By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
The 2022 fall sports season has ended for several Woodruff High programs and is quickly approaching its conclusion for two others. It has been a successful start to the school year athletically for multiple teams and Wolverine athletes. Here is a look back on the season that was.
Postseason Push
The Wolverine football team has had its ups and downs during the 2022 season, but Woodruff ended the regular season on a high note on Oct. 28 with a 42-23 victory over Union County to improve their overall record to 5-5. Multiple players missed at least one game due to injury and varying circumstances during the conference slate, but Woodruff finished 2-2 during that span which earned them a third-place finish in Region 4-3A. The Wolverines drew the Broome Centurions in the opening round of the playoffs and are looking to avenge a narrow 27-20 Broome win over Woodruff back on Sept. 23 in a game that the Wolverines led into the fourth quarter. It is hoped that the second time is the charm for seniors such as Carson Tucker, Eastin Burch, Anthony Graybill, Jacob Abreu, Ty Ellis, Capone Jackson, Luke Runyans, Isaiah Sullivan, and company.
Set up for Success
After a down season in 2021, the Woodruff varsity volleyball team took major strides in 2022. Under first-year head coach Tonja Westmoreland, the Lady Wolverines battled hard and finished in second place in Region 4-3A. After a five-set loss to rival Clinton in their first meeting, Woodruff defeated Clinton in five sets at home and again the following night in a neutral court tie-breaking match to take the home field in the postseason from the Red Devils. While Woodruff’s postseason run did not last as long as the Lady Wolverines would have liked, falling to Blue Ridge in the opening round, the program is setting its sights on very good times ahead with a young core set to return, including freshmen Jensyn Turner and Ruthie Sheffield. The eight seniors who are graduating have laid the foundation for younger players, and with a successful middle school program, Woodruff volleyball will be competitive for many years to come.
Making Region Racket
The Lady Wolverine tennis team made tremendous strides during their season. Woodruff finished with an overall record of 8-8, but a strong finish to region play, including three victories in the span of one week, propelled the Lady Wolverines to a second-place finish in Region 4. That late-season winning streak continued into the postseason, where Woodruff defeated Blue Ridge in the first round of the state play-offs before falling in a tightly contested match to Belton-Honea Path in round two. 2022 was certainly a successful season for a still-young roster and a group of ladies who will continue to get even better before the next season arrives.
Sprint to the Finish
The Woodruff girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams are still competing in the final days of their season, with the Region 4 meet having been run on October. 22. The Lady Wolverine squad took home the region championship, and the boys’ team finished a solid second behind only Clinton. The Lady Wolverines placed six runners in the top seven finishers of the women’s race, which qualifies as an All-Region performance. In order were Erin McCallion (22:58), who finished second, followed by Lauryn Beeler (23:32), Adaline Rudder (24:14), Olivia Thompson (24:27), Lily Zheng (24:32), Rachel Hayes (24:35). The boys’ team placed two All-Region runners in Samuel Blake Westmoreland who finished eighth with a time of 18:58 and Jayden Johnson who finished ninth at 19:04. The state qualifier meet is Nov. 5 at the Newberry College Cross-Country Course and the state championship meet will be held at the Sandhill Research Center in Columbia.
Author: Tracy Sanders
