By NOAH FEIT
Strom Thurmond High School's football team was in store for some new and different things this season.
After being established as one of South Carolina's top powers in Class AA the past few years, the Rebels are returning to Class AAA as part of state-wide realignment. They are also going to have to adjust to the loss of several key players from last year's squad that advanced to the state semifinals. Chief among the departed veterans is Raleigh Yeldell, a three-year starter at quarterback.
But the most unique thing about Strom Thurmond's season could be tonight's opening game. The Rebels weren't originally slated to play in Week Zero, but when issues arose with Lucy C. Laney, the team they were scheduled to open their 2012 campaign against on Aug. 24, head coach Lee Sawyer adjusted his schedule. Out went Laney and in came tonight's home game against Eastern Christian Academy.
Who?
ECA is a first-year school from Elkton, Md. that boasts a talented roster of players. The Honey Badgers are ranked as the 75th best high school football team in the country by Rivals and the No. 3 team in Maryland. ECA currently boasts eight FBS commitments on its roster and could have as many as 14 by National Signing Day.
"They've got two Southern Cal commitments and nine guys who've been offered or already committed," Sawyer said of his opponent, citing other big-time programs such as West Virginia, Syracuse and Connecticut that are the future destinations for ECA players. "They've got a lot more people that can hurt you all across the field than what we're used to playing."
Among the players capable of hurting the Rebels is Honey Badger quarterback David Sills. Although he's only a sophomore, Sills is so highly thought of that he's been receiving interest from major college programs since he was a seventh grader and has committed to Southern Cal.
Sills is the triggerman for ECA's fast-paced offense that regularly operates out of the spread formation. Sawyer said Sills has at least four big-play receivers capable of turning a 15-yard reception into a touchdown, and the difference in the game could be a made or missed tackle on a pass to one of those players. That puts pressure on Strom Thurmond defensive stalwarts Hykeem Brooks (corner back) and Aaron Cook (linebacker) to make plays.
Although the Rebels will be on their toes, trying to prevent big plays down the field, they're going to have to be careful they don't get run over in the process. That's because the Honey Badgers also have an elite running back in Wendell Smallwood. Like his quarterback, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior is a highly coveted player among college coaches and scouts.
"They'll spread you out, and you have to honor the big play," Sawyer warned, "but the running back will kill you. They're a lot like us. They run the no-huddle and always go fast."
While Sawyer isn't looking to get into a shootout with the Honey Badgers, he's fortunate to have a team that could be capable of scoring at an extremely high clip. Strom Thurmond's top weapon is running back/receiver/kick returner Darius Hammond. He's a threat to go the distance anytime he touches the ball, and he can do it from a variety of positions. The challenge for the Rebels is getting him the ball.
That will be the responsibility of Jauveer Hammond. The junior is taking over for Yeldell at quarterback and has big shoes to fill. Although he was the backup last year, Sawyer said Jauveer Hammond has come a long way since spring practice when he first assumed the mantle of quarterback.
"He's worked his tail off and made a lot of progress," Sawyer said of Jauveer Hammond's growth as a passer before adding the new QB is more dangerous running with the ball than his agile predecessor. "He's good at throwing, but he's hard to put your hands on. He's got good feet and is like a third running back for us."
The feature back in the Rebels' offense is James McKie. He saw significant time last season when Darius Hammond suffered an injury, and Strom Thurmond didn't miss a beat with McKie carrying the ball.
If he's healthy, it gives the Rebels lots of threats out of the backfield. But if Jauveer Hammond finds his groove as a passer, the Rebels are also blessed with talented players on the perimeter. Senior Ty Brooks is the team's top returning receiver, but less experienced players Trevonte Watkins and Terrance Grim could have breakthrough seasons. The biggest challenge tonight will be providing time to get them the ball and create holes for the runners to get through.
ECA has a massive defensive front, with players averaging 275 pounds across the line. The main playmaker is Kenny Bigelow, who like his quarterback has committed to Southern Cal. Bigelow is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound athletic freak, who's listed as a defensive end but will move inside to exploit mismatches and create openings for his teammates. He's backed up by Jhamere Irvin-Sills, a safety committed to Auburn who can stuff the run as well as most defensive linemen. He's also skilled at jamming opposing receivers and making it hard for them to get off the line of scrimmage.
"We've got to neutralize their front and get Darius in space," Sawyer said, charging senior tackle Jake Goforth and his fellow offensive linemen to win the battle in the trenches if Strom Thurmond is going to be successful. "We've got to stay patient and hang around. If we can stay fresh into the second half, we'll have a chance in the third and fourth quarter."
In spite of all the highly-touted players lining up against his Rebels, Sawyer is optimistic about tonight's game, which will kick off at 7:30.
"We wouldn't sign up for this if we weren't in it to win it," Sawyer said, adding there's more at stake than a win or loss. "I want to see the guys compete with great athletes. It could expose some weaknesses (we have). How do we handle the situation? It will help us down the road."
Noah Feit is the Sports Editor for the AikenStandard and has been a professional journalist for more than a dozen years after graduating from Syracuse University.![]()
Strom Thurmond High School's football team was in store for some new and different things this season.
After being established as one of South Carolina's top powers in Class AA the past few years, the Rebels are returning to Class AAA as part of state-wide realignment. They are also going to have to adjust to the loss of several key players from last year's squad that advanced to the state semifinals. Chief among the departed veterans is Raleigh Yeldell, a three-year starter at quarterback.
But the most unique thing about Strom Thurmond's season could be tonight's opening game. The Rebels weren't originally slated to play in Week Zero, but when issues arose with Lucy C. Laney, the team they were scheduled to open their 2012 campaign against on Aug. 24, head coach Lee Sawyer adjusted his schedule. Out went Laney and in came tonight's home game against Eastern Christian Academy.
Who?
ECA is a first-year school from Elkton, Md. that boasts a talented roster of players. The Honey Badgers are ranked as the 75th best high school football team in the country by Rivals and the No. 3 team in Maryland. ECA currently boasts eight FBS commitments on its roster and could have as many as 14 by National Signing Day.
"They've got two Southern Cal commitments and nine guys who've been offered or already committed," Sawyer said of his opponent, citing other big-time programs such as West Virginia, Syracuse and Connecticut that are the future destinations for ECA players. "They've got a lot more people that can hurt you all across the field than what we're used to playing."
Among the players capable of hurting the Rebels is Honey Badger quarterback David Sills. Although he's only a sophomore, Sills is so highly thought of that he's been receiving interest from major college programs since he was a seventh grader and has committed to Southern Cal.
Sills is the triggerman for ECA's fast-paced offense that regularly operates out of the spread formation. Sawyer said Sills has at least four big-play receivers capable of turning a 15-yard reception into a touchdown, and the difference in the game could be a made or missed tackle on a pass to one of those players. That puts pressure on Strom Thurmond defensive stalwarts Hykeem Brooks (corner back) and Aaron Cook (linebacker) to make plays.
Although the Rebels will be on their toes, trying to prevent big plays down the field, they're going to have to be careful they don't get run over in the process. That's because the Honey Badgers also have an elite running back in Wendell Smallwood. Like his quarterback, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior is a highly coveted player among college coaches and scouts.
"They'll spread you out, and you have to honor the big play," Sawyer warned, "but the running back will kill you. They're a lot like us. They run the no-huddle and always go fast."
While Sawyer isn't looking to get into a shootout with the Honey Badgers, he's fortunate to have a team that could be capable of scoring at an extremely high clip. Strom Thurmond's top weapon is running back/receiver/kick returner Darius Hammond. He's a threat to go the distance anytime he touches the ball, and he can do it from a variety of positions. The challenge for the Rebels is getting him the ball.
That will be the responsibility of Jauveer Hammond. The junior is taking over for Yeldell at quarterback and has big shoes to fill. Although he was the backup last year, Sawyer said Jauveer Hammond has come a long way since spring practice when he first assumed the mantle of quarterback.
"He's worked his tail off and made a lot of progress," Sawyer said of Jauveer Hammond's growth as a passer before adding the new QB is more dangerous running with the ball than his agile predecessor. "He's good at throwing, but he's hard to put your hands on. He's got good feet and is like a third running back for us."
The feature back in the Rebels' offense is James McKie. He saw significant time last season when Darius Hammond suffered an injury, and Strom Thurmond didn't miss a beat with McKie carrying the ball.
If he's healthy, it gives the Rebels lots of threats out of the backfield. But if Jauveer Hammond finds his groove as a passer, the Rebels are also blessed with talented players on the perimeter. Senior Ty Brooks is the team's top returning receiver, but less experienced players Trevonte Watkins and Terrance Grim could have breakthrough seasons. The biggest challenge tonight will be providing time to get them the ball and create holes for the runners to get through.
ECA has a massive defensive front, with players averaging 275 pounds across the line. The main playmaker is Kenny Bigelow, who like his quarterback has committed to Southern Cal. Bigelow is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound athletic freak, who's listed as a defensive end but will move inside to exploit mismatches and create openings for his teammates. He's backed up by Jhamere Irvin-Sills, a safety committed to Auburn who can stuff the run as well as most defensive linemen. He's also skilled at jamming opposing receivers and making it hard for them to get off the line of scrimmage.
"We've got to neutralize their front and get Darius in space," Sawyer said, charging senior tackle Jake Goforth and his fellow offensive linemen to win the battle in the trenches if Strom Thurmond is going to be successful. "We've got to stay patient and hang around. If we can stay fresh into the second half, we'll have a chance in the third and fourth quarter."
In spite of all the highly-touted players lining up against his Rebels, Sawyer is optimistic about tonight's game, which will kick off at 7:30.
"We wouldn't sign up for this if we weren't in it to win it," Sawyer said, adding there's more at stake than a win or loss. "I want to see the guys compete with great athletes. It could expose some weaknesses (we have). How do we handle the situation? It will help us down the road."
Noah Feit is the Sports Editor for the AikenStandard and has been a professional journalist for more than a dozen years after graduating from Syracuse University.