Belton-Honea Path's Blackston would change just one thing about football season
Bears win AAA Upper State title before falling to Oceanside Collegiate for state championship
Honea Path – Head coach Russell Blackston initially said he wouldn’t change a thing about
Belton-Honea Path High School’s just completed football season. Well, on second thought …
“We had an unbelievable year,” Blackston said. “We had 24 seniors who did a phenomenal job
representing our school. You’re only gong to have one team happy at the end of the season. The only
thing I would change would be the last game.”
The Bears won the AAA upper state title before losing to Oceanside Collegiate Academy 35-17
in the championship game. That led to them finishing with a 13-2 record.
BHP outscored the opposition 617-242 over the season, showing its dominance on both sides of
the football.
Belton-Honea Path had 16 players selected to the All-Region 1 team and several others receive
state awards as well.
Senior running back Marquise Henderson and senior right tackle Oliver Marett were both
selected to the South Carolina Football Coaches Association all-classifications All-State team.
Henderson, who signed with Clemson and was selected to the Shrine Bowl team, rushed for
2,122 yards and 26 touchdowns on 211 carries. He also caught 27 passes for 270 yards and two more
scores.
Henderson scored touchdowns in six different manners. Along with the rushing and receiving
scores, he returned a kickoff, a punt, an interception and a fumble for a touchdown.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 295-pound Marett was also selected as the Region Lineman of the Year.
Nine other Bears were named to the SCFCA AAA All-State team. They were senior kicker
Christian Bridwell, sophomore cornerback Tajeh Watson-Martin, junior strong safety KJ Miles, senior
linebacker Tye Kelly, junior defensive tackle Kylan Dixon, senior DL Justin Lathon, senior tight end
Eli Satterfield, junior right guard Keylan Dixon and junior quarterback Nolan Thomas.
Thomas was the Co-Region Offensive Player of the Year. He completed 119 of 188 passes for
1,800 yards and 26 touchdowns while running for 417 yards and six TDs.
Bidwell was 71 of 77 on extra point attempts and 6 of 7 on field goal attempts with a long of 42
yards. He also had 18 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs. Watson-Martin had 45 catches for 899 yards and 13
touchdowns on offense while coming up with 32 tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback sack.
Miles had 66 tackles, five interceptions, seven TFLs and one sack, while Kelly had 76 tackles, 10
TFLs, three interceptions and five sacks. Kylan Dixon had 35 tackles, five TFLs and three sacks, while
Lathon had 46 tackles, 13 TFLs and 10 sacks.
Keylan Dixon and Satterfield helped with the blocking and Satterfield caught four passes for 50
yards and a touchdown.
The other All-Region picks were junior running back MJ Earl, junior left guard Keegan
Musher, senior wide receiver James Moore, senior tight end Jamiah Galbreath, junior defensive end Ty
Rainey and senior linebacker Pat Sloan.
Earl rushed for 561 yards and eight TDs, while Moore caught 14 passes for 232 yards and four
scores. Rainey had 36 tackles, four TFLs and five sacks, and Sloan had 35 tackles, six TFLs and one sack.
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