Home Care In Honea Path, SC

The Clemson football program will once again welcome a local standout running back to campus this weekend.

Belton-Honea Path (Honea Path, S.C.) four-star Marquise Henderson is set to be back in Tiger Town on Saturday.

“I’m very excited to come visit this Saturday,” he told The Clemson Insider. “Clemson is already making me feel like home early in my recruitment.”

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound rising junior made a few gameday visits to Death Valley this past season, and Clemson has made a great impression on the talented class of 2025 prospect, from the coaches to the fan base to the way the program is run.

“What really stands out to me the most about Clemson is they don’t see you as only an athlete,” he said. “They make sure you’re good in the classroom, at home. Everywhere you go they want you to be a good person. Another thing that stands out to me is the atmosphere. I love the fans, the coaching staff and how they run things at Clemson.”

Henderson picked up his first offer from Coastal Carolina last August, followed by an offer from Virginia Tech in November. He has seen his recruitment continue to take off since the turn of the calendar year while collecting additional offers from Liberty, Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and most recently Cincinnati this month.

Clemson hasn’t offered any 2025 recruits yet, though the Tigers are interested in Henderson based on what he’s heard from the coaches while on campus in the past.

“Based on what I’ve heard from the coaches is that they love how explosive I am and how I can get past the first level so fast,” he said.

A future offer from Clemson would certainly be significant to Henderson, who plays his high school ball less than an hour away from the university’s campus.

“It would mean a lot to me knowing I’m an in-state guy and having the opportunity to go to such a great university,” he said.

Henderson is ranked as the No. 229 overall prospect in the 2025 class by Rivals, which considers him the nation’s No. 20 running back in his class and the No. 5 prospect from the Palmetto State.

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A Honea Path woman whose arms were amputated after she was attacked by three dogs was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with trafficking methamphetamine.

Kyleen Waltman’s arrest came during a routine traffic stop in Abbeville County. A deputy saw the car going left of center and running off the road., Abbeville County Capt. Matthew Graham said.

Because the woman driving the car was not arrested, Graham declined to name her. Waltman was in the front passenger seat.

Also arrested was Jeffrey Wayne Bond, a passenger in the vehicle. Graham said he told deputies he had methamphetamine in his pocket.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found a purse that belonged to Waltman with 8.3 grams of methamphetamine inside. When she was told she would be arrested, she told officers she had two other bags of methamphetamine in her pocket.

One bag weighed about 5.9 grams , the other 1.3 grams, Graham said.

“In total Kyleen Waltman possessed approximately 15.5 grams of methamphetamine, which is considered trafficking weight,” Graham said in a news release.

Bond was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Waltman and Bond were booked into the Abbeville County Detention Center Tuesday afternoon.

Judge Susan Gladden released Waltman on a personal recognizance bond Wednesday afternoon. Waltman left the jail about 30 minutes later. .

Waltman was attacked by three dogs as she walked down a rural road in Honea Path in March. She has had more than a dozen surgeries and was released from the hospital in April.

Amy Wynne, Waltman’s sister, said on a gofundme page in early October, “We are at our wits end, don’t know what else to do. Every bit of the donations this far has been to help get the medical equipment and pay her bills, but now it’s her medicines and regular everyday needs she needs help with.”

More than 6,000 donations, totaling $308,000 had been recorded by Wednesday morning.

Wynne added a comment from her mother, saying, “I am wore out. She cries a lot, and we don’t know what to do anymore.”

Waltman has been approved for Medicaid, but Wynne said her sister’s recent surgery out of state won’t be covered.

Waltman was bitten all over her body by two pit bulls and a mixed breed. A neighbor scared the dogs away by firing a pistol.

Justin Minor, who lives on the road where the attack took place, was arrested March 24 and charged with three counts of owning a dangerous animal that attacked and injured a human, rabies control violation and dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless restrained. All are misdemeanors.

He was freed on a $15,000 bond.

The owning a dangerous animal charge carries a penalty of $5,000 or a sentence of three years in prison.

Court records show the charges are still pending.

The dogs that attacked Waltman were euthanized. Eight other dogs were seized from the owner. They were quarantined for 10 days and then sent to rescue organizations.

Waltman has three children and a newborn grandchild. She worked in a Honea Path restaurant.

Doctors told her family they had never seen such vicious dog bites.

This story was originally published October 26, 2022, 11:06 AM.

There aren't a lot of better ways to describe Belton-Honea Path football's offense than how coach Russell Blackston puts it: "It's almost like we're a single-wing type team on offense but out of a shotgun look."

To put it plainly, the Bears (3-0) run the darn football.

BHP has run the ball 140 times for 1,155 yards with 17 touchdowns. In comparison, it's thrown the ball 37 times — that's a little less than a 4-to-1 run/pass ratio.

But why does Belton-Honea Path run it so much? Well, when you have the running back group it has, you'd run it that often, too.

"Defense wins championships, but offense controls the game, it controls the pace, it controls how many snaps the other team gets and I learned many years ago, for the offense to do that, it needs to be able to run the ball," Blackston said. "And when you have one great running back, that's unbelievable, two's even better, and three, well, that's the special sauce and that's what we have here."

Senior Shaheem Robbs and juniors Marquise Henderson and Justin Lathon are the three running backs that make up what is the best RB room in the Upstate.

Henderson, a three-star prospect with offers from Vanderbilt, Virginia, Cincinnati, Arizona and others, is the headline-grabber and a big play waiting to happen.

His ability to break long runs and glide past defenders drives fear into the hearts of opposing defenses. "He's the electrical one. He's the one that everybody knows about, the one everybody fears the most," Blackston said.

"Like Coach said, I'm the electric one that's going to break the long runs," Henderson said. "I feel like I can bring a lot to the running back room because of that ability. I know I can always get past that first guy with my first step coming off my cut."

Despite the headlines going to Henderson, according to Blackston, it's Robbs that makes their offensive approach click.

"Shaheem is a bowling ball of butcher knives ... he's our between-the-tackles runner, that people just bounce off of," Blackston said. "Robbs is the one that makes us go, he really is. When Shaheem gets in there and establishes himself, he changes the pace of the game for when Marquise gets in."

"I feel like I wear down the defense a lot like because of how I play, running between the tackles and going straight on defenders, for when Marquise gets the ball and just runs past everybody," Robbs said.

Just when defenses think they have two figured out, here comes the two-way defensive lineman/running back whose play is only matched by his leadership.

"Justin Lathon, he's like a bull in the china shop, he just wrecks everything when he goes in," Blackston said.

Lathon knows exactly how his role as the third back helps them win games.

"If one of us gets tired, we always have the other to come in and get the job done," he said.

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That recognition from Lathon alludes to the maturity and self-sacrificing nature he brings to their group. "He's just an unbelievable person is how I would describe Justin," Blackston said. "He'll do whatever is needed for the good of BHP. Justin's a great team guy, a great leader and has great ability on the field, too. I'm really proud of what he's able to do for our team."

Last season, over 12 games, the three combined to carry the ball 328 times for 2,568 yards with 29 touchdowns. But beyond that success they've already had, the three lean on each other to focus on the right things.

"We're all here to get better and work every day to build this team up," Henderson said. "And the relationship we have is amazing because we work every day, we're able to hold each other accountable every day, and because of that, we've become disciplined to the point that we know the little things we need to do that help us get better when we get on the field."

HONEA PATH – The statistics seem like they couldn't possibly be correct.

Belton-Honea Path junior Marquise Henderson, one of the best high school football running backs in South Carolina, is averaging 14.6 yards per carry this season. For his three-year career, he’s averaged 11.6 yards on 315 attempts. An automatic first down, basically, every time he’s touched the ball.

Henderson doesn’t even have the most carries on his team and still ranks fourth in the state, according to MaxPreps, with 1,522 rushing yards. He has more yards than the No. 7 player, Trey Thompson of Andrew Jackson, with half the attempts.

With Henderson leading a rushing attack that piles up more than 300 yards per game, Belton-Honea Path is undefeated and is focused on its first state championship since 2004. The Bears (9-0, 3-0) are ranked No. 2 in Class AAA statewide media poll, behind only 9-0 Daniel, and are No. 3 in the 864Huddle Super 25 list of best teams in the Upstate. They average 52.7 points per game, and Henderson has 25 of their 47 rushing touchdowns.

Belton-Honea Path plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wren (5-4, 4-0) for the Region 2-AAA championship and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs beginning next week. The Hurricanes under first-year coach Anthony Frate are trying to go unbeaten in a region for the first time since 2014.

WEEK 10 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Upstate schedule | Best games and predictions

Henderson (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) is already rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports, which has him as the state’s fifth-best overall player for the Class of 2025. He has offers from seven Power Five teams and seven Group of Five teams.

“Marquise has tremendous acceleration when he sees a hole,” Belton-Honea Path coach Russell Blackston said. “All you need to do is watch his highlights, man. When he doesn’t want to get tackled, he doesn’t get tackled.”

Blackson likened those football rushing lanes to ones in a bowling alley.

Seven of BHP's nine top offensive linemen and tight ends from last season's 10-2 team are back. They are the sweep bar that protects and clears. Senior fullback Shaheem Robbs (5-8, 200) is the pin-buster.

“It starts with those guys up front,” Blackston said. “Shaheem is a bowling ball of butcher knives. I learned a long time ago that if you have a change-of-pace back, that’s when you can really be good.”

“When I keep going up the middle, it makes all the players get in the box,” said Robbs, who has 860 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns on 123 carries, 19 more than Henderson . “Then Qwez gets going. He’s got space. He’s explosive. You’ve just got to give him the ball and he’ll make a play.”

“Marquise is the electric one, man,” Blackston said. “He’s the one that can make things go. That’s why he has 25 touchdowns. He can go.”

WEEK 9 TOP PERFORMERS: Greenville County | Spartanburg area | Anderson, Pickens

Henderson started his freshman season at cornerback. The offensive backfield was already crowded, and this was a way to at least get the young talent on the field.

That lasted two games before he joined the backfield crowd and was on his way to 892 rushing yards, 9.7 per carry, with seven touchdowns.

“I was OK playing defense. I liked it,” Henderson said. “But I knew where I wanted to play and where I needed to play.”

“He’s a special talent,” Robbs said. “He’s been playing like this since he was young.”

Robbs and Henderson have been friends and teammates, most of the time in the same backfield, since they were 8 and 7, respectively.

“Shaheem is like my brother,” Henderson said. “He worked with me through the process when I was a freshman and he’s still helping me. He wears the defenses down. That’s what gives me a chance to break out a big run. He’s also a team leader. He keeps everybody straight. He always has a positive attitude.”

Henderson also acknowledged the sweep bar knocking down defensive pins in front of him. The offensive line includes senior center Judson Thomas, junior tackle Oliver Marett (6-7, 290) as well as sophomore guards Keylan Dixon and Keagan Mosher.

“I appreciate them every day,” Henderson said. “Those boys are working. Probably the best front in the state.”

Henderson has offers from ACC schools Boston College, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virgina Tech as well as Arizona. He also has offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, James Madison and Liberty.

He said Wednesday on social media that he will announce a verbal commitment Monday and is down to six finalists: Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Here’s a look at Friday night’s top South Carolina high school football matchups in the Upstate for Week 1. Rankings are from the 864Huddle's Upstate Super 25 list of best teams in the area. Staff writers Sam Albuquerque and Todd Shanesy make their predictions.

Game of the Week

No. 7 Westside (0-0) at No. 11 Belton-Honea Path (0-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Neither team played in Week 0, so it's a highly anticipated opening night for these standout Anderson County teams. Westside is No. 7 in the Class AAAA statewide media poll and Belton-Honea Path is No. 6 in AAA.

Westside will play fast and throw the ball around under new coach Brian Lane, who polished that style at Byrnes and Woodruff. The Rams have an outstanding quarterback in Cutter Woods and a pair of elite receivers in Jimmar Boston and Josh Williams, both of whom were in the Dandy Dozen players to watch this season.

Belton-Honea Path has a run-based offense that will share the ball between top returning backs Marquise Henderson, Justin Lathon and Shaheem Robbs. The Bears passed on only about 25 percent of plays last year.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Westside 34, Belton-Honea Path 28

Shanesy's prediction: Westside 35, Belton-Honea Path 21

No. 1 Byrnes (1-0) at No. 8 Chapman (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The No. 1-ranked Rebels travel to Inman to take on the top-rated Class AAA team in Chapman. In 2022, Byrnes beat Chapman 54-7, but that shouldn't be the case this season.

Chapman was a team full of new starters last season. This season, 17 starters return. For Byrnes, there’s so much talent that it’s hard to imagine the Rebels losing to any lower classification team. Add in the emergence of star freshman running back David Segarra III and the Rebels are even scarier.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Byrnes 31, Chapman 24

Shanesy's prediction: Byrnes 34, Chapman 14

Week 0 top performers: Greenville County | Spartanburg County | Anderson and Pickens counties

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE:High school football schedule for Upstate teams in Week 1 of 2023 season

No. 2 Greenville (1-0) at No. 9 T.L. Hanna (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Greenville took care of step one in a brutal non-conference schedule by beating Dorman, 34-21. The Red Raiders after this one will have Byrnes, Mauldin and J.L. Mann before region play begins.

The Red Raiders took over the No. 1 statewide media ranking in Class AAAA, while T.L. Hanna is No. 7 in AAAAA. Greenville’s defense and special teams set the tone last week and will have to do that again.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Greenville 35, T.L. Hanna 24

Shanesy’s prediction: Greenville 31, T.L. Hanna 30

No. 4 Spartanburg (0-1) at Dutch Fork (0-1)

When: 8 p.m. Friday

In this highly anticipated matchup, both teams have one loss. For Spartanburg, it was a 16-14 loss to South Pointe. And for Dutch Fork it was a 48-17 loss to Georgia power Colquitt County.

Spartanburg showed glimpses of its talent and the second game should show a bit more growth. Dutch Fork has won six out of the last seven AAAAA state championships, but first-year starting quarterback Jonathan Hunt suffered a shoulder injury in Week 0.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Spartanburg 24, Dutch Fork 21

Shanesy's prediction: Dutch Fork 22, Spartanburg 21

No. 18 Easley (0-0) at No. 10 Daniel (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

In last week’s game against Greer, Daniel switched quarterbacks in the second quarter. Despite not starting, Lee Turnipseed finished the game with three touchdown passes. Will coach Jeff Fruster keep Turnipseed under center or return to initial starter Kolton Chapman?

On the other side, last season’s starter Kaleb Sutton is now at Hillcrest and sophomore Jay Stoker appears to be his replacement at quarterback. In the Green Wave’s first game and in Stoker’s first-ever start, it will be interesting to see how he fairs against a talented Lions defense.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Daniel 38, Easley 21

Shanesy's prediction: Daniel 35, Easley 17

Abbeville (1-0) at No. 17 Powdersville (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The defending Class AA state champions travel to the AAA state runners-up for a rematch of last season’s Week 1 game that saw the Patriots win at Abbeville, 51-44. The difference then was that do-it-all athlete Thomas Williams was carrying the ball for Powdersville. Now he’s at Virginia Tech.

In the 22-21 opening loss to Broome, Powdersville showed it still has to grow if it wants to get back to the state championship game. But with returning quarterback Eli Hudgins and star linebacker Harrison Jefferies, the Patriots have the talent to right the ship. Can they do it this week?

Albuquerque’s prediction: Abbeville 24, Powdersville 21

Shanesy's prediction: Abbeville 28, Powdersville 14

No. 12 Riverside (1-0) at No. 6 J.L. Mann (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

J.L. Mann has a potent offense led by quarterback Ethan Anderson and last week had an easy time against Eastside, 49-0. Riverside won, 49-7, but that was against an overmatched Travelers Rest from AAA and is more difficult to gauge.

This game also features two of the Upstate’s best offensive athletes. Mikel McClellan of J.L. Mann and Mikkel Skinner of Riverside are dynamic wide receivers who will run the ball, too.

Albuquerque’s prediction: J.L. Mann 27, Riverside 24

Shanesy’s prediction: J.L. Mann 35, Riverside 31

No. 20 Greer (0-1) at No. 3 Hillcrest (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Hillcrest had an impressive debut for new coach Bennett Swygert last week in a 55-7 win against Laurens. The Rams feature dynamic wide receiver Avery McFadden and Sutton, the transfer quarterback.

Greer’s defense had a tough time at home against AAA power Daniel, 48-20, and this is an even bigger challenge. The Yellow Jackets will run, run, run with LaDainnian Martin and try to limit the Rams’ possessions.

Albuquerque’s prediction: Hillcrest 42, Greer 18

Shanesy’s prediction: Hillcrest 35, Greer 14