Summerville’s No. 2 Finish At CCU 7-on-7 Backs Up Expectations

Ian Guerin June 15, 2023 @ 07:58 AM

CONWAY | By the end of the second round of pool play Wednesday, Summerville defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='267457' first='Michael' last='Woodfield'] already looked like he'd gone 12 rounds.   The senior's left leg was bleeding and his white offseason uniform was starting to show the effects of what would be a full day of a competition. When an assistant coach asked him if he needed a breather, Woodfield shrugged it off.   There was work to do.   While the Green Wave ultimately fell to American (FL) in the championship of the 10-team Coastal Carolina University 7-on-7 event at Brooks Stadium, Summerville proved it needs to be considered one of the top Class 5A teams heading into the 2023 season.   It has weapons, weapons and more weapons.   Case in point, not including offensive and defensive linemen, the Green Wave had eight players ranked in the Prep Red Zone system in tow Wednesday at Coastal. Getting them all to mesh might be coach Ian Rafferty's biggest job the next two months.   “I know it's coachspeak, but we've got to come together a little bit as a team,” Rafferty said. “That's why we got together on the bus and rode over here three hours. We only lost seven or eight starters. We're getting there. This is only Week 2 for us for the summer. Things are going good.”   Despite the 24-7 loss to American in the finals, Summerville's length on the outside was a constant topic of conversation among the other teams and CCU's staff alike (the schools who were invited all have players on Coastal's recruiting board) during each of its eight games, five in pool play and then another three in the tournament.   Leading the way was 6-foot-3 receiver [player_tooltip player_id='771065' first='Yannick' last='Smith'], who has started to see his recruiting ramp up in recent months after a relatively slow start giving his production and value. Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='998693' first='Quintrelle' last='Pettiford'] (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) is smaller by comparison, but he was getting off the ball quickly and showed why he put up 30 catches for nearly 600 yards last year. [player_tooltip player_id='589013' first='Trae' last='Green'] and Ashton Allen-Hendrix each tagged in from the backfield and slot, as well.   On the other side of the ball, Woodfield and [player_tooltip player_id='448990' first='Rylan' last='Mitchell'] (who recently received an offer from Navy) were fluid despite the normal offensively advantaged setup of the 7-on-7 format.    What many onlookers Wednesday wanted to see, though, was the next step of the transition for [player_tooltip player_id='367350' first='Jaden' last='Cummings']. The former Hanahan quarterback transferred to Summerville in January, and many consider him to be another useful tool in a box full of them.   Naturally, Cummings was the centerpiece of Wednesday's run to the finals, and his passes didn't lose any of their zip, even after eight 22-minute sessions.   “It's great having wide receivers like Yannick and [Pettiford],” Cummings said. “It definitely exceeded my expectations. The intensity is next level. The play is next level. The coaching is next level. We're trying to do great things, and I feel like we're going to accomplish it.”   Said Rafferty: “I've seen what I need to see out of him since January. He's got good command of our offense, and he's a good leader. He throws the ball really well, and he makes good decisions.”

CONWAY | By the end of the second round of pool play Wednesday, Summerville defensive back Michael Woodfield Michael Woodfield 6'2" | 160 lbs | DB Summerville | 2024 State SC already looked like he'd gone 12 rounds.