Chimney Sweep in Summerville, SC

SUMMERVILLE — On the 100th anniversary of the Charleston area’s longest high school football rivalry, Summerville senior wide receiver Yannick Smith put his personal stamp on the game, leading the Green Wave to a 62-27 win over the Berkeley Stags at John McKissick Field.

Smith had a remarkable first half with four touchdowns, two via the air and two on the ground, as Summerville opened a 35-6 halftime lead. The 6-3 East Carolina commit had touchdown receptions of 45 and 33 yards from quarterback Jaden Cummings, and also ran for scores of 11 and 47 yards.

Cummings also tossed a touchdown pass to Sheldon Green in the first half. Cummings threw for 262 yards in the game. Running back Trae Green had two rushing touchdowns and Ashton Allen-Hawkins had a score.

Summerville scored on the second play of the game when Cummings connected with Green on their 60-yard touchdown less than a minute into the game.

After forcing a Berkeley punt, Summerville scored again on their second snap with Cummings and Smith combined on a 33-yard pass and run and the Green Wave led 14-0 with 9:28 left in the first quarter.

Summerville’s defense was up to the task as well early on, limiting the Stags to just four total yards in the first quarter. The Green Wave went up 21-0 on Smith’s 11-yard rush out of the wildcat formation. That score was set up by an interception and return of 74 yards by Jaden Kelly to thwart a Berkeley drive.

Berkeley put together its best drive of the first half, driving 86 yards on nine plays with freshman quarterback Henry Rivers scampering in from 19 yards to trim the lead to 21-6.

But Smith was not done, adding a 47-yard run out of the wildcat and catching a 45-yard pass from Cummings to give Summerville the commanding halftime lead.

Berkeley put together a scoring drive, aided by a key Summerville penalty on fourth down, to open the third quarter. Rivers capped the drive with a 40-yard pass to Kaden Bash, cutting Summerville’s lead to 35-13 with 8:28 left in the third.

One hundred years ago, Berkeley and Summerville played football for the first time.

“Moncks Corner overwhelmed by large score,” reported the Charleston News and Courier on Nov. 3, 1923. Summerville defeated the old Moncks Corner High School by 59-6.

“The entire Summerville backfield, Riggs at tackle and Hutchinson at end starred,” the article said. “O. Sanders at quarterback played a splendid game for Moncks Corner.”

Friday’s contest at John McKissick Field in Summerville will be the 88th overall in the series. The teams played sporadically in the 1930s and ’40s, mostly in the postseason.

The rivalry has featured many players who went on to star in college and in the NFL, and great coaches such as Summerville’s John McKissick and Berkeley’s Gerald Moody and Jerry Brown. Summerville announced Friday that the McKissick Museum, dedicated to the winningest football coach of all time, will open at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 before the Berkeley game.

Our town, our coach.Join us this evening for the McKissick Museum grand opening, tonight at 6:00 before we take on the Berkeley Stags. pic.twitter.com/jkVptNq7JZ

— Summerville Football (@SummervilleFB) September 1, 2023

The series heated up in the late 1950s, and the teams have played nearly every year from 1960-2007. That 2007 season saw each school play teams from Florida as part of a doubleheader. The series resumed in 2008 and has been played every year since.

Summerville holds a 61-23 edge in victories, with four games ending in a tie. The Green Wave holds the longest winning streak at 11 games in the series. The Stags won three straight from 2017-19, but Summerville has won the last three contests.

Current Summerville head coach Ian Rafferty is 5-0 all-time in the series. Rafferty was a player in two wins back in the 1990’s and has won all three meetings since he has been head coach.

For a long time, Berkeley and Summerville were the only high schools in their respective counties. The creation of new high schools over the years have added other rivals to each team’s schedules. Goose Creek came along in 1969, followed by fellow Berkeley County schools Stratford (1983) and Cane Bay (2008).

In Summerville’s district, Fort Dorchester (1992) and Ashley Ridge (2008) have also become rivals for the Green Wave.

“I think it still means a lot to some people, but things have really changed over the years,” Rafferty said of the Berkeley game.

Berkeley’s Eric Lodge, as a new head coach in the Lowcountry, is experiencing his first game against Summerville. The game still means a lot in Moncks Corner, he’s been told.

“I heard about that game during the interview process,” Lodge said. “I got the impression that for a lot of people, it’s still a big deal.”

As for this year’s meeting, one team will take its first loss of 2023. Summerville, the top-ranked team in the state for Class AAAAA, won its opener last week at Carolina Forest. Berkeley is off to a 2-0 start with wins over Timberland and Hanahan by a total of five points.

Both teams have excellent quarterbacks in junior Jaden Cummings at Summerville and freshman Henry Rivers at Berkeley.

“We need to play better than we did last week,” Rafferty said. “Berkeley has some good talent. Their quarterback (freshman Henry Rivers) is the real deal. They have our full attention.”

Lodge says the Green Wave is worthy of its lofty state ranking. He says Summerville has explosiveness on offense with a physical, fast defense.

Wright Cousins

Another area rivalry resumes on Saturday night as Cross hosts Berkeley County rival Timberland at 6 p.m. Cross head coach Shaun Wright and Timberland head coach Greg Wright are first cousins (their fathers are brothers). This will be the third matchup between the two as head coaches, with each having a win.

Timberland has dominated the overall series, which began after Timberland opened in 1997. Cross won games in 2000 and 2001 but did not win again in the series until last season.

In fact, Cross won the 2001 game when Greg Wright scored the winning touchdown for the Trojans. His cousin, Shaun, was an assistant coach on that team.

“Timberland sort of took off when Art Craig got there as head coach,” said Shaun Wright, who became an assistant at Timberland in 2002. “It should be a great game on Saturday night. Timberland is 0-2 but they could easily be 2-0. They are good.”

Cross is 1-1 with a win over Hemingway and a loss to Calhoun County. Timberland lost to Berkeley (36-32) and Indian Land (7-6).

David Shelton’s Lowcountry Top 10

1. Summerville

2. James Island

3. Fort Dorchester

4. Philip Simmons

5. Oceanside Collegiate

6. Lucy Beckham

7. Ashley Ridge

8. Woodland

9. West Ashley

10. Berkeley

High School Football Schedule

Sept. 1

Berkeley at Summerville

Ashley Ridge at Conway

White Knoll at Colleton Co.

Grayson (Ga.) at Fort Dorchester

Sumter at Goose Creek

Lexington at Stratford

Stall at Wando

Cane Bay at West Ashley

Timberland at Cross, 6 p.m. Saturday

Lucy Beckham at Bishop England (canceled)

First Baptist at James Island

North Charleston at Baptist Hill

Philip Simmons at Georgetown

Woodland at Bluffton (canceled)

Academic Magnet at Burke

Colleton Prep at Branchville

Palmetto Christian at Military Magnet

Denmark-Olar at St. Johns

Camden Military at Porter-Gaud

Northwood at Thomas Heyward

Ben Lippen at Pinewood Prep

Conway Christian at Faith Christian

Cross Schools at Dorchester Academy

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - The Annual Sweet Tea Festival brings thousands of community members together every year to help the once-small-town continue to thrive.

Saturday marks a decade of celebration for the sweet treat special to the heart of Summerville.

Organizers reflected on how the event will remain a staple to the Lowcountry after its ten-year milestone.

“Not only allowing us to come here, do this right in front of their front doors, but businesses are thriving and seeing how amazing it is to have these kinds of events,” Summerville DREAM team member Stephen Slappey said.

It’s all about the food, games and fun.

And of course: the sweet tea.

“I’ve tried a lot. My favorite is the regular,” 9-year-old festivalgoer Asher said.

Lines of people crowded the streets of downtown Summerville to get a glimpse, and a sip, of the most unique sweet tea flavors the Lowcountry has to offer.

“Long lines for all the teas, so I don’t know,” Summerville DREAM Team member Jessica Schaefer said. “There’s a lot of people, we have 17 different vendors selling so. What we can say is we cannot confirm or deny a winner until it’s over.”

This year marks 10 since the festival opened its doors to the public.

Each time the event offers an open house for vendors in food and beverage, art, clothing, live music, and more.

“We started in 2013 with the Sweet Tea Festival. We found out Summerville was the birthplace of sweet tea, where it started. We were like, ‘We need to be on the map for that,’” Slappey said.

Long-time Lowcountry community members say it’s not only become a tradition to the town, but a special place for families, friends and neighbors.

“Just about every year, I come here every year because my mom is one of the vendors,” Long-time festivalgoer Brunte Austin said.

Austin adds there is always something new to see, hear or taste.

“Every year I’m here, I love it. It’s different every year.”

Members of the nonprofit Summerville DREAM team say they were impressed by the turnout.

“A lot of our contest vendors for the sweet tea contests are already out of cups because there’s so many people out here,” Schaefer said.

They add the overwhelming support from the public makes a difference.

“We are so appreciative to see this community thrive because it is willing to support itself,” Slappey said.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - The S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism recently granted nearly $34,000 to bring more people into Summerville.

The town, acknowledged for its charm, history and its people, wants to make sure everyone gets to experience some of the Summerville way.

“It feels good to be able to show off our hometown to people who can come visit and vacation here,” Town of Summerville Public Information Officer Chris Makowski said. “And to really see the beauty and the people that are here.”

Summerville sees a record number of visitors, sitting at around 250,000 every year and housing more than 50,000 permanent residents.

The town hopes to boost the statewide economy by encouraging tourism and development in the area.

The community shared their thoughts on the funding and what they hope to see come out of it.

One family, planning to move to the area in just a few weeks, was ecstatic.

“As far as bringing tourists in, I do feel like it’s worth it,” future Summerville homeowner Whitney Mourlam said. “It’s just a gem, and it’s worth coming inland a little bit to check it out.”

“It’s a great location, like a little way from the touristy feel but you can really blend in and feel like you’re a local right away,” future Summerville homeowner Mark Mourlam said. “We want to grow our family down here and live everything Summerville has to offer.”

One long-term resident said he enjoys seeing his town thrive, but worries about what it could mean for traffic, infrastructure and the cost of living.

“I’ve watched the growth, and it’s terrific how fast and how large this place has gotten,” Summerville Homeowner John Calvert said. “But you can only build so many apartments and so many subdivisions. We’re running out of space!”

There are no specific projects or plans for the grant.

The Town of Summerville says they want to allocate the money toward marketing campaigns through social media, magazines and the local visitor center, to name a few.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Summerville designer Gray Benko and her family are on a quest to bring color and life back to historic spaces in the Charleston area. It’s a feat they are accomplishing head-on in a new TV series called “Happy to be Home with the Benkos.”

In six episodes, Gray Benko teams up with her craftsman husband, Mike Benko, and her father, Joe “Grumpy” Highsmith, to renovate portions of six historic Charleston-area homes.

Each episode features a different house that dates back at least 100 years. The idea is to add color, texture and fun to each one while breaking away from the “stereotypical farmhouse concept that has been so popular for so long,” said Mike Benko.

Most of the renovated spaces are ones the homeowners were unhappy with. They were either looking for a change, or the space needed some sort of structural or construction work.

The crew works to salvage the integrity of each home’s history while adding the flair of Gray Benko’s designs. Once complete, most of the spaces are revived from floor to ceiling with brand new construction, vibrant colors and patterns, antique furniture and fixtures from local shops.

Each member of the trio has their own rule in the renovations. Gray, who is also a photographer, is responsible for the designs. Highsmith, a general contractor from Hilton Head Island, oversees the construction. And Gray describes her husband, Mike, as a renaissance man who’s “like a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy.” He completes a personalized, special project for each homeowner.

Gray, a Lowcountry native, said her family’s passion for this work likely stems from living in historic homes for so many years. They’ve renovated their own homes, “and that’s kind of how this whole things started,” she said.

“I did our houses, people saw it on my Instagram, loved it and then started asking me for help with their house,” she said. “And then it all turned into this whole TV show thing, and here we are.”

“Happy to be Home with the Benkos” airs on the Magnolia Network, which features original shows curated by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of the hit home renovation TV series “Fixer Upper” and owners of the Magnolia home brand. The show can be streamed on HBO Max and Discovery+, too.

Since the Benkos utilize local businesses to help with the renovations, many Lowcountry faces are seen on the show, too, like Charleston upholsterer Kelvin Moultrie of Carolina Auto Trim, seamstress Elizabeth Wheaton of Wheaton Whaley Home and designer Sally Bennet of Mirth Studio, among other South Carolinians.

The Benkos are currently taking on new projects in the Summerville and Charleston areas. Homes that are built in the 1920s or earlier are preferred.

“We are looking for people who are not afraid of color, obviously, and who have renovations that they already want to do,” Gray said.

Those who are interested should send an email to info.graybenko@gmail.com.

Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Some businesses say prioritizing a sense of place in the town of Summerville is most important and sometimes that means new development, despite what some people might think.

Dorchester County has a proposed plan to turn 500 N. Main St., also known as their main county building, into a hotel, retail spaces, a parking garage and more.

Some businesses located in the heart of Summerville, like Eva’s Restaurant, think change is about time.

“If we don’t have growth, we don’t have a future,” general manager Tina Howard said.

Eva’s Restaurant has been serving the town since 1944. With the proposed development, Howard says she’s not worried about competition.

“I think it would benefit us as a small business with, you know, bringing in tourists,” Howard said. “...I don’t feel it would hurt us personally because we have such a strong, established business.”

Diane Frankenberger, the owner of People, Places & Quilts, says she’s watched Summerville grow for over 30 years. She says with the old post office as the new public works art center, the old Coca-Cola company as the new YMCA and an old hardware store as her own business, she believes both the county and town councils prioritize preservation.

“You have to go forward with the future,” Frankenberger said. “We still can’t have the same houses around here and the old town hall and no computers and blah blah blah. And so, it’s keeping a sense of place, but moving forward with an eye towards the future.”

The county has already approved plans to preserve part of the county building, which once was the old hospital, and improve the current Veteran’s monument.

“I think when people are calling names or say, ‘Don’t do something,’ let’s wait and see and work together and make the best use of what we’ve got there,” Frankenberger said.

Howard says she wants her 6-year-old grandson to be able to experience a flourishing Summerville, just like she has all her life.

“A lot of people complain about the growth and ‘People will stop coming here, we’re full, don’t come here,’” Howard said. “Without growth, we don’t have a future. The future is growth.”

Frankenberger says she’s ready to move forward.

“No more gas on the fire,” Frankenberger said. “Let’s put water on the fire.”

Dorchester County provided the following statement about the proposed plan:

Dorchester County is looking forward to having greater capacity and flexibility to complete the following projects from fee revenues of the redevelopment:

Funding to preserve the façade of the old hospital building.

A new civic park and improvements to the Veterans Memorial.

An additional $8 Million in funding to DD2 schools to supplement $2 Million from the TIF.

Provide $20 Million in funding for a Community Recreation Facility in the Summerville area.

Provide $2 Million in additional funding for streetscaping and improvements to Main Street and Cedar Street.

Provide credits for workforce housing for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders within the multi-family development for at least 15 years.

A modern County office building and additional Class A Office Space in the downtown area.

A new downtown hotel and restaurant to provide much-needed retail and hospitality amenities in the downtown area.

Create additional parking by providing for the construction of a parking garage in the downtown area.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.