Five Unsung Heroes To Watch In Catawba River Region

Last week we kicked off a three part series with a wide lens of the Catawba River Region. We talked about the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/catawba-river-regions-best-top-10-players/">best ten players</a> to keep your eye on, storylines involving <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/catawba-river-regions-biggest-player-storylines/">players and how they'll fit</a> with their team in 2025.   We're wrapping up the series with five unsung heroes – these are guys who may not be household names around the area. But rest assured they will have a huge role for their teams this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1395038' first='Brysen' last='Conner'] | ATH | Indian Land   Conner will be a leader for the Warriors on both sides of the ball in 2025. Most of his impact came on the offensive side of the ball as he can stress a defense vertically and beat one-on-one coverages for touchdowns.    He has great speed on the outside and is fun to watch with the ball in his hands. On defense, he'll line up at corner and doesn't allow receivers to get inside and has great leverage on the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1394980' first='Chris' last='Coleman'] | OL | Northwestern   Coleman (pictured above) has started on the Trojans' offensive line since he was a sophomore. He fits the center position well as he heads into his senior season after the Trojans captured a state championship a year ago. He can pull block well and create lanes into the run game. His ability to be violent with his hands and have good feet, and bringing the fight to the opposing defensive lineman is fun to watch.    He will anchor a veteran offensive line that will have a new starting quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='232624' first='Xavier' last='Means'] in 2025. Having that cohesiveness will be vital for the Trojans. He is committed to Charleston Southern University.   Northwestern head coach Page Wofford: “He knows what to do. He goes about his business. Works hard, does well in the weight room, does well on the field. Just a good kid. He wants to do well, he's very coachable. He's improved. He started at guard as a sophomore and didn't give up a sack. We moved him to center and that just meant he was working after practice to snap the ball and he's gotten to where now, he does it very, very well. (Charleston Southern) is going to get a really good football player.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1404968' first='Jackson' last='Hill'] | DL | Clover   The All-Region defensive lineman for the Blue Eagles returns for his junior season. He was tough to block from his end position as he used great spin moves on the outside to get home to the quarterback and create pressure. He has a motor that is always running and even if he can't get home right away, he's always going to give you his best effort.    He finished with 13 sacks, 15 TFLs and 28 total tackles in 2024. There's no question he will be a leader up front for the Blue Eagles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165159' first='Jordan' last='Strong'] | ATH | Lewisville   Strong is another versatile defensive back who can be used in multiple ways. The Lions lined him up on defense, on special teams and at running back last year. And he was effective in all three.    He showcased his great speed in the open field on offense. He is shifty with the ball in his hands. He has an ability to come up and lay the lumber on defense, whether that be in run support or recognizing a play quickly. His stat line was impressive on the defensive side of the ball with 47 tackles and nine interceptions.    Lewisville head coach Trent Usher: “He's a guy that can do about everything. What he's done the past three years, I'm expecting a big year from him. He's put the work in this summer.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1088328' first='Nigel' last='Lightner'] | DB | Rock Hill   Lightner will be a leader on the Bearcats defense this fall. He can read the quarterback's eyes and make plays on the ball, even in one-on-one situations against receivers. He has good speed and lateral movement in the secondary to be able to react quickly once the ball is snapped. He can also come up in run support and limit the play to a short gain. He's aggressive when he comes up to make tackles and sends a message to the opposing offense that they will have to account for him.    The coaches have been pushing that leadership role on him since <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/2025-preview-rock-hill-bearcats/">Leon Boulware arrived at Rock Hill</a>, and it's something that they have high expectations for him in 2025.   Rock Hill head coach Leon Boulware: “Nigel is going to be one of the big names that come back out of Rock Hill High. He does everything that we ask of him, moving him around (at) different positions. But he leads that defensive effort that we like to bring when we talk about that piece of it to the table.    When the defense goes, [player_tooltip player_id='1088328' first='Nigel' last='Lightner'] is going to be on the field. We want to make sure he understands and the guys around him understand.”

Last week we kicked off a three part series with a wide lens of the Catawba River Region. We talked about the best ten players to keep your eye on, storylines involving players and how they'll fit with their team in 2025.