Ballers From the Joanne Langfitt Junior Showcase

Ian Guerin December 9, 2022 @ 10:00 PM

MYRTLE BEACH | South Carolina has never seen anything like Friday night before.   Mixing one part 7-on-7, one part combine and another raw data, the Joanne Langfitt Junior Showcase at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium could clearly be called a massive success. Where else could you see a celebration akin to last week's state championships in this type of exhibition?   The individual success stories only boosted what was six team's of the state's top juniors competing in an obstacle course, tug-of-war, bench press and 7-on-7s.   We're gonna begin by telling you a little about Aiken linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='91351' first='Jayden' last='Fuller'] that won't be found in any of the awards (including the one he took home) or the Catapult vest data that will be shared with each of the 120 or so athletes who made the trek.   Offensive and defensive linemen each participated in the bench. Airport's Dylan Barbrey ripped off 17 reps to win the top honors. Barbrey is 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds.   Late in the event, Fuller (pictured) walked over and asked what the high mark was.   He couldn't compete, but the bench was free. All the 6-foot, 215-pound Fuller did was match Barbrey's total.   Coaches from the CSRA weren't surprised. They've been trying to find ways to game plan against Fuller for the last two years. Aiken, meanwhile, has gotten creative with him. He's big enough and fast enough to play middle linebacker. Yet he's strong enough and quick enough to play a rush end post. Friday, when Fuller ran the obstacle course in the fastest time and then pumped out those 17 reps only proved it further.   AWARDS   MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='448984' first='Eli' last='Hudgins'], QB, Powdersville   Best Defensive Skill: Jojo Barrett, LB, Boiling Springs   Best Offensive Skill: Derrick Salley, WR, Ashley Ridge   Best Offensive Line: Elijah Williams, Irmo   Best Defensive Line: [player_tooltip player_id='267453' first='Larenzo' last='Pressley-McFadden'], Lake City   AROUND LANGFITT   Greenville defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='209617' first='Jayden' last='Wilson-Abrams'] cramped up late during his bench, but not until he had reached 14 reps. The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder appears to have trimmed down again and might just be best pure defensive lineman in the class next year.   Hartsville quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='208342' first='McKendrie' last='Douglas'] set the 7-on-7 portion of the night on fire right from the get-go. In one of the first passes of that session was Douglas - launching a 40-yard bomb that looked anything but like you'd expect to see from a signal caller of an Wing-T team that ran for 4,327 yards this fall. Douglas, for what it's worth, quietly threw for 1,284 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2022.    Socastee quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'] was a late addition to the event after another quarterback dropped out. And while Wojcik has battled breaking both collarbones in the last two seasons, he looked like he was back to 100 percent. He moved well during the position warm-up - a serious of footwork and throw-style drills. And then he found a nice rhythm in the 7-on-7.   And if you're looking for a possible huge name for 2024, Hilton Head's [player_tooltip player_id='448980' first='Shaikh' last='Thompson'] might just be that diamond in the rough. Thompson, at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, passed every eye test during Langfitt. He's got the length and quickness NCAA Division-I teams will be coveting, and he might he's got the tools to be the next big thing out of the Lowcountry.

MYRTLE BEACH | South Carolina has never seen anything like Friday night before.