Bouncing Back? Midlands Programs Aiming To Rally In 2026

As spring rolls on, high school football programs throughout South Carolina are preparing for the 2026 season with renewed optimism.   While some aim to maintain the momentum of a successful 2025, others are focused on a fresh start.   In the Midlands, the following eight teams are particularly well-positioned to rebound this fall after finishing last year with losing records.   AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PATRIOTS   American Leadership improved from a winless first season to a two-win campaign in 2025. Now, after a season under Kemper Amick, the Patriots will look to build off the momentum generated from their 2-0 start last fall. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1811040' first='Leonard' last='Pressley'] is a do-it-all player who made an impact all over the field as a junior for ALA, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns while adding four rushing scores and a receiving touchdown. The all-region selection also managed 36 tackles on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1865303' first='Nico' last='Terry'] turned in another impressive two-way season last year after transferring in from Lexington. Expect to see him make plenty of plays as a junior on offense, defense, and special teams. With continuity in the program and talented athletes on both sides of the ball, year three for the Patriots could be their best yet.     AIRPORT EAGLES   Airport suffered through its first winless campaign in 23 years last season as Chris Napier took over for his inaugural year as head coach. The Eagles must improve defensively after allowing 47 points per game in 2025. Fortunately, they return two key seniors in their front seven. [player_tooltip player_id='1819887' first='Justin' last='Conyers'] is one of the top linebackers in the state and lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1781924' first='Jessiah' last='Thompson'] is immensely strong, setting the school record by squatting 715 pounds. Fellow rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1816249' first='Yave' last='Castanedas'] joins Thompson up front, giving the Eagles some much-needed experience in the trenches.     BLYTHEWOOD BENGALS   Blythewood's 4-8 record from last season is somewhat misleading. The Bengals were 3-3 entering October before suffering a four-game losing streak to end the regular season, but bounced back with a 42-23 upset over Clover in the first round of the playoffs. A loss to Dorman ended Blythewood's season, but the Bengals return a lot of talent in 2026. Offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1172352' first='Reed' last='Paolucci'] is one of the state's most powerful interior presences. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1823120' first='Dillon' last='Hutcherson'] notched 66 tackles and seven sacks, while fellow linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1820550' first='Chris' last='Long'] recorded 65 tackles and 10.0 tackles for loss. Safety [player_tooltip player_id='1403282' first='Amari' last='Fisher'] added 60 stops, 7.0 tackles for loss, and six pass breakups. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1426578' first='James' last='Veasey'] accounted for 2,438 total yards and 26 touchdowns last season. All five of those players are seniors, meaning the Bengals should not be lacking for leadership. Add in [player_tooltip player_id='1540721' first='Landyn' last='Strong'] and his 1,081 total yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore at running back, and Blythewood could be trouble this fall.     BROOKLAND-CAYCE BEARCATS   Brookland-Cayce is still looking to recapture the magic of its 2023 run to the Class 3A Lower State championship game. The Bearcats went 3-8 last season after a 4-7 mark in 2024, but improvements should be made in Louis Clyburn's second season at the helm. Having his son back at full strength should certainly help the Bearcats' offense, as [player_tooltip player_id='1809651' first='Max' last='Clyburn'] missed over a third of last season due to injury. [player_tooltip player_id='1360306' first='Bennett' last='Plane'] was impactful on both sides of the ball last year as a junior, catching six touchdowns and making 59 tackles. [player_tooltip player_id='1816473' first='Evan' last='Simmons'] tallied a whopping 136 tackles with 10 tackles for loss from his linebacker position en route to being named an all-region performer. The Bearcats also return an all-region quarterback, as [player_tooltip player_id='1816457' first='Andrew' last='Frick'] (pictured) accounted for 2,576 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore. Frick will have a very capable backfield mate as fellow rising junior [player_tooltip player_id='1816469' first='Avery' last='King'] rushed for 833 yards and caught 31 passes from his running back spot last fall.    CHAPIN EAGLES   The bottom dropped out for Chapin last season as the Eagles followed up back-to-back six-win seasons with their first winless year since 1998. New head coach Cory Helms has a lot of work to do to get the program back on track, but he'll have some pieces to work with. [player_tooltip player_id='1149041' first='Beckham' last='Diimmler'] is healthy once more and can be a huge asset at both wide receiver and kicker. Senior all-region linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1811070' first='Parker' last='Collins'] led the Eagles with 77 stops last season and will be counted on to shore up a defense that surrendered at least 42 points in six different games. Rising junior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1818507' first='Kemp' last='Tisdale'] will be a welcome sight for an offense that managed just 7.5 points per game last fall.     KEENAN RAIDERS   Keenan took a big step back last season, dropping from 8-5 in 2024 to 3-8 in 2025. The Raiders were winless last when they failed to score 28 points and undefeated when hitting the 28-point mark, so running back [player_tooltip player_id='1822187' first='Hunter' last='O'Neal'] will likely be counted on to spark the offense. The all-state running back ran for 1,084 yards and caught 23 passes during his junior season. Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='1603881' first='Darius' last='Dixon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1615103' first='Conrad' last='Hampton'] could be the top tandem in the area. [player_tooltip player_id='1664646' first='Deion' last='Hollis'] played all over the field last season while fighting through injuries, but will likely make his biggest impact this season at wide receiver. [player_tooltip player_id='1818235' first='Jamauri' last='Johnson'] was the Raiders' leading passer and leading receiver last season thanks to some mid-season transfer drama. If the Raiders can stay healthy and get stability at several positions, especially on offense, Keenan could have a much more enjoyable 2026 season.     LAKEWOOD GATORS   The Gators are searching for their first winning season in 12 years and the first priority for incoming  head coach Jerran Devlin will be revamping an offense that was shut out seven times last year. Lakewood's best chance to move the ball might be to follow [player_tooltip player_id='1664627' first='Keytrelle' last='Griffin'] on the offensive line. Griffin is one of the state's largest lineman and possesses frightening power in the trenches. [player_tooltip player_id='1816413' first='Kaden' last='Brown'] will be relying on Griffin's protection as the rising junior is projected to start at quarterback after accounting for over 700 total yards last season.       PELION PANTHERS   Pelion got off to a 4-2 start before finishing 5-6, but the Panthers still put together their most wins in 11 years.  New head coach Matthew Bennett inherits a roster with talented pieces. [player_tooltip player_id='1618829' first='Brady' last='Cottingham'] was a standout linebacker and running back last season for the Panthers, earning all-Region II-2A honors after making 92 tackles and rushing for seven touchdowns. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1820308' first='Alan' last='Moore'] is back for his senior season after throwing for 20 touchdowns and 1,860 yards last year. Leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1818894' first='Tre' last='Jackson'] averaged over 100 yards per game on the ground as a sophomore and ran for nine touchdowns. With a deep offensive backfield, Pelion might have a shot at earning the program's first playoff win since 2020.

As spring rolls on, high school football programs throughout South Carolina are preparing for the 2026 season with renewed optimism.