Five GSPD Storylines For Week Negative One

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Confused about the headline?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yeah, us, too. But in the midst of the vast majority of South Carolina football programs getting ready for their final scrimmages before the start of the 2023 season a week from Friday, a team from the Pee Dee does have one regular-season game this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trinity Collegiate will head to Charleston Southern to face Beaufort Academy on Saturday to open the SCISA year. We're going to get to them last, because in our world, games outweigh scrimmages, even as good as some of the preseason events are.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are five storylines we're going to be watching play out all week.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>1. Who Uses Heavyweight Scrimmage As Springboard?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Much like the ensuing preseason matchup listed, Dillon's trip to West Florence on Monday is one of only a few head-to-head scrimmages that could attract a football fan without a rooting interest. West's [player_tooltip player_id='208334' first='Kelvin' last='Hunter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='443495' first='Franklin' last='Emerson'] trying to slow down the powerful duo of [player_tooltip player_id='139295' first='Josiah' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='272711' first='Carlos' last='Miller'] on the Wildcats' offensive line is worth the price of admission. So is seeing Dillon quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='205556' first='Josiah' last='Oxendine'] and all of his offseason development now that he's in full pads. Or how West tailback [player_tooltip player_id='272717' first='Tre' last='Leonard'] complete's his transition from Trinity Collegiate.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neither team is going to win a state championship on Monday night on the turf at West Florence. But you better believe whomever walks out with the upper hand in this modified scrimmage will enter the regular season with a massive boost of confidence.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>2. Which Team Makes Waves At Cheraw's Eight-Team Jamboree?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What do <strong>DeVarius Ponds</strong> (McBee), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='922678' first='Wade' last='Poston']</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='464882' first='Jamarcus' last='Williams'] (Hannah-Pamplico), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1579108' first='Nygel' last='McFadden']</strong> and <strong>Keenan Dubose</strong> (Darlington) and the big three of <strong>Labron Cobb</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996926' first='Jamarion' last='Jones']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448981' first='Kartrell' last='Townsend']</strong> (Latta) all have in common?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They'll be among the big names playing Monday during Cheraw's eight-team Founders Federal Credit Union jamboree at Meicklejohn Stadium. Tack on Chesterfield tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='267464' first='Jayden' last='Little']</strong> and there's a nice recipe for some big plays a mere 11 days before the regular-season openers for these teams.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>3. Welcome Back To Reality? Or Here We Go Again?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Florence has been through so much in the past nine months that its Class 4A state championship honeymoon might be over. Say this for the Bruins, though: They aren't ducking anyone, even during their scrimmages. On Friday, Drew Marlowe's team will head to Sumter (Marlowe's former employer), and it will face a team that is maybe one of the two or three more physically imposing Class 5A teams in the Lower State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We expect to see South rely on top-flight defenders [player_tooltip player_id='996915' first='Dirrick' last='Goodman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='208353' first='Quincy' last='Rhodes'] at safety, as well as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809742' first='Amare' last='Adams'] </strong>and<strong> Ryan Johnson</strong> on the line and a linebacking corps boosted by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='652832' first='Noah' last='Moore'] </strong>- among others. The physicality can't stop on defense, either.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No longer having LaNorris Sellers at quarterback means the running game will be vital. The stable of backs that includes transfers Rodrick McRae and [player_tooltip player_id='272722' first='Zion' last='Gilbert'] will have to fight off what is a normally stacked front seven from Sumter, too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>4. Do Any CNB Kickoff Classic Teams Cut Loose?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably one of the best annual jamborees in the state happens at Coastal Carolina University's Brooks Stadium, and the 10-team event on Friday has the potential to be no different than its predecessors. However, fireworks often give way to small progress. For that, we should be able to see the signs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The nine Horry Country programs and nearby Waccamaw will take the turf in relative short bursts. In that time, we're going to be paying attention to several storylines within the storyline.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How will Waccamaw look on defense without [player_tooltip player_id='589056' first='Miles' last='Robinson'] after his recent transfer to Oceanside Collegiate? Does that mean <strong>AJ Grate</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='473025' first='Andre' last='Grate'] now have to take over this team on both sides of the ball?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Does a Socastee squad still playing without starting tailback [player_tooltip player_id='340389' first='Caden' last='O'Keefe'] (leg injury) mimic its 2022 CNB appearance and try to air it out behind quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'] and receivers [player_tooltip player_id='771237' first='Quadir' last='Scott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='413888' first='Josh' last='Brown']?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will a Loris defense that features ranked players [player_tooltip player_id='464883' first='Javon' last='Johnson'] and Landon Connor (defensive line) and [player_tooltip player_id='208345' first='Jordan' last='Vancise'] and [player_tooltip player_id='464897' first='Avery' last='Todd'] (linebacker) go all out?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>5. How Much Can One 8th Grader Do?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We were given a heads up on <strong>Cade Amell</strong> back in early June. Then, we were provided film. And more film. And a little more after that. Big deal, right?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well, except for the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Trinity Collegiate 8th grade quarterback isn't just going to get some playing time. He's going to start. (SCISA allows 8th graders to play on the varsity level to improve numbers at the mostly smaller schools, if you didn't know.)&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 14 years old, Amell (pictured) is going to be in charge of an offense that last year averaged 385 yards per game and proved it has no issue slinging it around when it needs to. He's also going to have a big target in [player_tooltip player_id='272703' first='James' last='Herbert'] at tight end. The No. 10 player in the Class of 2025 is going to play regular reps at tight end in addition to his linebacker duties.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amell is already getting some college attention, as at least three Power 5 programs invited him to camps this summer. And on the field of the NCAA FCS Charleston Southern on Saturday against Beaufort Academy, his expected five-year high school football journey begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->