Sports

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Clover senior Ella Nighbor swept the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the South Carolina High School League 5A Division I State Championships on May 14, winning her second straight 1,600 title and breaking a 21-year-old state meet record at Spring Valley High School. Nighbor, a University of South Carolina commit, entered as the top seed in the 1,600 and won it in 4:56.28, then returned about an hour later to take the 3,200 in 10:43.17. Both races came just off her lifetime bests of 4:54.36 and 10:26.58, performances coach Christopher Young described as championship efforts rather than time trials. Her winning 3,200 time of 10:43.17 broke the SCHSL 5A state meet record of 10:47.72, a mark that Spring Valley’s Kate Niehaus had held since 2005. Niehaus still owns the meet’s 1,600 record of 4:55.45, set in 2006; Nighbor’s 4:56.28 this year fell just 0.83 seconds short of breaking it. “Ella running the double is an incredible feat across the board,” assistant coach Ben Clark said. The 1,600 victory made Nighbor a two-time state champion in the event, a year after she won it as a junior and placed sixth in the 3,200. The double gives her four individual state titles, alongside a team cross country state championship and 13 school track records. That body of work, which also includes a 5K best of 16:40.44 and a 2,000-meter steeplechase mark of 6:58.71, establishes her in Young’s assessment as the most accomplished female distance runner in Clover history and one of the best in state history. Nighbor’s 1,600 title came in a 1-2 Blue Eagle finish, with senior Ava Jagielski, an Anderson University commit, running on Nighbor’s shoulder through 800 meters before kicking past Lexington’s Kendra Miles in the final 200 to take second in a personal-best 5:04.50. “These ladies have made remarkable progress through the years, achieving success they never imagined,” Young said. “To have them go one and two in their final high school race together — it couldn’t be a better ending to our four years together.” For Nighbor, the double closed a four-year Clover career and, by Young’s account, delivered the program’s signature moment of the meet. The Blue Eagles also placed fourth in the boys 4x800 relay in a school-record 7:53.44, with top-six finishes from Trinity Hall and Clara Powell in the high jump and Jamarquise Wilson in the 400 hurdles. The day marked a milestone for a program splitting between Clover and Lake Wylie, with several seniors competing one final time, none more accomplished than Nighbor. Clark put it simply: “She is such a hard worker, she is just now scratching the surface of all the great things she is going to do.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Clover High School men’s soccer team captured the SCHSL Class AAAAA Division I State Championship at Memorial Stadium, defeating Wando High School 1-0 in a grueling match extended by a three-hour weather delay. The two teams battled through 80 scoreless minutes of regulation. Clover’s Thomas Jenkins missed early chances in the 11th and 22nd minutes, while goalkeeper Brinkley kept the game deadlocked with a crucial save against Wando in the 39th minute. Just as regulation ended, a violent thunderstorm forced officials to suspend play, sending teams to the locker rooms and fans to their cars for over three hours. When the two 10-minute overtime periods finally began, Wando—who entered the match 23-2—unraveled due to disciplinary issues. Two red-card ejections, including one in the 57th minute following a second yellow card, reduced the Warriors to just nine men. Clover wasted no time capitalizing on the numerical advantage. With under three minutes remaining in the second overtime, Jenkins found space on the wing and delivered a perfectly weighted cross into the box. Senior Evan Tubiolo timed his run flawlessly, heading the ball into the back of the net to break the tie. Wando mounted a dangerous late attack to equalize, but Brinkley secured the shutout victory with a commanding save in the final minutes. The 1-0 golden-goal finish capped off a dramatic five-hour ordeal, providing a perfect championship sendoff for Clover’s senior class.

Men's and Women's Lacrosse End of Season

COLUMBIA, S.C.- The Clover High School wrestling team became the SC 5A Wrestling State Champions for the first time in the school’s history. The Dirty Birds defeated James Island 34-31 after a long, hard season. Head Coach Michael Fitzgerald started this program 24 years ago. While the program has experienced ups and downs, including some individual state championships, this is the first team win. Fitzgerald credits the team’s success to getting the right people on the coaching staff and building from there. Fitzgerald shared his feelings about the win as well. “Winning the state championship, the first wrestling state championship in school history for wrestling, definitely was a big moment. It couldn’t have been done without my assistant coaches, our wrestlers, the parents of our wrestlers, the administration, and the support from the faculty and staff. So it’s a true team victory across the board”. In the press conference before the state championship, Fitzgerald spoke about the season. “We were intentional about scheduling tough matches in front of our wrestlers, learning through losses and stacking wins.” As a result, they won important matchups throughout the season to make it to the championship match. Fitzgerald shared, “We are ready to embrace the opportunity we have here on Wednesday.” According to Fitzgerald, there were multiple standouts on the team and all worked hard throughout the season. Winning against the likes of Boiling Springs and Blythewood, picking up wins in dual matches, and beating a few perennial power schools in North and South Carolina helped build the confidence needed to take the state title. Wrestler Owen Tatum believed their winning factor throughout the season was having a great coach like Fitzgerald and being willing to go the extra mile to get their win. Throughout the season, the team focused on their belief in each other, acknowledging that the only thing they could control was themselves, and worked to improve every day. That focus helped them understand each other’s abilities during practice and gave them the confidence to push through each match and work to make each other better than the day before. They put in the work all the way to the end of the season. Wrestler Keller Brunnelson spoke of the team mindset heading into the match, “Overall, we are pretty confident, everybody is just focused to go out there and really put their best foot forward, going out there and wrestling with the mindset that we’re gonna leave it all on the mat.” And leave it all on the mat they did, and they brought home the trophy to prove it.

In a touching display of love and remembrance, two brothers, Landon and Grady Stone, have taken to the football field this season with their mother’s spirit guiding them. After the untimely passing of their mother, Kathy Stone, due to breast cancer last year, the boys have not only honored her memory but also fulfilled a dream she cherished: seeing them play together.

Clover Girls’ Basketball Team Thrives with Strong Start to Season

The swim teams have been going very well since the beginning of the season. Currently, they have more swimmers than ever who have completed all 8 events. They’re averaging about 20-25 best times each meet. Which is showing progress from not only swimming new events but also swimming events that you’ve swam repeatedly throughout the season.

CLOVER, S.C. - As the winter sports season kicks off, Roaring Eagle reporters reached out to coaches for insight into their goals and priorities for the upcoming season. From strengthening team dynamics to refining individual skills, each coach has a unique focus as they prepare their teams for success. Here’s what they had to say about their strategies and expectations for the season ahead.

CLOVER, SC – Clover High School was buzzing with energy on Friday night as the Blue Eagles faced off against the Indian Land Warriors in a riveting homecoming football game at Clover Memorial Stadium. The Eagles secured a victory, winning 21 - 7, delighting a spirited crowd decked out in pink in support of breast cancer.