Dillon Begins 2023 Season As Team To Beat In AAA For 2023 Season
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Moncks Corner — Last year when Beaufort High came into Dillon in the Lower State championship and beat the Wildcats on their home field by rolling up 410 rushing yards, it was a confidence builder for the Eagles who defeated Powdersville a week later for the state AAA championship at Benedict College.
Beaufort has graduated 21 seniors from that team including (perhaps) the best tandem of running backs on any team in South Carolina last season in Kacy Fields and Appalachian State signee Colton Phares. Phares also played DB. In the state title game against Powdersville the duo ran the ball for 65 times to tally 417 yards.
Needless to say, those two stand-outs will be hard to replace and this is why the HSSR ranks the defending AAA state champions number 8 in our first pre-season poll for the upcoming pre-season season. The Eagles started 8 seniors on offense in the state title game last year along with six seniors on defense. The strength of their team this season will be led by junior QB Samari Bonds, (6-1, 170) a true dual threat who passed for around 1,000 yards as a sophomore, while adding nearly 700 yards on the ground.
On defense the Eagles will be led by senior LB Quin Rivers (5-10,200), and junior LB Will Codding (5-10,200) along with the return of senior DL Robert Johnson (6-1, 220). Opening up holes from the OL will be Super D-1 sophomore prospect Kenshon Speaks (6-3,295).
Dillon head coach Kelvin Roller (22-2) in his first two seasons as head coach, has brought in a new defensive coordinator in the person of Will Clark who came to Dillon from Scotland County, NC. Clark was a former head coach who won a state title at Crest High in Shelby.
Dillon has one of the top sophomore quarterbacks in the Southeast in Josiah Oxendine (6-0,175) who has quick feet, a strong arm and leadership skills off the chart. Oxendine comes into his sophomore season with at least 8 firm D-1 offers.
Blocking for him from the left side is the HSSR’s number one Top 100 2024 prospect Josiah “Big Cat” Thompson (6-6,285,4.9) who committed to South Carolina in early April. Junior center Carlos Miller (6-2, 265) is another quality OL leading the charge up-front.
On defense, the Nasty Cats will be led by senior inside LB Sirmod McCallum (5-11,195) and senior OLB Ian Meyers (6-4, 195) along with DB Zay Davis (5-8, 170). Fling will also see spot duty at DB and he led the team in picks last year with six.
Coming out of Spring football drills, with 95 varsity and junior varsity candidates Coach Roller told the HSSR, “What we hope we accomplished during our Spring work-outs was developing strength and speed in our skill position players, while we continue to work hard to develop needed depth in our offensive and defensive lines,” said Coach Roller. “At Dillon, our goal will always be to compete and play for a state championship every season.
“For us to reach that goal (winning a state title) it will depend on how hard we work during the off-season, in the weight room, and in outside conditioning,” said Coach Roller. “What we get accomplished between now and the start of August is very important to our goals.”
Daniel comes into the season ranked number two by the HSSR. The Lions have won seven state championships since they won their first one as an AA school in 1966.
Head coach Jeff Fruster is a Daniel graduate and he led his alma mater to back-to-back state titles over Camden in 2020 (52-31) and in 2021 (45-20). Last year a very talented team finished 12-1. Last year Daniel lost to Powdersville, 36-35 in the third round, that snapped the Lions 36-game win streak. Needless to say, the team has been focused on starting another 36-game win streak when they play Greer on August, 18.
Daniel out-scored teams 647-170 a year ago.
The strengths of the Daniel team this season will be in the linebacking corp and along the offensive front. On defense junior LB prospect Spencer Conn (6-0, 200) returns after leading the team in tackles with 123 stops, including 13 TFL and 8 sacks last season. Senior MLB/DE prospect Ty Plumblee (5-11, 190) returns after making 91 tackles, 3 TFL and 3.5 sacks a year ago. In the DL the leader is prospect Jaeden Young (6-0,267) who had 54 tackles last season including 11 TFL and five sacks. Junior DL Damien Parker (6-1, 230) also returns after a strong junior season. Senior DB Isaac Turner (6-1, 170) also returns to lead the secondary and he also punted for a 35.6 yards average last season.
The Daniel offensive front is very talented led by senior Appalachian State commitment Watson Young (6-2, 260) who graded out at 86 per cent with 18 pancake blocks last year. Sean Bolger (6-3, 230) is another prospect at center and Seth Corontzes (6-2, 295) is another prospect who returns in the OL.
Chester, coached by veteran Victor Floyd comes into the pre-season ranked number three in AAA. The Cyclones will come into the 2023 season focused on winning a region title, and a goal of winning a state title with numerous playmakers returning at several positions.
Junior QB prospect Trooper Floyd (6-3, 180) is stronger coming out of his sophomore season where he completed 150-of-245 passes for 2,011 yards and 19 touchdowns. Floyd will have his top receiving target back in senior prospect Reggie Heath (6-1, 170) who led the team in receptions as a junior with 56 catches for 1,004 yards and six TD’s.
The Cyclones OL returns four starters led by CJ McCree, guard Jerimiah Gladden, senior center Austin Allen, along with tackle Travent Weldon. Senior RB Elijah Coleman (5-9, 200) will provide depth in the back field. Senior two-way performer Kyan Kennedy (6-3, 215) is a real talent at TE and last year he contributed 68 tackles with 14 TFL in the DL.
On defense senior Antonio Hopkins (5-11, 180) is a head hunter at MLB and he led the defense last season with 113 tackles, 15 TFL and four sacks despite missing several games with an injury. Hopkins is also an excellent RB where he gained over 490 yards and scored 8 TD’s last season. Super Sophomore Terry Radford (6-1, 230) can play multiple spots on defense from LB to DE and he had 83 tackles, four sacks and a team leading 27 TFL last year.
Other top players back on defense include NG Tyquan Feaster who had 72 stops last season along with senior OLB Maurice Foster who had 51 tackles and three interceptions a year ago.
After last season, Coach Floyd told the HSSR, “Maybe having so many players going both ways just wore us down over the season,” he said. “We need to focus more on consistent play throughout the season this upcoming season.”
At number five, Camden has the horses to pull the wagon to a state championship. The HSSR has five of their seniors in the pre-season Top 100 prospects list, so if the Bulldogs are going to get to the gold medal round this just might be the year.
Camden defeated five region foes 238-47 last year and they won their first two playoff games over Loris and Lower Richland before bowing out in the third round at home against Dillon in a 31-14 loss.
Camden will likely play several top athletes both ways later in the season to get ready for the state title run. Senior Cortez Lane is a versatile RB/WR returning and he led the team in scoring with 92 points a year ago. Senior Top 100 Grayson White (6-0, 195) returns at QB, and if needed he is a capable MLB. White threw for 2,257 yards last year and 20 TD’s. White also rushed for 887 yards and scored 13 TD’s.
White’s top receiving target returns in senior Top 100 Jaquarivs Mayrant after he had 62 receptions for 1,002 tards and 7 TD’s a year ago. Camden should have no problem scoring points this year. Senior Top 100 OL Carter Rimpf (6-3, 270) is a Top 100 prospect up-front in the trenches.
On defense senior Top 100 LB Wilson Nash (6-0,200) returns after leading Camden on the tackle index last season with 94 tackles and 13 TFL.
Clinton, coached by future Hall of Famer, Corey Fountain finished 13-1 last season before losing at Powdersville 27-14 deep into the playoffs.
Five seniors from last year moved on to play at the next level. The buzz around Clinton over the summer was the commitment of DB Zay Johnson (6-2, 170) to Cincinnati. The Red Devils averaged 48 points a game last season and they return a lot of talent on both sides of the football.
After Red Devils loss to Powdersville in the upper state championship game, head coach Corey Fountain, shared these comments with the HSSR. “We wanted to win really bad tonight for our seniors who have helped us build the program over the past four years,” said Coach Fountain. “Bryson James is a hard-working senior who will be competing in the North-South all-star game along with defensive lineman Hezekiah Kinard who is also playing in the North- South game. We are losing another really good running back in Jishun Copeland along with three offensive linemen in Naim Mayes, Dre Aiken and Jay Martin.
“We have around 23 seniors on the team and we will miss all of them,” said Coach Fountain. “This was a tough loss for us but you have to realize that only two teams are left in the end and it is a very competitive situation.”
Clinton had the rare feat of having three 1,000-yard rushers on their team during the 2022 season. James and Copeland were joined by junior Jayden Robinson giving the Red Devils a potent rushing attack all season.
Powdersville, coached by Robert Mustar, comes into the season ranked number 8 by the HSSR after key graduation losses, mainly 2000-yard rusher Thomas Williams, who had a great career. Williams signed with Virginia Tech after the season. Williams rushed for 236 yards on 20 carries and scored three TDs in the title game versus Beaufort.
Powdersville does return 8 starters on offense and 7 starters on defense so they could be a spoiler for teams in the upstate come playoff time. The top two returning seniors are QB Eli Hudgins along with LB Harrison Jefferies. The top junior back is LB Javier Mills. Desmond Hunter is a sophomore with a lot of potential. Running back Jayden Pepper (5-10,179, 4.35) is a top running back who has transferred to Powdersville from Greenville High.
Powdersville will begin the 2023 season against 20th ranked Broome in August.
HSSR Pre-Season AAA Football Rankings - (As of July, 23)
1. Dillon
2. Daniel
3. Chester
4. Clinton
5. Camden
6. Gilbert
7. Beaufort
8. Manning
9. Chapman
10. BHP
11. Seneca
12. Philip Simmons
13. Hanahan
14. Brookland-Cayce
15. Powdersville
16. Aynor
17. Crestwood
18. Woodruff
19. Lower Richland
20. Walhalla
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