The Byrnes Rebels stayed undefeated last night with an 88-65 victory over the Spartanburg Vikings. The Runnin’ Rebels moved to 23-0 overall and 11-0 in Region 2-5A, while the Vikings dropped to 9-14 overall, 3-8 in region play. Let’s dive into my four points from Byrnes’ second victory over the Vikings in 2025.
1- Colt Fowler – I’m sure most of you already know this name. He is top three in the COUNTRY in assists. He is a very special player to just be a sophomore. Last night was my first time I was able to watch Fowler in person, and he did not disappoint. He had 16 points and 12 assists. 11 of those 16 points came in the final three minutes of the second quarter where Colt just took over the ball game. He had a scary moment late in the third quarter when he rolled his ankle after a made layup. Fowler would get his ankle retaped and then reentered the game to begin the fourth quarter. To be just a 10th grader, Fowler is very unselfish. However, when he wants or has to score the rock, he can at will. He also showed some hustle last night, getting after a lot of loose balls and taking a charge. The potential is limitless for Colt Fowler.
2-Jamari Cullen – As impressive Colt Fowler was last night, senior Jamari Cullen was equally as stout. Cullen had a couple of seismic dunks in the first half that really swung the momentum in favor of the Rebels. It wasn’t just Jamari’s offense that had Byrnes going in the right direction, as he also added two steals and a big block in the third quarter. It was a lot of fun to watch Cullen move away from the ball, but he also proved his could create his own shot if need be. The cast of Evan Enos, Fabian McClintock, and Sukhi Singh may just round out the starting five in the Upstate.
3-Spartanburg’s Hustle – I know it is always a cliché when teams get beat by 20+ points to praise their hustle. However, last night I was very impressed with Coach Zac Rich and his team’s ability to play all 32 minutes. The Vikings very well could have not stopped giving effort at the end of the third quarter when they already trailed big. I thought junior forward Aiden Olley played one of his best defensive games of the season, tallying three blocks. I also enjoyed watching the freshman Jacson Mallory hit some big shots last night for the Vikings. He did a great job of replacing the void that has been left by the injury of Zeke Bell-Boyd. Dyllan Harris also had another great shooting night, but it just was not enough for the Rebels’ firepower.
4-Byrnes’ Dominance – The Rebels have now won 38 of their last 39 games. The lone loss during that stretch was the state championship game last year. In his 15th season at the helm for the Rebels, Coach Layne Fowler is looking to bring home his second state title, with his lone ring coming in 2016. I believe with this junior and senior class paired with sophomores Colt Fowler & Fabian McClintock, this might be one Coach Fowler’s best chances to add number two. However, the future still looks bright down the road. Freshman Josh Dixon and eighth grader Kellen Leverett did some great things in the second half last night to help Byrnes put the game away. This proves that Byrnes will continue to not rebuild but rather reload. The dominance of the Rebels does not look to run out anytime soon.
