2025 Preview: Ridge View Blazers

Even before an old face re-surfaced on Ridge View's campus this week, the Blazers were one of the oldest rosters in the state, let alone Class 5A ball.   The tentative starting lineup includes five juniors. The rest are seniors.    And those seniors have a lot of varsity snaps under their belt. A third-straight eight-win season wasn't going to be good enough for View County, especially not with all the talent this squad has.   The returning production is there, as are a couple players who have already committed to NCAA Division-I programs and a few more who have offers of their own to sift through over the coming months. It's a good problem to have, of course, but it also created a new one.   How do you keep all of moving forward in unison?   “I still need to see them in game-like situations to see their growth from last season,” coach Derek Howard said. “Our kids are blessed. … Sometimes I don't know if they understand the reality of high school football. South Carolina is really good. And to be really good, it's not just about talent. It's about how you put it together. We challenge them to put them in as many situations as possible where they have to work together to overcome it. Beating them down is a more aggressive way of saying we have to teach them how to deal with adversity.”   At times in 2024, that wasn't the case. Ridge View lost to Northwestern and Dutch Fork in the non-region slate, lost a chance at the region title with a lopsided loss to Sumter and then fell to Summerville by 29 points in the third round of the playoffs.   The offseason was driven by those defeats to some of the state's power brokers. If Ridge View wanted to join them, it would need to face even more. Particularly in May, when the players were wearing pads.   “Our practices are hard,” quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard'] said. “Going against the defense, them going against us, we're trying to make that big jump where we're beating the Dutch Forks and the Northwesterns in the state. I feel like we're going to do that this season.   “We responded well [to the practices], just pushing through to keep each other together. We know we have to finish it regardless. Everyone has to pick each other up.”   That's where the experienced leadership has been a boon, too.    [player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard'] will be joined by returning starters [player_tooltip player_id='1149057' first='Spencer' last='Bobian'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1283827' first='Aidan' last='Keeffe'] in the backfield. Receivers [player_tooltip player_id='1172363' first='Khristian' last='Jackson'] and Omari Johnson will be bolstered by recent returnee [player_tooltip player_id='473013' first='Carter' last='Coleman'] (Blythewood). Offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1656657' first='Joseph' last='Braveboy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1719469' first='Jordan' last='Senior'] are the stalwarts up front.    Defensively, it's much of the same. Defensive lineman Javon Holmes is the only non-senior in a bunch that includes North Carolina State commitment [player_tooltip player_id='1267280' first='Jordyn' last='Best'] at defensive back and [player_tooltip player_id='1537475' first='D'Juan' last='Franklin'] at linebacker.    To get the ship right, Derek Howard wanted to craft a scenario where they'd all have to believe in each other, where confidence to contend with the big boys of Class 5A was possible.   “They've seen it all,” Derek Howard said. “They've seen a hard practice. They've seen a hot day. They've seen coach fuss. We've got to be extremely creative and consistent in how we hold them to that.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1267280' first='Jordyn' last='Best'] DB, 2026 (pictured) - Best verbally committed to North Carolina State over the weekend, capping off an ultra-productive last 12 months in which Best picked off a couple passes, continued to prove he's one of the fastest players in the state. He won the 100m in the Class 5A, Division I track meet, was part of the Blazers' 4x100 relay title team and finished third in the 200.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172363' first='Khristian' last='Jackson'] WR, 2026 - After Jordon Gidron went down with an injury last fall, Jackson stepped into the WR1 job and showed he's got a special skill set, maybe even a year ahead of schedule. Jackson is already north of 6-foot and 180 pounds and has verified 22-mile-per-hour speed to go with it. Opponents will focus on him, and most of the time, it probably won't matter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1537475' first='D'Juan' last='Franklin'] LB, 2026 - The 5-foot-10, 190-pound hybrid linebacker does a little bit of everything in the middle of the defense. Last year, he had 50 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and was one of the few players to pick off now-former Irmo quarterback AJ Brand over the last few years. Franklin is mobile and aggressive and will be involved just about every snap.   [player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard'] QB, 2027 - While Howard has only been the starter for one season, he's certainly got every bit of a senior's snap count when you factor in how much he played as a freshman. He's also hit another growth spurt even since the spring and has every arm mechanic a high school play caller would want from his quarterback.    FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1283827' first='Aidan' last='Keeffe'] RB, 2026 - Keeffe is one of the the unsung players on this highly potent offense that keeps things even more balanced. As a junior, he rushed for 416 yards and five touchdowns. He brings a bruiser mentality to the position, but he often does so after bouncing it outside after seeing an opening. As icing on the cake, Keeffe doubles as an H-Back who can catch the ball in space, where he morphs back into his primary mindset.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Jordon Gidron WR - Even though he spent much of last season on the shelf with an injury, Gidron was a top-end talent who elected to re-classify to 2025 and enroll at South Carolina last winter.   Cleve Tellery DL - The Charleston Southern signee was an interior defensive presence for the Blazers who was named to the 2024 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl and was Ridge View's lone SCFCA All-State selection.   UP-AND-COMING TALENT   [player_tooltip player_id='1312432' first='Jace' last='Shropshire'] DL, 2028 - Shropshire started to show off some impressive potential last fall at Blythewood before making the quick jump over the Ridge View. He's going to be padding the depth chart for a bit, but he should be an immediate contributor.    Raymond Jones ATH, 2028 - Initially listed as a middle linebacker on the Blazers' roster, the 6-foot, 195-pound Jones is likely going to move around a bit as needed behind the senior-laden defense.    Ross was a two-way player at Orangeburg-Wilkinson last season, splitting his offensive snaps between guard and tackle while lining up at nose on the defensive line. At Ridge View, he's slated to stick to offense. He's a powerful blocker who is adept getting his lower body into position to engage with defenders or turn them away from the play.

Even before an old face re-surfaced on Ridge View's campus this week, the Blazers were one of the oldest rosters in the state, let alone Class 5A ball.