Friday night Easley will face the Hurricanes of Wren in the annual rivalry game between the two schools. A victory could give Easley at least a tie for second place in Region 1-AAAA. It would also give Easley it’s eighth win of the season, the best season-mark since the 1997 team was led by Erik Meekins (who will be going into the Hall of Fame Friday night) led the Green Wave to an 11-2 record.
Friday night will also see several Easley High School legends enshrined in the school’s athletic hall of fame. As we mentioned, one of those is Meekins. The 11-2 Green Wave team was coached by Mike Barnes, who was also the quarterback for the 1972 team that won Easley’s last state championship. Barnes will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as will former Green Wave greats David Loggins, Bobby Chandler, Tim Sutton and Bonnie Whelan Parris.
But depending on the progress of the constuction of the new high school down the S.C. Highway 8 and the new football stadium that is set to be a part of campus, this could be the final high school game played on Easley’s Brice Field.
While the school has plenty to look forward to with the new high school facility and the new athletic fields that will be part of the complex, one cannot help but to be a little nostalgic about the field that has been home to so many classic battles over the years.
So many memories are associated with the classic field. There’s the field’s namesake, who led Easley to its first state championship in 1937. A remarkable man, James C. Brice was very successful on the football field. But he is also remembered for his dedication to the young people of Easley and the way he helped to mold them into the adults who shaped a generation.
There’s also the accomplishments of Coach William Carr on that special field. Carr came to Easley after serving as head coach of Liberty High School, and he helped the Green Wave win its second state title in 1962. Carr built a tradition of excellence at the school. He left for Spartanburg High School after the 1966 season, but returned to Easley after retiring as an educator and serve the city as Mayor for many productive years.
And we cannot forget the career of the man Easley currently calls “Mr. Mayor,” Larry Bagwell. Bagwell won two state titles — 1967 and 1972 — as the Green Wave head coach. He continues to be a positive influence on the city as he serves as the top administrator.
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