kitchen countertopsIn Goose Creek, SC

Here are the top performances that caught our attention across the state in Week 5 of the South Carolina high school football season

Syree Livingstone, Mullins

Livingstone ran for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns while throwing for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns as Mullins won for the first time in 2022.

Sky Harter, Lugoff-Elgin

The Demons’ tailback ran for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Harrison Collins, Blythewood

Collins threw for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns and ran for another score in the Bengals’ 42-28 win over Goose Creek.

Omarion Holman, Edisto

Holman ran for 202 yards and a touchdown in the Cougars’ 47-20 win over Branchville.

Grayson Loftis, Gaffney

The Indians’ quarterback was 24 of 34 for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 28-7 win over previously undefeated Northwestern.

Bryson Cuffie, Sumter

A junior linebacker, Cuffie made 14 tackles in the Fighting Gamecocks’ 16-0 win over Summerville.

Jonah Norris, Lexington

The senior running back turned in another big night with 157 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 35-21 win over Gilbert. Norris has 996 yards rushing on the season.

Marquice McGuire, Dutch Fork

McGuire ran for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Silver Foxes’ 49-7 rout of North Augusta. It was Dutch Fork’s 43rd consecutive regular season win.

Markel Townsend, A.C. Flora

Townsend ran for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Falcons rallied for a 28-19 win over Camden.

Naahzeikial Mays, Brookland-Cayce

Mays did a great job as backup quarterback, running for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 33-21 win over Chapin.

Noah Jennings, Westwood

Jennings caught 8 passes for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 41-19 win over Midland Valley.

Cooper Johns, River Bluff

Johns carried 20 times for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 42-21 win over Lower Richland.

Jesse Ross, White Knoll

Ross ran 19 times for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns as White Knoll beat South Aiken 35-14.

Drek Carter, Spartanburg

In less than three quarters of playing time, Carter ran for 139 yards and 4 touchdowns as Spartanburg walloped Riverside 59-25.

Tyree James, Holly Hill Academy

James ran for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Raiders outscored Richard Winn Academy 60-34.

Kenjae Burgess, Lake City

Burgess threw for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns while also running for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 43-19 win over Georgetown.

Jaden Little, Chesterfield

Little ran for 300 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 58-20 rout of Blacksburg.

Gabriel Cusack, Marion

Cusack had a huge game, throwing for 235 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 78-27 pounding of Cheraw.

The high school football season is in its fifth week in South Carolina, and here are some of the top matchups in the Midlands as well as the weekly power rankings.

Camden (2-2) at AC Flora (3-0): Second straight year the two teams are meeting. A.C. Flora won last year, 3-0, but Camden leads the all-time series, 18-10. Camden, ranked No. 7 in Class 3A, has lost two games in a row. Camden quarterback Grayson White has 1,120 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns. South Carolina commit Xzavier McLeod has 20 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks for Camden. A.C. Flora quarterback Carew Bates is completing 70.8% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns. Running back Makel Townsend has 400 yards rushing and six touchdowns. The Falcons are averaging 55.6 points per game. Bezjak’s prediction: A.C. Flora

Cardinal Newman (2-1) at Heathwood Hall (2-2): Game is WACH Fox’s Sonic Friday Night Rivals game. Heathwood has won four straight games in the series, including 25-14, last year. Cardinal Newman’s last win came in 2018 by a score of 20-8. Cardinal Newman running back AJ Reyes leads the team with 541 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. C.N. quarterback Duncan Skehan is 23-of-34 passing for 610 yards and six touchdowns. Heathwood quarterback Patrick Belk has thrown for 585 yards and five total touchdowns. Jonathan Roland leads Heathwood with two interceptions. Bezjak’s prediction: Cardinal Newman

Chapin (3-1) at Brookland-Cayce (1-3): Second straight year the two teams are playing. Chapin won last year 41-21. Chapin has won three games in a row after an opening loss to Irmo. Chapin quarterback Brady Albro has thrown for 713 yards and seven touchdowns. Hayden Burriss leads the Eagles with three sacks. Bezjak’s prediction: Chapin

Dutch Fork (4-0) at North Augusta (1-3): First meeting between two teams since 2013. North Augusta won that game, 24-23. Dutch Fork has a 42-game regular-season unbeaten streak. It is the fifth straight road game for Dutch Fork, which will have its home opener next week against nationally-ranked St. Frances Academy (Maryland). John Buetow leads Dutch Fork with 6.5 sacks. As a team, the Silver Foxes have 23.5 sacks. Dutch Fork running back Jarvis Green leads the team with 552 yards rushing and five touchdowns despite missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury. Former Westwood coach Matt Quinn is in his first season at North Augusta coach. Bezjak’s prediction: Dutch Fork

Gilbert (3-0) at Lexington (3-1): Fourth all-time meeting between the two Lexington County schools. Lexington leads the all-time series, 2-1, including last year’s 14-12 victory. Lexington stopped Gilbert on a two-point conversion late in the game to seal the win. Lexington will induct its hall of fame class at halftime of the game. Lexington senior running back Jonah Norris leads the team with 839 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Norris has two 300-yard games this season. Lexington quarterback Taiden Mines has 817 yards passing and nine touchdowns with five going to Kmadi Maxwell. Gilbert has a strong 1-2 punch at running back with Alias Graham Woodberry (543 yards, 6 TDs) and Jaden Allen-Hendrix (328 yards, 8 TDs). Jordan Smith leads Gilbert with 27 tackles and three interceptions. Bezjak’s prediction: Lexington

Hartsville (3-1) at Irmo (2-1): Irmo is coming off a bye last week and suffered its first loss of the season against River Bluff on Sept. 2. Irmo played that game without starting quarterback A.J. Brand, who missed the game with an ankle injury. Running back Eric Tucker leads the Yellow Jackets with 354 yards rushing. Hartsville is coming off a 59-35 loss to Dillon and is ranked No. 8 in Class 4A poll. Hartsville running backs Carmello McDaniel and J’Shawn Anderson each have eight rushing touchdowns. Bezjak’s prediction: Hartsville

All games begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted; Lou Bezjak’s prediction in parenthesis

Airport at Fox Creek (Pick: Airport)

Ben Lippen at Porter-Gaud (Ben Lippen)

Blythewood at Goose Creek (Blythewood)

CA Johnson at Swansea (Swansea)

Camden Military at Laurence Manning (Laurence Manning)

Charleston Collegiate at WW King (WW King)

Dreher at Ridge View (Ridge View)

Eau Claire at Gray Collegiate (Gray Collegiate)

Fairfield Central at Keenan (Fairfield Central)

Faith Christian at Newberry Academy (Newberry Academy)

Fort Mill at Lugoff-Elgin (Lugoff-Elgin)

Hickory Grove Christian at Northside Christian (Hickory Grove)

Holly Hill at Richard Winn (Richard Winn)

Lower Richland at River Bluff (River Bluff)

Mid-Carolina at Columbia (Mid-Carolina)

Newberry at Batesburg-Leesville (Newberry)

North Central at Crestwood (Crestwood)

Spring Valley at Richland Northeast (Spring Valley)

Westwood at Midland Valley (Westwood)

White Knoll at South Aiken (White Knoll)

Wilson Hall at Hammond (Hammond)

Last Week: 20-8

Season Record: 87-25

A look at The State’s Top 10 for Columbia-area schools after Week 4:

1. Dutch Fork

Record: 4-0

Last Week: Defeated Stratford, 64-21

2. AC Flora

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Defeated Brookland-Cayce, 72-43f

3. Gilbert

Record: 3-0

Last Week: Defeated Pelion, 53-3

4. Lexington

Record: 3-1

Last Week: Defeated Blythewood, 35-14

5. River Bluff

Record: 4-0

Last Week: Defeated South Aiken, 35-28

6. Ridge View

Record: 3-1

Last Week: Defeated Spring Valley, 27-0

7. White Knoll

Record: 4-0

Last Week: Defeated Westwood, 56-20

8. Saluda

Record: 4-0

Last Week: Defeated Emerald, 21-14

9. Irmo

Record: 2-1

Last Week: Off

10. Camden

Record: 2-2

Last Week: Lost to Gray Collegiate, 22-7

Dropped out: None

Others considered: Hammond, Fairfield Central, Gray Collegiate

This story was originally published September 15, 2022 7:02 AM.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Goose Creek unveiled an amphitheater in honor of S.C. Rep. Joe Daning in a surprise presentation Tuesday during his retirement celebration in Goose Creek.

Joseph Daning is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 92. He also was a Goose Creek City Council member for over 20 years and previous Goose Creek Mayor Pro Tempore.

Daning will retire from the S.C. House of Representatives in January 2023. Multiple former S.C. representatives, Mayor Gregory Habib, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and Daning’s family and friends attended the celebration.

All the speakers who gathered at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church spoke about Daning’s long-lasting legacy in the city, Statehouse and House of Representatives.

“He was such a great friend and a mentor and very loyal to the Lowcountry,” Nancy Mace, U.S. House of Representative, said. “It was an honor to see that the Joseph Daning amphitheater was unveiled today in Goose Creek and that’s exciting for the residents of Goose Creek too and I want to thank Mayor Habib for that effort.”

The Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater will be located at the Municipal Center Campus near the Recreation Complex and the lake behind City Hall. It plans to include an outside basketball court, a food truck area, restrooms and additional parking.

Crystal Reed, the recreation director for the City of Goose Creek, says some examples of events that will be held at the amphitheater are slam poetry, improv, concerts and movie nights.

“I think the goal of the amphitheater and the projects that we’re doing in the city of Goose Creek is to bring entertainment into our city so that residents don’t have to travel and create more traffic,” Reed said. “They can get good dining options and good entertainment here in the city of Goose Creek.”

Reed says this project will break ground in April 2023 and it should take about 18 months to complete.

When Mayor Habib introduced the new amphitheater, Daning began to cry in shock.

“I didn’t expect any of this and then the new that,” Daning said, pointing to the picture of the proposed amphitheater. “You know, my father came from the Philippines. I am first generation. I mean this is just unbelievable. You know, I never expected any of this.”

The total cost of the amphitheater will be about $4 million. Daning secured $1.5 million in state funding and the remainder will be paid by ARPA funds.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Goose Creek and the South Carolina Department of Transportation are working together to put up a stoplight at St. James Avenue at Myers Road where residents have reported multiple accidents.

There are a few neighborhoods off of that road, and people in the area were excited to hear about the project. The actual project likely won’t be completed until the end of 2023, but the plans are in motion.

Thomas Garter lives nearby and says the sooner a light is put up the better.

“It’s hectic in the morning and the late afternoon coming from work. I have seen several accidents,” Garter said.

SCDOT officials said a traffic analysis found the volume in that area is too high, so a signal has been approved and is in the design phase.

Construction will likely begin in October and could take up to 15 months.

Caleb and Allen are friends who like to play basketball at a nearby church after school, and they say they have seen accidents happen at the intersection, and people often cut through the church parking lot to avoid the line of cars.

“There’s traffic, and every time we play they cut through [the parking lot] instead of waiting. I’ve seen a lot of accidents,” Caleb said.

“The bus will be super late to school due to the accidents,” Allen said.

The department of transportation will build a mast arm style light which will cost between $250,000 and $350,000. SCDOT and Goose Creek have agreed to share the cost with the department of transportation building the standard steel poles for the traffic signals.

The city is interested in having mast arms extend over the intersection to which the signals would be mounted. Goose Creek has agreed to pay for the mast arms.

“I’ve been waiting to see our light here since I was 6, because I’ve lived here for a while with the traffic and accidents. I just hope they get better,” said Caleb.

The project is on Tuesday night’s Goose Creek City Council meeting agenda with the administration department expected to speak on the issue.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - Goose Creek resident Lisa Berry has lived in the West Greenview Acres neighborhood since 2004. She describes her neighborhood as “pretty quiet,” besides occasional traffic.

She found out about a planned development that could be built right next to her home and was taken aback. To her understanding, a road was going to run adjacent to her home and go to Red Bank Road, and a playground with a parking lot was going to be built on the other side of her property. She said those plans were concerning.

She posted in a Facebook group for Goose Creek residents, trying to inform her neighbors about what was going on. She said she was inspired to speak up; and said there should be no more construction.

“I was driving down Red Bank Road, and by the rural fire department, they have a marquee; it’s a flashing sign that changes,” Berry said. “It said, ‘if not you, then who?”

Berry’s post got the attention of Mayor Greg Habib, who responded in his own post in the group. He said he felt the need to give an explanation about what their processes are, what they are trying to accomplish, and how growth is important.

Berry met with the mayor Wednesday morning, and she discovered that there was an updated plan. She said that now instead of a road next to her house, it is proposed to be a walking trail, and the playground plans have changed as well. Habib said it is going to be a mix of townhomes and single-family homes with a commercial element on Red Bank Road.

One of the concerns that Berry had was that the property floods. Habib said the only way the flooding problems are going to go away is if someone develops the property properly.

“I knew it had a flooding problem,” Habib said. “We told the developer when he first came to us, you have to address flooding in this area if you’re gonna do anything here, and what the developer has proposed is a stormwater plan that actually takes water from off the property onto his own property to mitigate the flooding problems that are there now.”

Now Berry said she is not opposed to development but wants it to be done in a smart way.

“We have to change,” Berry said. “We can’t just stay the same. I just want it to be an informed decision where all citizens understand what’s going on and can voice their concerns, and if we don’t share that information then people are left out.”

It is not the first time that development concerns have been expressed in rapidly growing Goose Creek, or in the Lowcountry. Goose Creek is now the 8th largest city in South Carolina.

“We’re 47,000 people,” Habib said. “We are not a small town in small-town America anymore.”

Habib said he often hears concerns about traffic issues. He said the greatest tool to reduce traffic is economic development and putting people and businesses closer together.

“We got traffic here,” Habib said. “How do you mitigate that? Well, understanding that not building anymore is not an option, so how do you then mitigate it there is your plan for it, you do it right, and you do it in a way that makes sense.”

Habib said there are over 5,000 homes entitled to go up in the city. Habib said some of those are going to create more traffic than others because they are on the outskirts of the city. Until there is commercial development there, those people will have to drive into the main commercial section of the city to get what they need. He said they need to get commercial development out to those areas as fast as they can to mitigate the traffic.

“If we’re gonna build houses, which we know we have to, we’re going to insist developers to build communities,” Habib said.

Habib said they cannot sit by as development happens. Instead, they need to participate in it and make it look like what they want it to be.

There will be a public hearing regarding the aforementioned planned development on July 5 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.