Best Of Kingstree's 7-on-7 Mini-Tournament

KINGSTREE | When we included [player_tooltip player_id='473021' first='Caden' last='Ramsey'] in the initial Class of 2026 rankings last October, we'd already seen a high-impact defensive player with what we described as the epitome of rangy.   We had no idea he would be like this in such a short amount of time.   During Saturday's 7-on-7 mini-tournament at Kingstree, Ramsey was in no uncertain terms a dominant force who showed he's capable of blowing up on the recruiting scene as soon as coach Shaun Wright “gets him out there.”   Ramsey - all 6-foot-4 and 186 pounds of him - was dynamic on defense. From his spot at safety, he picked off passes (including one to open Cross' 14-10 championship victory over host Kingstree) and knocked down others. He pulled closer to the line on rare occasions and stuck with whomever was coming across the middle.   Those were all things he did last season, when as a freshman he recorded 23 total tackles, three fumble recoveries, two tackles for loss and an interception.   But on Saturday, he showed his other side.   One of a strong candidate to earn Class A All-State receiver honors.   “I don't know if he's going to be a true wide receiver in college,” Wright said. “I think he's just going to grow and grow and grow and grow. His foot speed is not quick but he has long strides. … I think he has a chance to enhance what he already has. But, of course, at our level, he's going to be on offense until he graduates.”   The four-team event proved why.   Ramsey did what tall receivers do, which is catch end-zone fades. He did that with ease on several occasions. At one point, an opposing assistant coach joked with his players to just tackle him.   What Ramsey also did was use the combination of his height and 7-foot wing span to box out defensive backs on interior routes. Then, against Lake City in the tournament semifinals, his diving snag in the back left corner of the end zone sent the Trojans to the championship game.   Remember, this is a player who had six offensive touches last season. Here he was looking like an experienced receiver.   “I've been working on it a lot at home in the offseason,” Ramsey said.   That was obvious, and he got folks talking in a hurry. One-by-one, coaches from Lake City, Williamsburg Academy and Kingtree struggled to cover him during pool play. They then threw the kitchen sink at him during the three-game tournament portion, too.    While Ramsey probably isn't going to break any land-speed records, he's definitely not slow. He qualified for the Class A state track meet in the 400 meters. And while Wright thinks (at least for now) that his tall sophomore eventually transitions to the edge in college, there's no telling what he could mean to an offense that averaged better than 30 points a game and made it to the Class A Lower State final last fall.   “He gets other people open because of [his abilities],” Wright said. “We're hoping they bring an extra safety out of the box to cover him and we can run the ball a little bit more.”   OTHER TOP STANDOUTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1013114' first='Antwain' last='Jones'] LB, Lake City - If Ramsey was the most physically imposing player on site, Jones was No. 2. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker and defensive end is quick enough to slip into coverage during 7-on-7s. He was obviously not playing a natural position, but the way him moves laterally will be a huge plus this season with [player_tooltip player_id='809742' first='Amare' last='Adams'] transferring to South Florence.   Ja'Shaun Dorsey QB/DB, Kingstree - Last year, Dorsey threw for 1,368 yards and 12 touchdowns while  rushing for another 294 and two. If Saturday was any indication, Kingstree's senior quarterback is going to get a lot more time on defense, too. Dorsey showed how good of a corner he could be, playing tight defense in one-on-one situations on the outside. He's still going to need to carry the load on offense. But in late-game situations, he's going to be going both ways.   Conrad Balder QB, Williamsburg Academy - Balder had a big 2022 season in helping the Stallions to the SCISA Class 2A state title and an undefeated season. They averaged just shy of 40 points a game and didn't have a single contest decided by fewer than 11 points. SCISA Class 2A isn't going to like that Balder's ability to throw on the run is even better. He even showed off how well he can throw across his body. With as much motion as there is in this offense, he's going to put up big numbers again.   [player_tooltip player_id='473015' first='Tyleek' last='Dukes'] DB, Kingstree - Dukes started slow Saturday morning. But as the games progressed, he got better and eventually showed off his shut-down skills on the outside, The 2026 corner routinely forced opposing receivers from Williamsburg Academy and Lake City straight out of bounds before they could get into their breaks.    BONUS REPS   Even with Kingstree's powerful defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='340390' first='James' last='Brockington'] still nursing a shoulder injury and unable to participate, Blazers coach Brian Smith put a weight bench on the track for the handful of big guys who showed up to support their skill-position teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='267453' first='Andre' last='McFadden-Pressley'] didn't disappoint.   The 6-foot, 305-pound Lake City defensive tackle put on a show with his 20-rep performance on the bench, seven better than the second-place finisher.

KINGSTREE | When we included Caden Ramsey Caden Ramsey 6'5" | 205 lbs | DB Cross | 2026 State SC in the initial Class of 2026 rankings last October, we'd already seen a high-impact defensive player with what we described as the epitome of rangy.