Colt Commander: Fowler guiding Runnin’ Rebels on historic run

Colt Fowler is leading Byrnes basketball with 17 points and 12.4 assists per game so far in 2024-25. (PHOTO | PAMELA DUNLAP)

Irrational confidence.

It’s not a bad thing. Not by any stretch, insists Byrnes head basketball coach Layne Fowler.

But it’s exactly what star Byrnes point guard Colt Fowler has.

“Irrational confidence. It’s a blessing,” said Layne. “Colt’s had that since he was a little boy. I never want to take that away from him or dampen it.”

And with the way Colt has been playing this season, perhaps it isn’t so irrational after all.

Colt put together the best performance of his career on Tuesday night at region rival Gaffney, stuffing the stat sheet with 32 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds. He led his Runnin’ Rebels to a 77-66 come-from-behind win.

Gaffney dared Colt to make plays himself throughout the game. Known largely for his passing ability and shiftiness with the ball, the Indians took away passing lanes for Colt and implored him to try and score himself.

He responded with his career-high in points.

“I guess teams know now that I can score the ball, too,” Colt said slyly after the game.

That cool, flippant tongue-in-cheek response mirrors the way Colt plays. Several times, after driving to the bucket and finishing through contact, he turned to the Byrnes bench and puffed his chest. After one tough layup, Colt turned toward a few Gaffney fans and shook his head as if to say, “Are you not entertained?” 

The large conglomerate of traveling Byrnes supporters certainly was.

Colt had his way slithering to the rim and scoring the rock, helping Byrnes overcome a shaky first half to remain undefeated at 15-0.

“We started out slow, but we came out after halftime and really took off,” said Colt. “We went on a run and didn’t look back.”

“Gaffney’s goal tonight was to deny some of our other scoring threats, guys like Sukhi Singh, Evan Enos, and Jamari Cullen,” explained Layne. “They wanted Colt to have to get 25-30 points in order for us to win.”

The sophomore sensation put up 32 for good measure, adding another chapter to his already illustrious 2024-25 season. He’s averaging 17 points and 12.4 assists. Colt leads the entire state of South Carolina in assists per game — his next closest challenger sitting at just over 10 per contest.

But what’s impressed Layne the most about his star point guard’s campaign so far? It has nothing to do with the numbers or his team’s endless run of wins.

It’s Colt’s leadership and maturity.

“The maturity level for Colt is really starting to show,” said Layne. “He’s becoming a true leader for this team. I see him learning to channel his emotions and energy into guiding his teammates and leading them in the right direction on the court.”

PHOTO | PAMELA DUNLAP

Colt’s seamless transition into Byrnes’ commander and leader, he says, came from a little brotherly advice he received over the summer. 

Will Fowler — last year’s all-state star senior for Byrnes who led the Runnin’ Rebels to an upper-state championship — spoke wisdom to his younger brother Colt this summer.

“I was working with [Will] a lot before he went off to go play in college,” said Colt. “I was always in the gym playing with him and his friends. But he talked to me a lot this summer about leadership and how to be a leader. 

“Will told me he knows I’m only a sophomore, but that if I wanted to truly be great, I’ve got to be a leader. I got a lot of that from him.”

Colt is certainly heeding Will’s advice so far. The Runnin’ Rebels are reaping the benefits. Now 3-0 in region play and 15-0 overall, Byrnes is off to its best start in over 30 years. 

With that comes added challenges.

“We like to think of ourselves as hunters, but the reality is, we’re going to be the hunted every game we step on the court,” said Layne. “Teams are going to give us their best shot.”

Colt wishes them luck.

“We’re not nervous,” he said. “Everybody’s going to be hungry to beat us. We know that. 

“But what they don’t know is that we’re hungrier.”

Catch Colt and the undefeated Runnin’ Rebels in action on Thursday 1/9 vs. Spartanburg. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, 1/10 but was moved up due to the possibility of inclement weather.