Ocean’s 13: The Coast’s Top Linebackers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the Lowcountry up to the Grand Strand and over to the Pee Dee, Prep RedZone's two coastal-focused zones are jammed with talented linebackers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of their numbers border on the ridiculous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And while some of them are transitioning from other positions are returning from injury-shortened 2023 seasons, we've seen bodies of work that place these 13 linebackers among the best on a statewide level, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the 2024 season just around the corner, these linebackers are all itching to do what they do best.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon'] South Florence&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gordon is one of only a small number of returning starters on the Bruins' defense, but he was also one of the biggest pieces of a squad that reached the Class 4A state title game. He finished his sophomore season with a team-best 111 total tackles and 17 tackles for loss. He also pitched in six sacks and a forced fumble. He'll enter his junior year without a college offer but that should change over the coming months.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson'] Berkeley&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lot of folks are paying attention to the Stags' offense as the season approaches. But Henderson is the leader of a defense that was making steady improvement deeper into last fall. Henderson's 125 tackles were nearly double what the next highest producer had. He's put into great position to do that sort of thing, but more often than not he made good on it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1253903' first='Fletcher' last='Ethington-Carl'] Bishop England&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ethington-Carl was part of a defense that had to feel like it was always on the field in 2023. The Bishops struggled through a 2-8 season and at one point lost six straight games. Still, he was a constant presence to put up big tackle figures. He finished the year with 126 total stops, 10.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Bishop England will need him to be that player again while the rest of the crew is built up around him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809756' first='Will' last='Codding'] Beaufort&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Codding is immediately one of the front runners for defensive POY honors in the new-look Region VI-4A. The rangy linebacker is great in pursuit, which is why he had a team-high 87 tackles last year. However, what we really love about his game is his ability to take on offensive lineman or split them in order to get into the backfield. That helped him pile up 13 tackles for loss and four sacks as a junior.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1039208' first='Hank' last='Aeppli'] Lucy Beckham&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aeppli lost the majority his defensive mates from last fall after a huge senior class graduated. And while there are some serious questions about what Lucy Beckham can accomplish after that exodus and a simultaneous move to Class 5A, Aeppli is a tested veteran who can handle his individual work load - no questions asked. He finished his junior year with 71 tackles and a team-high 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='464897' first='Avery' last='Todd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='473018' first='Landon' last='Conner'] Loris</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with hybrid [player_tooltip player_id='464883' first='Javon' last='Johnson'] (who is moving from more of defensive lineman spot), Todd and Conner have proved for the last two seasons how well they work together. They combined for 183 total tackles in 2023. They're seemingly always around the ball. We've seen them take over when they're firing on all cylinders, too. The trio will see a lot of different looks throughout this fall, but we know they can handle just about all of it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='464896' first='Darrell' last='Holmes'] Stratford</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holmes is going into his fourth year on varsity for the Knights. Last fall, we saw how good of a traditional linebacker he could be after lining up in the trenches prior. He's a powerful tackler who blow up ball carriers while still holding onto that quarterback-tracking ability from his first two years of varsity ball. We think his numbers this fall could end up being quite high.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1012620' first='Web' last='Barnes'] Hartsville&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Barnes out of the lineup last year, the Red Foxes gave up 25 points per game in a makeshift defense that was bouncing pieces around left and right. Now, a player who had 101 tackles as a sophomore is back in the lineup and fully healthy. Hartsville is going to be better, and Barnes has every opportunity to put himself on the map.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1012649' first='Landyn' last='Cribb'] Johnsonville&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Flashes have played for two straight Class A championships because they've been pretty darn good. And Cribb might have been the most consistent presence of the bunch. He's going to be entering his senior season attempting to reach triple figures in total tackles for the third time in his prep career. He's a threat to get into the backfield, which only makes him that much more potent.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809743' first='Mandrell' last='Sanders'] Hampton County (pictured)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5-foot-11, 190 pounder spent his junior season putting up some video game numbers for the Hurricanes. He finished the year with 95 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hurries and seven sacks. Throw in a couple of forced fumbles and its easy to see why Hampton County's defense gave up fewer than 12 points per game and made a run to the Lower State finals.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1012625' first='Dylan' last='Polansky'] Ashley Ridge&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Polansky has the physical tools to play the position at the Class 5A level against the types of opponents Ashley Ridge will face every week and sustain success. Last year, he led the team with 71 total tackles and nine tackles for loss. He also blocked a punt and a field goal. Whether you've seen him in a game or combine, you can quickly piece together how good of a player he's going to be as a senior.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809745' first='Max' last='Moorman'] Oceanside Collegiate&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Moorman is an imposing player who might be asked to lead the Landsharks off the bus on Friday nights. Once he gets on the field, he's even more impressive. In helping Oceanside to the Class 2A title last year, he had 97 tackles, 12 sacks and eight pass break-ups. The early plan was to move him to middle linebacker this year. He's got the range to make it work to perfection.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->