Undefeated Chapin Going On The Road At Undefeated Summerville This Week Excited For The Opportunity To Play In The Lowcountry

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

 Chapin — As the sun was going down late Tuesday afternoon, at the conclusion of the Chapin Eagle (4-0) football practice,  first year head coach Ryan Cole gathered his team at mid-field and talked about what an opportunity the Eagles had going on the road this Friday night to play an undefeated Summerville High (3-0) team.

“I stressed to the team that it was an opportunity for them to showcase our football program in the low country where we do not play very often,” said Coach Cole. “Summerville is a program full of tradition and everyone knows about all the wins and state titles under such a legend like Coach (John) McKissick. We are excited to be going down to Summerville this week and we know they are a well-coached and talented team.

“They are very balanced on offense and they come at you from many areas on the field,” said Coach Cole. “I’m asking our guys to play hard and give us a chance, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”   

After four weeks of the 2024 season the Eagles have defeated Catawba Ridge (47-37), AC Flora (62-21), Spring Valley (49-14) and Newberry (42-37).



After the Eagles game with the Green Wave this week, they have a bye week, before starting region play with top-ranked Dutch Fork at home on October, 4. The Eagles play in Region 4-AAAAA and the six teams that comprise the region have a combined record of 20-2 coming into Week four games.

“Our kids have really worked hard in the off-season and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I have been fortunate to work under some great coaches,” said Coach Cole. “I worked under Justin Gentry who retired after last season and before him Coach (Eddie) Muldrow was the head coach here. In high school I played for my Dad up in New Hampshire, and he was my high school head coach.”

(Coach Cole, who came to Chapin five seasons ago to coach defensive backs, spent the last two seasons at Chapin as the defensive coordinator. He also has coached under Tommy West at Clemson and Tom Knotts at Dutch Fork, along the way.)

Chapin returned 8 starters this season on offense and six starters are back to lead the defense.

“Our mission statement this year has been to play relentless, play hard to the whistle, and to leave everything on the field,” said Coach Cole. “This is a hard-working group that loves to be coached. They have been relentless on the football field, relentless in the class room, relentless in the weight room, and relentless at home and in community service.” 

The engineer on offense is third year starter, and senior quarterback Brady Albro (5-11, 190). Albro established new Chapin career passing records for touchdown passes, and total career passing yardage records, in the AC Flora game week in Week One. Albro is getting serious recruiting interest from several colleges this season.

To date, he has completed 76-of-116 passes for 1,090 yards and 14 touchdowns with only one interception. He also has one rushing touchdown gaining 39 yards on 9 carries. As a junior, Albro completed 265-of-384 passes for 3,054 yards and 24 touchdowns.

“While Brady makes things go for us on offense,  I a firm believer that the game starts in the trenches, and we are fortunate to have four of our five starting offensive linemen back this season,” said Coach Cole.

Albro gets protection upfront from junior right tackle prospect Caden Muskus (6-5, 250) along with junior center Mason Hetlinger (6-2, 265), along with senior G/T  Evan Creel, and senior G/T Nathan Gilley (6-2, 260). The newcomer up-front is senior right guard Sam Highberger (6-3, 270).  

The starting running back is junior Cole Martin (5-11,185) who comes into the Summerville game having rushed for 300 yards on 69 carries with five touchdowns. Martin has caught one pass for 50 yards and a touchdown. Martin has good hands out of the back-field with 22 catches for 255 yards and two TD receptions. 

The Eagles attack the defense with four receivers. Gaffney transfer, junior prospect Stone Furrey (5-10, 170) has caught 20 passes for 332 yards and five touchdowns to date. (Furrey’s father is the WR coach at South Carolina.) The leading receiver is senior Khalen Bostick (5-11, 169) who has caught 23 passes for 376 yards and fiver touchdowns. Junior Jessup Boulware (6-1, 185) is like a flex TE and senior Cooper Canady (6-0, 200) is like a flex-H-back athlete who has caught four passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Boulware has caught seven passes for 138 yards and two TD’s thus far.

Sophomore Connor Finney and senior Phillip Jones also rotate in at WR. Early in the season, WR Beckham Dimmier, who was also the team’s place kicker, was lost to the season with a torn ACL after catching three passes for 32 yards. “We are still searching for Dimmier’s replacement on offense,” said Coach Cole.

Chapin plays a 3-3 Stack defense. The strength of the defense is at linebacker, anchored by the return of the team’s top two tacklers from last season, senior Gavin Stam (110 tackles, 21 TFL, 4 sacks) and senior Tanner Short with (79 tackles, 16 TFL, 3 sacks.) Stam is 5-10, 208 while Short is 5-10, 195. “Gavin and Tanner are athletic, fast to the ball, and they both play with high motors,” said Coach Cole. “We use five guys in our linebacker rotation.”  

Sharing time in the middle of the defense is senior Harrison Ambrose, sophomore Parker Collins and sophomore Jaylynn Calvin. The three outside linebackers include junior Caleb Davis (6-0, 180), junior Drew Greer (6-2, 175) and junior Luke Cromer (5-10, 170).

The defensive front is anchored by junior DE Ethan Lorick (6-2, 200), and senior DE Max Miller (6-0, 175) on the other side. Numerous players rotate in at NG. This group includes soph Clinton Gentry (5-8, 173), senior Nolan Mayer (6-1, 205) and sophomore Kingston Bowers.  

The only returning starter in the three deep secondary is CB Anthony Turnbow (5-11, 190) who had 43 tackles and one interception last season. Sophomore Charlie Todd (6-0, 175) holds down the FS position and the other CB is junior Peyton Griffin (6-0, 150).

Stam comes into the Summerville game leading the tackle index with 33 tackles, including seven TFL. Short is next with 26 tackles, five TFL. Cromer has 18 tackles and Ambrose has 17 tackles including five TFL. Gentry, Calvin, and Mayer have two sacks each and Griffin leads the teams in picks with three. Senior kicker, Will Robinson has made all 8 of his PAT’s. 

“I am excited for the low country and for this area of the state to see our kids play, and see how hard they work,” said Coach Cole. “I am excited for their fans to see our team. I feel like if we play like we are capable of playing it should be a real good football game.”

Chapin’s OC is Jody Haltiwanger and the DC is Cal Sayger. Carl Flowers instructs WR’s while Stephen Laurn works with TE’s. Andrew Dronzdak and Chauncey Phillips works with the Eagle’s OL. Jason Jolley coaches RB’s and works with special teams.

Grady Sondgeroth works with ILB’s while Casey McWethy and Brian Galley instructs OLB’s. Jon Clanton instructs the DL and is he the Eagle’s strength coach. Randy Johnson works with safeties and special teams, while JaKobe Bush works with DB’s and Joey Conway tutors the DL.

Summerville is head coached by former all-state Green Wave DE Ian Rafferty who went on to NC State where he started in the OL and he was drafted into the NFL before injuries cut his career short.

The Green Wave are led on offense by senior QB Jaden Cummings (6-0, 190) who has a super quick release.  He has committed to play at Dartmouth next season. Cummings completed 189-of-273 passes as a junior for 3,333 yards and 36 TD’s. He also rushed for 250 yards and scored four rushing TD’s.

Eagle fans need to keep their eyes on one of the top sophomore athletes in the nation in WR Jaiden Kelly-Murray who actually earned all-state honors as a freshman DB a year ago when he had 110 tackles, 10 TFL and four picks. Ke’Shon Washington (6-0, 215) is a hard runner  out of the back-field and LT John Corley (6-1, 260) is a senior leader in the OL.

On defense junior LB JT Williams  and DL Yassir Smith are key play-makers for the Green Wave.