Gaffney 28, Northwestern 7

Catawba Ridge 45, Chester 27

York 42, Rock Hill 14

The York Cougars scored in every quarter and topped the Rock Hill Bearcats 42-14 in a non-region game at York Friday night.

York led 14-0 after one period and 21-7 at halftime. The Cougars tacked on 14 more points in the third quarter for a 35-7 advantage. Both team scored a touchdown in the final 12 minutes.

The Cougars improved to 3-1 with the victory, while Rock Hill dropped to 1-4 with the loss.

Dorman 37, Clover 23

Dorman used a strong second quarter and defeated the Clover Blue Eagles 37-23 in a non-region contest in Clover Friday night.

Clover opened the scoring when Jaylon Hoover passed 80 yards to Dion Brown for a 7-0 lead with only three minutes gone in the contest. It stayed that way through the end of the first quarter. The Blue Eagles upped the count to 10-0 with less than a minute gone in the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Haven Maddox.

Dorman stormed back. Demarius Foster returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score to cut the lead to 10-8. They took a 14-10 lead when DJ Porter passed to McKinney McGee on a 34-yard play with just more than nine minutes left until the break.

Clover answered. Hoover passed to Brown on a 40-yard play with just less than six minutes left in the second period. That gave the Blue Eagles a 17-14 advantage.

Dorman countered. When Hudson Talley passed to Porter on a 26-yard play, Dorman led 21-17 late in the second quarter, and they took that lead to the dressing room at halftime.

Foster upped the count to 28-17 with 15 seconds left in the third quarter when he galloped home on a 75-yard run. Dorman added a safety early in the final period for a 30-17 cushion. Kendall Lewis made it 37-17 less than two minutes later when he scored on a 50-yard run.

The Blue Eagles closed the scoring in the final two minutes of the game when Hoover hooked up with Brown on a 96-yard pass play to make 37-23.

Clover dropped to 1-3 on the year with the loss.

Lugoff-Elgin 27, Fort Mill 14

Lugoff-Elgin took a 14-0 lead at halftime and held off a Fort Mill rally in the second half and toppled the Yellow Jackets 27-14 in a non-region game at Lugoff-Elgin Friday night.

After a scoreless third period, Fort Mill rallied to tie the contest at 14-14, before Lugoff-Elgin pulled away down the stretch for the victory.

The loss dropped Fort Mill to 0-4 on the year.

South Florence 42, South Pointe 7

South Florence took a 21-0 lead at halftime and crushed the South Pointe Stallions 42-7 in a non-region game in Florence Friday night.

South Florence controlled the game from the start. Quarterback Lenorris Sellers passed for three touchdowns in the opening period to get the quick lead. Both teams settled in and played defense in the second period, and South Florence took that same advantage to the locker room at halftime.

Sellers continued his excellent play in the second half. His 10-yard run made it 28-0 with five minutes left in the third period. Before the quarter was over South Florence added another score. They intercepted a Stallions’ pass and returned it 30 yards for a score to make it 35-0 when the period was over.

Sellers got the final South Florence score on a 15-yard run midway through the final stanza, before Aiden Turner’s 5-yard run gave the Stallions its only score of the game.

The loss dropped South Pointe to 4-1 on the year.

Andrew Jackson 41, Lakewood 0

The Andrew Jackson Volunteers raced to a 21-0 lead after one quarter and blasted Lakewood 41-0 in a non-region game at Andrew Jackson Friday night.

After a scoreless second quarter, the Volunteers added two more scores in the third period for a 34-0 lead. They capped the scoring with a touchdown in the final period.

The Volunteers won for the second straight week and evened their record at 2-2 on the year with the win.

Buford 49, Carolina Bearcats 8

The Buford Yellow Jackets took a 35-0 lead at halftime and ripped the Carolina Bearcats 49-8 in a non-region game at Buford Friday night.

The Jackets led 7-0 after one period, and exploded for 28 points in the second quarter to get the big lead at intermission. They added a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarters, while Carolina got its lone score in the final period.

Buford improved to 4-0 with the victory.

Lewisville 40, Ridge Spring-Monetta 0

The Lewisville Lions took a 14-0 lead at halftime and routed Ridge Spring-Monetta 40-0 in a non-region game in Monetta Friday night.

Quarterback Ian Grissom passed for three touchdowns to lead the way for the Lions. After a scoreless first period, he gave Lewisville a 7-0 cushion with his first scoring pass. Lewisville added a second touchdown before intermission.

Grisson threw for two more scores in the third period as the Lions took a 33-0 lead when the quarter was over. Lewisville completed the scoring with a touchdown in the fourth stanza.

The Lions improved to 5-0 on the year.

Hickory 50, Great Falls 0

Hickory scored in every quarter and routed the Great Falls Red Devils 50-0 in a non-region game in Hickory Friday night.

Hickory led 29-0 at halftime and added three more touchdowns in the second half to complete the scoring.

The Red Devils fell to 1-4 on the year with the loss.

Charlotte Latin 21, Legion Colegiate 14, FINAL (OT)

Charlotte Latin edged the Legion Collegiate Lancers 21-14 in overtime Friday night in Charlotte.

The teams broke a scoreless tied at halftime and traded touchdowns in the third period. Legion Collegiate took a 14-7 lead early in the fourth period. Charlotte Latin answered to tie it at 14-14 late in the quarter and send it to overtime. They won it in the first overtime session.

The Lancers fell to 1-4 on the year with the loss.

This story was originally published September 16, 2022 7:25 PM.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has taken a new approach in the bankruptcy case of his real estate company that paves an easy path for contractors but a more difficult road for taxpayers. Tepper’s GT Real Estate filed a new reorganization plan that excludes the original offers for Rock Hill and York County. GT Real Estate claims the city and county have chosen difficult litigation and unreasonable demands instead.

In the new filing, GT Real Estate claims both the city and county do not have claims for the $20 million and $21 million, respectively, contributed to the project, saying the money was transferred without any obligations.

“Unfortunately, the City and County have instead chosen to pursue a flawed litigation strategy, making exorbitant and unreasonable demands well in excess of their entitlements,” a GTRE spokesperson wrote in a statement.

The new plan submitted by GT Real Estate would force the city and county to pursue debts through the normal bankruptcy court proceedings. According to the filing, York County was seeking to recoup more than $80 million, including $43 million in damages to Mt. Gallant Road and $38 million in lost tax revenue. WBTV already reported Rock Hill was pursuing a Rule 2004 hearing to open up GT Real Estate to discovery and has also filed a new complaint seeking damages from GT Real Estate and accusing the company of fraud.

The new reorganization plan would still need to be approved by a judge.

The new filing comes on the heels of a WBTV Investigation that raises questions about whether the bond agreement between Tepper’s company and Rock Hill was doomed to fail from the start. Last week, the City of Rock Hill filed its own complaint alleging Tepper’s GT Real Estate had fraudulent intent throughout the negotiations that ultimately fell apart.

The entire deal collapsed with construction stopping, defaults issued and GT Real Estate filing bankruptcy all in the span of six months in 2022.

In the most recent reorganization plan filed earlier this month, GT Real Estate structured a plan it claimed would pay almost every debtor back completely.

• $60.5 million in cash funded into a settlement trust for the benefit of contractors, subcontractors and general unsecured creditors, which GTRE believes will be sufficient to pay all allowed claims in full;

• $21.165 million in cash to reimburse York County for all amounts it contributed to the project, plus interest; and

• $20.0 million or more from the available net proceeds (after clean-up and senior claims) of the sale of real property to make payments to the City of Rock Hill.

The amount for the contractors and subcontractors is the only portion that remains intact in the new plan.

In response, on Wednesday Rock Hill City Council voted last Wednesday to file a complaint against GT Real Estate that sent a strong message they would choose a different option than the one put forward by Tepper’s company.

The complaint claims Tepper’s GT Real Estate firm had “conflicting financial demands” by wanting more public investment but refusing to backstop the bonds in case the project went south. The city says GT Real Estate wanted $225 million in bond proceeds but was only willing to contribute $500 million in private investments.

The city is seeking a jury trial and is demanding actual damages of $20 million, compensatory and punitive damages, and rights to the property now controlled by GTRE.

On Tuesday, a WBTV Investigation raised questions about whether the project was doomed from the start. The investigation found the amount of bond money agreed to by Rock Hill was far more public investment than other similar projects and simultaneously sidestepped key oversight steps.

Despite the concerns outlined by the City of Rock Hill in their own complaint, the city still signed an agreement after more than eight months of trying and failing to get the vital material it needed from GT Real Estate to issue the bonds.

In response to WBTV’s report a spokesperson for Rock Hill wrote in an email ““The City Council is looking forward eagerly to the day judgment is rendered on the facts that will be presented in court.”

FULL STATEMENT FROM GTRE:

Press Statement

“GTRE filed an amended Plan of Reorganization today to address the reactions of stakeholders to the original plan filed in August. GTRE’s original Plan of Reorganization would have paved the way for all creditors, including the City and County, to receive generous payouts on an expedited basis. Trade creditors have engaged constructively with GTRE, and their treatment under the amended Plan of Reorganization remains unchanged. Unfortunately, the City and County have instead chosen to pursue a flawed litigation strategy, making exorbitant and unreasonable demands well in excess of their entitlements. Under the amended Plan of Reorganization, the City and the County are treated similarly in accordance with their rights under the Bankruptcy Code and without the concessions that had been provided previously. These modifications are intended to prevent the City and County from causing further harm to the confirmation process and delaying payment of the $60.5 million that has been reserved to pay trade creditors.”

On Wednesday, York County issued the following statement:

“Late Tuesday, September 13th, GT Real Estate LLC filed a modified Plan of Reorganization in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court. The County is still reviewing the modified plan. However, it is self-evident the modified plan is yet another example of broken promises from these Tepper entities. To date, the Debtor in its public pleadings, and others have made repeated assurances that the misappropriated $21 million of York County taxpayer money would be repaid. York County is disappointed these parties again appear to be going back on their word. To be clear, the County has not engaged in any unreasonable conduct in regard to the Debtor. Rather, the County has only sought reasonable compensation for its real and legitimate claims and the damages GT Real Estate and the other Tepper entities have left in their wake. The County will continue to pursue its claims and aggressively protect its interests and the interests of its citizens and taxpayers.”

Copyright 2022 WBTV. All rights reserved.

The City of Rock Hill, S.C., has filed an adversarial lawsuit to recover $20 million plus damages from developers of the now-canceled Carolina Panthers $800-million headquarters and practice facility.

The Sept. 7 filing in federal court in Delaware is part of ongoing bankruptcy proceedings for GT Real Estate Holdings, LLC, created by Panthers owner David Tepper to manage the 234-acre mixed-use project in Rock Hill.

The city, which had agreed in 2019 to issue $225 million in bonds to fund infrastructure improvements at the site, accuses GTRE of intentionally breaching its contractual obligations, claiming the company “failed to timely provide the necessary documents and information as to the development of the Project, failed to sign and deliver the documents necessary for the issuance of tax-exempt bonds and twice prevented the City from proceeding to an initial bond closing.”

In January 2022, 18 months after the Mascaro Construction/Barton Mallow CM-at-risk joint venture broke ground on the project, the lawsuit contends, GTRE told the city to cancel the bond sale, and that the project would be scaled back to include only the centerpiece five-story, 600,000-sq-ft indoor practice facility.

GTRE halted construction in March, saying at the time that “our partners have been unable to contribute the agreed-upon investment to fund the construction of the public infrastructure.”

Although Rock Hill offered to help find ways to keep the project alive, including a $135-million bond offering, the Panthers ultimately pulled the plug in mid-April. GTRE filed for bankruptcy protection less than two months later.

“GTRE’s conduct in breaching the contract is characterized by dishonesty in fact, unfair dealing, or the unlawful appropriation of the City’s property,” the filing says. “GTRE is liable to the City for breach of contract accompanied by fraud.” The filing also requests a jury trial to settle the matter.

In a separate filing to the bankruptcy court, GTRE attorneys responded that Rock Hill’s lawsuit is based on “false and incendiary claims,” and that the company had invested $240 million in the project. It was only after the city failed to meet its obligations under “unambiguous” and “good faith” agreements with GTRE, the filing claims, that the project had to be canceled.

The amount sought by Rock Hill’s lawsuit is similar to the minimum amount it would receive from net proceeds of the property’s sale, under GTRE’s proposed restructuring plan filed in August. The plan, which has not been approved by the court, also provides nearly $61 million to settle claims from Mascaro/Barton Mallow and other contractors involved with the project.

The real estate company created by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper to build the failed team headquarters in South Carolina has filed a proposal in bankruptcy court that would pay the project’s general contractor $60 million, court documents show.

And the general contractor apparently is in agreement.

A federal bankruptcy judge must approve the $60 million proposal, and the contractor creditors must vote on it before it becomes official, court documents show.

This most recent proposal, filed Friday morning, appears to now narrow the legal and bankruptcy battles to GT Real Estate and mainly the City of Rock Hill and York County. The city, county and GT Real Estate are engaged in lawsuits disputing as much as $100 million the city and county claim is owed.

Friday’s bankruptcy proposal takes away any possible guaranteed payment to York County and Rock Hill, documents show. GT Real Estate claims in court documents it owes the county and city nothing.

GT Real Estate was created by Tepper to build the team practice site and headquarters. Earlier this year GT Real Estate stopped construction and filed bankruptcy in a dispute over money for the project.

In an amended bankruptcy filing Friday, GT Real Estate stated Mascaro/Barton Malow (MBM), the general contractor, agreed Thursday to support the $60.5 million deal. The agreement also says MBM would halt efforts for a venue challenge that would move the bankruptcy case from Delaware to South Carolina.

“On September 15, 2022, the Debtor, MBM, and the Plan Sponsor entered into a plan support agreement (the “Plan Support Agreement”) that requires MBM to (1) vote all claims to accept the Plan, (2) not oppose, the Plan, the Disclosure Statement, or any other pleadings or documents that the Debtor files that is consistent with the Plan, and (3) withdraw MBM’s Motion to Transfer Venue (as defined herein) and any joinders thereto,” the filing states.

Michael Roeschenthaler, lawyer for MBM, confirmed in an email to The Herald that MBM has agreed to the $60 million GT Real Estate bankruptcy proposal.

MBM has not yet filed any documents about the proposal in court.

Affected subcontractors who would be paid by the proposal still have to vote to approve the plan.

Construction had been underway on the Panthers site off Mount Gallant Road in Rock Hill, S.C., before GT halted work in March and filed for bankruptcy in June.

A previous bankruptcy plan in August would have paid the contractors $60 million, York County $21 million plus interest, then paid the city after the property eventually sold. The city initially asked for $20 million

But in documents filed Tuesday and Friday, GT altered the plan to pay the contractors first. Documents in the case filed by GT Real Estate in a disclosure statement say GT Real Estate owes York County and Rock Hill nothing, and relegates the city and county to a part of the bankruptcy claim where creditor claims are disputed, documents show.

GT Real Estate stated in court documents that the ongoing lawsuits by the county and city pushed GT to remove York County and Rock Hill payments until after the contractors get paid.

“This attempt by the Debtor and the Plan Sponsor to lead all parties to a near-term, consensual outcome was instead followed by exorbitant counter-demands and unreasonable conduct from both the County and the City,” GT Real Estate lawyers wrote.

Nether the city of Rock Hill nor York County have filed legal documents responding to the most recent proposal.

York County and Rock Hill have pending legal motions that seek to have the bankruptcy and lawsuits heard in South Carolina courts instead of Delaware.

York County’s lawyers have said previously GT has broken promises in the deal.

Rock Hill officials have said its lawsuit against GT -- alleging dishonesty and fraud, and that it was not required to issue millions in bonds for the site -- speaks for itself. City officials said Rock Hill looks forward to its day in court.

Efforts to reach city of Rock Hill and York County officials and their lawyers for comment on the contractor agreeing to the bankruptcy were unsuccessful Friday.

Check back for updates on this story.

This story was originally published September 16, 2022 12:24 PM.

One parent says she would have liked to see more discussion of what action was being taken while answering some of those questions.

Three guns have been found within three days at three different schools.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - A community conversation was just what the Rock Hill Schools wanted and it was what the district put together. This meeting was recently put on the calendar specifically to address the gun issue inside Rock Hill schools.

The message since these guns were found has been this is not just a school issue, it is an everyone issue. In less than a month, Rock Hill Schools found a gun at South Pointe High, Dutchman Creek Middle and Rock Hill High.

A student and parent were arrested at South Pointe for trying to take the backpack with the gun in it after-school administrators wanted to search it. At Dutchman Creek, the gun fell out of a student’s waistband after two students were fighting with each other. Police told WBTV that the student then pointed the gun at his classmates. Then, a tip and search led to deputies finding a gun inside a student’s car at Rock Hill High. All this led to an outcry from parents about safety.

”Parents really wanted to have a say. They wanted to be able to ask questions. And in the name of transparency we felt like that was necessary,” says Lindsay Machak, Rock Hill Schools spokesperson.

That is why this meeting was created, according to her. The district put together a panel of community stakeholders like law enforcement and our local justice department.

”We want people to be able to ask questions and get answers to that today and walk out feeling like they know more about what they were wondering about or something they’ve been thinking for a while now,” she says.

One parent says she would have liked to see more discussion of what action was being taken while answering some of those questions.

“There were a lot of questions that were addressed but I didn’t hear but I didn’t hear much action. I heard a lot of what they’re planning to do or what was in the works,” she says.

The school district says it is going to continue those randomized searches it ramped up since the second gun was found. The safety director says the district is still looking into other ways it can prevent any kind of contraband in schools and asks for you to contact them with your suggestions.

Copyright 2022 WBTV. All rights reserved.