Top Ball Carriers Along the Coast

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Within earshot of the sea, plenty of the state's top tailbacks are primed to do some work on the ground in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the Lowcountry to the Grand Strand &amp; Pee Dee, the two easternmost zones of the Palmetto State are jammed with guys looking they're capable of putting up big numbers. They comprise every division of the SCHSL and into the SCISA ranks and span every offensive system.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Collectively and individually, these 23 players' potential is just as vast.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Justyn Joint</strong> Cheraw - Joint's age left him as a big of an enigma entering last fall. Yet, as a freshman he scored a touchdown in his very first game and finished the season with more than 300 yards and five scores. He's put on some weight and may blow up this time around.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams']</strong> Summerville - After averaging right around 200 yards per game for the Green Wave JV squad last fall, Williams is getting the bump up and expected to fill much of the void left from the graduation of Trae Green (who topped 1,300 yards).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271259' first='Jessie' last='Brown']</strong> Berkeley - After rushing for a whole bunch of touchdowns in some junior varsity action, he was moved up to the varsity and quickly became the starter there. Brown is fast and is slated to get an RB1 workload as a sophomore.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1172364' first='Mah'ky' last='Green'] Cross - If Green can add another two inches to his height, he's going to be one of those players colleges flock to. His ceiling is extremely high, all the while not having the do all the heavy lifting for the Trojans at the position (more on that below).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1025778' first='Dominick' last='Felton'] Dillon - The No. 2 tailback on this roster heading into 2024, Felton is used sporadically but extremely potent when his number is called. He averaged 7.68 yards per carry last year, totaled 292 yards for the season and reached the end zone three times.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='473024' first='Ryan' last='Campbell'] Fort Dorchester - Campbell is one of those guys we can't wait to see as his team's top running back. He's got two years of experience under his belt and last year went for more than 700 yards during the regular season. He's compact and very athletic.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='473027' first='Meliq' last='McGowan'] Goose Creek (pictured) - If not for a certain tailback in the upstate, McGowan would be our No. 1 ball carrier in the Class of 2026. He fell just shy of 2,000 total yards last year as a sophomore and is putting in obvious time in the weight room.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360283' first='Jeremiah' last='Singleton']</strong> Pinewood Prep - A new face after rushing for 1,300 yards last year at Northwood Academy, Singleton will face his old squad in his new team's second game of the season. By that point, we should have a good idea of just how good he can be.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360219' first='Josiah' last='Robinson']</strong> Marlboro County - Robinson is one of a handful of players who relocated from Clinton along with members of the Bulldogs' new coaching staff. He's an instinctual tailback who does a lot of the little things right and should make a difference right away.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyrell Foxworth</strong> Lake View - The front runner for play calls at Lake View is an obvious choice. Foxworth is coming off a 1,000-yard regular season and at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds is more than big enough to help the Gators navigate their 2024 schedule.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1254038' first='Devarius' last='Ponds'] McBee - A speed demon who just spent his spring winning a bunch of track hardware, Ponds averaged better than 10 yards per carry during his junior campaign. Consider this: He had four carries of 40 yards or more, including an 88 yarder.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='272723' first='Ashton' last='Allen-Hawkins'] Summerville - Allen-Hawkins won't be by himself at the position for Summerville. But he's the returner with the most experience. Injuries derailed some of his hopes for last fall but he's motivated to bounce back stronger than ever.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1149046' first='Chris' last='Livingston'] Carolina Forest - The Panthers always have multiple guys getting a ton of carries in this run-first, run-second offense. But Livingston is the guy who will have every opportunity to be as much of the guy as Carolina Forest might present.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1253901' first='Kerwin' last='Squire'] Stratford - Squire's carries are about to increase significantly after his backfield mate from last season, <strong>Markell Holman</strong>, graduated. That opportunity is coming at a time when the Knights are probably as strong as they've been since their nine-win 2014 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1157992' first='Jayden' last='Acosta'] Ashley Ridge - Even with as much as the Swamp Foxes threw the ball in 2023, Acosta came close to hitting the 1,000-yard plateau. He finished the season with 959 yards and a team-best 14 rushing touchdowns. As a senior, 1,000 seems inevitable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='272717' first='Tre' last='Leonard'] West Florence - Leonard is going to have plenty of company with tailback carries for the Knights. That won't eliminate what he can do when things are going his way. He led the team with 597 yards last fall and added four touchdowns to his career totals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1013024' first='Troy' last='Timko'] Hilton Head - The Seahawks' staff intends to give Timko the ball at least 25 times a game this year. While that's not a huge increase from his junior year (218 carries, 20 receptions, 1,388 total yards), he is going to be option one and two for Hilton Head.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='464894' first='Bryson' last='Johnson'] Cane Bay - We believe this is the year that Johnson will get every opportunity to shine. He's got breakaway speed packaged in a big body and an offense that's based around the run. All the pieces of the puzzle are there.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1012859' first='Karmello' last='Jones'] Cross - The team's starting running back is going to sacrifice some of his carries to Green. And while some of that is to preserve Jones for his dual role as a linebacker, he can take over a game, as he did when he went for 172 yards and four scores against Baptist Hill.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='605524' first='Amor' last='Scott'] James Island - Amid a jammed backfield that often saw James Island rotating players non-stop, Scott was the one who finished the year with the most yards and touchdowns. Three of those players have graduated, leaving more carries for the 205 pounder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1157754' first='JJ' last='Fludd'] Porter-Gaud - Fludd's 2023 stat line was bordering on the ridiculous: 208 carries, 2,172 yards, 10.4 yards per carry, 35 touchdowns. He had seven 200-yard games and topped out with an insane 369-yard, six-touchdown performance against Trinity Collegiate.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1012592' first='Hakeem' last='Watters'] Hartsville - One of the state's fastest players verbally committed to Charleston Southern after rushing for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. He averaged 10.2 yards per carry and further impressed by taking 15 receptions for 245 yards and another two scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='346196' first='Jamarion' last='Fling'] Dillon - Fling had a monster junior season, rushing for 1,584 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was more often than not initiating contact with defenders and adept at breaking tackles. Had he not missed a couple games, he might have flirted with 2,000 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='464882' first='Jamarcus' last='Williams'] Hannah-Pamplico - Back to full force after missing most of last year with a partial ACL tear, we can't forget that he ran for 2,006 yards as a sophomore and has one more season with his backfield mate - [player_tooltip player_id='922678' first='Wade' last='Poston'] at quarterback. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='272722' first='Zion' last='Gilbert'] South Florence - The Bruins are going to return to more of a singular look at the position after using a ton of wildcat last season en route to a second straight state championship game. Gilbert is a beast with the ball in his hands and getting better by the month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->