The most viewed sports story in Bladen County in 2016 was the story on Kyle Tatum’s haircut. Tatum, a catcher on East Bladen’s baseball team and a defensive back on the football team, was known for his long hair.
“I was thinking about getting it cut,” said Kyle. “Then I heard about a chance to donate the hair to Locks of Love, and I decided to do it for a good cause.”
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.
Clarkton native Kenzil McCall was named the new head men’s basketball coach at East Bladen High replacing Ken Cross who stepped down after the 2015-2016 season. A 1988 graduate of Clarkton High, McCall played 3 years of baseball at Southeastern Community College and one year at Mt. Olive College. He received a B.S. in Recreation from Mt. Olive.
McCall served his country for 28 years in the Naval Reserve and served 3 one-year tours of duty overseas – two of those tours were in Kuwait and his last one was in Africa. McCall coached boys basketball for 3 years at Elizabethtown Middle School and one year at Whiteville High. He was also an assistant coach on the Whiteville baseball team.
Former East Bladen and Appalachian State football star Kevin Richardson was a member of Chris Buescher’s winning team at the Pennsylvania 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Richardson has made a name for himself as a tire carrier and pit crew member on the NASCAR circuit.
Three West Bladen softball players – Carley Dawson, Conner Brisson and Abby Dawson – were members of the Lumberton team that won the Dixie Belles World Series in Little River, SC. In a 16-3 opening win over Mississippi, Abby Dawson and Conner Brisson cracked 2-run singles and Carley Dawson belted an rbi single.
Lumberton beat Virginia 12-8 as Carley Dawson had an rbi, Brisson had a hit and Abby Dawson scored. Brisson batted 3-3 with an rbi triple in an 8-2 win over South Carolina, and Carley Dawson was 2-3 with an rbi. Brisson had a hit, Carley Dawson scored a run and Abby Dawson had an rbi in a 7-0 win over Alabama. Carley Dawson’s diving stab of a line drive helped Lumberton edge Georgia 1-0. In the championship game Lumberton beat Virginia 14-2. Carley Dawson drove in 2 runs with a single, and Brisson drove in a run.
Bladenboro’s Rylee Chadwick played in the USA Elite Select Futures All-American Softball Games at the Disney ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. She was one of 12 Direct Select players chosen from each region in each age group.
Chadwick played on the Great Lakes National team in the 10-Under Fast-Pitch Division She pitched 6 innings and allowed only one hit. At the plate Chadwick collected 3 hits in 4 games as her team posted a 2-2 record.
Elizabethtown’s Freddie Wooten batted .586 (17 hits in 29 at-bats) in ten games in the Cooperstown Field of Dreams Tournament. Wooten blasted 6 home runs as Rock Solid Red won 9 straight games before losing 9-8 in the semi-finals to finish tied for third place in the 104-team event.
Elizabethtown’s Joe Luther was named the 2016 recipient of the Dick Knox Distinguished Service Award for Soccer from the Southeastern Soccer Officials Association. Luther has officiated high school soccer for over 30 years and has been instrumental in getting soccer started in Bladen County since moving here in from Ohio in 1989.
East Bladen started the football season 1-1. Ethan Hines returned a kick-off 70 yards for a touchdown, and his brother Eian Hines ran 36 yards for another touchdown in a 29-22 loss to South Columbus.
In East Bladen’s 43-15 win over Whiteville, Ethan Hines ran for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 2 touchdown passes. Eian Hines rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass.
West Bladen beat South Robeson 35-0 as senior James Moore ran for 132 yards and a touchdown. B. J. Drake rushed for 81 yards and caught a touchdown pass. Quarterback Weston Pidgeon threw 2 touchdown passes.
The Knights routed West Columbus 49-14 to improve to 2-0. Moore ran for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. Drake scored 2 touchdowns, and Pidgeon threw for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns.
East Bladen’s soccer team started the season 3-1. Greyson Heustess scored 2 goals in a 4-1 win over East Columbus. In a 7-2 win over East Columbus, Brooks McGill recorded a ‘Hat Trick’ of 3 goals and Grey Cabellero racked up 4 assists.
West Bladen started the soccer season with 4 straight wins before battling Whiteville to a 2-2 tie. Victor Lopez and Emerson Escobar scored 2 goals each for the Knights in a 4-1 win over Purnell Swett.
West Bladen’s volleyball team posted a 4-2 August record. In a 3-0 win over St. Pauls, senior Jenna Dove tallied 11 service points, and senior Kassidy Anderson scored 9 service points. Senior Morgan Schumacher pounded in 14 kills, and senior Kaylee Stevens knocked in 11 kills in a 3-1 win over Whiteville. In a 3-0 victory over West Columbus, Schumacher slammed in 11 kills, and senior Logan Autry recorded 12 assists.
East Bladen finished August with a 3-3 record. Ashley Hardin delivered 30 assists in a 3-1 win over St. Pauls, and senior Lexi Mendell slammed in 8 kills and 10 service points. In another 3-1 victory over St. Pauls, Anna Grace Long hammered in 24 service points, and Hannah Devane poured in 22 service points. Mendell racked up 11 kills and 11 service points.
West Bladen’s tennis team finished August with a perfect 6-0 record led by Alanna Ludlum, Amber Long, Conner Brisson and Savannah Lee
East Bladen grad Larrell Muchison made a tackle for a safety, and twin brother Farrell Murchison rushed for 66 yards in Louisburg’s 57-7 win over Jireh Prep.
About Author
