2025 Preview: Gray Collegiate War Eagles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>The 2025 high school football season will be here before you know it. Impress your family, friends and neighbors with how much you know by gaining access to everything Prep RedZone South Carolina produces by </em><a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe/"><em>becoming a subscriber today</em></a><em>. We are currently running a 40% off special on all annual subscriptions to the site. Simply use the offer code </em><strong><em>Guerin40</em></strong><em> at checkout to take advantage.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All the ingredients are there for Gray Collegiate to make a run in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The recipe, junior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1422610' first='Jack' last='Armstrong'] said, is pretty simple, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have a chance to be good,” he said last week during the Prep RedZone Media Days at Westwood. “We just need to keep practicing and keep working and not focus on other teams. We need to lock in: Practice harder, lift harder. We need everyone to have a good attitude.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With all the talent head coach De'Angelo Bryant has at his disposal this fall, we understand the rise-together, fall-together mentality. Gray is a program that may or may not have ultimately competed for Class 4A state title last year. But what happened in the unknown of the postseason ban from the SCHSL for use of an ineligible player left everyone wondering what could have been.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moving past the pain of last fall wasn't easy, but a necessary step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, the Eagles are doing so with a few new pieces who have either been biding their time or transferred in from old teams. Brother <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395040' first='Royal' last='Williamson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1319663' first='Royce' last='Williamson']</strong> have bumped up to the varsity after sitting out last year following their transfers. And from nearby Gilbert, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson']</strong> (no relationship) gives Gray a top-20 player in the class who has rushed for more than 2,500 yards as a freshman and sophomore while occasional playing some linebacker or safety.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We instantly gain playmaking ability, both offensively and defensively,” Bryant said of those three additions. “Trevon and Royce are two guys who are special with the ball in their hands. But they also add value on defense. Royal has a lot of position versatility on the defensive side of the ball. It's going to allow us to line up a little differently.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's the best part for Bryant: Those three are complements to the existing pieces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Star linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware']</strong> will be starting for his third season (fourth if you count his freshman campaign at Spring Valley). Receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='205787' first='Hiszari' last='Gantt']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816750' first='Kaleb' last='Berry']</strong> are back after providing a strong one-two punch on the outside for quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller']</strong> - who will also be in his third year as the team's stater.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Armstrong (pictured) will have some returning help on the line, and nine of the 11 starters on defense will be seniors.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, it's just up for the Eagles to complete the recipe.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware']</strong> LB, 2026 - Boulware is undeniably one of the move physically developed high school players in the state. He's 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds and easily hits 21 miles per hour. As a sophomore, he finished with 155 total tackles, and he could do that again in a full slate of games this fall as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816750' first='Kaleb' last='Berry']</strong> WR, 2026 - Berry was starting to heat up near the end of 2024. He caught a touchdown in each of his last five games before the season unceremoniously ended in an SCHSL executive session. Berry is 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds and will play a hybrid spot where he's moving all over the field.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='205787' first='Hiszari' last='Gantt']</strong> WR, 2026 - Gantt has been a breakout candidate waiting to happen for the better part of the last two years. However, the Eagles have kept mostly the ball on the ground early in games and then cruised to their share of lopsided victories. Gantt has more company now, but this might be his big chance to put it all tougher.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036777' first='Trevon' last='Williamson']</strong> RB, 2027 - Williamson made the move to Gray after rushing for just shy of 2,500 yards and 29 touchdowns over the course of his freshman and sophomore seasons at nearby Gilbert. He's going to primarily be on offense, but he's also a former standout linebacker, as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller']</strong> QB, 2026 - Waller has been one of those steadying players on the Gray offense, despite all the craziness that's been happening in the background. His extracurricular work has been on display during combines and training sessions, even when it's not translating to the field. However, this year, Gray will almost assuredly find new ways to spread the ball around and run less than it has. That bodes well for Waller, who threw for 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore before his shortened junior season in which he finished with 1,038 and 11.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18932175/67d5e60ae901089bc05d0ede' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6877f23fd0501"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BJ Montgomery</strong> RB - The three-year tailback finished his Gray career with 3,058 yards on the ground and 45 touchdowns. Especially during his junior season, he was the bulk of the offensive game plan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zion Job</strong> ATH - Job wore a lot of different hats during his four seasons with the Eagles. He was at times primarily a receiver (he caught 69 career passes). He also played in the secondary (four career INTs) and appeared sporadically on special teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING TALENT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright']</strong> QB, 2029 - Wright is going to have time to develop further, but it's already been made clear that he's Gray's quarterback of the future. He's likely going to get some varsity snaps this fall in a reserve role, at least to start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kayden Garvin</strong> WR, 2029 - Similarly, the Eagles don't necessarily need Garvin this year, as two of the team's starters are seniors. But that doesn't mean he won't catch some passes. Be it garbage time or to give someone a breather, get used to hearing his name.</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":1716239,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1647592' first='Corey' last='Gleaton']","_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":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"145","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Gray Collegiate","_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":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6877f23fd2f2b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gleaton was a limited participant in 2024. He caught a couple passes, made four tackles and picked off a pass. His role is about to get turned up to an 11. The junior is slated to start at receiver and corner in an effort to put his 21.4 mile-per-hour speed to good use. The Eagles have had similar success with other smaller players before, and Gleaton is going to get his chance on both side of the ball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/21710897/684e3abc1e0022666cc592b5' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6877f23fd2f81"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->