Greenwood , S.C.; November 6, 2023 – SK Media is pleased to announce its first ever Football Awards Banquet. The banquet will honor award winners in six different categories as well as All-Lakelands first and second teams.
The banquet will be held Upstairs at Howard’s on Main on Monday, December 11, 2023. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. and light finger foods will be served. The banquet will serve as an opportunity to highlight the enormous amount of talent in the Lakelands area.
The six awards to be presented are Corey Carter Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Shell Dula Coach of the Year, and the Bill Rhodes Award. Criteria for each award are included below.
The banquet will highlight a successful first football season for SK Media. Since its launch in August, the website SKLakelands.com has been visited nearly one million times by sports fans around the Lakelands seeking the latest information on prep sports in the Lakelands area. Their podcast “Scrambled Sports Sit Down” now has more than 300 weekly listeners and features exclusive interviews with players and coaches from area teams.
COREY CARTER PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Corey Carter was one of the greatest players to emerge from a deeply talented Lakelands area. Corey played running back and linebacker for the Ninety Six Wildcats. In 1999, Carter’s senior year, he was named the Region 2-2A Player of the Year as well as High School Sports Report’s Player of the Year. That season, Corey rushed for 2,270 yards on 293 carries, scoring a school record 41 touchdowns. He also led the team in tackles with 111, including eight sacks. He was committed to Clemson before an injury in the Shrine Bowl cost him his offer from the Tigers. Corey ended up at East Tennessee State University where in 2001 it was his efforts on the field that took down top-ranked Georgia Southern Eagles. That Eagles team was coached by college football Hall of Famer Paul Johnson and was led by a running back by the name of Adrian Peterson. Peterson was the second best running back on the field that day.
Corey shined on the football field, whether it was on offense, defense, or special teams. But he was more known for his even temperament and ability to put others at ease. Corey sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2007.
The Corey Carter Player of the Year award is presented to the player in the Lakelands who leads from the front with self-sacrifice and shines on both sides of the ball. He must be a friend to all and lead by example both on and off the field.
SHELL DULA COACH OF THE YEAR – The name Shell Dula is synonymous with great coaching across the state of South Carolina. He is a native of Laurens and played football at Presbyterian College before entering the coaching ranks as an assistant at Woodruff to legendary Wolverine coach W.L. Varner. He spent 32 years coaching and posted an astounding 254-142-1 record. He spent 10 season at the helm of the Ninety Six Wildcats, leading them to a state championship in 1982. He then spent 12 seasons at Union County, where he won titles in 1990 and 1995. Coach Dula then came back to the Lakelands and led Greenwood to three championships in 1999, 2000, and 2006. He is one of only two coaches to win titles at three different schools in the state. He was inducted into the South Carolina Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015 and was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, in 2009.
The Shell Dula Coach of the Year award is presented to the Lakelands coach who does an exceptional job of inspiring his players, assistant coaches, and the entire community to believe in the vision he sets forth for his team and community. He gets more out of his team than the sum total of his players, whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or serving the community.
BILL RHODES AWARD – Bill Rhodes is the very epitome of service and dedication to a community. He began his service in Laurens School District 56 in 1960 and continues to serve the district to this day, amassing nearly 63 years of continuous service. In addition to his service as an educator, Rhodes coached football, baseball, and softball at various levels in District 56. He mans the ticket booth for Clinton basketball games to this day.
Rhodes not only served his community through education and athletics, but he also served his state and nation as a member of the South Carolina National Guard. Enlisting in 1955 as an infantry rifleman, Rhodes ascended through the ranks and retired as a Command Sergeant Major following a stellar 42-year military career.
The Bill Rhodes Award is presented to the player who serves his school and/or community faithfully, sacrificing himself for the greater good of those around him. He volunteers wherever he can lend a hand and is always a friend to the downtrodden. He is an encourager and always the first person to lift someone up when they are down.
