2026 Preview: Wagener-Salley War Eagles

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Simply head to our subscription page</a>and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.   After a couple of difficult seasons and another coaching change, Wagener-Salley's football program is looking to reclaim its status as a contender.   The War Eagles were there not long ago, winning three region titles between 2018-22, reaching the state semifinals and a No. 1 ranking in Class A in the process.   This current group wasn't a part of any of that, but it's also far from ancient history. Rising seniors on the roster were freshmen when that region title run ended, and many within the program were in the bleachers or lining the fence during the best stretch in program history.   Now they're ready to help restore that glory.   "Revenge tour," do-it-all rising senior [player_tooltip player_id='1822723' first='Zamien' last='Capers'] said during June's Pred RedZone Media Days at Gilbert.   Not much more needed to be said.   The War Eagles went 4-8 last season, bouncing back from a six-game losing streak early in the season to pick up back-to-back Region III-A wins and punch their ticket to the state playoffs, where they knocked off Dixie in the first round before bowing out the next week at Lamar. Still, that doubled their win total from 2024, and now local product E'Mond Brown takes over at head coach after serving as an assistant at Midland Valley.   Brown is far from the only new, yet familiar, face within the program. Wagener-Salley added several high-profile transfers from nearby, and now they will mesh with the War Eagles' seven returning starters and nest full of promising young talent.   "We just have a lot of athletes" [player_tooltip player_id='1519361' first='Kaleb' last='Landy'] said. "That's a strength of ours; we've got athletes. It ain't just a one-man team. We've got a team this year."   The backfield will have a new feel for Wagener-Salley, with Channing Smith in line to play quarterback and Aden Coates and Landy lining up at the running back spots. [player_tooltip player_id='1820214' first='Jaden' last='Collins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1537080' first='Jaden' last='Gilchrist'] return and are slated to hold wide receiver spots along with [player_tooltip player_id='1664511' first='Trenton' last='Summers'] after he, like Landy, transferred over from Hunter-Kinard-Tyler.   Timmothy Priester and [player_tooltip player_id='1816202' first='Kamaury' last='Vice'] are familiar names on the offensive line, with Class of 2030 prospect Cam Williams and Josiah Peay Coates slated to pull double duty on both lines. Fellow youngsters EJ Daniels and KhiMoni Frazier are also in line for starting roles on the defensive line, a position group that's been a strong point at Wagener-Salley for a decade.   Landy and Quinton Raiford will patrol the middle from their linebacker spots, with a deep, talented group of defensive backs with multiple All-Region selections behind them.   The new Region IV-A schedule includes old rivals like Blackville-Hilda (which will also include players from Williston-Elko), Calhoun County and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, plus Barnwell after a move down from Class 2A. Gone from the region slate is Aiken County rival Ridge Spring-Monetta, but that trophy game remains on the schedule the week before league play begins.   It all starts Aug. 21 at Great Falls, with a matchup the following Friday against Branchville to be the first at the War Eagles' new stadium. It's another sign of a new era at Wagener-Salley, and the program's seniors are ready to usher it in the right way.   "We're coming for everything," Summers said. "State, region, everything. We want it."   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1822723' first='Zamien' last='Capers'] DB, 2027 - Capers has been a big-time playmaker for the War Eagles in past seasons, and he has the All-Region credentials to back that up. He's currently slotted into a defensive back spot, but we won't be surprised to see him pick up where he left off as a game-changer on offense.   Aden Coates RB, 2027 - Coates burst onto the scene as a young speedster at Silver Bluff before a family move brought him to First Coast High School in Florida, where he averaged 6.8 yards per carry this past season. Now he's back home in Aiken County to finish out his high school career, and he should see plenty of opportunities to break off big gains.   [player_tooltip player_id='1519361' first='Kaleb' last='Landy'] RB/LB, 2027 (pictured) - Landy had a monster season last year at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, earning Class A All-State and Region III-A Defensive Player of the Year honors. He had a whopping 37 tackles for loss with seven forced fumbles, and he brought that same power and physicality to the other side of the ball at running back. He's slated to hold down the same role at Wagener-Salley, which had similar playmakers in RB/LB spots in its peak seasons.   [player_tooltip player_id='1820214' first='Jaden' last='Collins'] WR, 2027 - Collins makes things happen when the ball is in his hands, and we expect the War Eagles to capitalize on his speed, vision and elusiveness when opponents gear in too much on stopping the run. Last year's Region III-A Specialist of the Year is also a dangerous kick returner who played some tight end and outside linebacker last season, not to mention a four-game stretch at running back during which he averaged 6.8 yards per carry.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1664511' first='Trenton' last='Summers'] WR, 2027 - The biggest thing that jumps out from his film is that Summers defies simple classification in terms of position. He had a big year as a pass-catcher at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, catching 50 balls for 631 yards and 16 touchdowns, and was just as effective running it to the tune of 10.8 yards per attempt and another 13 scores. And that's before we even get into what he can do on defense from one of the safety spots, or what he could do should it become necessary to move him to quarterback. Simply put, he's an explosive playmaker who's a legitimate threat to take it to the house from any position and any angle. Oh, we almost forgot - don't kick it to him, either.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Rayfield Bell DL - The latest great Wagener-Salley defensive lineman, Bell's All-State shoes will be tough to fill for a group with some youngsters up front.   Rayvon Chandler QB - Chandler took a lot of snaps during his time at Wagener-Salley after taking over the quarterback position in 2023, meaning it's time for a new leader to take over under center.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   Amarion Bell DB, 2029 - The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Bell made an impact right away last season for the War Eagles, and he carried that over into basketball season as the team's center. He's got good vision and body control while in the air, which should create serious problems for opposing quarterbacks who float the ball into the Wagener-Salley secondary.   [player_tooltip player_id='2155119' first='Kaiden' last='Washington'] DB, 2028 - Washington already has All-Region III-A credentials to his name, serving primarily as a running back with some time out wide as a receiver on offense while playing most of his snaps on defense at linebacker. He's slated to hold down a defensive back spot this season in a talented secondary, and we expect anyone who decides to take their chances with him to regret it.    Gilchrist gave the War Eagles a spark in a variety of ways last season, from taking option pitches to more traditional handoffs to jet sweeps to catching passes out of the slot to, well, any other way they could find a way to put the ball in his hands.   If the season started today, he'd line up at wide receiver. How that shakes out by August, and October, remains up in the air. Wherever he may be pre-snap, though, we expect a lot more eyeballs to be devoted to him this year.

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. Simply head to our subscription pageand use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.