South Carolina's Most Talented: No. 4 Midland Valley

Flash back to the end of the 2021 football season, and Midland Valley was heading into a playoff game it probably shouldn't have been in; after all, the Mustangs were 1-9 overall.   They took it on the chin from a Myrtle Beach team. But coach Earl Chaptman knew better days were ahead.   Midland Valley has proved it in the ensuing 15 months. We know why.   The Mustangs chimed in at No. 4 in Prep Red Zone's most-talented teams, bringing a load of impact players to our rankings and getting them to all come together. It's why Chaptman is so quick to say that 2022 was only the beginning.   “This year has to be a really big season for us,” Chaptman said. “I'm talking pushing to be top eight to four teams in the classification. We have a ton of talent coming back. Some of them have been playing since their freshman year and the rest since their sophomore year. Now is the time when we can take that next step.    “All great coaches are the product of great players, right? We've got to put a plan in place. But it's the guys who are executing the plan.”   Going from 1-10 to 5-6 (the Mustangs lost to a hot Westside team in the first round in 2022) is a signal to many that Midland Valley is just getting started. From the outgoing seniors to the returning players, the talent is driving improvement.   “The collection of talent makes it easier in terms of guys that can make plays,” Chaptman said. “But it lifts the expectation when you have the number of talented guys that we have.”   [player_tooltip player_id='262690' first='TJ' last='McElmurray Jr'] QB, 2023   McElmurray almost certainly won't be a quarterbacks in college (Kennesaw State listed him as a receiver when it signed him earlier this month). But he'll always be remembered as the signal caller who helped change Midland Valley's fortunes. Last fall, he threw for 1,012 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 954 yards and 20 touchdowns. That touchdown total accounted for 60 percent of the team's offensive scores.    [player_tooltip player_id='263164' first='Calvin' last='Stokes'] DL, 2023   In a matter of a handful of plays, it wasn't unusual to see Stokes go from the left side of the line to the middle to the right. He was, in essence, the floater of a defensive line that was at time doing what it could to get Stokes to sniff out opposing schemes. At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, he had the strength to be up front. But what we have also seen along the way is a speed and quickness level that might allow him to transition to a linebacker spot at the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='336152' first='Arian' last='Mozone'] OL, 2023   Maybe no Mustang in the Class of 2023 made the strides that Mozone did from the beginning of his junior season through the end of his prep career. The big right tackle was an aggressive and active downfield blocker for a team that based its offense around its ability to run off the edge. It was a big reason that Midland Valley started being more selective in its passing down the home stretch in the most important games of the season.   [player_tooltip player_id='91348' first='Traevon' last='Dunbar'] RB, 2024   There was speculation when Dunbar left Silver Bluff after his sophomore season that he was done. Yes, he had run for 1,909 yards and 28 touchdowns at his old school. But he was coming into Midland Valley while trying to rehab a nasty knee injury. If you haven't figure it out yet, Dunbar put those questions to rest. After debuting midway through the 2022 season at Midland Valley, he rushed 56 times for 587 yards (10.5 ypc) and six touchdowns in just five games.    [player_tooltip player_id='267450' first='Braydn' last='Kesselring'] OL, 2024   The offensive line position for the class of 2024 is absolutely loaded. Three of the top five overall players in the class are linemen, and two more are inside the top 30. It says quite a bit about Kesselring that he's the next man up after that top five. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound left tackle is also the smallest of the top nine linemen in our rankings. Again, though, he's not small, nor is he just taking up space. His star is rising.   [player_tooltip player_id='267472' first='Antrone' last='Butler'] ATH, 2024   Butler is Midland Valley's Swiss Army knife. As a junior, he rushed for 164 yards and four touchdowns. He caught 45 passes for 483 yards and three more scores. He returned kicks to the tune of another 465 yards. He returned a punt. Oh, and he was the Mustangs' punter. We haven't even gotten to the part of his elite speed. During the Joanne Langfitt Junior Showcase, he was GPS-tracked at 20.17 miles per hour during a drill. That was the third-fastest among everyone who showed up for the event.    [player_tooltip player_id='231445' first='Joenathan' last='Peeples'] RB, 2024   Stop us if you've heard this already. Midland Valley has a pretty good tailback. In Peeples, the Mustangs' most consistent ball carrier over the last 22 games has put up 1,547 yards (933 as a junior; 614 as a sophomore) and 16 rushing touchdowns. He's averaged 4.9 yards per carry, which isn't mind-blowing, necessarily. Still, the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder isn't going anywhere, even with Dunbar likely to take the lead.    [player_tooltip player_id='141041' first='Jadyn' last='Simpkins'] DB, 2024   In the year since moving back home and transferring to Midland Valley, Simpkins has convinced a few of the Mustangs' regular opponents to try to throw against other corners. His 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame is just fine for the position, sure, but his start-stop-start movements are fluid and effective. Opposing receivers only caught two touchdowns against him all season, a far cry from his 11 PBUs and a pick.    [player_tooltip player_id='272716' first='Andon' last='Hawkins'] LB, 2025   Hawkins grabbed the learning curve - and his opportunity to shine - and let everyone know neither was too big. After his 45-tackle freshman season on the varsity level (mostly as an icebreaker), the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder more than doubled the production while also adding 11 tackles for loss. Hawkins is quick in pursuit, both in straight-line situations and when he's needing to move laterally. He also sees holes in offensive lines that other might not.    [player_tooltip player_id='272712' first='Preston' last='McNair'] RB, 2025   Although he missed the 2022 season thanks to an injury, McNair's return is only a matter of time according to Chaptman. That would be considered yet another addition for a team full of weapons. In 2021, McNair made an impact as a kick returner (26.7 ypr), and as a tailback. He put up 256 yards and a score on 52 carries and even caught a few balls out of the backfield. When he does return, the coach believes might just prove the end product has yet to be seen.    [player_tooltip player_id='473020' first='Martin' last='Ford'] RB, 2026    Seriously. Midland Valley has yet another tailback coming through the ranks. Ford (pictured) has had limited varsity time, thanks to plenty of action ahead of him. Still, Chaptman refers to the 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back as special. We think by now the coach should know what that looks like. Chances are, Ford will get even more carries as a sophomore. And considering some of those might be late-game situations, don't be shocked when he puts up some early numbers.

Flash back to the end of the 2021 football season, and Midland Valley was heading into a playoff game it probably shouldn't have been in; after all, the Mustangs were 1-9 overall.