Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl South Roster Notes
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On Monday, the rosters for the Touchstone Energy Cooperative Bowl were released. The 88 South Carolina seniors selected for the game were in many ways a hybrid of past years, when the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas had first choice.…
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Continue ReadingOn Monday, the rosters for the Touchstone Energy Cooperative Bowl were released. The 88 South Carolina seniors selected for the game were in many ways a hybrid of past years, when the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas had first choice.
With that game cancelled, the Touchstone Energy Bowl coaches had the top picks for this year’s all-star game.
It led to scores of talent between the two teams.
This is some of what jumps off the roster for the South squad nearly two months before the December 11th game takes place.
RECEIVERS, RECEIVERS, RECEIVERS
Adam Randall Adam Randall 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Myrtle Beach | 2022 State SC (Myrtle Beach), Antonio Williams Antonio Williams 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Dutch Fork | 2022 State SC (Dutch Fork), Kevin Diggs Kevin Diggs 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB Chesterfield | 2022 State SC (Chesterfield), Zavier Short Zavier Short 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR Chapin | 2022 State SC (Chapin), Skylar King (Brookland-Cayce) and Carlton Terry Carlton Terry 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR Conway | 2022 State SC (Conway) give South coach Art Craig what on the surface appears to be two hockey-style lines of top-end receivers.
As of right now, at least three of those players (Randall, Williams and Short) are FBS locks, with Diggs, Terry and King not far off that pedestal.
The South’s two primary quarterbacks, Myrtle Beach’s Ryan Burger Ryan Burger 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Myrtle Beach | 2022 State SC and May River’s Garvin Douglas, are going to have maybe the greatest collection of targets this game has ever seen, and, honestly, one that would rival many of the Shrine’s best years for the position.
SIZE UP FRONT
It’s clear Craig wanted to make sure his two quarterbacks were protected.
Jayden Johnson Jayden Johnson 6'5" | 300 lbs | OL Goose Creek | 2022 State SC (Goose Creek) is 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. Green Sea Floyds’ Jesus Gutierrez Jesus Gutierrez 6'4" | 350 lbs | DL Green Sea Floyds | 2022 State SC is 6-foot-4, 320 pounds. Oceanside Collegiate’s Jacob Ashley Jacob Ashley 6'5" | 305 lbs | OL Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2022 State SC is 6-foot-6, 320 pounds. Chapin’s Chase Sweigart Chase Sweigart 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Chapin | 2022 State SC is 6-foot-6, 310 pounds. Whale Branch’s Xavier Chaplin is 6-foot-6, 355 pounds.
Those dudes are so big that the likes of three teammates for the game – Lakewood’s Tre’ Croskey (6-4, 285), Berkeley’s Demarco Gadsden (6-1, 290) and River Bluff’s Levi Gould (6-2, 270) – look relatively small.
Don’t ignore what having these types of bodies up front could mean for an offense that is going to be two-dimensional, thanks to running backs Demetri Simmons Demetri Simmons 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Goose Creek | 2022 State SC (Goose Creek), Nemo Squire Nemo Squire 5'9" | 195 lbs | RB Dillon | 2022 State SC (Dillon), Josh Shaw (Hanahan) and Luke Janack Luke Janack 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Carolina Forest | 2022 State SC (Carolina Forest).
843 STRONG?
Craig’s staff chose seven defensive linemen for the game. Apparently he saw something he liked in a bunch of guys within a short drive of his home base at Hanahan.
Fort Dorchester’s DJ Watson and Devin Geddis Devin Geddis 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Fort Dorchester | 2022 State SC , Beaufort’s Alvin Wilson Alvin Wilson 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Beaufort | 2022 State SC , Summerville’s Carnell Jones Carnell Jones 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Summerville | 2022 State SC , Ashley Ridge’s Nick Downing and Lake City’s Ja’Maurion Franklin all reside within the 843 area code.
Only Crestwood’s Jamori Coard lives in an area represented by a different area code, and it’s just a few miles into that zone.
Clearly, he wanted that part of his roster to be highly familiar with one another.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Prep Red Zone South Carolina scout Ian Guerin serves as the media director for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl. However, he had no role in choosing players or alternates for either roster.