The 2026 season begins a new era in high school sports across the state with the instatement of new realignments. One local school – the Gaffney Indians, once again find themselves separated from their traditional area rivals, this time as a 4A school. Gaffney is no stranger to success regardless of who they are competing against, always maintaining the chase for their record 19th state championship (and more) as the goal – and that will not change in this new alignment.
“With the SCHSL’s reclassification, the football landscape has changed”, said Gaffney Head Coach Donnie Littlejohn, who is entering into his second season at the helm of the program. “While a few schools moved out of our classification, many of the teams we competed against last season in 5A Division II now remain in 4A with us. We also believe our non-region schedule is one of the toughest in the state, featuring several 5A opponents. Regardless of classification, football is football. We have tremendous respect for every opponent on our schedule and for every program competing in Class 4A. Our focus remains the same—preparing each week to compete at the highest level and earning everything we get on the field.”
Gaffney’s 2026 schedule does feature two of their traditional rivals in Spartanburg, who they open the season with at the Reservation on August 21st. They will also host Dorman on September 11th, and travel to Byrnes September 25th. The Indians also travel to 5A region I foe JL Mann on week two. The only team they are accustomed to facing each year that is now no longer on their schedule is Boiling Springs, but even without the Bulldogs, Coach Littlejohn’s point about having a non-region schedule that will more than battle-harden the Indians for their region slate stands.
If Gaffney is to make a deep run this year, it will take settling a battle between two already-young quarterbacks to determine who will lead an offense with sufficient returning talent. Banks Bouton, who threw for over 1100 yards and five touchdowns while averaging over 100 passing yards per game, has moved on to Furman University. Now, the reins of the offense will fall on either sophomore Corey Taylor or Freshman Talmage Person (who goes by TJ).
Fortunately, they will have some solid returning talent to back them up as they grow. Along the O line, senior Calvin ”CJ” Brooks, junior Derrius “Deuce” Littlejohn, and Trey Dawkins bring with them valuable experience and leadership. At wide receiver, junior Quentis Hines returns after earning significant playing time a year ago and is expected to be one of the team’s top offensive weapons.
Other key losses from 2025 include offensive lineman Scotland Dover (now at Appalachian State), edge rusher Zyon Ratchford (East Carolina), running back Josiah Hill – who tallied nearly 800 yards and 20 touchdowns last year (now at Wingate University), and tailback Jaiden McDowell (North Greenville University).
“We are proud of what these young men accomplished at Gaffney and are excited to see them continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level”, said Littlejohn. “While replacing players of their caliber is never easy, we believe their leadership and the standard they helped establish have prepared the next group to step into those roles.”
There are several newcomers that look poised to fill the vacancies for the Indians this season. Among them are junior tailback/wide receiver Dylan McKey, senior athlete (likely to be used as a tailback) Amire White, and wideouts Marquise and Nikquise Young, who carry a ton of speed and big play ability.
“Offensively, our goal is to establish a physical and dominant running game”, Littlejohn stated. “We feel good about the potential of our offensive line and the depth we have at tailback. As we break in a new quarterback, our ability to control the line of scrimmage and create balance will be critical to our success. One of our biggest areas of focus has been improving our passing game and creating more explosive plays. We understand the importance of being balanced and being able to challenge defenses in multiple ways. Through the work our players and coaches have put in this offseason, we believe we will be much improved in that area.”
Defense is definitely going to be the most experienced side of the ball for the Indians in 2026, particularly in the backfield. The entire secondary returns from a year ago, including senior cornerbacks Ayden Montgomery and Kareem Shaw, senior safety Adreyan “Money” Monroe and his fellow safety junior Zion Dawkins, as well as senior linebackers Kendarius Bailey and Ty McGill. Along the defensive front, seniors Ja’Ronte Kimbrough and Marquell Smalls will be experienced anchors. Littlejohn also says to watch out for senior linebacker Adam “AJ” Logan, and junior defensive tackle Sidney Lattimore, who bring invaluable leadership, experience, and physicality to the table.
“The greatest strength of our team will be the experience and continuity we have returning on the defense”, said Littlejohn. “Last season, when teams were able to have success against us defensively, it was primarily through the passing game. This year, we return a much more experienced secondary, and we are confident that the growth and development of those players will allow us to be more effective defending the pass and limiting explosive plays. We will have eight players back who have seen significant playing time and have built valuable experience together. That chemistry, combined with their understanding of our expectations and defensive standards, should allow us to play fast and confident.”
As the offseason draws closer to its end, the 2026 iteration of the Gaffney Indians has been marked by one thing – commitment, which could go a long way in addition to the returning talent to help make for a successful campaign this year.
“The 2026 Indians have been completely dialed in since January”, said Littlejohn. “ They are faster, stronger, and more prepared than they were a year ago. The commitment and work ethic our players have shown this offseason have positioned us for a successful 2026 season. The attendance, effort, and work ethic have been evident throughout the offseason, and our players have embraced the expectations and standards of this program. The growth we have seen in the weight room and on the field has been impressive, and we are excited to see how that preparation translates into Friday nights as we continue to build our program, win more games, and put ourselves in position to win Gaffney’s 19th state championship.”
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