Saluda coach’s mind is on basketball but heart is with biggest fan: her late father

Jeanette Wilder knows it will happen at some point Wednesday afternoon when her team takes the floor at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.

The Saluda High School girls basketball coach will catch herself glancing at a seat just left of the mid-court line that her late father, Richard Ergle, would occupy on game days.

Wilder’s parents, Richard and Janice Ergle, were big supporters of their daughter during her playing days at Saluda and later when she was a three-sport star at Newberry College. Wilder was inducted into the Newberry Hall of Fame in 2008.

That support continued when Wilder returned to her alma mater to lead the girls basketball program. The Tigers are playing in their first Class 2A state championship game in 68 years when they take on Silver Bluff at noon.

“I played three sports in high school, three sports in college and coached two sports until I became athletic director. I could count on one hand games he has missed,” Wilder said Monday of her father. “He is always that guy who sits across at half-court regardless if that was our section or not. He is going to be that guy who cheers for his team.

“It has been really hard — hard to look across and see that empty seat.”

Richard Ergle, 65, died Jan. 27 after a battle with COVID-19, among other issues. He was a cancer survivor.

Before last weekend’s Upper State championship game against Blacksburg, Wilder’s players made a card with a purple heart (Saluda’s colors), signed it with “Seat Reserved in Memory of Richard Ergle.” The card was placed near the mid-court of Clinton High gymnasium, the site of the Upper State finals. After the 62-56 win, the Saluda players gathered around Wilder’s mom and celebrated with her.

It’s been a trying year for the family.

Richard Ergle, whose cancer was in remission, was diagnosed with pneumonia on Jan. 2. After several negative tests, he later tested positive for COVID-19. Wilder said her father responded well to the medication and was released from the hospital. But a couple days after being released, he had trouble breathing. He died about a week later.

After his funeral, Wilder and 10 members of her family tested positive for the virus and were forced to quarantine. That left Wilder, who had only missed two days of practice in 21 years of coaching, away from her basketball team for almost three weeks.

Saluda’s team already had to quarantine in December and missed a chance to play in the United Bank Holiday Invitational tournament in Myrtle Beach.

With a shorter season due to COVID-19, Wilder didn’t miss any games last month because Saluda had finished its regular season. Still, not being around her team left a big void for her.

“Basketball is my happy place. I come to practice and that gives me motivation to keep going because that is what my dad wants,” Wilder said. “They have been great rallying around me and I have relied heavily on the girls.”

Senior forward Kalisha Hill leads the way

Wilder said this is a special group of girls, many that have been together since middle school and building for this moment. The Tigers finally got over the hump and passed the third round for the first time in Wilder’s career last season when they advanced to the Upper State championship.

Wilder thought her team was a “little shell-shocked” in the 2020 state semifinal against Christ Church. The Tigers didn’t score during an eight-minute span in the second half and lost 63-41 to the Cavaliers.

But that loss helped fuel Saluda coming into this season.

“It pushed us real hard,” Saluda senior forward Kalisha Hill said. “Getting there last year was an accomplishment. But once we lost, we knew we had to keep our heads and get back there this year. For our seniors, it means a lot to be playing for a state championship.”

Hill has been the centerpiece for the Tigers the past two seasons. The 5-foot-11 forward was named Class 2A Player of the Year and averaged 20.9 points and 10.2. rebounds this year. She picked her first offer Monday from Benedict College, and more interest is certain to follow.

Wilder said she sent out emails to about 25 coaches recently about her star player. In the Upper State championship against Blacksburg, Hill had 27 points and 21 rebounds.

“Kalisha Hill is very, very special,” Wilder said. “She is a phenomenal kid — academically, athletically and very coachable. She practices as hard as she plays in the game.”

Hill has a strong supporting cast around her including Mya Carroll and Tiara Daniels. The group hopes to have one more big moment in them as they go for their first state title.

“This group will always be a special group even if we don’t win,” Wilder said. “These girls have done things that have never been done before.

“Sixty-eight years (between title appearances) is a very long time. … We took some lumps, bumps and bruises along the way. But this is our ultimate goal. We are hoping to finish it and make some school history.”

Wednesday’s state championship schedule

Four days of S.C. high school basketball championship games will be held at the USC Aiken Convocation Center, starting Wednesday.

Class 2A Girls: Saluda vs. Silver Bluff, noon

Class A Boys: Southside Christian vs. Scott’s Branch, 3 p.m.

The SC basketball state championship games are almost all set. Here’s the schedule