Dillon Football Focused On Continued Success, AD Zach Hayes Leaving Post At End Of The School Year
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Dillon—Having just completed his third season as the head football coach at Dillon High (10-2), with the Wildcats compiling an impressive 34-4 record, including three region titles over this span, head coach Kelvin Roller is totally focused on making year four even more successful.
“Our two losses this season came against a very talented Hartsville team, early in the season, and our season ended in the second round of the payoffs against a well-coached and talented Camden team that lost by one point to Daniel in the state title game,” said Coach Roller. “We competed well against both teams.
“Unfortunately, we had several key players out with injuries for the Camden game,” said Coach Roller. “I am very proud of the effort our players gave all season. Our goal at Dillon will always be to out-work people and compete for state championships every year.”
Coach Roller said he wants all returning players to the 2024 Dillon football team, plus several promising players who will be up from the jayvee team, to enjoy the Christmas holiday break but be expects everyone to come back from the break refreshed and ready to go to work.
“We can talk about a goal to win a championship, but your work ethic, and all that you focus on in the off-season to get prepared to win a state title is the most important thing,” said Coach Roller. “It is all about getting stronger in the weight room and working on speed and conditioning in early Spring. It is what you do when the lights of the stadium are not on. We need to embrace a strong work ethic and focus on becoming the team we can be for next season.”
In the first round of the AAA playoffs on November, 2 the Wildcats defeated visiting North Charleston 42-8. In the Camden loss the bright spot-on offense was the running of junior RB Jamarion Fling who gained 134 yards on 27 caries scoring all three of Dillon’s touchdowns in the 35-21 loss.
Against Camden the Nasty Cats of defense was led by senior LB Sirmod McCallum with 14 tackles and soph OLB Daniel Capehart chipped in with 8 tackles. DL Wayvon Bright had six tackles and Fling, who flipped some to defense, had five tackles.
In the post-season Dillon was represented at the North-South all-star game in Myrtle Beach by RT Jayden Benjamin (6-4, 320) who was chosen as a captain for the game. “The coaches for the South team told me what a good player Benjamin was for them in the game, and I am very proud he was chosen as one of the captains for the game,” said Coach Roller.
While at the North-South game, Coach Roller was also very pleased when Shrine Bowl left tackle Josiah Thompson was announced as the Coaches Association’s Mr. Football in South Carolina for the 2023 season. “Thompson is a tremendous player on the field but he is an even better person off the field,” said Coach Roller. “He has been a four-year starter at Dillon and he has worked hard at becoming what many college coaches tell me is the best left tackle in the country this season.
“He is a very deserving young man of this honor and I am very proud of him,” said Coach Roller. “Thompson will also be playing in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas on January, 6 and the game will be televised nationally on NBC. I am looking forward to going out to the game to support him representing the Dillon football program on the national stage.”
The HSSR has named several Dillon players to our 2023 All-State football team with direct in-putt from Coach Roller. Thompson has been named the “HSSR-SCHSL Career Mr. Football” in South Carolina for his four years of outstanding play for the Wildcats that landed him his first offer as a freshman from South Carolina, where he will play at the next level. Fling has earned a spot on the HSSR-SCHSL AAA all-state offensive team along with WR Zay Robertson. Benjamin has earned a spot on the HSSR-SCHSL statewide all-state team from the OL. Quarterback Josiah Oxendine, who was a member of the HSSR-SCHSL all-rookie team last year, has earned a spot on the HSSR-SCHSL AAA all-state team this season. Oxendine passed for 1,236 yards this season and 8 TD’s. he also averaged 7.89 yards a carry gaining 363 yards on 46 carries and three TD’s.
On defense, McCallum is on the HSSR-SCHSL statewide defensive team after leading Dillon with 131 total tackles including four TFL and one sack. Sophomore Daniel Capehart has earned a spot on the HSSR-SCHSL all-rookie team after compiling 64 tackles including three TFL. Sophomore LB Keyrion Brown has been named to the HSSR-SCHSL AAA defensive all-state team after compiling 104 tackles and three pass interceptions.
Dillon Athletic Director Zach Hayes Accepts Job Opportunity With Elliott Rentals At Myrtle Beach
Zach Hayes, who has been the Dillon athletic director for the past three years, did an outstanding job working for Elliott Real State Sales in Mrytle Beach, for three summers, while he was attending Coastal Carolina where he graduated in 2013.
Hayes was recently offered the head job over-seeing the summer rentals division of Elliott Realty in both the North and Myrtle Beach areas. Elliott Realty is the number one summer rental company in Myrtle Beach with over 1,300 rentals annually.
“Rick Elliott, who owns Elliott Realty, told me a few years ago that he was going to do everything he could to hire Zach to come run a key component of his well-respected business at the Beach,” said Dillon area Supt. Ray Rogers. “I knew it was a matter of time and that time is now.
“We are going to miss him and he has been a vital part of the Dillon athletic program since he would walk around the school with his father (Jackie Hayes) starting when he was three-years old,” said Mr. Rogers. “Zach does not live that far from the school and he comes to the school on a minute’s notice to help fix anything from fire alarm issues to making sure the lawn mower is ready for grass cutting in the summer. He gets involved in so many things, in-and-out of athletics.”
Supt Rogers said that Hayes will stay on as the Dillon/lake View AD until the end of the school year, on a part-time basis while also getting use to his new role at Elliott Realty.
“It was a big decision and I will always love Dillon High School for all the memories and opportunities that the school has brought to me,” said Hayes. “I really enjoyed working with Rick Elliott during my summers at Coastal and he has been talking to me about this great opportunity for me and my family for quite some time.
“Being an athletic director teaches you how to deal and communicate with people and this is what I will be doing in the real estate business,” said Hayes.
Hayes and his wife have two adorable children; Calloway, who is six and Kegan who is two.
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