PICKENS COUNTY — Senior athletes who competed in Spring sports were recognized by area high schools after the COVID-19 pandemic denied them their final season.
In Pickens, banners were hung on the light posts in downtown, each showcasing the photo of a student athlete.
Pickens High School Athletic Director and football coach Chad Smith said he was originally approached with the idea by a softball player’s mother.
“On Sunday evening, Gina Johnson, one of our softball parents here at Pickens High School, reached out to me with an idea she got from social media about a town in Tennessee that had hung their Spring Senior athletes’ banners up around town,” Smith said. “Most of the time, Seniors have their banners and they’re placed at whatever athletic field they’re playing in.”
Smith said since the Spring season was cut short, that was no longer going to happen. Instead, inspired by Johnson’s idea, Smith decided to reach out to Pickens Mayor Fletcher Perry.
“He (Perry) did what he needed to do with City Council and the City of Pickens, hung our Pickens High School Senior athletic banners up,” said Smith. “And the whole process took probably less than a week — which is flat-out amazing.”
Over in Easley, Senior athletes’ banners were also displayed, although it was decided to place them along the fencing of Getty’s Middle School’s Brice Field instead of on the Main Street lampposts.
The Easley fire department helped to hang the banners and were joined by school resource officers, city officials and a few of the athletes themselves.
But Easley isn’t stopping there.
When asked on social media if it would be only the athletes recognized, city officials said there are things in the works for all seniors.
“These posters were already made and usually are placed on the high school property, but since school is out — they couldn’t see them,” they said. “Stay tuned.”
