High school football is finally here, and we have games to break down. Every Wednesday this season we will break down our 5A and 4A teams that we cover and the games coming up, including Boiling Springs, Byrnes, Dorman, Gaffney, Spartanburg, and Greer.
Spartanburg @ South Pointe
The Spartanburg Vikings head into 2024 off of a 5-5 regular season last year, but with key pieces returning on both sides of the ball. Cam Smith and Peyton Jones are two of the team’s leading tacklers from last season and return at linebacker, but the Vikings will have to replace important defensive lineman and members of the secondary as well.
Offensively, Trenton Lynch will feature as Spartanburg’s instant starter at running back alongside other returners at wide receiver including Justin Rice, Calvin Choice, Zeke Bell Boyd, and others. TJ Johnson is expected to take the starting role at quarterback, but not this week after a preseason injury. That leaves Trey Burke as the presumed Viking signal-caller this week, who started the final four games of 2023 due to injury as well.
South Pointe stays in Region 3-4A for this year coming off of a 7-3 regular season, a win over Spartanburg on the road to open 2023, and all but one loss including the playoffs coming by one score or less. Junior J’Zavien Currence, who is a listed safety, is expected to line up at quarterback due to injury. Currence is a premier recruit in the 2026 class as he is rated #100 overall and the #8 safety in the nation according to the 247 Sports Composite, holding offers from South Carolina and Clemson along with powers like Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee and many more. The Stallions will try to protect him with USC-committed tackle Anthony Baxter, listed at 6-3 and 335 pounds.
There will be plenty missing on both sides of this matchup due to injury, but if Spartanburg leaves with a win it will more than likely have to be on the backs of another stout defensive performance.
Greer @ Boiling Springs
The only matchup of teams we cover going head-to-head this week, the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs will meet up for the third consecutive season.
Boiling Springs returns a number of dynamic options off of last year’s team that went 4-6 in the regular season before dropping its opening round playoff game at Dutch Fork. 13 starters return, including quarterback Lincoln Huskey who scored 18 total touchdowns in 2023. He’ll be backed on offense by RB Javen Chhim, WRs Eli Mobley, Kyle Patterson, and Tristan Horsey-Johnson.
Defensively, the Bulldogs will try to battle a strong Greer offensive line with returning leading tackler Campbell Johnson and Jy’mire Wright in the front, while returning defensive back Jeremiah Favorite is among the best corners in the area.
Greer lost its lead running back LaDainnian Martin from a season ago, but now hope to replace much of the production behind senior Nick Holmes. Holmes was a primary backup last season, and now moves into the feature back role. Additionally the Yellow Jackets lost Chris Hall on the outside, and now expect Brock Diggins to enter the WR1 spot.
The Greer defense gets a year older, and is led by a pair of senior linebackers Quamine Dodd and Brody Diggins. The secondary will have its hands full trying to contain Huskey, so it will be key to get pressure with another young defensive line.
The returning production of Boiling Springs will be a lot to handle for a still-young Greer defensive front, but if the Yellow Jackets can protect QB Kaden Rowland behind a strong offensive line and stay ahead of the sticks on the ground, they can compete.
Byrnes @ TL Hanna
The first of ten consecutive road games with Nixon Field undergoing renovations, the 2024 Byrnes Rebels will visit the TL Hanna Yellow Jackets to open the year. Much like their stadium, Byrnes has gone through a lot of change over the offseason from last year’s team that won 10 games and a region title.
The offense will be paced by sophomore running back Tre Segarra, who carried for over 1100 yards last season and 11 touchdowns in his freshman campaign. His explosive speed and quickness in open space makes him one of the best at his position in the state, regardless of class.
QB Zy Landrum is expected to take over from outgoing signal-caller Andrew Stevens. There will be many opportunities for new names to make an impact not only in the wide receiver corps, but also the offensive line.
The defensive side of the ball lost a lot of 2023 production as well, one that was among the best defenses in the area last year. Jaidyn Ferguson is a big body at 6-2, 225 pounds that is expected to lead the defense and rush the passer consistently.
TL Hanna runs a unique option-style offense, and has college pedigree on the defensive side of the ball with senior cornerback Cam Strong (NC State).
There is so much unknown with this year’s Rebels team that it is hard to preview accurately, but to have a chance against the Yellow Jackets those new names will have to make themselves known quickly.
Greenville @ Dorman
Off of a 3-7 regular season in 2023, the Dorman Cavaliers will look to improve with much of the same core returning this year. Head Coach Jake Morris has brought in a new offensive coordinator in Rodney Mooney to try and jump start an offense that struggled for consistency last season, but is now a year older and has new life from a strong junior varsity team.
The offensive line suffered the most from constant rotation, and now returns four starters including Parker McMillen, who missed all of last season with an injury. Quarterback is still up in the air, during the preseason returner Brice O’Neal was in competition with sophomore Makorean Anderson.
Dorman also has multiple running backs in rotation including Nick Means and Nahjay Fowler to balance out a solid receiver group led by Rice-commit Keenan Arcega-Whiteside.
Defensively, Dorman will be young in the secondary and will lean on its linebackers Dru Darby, Jordan Darby, Darryl Parker and Taylor Sowell. The Cavaliers will most likely start two sophomores at corner, but be backed up by veterans at safety in Braedon Gravely and Dashaun Robinson.
Greenville will have not only a new quarterback but also a new head coach in 2024. Jaybo Shaw comes from Wayne County (GA) and has coaching experience in college at Army, Georgia Southern, and Western Carolina. The brother of former Gamecock quarterback Connor Shaw, Jaybo was a quarterback himself at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern. He will tap Banks Bouton as the new signal-caller for the Red Raiders, who are coming off of a 7-3 season and a trip to the Upper State final in 4A and now have moved up to 5A.
Greenville has losses as well on its roster just like Dorman, but it will be another stern test for the Cavaliers early in the season.
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