2026 Preview: AC Flora Falcons

A new era begins for AC Flora's football program following a highly successful run over the last several years, but the Falcons who have been around for all that winning don't intend for anything to change just because they have a new head coach.   Willie Offord has taken over the program following an 11-2 season and trip to the Class 4A quarterfinals, and despite the loss of several high-profile seniors the returning Falcons are ready to leave their mark.   "We've been just growing with the new group," H-back [player_tooltip player_id='1822543' first='Mac' last='Hughey'] said at last week's Prep RedZone Media Days at Westwood. "Everybody's been showing up, and we've been getting better together."   Gone are a handful of All-State performers, some to graduation and another to transfer, but there's still plenty of returning talent from a team that lost only to 4A state champion South Pointe a year ago.   Quarterback is a big question mark following the graduation of one of the program's most prolific passers, and the Falcons will turn to [player_tooltip player_id='1821802' first='Riggs' last='Scott'] and Lower Richland transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1821292' first='Gerald' last='Gibson'] to find their next starting signal caller. Whoever it is, he'll have a proven weapon lining up next to him in the backfield in the form of returning leading rusher [player_tooltip player_id='2083700' first='Jaylin' last='Simmons'] and/or Ben Lipper transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1817082' first='Zion' last='Gaddist'] to tote the rock.   There's also the matter of replacing multiple all-state receivers, and AC Flora has a trio of rising juniors in [player_tooltip player_id='1821682' first='Demarquis' last='Johnson'] [player_tooltip player_id='1825156' first='Logan' last='Price'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1672851' first='Ziggy' last='Offord'] ready to give that a shot. Hughey returns at H-back, and Cayden Brown is back after an All-Region season to lead the offensive line which will also include seniors Caid Snyder, Isaiah Currie and Jack Long plus [player_tooltip player_id='1823904' first='Maurice' last='Horry'] from Lower Richland.   Brown and Horry will man the middle of the defensive line, with [player_tooltip player_id='1821291' first='Brennen' last='Williams'] back to join them after a monster season with a couple of new Division I offers under his belt. The Falcons bring back three productive rising senior linebackers with [player_tooltip player_id='1603712' first='Jordan' last='Davis'] in the middle and [player_tooltip player_id='1819887' first='Justin' last='Conyers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2163707' first='Brannon' last='Williams'] on the outside, and the secondary has a combination of new and experienced talent. [player_tooltip player_id='1821682' first='Demarquis' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1672851' first='Ziggy' last='Offord'] are the corners, with [player_tooltip player_id='1328136' first='Josiah' last='Morris'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1050738' first='Larry' last='Pickett'] back at safety.   That's an awful lot of talent still to work with for Willie Offord, and plenty of reason to think A.C. Flora should still be one of 4A's top contenders.   "We just trust the process, go with it, stack days and learn from everything (Offord's) got to teach us," Brown said. "He played college and NFL so everything he's telling us, you've just got to take it and learn."   Accountability and attention to detail have been the early hallmarks of this new era, which has stood out to the returning players who followed a lot of the same principles on their way to a lot of wins.   "His intensity when we practice, his attitude, how he stays on us about the small things," [player_tooltip player_id='1821291' first='Brennen' last='Williams'] said.   SCHSL realignment kept AC Flora in 4A, albeit in a more local region than before. Dreher, Lancaster and Richland Northeast remain on the league schedule, while Lugoff-Elgin and Westwood will be new opponents in the new Region IV-4A. The Falcons open the season Aug. 21 at home against White Knoll.   STARS SET TO SHINE   Cayden Brown OL/DL, 2027 - Brown's a two-way starter, manning right guard and defensive tackle spots. In both cases, he's looking to hit you. He was an All-Region III-4A offensive lineman last year, and on defense he had five tackles for loss and two sacks.   [player_tooltip player_id='1603712' first='Jordan' last='Davis'] LB, 2027 -Davis finished fifth on the team last year in tackles with 79 total stops and had 12 tackles for loss with four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.   [player_tooltip player_id='2083700' first='Jaylin' last='Simmons'] RB, 2027 - Simmons led the rushing attack last year as a junior, carrying the ball 154 times for 1,237 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 12 catches for 118 yards and another score.   [player_tooltip player_id='1821291' first='Brennen' last='Williams'] DL, 2027 (pictured) - Williams finished his junior season with 88 total tackles and a whopping 34 tackles for loss, which led the team. He also recorded 12 sacks and another 38 QB hurries.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1821682' first='Demarquis' last='Johnson'] WR/DB, 2027 - We love when a skill position player's highlight reel starts with a play on special teams, and that's exactly what we have here. That's how you crack a starting lineup, and that's how you position yourself to lock down a spot for as long as you want it. Johnson does a good job of keeping receivers in front of him, and with his combination of quickness and vision the deep ball is more likely to end up in his hands than the receiver's. Most of his work was done at defensive back last year and that will continue, but we don't have any doubts about his ability to fill one of those wide receiver vacancies without there being much, if any, drop-off.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Roper Wentzky QB - It's never easy to replace one of the state's top passers, and Wentzky went out with a bang by throwing for 2,877 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way to Class 4A All-State honors.   Charlie Scott WR - Scott was Wentzky's most well-traveled target, pulling in 34 catches for 731 yards and seven touchdowns while joining his quarterback on the All-State team.   UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   [player_tooltip player_id='1050738' first='Larry' last='Pickett'] DB, 2028 -Pickett saw plenty of quality snaps as a sophomore, and he cashed in for 55 total tackles with an interception and a forced fumble.   [player_tooltip player_id='1825156' first='Logan' last='Price'] WR, 2028 - Price appeared in three games as a sophomore, and with four of the Falcons' top five receivers lost to graduation he's in line for a huge increase in workload.    Speaking of filling a void, how about adding a player who already has a proven track record yet still may be only getting started on maximizing his potential? The younger Offord was a two-time All-Region selection at Lakewood, and now he's stepping into a locker room where the drive to improve will be even higher.   He has measurables that can't be taught, he's shown he can get the job done, and now he has the numbers and success at one of the state's best programs to chase after. This could be a massive season for Offord, and the best still may be yet to come.

A new era begins for AC Flora's football program following a highly successful run over the last several years, but the Falcons who have been around for all that winning don't intend for anything to change just because they have a new head coach.

Willie Offord has taken over the program following an 11-2 season and trip to the Class 4A quarterfinals, and despite the loss of several high-profile seniors the returning Falcons are ready to leave their mark.

"We've been just growing with the new group," H-back Mac Hughey Mac Hughey 6'2" AC Flora | 2027 SC said at last week's Prep RedZone Media Days at Westwood. "Everybody's been showing up, and we've been getting better together."

Gone are a handful of All-State performers, some to graduation and another to transfer, but there's still plenty of returning talent from a team that lost only to 4A state champion South Pointe a year ago.

Quarterback is a big question mark following the graduation of one of the program's most prolific passers, and the Falcons will turn to Riggs Scott Riggs Scott 5'10" | 170 lbs | QB AC Flora | 2028 SC and Lower Richland transfer Gerald Gibson Gerald Gibson 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB AC Flora | 2027 SC to find their next starting signal caller. Whoever it is, he'll have a proven weapon lining up next to him in the backfield in the form of returning leading rusher Jaylin Simmons Jaylin Simmons 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB AC Flora | 2027 State SC and/or Ben Lipper transfer Zion Gaddist Zion Gaddist 5'9" Ben Lippen | 2027 SC to tote the rock.

There's also the matter of replacing multiple all-state receivers, and AC Flora has a trio of rising juniors in Demarquis Johnson Demarquis Johnson 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB AC Flora | 2027 State SC Logan Price Logan Price AC Flora | 2028 SC and Ziggy Offord Ziggy Offord 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB/WR AC Flora | 2028 State SC ready to give that a shot. Hughey returns at H-back, and Cayden Brown is back after an All-Region season to lead the offensive line which will also include seniors Caid Snyder, Isaiah Currie and Jack Long plus Maurice Horry Maurice Horry 5'10" | 300 lbs | DL/OL AC Flora | 2027 State SC from Lower Richland.

That's an awful lot of talent still to work with for Willie Offord, and plenty of reason to think A.C. Flora should still be one of 4A's top contenders.

"We just trust the process, go with it, stack days and learn from everything (Offord's) got to teach us," Brown said. "He played college and NFL so everything he's telling us, you've just got to take it and learn."

Accountability and attention to detail have been the early hallmarks of this new era, which has stood out to the returning players who followed a lot of the same principles on their way to a lot of wins.

"His intensity when we practice, his attitude, how he stays on us about the small things," Brennen Williams Brennen Williams 6'2" | 280 lbs | DL AC Flora | 2027 State SC said.

SCHSL realignment kept AC Flora in 4A, albeit in a more local region than before. Dreher, Lancaster and Richland Northeast remain on the league schedule, while Lugoff-Elgin and Westwood will be new opponents in the new Region IV-4A. The Falcons open the season Aug. 21 at home against White Knoll.

STARS SET TO SHINE

Cayden Brown OL/DL, 2027 - Brown's a two-way starter, manning right guard and defensive tackle spots. In both cases, he's looking to hit you. He was an All-Region III-4A offensive lineman last year, and on defense he had five tackles for loss and two sacks.

Jordan Davis Jordan Davis 6'2" | 215 lbs | LB AC Flora | 2027 State SC LB, 2027 -Davis finished fifth on the team last year in tackles with 79 total stops and had 12 tackles for loss with four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

Jaylin Simmons Jaylin Simmons 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB AC Flora | 2027 State SC RB, 2027 - Simmons led the rushing attack last year as a junior, carrying the ball 154 times for 1,237 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 12 catches for 118 yards and another score.

Brennen Williams Brennen Williams 6'2" | 280 lbs | DL AC Flora | 2027 State SC DL, 2027 (pictured) - Williams finished his junior season with 88 total tackles and a whopping 34 tackles for loss, which led the team. He also recorded 12 sacks and another 38 QB hurries.

FILM REVIEW

Demarquis Johnson Demarquis Johnson 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB AC Flora | 2027 State SC WR/DB, 2027 - We love when a skill position player's highlight reel starts with a play on special teams, and that's exactly what we have here. That's how you crack a starting lineup, and that's how you position yourself to lock down a spot for as long as you want it. Johnson does a good job of keeping receivers in front of him, and with his combination of quickness and vision the deep ball is more likely to end up in his hands than the receiver's. Most of his work was done at defensive back last year and that will continue, but we don't have any doubts about his ability to fill one of those wide receiver vacancies without there being much, if any, drop-off.

BIGGEST LOSSES

Roper Wentzky QB - It's never easy to replace one of the state's top passers, and Wentzky went out with a bang by throwing for 2,877 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way to Class 4A All-State honors.

Charlie Scott WR - Scott was Wentzky's most well-traveled target, pulling in 34 catches for 731 yards and seven touchdowns while joining his quarterback on the All-State team.

UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL

Larry Pickett Larry Pickett 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB AC Flora | 2028 State SC DB, 2028 -Pickett saw plenty of quality snaps as a sophomore, and he cashed in for 55 total tackles with an interception and a forced fumble.

Logan Price Logan Price AC Flora | 2028 SC WR, 2028 - Price appeared in three games as a sophomore, and with four of the Falcons' top five receivers lost to graduation he's in line for a huge increase in workload.