2024 Preview: Rock Hill Bearcats

Rock Hill will have a fresh start in 2024 after falling to Spartanburg in the first round of the playoffs and finishing with a 6-5 record to end the 2023 season.   Randy Birch takes over as head coach for the Bearcats, after spending the last 11 seasons in the Upstate at Gaffney as the defensive coordinator. And he is excited to join a tradition rich program over on the south side of Rock Hill.   “Historically, (Rock Hill) has been a great program and they've made some strides over the last couple of years. Just the pride and tradition of the community, I always knew this place could be special and it's just a ticking time bomb before they explode back on the scene and be considered one of the elite teams in the state so that part of it was really attractive to me,” Birch said.   Looking at the Bearcats' offense, the offensive line will be anchored by Jake Phillips at center along with Sam Hawkins, Devon Smith and Hayden Beuch. The running back room will be led by sophomore Zykel Reid and Zach Jackson. Birch is excited about the depth of the wide receiver room with guys like Jeremiah Hines and [player_tooltip player_id='1360412' first='EJ' last='Ratley'] returning.   “We get 1% better every day so I feel like, with the new offense, it shouldn't be too hard to learn. I feel like change is good. Change is going to help our offense thrive and be better than we were last year,” wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1012834' first='Malik' last='Clark'] (pictured above) said.   On defense, Chris Burgess will be one of the anchors on the defensive front. KT Gill Mcdonald will anchor things at linebacker. AJ Sanders is back at cornerback. Birch is excited about the battle on the other side at corner with Josiah Moore and Miles Sanders.   Rock Hill opens the 2024 season on the road against River Bluff next Friday, August 23.   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='809751' first='Ian' last='Grissom'] QB, 2025 – Grissom will be the signal caller for the Bearcats now, transferring over from Lewisville. He threw for 2,904 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games in 2023 with the Lions. He looked comfortable when we visited practice recently and has a good velocity on his throws. He currently has an offer from Limestone University. Grissom's position coach is Jake Bentley, who played at Byrnes and the University of South Carolina, and he is excited to have him on board.   Grissom on Bentley: “It's meant a lot to me. I feel like he's taken my game to a whole other level that I haven't had before in the past so just being around him and listening to him and taking what he's given us, it's made me a lot better player. I'm grateful to have him in my corner, definitely pushes us every day and lets us know when we do wrong but, he's a great coach.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1012834' first='Malik' last='Clark'] WR, 2025 – Clark is the leader of the wide receiver room for the Bearcats and one of the top receivers in the country. He committed to Florida State University back in late July. He looks tall and has the build of a Division 1 wide receiver. He has been working on improving his hands and route running during the offseason.   Clark on his decision to commit to FSU: “(Coach Mike Norvell)'s energy is unmatched. He's a great person, on my OV (official visit) he was energetic everywhere we went. He was enthusiastic about everything. Everything we did, even if it was just in a meeting, he was enthusiastic about it. He was up and yelling and running around. All the rest of the coaching staff are great people. I liked them. I feel like I fit in with the team. I fit in with the other receivers that's on the team and in the (2025) class. I feel like that's the best place for me right now to compete for a national championship and get to the (National Football League).”   [player_tooltip player_id='649189' first='Justice' last='Foster'] DL, 2025 – Foster will be a leader on the defensive line, and Birch expects him to play all over the line. He is physical up front from his defensive tackle spot and can move well. He has offers from North Greenville and UNC Pembroke.    FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1036779' first='Kaiden' last='Watkins'] DB/WR, 2027 – The All-Region defensive back will be making the shift to offense this fall. When he was on defense last year, his athleticism was on full display with an ability to high point the ball and make interceptions. He made a difference on special teams with his speed and vision in the open field. He was first in the region in special teams return yardage.   Birch on Watkins: “He's one of those electric kids who has that innate ability to make plays so we want to get the ball in his hands as well.”    KEY LOSS   Matthew Wilson QB – The Shrine Bowl selection was a key contributor for the Bearcats' offense at the quarterback position in 2023. He is now at Appalachian State University.   UP AND COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1809631' first='Connor' last='Clawson'] WR, 2027 – Birch was very complimentary of Clawson, calling him elite and says he has had a fantastic summer. He played JV football last year and showed off good speed at the receiver position.   Donovan Franklin LB, 2027 – Birch says Franklin has a knack for making plays. He has natural instincts and things you can't coach on top of being explosive and powerful.    Lewis is a newcomer for the Bearcats' defensive line, transferring over from South Pointe. He has great size and has good get off on the snap of the ball, especially off the edge.

Rock Hill will have a fresh start in 2024 after falling to Spartanburg in the first round of the playoffs and finishing with a 6-5 record to end the 2023 season.