Looking For Class 2A Front Runners? Start Here
In this article:
When Gray Collegiate ran away with the 2021 Class 2A state championship, it was a bit of a glitch in the matrix. Behind running back Kazarius Adams Kazarius Adams 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Gray Collegiate Academy | 2022…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhen Gray Collegiate ran away with the 2021 Class 2A state championship, it was a bit of a glitch in the matrix.
Behind running back Kazarius Adams Kazarius Adams 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Gray Collegiate Academy | 2022 State SC and a few other future college guys, the War Eagles didn’t have an easy run through the playoffs. They defeated traditional contenders Abbeville (which had won four of the last five Class 2A titles), Newberry and Silver Bluff in the process.
It remains to be seen if Gray can keep up that type of success without Adams. But if we’re looking at the four teams best positioned to take the proverbial throne, we are going to start with these four.
BARNWELL (Last year: 9-5)
The Warhorses have an incoming starting quarterback in Cameron Austin Cameron Austin 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Barnwell | 2025 State SC who could be the next piece of the puzzle Barnwell has been looking for. The athletic and accurate quarterback gives this team a bigger playbook to go along with existing and soon-to-be highly decorated offensive standouts Tyler J Smith Tyler J Smith 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB Barnwell | 2023 State SC and Clay Pender Clay Pender 6'1" | 165 lbs | ATH Barnwell | 2023 SC . Tack on an experience and high-quality center in Seneca Baines Seneca Baines 6'0" | 265 lbs | OL Barnwell | 2024 SC , and this squad has the pieces in place to dominate.
KINGSTREE (First-year program)
The new-look, old name program – borne out of the combination of the former Kingstree and C.E. Murray High Schools – the Kingstree Blazers are the pure definition of a Class 2A wild card heading into 2022. The team will be joining the forces of Nic Brown Nic Brown 6'4" | 220 lbs | ATH Kingstree | 2023 State SC , Amond Meyers, Taylor Wilson, Jafari Slay, Khamis Wilson and Henry Evans. Immediately, that group will look longer and taller than most small-class programs. Keeping in mind that C.E. Murray was a Class A Lower State runner-up a year ago, wins and playoff runs are already the norm for most of the new squad.
OCEANSIDE COLLEGIATE (Last year: 8-4)
Trust that a bunch of Lower State teams weren’t thrilled with the Landsharks dropping a classification in the latest realignment. After all, this is a squad with six players – led by Monroe Freeling Monroe Freeling 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC , Vaughn Blue Vaughn Blue 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2023 State SC and Tim Castain Tim Castain 6'1" | 240 lbs | DL Oceanside Collegiate | 2023 State SC – ranked in the Prep Red Zone Class of 2023, another three ( Ben Britton Ben Britton 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Oceanside Collegiate | 2024 State SC , Coleman Franzone Coleman Franzone 5'10" | 190 lbs | P James Island | 2024 State SC and Zai Offord Zai Offord 5'11" | 160 lbs | ATH Gray Collegiate | 2024 State SC ) already appearing in the Class of 2024 rankings and some budding stars coming up around them.
SILVER BLUFF (Last year: 11-1)
The Bulldogs’ lone loss of the 2021 season came in the state championship game against Gray. And with the bulk of its talent returning this coming year, Silver Bluff is every bit a contender. The top Class of 2024 tailback in Traevon Dunbar Traevon Dunbar 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Midland Valley | 2024 State SC . An electric quarterback in Maleik Williams Maleik Williams 5'8" | 165 lbs | ATH Silver Bluff | 2023 State SC . A dynamic linebacker in Jordan Boyd Jordan Boyd 6'3" | 215 lbs | DL Silver Bluff | 2024 State SC . An ultra-experienced lineman in Christian Echols Christian Echols 6'4" | 250 lbs | OL Silver Bluff | 2024 State SC . Rising sophomore starters in Garris Chambers Garris Chambers 5'11" | 260 lbs | OL Silver Bluff | 2025 State SC and Malik Mozone Malik Mozone 5'10" | 180 lbs | DB Aiken | 2025 State SC . This team is stacked.