2022 Preview: James Island Trojans

Jamar McKoy isn’t exactly sure when he turned into a public relations pro. Either way, he’s certainly sounding the part right now with his James Island football squad. On junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="91365" first="Braxton" last="Scott"]: “There is no limit for Braxton. Seriously, there is no limit… I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t want to line up against him on Friday night.” On H-Back [player_tooltip player_id="146374" first="Marcus" last="Adams"]: “He is a nasty, nasty tight end. He can knock your socks off. Then, he can finesse you and catch that pass and take it 60 yards for a touchdown.” On a defense led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="277543" first="Walker" last="Woodall"]</strong> and <strong>Gemoi Brown</strong>: “We’re rolling. This defense is hell on wheels.” A little over two years of program and culture building have crafted McKoy’s sales pitch, or so it seems. The way he puts it, the players are the ones who are doing all the heavy lifting - and earning the high praise from a coach who won 40 games in his last four seasons at Hunter Huss (N.C.) before moving to the Charleston area in 2020. Scott (pictured), the top-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2024, threw for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing just shy of 60 percent of his passes as a sophomore. He also ran for 240 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> His favorite target, <strong>Wushi Ravenel</strong>, will be back after leading the team in receptions (24) and yards (442) a year ago as a sophomore.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> Tailbacks <strong>James Maxwell</strong> (50 carries, 270 yards in eight games) and <strong>Amor Scott</strong> (35 carries, 145 yards, two touchdowns) will help craft the Trojans’ offensive into a pistol/option attack similar to what Coastal Carolina University is running a couple hours north.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> And then there is Adams, the former Oceanside Collegiate defensive end who transferred to James Island prior to the 2021 season, converted to tight end and snagged 20 passes for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns as a junior. Adams now stands 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, and he’s nothing short of a match-up nightmare. McKoy said he envisions this type of year for Adams: 600-800 receiving yards, 30-40 receptions and 10 touchdowns, as well as 30-40 pancake blocks from his spot next to tackle. Of course, McKoy can help all that happen since he’s the play caller.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> But having that type of weapon doesn’t hurt, either. James Island did pick another when punter/kicker [player_tooltip player_id="91354" first="Coleman" last="Franzone"] also transferred from Oceanside. He’ll be a threat not only for the offense, but for the defense in his punting role. The Trojans’ returning defenders won’t mind some extra breathing room. Defensive end <strong>Ty Maxwell</strong> (22 total tackles, three TFL, 1.5 sacks), linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="340395" first="Chris" last="Glover"]</strong> (22.5 tackles, four TFL, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208346" first="Jayden" last="Whaley"]</strong> (13.5 tackles, 2 interceptions) will encircle Brown (63 tackles, 11 TFL, three interceptions, two sacks) and Woodall (70 tackles, five TFL). Add it all together, and James Island could be in for one of its best seasons in decades. “I’m extremely comfortable with them,” McKoy said. “We had a lot of culture building to do, a lot of different things to change from the last regime, to build up a program that’s able to make a deep run in the playoffs.”