Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl: Wednesday Practice Notes

Ian Guerin December 8, 2021 @ 12:04 PM

They certainly got the worst practice out of the way first. The opening session for both the North and South teams of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl was dominated by one storyline - the weather. Temperatures sat in the high 40s and low 50s throughout, and driving wind and rain was constant, save for a few quick moments of reprieve. It changed the strategies for the first practice, and the South’s was actually called about 10 minutes early due to lightning in the area. (The afternoon session was moved indoors due to a lingering threat of more storms.) Still, there were individual standouts among the 86 players who were on the fields Wednesday. GETTING TALLER One of the latest additions to the South roster could helps keep the receiving corps a definite game changer in Saturday’s all-star event. Receiver [player_tooltip player_id="200729" first="Nick" last="Sowell"] (pictured) moved into the spot after Dutch Fork teammate [player_tooltip player_id="61070" first="Antonio" last="Williams"] had to back out due to injury. And while Williams has electric potential on every play (he’s being courted by some of the biggest programs in the southeast), Sowell presents a different type of match-up problem. He’s 6-foot-5 and approaching 200 pounds. If the South gets close to the end zone, he gives an already stacked position group an instant jump-ball threat. HIDDEN BALL TRICK In an effort to speed up the practices in those wet conditions, both teams elected to run most of their offensive sets without a ball. That meant running backs were hitting holes empty handed, and receivers were completing routes without the fear of dropping anything. But what that also meant is that the four quarterbacks in Myrtle Beach this week also weren’t letting it air out. The South’s [player_tooltip player_id="59494" first="Ryan" last="Burger"] (Myrtle Beach) and Garvin Douglas (May River) and North signal callers [player_tooltip player_id="89316" first="Will" last="Mattison"] (Northwestern) and [player_tooltip player_id="153264" first="Trent" last="Pearman"] (Daniel) were calling out plays and doing a lot of fake throws and handoffs. As odd as it looked, we did pick up on something. Pearman, who this week was named the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year for the second straight season, has serious command of the offense already. Before the end of the first practice, the two-time state champ and Mr. Football finalist was barking orders and getting responses. HIDDEN TAILBACK TRICK There was a moment Wednesday when Hillcrest offensive lineman Houston Curry - all 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds of him, appeared to be standing by himself a few feet away from a mass of North teammates. Curry took a step up, and, as it turned out, Gray Collegiate running back [player_tooltip player_id="89314" first="Kazarius" last="Adams"] was standing behind the big right tackle. It’s safe to say that could feed into the North’s scheme Saturday. Adams is 5-foot-8. And as fast as he is in the open field, getting him into crevices on the line will be of the utmost importance lining up against the mega-sized South defensive line. Several times Wednesday, Adams found holes that didn’t appear to be there. Probably why he was able to rush for 3,343 yards and 40 touchdowns this year. Yes, you read that right. In leading Gray to the Class 2A title this year, Adam put up insane numbers to cap and already insane career. He finished with 8,119 yards and 106 touchdowns on the ground and another 1,014 yards and eight scores receiving. He is one of five finalists for South Carolina’s Mr. Football honor, which will be presented at halftime Saturday.