10 GSPD Legacies That Shaped 2026 Rankings

For the better part of the last four seasons, much of the Grand Strand & Pee Dee's influence on the state's football season has very much been seen like this by the bulk of the state.   “South Florence, and everyone else.”   The Bruins' four straight trips to Weekend of Champions and two titles in that span have very much taken its toll on the perception of the other teams and players, sure, and we recognize the South Florence success story for what it is. But ignoring everything else going on isn't how we roll.    The GSPD zone of the Palmetto State has had lively storylines, players built for something bigger and names we won't soon forget. I've spent a lot of hours around these 10 in particular, and they're going to be standard bearers in one form or another for years to come.   [player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon'] LB, and [player_tooltip player_id='1267265' first='Amare' last='Reaves'] DB, South Florence    Gordon and Reaves were a bigger part of the Bruins' recent four-year run than many will admit. For all of the other stars that have come through the program, they were on the field for parts or all of each of South Florence's four straight Lower State championships and two overall state titles. Gordon flashed his abilities to destroy opposing tailbacks and quarterbacks off the edge. Reaves put opponents into a blender with interceptions, broken-up passes, defensive touchdowns and huge returns in the kickoff and punt games. Were either of them ever the guy? Probably not when looked at from a wider lens. But their impacts were constant, and Bruins' fans owe them quite a bit for the excitement that followed their play.    [player_tooltip player_id='1148537' first='Jaryn' last='Fox'] RB, Carolina Forest    Fox didn't look the part of a would-be starting tailback when he took over the role prior to his junior season. Yes, we'd seen bits and pieces of what he could do prior, but his explosiveness as a junior and senior then allowed the Panthers' to quickly and comfortably develop a high-octane passing game, too. The runs and throws then started to feed off each other, and the Panthers ran roughshod through their region again this year. For all of the pieces in play, it started with Fox.    [player_tooltip player_id='1395062' first='Damarea' last='Thurmond'] DL, Loris   There was a part of us that wondered what Thurmond would look like once Javon Johnson graduated last spring and Thurmond would need to take on a different role. All the big man did was turn into a hybrid lineman who would blow up the middle or take on a tackle from one play to the next. In 37 career varsity games, his 201 tackles and 31 tackles for loss and his potential to perform each and every Friday night was a boon for a Loris squad that was always built on its defensive capabilities, no matter how effective the offense was when it had the ball.    [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] QB, Lamar    When we talk about grit, we're often talking block-first tight ends, maybe linebackers. Pierce brought that mentality to the Silver Foxes' quarterback position, no matter which of the three head coaches he was playing for. By now, you probably know about his big offensive numbers and some impressive playoff victories and even this year's trip to the state championship. What you might not know is that Pierce did what he did despite an ACL tear, broken bones, bad sprains and just about anything else that opponents could do to his body.    [player_tooltip player_id='473016' first='AJ' last='Grate'] and [player_tooltip player_id='473025' first='Andre' last='Grate'] ATHs, Waccamaw (pictured)   The Brothers Grate could not have left a bigger imprint on the Waccamaw athletics department. On top of football, they took turns excelling in other sports, and - we know this might not be a shocker - they excelled in all of them. AJ and Andre, though, drove this football program. As freshmen, they saw significant playing time. As sophomores, they were asked to put up started level production. As juniors, they were asked to lead. As seniors, well, what else was there to push the Warriors to more wins? These two storied vets were consummate pros.    [player_tooltip player_id='1145762' first='Hayes' last='Cochrane'] LB/LS/OL, St. James    Cochrane's trajectory at St. James was all over the map. He played some offensive line. Took over snapping duties. Transitioned to linebacker. Played some H-Back. Whatever the Sharks needed him to do. His relative size and athletic ability gave St. James' coaching staff the flexibility to tinker with his role, but also to expect results. He did just that. The Sharks might not have been world beaters, but there were times when even the downtrodden program was able to shake things up here and there. Cochrane was at the heart of much of it.   [player_tooltip player_id='1395094' first='Jaylen' last='Augustus'] QB, Darlington    Augustus wasn't quite the chameleon that Cochrane was since he was playing quarterback for each of the last three years. But the big signal caller's ability to morph around play calling was evident. After all, this is a player who ran for a mere 128 yards as a sophomore (when heals threw for 1,522), only to see him put up 1,298 on the ground as a junior and another 950 as a senior. During those two seasons, he added another 2,000 passing yards. Those aren't piddly numbers, and 56 touchdowns over the last three seasons - not even including numerous two-point conversions - accounted for 54 percent of the Falcons' scoring.    [player_tooltip player_id='1639746' first='Chris' last='Price'] DL, Hartsville    Price was often seen as one of the Red Foxes' four or five best defenders last year, when he was part of a crew of long-time starters. The difference between him and the rest was that he was the only junior in 2024. As a senior, with the Hartsville defense needed to replace the vast majority of its production, there was Price, chugging along as if he was cool with the weight on his shoulders. He finished the season with nearly 70 tackles and led the team in both sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (22). He's headed to North Carolina A&T to keep his own story going, and the part of it he's leaving behind in Hartsville is worthy of praise.

For the better part of the last four seasons, much of the Grand Strand & Pee Dee's influence on the state's football season has very much been seen like this by the bulk of the state.