Summerton Rotarians, Santee Ford employees and Scott’s Branch High School volunteers set up for the Drive 4UR Community event at Scott's Branch High School earlier this year. Dennis Craven and Santee Ford donated more than $1,300 to the Summerton Rotary Club, who donated the money to the SBHS wrestling program. The funds have been used to purchase all types of equipment that will be utilized starting in December when the Eagles form the wrestling team.
Though football and volleyball are the main focus of most of Clarendon’s high schools, one school is working toward a sport it will begin in December.
The Scott’s Branch High School wrestling program will get underway with the Eagles’ first home meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at home, and Coach Curtis Holland is gearing up for what he hopes will be a great season.
“With the help of Summerton Rotary and Birdfest, we raised more than $2,300 to help pay for wrestling shoes and our singlets – the uniforms used during competition,” Holland said.
Holland said Short Trip made the largest contribution to the wrestling program, and the convenience store is now the official sponsor for Scott’s Branch Wrestling.
“The Brooker family in Summerton also made another large donation to solidify the wrestling program,” Holland said. “Other sponsors include Summerton Drug and Compounding, Lawson’s Towing and Georgio’s. We’ve also had partnerships and collaborations with Santee Automotive and the South Carolina National Guard.”
Holland said the wrestling program has really been a “community effort.”
“As a community, we truly came together to start a wrestling program,” he said. “I am very proud to be a part of Clarendon School District 1. Dr. (Rose) Wilder and Dr. (Gwendolyn) Harris have been supportive of wrestling and helping us to get things moving.”
Holland is hopeful that he can start a youth wrestling program in the spring.
“The youth program will be The Eagles Wrestling Club; we will be affiliated with USA Wrestling,” he said.
Holland said items purchased for the program through donations included headgear, singlets, wrestling mats, scales and T-shirts, which will be used to raise even more funds.
“Our new wrestling mat is a new and very impressive product made by Resilite Sports Products,” he said. “This new product has wowed sponsors and anyone who has had the chance to see the mat.”
Fans will have to come to the matches to see the mats, though. Holland said the Digi-Print mat can have any image emblazoned upon it, then sealed with a clear coat.
“Wrestling runs parallel with basketball,” he said. “All of our mats and singlets will be revealed in November when the sports begin.”
For more information, or to help, call Holland at (910) 785-0839.
