2022 Preview: Spartanburg Vikings

Spartanburg coach Mark Hodge is direct about his team’s off-season so far. "This has probably been my best June ever," he said. That should scare some people. In Hodge’s second year at the helm of the Vikings, Spartanburg won Region II-5A and advanced to the 5A Upper State title game, losing to eventual state champion Gaffney. This year, the Vikings are looking for more. "Physically, schematically, academically - the guys have just stepped up in all areas," Hodge said. "To go from good to great is a confidence factor, and a lot of times you’re not confident until after the fact. Last year, we went into the Upper State game excited, but I think we left that game with a much higher degree of confidence. And we’ve got so many guys coming back at important positions. That’s what’s fun. They understand the whole nine years, and we’ve been preaching to them that they all have the capability to lead." That leadership starts under center with West Virginia commit [player_tooltip player_id="89339" first="Raheim" last="Jeter"]. Jeter threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, despite missing some time with an injury. He’ll be joined by RB <strong>Drek Carter,</strong> who rushed for more than 800 yards a year ago, and WR <strong>Andrew Dantin</strong>, whose mix of speed and explosiveness paced the receiving corps with 66 catches for 1,118 yards. <strong>Tiheim Richardson</strong> was a touchdown machine for the Vikings, turning 10 of his 53 catches into scores, while Dantin and <strong>Que Moore</strong> had five TDs each. Up front, [player_tooltip player_id="336115" first="Darrell" last="Brannon"], <strong>Jamison Guy</strong>, and <strong>JD Cash</strong> are all massive, physical leaders for Spartanburg. On the defensive side, the talent pool is no different. "We have a lot of guys returning, and some new faces who have stepped up," Hodge said. "<strong>Ian Squires</strong> has really had a good off-season. <strong>Jacob Mattison</strong> has turned into a true leader, not just in his play but vocally as well, and that’s a huge step forward for him. <strong>Jaden Brown</strong> has looked good for us this summer as well. There are a bunch of guys over on that side who have really taken big steps." Spartanburg has two wins in prestigious 7-on-7 tournaments already, and the Vikings will look toward the season and a tough schedule as they prepare to defend their title in a new-look region. "Our non-region schedule is brutal," Hodge said. "We’ve got to be aware that whether we’re 5-0 or 0-5, it’s preparation for the games that will get us in the playoffs. We want to play the best competition, we want to measure where we are, and we want to use those games to get where we want to be. And hopefully, we can win a couple more than we did last year."