2025 Preview: Kingstree Blazers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the field and away from it, the last six months at Kingstree have led to plenty of discussions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was a public back-and-forth between the school and its former coach (Brian Smith) before he ultimately left for good. A number of players with eligibility left the program. The influential Class of 2025 graduated. And a new coach was hired in the thick of it all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What first-year Blazers leader Brandon Cantrell wanted to focus upon, however, was the basis for the football team's days ahead.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It's in better shape than I was expecting - I know about Coach Smith and how all those things ended - but facility-wise and just the things Kingstree has from the time when I was there before,” Cantrell said during the Prep RedZone Media Days series at West Florence on June 27. “I know what Kingstree has in terms of potential and athletes. … They have a fantastic weight room and training facility. You can build bigger, faster, stronger athletes.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All that can be true, and it will need to be for Kingstree and its new head coach to bypass some turmoil.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best news the team got during the hectic offseason came in mid-June, when two of the players who had left returned. Tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473015' first='Tyleek' last='Dukes']</strong> and linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036769' first='Maleek' last='Dukes']</strong> initially departed for South Florence, only to change their minds and return to Kingstree.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both players had at least partially resumed their offseason conditioning requirements, and their production value alone is a boon for the Blazers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But the brothers' return is only one part of Cantrell's summer needs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's also going to be a new starting quarterback in <strong>Randy McFadden</strong>, plenty of holes to fill on the offensive and defensive lines and the knowledge that the region slate that won't include any gimmes. In many ways, what can be accomplished this summer will almost certainly still take some time to produce results.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That hasn't stopped this year's bunch from trying to make it count.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Everybody knows they've got to put in the work to come back so we can win games,” starting center <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1686806' first='Ethan' last='Carraway']</strong> (pictured) said of the Dukes brothers. “I feel as if we'd still win games. This is my last year. I want to go out with the best season.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cantrell said he had 24 players max out or nearly max out their June conditioning quotas. It's a hefty figure giving the overall size of the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Focusing on that positive was a necessary first step for the new coach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I got the same message from coaches and players: They were in a lot of games at halftime, but things fell apart in the second half,” Cantrell said. “That goes back to conditioning, strength and conditioning. We've been targeting those areas so we can eliminate those problems in the fall.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473015' first='Tyleek' last='Dukes']</strong> RB/DB, 2026 - Dukes' return to Kingstree is a massive bump for the program after he rushed for 1,798 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. He's still going to play in the secondary - he has 138 career tackles heading into his senior year - but his offensive production will be even more vital this fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036769' first='Maleek' last='Dukes']</strong> LB, 2027 - The lightning-quick edge rusher led the Blazers with 53 tackles last season while also putting up seven tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and three pass break-ups. In a pinch, Dukes has no issue slipping off the line and playing more of a traditional linebacker position.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1592634' first='BJ' last='Washington']</strong> LB, 2026 - After accumulating 14 tackles as a sophomore, Washington erupted last fall to finish the season with 50 tackles while leading the Blazers in tackles for loss (17) and sacks (nine). He's one of those players Kingstree will need to create some turnovers and push opposing offenses behind the chains.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ramello McFadden</strong> LB, 2026 - McFadden will round out a group of returning linebackers who will have little choice but to step up to the plate after the vast majority of its defensive linemen graduated. McFadden was a consistent presence last fall, putting up 21 tackles. Of the positional group, he's the one with the most experience roaming the middle.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1686806' first='Ethan' last='Carraway']</strong> OL, 2026 - Carraway is the embodiment of a low center of gravity in the thick of it all. The Blazers' center was verified at 5-foot-6.5 and 338 pounds at the Carolinas Coaches Combines at the end of March. He makes up some of his lack of vertical size with a brawler mentality in the trenches. His snap is efficient and he's already initiating his primary block within a split second. Not too many defensive players are going to be able to get low enough to reverse his leverage advantage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18097201/67a59dc6a55c6d59998c8030' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68696527e13f2"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIGGEST LOSSES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mycheal Wallace</strong> OL/DL - The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas selection signed with Newberry after finishing up his high school career. He was of two victims of a shooting at an apartment complex in Kingstree on June 28.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1615100' first='Makhi' last='Shaw']</strong> QB - Just a freshman last season, Shaw ran for 568 yards and seven touchdowns as a complement to Dukes. Shaw, however, has transferred out of the school.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Terrell Keels</strong> OL, 2026 - Keels missed a chunk of last season, but he's going to have an opportunity to make up for lost time on both sides of the line. Cantrell said Keels had perfect attendance during the first month of the summer conditioning period. He's a likely starter at offensive tackle and will float around on the defensive line.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1727751' first='Travis' last='Bennett']</strong> ATH, 2026 - The newcomer made his way to Kingstree after previously playing at Williamsburg Academy. He had some big performances there; he had six touchdowns and 219 rushing yards in with his first 26 carries last year, for instance. He'll get carries for the Blazers, but he's also likely to see some time at defense, too.&nbsp;</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":1704027,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Randy McFadden","_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":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"160","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Kingstree","_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-68696527e376b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">McFadden is going to be the Blazers' front-runner for quarterback snaps this fall after dealing with some health issues that limited him in 2024. He throws a decent ball and, more importantly, can follow the plan for Kingstree to feed the ball to running backs time and again. As he gets more comfortable in the pocket, McFadden has shown he has some natural athletic ability to be a leader. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->