On Campus: Lugoff-Elgin Demons

Chris Dearing May 21, 2024 @ 09:34 PM

Lugoff-Elgin limped to the finish line of the 2023 season, losing its final four games and the final three by a combined score of 135-3. That triggered a coaching change and in stepped Leon Boulware, the builder of a winning tradition at Lewisville. One thing for certain – Boulware is stepping into a better situation than some might imagine.   The Demons concluded spring practice Tuesday night with the Red and White game. It was a mixed bag but what stood out is Boulware has talent among his starting 22.   A name that people will want to get to know quickly is 2027 athlete EJ Richardson (pictured). Richardson will likely be used in a variety of ways this fall. He lined up at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and kick returner in the spring contest. He threw a deep touchdown pass to Jermiah Benson and scrambled for a long scoring run.   Watching from the sideline, Richardson's vision and acceleration seems to be exceptional.     But he wasn't the only skill position player that garnered attention. Wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1267277' first='Shamil' last='Saadiq'] looks the part with his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. He hauled in a long TD pass from Jace Williams to conclude the practice. Other receivers that will factor into the mix is Myles Hamilton, Zaquawn Murphy and Christian Johnson. The backfield might be by committee with Raquez Brown and Jarkees Grant both showing flashes.   But the most telling thing on the offensive side of things is a massive offensive line. [player_tooltip player_id='790770' first='Christian' last='Smith'] has four FBS offers and is probably the headliner. Johnny Danko showed great versatility by playing both guard spots. [player_tooltip player_id='1249848' first='Daniel' last='McCaskill'] and Cam Morrison are both expected to be starters, but they sat out the spring game.   Defense will also have a different look with a 3-4 front that will feature athletic linebackers. As expected, the defense was a little bit ahead of the offense in the controlled 60-minute scrimmage. David Miller and Logan Hinnant will be the outside backers with [player_tooltip player_id='1592561' first='Preston' last='Rhodes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1639661' first='Fernando' last='Simuel'] manning the inside. Tristian Young is another player that will factor into the rotation. The entire group took a quick first step and shed blockers to make tackles near the line of scrimmage.   Jaden Reed anchors the defensive front with Ethan Pogue and Jeremiah Tucker-Hampton playing the tackle spots.   Reggie Brown had an interception from his safety spot and showed great ability to read the quarterback. Tyquwan Murphy recently picked up an offer from Dartmouth and showed great cover skills in press coverage. Justin Miller is the other corner, and he will give Boulware an opportunity to play man coverage in certain situations.   If Lugoff-Elgin can avoid the injury bug, they have a great chance to improve on the 2-9 record from a season ago. The Demons will open the 2024 season on August 23 at Lower Richland.

Lugoff-Elgin limped to the finish line of the 2023 season, losing its final four games and the final three by a combined score of 135-3. That triggered a coaching change and in stepped Leon Boulware, the builder of a winning tradition at Lewisville. One thing for certain – Boulware is stepping into a better situation than some might imagine.