‘The entire town loves this team’: Beaufort High feels city’s support heading to title game

You could forgive a large portion of Beaufort High Eagles supporters for mistaking the football environment at Eagle Stadium, colloquially known as the Eagles Nest, for a filming of the old high school football-centric television show “Friday Night Lights,” what with the crowd of familiar faces from all walks of life gathered in common pursuit of going hoarse by cheering another Eagles win.

“Having a packed house really brought back memories of Friday Night Lights at BHS,” said Beaufort High Chemistry teacher Dawn Peebles. “Football and basketball games were community events where you were sure to run into everyone. Just knowing that you had the support of the community made a tremendous difference and seemed to bring people together. I actually could ‘smell’ that time again.”

She and plenty like her will take that smell — and maybe a little luck — to Columbia on Thursday for Beaufort High’s state championship game against South Pointe High at Benedict College. At 7 p.m., they’ll face a somewhat familiar foe in South Pointe Coach Devonte Holloman, the former coach for one season at Beaufort, whose departure in 2019 cleared the way for the ascendance of the Eagles’ Bryce Lybrand.

Safe to say it’s been a smooth transition.

“We have been evolving over the last few seasons, and Coach Lybrand has helped give us momentum and brought the community together,” said Ty Reichel, a longtime Big Green Booster Club member and Beaufort native. “I feel like I’m on the show ‘Friday Night Lights’ sometimes. The entire town loves this team.”

Part of that is due to her efforts with the booster club, working tirelessly to promote Eagle athletics by collecting community sponsorships for such things as team meals and fan apparel. Reichel’s son is also a standout receiver on the team, but standout is relative. Thought the team is described as “solid, not showy,” when you reach the state championship, you’re all automatically considered standouts, and familiarity hasn’t bred contempt as much as cohesion.

“It has been amazing to watch these boys play together over the years,” said Lori Howell, whose son plays on the vaunted Eagle defense. “They truly are a special group, and many of them have been playing together since they were 6 years old.”

Howell echoed the praise for community support.

At Friday’s Lower State Championship win over West Florence, “I have never experienced a high school game of that magnitude,” she said. “The community definitely showed up for this team.”

Bus caravan to Columbia

They’ll no doubt show up again in Columbia, with multiple chartered buses planning transport for parents, students and other fans. About 1 p.m., the caravan is planning to take the scenic route through Bay Street on their way to Benedict so downtown merchants can show their support, as well.

If it all sounds a little like a piece of Norman Rockwell’s vision — shopkeepers cheering on the sidewalk underneath lighted Christmas wreaths while All-Americans lean out the windows of their bus to accept the applause — maybe it’s because it is somewhat unique in today’s environment.

While making the playoffs is not necessarily new to the Beaufort High football program, getting this far and actually winning is certainly not the expectation year in and year out.

Jimmy Searson, Beaufort High Class of 1990 graduate and a former football player, can tell you that. He estimates he’s missed only four BHS games in his life, including the years he played. That’s a lot of football to sit in the stands and watch, folks. He was there for the 2007 run that ended with a loss in the state championship game under former head coach Mark Clifford, and he’ll be there again on Thursday in Columbia.

“It’s so awesome to see the community support,” said Searson. “I hope my Eagles win this game. They are way overdue.”

Former player Ron Parker has also been on the sidelines giving his vocal support, including at last week’s Lower State title game. As a member of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs for six notable seasons, Parker knows something about crowds and fans. Though the teams he played for at Beaufort in the early 2000s were pretty good, Parker thinks the energy behind the current team is an unusual and welcome phenomenon.

“It felt great to be watching the kids from my hometown show their talent and compete for a championship,” said Parker. “People were into the game, and the crowd was more than ready.”

It’s been a long time

Sending the team off on a wave of support is great, but no matter what happens against South Pointe, the group will find a warm reception back home. The last time the Eagles won a state championship was in the 1940s, a turbulent enough time that saw an end to both The Great Depression and World War II.

This might be the beginning of something new and exciting.

“I hope that this is the beginning of coming together again,” said Peebles. “Mindsets are very different now, and we’ve been working hard to instill in students the importance of valuing your school spirit and community.”

It’s probably not just a parent’s love talking when Reichel says “we are in awe of these coaches and these boys. This team has our hearts.”

Let’s hope they can have a championship trophy, too.

If not, it’s still been the kind of season worthy of a television show.