2024 Preview: Bamberg-Ehrhardt Red Raiders

For a team that's had six 10-win seasons in the last decade, the expectations are already there for Bamberg-Ehrhardt.   For a team that's been stopped short by some of the big boys of small-class football during that span, the ultimate goal hasn't changed.   “We've still got young cats ready to ball,” multi-faceted junior [player_tooltip player_id='816740' first='Marcus' last='Cann'] said. “We've been grinding in the weight room. We'll do whatever it takes to win the state championship this year.”   As far as what the Red Raiders are putting on the field, there's no question a title is possible.   [player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby'] on offense and [player_tooltip player_id='1157986' first='Javaris' last='Logan'] on defense are big parts of the equation. But they're not alone. Crosby is one of just seven returning starters on that side of the ball. He'll have Logan, Eric Stevens, Tristian Jenkins and Brennan Glover on the line in front of him again, as well as Darius Walker at tight end and [player_tooltip player_id='816740' first='Marcus' last='Cann'] splitting time between tailback and receiver.   On defense, Jenkins and Logan will anchor the line, with linebacker Robert Jamison also returning. The defensive backfield (Cann, Jaden Milhouse and Jalen Willis) will also be plenty experienced.   But in order to reach the state championship for the fourth time (the Red Raiders also did so in 2014, 2017 and 2021) in recent memory, getting all that talent to do what it's possible required a slightly different offseason approach.   “Every day we put our kids through some sort of adversity so they can't think ‘I'm supposed to be there' or ‘We're going to be there every year,'” coach Corey Crosby said. “[It might come] in the weight room or the running program, even with our hip drill stuff.   “We preach, like Nick Saban said, don't eat the rat poison. I think last year toward the end, we ate a piece of cheese that wasn't good. It hurt us. It bit us in the Lower State championship.”   That loss to Johnsonville did sting, if for no other reason that the 2023 team was loaded.   This one looks to be, too.    STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby'] QB, 2025 - The recent North Carolina Central verbal commit has been doing his thing for so long that its seems odd that he still has a year of high school ball left. He's thrown for more than 4,800 yards combined in the last two years and really cut loose during his junior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='816740' first='Marcus' last='Cann'] WR/RB/DB, 2026 - Cann is a do-it-all weapon on offense both as a tailback and receiver. He combined for more than 1,000 yards between the two as a sophomore, all while playing important minutes at defensive back. He's big enough to shift to linebacker if the need arises. That type of diversity in his game means he's going to be a force.   [player_tooltip player_id='1157986' first='Javaris' last='Logan'] DL/OL, 2025 - Logan is so strong that him playing along the offensive line at this level was destined to happen. He's good there. Where he's great is along the defensive line, where last year he had 65 total stops and 19 tackles for loss. He's quicker than he might look and potentially dominant when he's feeling it.    Tristian Jenkins DL/OL, 2025 - Jenkins is the perfect complement to Logan. The duo feed off each other all the way around in the trenches. For his part, Jenkins had 56 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior. He's a 6-foot, 265 pounder who will make guarding he or Logan simultaneously very difficult for nearly every opponent on the schedule.    FILM REVIEW   Brennan Glover OL, 2025 - The list of players who can chew up a whole bunch of space on the lines isn't done yet. In Glover, the Red Raiders have yet another big body who does just that. He's got a good first and second step when he's asked to pull and with his 280 or so pounds can deliver a wallop. Glover probably isn't going to get a ton of college love since he's only 5-foot-9, but that doesn't mean he can't help Bamberg-Ehrhardt's chances quite a bit this fall.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Jamie Downing LB - Downing was a lock to play in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl after putting up 194 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and four forced fumbles.    Nick Folk RB - Folk ended up rushing for more than 3,000 yards in his career. He was a tenacious runner who was often too strong to bring down on first contact.    UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1196428' first='Jalen' last='McGraw'] DB/WR, 2026 - A transfer from Orangeburg-Wilkinson, McGraw brings some height to the secondary and gives QB [player_tooltip player_id='464885' first='Chanston' last='Crosby'] another target. He was a linebacker at O-W, so there's a chance we'll see him there, too.   Jason Youmans WR/DB, 2027 - Youmans has some big play potential in him on offense. We saw it during the Red Raiders' playoff run last year when he scored on a 47-yard reception. Chances are he's not going to be a focal point for opponents, and that's what he's hoping for.     One of the biggest reasons Bamberg-Ehrhardt has lit up a whole bunch of teams lately is because of its abilities on special teams. It's also how the Red Raiders got Williams on the field as much as they did last year during his freshman season. He showed early and often that he could flip the field and give his offensive teammates quick-strike options.

For a team that's had six 10-win seasons in the last decade, the expectations are already there for Bamberg-Ehrhardt.