Season Recap: Waccamaw Warriors

Ian Guerin December 19, 2022 @ 09:12 PM

When Amondre Johnson was promoted to Waccamaw's top job prior to the 2020 season, he knew full well the Warriors' cabinet wasn't bare, but that it was going to be a long-term build.   If his third year leading the program taught him anything, it was that the pieces are coming along.   “The real eye opener was versus Carvers Bay,” Johnson said of his team's second game of the year. “We executed well, limited mistakes and won at Carvers Bay for the first time in school history. These types of victories can continue to change the culture for Waccamaw football and help us turn the corner to being a really good program.”   Waccamaw finished the 2022 season 3-7 overall and just 1-4 in region play. The Warriors missed the playoffs and will have to deal with the likes of Dillon, Manning, Loris and Aynor for at least another year before the next realignment window happens. But much like Johnson knew in his first year on the job, some big movement could be coming in Georgetown County.   Waccamaw's Top Performers   Class of 2024 linebacker Miles Robinson (6-foot, 210 pounds) is going to be a significant factor moving forward. We know that because he already was this season. From his spot at linebacker, he accumulated a team-leading 91 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.    His cohort in the middle of the defense was just a freshman, but one who put up considerable numbers. [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] needed just nine games to pile up 43 tackles, two picks, two tackles for loss, a sack and a defensive touchdown. If that wasn't enough, he rushed for 177 yards and caught 43 yards worth of passes during his first year in high school.    Junior Ben Cohen was second on the team in receiving yards (240) and led the way with four touchdowns. He was also influential in the return game, where he averaged 25 yards per kick return.    Seniors On Their Way Out   Defensive back William Cooper was one-part corner, one-part safety, and it kept on the field for a huge chunk of this past season. He ended with 52 tackles and nine tackles for loss.   The trenches are going to have plenty of new faces after the departures of a trio of three-year starters on both sides. Jackson Mattox, Sawyer Brinson, and Jason Flint weren't huge, necessarily, but they were consistent presences that held down the fort and played most of the teams biggest snaps of the last several seasons.   Arguably the biggest loss, though, will be that of two-year starting quarterback Jaret Yonker. The big righty put up 1,100 total passing/rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Yonker (pictured) was the clear-cut leader on an offense that featured so many younger players gearing up for bright futures while playing in a loaded region.   Underclassmen To Keep An Eye On   Colin Behney (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) developed into one of the team's most sure-handed receivers in 2022. This year as a sophomore, he caught 27 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. And while he wasn't targeted more than a few times per game in most cases, he was as reliable as they come. He dropped only two passes all year. A guy like that surely fits into the offseason planning sessions.    And as far as rising sophomores go, we'll deliver yet another reminder to keep an eye on [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] and [player_tooltip player_id='473025' first='Andre' last='Grate']. The two athletes play offense and defense, and while [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] had a bigger freshman season, each of the two are ranked in our system at such a young age for a reason.

When Amondre Johnson was promoted to Waccamaw's top job prior to the 2020 season, he knew full well the Warriors' cabinet wasn't bare, but that it was going to be a long-term build.