
Volleyball- Chasity Hines
Girls’ tennis- Lauryn Beeler, Lily Zheng, Coco Zheng
Girls’ cross-country- Erin McCallion, Adaline Rudder, Rachel Hayes
Boys’ cross-country- Jacob Craig
Competitive cheer- Allie Green, Ollie Rhodes
Author: Tracy Sanders
