Class 4A Contenders? Start With These Teams

South Pointe’s championship run in 2021 will probably grow in status as people start to truly understand just how loaded Class 4A was last fall. Whomever walks away with some hardware in 2022 will be able to say the same. A huge crop of proven and talent-laded teams will enter the season with a legitimate claim to the title. We fully believe South Pointe is again capable. But after the Stallions, here are six teams who we could easily see make a run of their own. <strong>A.C. FLORA (Last year: 9-2)</strong> The high-powered offensive combo of receiver [player_tooltip player_id="202725" first="Chris" last="Lofton"] and [player_tooltip player_id="202726" first="Markel" last="Townsend"] are by no means the Falcons’ only weapons. Lineman [player_tooltip player_id="202728" first="Kendarius" last="Kinard"], receiver [player_tooltip player_id="202731" first="Adonis" last="McDaniel"], defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="202733" first="Carew" last="Bates"] and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="202750" first="Braxton" last="Burton"] are just some of the names new coach (and former offensive coordinator) Ken Floyd will be relying up to re-charge the 2020 state champs. <strong>GREENVILLE (Last year: 10-3)</strong> The team that unseated A.C. Flora in the second round this past season (before losing to South Pointe in the Lower State finals) should be among the last remaining teams again thanks to a stacked group of upperclassmen. Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="89334" first="Luke" last="Schuller"] and Thomas Edmonson, receiver [player_tooltip player_id="91149" first="Tyler" last="Brown"], punter [player_tooltip player_id="146378" first="Rush" last="Sheppard"], Mazio Bennett Jr, [player_tooltip player_id="242787" first="Bruce" last="Knauber"] and Thomas Guerrero form one heck of a core for a team that is constantly drawing new faces. <strong>HARTSVILLE (Last year: 6-6)</strong> Take two of the best running backs in the state in senior [player_tooltip player_id="202738" first="J’Shawn" last="Anderson"] and junior [player_tooltip player_id="208339" first="Carmello" last="McDaniel"], quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="208342" first="McKendrie" last="Douglas"], offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="208333" first="Slayton" last="Stokes"] and receiver and return man [player_tooltip player_id="272699" first="Da’Marion" last="Coe"] and coach Jeff Calabrese’s squad could easily be standing not only atop the Region VI-4A standings, but also in Columbia after the state championship. <strong>NORTHWESTERN (Last year: 11-2)</strong> The Trojans will be replacing all-state quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="89316" first="Will" last="Mattison"] (Gardner-Webb). Otherwise, this is a team with about as much talent as anyone in the state. Offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="89343" first="Jordan" last="Knox"] has been a steamroller of college offers the past few months. Receiver [player_tooltip player_id="146372" first="Elijah" last="Caldwell"] will be among the best receivers in the state after hauling in 1,247 yards and 15 touchdowns. Running back [player_tooltip player_id="265222" first="Turbo" last="Richard"], ditto at that position after eclipsing 1,000 yards. Tack on lineman [player_tooltip player_id="202763" first="Ben" last="Acus"] and opposing defenses will be struggling to slow down this bunch. <strong>RIDGE VIEW (Last year: 6-5)</strong> Dropping back down after a two-year stint in Class 5A isn’t going to hurt the Blazers’ chances. Neither is having another year for rising seniors [player_tooltip player_id="202775" first="Zion" last="Agnew"], [player_tooltip player_id="202754" first="Tracy" last="Stephens"], [player_tooltip player_id="262637" first="Chris" last="Lawson"], [player_tooltip player_id="262675" first="Josh" last="Sadler"] and [player_tooltip player_id="262703" first="Marcus" last="Kelly"]. Ridge View will be sharing a region with A.C. Flora, but the chances of either team making a run are quite high. <strong>SOUTH FLORENCE (Last year: 7-4)</strong> The Bruins fizzled out some last season after quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="146356" first="LaNorris" last="Sellers"] went down at the midway point of the season with a broken collarbone. But the truth to the matter was that South Florence was actually a year ahead of schedule anyway. This season is the one coach Drew Marlowe has been building toward, with not only Sellers but also linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="263156" first="Trokel" last="Prew"] and [player_tooltip player_id="263155" first="Jaylin" last="Davis"], lineman [player_tooltip player_id="208354" first="Chantwan" last="Harkless"] and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="208353" first="Quincy" last="Rhodes"].