Grand Strand's Offseason Watch List

From August-December, we love watching guys show off what they've learned.   But what tells us more about some players is what they do in the offseason.   In Horry and Georgetown Counties, a number of players are on our proverbial spring watch lists. Will they get bigger? Faster? Will they have a better understanding of their offenses? Can they become bigger parts of their respective teams?   Like the rest of the state, the Grand Strand will have a full-month open season in March and then spring drills in May, complete with as many as 10 padded practices.   Now, what will these guys do with it?   THE QUARTERBACKS   Three signal callers have what could be described as exceptional storylines heading into the spring.    Loris's [player_tooltip player_id='327302' first='Jackson' last='Huff'] was just starting to really click when he suffered a season-ending injury in early October against Waccamaw. Still, the light was definitely on. As a sophomore, he threw for 961 yards and nine touchdowns in just six-and-a-half games. He completed 58-percent of his passes and only really struggled against one team - region front-runner Dillon. What Huff does in the next couple months as he gets back up to speed probably dictates what the Lions offense looks like in 2023.    St. James is another one of those team that made the playoffs but couldn't do much with it last fall. The biggest influence on the Sharks' offense was without a doubt [player_tooltip player_id='91513' first='Connor' last='Schwalm']. The then-junior threw for 1,481 yards and 11 touchdowns while also leading the team with 444 rushing yards and another eight scores on the ground. Schwalm's only real knock was that he threw 10 picks. Schwalm said he's taking the spring off from competition (he started in basketball, too), and assuming he makes use of his time, he might just flirt with some of the school's single-season records next year.   And at Conway, [player_tooltip player_id='208332' first='Devin' last='Grainger'] has two seasons, 2,840 passing yards and 23 overall touchdowns to his credit (17 games). And after being named to the Class 5A All-State basketball team earlier this week, he's one of the leaders of the No. 2 ranked team heading into the state playoffs. But with a new coach coming in and some expected turnover on the line and around him, Grainger is most definitely the centerpiece of this team.   DEFENSIVE FOCAL POINTS   Sticking at Conway, defensive back Justin Hill has already established himself as a consistent player on the back end. He's already accumulated 102 total tackles in (like Grainger) 17 games. That lot includes 77 solo stops. Tack on a few tackles for loss, some pass break-ups and a pick, and Conway's defense has a leader ready to go for the next coach for the March open sessions and then spring ball in May.   Speaking of players to build around, what better place to look than the second year of the re-build at North Myrtle Beach. The Chiefs were obviously making sure they had the pieces in place to recover from the mass exodus of 2022 and even 2021. That's where Trenton Fredricks comes into the picture. He was second in tackles (51) and led the team in tackles for loss a year ago.   [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] is going to be an issue for opposing defenses for the next three years, as he's proving a valuable piece for a young Waccamaw squad. But his biggest impact is from his spot at linebacker. Last season, as a freshman, he had 64 total tackles, two picks, two tackles for loss and a defensive score. If he keeps going both ways, he may ultimately make a bigger impact on offense as a receiver. However, for the time being, his potential as a run stopper in his tailback-heavy region is key.   READY TO MAKE A HUGE LEAP?   Two players who we'll be tracking might not give us much to go off in the next two or three months. But you better believe we're wholly interested in what they do next.   Carolina Forest tailback [player_tooltip player_id='272722' first='Zion' last='Gilbert'] (pictured) is likely going to split time next fall with [player_tooltip player_id='267465' first='Kalil' last='Johnson']. The two backs have both had big games. Johnson went for 144 and a touchdown in the 2022 season opener; Gilbert had three 100-yard games in a five-game stretch in October and November. However, at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Gilbert could easily develop into a Division-I tailback. If he does, this offseason and what he does with it could be the springboard for this Class of 2025.   At Socastee, Quadir Scott proved himself to be a capable quarterback less than two games into the season when [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'] went down. Scott, a basketball standout who was starting to cut his teeth as a Class 5A receiver, threw for 923 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 743 yards and another 10 touchdowns. He's electric in the open field, and with Wojcik healthy and ready to resume his spot behind center, Scott will transition back to receiver. What's more, he's going to spend this spring with the Braves' track team. He was already capable of torching defenses. If he improves his burst even slightly, Socastee has a ready-made weapon capable of doing it on the outside.

From August-December, we love watching guys show off what they've learned.