What a night it was. When the final whistle echoed through Charlie W. Johnson Stadium the Abbeville Panthers (14-0) accomplished a feat that few teams have ever accomplished. Four consecutive State Championships. The Panthers dominated the game from the opening kickoff and the Class of 2019 cemented themselves as the winningest class in AHS history.
The late, great Vince Lombardi once said, “….I firmly believe that any man’s finest hours – his greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.” Have truer words ever been spoken? You
When you’re faced with adversity there are two ways to approach the situation. You can back down and accept your fate, or you stare it in the eye and do whatever it takes to succeed. The latter happened Friday night as the Abbeville Panthers punched their ticket to the AA State Championship game with a
The 2018 season kicked off Week Zero on August 17th. Rain, hurricanes, flooding. It’s been a tumultuous season, schedule-wise. Bye weeks, Thursday night games, cancelled games, extra weeks added. Weeks where practices were limited, or non-existent altogether. Through all of the ups and downs, the extreme heat, the relentless rain, and now the cold November
The Panther defense harassed, bullied, and overwhelmed the Central Eagles offense for 48 minutes this past Friday night. With temps in the low 40’s and sporadic rain showers, the Panthers stayed hot on the field. The Abbeville defense controlled the game from the opening kick, never allowed a point and collected six Central turnovers in
For those of us that lived through the 90’s Central High School doesn’t ring a bell, but throw the word Pageland in front of or behind it, and memories begin to flood in. Some of those memories are great, some are heart wrenching. The 1971 Panther football team defeated Pageland-Central 14-7 to claim Abbeville High’s
What does the Abbeville football team and the pilgrims have in common? They are always mentioned on Thanksgiving. (feel free to use that over your turkey and dressing this week) A hard fought 24-7 victory versus North Central guaranteed a Turkey-Day practice for the boys from A-Town. In most years a Thanksgiving practice means an
The Panthers advanced to the 2nd round of the South Carolina AA Playoffs last Thursday with a 54-13 win over the Andrew Jackson Volunteers. The win put the Panthers in the 2nd round for the 23rd consecutive season. You read that right. Abbeville has advanced to at least the 2nd round of the playoffs every
The Panthers rolled through the first round of the AA State Playoffs this past Thursday night with a convincing 54-13 win over the Andrew Jackson Volunteers. Hundreds of fans braved temps in the 40’s and a off and on rain storm. The win moved A-Town to 10-0 on the season. The Panthers extended a hand
It’s about this time of year, a little rain moves in and the sweltering summer temperatures finally break. There’s a crispness in the air, the leaves begin to change and darkness comes earlier and earlier. When Autumn rolls around each year, you can rest assured that the Abbeville Panthers are still hard at work preparing
The Untouchables. No, not the 1987 movie with Robert De Nero and Sean Connery. I’m talking about the 2018 Abbeville Panthers. They have proven once again to be, untouchable. Teams that run the option, teams that run a spread. Teams with great quarterbacks, teams with great linebackers, running backs, head coaches, teams with great wide
This season has been a blur. It seems like yesterday it was August 17th and Panther Nation was swelling with excitement about making a trip to Lincoln County for the season opener. Fast forward 10 weeks later and Panther Nation is again swelling with excitement about the possibility of a 27th Region Championship, a #1
The Panthers improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in region play with a decisive 31-13 win over Saluda on Friday night, the Panthers 16th win in a row. The Panthers also concluded their regular season road schedule with a perfect 5-0 record. AHS started out their scoring with a Dylan Beauford 37 yard field goal.
So, we meet again. The 46th meeting between the Panthers (7-0) and Tigers of Saluda (5-3) will take place this Friday night at Bettis Herlong Stadium. Abbeville holds an all-time record of 30-15 against the Tigers. These two teams have played some classics over the last handful of years. The last three years the Panthers
The Panthers improved to 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in region play as they rolled to a 36-7 victory Friday night over region foe Silver Bluff (3-4/0-3). The score doesn’t offer a fair representation of the actual game. Meaning, it’s wasn’t nearly that close. The Abbeville defense smothered the Bulldogs for four quarters while
Monday – October 15th Volleyball @ Ninety Six Tennis @ Fox Creek Football Bible Study @ First Baptist Tuesday Cross Country @ Fox Creek Wednesday Volleyball vs. Saluda Tennis vs. Batesburg-Leesville Thursday JV Football vs. Saluda WMS Football @ Westview Volleyball vs. Batesburg-Leesville Tennis vs. Saluda Friday Varsity Football @ Saluda
Another familiar foe will roll into Hite Stadium Friday night. The Silver Bluff Bulldogs will make the hour and a half trek up Hwy 28 to take on the undefeated, unanimous number one ranked Abbeville Panthers in a Region 2-AA battle. The Panthers and Bulldogs have shared the spotlight on the biggest of stages before.
Anytime a football team’s regular schedule is thrown off there is cause for some concern. We are creatures of habit, and most well coached football programs stick to a routine. Especially if that routine has produced six state championship game appearances in eight years. While a Thursday night game wasn’t the end of the world,
Tuesday Volleyball @ Silver Bluff – JV at 5:30 & Varsity 7pm Tennis @ Whitmire 5:00pm Cross Country @ Crescent TBA Wednesday Tennis vs. Batesburg Leesville 5:00pm Thursday JV Football @ Silver Bluff Volleyball vs. Saluda JV at 5:30 & Varsity at pm7 Tennis vs. Saluda 5:00pm Friday Varsity Football vs. Silver Bluff (Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness Night)
Are you not a fan of Thursday night varsity football? Blame Luke Bryan. The country star is holding his “Down on the Farm” tour in North Augusta on Friday night. Fox Creek Head Coach Derrick Quinn reached out to Abbeville Athletic Director Tad Dubose earlier this summer suggesting a time change for the game because
Earlier last week Abbeville Panther head coach Jamie Nickles was worried. That’s nothing new, he always worries, but he had a cause for his concern. His team, undefeated, ranked #1 in the state in AA, had not played a game in two weeks. Actually, three weeks to the day, at the time of kickoff. He
Hurricane Florence is still wreaking havoc on the Pee Dee region of South Carolina and while a game against Hartsville would have been a lot of fun, that community is still far from returning to normalcy. Horry, Georgetown and Darlington Counties have taken a beating and they are still battling flood waters and all of
Sheewww… I think that’s what most everyone wearing garnet and gold muttered Friday night as the clock struck zero at Sabre Stadium in Simpsonville. The Panthers found themselves in a dog fight and in true A-Town fashion, they never quit. The Panthers prevailed 43-28 against a very tough, very big, very well coached Southside Christian
A new week brings new challenges, and more questions. The main question is; When will the Panthers be tested this season? Abbeville has rolled through their first three opponents by a total combined score of 158-17. All three games have basically been over at halftime. Will this week be different? Let’s take a look at
The Panthers rolled into week 2 of the regular season undefeated, and they rolled out the same way. Big plays, an unrelenting defense and more speed than the law should allow, propelled Abbeville to a convincing 52-17 win over the Emerald Vikings. The Panthers moved to 3-0 on the season, as Emerald remained winless at
Game three of the 2018 season has the Abbeville Panthers (2-0) facing off against a familiar foe. The 3A Emerald Vikings (0-2) campus sits only about 14 miles from Abbeville’s. Separated by a county line, it’s a natural rivalry game for the two schools who have played each other every year since 1996. The Panthers
Black Panthers are indigenous to the jungles of Asia and Africa. They are apex predators with an innate desire and instinct to stalk and hunt their prey. You see where I’m headed with this, right? The Garnet and Gold Panthers have established themselves as the apex predators of South Carolina High School Football. They’ve successfully
Hite Stadium will be open for business on Friday night. It’s the home opener for your Abbeville Panthers as they welcome in the 3A Newberry Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are coached by legendary Head Coach Phil Strickland. He’s been around the block and has produced great team after great team for the last 31 years. Strickland
There was a few thousand people that can now say they saw history made before their very eyes. The Abbeville Panthers dismantled the Lincoln Co Red Devils 57-0 in Friday nights much anticipated contest. The score itself holds historical significance. Lincoln Co. had never allowed 57 points to an opponent on its home field. The
Can you believe it’s finally here. We made it. Football season as finally arrived. The talk is over, the pre-season is done, the scrimmages and jamborees that mean absolutely nothing has come and gone. It’s go time. For the duration of the season we’ll be posting weekly preview and review articles following the Panthers on
We are now just 10 days away from the start of the regular season. The Panthers will be traveling “Across the River” to Lincolnton, Georgia on Friday August 17th for their week zero match-up versus the Lincoln County Red Devils. The Panthers are hard at work sharpening their skills and getting ready for the regular
The boys are back in town! Yes that’s a hit song from 70’s rock band Thin Lizzy, but it’s also what comes to mind as Fall Camp began this past Friday. Seeing the boys back on the practice field, running though individual drills and getting ready for the season put a smile on my face.
The anticipation of the 2018 season is almost hitting a fever pitch. We are only a little over a week away from the WCTEL Kickoff Classic at Hite Stadium. That’s right, August 3rd at 6pm you will get to hear the pads popping and whistles blowing at Hite Stadium for the official kickoff of the
For football junkies, July is one terribly awful month. Sure the weather calls for lake days, pool parties and beach trips, but the thought of football season being so close, yet so far away is brutal. The magazine racks are full of pre-season college and NFL football previews. The sports networks are beginning their annual
Fifty, no it’s not the number of laps around the field Coach Nickles runs on his lunch break. It’s not the number of games in a win streak or the number of trophies in the trophy case. Fifty is the exact amount of days before you will see the boys in Garnet and Gold take
I realize that I am one of the handful of folks that never really lets football season die. It’s a constant with me, I mean, it kind of has to be, as it’s part of my job. My thoughts are never too far away from rosters, starting line-ups, players leaving, players returning, road trips and
The past two weeks have been busy. Spring sports are winding down, just the same as the school year. A group of Senior student athletes are going to be turning the page to a new Chapter in their life and leaving behind their beloved alma-mater. Like all good things, baseball and softball season has come
The flowers are blooming, the pollen is thick and frosty nights are giving way to warm sunny days. Spring is here and as April slowly drifts by us, things are really beginning to heat up with the varsity baseball and softball teams. The playoffs begin next week and both Panther teams are set to begin
It’s Spring Break at Abbeville High this week. Some are headed to the beach or the mountains with family and friends. Some are staying home and hanging around the house, and some are still competing in their respective sports. The varsity baseball team defeated Southside Christian Tuesday night by a score of 12-1. The game
The Abbeville Lady Panthers softball team found their stride on opening week. The girls in garnet and gold are currently 2-1 on the season and they are swinging a hot bat as Region play looms in the near future. The Lady Panthers, led by head coach Tim Collins, played three games this past week and
Baseball typically starts in early March, and while baseball teams are sometimes referred to as the ‘Boys of Summer’, you needed a heavy coat to catch the games on opening week. Tuesday of this past week the Panthers were supposed to play at Dixie to open the 2018 season. Mother Nature had other plans as
Usually our articles focus on one subject, but there is a lot going on right now at AHS so I wanted to touch on quite a few different sports and try to cover it all in one article. The alumni baseball game was this past Saturday. There was not a cloud in the sky and
This past Saturday the annual Abbeville High Alumni Baseball game was rained out. It has been rescheduled for Saturday February 24th at 9am. There will be a familiar face leading the Panthers this season. Familiar, yet brand new. AHS head baseball coach Nick Milford has been an assistant for the last seven years under long
The Abbeville High Varsity Boys basketball team enters into playoff action tonight. The game will be played at home versus Christ Church. The Panthers have secured a #2 seed in the AA Upperstate Playoff bracket. The Panthers, led by head coach Doug Belcher, finished the regular season with a 14-8 overall record and a 8-2
Still basking in the glow of a third straight AA football state championship, the AHS staff, student athletes and fans alike are now turning the page to basketball season. As you can see, the atownpanthers.com site has undergone some changes and that is why there has been a delay in reporting on the beginning of
Dynasty. That’s the adjective that is being used after the Abbeville Panthers won their third consecutive AA State Championship, and rightfully so. The boys from A-Town endured a physical, knock down, drag out slobberknocker of a game Friday night at Charlie W Johnson Stadium on the campus of Benedict College in Columbia. Head C oach
Here we are. The 15th and final game of the season. The game we’ve all hoped for. The game the players have worked their tails off for. The ultimate prize in high school football awaits the winner. The 2017 AA State Championship Game will be played Friday December 1st at 5pm between the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red
Abbeville is rich in history and tradition. That’s not exactly a bold statement or a new revelation. Just as sure as you’ll eat turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving, it’s become almost a safe bet that on the morning before you stuff your face, the Panther coaching staff will be orchestrating their yearly walk through inside
The Panthers breezed through the first two rounds of the South Carolina 2A State Playoffs by a combined score of 103-41. We are down to the Upperstate’s final four teams. So basically, the best of the best is what is left. Saluda and Lee Central will play in Saluda Friday night for a chance at
There are very few games that are played when everything just clicks. Offense, defense, special teams. Everything synced up perfectly, just the way you would practice it. This past Friday night was one of those games. The Panthers literally ran the football with ease against a hapless Chesterfield defense. When you average over 15 yards
There is one thing that you can count on this time of year. Everybody left in the playoffs is a good football team. The field of 32 was cut in half last week. The 2nd round of the AA State Playoffs will continue this Friday night and the Panthers will face an outstanding Chesterfield team
The first round of the 2A playoffs have come and gone and the Panthers took care of a pesky St. Josephs Catholic Knights squad by a score of 42-6. St Joe’s didn’t just lay down and accept their fate though. They came out swinging and in typical fashion, the Panthers had to answer the bell
It’s time to turn the page to Phase 3 of the season. It’s playoff time. All of those February days in the weight room. Those spring conditioning drills. The hot summer days at practice, melting away under the sweltering sun. All of those days matter. They matter because they lead you to this time, this
The Abbeville Panthers secured their 26th Region Championship this past Friday night with a dominate 42-7 victory over region rival Ninety Six. The Panthers left no doubt as they scored early and often. Bryce Jackson saved his best passing game of the season for the Homecoming showdown with the Wildcats. Jackson finished the night 8-10
Where has this season gone? It seems like Week Zero was yesterday and Panther Nation was gearing up to take on the Ninety Six Wildcats in the season opener. Friday night will mark the end of the regular season, but there is one common denominator. The Ninety Six Wildcats. The 2017 season has been polar
This is one of my favorite times of the year. Games that matter. Games that have a purpose. Games that lead you in a certain direction. Games that add to the trophy case. And that is exactly what we have in front of us tonight at Hite Stadium – Dennis Botts Field. The undefeated and
I think many of us had a preconceived notion that the Liberty game was going to be a cake walk. That was not the case at all. Liberty is a much improved team, with a big, strong, physical defense. They will make a run in the playoffs this season, mark my words on that one.
The bye week came at a great time. The Panthers were battered and bruised and honestly, just tired. Tonight the A-Train rolls into Liberty with renewed enthusiasm and for the first time this season, something to play for. Liberty marks the first region game of the season. Kudos to the Panther coaching staff for getting
A well deserved bye week has the Panthers licking their wounds and trying to heal, after Coach Nickles described the health of the team as, “Beat to smithereens” entering their bye week. Summer workouts, 7 on 7 camps, summer practice, numerous scrimmages, jamborees and seven consecutive games have the Panthers tired, yet still hungry. The
Most Panther fans had two games circled with a big red marker when the schedule was announced in the spring. The first game was versus Lincoln Co. The second game was Hartsville. That game is upon us and you can feel the excitement building in the air as we inch ever so close to kickoff
Surely everyone has watched the movie Forrest Gump. In one scene, while sitting on a park bench, Forrest is telling the story of his childhood. He had to have braces on his legs. His mama called them his “Magic Shoes”, she said they’d take him anywhere. After Forrest’s legs strengthened, he ran right out of
The back to back 2A State Champs have extended their unbeaten streak to a state best, regardless of classification, 28 games. The Panthers rolled Clinton 49-12 last week, and the A-Train rolls into Prosperity, SC this coming Friday night to take on the Mid Carolina Rebels. Rebel head coach Louie Alexander has his hands full
Wilson Pickett sings a song called “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool Ya” and that’s exactly what comes to mind when thinking about Friday nights contest between the #1 ranked, back to back 2A State Champion Abbeville Panthers (4-0) and the Clinton Red Devils (1-2). Why that song? Well, looking at Clinton’s record this season,
What Happened: Two elite football programs clashed at Hite Stadium-Dennis Botts Field in a game that produced a State Championship type atmosphere. The Panthers and Red Devils traded blows and showcased the athletes that make each program special. Lincoln County received the opening kickoff, and the fourth play of the drive saw the very athletic LC
What Happened: The Panthers left no doubt when the horn sounded Friday night at Wilson-Campbell Stadium in Ninety Six, as to who was the #1 team in Class AA. Abbeville, whom allowed Ninety Six to drive the length of the field on Ninety Six’s very first possession, put the clamps down on the Wildcat offense
As famed UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer would say, “It’s TIMEEEEE”. Game week is upon us and the greatest time of the year, football season, is merely hours away. Here in the south we have four seasons. Spring, Summer, Football, and Winter. It’s a way of life and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
The slow, painful, football-less July is behind us. The summer practices and scrimmages are behind us. The jamboree season is over. It’s game week and it couldn’t get here soon enough. This coming Friday night, the Abbeville Panthers will open their 100th year of football with a road trip to Ninety Six to take on
Jamboree season will come to an end for the Panthers when the final whistle blows on Thursday night at Babb Stadium in Greenwood. The annual Greenwood Jamboree will get started at 6pm on THURSDAY August 10th. The Panthers will not practice Friday and will begin their regular season game prep on Monday August 14th at
Can we all collectively give a big round of applause to West Carolina Tel for an outstanding event last night?! Having a major corporation such as WCTEL in our community is a huge asset. Their relentless effort of giving back is just short of amazing. So, before we get into the heart of this article
Think about some endearing names you might call your loved ones. Honey, baby, sweetie. You probably would never think to call your special someone a Hogmollie. You might come away with a black eye, right? Well there’s one group of young men who want nothing more than to be called a Hogmollie. Being a Hogmollie
About sixty Abbeville High School student athletes gathered on the practice fields behind Hite Stadium-Dennis Botts Field this morning at 10am for the first official practice of the 2017 season. The Panthers, as mandated by state law, only practiced in helmets and shorts for about two hours under mostly sunny skies. The temperature inched
Today, we sit just two weeks away from the unofficial kickoff of the 2017 football season as the WCTEL Kickoff Classic is coming up on August 4th. Hang in there guys, we’re almost there! Today I’m going to look at the last four regular season games on the schedule and give my Way Too Early
While stuck in the purgatory of football-less July, you do get a nugget of hope from time to time. The South Carolina High School Sports Report has issued their pre-season rankings. We all know they mean absolutely nothing, other than a starting point for the regular season rankings. The Sports Report does not even give
Earlier this week we took a look at the first three games on the Panthers schedule in our Way Too Early Predictions article and today we’ll do the same, starting with weeks three through five. Can football just get here already?!? Lincoln Co. vs A-Town @ Hite Stadium Week 3 Are there two schools that
July is a wonderful, yet terrible month. Wonderful for all that July has to offer. Hot summer days, beach trips, family bar-b-ques, 4th of July celebrations. Honestly, July has just about everything you could ask for, except one thing. Football. For those of us that are chomping at the bit to see the “toe touch
Sunshine and blue skies was the perfect backdrop for the Abbeville High School FCA 7 on 7 scrimmage, that took place Tuesday morning. Eight teams made the trip to A-Town to work on their passing, route running, catching and defensive pass coverage skills. The day started at 9am with all of the teams participating in a devotion
The Abbeville Panther varsity football team took to the practice fields this morning and worked for about two hours. The sun was out in full force and today began the first official day of summer practice. It was 85 degrees at 11am, add in the humidity and the temps pushed over 90. Add in the
Zach Overholt and Bryce Jackson parlayed their stellar junior seasons into some post-season accolades. Both Panther baseball players were named to the All-Lakelands team, which is put together by the Index Journal at the end of each season. Bryce Jackson, Panther starting shortstop and pitcher, was this year’s South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association’s Player of the Year. Jackson had a
Spring football has come and gone for the Panthers and the coaching staff has put together a depth chart heading into summer camp. Of course this is a ever moving and changing list. The coaching staff will put the best product on the field and it’s ultimately up to the players to decide where they
A few hundred Panther faithful grabbed a seat to watch the defending AA State Champs buckle their chin straps for their annual “Garnet and White Spring Game” Thursday evening at Hite Stadium-Dennis Botts Field. The sun-splashed afternoon saw big plays, turnovers, touchdowns, big hits and gave fans just enough of a football fix, to hold
A reminder for all football players. A Physical must be turned in to being your summer workouts! By law, there are no exceptions. The weight room will be closed June 5th through June 11th. Week 1 workouts will resume on June 12th at 9am. See the attached pics for the full schedule. The Summer Football
Choosing the right college or university is a big decision. And if you’re an athlete, it can make the decision even more stressful. NCSA, the largest recruiting network for college sports, is helping athletes and parents make the best choice with the NCSA Power Rankings. Whether an athlete is searching for the right school on their own or with
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No Events This Week Events are added by athletic staff.
No Events This Week Events are added by athletic staff.
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Do you have what it takes to be a Semper Fidelis All-American? Time is running out to apply or nominate an athlete for the program. All applications are due Monday, December 31. Selected Semper Fidelis All-Americans will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the 2019 Battles Won Academy, held in Washington D.C.. All-Americans will experience Quantico, tour the Nation’s
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No Events This Week Events are added by athletic staff.
