Early High School Football Observations

By: Pete Yanity News Channel 7 Sports | News Channel 7
Published: August 19, 2008 | 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Here is my take on what I’ve seen so far during the high school football pre-season.

Byrnes hasn’t missed a beat from a year ago. Despite losing DB Cartier Rice and DL Everette Dawkins, among others, their defense looks just as impressive (and fast and big) and their offense is the typical well-oiled machine you’d expect.

I watch the Chase Dodd/Marcus Lattimore combo and am stunned they’re only juniors.

Spartanburg’s new quarterback Cornelius Jones could eventually remind longtime area fans of another player by that same last name. A decade ago, Gaffney’s Kentrell Jones glided past opposing defenses and threw bombs when rolling out and that’s who this Jones reminds me of, in a much rawer form.

T.L. Hanna has a wide receiver named Quinton Peyton, whose already committed to N.C. State, who is a huge target and should be a difference maker in the Jackets passing game. They also have a junior wide out named Martavius Bryant who transferred in from Calhoun Falls who will also be a factor.

BHP will be a major pain for some teams because they appear to have the type of offense that will hold the ball and run the clock so if they get a lead on a team they could be tough to beat, similar to the way Clinton plays. This will come in handy with the Bears non-region schedule that starts with Laurens and Westside.

Look for Boiling Springs to play a similar style and with their big offensive line they may actually be able to hang in some of the games they play against the 4A big boys they go against.

We had three winless teams in the area last year so I’m anxious to see if Eastside, Carolina, and Travelers Rest can show improvement. Each has looked respectable in jamborees but that’s of little value once things kick-off for real.

I’m anxious to see if Friday night’s regular-season opener between Spartanburg and Dorman is an offensive show. Spartanburg appears to have the tools. Dorman returns several skill players who look to pick up the pace from last year.

One other observation, Gaffney’s new stadium is truly a Taj Mahal. It’s certainly an impressive structure and when you add in the fact that they’ll not only have good-sized scoreboards on each end but each has its own video screen then you have some kind of facility.