Pee Dee/Grand Strand Non-Region Games To Get You Hyped For 2023
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Continue ReadingPotential New Subscribers: Take advantage of our 40% off special by using the coupon code Guerin40 at checkout. With rankings releases in the immediate rearview, showcases and offseason updates, now is the perfect time to get in the game for all of 2023 at this discounted rate.
We’re only a little over five months from our first scrimmages of the 2023 football season.
Time flies when you’re hitting the offseason stride, right?
Not long after those sessions, the Grand Strand and Pee Dee will fire up some non-region games that will inspire plenty of interest, locally and beyond. These matchups will all take place on Pee Dee/Grand Strand turf.
We can already see the storylines developing.
CAMDEN AT MYRTLE BEACH (August 18)
Nobody has to tell Myrtle Beach just how good Camden might be. Even with Bulldog tailback Cortez Lane Cortez Lane 5'11" | 170 lbs | RB Cardinal Newman | 2024 State SC transferring further into the Midlands, Camden brings back a 1,000-yard receiver ( Jaquarius Mayrant Jaquarius Mayrant 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Camden | 2024 State SC ) and a nice positional complement ( Aidan Heriot Aidan Heriot 6'2" | 180 lbs | WR Camden | 2024 State SC ), a dominating linebacker ( Wilson Nash Wilson Nash 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Camden | 2024 State SC ) and a quarterback ( Grayson White Grayson White 6'0" | 240 lbs | QB Camden | 2024 State SC ) who abused the Seahawks last season, throwing for 200 yards, rushing for another 144 and going for a combined five scores. Myrtle Beach still has questions on offense outside of tackle Brady Pickett Brady Pickett 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL Myrtle Beach | 2024 State SC , tailback Malachi Washington Malachi Washington 6'2" | 185 lbs | DL SC and receiver John Simmons John Simmons 6'3" | 200 lbs | WR Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC , but the Seahawk defense has roughly 150 starts under its belt and believes it can prevent the Bulldogs from running away with a second straight game in this relatively limited series.
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH AT SOCASTEE (August 18)
Neither of these teams are going to open the season with a statewide ranking or even much outside fanfare. But what they both have is loads returners. The Chiefs will bring back 14 starters from last year’s playoff squad, including three offensive linemen – JacQari Witherspoon JacQari Witherspoon 6'0" | 300 lbs | OL North Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC , Tyler Dohring, Sawyer Averitt (all rising juniors) – and top receiver Kaden Gore Kaden Gore 5'8" | 150 lbs | WR North Myrtle Beach | 2025 SC . Former starting receiver Landon Cloninger is in line to move to his natural quarterback position, and all four starters along the defensive line – Sloan McIntyre, Isiah Black, TJ Stanley and DJ Gause are back, too. They’ll hope to make life miserable for Socastee’s offensive backfield of Rocco Wojcik Rocco Wojcik 5'11" | 165 lbs | QB Socastee | 2024 State SC and Caden O’Keefe Caden O’Keefe 5'7" | 170 lbs | RB Socastee | 2024 State SC , two players who will come into the season with a big target on their backs.
LAKE CITY AT WEST FLORENCE (August 25)
Pound for pound, West Florence will be a heavy favorite to strike first and then pull away from Lake City in this matchup. The Knights are a state semifinalist (at least) each of the last two years and bring back the likes of defensive standouts Kelvin Hunter Kelvin Hunter 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB West Florence | 2024 State SC and Franklin Emerson Franklin Emerson 6'0" | 220 lbs | ATH West Florence | 2024 State SC , two of the biggest and most consistent hitters in the entire state. But we wouldn’t list a game like this if we didn’t think the Panthers had some pop of their own. Defensive lineman Amare Adams is going to be a problem. As is defensive back Treshon Burgess Treshon Burgess 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Lake City | 2025 State SC and defensive lineman Andre McFadden-Pressley Andre McFadden-Pressley 6'0" | 305 lbs | DL Lake City | 2024 State SC . Nothing is going to come easy for either team in this one.
HARTSVILLE AT DILLON (September 1)
Labor Day weekend is going to be jam-packed with great football all over South Carolina. And few will have the star power of the Red Foxes’ trip to Dillon. These two traditional Pee Dee powerhouses will feature experienced quarterbacks in McKendrie Douglas McKendrie Douglas 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Hartsville | 2024 State SC and Josiah Oxendine Josiah Oxendine 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Dillon | 2026 State SC and top-notch offensive linemen Josiah Thompson Josiah Thompson 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Dillon | 2024 State SC and Slayton Stokes Slayton Stokes 6'5" | 325 lbs | OL Hartsville | 2024 State SC (pictured). There’s also possible future Power 5 tailback Carmello McDaniel Carmello McDaniel 5'8" | 175 lbs | RB Hartsville | 2024 State SC , defensive back and return specialist Da’Marion Coe Da’Marion Coe 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Hartsville | 2025 State SC , linebacker Carlos Miller Carlos Miller 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL Dillon | 2025 State SC and budding running back Jamarion Fling Jamarion Fling 5'8" | 160 lbs | RB Dillon | 2025 State SC . These two teams combined for 94 points a year ago, and, honestly, there’s no telling what will happen this time around.