Grand Strand Surprises? Horry County's hidden gems

For everything we know about what each of the nine teams along South Carolina's Grand Strand bring to the table, there is also a player who could be on the verge of making a gigantic leap.   Thanks to graduations or position changes or offseason development, these nine are a good place to start.   At each school in Horry County, we picked a player who could have a tremendous 2022. Everything on paper says these guys are heading in that direction.   CLASS 5A   [player_tooltip player_id='146370' first='Manning' last='Hitt'], LB, Carolina Forest   At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Hitt was an oft-undersized offensive lineman who performed well at both guard and tackle. Along the way, the staff realized he might need a new location. Hitt, who has a great nose for the ball, will take over at linebacker and has the knowledge of an offensive system to make it count in a hurry.   Aiden Brantley, WR, Conway   Although the receiver room at Conway is going to be jam-packed, you can't deny what Brantley brings to the table. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he is a versatile player who sneaks inside more often than not. He's tough to miss, and he should dwarf his 2021 figures (12 receptions, 115 yards) in a matter of weeks of the season getting under way.   [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'], QB, Socastee   OK, yeah, Wojcik has been the the starter on and off since his freshman season. But now that he's a junior - and has all but beaten out his in-house competition for the spot, the two-sport standout could be in for a big year. He has more weapons around him than ever before and has been groomed for this job since he first set foot on campus.   Markey Faulkner, RB/LB St. James   Faulkner will be the team's top returning tackler from a squad that was pretty decent on defense a year ago (the Sharks allowed 23.5 points per game on the strength of a good start out of the gate). But he's also going to get some touches as part of a group of tailbacks that will each see decent playing time.   CLASS 4A   Michael Gillard, S, Myrtle Beach   After not playing as a sophomore, Gillard proved his athletic ability was more than enough to hold his own last season. He put up 36.5 tackles, four tackles for loss and a pick. This year, Gillard likely takes over as the leader on that side of the ball. He has NCAA Division-I potential, and the look of a player who could take over games at the high school level.   [player_tooltip player_id='202742' first='Avery' last='Duncan'], LB, North Myrtle Beach   Duncan was reduced to four games last year after he suffered a season-ending injury before the bulk of the season took shape, so a lot of folks don't know his name. However, considering the lineup the Chiefs had on defense last year, the fact that he was a starter was saying something. Despite his limited playing time, he's a go-to type of player for this year's team.   CLASS 3A   Wyatt Cody, RB, Aynor   Cody took his five rushes last year for 47 yards. Does that mean a whole lot? No. But here is what does: Aynor ran the ball 452 times last season. In nine games. That's 50 carries every Friday night. Want to bet that the newest starting running back in this offense is going to get a chance to excel? This is just sort of what the Blue Jackets do.   La'Ontray Knox, RB, Loris   Knox actually led the Lions with 510 rushing yards a year ago. He also reached the end zone seven times on the ground. And while [player_tooltip player_id='202744' first='Randall' last='Bellamy'] will cut into his carries some, Knox is now going to get a whole bunch more thanks to some graduations from last year's squad. His 64 carries from 2021 should become 100 or more this fall.   CLASS 1A   Deandre Simmons, DL/RB, Green Sea Floyds   We're not just giving Simmons the nod because of a quote Trojans coach Joey Price dropped about him. (“I don't know if he could play dead in a war movie, but with that size, he's going to get a chance.”) At 6-feet tall and 270 pounds, the thought of him playing running back in the state's lowest division is intriguing, to say the least.

For everything we know about what each of the nine teams along South Carolina's Grand Strand bring to the table, there is also a player who could be on the verge of making a gigantic leap.