2024 Preview: James Island Trojans

For the past two seasons, James Island has been one of the better programs in Class AAAA, compiling a 23-3 mark that included a 12-1 record last season. The Trojans lost to Irmo in the third round of the playoffs and lost a ton of talent from that squad.   James Island will move to Class AAAAA and face a whole different set of challenges this season but Jamar McCoy, who is entering his fifth season at the helm, feels good about the direction of the program.   “We set a standard at James Island, and we want to keep it high,” McCoy said. "That's our motto going into the fall – ‘High Expectations Will Not Survive Low Standards.' We aim to keep our standard high even though we're moving up to Class AAAAA with tougher competition week in and week out. The price of success is paid in advance.”     The quarterback position is unsettled late in the summer with [player_tooltip player_id='1592342' first='Connor' last='Dantzler'] battling transfer [player_tooltip player_id='320881' first='Zacobi' last='Riley'] for the starting spot. [player_tooltip player_id='605524' first='Amor' last='Scott'] returns in the backfield, and he might have help from speedy Jalen Brown-Singleton. The Trojans are moving Brown-Singleton from wide receiver and will use him in several different ways thanks to his 4.41 speed.   The Trojans have a budding star on the offensive line in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1036776' first='Israel' last='Harris']. He's at the top of many schools' 2027 recruiting list.   Defensively is where James Island shined last year. The Trojans allowed less than nine points a game and held eight teams in single digits. They have six returners on that side of the ball with defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='1012698' first='Hendrix' last='Beran'], nose guard [player_tooltip player_id='486418' first='Dalton' last='Woodall'], and defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='272709' first='Malachi' last='Jefferson'] leading the way.   Coleman Jones and Luke Thomas return at linebacker with Jamari Rivers the top returner in the secondary.   “We lost a lot of seniors so this is a new team,” Beran said. “We've been grinding in the offseason, getting in the weight room and in practice. We're building back up that senior leadership, so we don't have any drop off from the previous two years. It's the new James Island standard.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1012698' first='Hendrix' last='Beran'] DE, 2025 – The defensive front is going to be a strength of this team and Beran is one of the leaders. He finished last season with 54 tackles and three sacks and could see those numbers increase drastically this season. The Trojans had a lot of blowouts last season but the move to Class AAAAA might present more challenges and the starters logging more minutes.   [player_tooltip player_id='605521' first='Gray' last='Dangerfield'] K/P/PK, 2025 – Dangerfield is one of the top kickers in the state. He is a kickoff specialist with 64 touchbacks on 78 kickoffs. He had a long field goal of 44 yards and that range should be better this season and he's got a bigger frame than most kickers.   [player_tooltip player_id='605524' first='Amor' last='Scott'] RB, 2025 – Scott was part of the three-headed monster at running back last season but the other two have graduated. Scott was the leading touchdown-scorer with 14 scores and 757 yards. He should be in line for a 1,000-yard season and will get plenty of Red Zone touches.     [player_tooltip player_id='486418' first='Dalton' last='Woodall'] DL, 2025 – Woodall is another key clog on the defensive front. He had 37 tackles and two sacks, but those numbers don't tell of his importance. He's hard to move and sometimes occupies more than one blocker. That frees up other players to make tackles, but Woodall's importance isn't lost on the coaching staff.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1036776' first='Israel' last='Harris'] OL, 2027 – When you earn the nickname of “Shank” as a freshman, you almost certainly must be special. Harris could play guard or tackle and once he locks up his defender, you might as well forget about being involved in the play. He moves well for a 330-pounder. His permanent spot is likely tackle, but he gives the Trojans great versatility along the offensive front.      BIGGEST LOSS(es)   Braxton Scott QB – Scott was the field general and limited mistakes. He threw for over 1,600 yards and added nearly 500 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He was a calming presence, and that leadership will be hard pressed to replace.   Chris Glover LB – Glover was James Island's leading tackler and handled a lot of defensive calls. Another glue guy that will be hard to replace as far as production and leadership.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1592342' first='Connor' last='Dantzler'] QB, 2026 – Dantzler was the primary backup to Scott last season and saw action in a lot of different games. He has a strong and accurate arm, so the potential is there. He might end up splitting time with [player_tooltip player_id='320881' first='Zacobi' last='Riley'], but Dantzler is more than capable of running the show.     Ben McQueen DB, 2025 – McQueen will be counted on to be one of the top guys in the secondary. He's more known for his soccer success but he will play a lot of minutes at defensive back this season.    White is going to be a great addition to an already stacked defense. He transferred from St. John's and coach Jamar McKoy was almost giddy talking about his upside and potential. He will slot into the defensive end spot opposite of Beran to give the Trojans two great bookends for their defense.

For the past two seasons, James Island has been one of the better programs in Class AAAA, compiling a 23-3 mark that included a 12-1 record last season. The Trojans lost to Irmo in the third round of the playoffs and lost a ton of talent from that squad.