Football Standouts Celebrating Spring Sports Success
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How often do we need to see evidence that competing across different sports pays dividends? Paraphrasing Orlando Bloom’s character in Pirates of the Caribbean, “At least once more.” Some of South Carolina’s best returning football players for next fall spent…
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Continue ReadingHow often do we need to see evidence that competing across different sports pays dividends?
Paraphrasing Orlando Bloom’s character in Pirates of the Caribbean, “At least once more.”
Some of South Carolina’s best returning football players for next fall spent their springs doing something other than football. They laces up track cleats and excelled on the pitch and threw a few pitches and even swung a golf club.
These are some of the ones that we noticed finding something not only else to do with their time, but crushing it along the way.
Blythewood quarterback Alex Myers jumped into our Class of 2025 rankings lately, but he was more focus on helping the Bengals’ baseball squad to the Class 5A Upper State semis. Myers is just seven QBs ranked in his class, a high honor considering he’s got three more years of high school football ahead of him.
McKendrie Douglas McKendrie Douglas 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Hartsville | 2024 State SC had a similar impact for the Hartsville baseball team – which finished as the Class 4A runner up. Douglas is among the most notable players on a squad that is expected to enter 2022 near the top of the statewide preseason rankings.
The various soccer all-region squads were spotted with football players, and naturally, some kickers. Not long after helping North Augusta to a state runner-up finish and missing most of spring camp, North Augusta’s Jack Stevens Jack Stevens 5'11" | 145 lbs | K North Augusta | 2024 State SC knocked through his first 50-yard FG attempt back on the football field.
The state track meets were full of two-sport standouts.
Daniel WR Jaylen Brown-Wallace Jaylen Brown-Wallace 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR Daniel | 2023 State SC has been steadily rising up the rankings in the Class of 2023, and he’s not done yet. This spring, he finished second it the Class 3A state track meet in the long jump and triple jump (behind only future South Carolina receiver DJ Black).
If there was any doubt that Tyler J Smith Tyler J Smith 6'1" | 200 lbs | RB Barnwell | 2023 State SC at Barnwell was going to slack this offseason, he’s put those thoughts to rest with a first-place finish in the Class 2A meet in the high jump. In that same meet, Woodland offensive tackles Kam Pringle Kam Pringle 6'7" | 305 lbs | OL Woodland | 2024 State SC and James Moseley James Moseley 6'3" | 305 lbs | OL Woodland | 2023 State SC each had solid showings. They finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the discus and Pringle took home the top honors in the shot put.
The Class 4A meet was full of returning football players. Hartsville’s Da’Marion Coe Da’Marion Coe 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Hartsville | 2025 State SC and Justin Canty were big in the sprint events, long jump and/or relays (the later of which the Red Foxes won). Westside’s Jimmar Boston Jimmar Boston 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Westside | 2024 State SC was the lone non-senior to finish in the top seven in the high jump, finishing second, while Aiken’s Braylon Staley Braylon Staley 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Strom Thurmond | 2024 State SC won the triple jump. And Greenville LB Luke Schuller Luke Schuller 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Greenville | 2023 State SC finished first in the javelin, second in the shot and seventh in the discus.
Up in Class 5A, Byrnes’ Miquel Dingle Miquel Dingle 6'2" | 210 lbs | LB Byrnes | 2023 State SC won the 110-meter hurdles, where Ridge View’s Kaleb Kelly finished sixth. Kelly and Blazers teammate Zion Agnew Zion Agnew 5'11" | 160 lbs | WR Ridge View | 2023 State SC were also part of the school’s second-place 4×100 relay team, while Kelly was also also part of the runner-up 4×400 squad. Dorman OL Markee Anderson Markee Anderson 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL Dorman | 2023 State SC finished second in the shot.
Wrapping this up, we wanted to mention a pair of massive standouts who bucked the trend.
Beaufort DE Jack Sumner (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and Hartsville OL Slayton Stokes Slayton Stokes 6'5" | 325 lbs | OL Hartsville | 2024 State SC (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) each performed well in the Class 4A state golf meet. Sumner, who helped his Eagles to a state runner-up football finish last fall, fired a two-day 162 in the finals, good enough for a T37 finish. Stokes, who grew up around golf, finished T69 with a 177.
Both of them will likely be back on the golf course next spring, as well.