August 9, 2006
Byrnes High School pitted against Florida team for ESPN game on August 26

SPARTANBURG, SC —  Byrnes High School football is no stranger to big games. With seven state championships, four straight 4A state championships and a 25-game winning streak, the program has experienced the kind of success that most high schools only dream of, but the Aug. 26 game, the second of the 2006 season, pitting the Rebels against Florida’s Glades Central High School, might be the biggest yet.

The game, with a noon kick-off, will be televised live on ESPN and showcase a Byrnes team that is not only aiming for a fifth straight South Carolina state championship, but also will be showcasing Clemson commitment quarterback Willy Korn, who last year as a junior threw for more than 4,000 yards and rushed for 10 touch-downs.

From 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., there will be a free kids’ zone set up on the Byrnes baseball field a variety of activities.  Gates to the stadium will open at 9:30 a.m. with a Fellowship of Christian Athletes concert by Acts of God.

Tony McAbee, president of the Rebels Touchdown Club, expects all this to be shown on the new Founders Federal Credit Union Jumbotron digital scoreboard, which cost $328,000 and will be making its debut for the ESPN game.

Game tickets are on sale for $8, and McAbee expects up to 15,000 fans to attend.

Geoff Hart, sports director of WYFF-TV 4, will broadcast a live kick-off show from 11:30 a.m. to noon.  Concessions will be available for purchase all morning at the kids’ zone, and the Rebels Touchdown Club will be selling tailgate plates for $5 outside the west end of the end zone.

The Radisson Hotel & Suites is Glades Central’s home hotel.

Rebels games can be heard on WGWG FM 88.3 all season long. Anyone interested in information or in supporting Byrnes Football should contact McAbee at (864) 439-1881 or by email at bhsrebelsfootball@yahoo.com. Visit www.rebelstdclub.com for all details concerning Byrnes Football.

Team Spartanburg, the sports council of the Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, is assisting with the event.

Team Spartanburg’s mission is to promote Spartanburg as a destination for sports events; it recruits new events as well as provide assistance to existing sports events. Team Spartanburg is supported by its partners:

Champions – Coca-Cola, JM Smith Corp., Wachovia, City of Spartanburg
MVPs – Herald-Journal/Celebrate Community, Radisson Hotel & Suites, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Verizon Wireless, Wofford College
All-Stars – Ogletree Deakins, Showcase Marketing, Shred First, Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg Methodist College, University of South Carolina Upstate

For information Team Spartanburg, go to www.teamspartanburgsc.org or contact Jules Bryant at (864) 594-5051 or laura.corbin@wofford.edu or Nikki Harris at (864) 594-5050 or laura.corbin@wofford.edu.

Team Spartanburg
Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
298 Magnolia Street
Spartanburg, SC  29306
(864) 594-5050
1-800-374-TEAM

For more information, contact Team Spartanburg.