A.C. FLORA AAA CHAMPS

[greenew2]

Congrats to Coach Hallett and the boys on another great season. Say what you want about Andy Hallett, but the man wins. I have the up most respect for the coach and how he runs his program.

Final Score 13-6

 

[jeter807]

I'll second that!

 

[marimape]

Congrats to Coach Hallett and the Falcons. Great season!

 

[AlwaysTheTruth84]

How many seniors are on this team?

 

[Jhawk4]

Originally posted by AlwaysTheTruth84:
How many seniors are on this team?

not sure in total but 3 big ones will be Houser, Loving, and Clawson.

 

[NoDogInTheFight]

Those 3 guys will be heavily missed. ACF will lose talented ,well-rounded ballplayers year in and year out. That's a given nowadays. Flora's program has become one of the best in the state at all classifications. Actually it has been for quite some time now.

The Falcons will always have potentially great ballplayers knocking at their door to get into their system. The players in that area are fundamentally solid. Says alot about that areas rec leagues and the dedication of the player's families that get their kids professional baseball lessons at early ages.

You also can't say enough about what Coach Hallett has done in his tenure being the Skipper over at Flora. Andy had the foresight long ago in getting his players involved in highly competetive tournaments during the off-season by creating the Palmetto Sand Gnats. I believe Andy created the SG's. Never-the-less his players have made up the bulk of the Gnats teams over the years.

Hallett's influence in making the "Forest Acres Classic" a High School Baseball Spring Break extravaganza has broadened the interest even more of the people in that community to follow AC Flora Baseball. I also believe it has peaked an interest for people off of Forest Drive to following High School Baseball in general. Flora's fan support is second to none.

Those are just a few of many things Andy Hallett has done in his efforts to help people understand that High School Baseball in SC is a big deal. That it is a sport that should get more local and state wide coverage. That it is a sport that deserves and demands more respect. More respect not from it's followers but from the folks in our state's news rooms that over the years have seriously missed out on reporting some extraordinary ballgames played by some extraordinary athletes .

It is painfully evident that our local news stations have zero vision when it comes to HS Baseball. Something as simple as a scroll at the bottom of the television screen reporting High School Baseball scores during the sports segment (like they have for HS football and basketball) seems to not have even crossed their minds. The scroll alone would enhance viewership. That means more advertisers. Duh!!!

Andy has and has always had vision. Unlike the folks that report HS sports in the local and state newsrooms.

When the discussion comes up on great HS Baseball coaches in our state Andy's name is mentioned. I don't think though that enough of us really understand the impact he has had on HS Baseball in SC. Truly worthy of every single accolade he gets. Congrats to AC Flora Baseball for being State Champs. Again..

 

[2seamspin]

Not to take away anything from Flora but I really thought that this series would go to game three. Unfortunately, and it happens, the Yellow Jacket pitcher did not have a good outing and the game got away from them too quickly. There is no way that this game turns out the way it did when he is 'on'.

Congrats to AC Flora & Fort Mill on their successful seasons and for being the last two teams competing for that top spot in 3A. Quite an accomplishment for all these boys and coaches.

 

[redfisherman]

Houser at catcher and Clawson in LF are only Sr starting position players. Lose three good pitchers. Just one of those things that I guess is good and bad, but Flora never has an abundance of talent in one class just always has some good players spread out 9-12 and for the most part they do what Andy asks of them.

 

[NoDogInTheFight]

2SS~ You like myself had this thing going 3. Both wrong but atleast you had Flora in the finals. I picked StJ in the Lowers and to be b2b 3A champs..I believe my days of under estimating Flora and Hallett are over.

Your comment pertaining to Ft Mill's pitcher ~para-phrasing~ not being on and if he were this game would have actually been a game I think is a correct and a fair statement. I agree also that since that wasn't the case it still does not diminish anything from Flora and their Championship.

Looking back now one last time for this playoff season I think it should be noted how close Flora came from not even getting out of the District . It should solidify beyond a shadow of a doubt that the kids over at BC have so much pride in their program that one can almost visibly see it gushing from the pores of Bearcat players past and present. New coach and basically a whole new team. This group of 'Cats for the most part didn't have the luxury of playing together on the field last season. It was a learning on the job type of team which is rare for Brookland Cayce.

I think it's fair or very close to fair in saying Flora rolled thru the Lowers and the finals. The District was different. Flora in the District was a little fortunate that an out-gunned BC team had the first round in the palm of their hands but some how found a way to gift wrap it and hold it out without squeezing it with it's fingers. It allowed Flora to snatch it away. Great teams do that when their backs are against the wall.

Flora was the best team in 3A. I do wish though that Tomasovich would have had his chance to face off against Flora's offense. Shame that the format for the Finals isn't modified. I have said to the SCHSL for years that keeping the current playoff format is fine but start the Finals on the following Wednesday instead of it's current Monday start. We are talking 2 days guys. 2!!! It's really hard to understand how anyone would not want a Finals with both teams having all their pitchers fresh. Tomasovich from what I understand is one the top 5 HS pitchers in the state. For any team that makes it to the Finals and not be able to use such a weapon because of 2 measley days is ridiculous any way you slice it. Such is Life. Once again Congrats to ACF. Mission Accomplished!

 

[greenew2]

You keep bring up BC... Maybe you keep forgetting the fact that they would have had to beat AC Flora again after the 14 innings and that ACF had loving for that game. Just saying.

 

[NoDogInTheFight]

That is true G2. I am more so referring to that Saturday's winners game in which BC's 2nd pitcher was pitching a no-no after 4. Then BC made routine plays into Keystone Cop Classics. That was a game that BC lost more than ACF won.

Did that make sense? Not sure if I said it right. Anyways, BC had that game and gave it away and along with that BC also gave away having the luxury of forcing Flora come to them needing to win 2 to advance.



Btw in that winners game BC batters were peppering ACF's ace, the pitcher you were referred too that would have started gm 2 at Flora if it would have come to that.

Bottom line is, BC had their chance to knock off what I do believe now is the best SC High School Baseball 3A team in 2012 and didn't do it. A great collection of ballplayers and coaches seized on the opportunity to take advantage of BC's mishaps. Champions do that. ACF did what it had to do. SURVIVED! ~EDITED~ for spelling ..
This post was edited on 5/18 9:59 AM by NoDogInTheFight

 

[2seamspin]

In the game you refer to, Loving did not have his best outing but I'm not sure that BC gave the game away. What a good team does is put the ball in play and put the pressure on the defense to make the plays. Get guys on base that can disrupt things. Use smallball, hit and run, etc to force mistakes and that what Hallet did. And BC fell apart. I would not say BC gave the game away. I'd say Flora took the game from them.

BC was not supposed to do a lot this year and they somewhat exceeded expectations. Good for them. With all due respect to BC, if they would have pulled that first game out they never would have made it past Flora anyway. The same as Fort Mill, a vastly superior team to BC this year did not.

Flora was #1 preseason and ended up #1 post season and there was little doubt by most that the outcome would not be what it was.

 

[Radargunn]

Please....The game isn't four innings, its seven. You win and you lose on whether you hit, pitch or make plays. Flora didn't play their best or pitch their best in that Saturday game either. Loving, also had BC No-hit for 5 or six innings just a week before that Saturday game, if you remember correctly, so who is to say he wouldn't have done the same in game 2 if needed?

You can play the if game all you want and the BC played better game all you want. But Flora was clearly the best team in their region and in the state.