Underclassmen That Dazzled at Weekend of Champions

The 2025 Weekend of Champions is behind us, and we turn our attention to the offseason now. But before we do that, we want to look at some of the Class of 2028 and 2029 players that dazzled on the state's biggest stage.   These are names you need to become familiar with sooner rather than later. We will be talking about them a lot over the next 2-3 years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1818722' first='Malachi' last='Bohler'] DB/QB, Belton-Honea Path, 2028 - The only other quarterback listed on the BHP roster for Friday's loss against Oceanside, Bohler was able to continue to make an impact without playing offense. After Oceanside recovered a fumble of its own deep in Bears' territory, OCA quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1094944' first='Aiden' last='Manavian'] ran for what would have been a first down until Bohler ripped the ball away to create the turnover. It kept the game scoreless and gave Bohler his fourth turnover of the season. He also had three interceptions, including one each in the playoff wins over Palmetto and Southside Christian. Now, Bohler - with the championship experience in his back pocket - is the frontrunner to take over for [player_tooltip player_id='283891' first='Noah' last='Thomas'] behind center for 2026.    Jackson Summey K/P, Oceanside Collegiate, 2028 - The Landsharks' kicking and punting duties are locked down for the foreseeable future with Summey. The sophomore connected on each of his four extra points in Friday's win over BHP and was also effective in the punting game, averaging just shy of 34 yards per boot in less-than-friendly conditions.    [player_tooltip player_id='1817745' first='Saveon' last='Bamberg'] OL/DL 2028, Bamberg-Ehrhardt – The Red Raiders won the Class A state title with a 35-21 win over Lamar to end a 35-year drought between state championships. It might not take that long for them to win another. They have a talented junior class that will be back along with Bamberg, a starter on both sides of the ball. He had 1.5 tackles in the title game to give him 47 tackles on the season to go along with four tackles for loss. Another offseason in the weight room and training table is going to make him more of a factor in 2026.   [player_tooltip player_id='1615075' first='Lamont' last='Williams'] TE/LB and [player_tooltip player_id='1822295' first='Jaylen' last='Morris'] ATH, 2028 Lamar – The Silver Foxes came up short in the Class A state championship game against Bamberg-Ehrhardt, but the future is bright. Williams played well defensively and was credited with four tackles from his linebacker spot. He flew around the field and has two years to build on his 70 tackles, 20 tackles for loss performance in 2025. Morris might be next in line to take snaps in place of senior [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] in 2026. He played some in a backup role but added two receptions for 16 yards and a tackle during his stint on defense. He threw for 90 yards and ended with 26 tackles and four interceptions on defense. He's going to see his role expand greatly next season.   Corey Miller 2029 and Demarion Arrington 2028 WRs, Irmo - The Yellow Jackets are quietly putting together one heck of a receiver room for the 2026 season. With [player_tooltip player_id='1422528' first='Maleek' last='Miller'] already back for another season, and with Jay Eaddy only going to be a junior, the emergence of Miller and Arrington starts give this offense every likelihood of slinging it around next fall. Miller caught two passes for 10 yards and Arrington hauled in a 31-yard reception in the lopsided loss to Northwestern Friday night. That lot of receivers will all now have the offseason to bolster their chemistry with a new starting quarterback. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1856841' first='Britton' last='Davis'] only played one series on Friday, and his lone pass was incomplete. However, Irmo has been developing him for the last two seasons while preparing him for QB1 duties.     [player_tooltip player_id='1301735' first='Dash' last='Holley'] LB, 2029, Northwestern - In terms of the next wave of players whose coaches already have faith in heading into 2026, Holley is high on the list of freshmen in Rock Hill. Friday was his 12th game appearance of the season, and the linebacker recorded a pair of tackles and a quarterback pressure in the win. The Trojans will need to replace two starters on the defensive line and two linebackers (graduations), so there is a clear-cut path toward Holley not only remaining on the field, but seeing even more valuable reps.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816732' first='Rasean' last='Brown'] RB 2029 and Hayzon Lumpkin DL 2029, South Pointe – There is no indication the Stallions are going anywhere, anytime soon. South Pointe won its 8th state championship in school history in the 35-14 win over South Florence and a couple of ninth graders are poised to take huge roles next season. Brown came in towards the end of the game and rushed for 32 yards on four carries with a long of 24 yards. He ends his freshman season with 581 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging over eight yards per carry. By the way – he's the younger brother of [player_tooltip player_id='1165128' first='RJ' last='Brown'], who led South Pointe with 193 yards and two touchdowns in the state championship. The younger Brown will take a much larger role next season. Lumpkin recorded one tackle in the championship game. That gives him 27 tackles and 13 tackles for loss on a talented defensive front.   [player_tooltip player_id='1615015' first='Warnell' last='Prew'] LB 2028 and [player_tooltip player_id='1820910' first='Jewel' last='Washington'] 2028 LB, South Florence – With [player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1592462' first='Willie' last='Kennedy'] graduating, Prew and Washington are next in line to be outstanding linebackers for the Bruins. Washington tied for the team lead with seven tackles against South Pointe. That gives him 36 tackles and eight tackles for loss on the season. Prew left Oliver C. Dawson on crutches and getting injured during the game but he still managed three tackles on the afternoon. He finishes his sophomore season with 90 tackles (second on the team), three sacks and three interceptions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1818416' first='Zy' last='Rouse'] QB/DB 2028 and [player_tooltip player_id='1615095' first='Kaden' last='Wigfall'] RB/LB 2028, Strom Thurmond – The Rebels were senior dominated in the skill position areas. They lose their top passer in [player_tooltip player_id='1820528' first='Bri'Shaun' last='Lee'] and their top rusher in [player_tooltip player_id='1820530' first='Deonte' last='Phillips'] so someone must fill those roles in 2026. Rouse seems like the natural selection to take over at quarterback. He saw spot duty this season and is more advanced as a runner than a passer at this point. He ran for 554 yards and 13 touchdowns and only threw five passes on the season. A solid offseason in camps and 7-on-7 events will be beneficial for the sophomore. Wigfall was the second leading rusher with 715 yards, and he did it in about half the number of carries Phillips saw. He is already a solid contributor on defense as he had five tackles in the 26-7 win over Hampton County and finished his sophomore season with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks. He easily could double his yardage total next season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1823003' first='Cleavon' last='Maxwell'] OL/DL 2028 and [player_tooltip player_id='1821711' first='Jayden' last='Frazier'] OL/DL 2028, Hampton County – This is going to be a new look Hurricanes team next season. They lose the production of [player_tooltip player_id='1165165' first='Jaylen' last='Singletary'] (2,632 yards rushing, 47 total touchdowns) and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1644574' first='Tarell' last='Grant'] (956 yards rushing, 666 yards passing) and several other skill position players so they will need to be good along the line of scrimmage. They can turn to Frazier and Maxwell as building blocks. They can play on the offensive line, and both contributed on defense in the title game loss to Strom Thurmond. Maxwell finished with two tackles and Frazier added one. They finished in the top 10 in tackles on the team and with coach Rob Hanna having to retool the skill guys these two will be counted on to carry a larger role next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821952' first='Kareem' last='Dupree'] DB 2028 and [player_tooltip player_id='1595010' first='Taddrick' last='Gibson'] DB 2029, Dutch Fork – The Silver Foxes won their fourth title in a row and 10th in the last 13 seasons, and the expectation is they will be right back in the mix next year. They started this season extremely inexperienced in the secondary with senior [player_tooltip player_id='1734522' first='Mario' last='Anderson'] being the only real experienced player. That will change next season with the return of Dupree and Gibson. Dupree had an impactful state championship game in the 40-20 win over Summerville. He finished with 5.5 tackles but more importantly added two interceptions that he returned for 96 yards. Both picks came off tipped balls, and he showcased excellent return ability in both chances. He finishes the season with 28 tackles and five interceptions. It's rare that Coach Tom Knotts starts a freshman, but Gibson (pictured above) earned that privilege. He finished with 3.5 tackles and played well in coverage against three of the best receivers in the state. His final numbers are 39 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and six pass breakups.    [player_tooltip player_id='1816961' first='Demarcus' last='King'] LB/DE 2028 and [player_tooltip player_id='379092' first='David' last='Hall'] DL 2028, Summerville – When the Green Wave defensive line trotted out on the field the first time Saturday night, the sheer size was the first thing that stood out. Then King and Hall went out and made plays to show that size equated into production. King had 3.5 tackles and a sack, but his most impressive play might have come when he blew past his blocker on a fourth down play and disrupted the play in the backfield to create a turnover on downs. Hall added a tackle and will look to have an expanded role in 2026.

The 2025 Weekend of Champions is behind us, and we turn our attention to the offseason now. But before we do that, we want to look at some of the Class of 2028 and 2029 players that dazzled on the state's biggest stage.