2024 Preview: Carvers Bay Bears

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing on the offensive line is a family tradition for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402516' first='Zyon' last='Guiles']</strong> (pictured). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the younger cousin of the Geathers' brothers who played in the NFL, the 6-foot-5, 293-pound junior left tackle is cognizant of having “big shoes to fill” on the field. During the summer, Guiles has received offers from Clemson, South Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He and fellow Bears' focus right now is looking to rebound from a 5-7 season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“So last year, we had a little bit of an upset, but we definitely want to try to turn those cons into pros,” said Guiles about the third-place finish in Region V-A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year, Carvers Bay will compete in Region VI with Pee Dee and Grand Region teams Latta, Lake View, Green Sea Floyd and Hannah-Pamplico. &nbsp;According to head coach Matthew Richard, he's seen a complete overall turnaround in the team's mindset compared to last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The biggest improvement that we have is the commitment level from our kids,” Richard said. “We've had more kids showing up every single day busting their behind, being the best that they can be and we look to see some good things from them.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richard can only have optimism with an experienced, well-sized offensive line led by Guiles. He'll be joined upfront by tackle <strong>Robert Miller</strong>, guard <strong>Bakari Grice</strong> and center <strong>Rashad Williams-Sumpter</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having consistent play will be important as Carvers Bay looks to settle on a new starting quarterback. Sophomore <strong>Cristian Simmons</strong> has taken the reins - backed up by<strong> Clark Jones</strong> - and will be joined in the backfield by <strong>Kenard Heyward</strong> and <strong>Dominique Walker</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At wide receiver, 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1683177' first='Jaquan' last='Hannah'] </strong>presents a tall, athletic target for Simmons. He will also see action upfront for a defense which returns only one other starter in Heyward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior defensive back/wide receiver <strong>Juluis McCrea</strong>, the nephew of NFL linebacker Byron Young, is one of the newcomers Richard is excited about. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, his size and physical play could have him emerge as a difference maker on both sides of the football. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This team is young and dedicated and ready to go to the championship and they're hard working,” Hannah said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenard Heyward </strong>RB 2026 One of several players expected to see double duty on both sides of the football. In addition to carries, he will lead the defense at middle linebacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robert Miller</strong> OL 2026 – At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he's an upright blocker who's constantly pushing forward at tackle and is a pass rusher at defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402516' first='Zyon' last='Guiles'] </strong>OL 2026 – Colleges are hardly sleeping on this prized “Bear”. Along with the ability to move with great dexterity for his size, he overwhelms defenders with his 81-inch wingspan and possesses strong stamina for a player who's active both on offense and defense. Guiles earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Carolinas Coaches Clinic in South Florence where he performed at a high level against other prospects during individual drills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18937356/6578992fbd6a9c079cf0e804' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af131ccc147"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSS (es)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kenneth Bateman </strong>QB – A two-year starter who led the offense both from inside and outside the pocket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jasaia Young</strong> WR – A 3-sport athlete, the All-State Class A selection was equally productive at wide receiver and strong safety.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dominique Brown </strong>RB – A workhorse out of the backfield is now at Hiram College in Ohio.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cristian Simmons </strong>QB 2027 –. A dual threat quarterback who has shown the initiative to take the leadership reins of the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dominique Walker</strong> RB 2027 – The 5-foot-7 rising sophomore will look to capitalize upon the expected openings he'll find playing behind an imposing offensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1359356,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1683177' first='Jaquan' last='Hannah']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"200","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Carvers Bay","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af131cce0b7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The lone returning starter on defense for the Bears is also a valuable weapon at wide receiver. He's an aggressive pass rusher from the defensive end. His quickness is such where he's often well past a guard before he attempts to move into a stance. He's committed to improving his receiving skills while remaining productive on defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/21463406/66abe1031b7e4327f2102e3a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66af131cce10b"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->