Biggest Offseason Storylines in Class 2A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As more teams were shifted downward in the next realignment cycle, we found a confluence of the old guard and new parked in Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending state champs are still there, as are some of the most productive squads who fell short of the ultimate goal last fall. But so, too, are a number of Class 3A programs who dropped down after progressing to at least the third round of the playoffs in that division last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Add it all together, and the coming six months at this level are going to be quite telling. Yes, before we even get to August and the lights and whistles getting brighter and louder again, we're going to get a good indication of what Class 2A will look like in 2026.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>What Does Strom Thurmond Need to Run It Back?</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Winning back-to-back titles is a rarity. The Dutch Forks and Oceanside Collegiate's of the world simply aren't common.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, for Strom Thurmond, development over the next several months is of the utmost importance after the Rebels graduated many of the names responsible for their 2025 championship run. The biggest impact will be felt at quarterback - where <strong>Brishaun Lee</strong> leaves a sizable hole after throwing for 1,900 yards and 21 touchdowns - tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820530' first='Deonte' last='Phillips']</strong> (1,203 yards, 25 touchdowns) and a trio of senior offensive linemen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thurmond will likely turn to <strong>Bennie Mobley</strong> and <strong>Taylor Culpepper</strong> to complement established starter <strong>Hezekiah East</strong> and some others who saw plenty of field time up front. We also see bigger roles for skill guys like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1818416' first='Zy' last='Rouse']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1615095' first='Kaden' last='Wigfall']</strong> in a variety of spots that put the ball in their hands, as well as <strong>Wytravyvious Dugar</strong> after he had a stellar 2025.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The early signs are this defense might need some time to produce some of its results from last fall, but if the offense catches back up in a hurry the shock-and-awe effect the Rebels laid on some teams during the title campaign could repeat themselves.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>What's Next for Former 3A Contenders Now in 2A?</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A trio of Class 3A power schools all made the drop down a class, and each of the three have the look of squads that would do some damage. Dillon, Woodruff, Mountain View Prep and Newberry all fell to 2A after making the third round of the playoffs in the higher division in November.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For each of them, we've pinpointed two players - one established star and a player who will need to rise quickly - we'd love to see that next stage from this offseason. In short, both will need to make the most of the offseason.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mountain View Prep quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1654910' first='Makorean' last='Anderson-Wallington']</strong> burst onto the scene in 2025 when he threw for 2,700 yards and 31 touchdowns while rushing for another 1,1033 and 20. Clearly he was the focal point of an offense, but what <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth']</strong> did can't be ignored, and now his 1,019 yards and 13 touchdowns need to be compensated for as much as possible. Enter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672912' first='Chase' last='Richards']</strong> (19 receptions, 436 yards, four touchdowns). This offseason, those two forming a deeper bond that could lead Richards to being another 1,000-yard receiver.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dillon already knows it has a top-flight quarterback in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595007' first='Khayel' last='Sam Fong-Talia']</strong> (2,315 yards passing, 25 touchdowns; 231 and four on the ground). But how he adjusts to not having his favorite target from last season will be huge for him individually. The biggest thing we're looking at isn't the receivers looking to soak up those targets, but rather backup tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1823085' first='Noah' last='Singletary']</strong> taking the reins next to Fong-Talia in the backfield. Singletary ran for 418 yards and seven scores as a junior. He did that while leading the team's top four ball carriers with 8.7 yards per carry.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newberry is going through some changes on offense, but what we're most focused on is just how much further <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1771838' first='Kaden' last='Goff']</strong> can go this offseason. The linebacker served in a notable role alongside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267311' first='Julian' last='Senn']</strong> as a sophomore, but now he's going to be asked to be the guy on that side of the ball. On the other, the same goes for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672927' first='Ty' last='Abrams']</strong> after he nearly rushed for 700 yards prior to breaking a bone in his hand in early October. Abrams is already well on his way to a full recovery, and as soon as his baseball season lightens up he should be another focal point in 2026.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woodruff's tailback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036753' first='Aiden' last='Gibson']</strong> is going to be one of the most recruited players in the state this spring, and no one is shy about saying it. He's got some serious size and has the experience to match. How will he respond to his final offseason of high school ball? That's maybe the most important question for the Wolverines this spring. The second might be how quickly offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672844' first='Ian' last='Jones']</strong> can good from very good to great. He has been trending upward for months, and if becomes downright dominant this spring, it should continue well into the fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>What About Those Sticking in 2A?&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two existing Class 2A programs are giving us plenty of pause to not jump ahead too much to those who dropped down or already possess the most recently state title in the division.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821540' first='Hayes' last='Goddard']</strong> to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822035' first='Ashton' last='Kellermann']</strong> to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1816415' first='Diavante' last='Irving']</strong> to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1817756' first='Nate' last='Elsey']</strong> to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1271262' first='Alex' last='Tchoryk']</strong> Philip Simmons has plenty of star power and more than enough ability to compete for a crown of its own this fall. Before all the Iron Horses get to that first kickoff, though, they're going to have to navigate some expectations of their own while figuring out how to get over the proverbial hump. Philip Simmons has three consecutive seasons of 10 wins, but it hasn't reached a Lower State championship game in that span. The program is on a short list of those we believe could do just that this fall, but we're also curious how much some of those stars have an ability to take over in tight games. We might just see that fire during the Carolinas Coaches Combines or the full-pad spring sessions in May.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And while Chester is losing a ton to graduations (and will have a new head coach), the Cyclones have been an intriguing team each offseason because of players seemingly coming out of nowhere within the program. Two-way star <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603999' first='Caleb' last='Feaster']</strong> has been a one-player wrecking crew at times on offense and defense. He ran for just shy of 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns while also putting up seven tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles from the secondary. We mention him first because the new staff is going to have an instant build around him. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822773' first='Varr' last='Thompson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603965' first='Luke' last='Reed']</strong> are going to have the ability to be dynamic on the defense line. <strong>Jokobe Starks-Wright</strong> is much more than a stand-in back in the secondary. Those four are reason enough to believe a team that was a win away from an Upper State title game berth in the fall couldn't be right there again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Which Dark Horses Could Rise Quickly?&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To go from good to great is exactly what three programs in particular are on the cusp of doing with a few right breaks over the coming months.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We start at Southside Christian, which dropped back down to Class 2A with a returning lineup of players hoping to feast at the lower level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604061' first='Nigel' last='Rock']</strong> (defensive end, pictured), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1817908' first='Max' last='Breit']</strong> (quarterback), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822144' first='Richie' last='Maxwell']</strong> (linebacker), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2082969' first='Aaron' last='Gilliam']</strong> (defensive back/receiver), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1822142' first='Noah' last='Cisneros']</strong> (linebacker) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1819583' first='Cole' last='Brancati']</strong> (linebacker) collectively headed into the offseason with a head of steam. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The same goes for Marlboro County, which was dispatched by Oceanside Collegiate in the Class 3A playoffs last fall but then got a boost from a successful realignment appeal to drop to Class 2A. Offensive standouts <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='776240' first='Tre' last='Blakeney']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1816916' first='Khrishawn' last='Smith']</strong> will be joined by defensive stars <strong>Myjae McCoy</strong> and and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821221' first='Layton' last='Chavis']</strong> - a pair of linebackers who have top-notch ability. We haven't even mention one of the best defensive lines in the state. If <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='905534' first='Jaden' last='Ashe']</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='651061' first='Patrick' last='Williams']</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='1422580' first='Kaiden' last='Walton'] show up to the combines and take over, it could be a sign of things to come this fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crescent wasn't a team many were expecting a ton from in 2025, but we saw the growth and take into account that two of the Tigers' four losses came against Mountain View Prep; the second game was an all-timer 50-49 loss in the second round. How Crescent jumps ahead in line this time around begins with quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603963' first='Mason' last='Evans']</strong> this offseason. After going for north of 2,600 total passing/rushing yards as a junior, Evans' ability to take over as a leader will be of the utmost importance this offseason. If players like <strong>PJ Deveaux</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1817636' first='Nyleek' last='Geer-Harrison']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604055' first='Hunter' last='Dale']</strong> take that leap with him, the Tigers instantly join that short list.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->