Top 10 Grand Strand/Pee Dee Quarterbacks To Watch In 2023

Some pretty good quarterbacks moved on from the state's high school football scene after the 2022 season.   Some good ones, though, are returning, too.    From Florence to the beach, the Pee Dee and Grand Strand include a number of known commodities at the position who will likely be driving forces for their teams. In some of these cases, we are envisioning deep playoff runs.   These are the top 10 quarterbacks in this zone based upon all the evidence we have at our finger tips right now.   10. Kenneth Bateman Carvers Bay   It doesn't take a genius to figure out that so much of the Bears' offense is going to fall upon Bateman, the most experienced player on the varsity roster. The third-year starting quarterback will be back in 2023, but without any of the team's top five ball carriers or pass catchers from last season. They've all graduated. Still, Bateman threw for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. What's more, he only had three interceptions in 142 pass attempts. He's a leader, and he's proved he impact the game on every play.   9. Ja'Shaun Dorsey Kingstree   During his first year as a varsity starter, Dorsey threw for 1,368 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for another 294 and two scores. Those are a great sign for coach Brian Smith. Because while Dorsey needs to improve upon his interception number and completion percentage, he still accomplished what he did while shouldering too much of the weight for the first-year program. Dorsey's passes are much more crisp than they were a year ago.   8. [player_tooltip player_id='327302' first='Jackson' last='Huff'] Loris   Huff doesn't exactly play for an air-raid type team at Loris. And the Lions lost arguably their best playmaker with the graduation of Randall Bellamy. Still, Huff has bounced back from an injury that cost him his final four-plus games of the 2022 season and is very much the focal point of the Loris offense. He's going to have chances to succeed because the staff believes in him so much they'll run everything they do around and through him.   7. [player_tooltip player_id='997242' first='Malik' last='Shippy'] Johnsonville   Last year, Shippy was a complement to Daquan Burroughs, the tailback who went for 1,900 yards and 26 touchdowns. This time around, Shippy is going to be counted on to do so much more. He's certainly got it in him. As a junior, Shippy threw for 1,269 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for another 284 and three. The Flashes' schedule is just favorable enough to let him settle into his new role, and by season's end, he could be flirting with a 2,000-yard season.   6. [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'] Socastee   Wojcik's shattered collarbone from last season is no longer an issue. He's throwing the ball with as much velocity as he ever has and has had the entire offseason to sync up with receivers [player_tooltip player_id='771237' first='Quadir' last='Scott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='413888' first='Josh' last='Brown']. Our instincts say Socastee will try to keep Wojcik in the pocket and not run as much as he might like, but his athletic ability is undeniable and will simultaneously keep defenses honest.   5. [player_tooltip player_id='295367' first='Gabe' last='Cusack'] Marion   Cusack showed some high-production potential at times last season, maybe none more than his six-touchdown performance against Lake View in August. And while the Swamp Foxes lost talented tailback Rodrick McRae (transfer), Cusack has some big-time targets back in tow and an ability to make things happen with his legs when things break down. Cusack could put up some big numbers throughout this season.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='91513' first='Connor' last='Schwalm'] St. James   The quarterback in a college fullback's body has been a boon to a St. James offense that needs everything he's got. In this case, it might just end up being a quarterback who could challenge the school's all-time passing yards mark. Schwalm threw for 1,481 yards last season, with the bulk of his production coming prior to region play. If his trajectory holds, the Sharks will win more games and should be playoff bound again.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='205556' first='Josiah' last='Oxendine'] Dillon   When it's all said and done, Oxendine might just end up being the best of this entire list. He's already quite polished and has checked just about every offseason box he possibly could. The only thing slowing him down? Oxendine is only going to be a sophomore and he's surrounded by a ton of talent at Dillon. The Wildcats have every chance to make it to the state championship game, and Oxendine will play a huge role in whatever happens. But they're not going to push him too fast. He's a special talent, and one with three years of eligibility ahead of him.   2. [player_tooltip player_id='208332' first='Devin' last='Grainger'] Conway   Grainger is the No. 2 quarterback in our Class of 2024 rankings for a reason. He's got enough size and a big left arm and plenty of ability to scramble. Conway has been mostly down of late, and that includes on offense. But first-year coach Josh Pierce has already vowed to keep QB1 in mind with every decision on that side of the ball. The pieces certainly need to come together for Grainger to have one of those unforgettable seasons, but Grainger has the tools to pull it off.   1. [player_tooltip player_id='208342' first='McKendrie' last='Douglas'] Hartsville   Don't even bother calling Douglas (pictured) some sort of a dark horse candidate to be the top quarterback in this zone this fall. While we're waiting to see what the season holds before we jack him way up our rankings, he might be in just about the best situation to have a monster final campaign in Hartsville. This is already a player who completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,284 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for another 684 yards and seven scores as a junior - out of a run-based split-T formation, we should mention. Douglas recently picked up his first college offer. It won't be his last. This fall, he's going to become very well known.

Some pretty good quarterbacks moved on from the state's high school football scene after the 2022 season.