We may already be a few days into the new year, but there is still plenty of time to look back on the moments that made local sports so memorable in 2008.

No one will soon forget the season the Clemson football team just turned in, complete with a midseason coaching change and the ultimate appointment of a young, fiery coach to lead the Tigers.

There were also a slew of memorable stories affecting our area high schools, with new faces, broken records and untimely tragedy all making this past year one that won’t be soon forgotten.

With that, let’s take a look back at the top area stories of 2008.

1. Exit Bowden, enter Swinney

Who could have seen this one coming when the Clemson football team entered the season ranked as the No. 9 team in the nation and expected to win its first ACC title in nearly two decades?

The Tigers, loaded with superstars on both sides of the ball, came out to open their season by falling flat on their faces in their season opener against Alabama in the Georgia Dome, and it looked as though they were never going to be able to pick themselves off the ground.

Clemson stumbled early during the season, including a loss to Maryland at home following a second-half collapse, and the Tigers’ hopes of a dream season were quickly lost.

It all came to a head after an embarrassing Thursday night loss to Wake Forest in front of a national television audience that sent the Tigers’ record to 3-3, as Clemson showed a level of ineptitude unbecoming of a team expected to contend for a BCS bowl game at the beginning of the season.

Tigers head coach Tommy Bowden resigned the following Monday in what quickly created a national media frenzy and left the Clemson football team in a perilous state, as young wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney was appointed to lead the Tigers the rest of the way as interim head coach.

Swinney quickly changed the culture for Clemson, as his enthusiasm and direction helped the Tigers win four of their final six regular seasons games, including a convincing victory over rival South Carolina that helped clinch a berth in the Gator Bowl.

On the Monday following the win over the Gamecocks, Swinney saw the interim tag dropped from his title, as he became the 25th head coach in Clemson history, capping what was an improbable turns of events for the Tigers.

2. New faces at Oconee County schools

Both the Seneca and West-Oak high school football teams had new leaders this past season, and both certainly feel good about the direction their teams are headed judging by the results of the 2008 season.

Following the resignation of Brian Smith in January, Ron Duncan came aboard to lead the Bobcats, leaving his post at Bamberg-Ehrhardt to head north and west to Seneca.

It certainly didn’t come easy for Seneca early in the season, as the Bobcats started the season 0-4 against a brutal non-region schedule.

But led by a stout defense, James Hunter on offense and the emergence of freshman Chris Robinson at running back, the Bobcats finished the regular season with a 40-7 win over West-Oak to earn a playoff berth to pave the way for bigger and better things in 2009.

Had the Warriors won that game, they would have been playoff-bound under first-year head coach Jay Brannon, who came over from Union County in April.

Brannon had the daunting task of ushering West-Oak into a new region, as the Warriors rejoined Western AAA after years of playing in Skyline AA.

Behind a tricky double-wing offense, with seniors Evan Blackwell, Brandon Hoover and Jake James leading the offense, the Warriors started the year 4-1, and recorded a three-point win on the road against a ranked Pickens squad in Week 8 before coming up just short of a playoff berth.

3. Tigers go dancing

For the first time in 10 years, the Clemson men’s basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament under the direction of head coach Oliver Purnell during the 2007-2008 season.

Despite falling to Villanova in the opening round of the tournament, the Tigers finished the year ranked No. 22 in the final Associated Press poll in a memorable season for Clemson.

The Tigers began the season 10-0 and eventually entered the ACC tournament as the No. 3 seed, their highest since the 1989-1990 season. After wins over Boston College and a No. 7 Duke squad, the Tigers advanced to the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time since 1962 before falling to No. 1 North Carolina.

Clemson looks to be building off that success from a season ago, as the Tigers are currently 13-0 and ranked No. 20 in The Associated Press poll.

4. Pendleton mourns Robinson

On Aug. 26, the Pendleton High School football team endured tragedy as Avery Robinson suddenly passed away from a genetic pancreatic condition.

The Pendleton freshman, the younger brother of senior Harold Robinson, was on the minds of the Bulldogs’ all season long, but never more than during their season opener against Seneca just three days after his death on Aug. 29.

With an ‘A’ written on his right leg, Pendleton kicker Zachary Sears hit a 22-yard field goal with 27 seconds left for an emotional 16-14 victory dedicated to Robinson, which left Bulldogs’ head coach Paul Sutherland and his players in tears following the game.

Pendleton eventually advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing at state runner-up Central.

5. Holder reaches milestone

Seneca girls’ basketball coach Amanda Holder joined some elite company on Feb. 1, as she recorded her 600th victory when the Bobcats defeated Belton-Honea Path by a final score of 58-28.

Holder, who is currently in the middle of her 34th year of coaching, is just one of five coaches in the history of South Carolina girls’ basketball to reach the 600-win plateau, along with Mullins’ Fred Senter, Manning’s John Thames, Terrell’s Taft Watson and Dutch Fork’s Anne Long.

Holder was presented with flowers and the game ball following the victory, and went on to lead the Bobcats to within three points of the Upper State championship game later in the season.

Holder is still piling up the wins with the Bobcats, who are currently 10-0 and are considered one of the favorites to win the state championship.

6. Lions’ run comes up just short

The Daniel High School football enjoyed a dream season in 2008, but saw its chance at a state championship ripped away during the Upper State championship game.

The Lions fell at home by a final score of 27-24 to Chester, which left Daniel out of the state championship game just down the road at Memorial Stadium in Clemson with a final record of 13-1 on the season.

But the season was still one of the most memorable in recent memory for the Lions, who captured their second straight Western AAA region title under third-year head coach Randy Robinson and recorded their first undefeated regular season since 1999.

The season will also go down as the final one played at Singleton Field in Central, which is scheduled to be demolished soon to make way for the new Daniel High School. Singleton Field had housed the Lions since 1956 and was the site of their 1966 state championship over Berkeley.

7. Taylor calls it a career

After a 23-year career at Walhalla High School, Razorbacks baseball coach Ed Taylor resigned his post at the end of the 2008 season.

Taylor came on the job in 1986 and won more than 300 games during his career, including four region championships and an Upper State title in 1992.

The three-time Skyline AA Coach of the Year coached 26 players who went on to play at the collegiate level, and resumed his duty over the summer of heading the American Legion Post 124 baseball team and guided the team into the playoffs.

Despite ceding his post with the Razorbacks to Jamie Garland, Taylor still teaches physical education at Walhalla.

8. Two Razorback squads make history

Both the Walhalla girls’ soccer and volleyball squads made history in 2008, as both earned their first region championships in school history.

The soccer team, led by goalkeeper Cricket Wise, set numerous records in earning the region crown, including the most wins in a season, most shutouts in a season, fewest goals allowed and a No. 3 ranking in the state. Walhalla was ranked No. 1 at one point in the year and finished the year with the best record in the Class AA girls’ soccer at 18-3-1.

The Razorbacks also enjoyed unparalleled success on the volleyball court this year in capturing their first region title.

Walhalla finished the season 13-3, including a 10-0 mark in region play, and had three players named to the all-region squad in Angelica Fowler, Mackenzie Fowler and Tish Winchester.

9. Golden Corner dominates basketball scene

The 2007-2008 high school basketball season was dominated by teams from Daniel, Pendleton and Seneca, which combined to sweep all the region titles and player of the year awards in both girls’ and boys’ play in Skyline AA and Western AAA.

Beginning in Skyline AA, the Pendleton boys’ team captured the region crown under first-year head coach Bobby McGowens, who was also named the Skyline AA Coach of the Year. C.J. Gleaton was recognized as the region’s player of the year.

The Bulldogs had equal success on the girls’ squad with a region championship, while Tim Wood and Charlee Earle took home coach and player of the year honors, respectively.

The Daniel boys’ team won its first outright region title in 16 years under Western AAA Coach of the Year Jeff Maness, who saw DeAndre Hopkins take home player of the year honors.

Finally, the Seneca girls’ squad won its region crown, while Icey Patterson garnered player of the year honors.

10. Clemson baseball struggles

After years of being nothing short of a fixture in the NCAA Tournament, the Clemson baseball team saw the 2008 season end without a shot at playing for a spot in the College World Series.

Instead, the season ended unceremoniously with a win in the ACC Tournament over a ranked Georgia Tech squad in the loser’s bracket after the Tigers started the tournament with two straight losses.

The Tigers finished the year 31-27-1 and had gone to 21 straight NCAA Tournaments, including 14 under head coach Jack Leggett.

At one point in the year, the Tigers suffered through an 11-game losing streak, and their victory total was the lowest since Leggett came to Clemson.