Carvers Bay jamboree paying homage to Geathers family football lineage

Building a perennial power from the ground up isn’t an easy process.

But with the right leadership and talented players, a program has the ingredients to manufacture a perfect storm.

Opening its doors in 2000, Carvers Bay quickly rose to power as a major player among the lower classifications of S.C. high school football.

In its third year of existence, the Bears won the program’s first state title, downing Abbeville in the Class 2A title game. Four years later in 2006, the program would add another championship, this one at the Class A level.

Before, after and a number of points in between, there have been region titles, Lower State crowns and state championship games. There for each win and painful defeat, head coach Nate Thompson acknowledges he is part of why the program has been successful ... but not the primary reason.

“We’ve been here since 2000, but have been blessed to have so many good kids come through our school,” he said. “There have been two state titles, five Lower State titles and state championship games. It’s not me though, I’ve had great kids ... they deserve all the credit.”

Hundreds have come through the pipeline, and a few dozen have proven lucky enough to earn their way through school.

Johnson has coached five players who eventually played in the NFL, each sharing the last name of Geathers. Four of them, however, are Carvers Bay alums, serving as pillars of strength for the young – yet accomplished – football program.

Carvers Bay will host the Geathers Family Jamboree on Saturday, with games starting at 6 p.m. Cross, Johnsonville, and Lake Marion will join the Bears in their participation.

Robert Geathers Jr. was the first Carvers Bay gridiron star to play at football’s highest level, selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2004 NFL Draft. Spending a decade with the team, he notched 325 tackles and 34 sacks over the course of his career. His brothers Kwame and Clifton would follow, both enjoying brief stints in the NFL.

Their cousin, Clayton, is the lone member of the Geathers clan remaining at the professional level, currently preparing for his second season with the Indianapolis Colts. He played in 15 games last season, making 34 tackles and causing a fumble.

Before the four of them, though, brothers James (better known as “Jumpy”) and Robert Sr. were former NFL players. The two of them played at Choppee High School, which was merged with nearby Pleasant Hill High to create Carvers Bay in 2000.

According to Thompson, naming the jamboree after them was meant to recognize them for their contribution to the program, in addition to serving as a beacon of hope for future generations of Bears.

“Because of their success, more schools have become acquainted with our school and our kids,” the Carvers Bay coach said. “It offers us the opportunity to get our kids’ names out there and give them a chance to go Division I, Division II, or (junior college). It doesn’t always work out, but we’ve been blessed.”

Admission to the jamboree is $6. All proceeds will benefit the Carvers Bay football program, as the event serves as its chief fundraising event for the year.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Carvers Bay jamboree paying homage to Geathers family football lineage."