2023 Preview: Fort Mill Yellow Jackets
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<p>The record may have shown a winless season in 2022, but perspective is key for head coach Rob McNeely and the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets.</p>
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<p>“I think we lost five one-score games last year. (We) battled back in a couple of those games where we were down by double digit points and came back to take the lead, tie it up. It just shows you the resiliency and the fight of our kids,” McNeely said.</p>
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<p>As 2023 approaches, the Yellow Jackets will be looking to limit the mistakes that plagued them last year to produce more positive results.</p>
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<p>This will be the second year of the Yellow Jackets' flexbone, triple option offense as <strong>Collin Martin </strong>is the “top guy heading into fall camp” according to McNeely. He got valuable experience with now departed quarterback Isaiah Haynes being out a few games in 2022. The offensive line is a question mark as they only return two starters in <strong>Grayson Sykes, </strong>a junior who started every game at left tackle<strong> </strong>in 2022 and <strong>Bryce Hartman. </strong></p>
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<p>The secondary is where the most experience will be for the Yellow Jackets on defense as <strong>Landon Kurtz </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142626' first='Gavin' last='Brandwood']. </strong>McNeely is looking for those guys to be “coaches in the background.” </p>
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<p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Bo Blakenship</strong>, LB, 2025 – Blakenship comes down hill at his linebacker spot and can make tackles consistently. </p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142626' first='Gavin' last='Brandwood'], </strong>RB/LB, 2024 – Brandwood was fourth in the region in tackles with 75 in 2022. He also recorded seven pass breakups.</p>
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<p><strong>Tyson Stroman</strong>, DL, 2024 – McNeely said Stroman is probably the Yellow Jackets' best edge guy on the defensive line. </p>
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<p><strong>Josh Welch</strong>, LB, 2025 – Welch returns for his junior season and will be counted on as one of the leaders on defense. He makes an impact on special teams and can come up and bring down the ball carrier in the hole. He was our pick to win the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/06/predicting-every-teams-2023-mvp-region-iii-5a/">team's MVP back in June.</a></p>
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<p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1246944' first='Tanner' last='Mays']</strong>, WR, 2025 – Mays (pictured above) has a catch radius like no other out according to McNeely on the perimeter. He stands at 6 '4, 190 pounds and will be a guy to keep your eye on when the Yellow Jackets take their shots deep.</p>
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<p><strong>KEY LOSS </strong></p>
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<p><strong>Isaiah Haynes,</strong> QB – Haynes had the athletic ability to make plays in space in the Yellow Jackets' triple-option offense.</p>
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<p><strong>UP AND COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Braylon Thomas, </strong>CB, 2025 – Thomas is a guy that McNeely expects to be one of the leaders in the secondary. He has good ball skills and can read the quarterback's eyes well.</p>
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The record may have shown a winless season in 2022, but perspective is key for head coach Rob McNeely and the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets.
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