Greenwood Prep Grizzlies

Greenwood Prep, playing first ever varisty football game, demolishes Baptist Hall, 62-16

August 20, 2005

Game Report Posted: January 05, 2026 03:02  

Grizzlies' Blue-Chip running back Kirby-Washington has 232 yards, 3 touchdowns in rout of Red Storm

Greenwood (Scott Adamson)-They say it's not how you start, but how you finish. That said, when you have the type of start that Greenwood Preparatory Academy's "Grizzlies" varisty football team had on
Friday night, you ought to be in pretty good shape.

The brand-new team--representing a brand new school and playing in their brand new stadium, played the kind of game that made it look like a century-old powerhouse, absolutely devastating the Red Storm
of Wellford's Baptist Hall School by a 62-16 verdict. Head Coach Ben Gibson (who doubles as GPA's athletic director), a former Greenwood High star turned four-year starter at Vanderbilt University, could not have been prouder
of his bunch.

"This is the kind of game we built this team to play", the 29 year-old Gibson said in postgame. "They played their (redacted) off from start to finish". "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we made a few mistakes, but we'll worry about that on Monday morning", Gibson continued.
"I'm just tickled to death about this victory".

The school announced its arrival on the local education scene in January 2004. The combination of a swellling population buoyed by the relocation of hundreds of medium-to-large sized businesses to the area, and a new law enabling private school tuition to be tax deductable
resulted in a sea of new independent secondary schools in the state of South Carolina, and Greenwood was no exception. The relocation of firms like agrobusiness player Southern States, a manufacturing plant for Japanese automaker Mazda, and a technology park have increased the population
of the upstate city by nearly 10,000. A group of citizens led by George Dennison and Mike Woody (who became Headmaster and middle school Dean of Students,respectively) created a new K-12 independent school to give new residents a different option for educating their kids than Greenwood County public schools. What followed was a rapid sequeence of licensing and accrediation,
facility construction, hiring of academic staff, who developed the school's curriculum and academic programs. Then of course came accredidation, and the hiring of head coaches for the school's 22 athletic programs. Greenwood Prep received nearly 5,000 applications for enrollment from families within a 100 mile radius of its new Cokesbury Street campus. The school will serve 1,738
students in grades K-12, and opened for its first day of classes on Monday, August 15.

The school is part of the new South Carolina Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association (SCIIAA). The new organization, which replaces the old SCISA, is both an effort to provide more modernized and comprehensive resources to the throng of new private schools, and distance itself
from the dubious origins of SCISA's creation, stemming from the government mandated integreation of public schools in the late 1960's. Both Greenwood Prep and Baptist Hall compete in SCIIAA's Division I, a classification for schools with 500 students or more in grades 8-12. The Grizzlies
and Red Storm are members of the Blue Ridge Conference, which also includes Anderson Collegiate Academy (Anderson, obviously), Glendale School (Spartanburg), Jesuit Academy (Greenville), and Sullivan School (Greenville)

Greenwood Prep, who bears the University of South Carolina's garnet and black colors along with the University of Montana's mascot and logo (GPA co-founder and headmaster George Dennison is an alumnus of both schools), took the first possession of the football, and
wasted little time asserting their dominance. Running Back Malcom Kirby-Washington opened his account with a blazing 53 yard run to the Baptist Hall 10, a shoestring tackle by Baptist Hall corner Travis Motes kept him out of the end zone-at least right that second.

After a BHS offsides penalty moved the football to their five yard mark, Kirby-Washington would find paydirt, carrying a Baptist Hall defender with him on his way to GPA's first touchdown. Jeff Ihelenfeldt's extra point made it 7-0 Grizzlies when less than a minute of
the first quarter had been played.

The series was a premonition of the game's outcome.

Baptist Hall's offense was forced into a three-and-out by the suffocating Greenwood Prep defense, and had to give up the football. Stu Edwards punted to the Greenwood Prep 35.

You would think that Baptist Hall defensive coordinator Wade Fletcher would coaching his charges up on the sideline, frantically devising a way to stop GP's highly-touted running back Kirby-Washington. He did, but it didn't work.

On the very first play of Prep's second possession, MKW raced 65 yards to the end zone untouched. Greenwood Prep was up 14-0, and there was still 9:58 to play in the first quarter.

For a moment, Head Coach Kurt Sawyer's Baptist Hall squad found a little hope. Starting their next possesion from their own 26, lanky Red Storm QB Scott Wilkerson found towering wide receiver Matt Caughman for a 15 yard gain. Then Wilkerson
connected with wingback Geoff Smith for a 33 yard advance to the Griz' 26. Two plays later, the signal-caller found receiver Darnell Wilkinson wide open at the GPA 3, and he would waltz into the end zone untouched to cut the Grizzly lead in half, 14-7.
It would prove to be the Storm's only touchdown all game. Greenwood Prep, buoyed by a packed-out home side, was unphased.

All of the attention to this point has been given to Malcom Kirby-Washington, who on just two carries had 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also has nearly 100 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I colleges, with 27 of them coming from BCS conference programs like nearby Clemson.
He's just a junior, so he has another year to think about his choice.

He's not the only exceptional player in GPA's running back room, and Joe Davis--also a junior--made that known when he took his first carry of the ball game on an 80 yard ride to a place becoming very familiar to the bears' offense, the Bapist Hall end zone. 21-7 Prep. The kid playing the Grizzly mascot (GPA senior Jamie Hewitt, projected to be a star soccer player for the school) surely
had sore arms after all the post-score push ups he had to do.

Undeterred, Baptist Hall senior QB Wilkerson engineered another galliant drive. Pass catchers Smith and Caughman did the bulk of the work on a march to the Prep 22. Wilkerson's next pass was caught in the end zone...by Greenwood Prep cornerback Lashon Myers. The interception was a crushing blow, and arguably the moment where the game turned permanately in the
home squad's favor.

What followed was one of only five GP possessions that did not result in points. Grizzly QB Corey Albers, only a sophomore, decided to start throwing the football a little bit more. He was pretty good, finding receivers like MKW and senior wideouts Stephan Dakers and Ike Williams for intermediate gains on the way to the Baptist Hall 41 yard line. It was there that things
started to go south. The 15-year-old quarterback was sacked by Red Storm defensive end Devin Edens for a six yard loss. Then, Albers connected with Dakers for a 12 yard gain--that was wiped away by a holding penalty, setting up a difficult 3rd-and-23 from their own 43. Albers' next throw was not caught. Grizzly punter Matt Danna made his first of only two punts of the contest, pinning BHS at its own 19.

The GPA defense then played as if their team was the one down by two touchdowns. They made Scott Wilkerson very uncomfortable with heavy pressure and press coverage, resulting in a sack at the hands of defensive end Derek Kalbfleisch. Facing a 3rd-and-long from his own 12, a rattled Wilkerson airmailed a pass, and Stu Edwards punted again--this time from his own end line. The kick was not Edwards' best
this time reaching the Red storm 32.

At this point, the combination of a two-score lead and humid weather made Gibson comfortable with subbing in some depth. Second-string backs Calvin Love and Terry Nelson made their first appearances in the ballgame. Nelson managed six yards on his first carry. The starting receivers remanined on the field, however, and one of them-Stephan Dakers-caught Albers first touchdown pass of the night from 24 yards out.
It was GPA's FOURTH touchdown overall; in the FIRST quarter.

Baptist Hall's frustrated offense actually managed another first down during the final 1:22 of the opening frame. The visitors began the second quarter with the football in hand, only for their offensive struggles to continue. Scott Wilkerson was again put on the ground, this time by Prep linebacker Trey Ashenbrenner, and again failed to convert the resultant third and long, with yet another incomplete pass.

Another Edwards punt landed Greenwood Prep's offense at their own 32. It looked like BHS' defense had finally figured out how to at least contain the run-either that or Davis and Kirby-Washington were just winded--as they made them work for their next first down. Albers' threw a pass toward Ike Williams on the next play, but the reciever fell down, allowing Red Storm safety Nathan Drakeford an easy interception
which he took to the Grizzly 24.

The Baptist Hall offense failed to find the end zone, and kicker Matt DeLacroix put it through the uprights from 34 yards out to make it 28-10.

When Greenwood Prep got the football back, and Baptist Hall made a valiant effort to stop the run, walking up linebackers, tightening up the defensive line, using different stunts upfront. Those efforts may have prevented the long GPA touchdown runs of the first quarter,but failed to prevent another touchdown period, as Prep wound up at the Storm 19, where Albers would find reserve receiver Brad Hicks for another scoring
strike and a 35-10 advantage.

A promising Red Storm drive ended at the GPA 27, when running back Sammy Archer received a head to head tackle from Grizzly safety Tyrone Puch, that resulted in both a lost fumble and game-ending concussions for both players.

Greenwood Prep's next possession ended with a 35 yard field goal off the foot of kicker Jeff Ihlenfeldt. Hall would answer this field goal, the Prep answered theirs, making it 41-13 with 0:37 left in the quarter. Another BH fumble gave GPA the opportunity to run the clock out on the first half.

Baptist Hall took the kickoff to begin half number two. Wilkerson made several errant throws, but the drive was kept alive by a couple of encroachment penalties on the part of the GPA defense, and a blazing 37 yard run by running back Jabari Hill, playing in the stead of the injured Archer. Hill's effort
carried his team to the Grizzly 8 yard line. On first-and-goal, Wilkerson's pass went incomplete, because of some blatant pass interference by Greenwood Prep cornerback Anthony Jones on intended receiver Anthony Allen. Jones shoved Allen to the ground after the play and reportedly delivered an obscence taunt and gesture to his opponent resulting in a half the distance to the goal penalty for GP,
and his ejection from the contest. Coach Gibson said that Anthony Jones has been suspended indefinitely from the team for his actions during the game.

With a fresh set of downs on the enemy 4, Baptist Hall seemed poised for an easy score. It was not to be, as ball carrier Ryan Savage coughed the football up, with Greenwood Prep defensive end Kevin Thompson recovering it at his own 11.

Greenwood Prep's next drive was spoiled on its very first play by an unneccesary roughness penalty on tight end Patrick Deatherage. After making a catch for a ten yard gain and being tackled by Nathan Drakeford, Deatherage got up to his feet and shoved Drakeford. Though Drakeford did not retaliate, a couple of his teammates got in the face of the senior pass catcher and let him know about their displeasure with the move. Officials and cooler headed
players quickly stepped in to put the kabash on the confrontation, and play resumed without incident. The foul stymied the Grizzly drive and Matt Danna punted for the second and final time of the game.

Baptist Hall's next possession was an exercise in futility. Stu Edwards punted again. Gibson and his staff utilized second teamers like Love, Nelson, Hicks and Marcus Melven on a drive that reached the Red Storm 41. When the starters were called back into the game, they didnt know it would be their last play. Malcom Kirby-Washington had one more long touchdown run in him, and put the Griz up 48-13. The second string offense would play the rest of the game
for Greenwood Prep from that point.

Baptist Hall again drove deep into enemy territory, and again turned the ball over. This time, reserve quarterback Jon Hails, who relieved a struggling Wilkerson, threw an interception to GPA safety Stew Meyers. Meyers did not stop running until he crossed the BHS goal line, and the pick-six hung half a hundred on the bruised and battered Baptist Hall squad.

Trailing 55-13 at the end of the third, Baptist Hall head coach Kurt Sawyer did what every coach dreads having to do, invoking the continous clock rule.

"The kids played so hard, but were so outmatched it was hard to watch." Sawyer explained. "I didnt look it at as giving up, I looked at it as giving us an opportunity to minimize further fatigue and injury, and be able to look to the future more quickly".

The "minmize injury" goal was not acheived, as Hails was injured on a Greenwood Prep sack and left the game. After another Edwards punt, Greenwood Prep's backup quarterback Chris Canizzo, a junior who was beaten by the younger Albers by, as Ben Gibson put it "the skin of his teeeth", engineered a long drive that took the majority
of the fourth quarter, and saw reserve receivers like Stephen Federline, Ross Norris, and Jordan Davis make long gaining catches. Canizzo capped the drive with a two yard touchdown keeper, extending the Grizzly scoring total past the sixty point mark.

Baptist Hall took the football one last time, and a 49 yard gallop by Ryan Savage set up one more DeLacroix field goal, a 49 yarder, his longest. Taking the football with 1:22 left in the game, Greenwood Prep picked up one more first down and then Chris Canizzo took a couple knees to end the game. The win gives the Grizzlies a mark of 1-0, both overall and in Blue Ridge Conference play.

Greenwood Prep was led offensively by Malcom Kirby-Washington. The heavily recruited junior running back, a transfer from Charlotte's Independence High School, had 232 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. Kirby-Washington had a 65 yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and a 41 yard score in the third quarter. What Kirby-Washington did not own was the longest run of the game. That honor
went to fellow junior running back Joe Davis, who had an 80 yard journey to the end zone in the game's opening frame. Joe Davis, who played last year at nearby Emerald High School, finished with 104 yards and one score on nine touches. Sophomore Quarterback Corey Albers played like a fifth-year senior, completing 16 of his 25 tosses for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns, with an interception resulting from
his intended receiver losing his balence. His leading receiver was senior wideout Stephan Dakers, who had 4 grabs for 56 yards and a first quarter touchdown. Mention must be given to Albers' backup, junior Chris Canizzo, who went 7/9 through the air for 85 yards, throwing to fellow reserves like Stephen Federline and Cal Wray.

Defensively, the Grizzly hit parade was led by junior safety Nick Devault, who had 11 stops-7 of them unassisted, and a pass deflection during the contest. Senior linebacker Chris Stillwell had nine tackles to go with a forced fumble. Junior defensive end Derek Kalbfleisch only made two tackles, but both of them were for loss, including a sack of Baptist Hall QB Scott Wilkerson in the first quarter.

Jeff Ihelenfeldt and Matt Danna shined in the kicking game. Ihlenfeldt nailed a pair of 35-yard field goal attempts in the second quarter, and made three PATs. After GPA went ahead 28-7 in the first quarter, Ihelenfeldt handed his extra point kicking job to punter Danna, who kicked the PAT after every subsequent Grizzly touchdown. Danna only played his title role twice in this game, with his punt yardage totalling 101.

Wilkerson, bruised and battered in a tough defeat, had a 14/25 passing performance for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His leading receiver was senior Darnell Wilkinson, who had 3 grabs for 104 yards and Baptist Hall's only touchdown of the night. Reserve tight end Ben Norris entered the game in the third quarter, catching 4 passes for 54 yards. Backup Jon Hails came into the by then out of reach game in the third, completing 5 of 7 passes for 85 yards and an interception returned for a touchdown before leaving
the game with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. Third-stringer Jordan Sailer completed one pass-a 49 yarder to running back Ryan Savage, during the final moments of the game.

The Red Storm run game struggled, with runners Sammy Archer and Geoff Smith managing only 57 rushing yards each; Smith did it in only six attempts compared to Archer's 12. It can be said the Baptist Hall's offensive player of the game award belongs to a special teamer, senior kicker Matt DeLacroix, who was the team's leading score with three field goals of 34, 28, and 45 yards. Punter Stu Edwards had three kicks for 138 yards and a long of 50.

Junior linebacker Daniel McCrory led the BHS defense with 11 tackles, only one of them was solo. Junior safety Nathan Drakeford deserves commendation, his nine stops, mostly solo tackles in the open field, kept the Grizzlies from scoring a hundred points.

Despite the dismal result for Baptist Hall, Red Storm head coach Sawyer was proud of his players, blaming the loss on inexperience rather than a lack of effort. Many of BHS' players are playing high school football for the first time. "Greenwood Prep has world class talent", Sawyer said. "A lot of our kids didn't make the team at their old school, and it's our job to make them able to compete. We're going to look at the film, and apply what we learned in practice this week."

Baptist Hall will attempt to put this humiliating loss behind them next Friday when they host the Central Christian School Falcons of Columbia at their own Davis Family Stadium on the BHS campus in Wellford. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm. That same night,Greenwood Prep will cap a two-game homestand when they host the Knights of Batesburg Christian School at GPA Stadium. That game will also kick at 7:30pm.