After trailing the entire game, West Florence quarterback Paul Pizzuti nearly led the Knights to a last-minute comeback Friday night at Memorial Stadium against Greenwood. However, it was the Eagles, led by standout defensive back-turned quarterback D.J. Swearinger, who held on for the 17-10 win.

The Wilson Tigers held the city championship for the last three years. In order to win it a fourth time, they’ll have to go through West Florence and one of the best defenses in the state.

Offensive linemen are often the most unheralded players on a football team, giving a lot without expecting a lot of recognition in return. The same could be said for West Florence’s John Coleman in more aspects than just football.

Through the first quarter and a half of Friday’s game against South Florence, West Florence coach Trey Woodberry watched his offense stall after shooting itself in the foot on a number of occasions.

With 31 seniors back, West Florence returns a lot of the same faces that helped them garner a playoff berth last season. And for the second year in a row, a new face will be front and center on the South Florence sideline.

The Knights are senior-laiden, returning nearly 30 for the upcoming season, with 18 in the starting lineup on offense and defense. West made the playoffs for just the second time in Class 4A, with the other coming in 2004. A big part of their success came on defense. The Knights allowed an average of 12.9 points per game.

South Carolina has their eye on three Pee Dee football players. Travis Small, Kinsman Thomas and John Coleman will take part in the Gamecocks camp tomorrow with hopes of luring in a scholarship offer. 

A better name for West Florence’s stud Defensive End would be Best-man, or Great-man, or even VeryTalented-man.  Because goodman is just not good enough.  Recruting website Rivals.com has named Malliciah Goodman the number one recruit in the state. 

The top high school football prospect in the state of South Carolina can be found at West Florence High School.  In the latest Rivals.com top 100 rankings, Knight defensive lineman Malliciah Goodman is rankes as the 35th best prospect in the entire country - and the No. 1 prospect in the state. 

FLORENCE — Meghan Miranda and Kristen Taylor Pipkin, seniors at West Florence High School, ended their high school career on a high note by using their knowledge of creating a yearbook to produce one for Savannah Grove Elementary School students.

Melanie Zhao, a junior at West Florence High School, has earned what few students at her school have — a perfect score on both the critical reading and math sections of the SAT.

West Florence junior Bobby Browning is three wins away from a state title. Browning won both of his matches Friday at the Class 4A individual tennis tournament in Columbia.

A West Florence Student that’s behind bar for bringing a gun to school now faces an additional charge.

FLORENCE — The individual state tennis championships begin today at the Caughman Road Tennis Center, marking the end of the season. And for the West Florence Knights, it also marks the end of an era.