Robbie Penny
Whiteville High School
2007 Columbus County Baseball
Player of the Year

Brett Harwood
Whiteville High School
2007 Columbus County
Baseball
Coach of the Year

By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

Robbie Penny, the latest in a long line of Whiteville High School baseball pitching standouts, led the state with 168 strikeouts this spring while being ranked in the top five in several other categories.

He carried a 0.84 earned run average and his won-loss record for his senior season was 12-3 as he helped pace the Wolfpack to a 22-7 record, the Waccamaw 1A-2A Conference championship and the Eastern N.C. 2A Regional finals.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Penny averaged two strikeouts per inning and was also one of the Wolfpack’s most reliable hitters.

When not pitching, he was able to step in at first base, third base, shortstop and the outfield positions.

Penny, who hit a state-high 20 doubles and carried a team-high .362 batting this season, has been named the 2007 Columbus County Baseball Player of the Years and heads this year’s 20-member All-Columbus team.

The All-Columbus County Baseball Team is selected annually by The News Reporter sports department.

Brett Harwood, who coached Whiteville High to its second straight conference championship in his third season as head coach, has been named 2007 Columbus County Coach of the Year.

Other Whiteville High players selected to the All-Columbus team are senior outfielders Quan Gaddy and Charlie Gore as well as junior pitcher Michael Wright and junior catcher Lloyd Enzor.

South Columbus, which tied for runnerup in the Waccamaw Conference and finished with a 17-7 record, is represented on the all-county team by senior pitcher Dusty Duncan, senior infielder Brandon Spivey, junior pitcher Ethan Ward, junior infielder Donovan Watts and junior catcher Dakota Piver. Coach Willie Gore’s Stallions advanced to the second round of the state 2A playoffs, falling to South Lenoir 2-1, with South Lenoir scoring both its runs in bottom of the seventh inning.

East Columbus players selected include senior catcher/pitcher Chad Malpass, junior pitcher Caleb Andrews, junior infielders C.J. Ganus and Allen Bracey and sophomore outfielder Demetrius McKelvie.

Coach Karl Bracey’s East Columbus team posted a 13-11 season record and advanced to the third round of the state 1A playoffs where it fell 4-3 in 10 innings to eventual state champion Princeton.

Players from West Columbus picked to the all-county team are pitcher Stephen Nealey, catcher Cory Duncan and infielders Timothy Brown and Bradley Cutrell.

Coach Ricky Young’s WCHS team, finished with a 13-13 record, tying for third place in the Southeastern 1A-2A Conference and advancing to the opening round of the state 1A playoffs. West Columbus experienced a rebuilding year after its 2006 senior-led team advanced to the state 1A finals.

Freshman Kyle Hufham of Waccamaw Academy has also been selected to the All-County team as his all-around play help lead Coach Winfred Johnson’s rebuilding Warrior program to the Southeastern Independent Conference championship and a berth in the NCISAA 1A semi-finals.

Penny, Gore and Watts also earned All-Columbus honors last season. Gore played at South Columbus in 2006.