Midlands Receivers Looking To Make An Impact In Week 1

It's here. We begin the season Friday.   We've been talking about these players all offseason and now they get to slip on the pads and dazzle us on the football field for the next three and a half months.   So what does that mean exactly? For the Midlands, it's an opportunity for old stars to shine and new ones to emerge.   We can't think of a better place to begin than a solid crop of wide receivers we think will have an immediate impact. We expect them to last beyond the beginning of the season, but we think it's going to start now and build throughout this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1172363' first='Khristian' last='Jackson'] [player_tooltip player_id='1172370' first='Kanye' last='Reed'] [player_tooltip player_id='1603911' first='Isaiah' last='Small'] Ridge View   The Blazers have arguably the toughest start to the season of any team in the state. Ridge View kicks off the season with three straight games against defending state champions. First up is going to be South Pointe in Rock Hill. Jackson is a returner but he's joined by Reed (pictured above) and Small to give quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='840548' first='Tre' last='Howard'] plenty of offensive firepower to spread the ball around. Reed transferred from Hammond and Small came over from Richland Northeast. These three are tall, fast and display exceptional ball skills. It's going to be fun to watch to see who emerges as the top threat. It's something that might change week to week.     [player_tooltip player_id='1647592' first='Corey' last='Gleaton'] [player_tooltip player_id='1319663' first='Royce' last='Williamson'] [player_tooltip player_id='1672914' first='Carsyn' last='Harris'] Gray Collegiate   The War Eagles are razor thin in depth, but the top end talent is going to be something to watch. Gleaton and Williamson combined for over 90 catches last season and just shy of 2,000 yards a season ago. Add in a speedy and physical threat in Harris and this trio is going to do nothing but help sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1623307' first='Xavier' last='Wright'] continue to be a big-time producer. Gray Collegiate ventures out of state to face Chambers out of North Carolina and these three will give them every opportunity to pull off the victory.   [player_tooltip player_id='1816745' first='Ty'Quarius' last='Shannon'] [player_tooltip player_id='1592935' first='Scott' last='Young'] Fairfield Central   The Griffins open the season on the road against Lower Richland and they're looking to build on the momentum they garnered near the end of last season. Shannon and Young are going to help with that. Shannon averaged over 26 yards per reception last season with 16 touchdowns on 38 catches. The Gardner-Webb verbal commit is a big play waiting to happen. Young was a freshman last season but showed flashes of his potential. This duo is going to be hard to cover and if [player_tooltip player_id='1821811' first='Kamauri' last='Jones'] develops, Fairfield Central will be in the mix in Class A. It starts with a matchup with an athletic LR secondary.   [player_tooltip player_id='1603854' first='Eric' last='Richardson'] [player_tooltip player_id='1610229' first='Keenen' last='Cunningham'] Lugoff-Elgin   We believe the Demons are in prime position to be one of the trendy surprise team picks. One of the reasons for that is Richardson and Cunningham. Richardson has committed to Coastal Carolina and will begin his senior season against an improved Chapin squad. He is going to be used in a variety of ways including some out of the backfield on jet sweeps where he averaged 14.7 yards per carry last season with three 100-yard performances. Richardson had an incredible offseason now he gets to show it on the field. Cunningham is a shifty, reliable second option.     [player_tooltip player_id='1360306' first='Bennett' last='Plane'] [player_tooltip player_id='1816471' first='Mekhi' last='Pringle'] Brookland-Cayce   Plane is more of an athlete than receiver, but we slotted him in here because he's going to need to be an offensive catalyst as well as play defense and special teams. Pringle was the leading receiver a season ago. These two could easily combine to catch 100 passes between them after combining for 66 receptions for right at 1,000 yards last season. [player_tooltip player_id='1816457' first='Andrew' last='Frick'] returns at quarterback so that should help Plane and Pringle come out fast in the season opener against Hammond.   [player_tooltip player_id='1078102' first='Darius' last='Carter'] River Bluff   The Gators are going to welcome Cane Bay to town in a rematch of last season's first round playoff game won by River Bluff. All Carter did in that game was catch six passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns. We've seen Carter several times in his career and he's impressed each time. He's committed to Coastal Carolina and has a chance to go well over 1,000 yards this season. Carter has a coach that played receiver for the Chanticleers so he's got a solid teacher and he's absorbing all he can to become more well-rounded and consistent.      [player_tooltip player_id='1809066' first='Chandler' last='Guthrie'] Gilbert   Guthrie really exploded onto the scene last year and could end up being one of the Indians most explosive offensive threats. In a jamboree last week, Guthrie took a handoff on a jet sweep and scored on a short run. Gilbert will likely find various ways to get the ball into Guthrie's hands.  He's a physical receiver that uses his body well and doesn't shy away from contact. In fact, he thrives the more physically a defense tries to be. The Indians open on the road at Nation Ford.   [player_tooltip player_id='1664646' first='Deion' last='Hollis'] Columbia   Hollis transferred over from Keenan where he split time between receiver and quarterback. The expectation is he's going to be a jack of all trades with the Capitals. He had some injury issues last season but when he's healthy, he's fast, slippery and able to make plays. He can turn a short pass into a long gain but he can also stretch the defense and catch the deep ball when needed. Hollis and Columbia will open against Eau Claire.   [player_tooltip player_id='1720918' first='Keon' last='Mckinley'] Heathwood Hall   Mckinley had a breakout season and helped guide the Highlanders to the state title game in SCISA. He returns after catching 56 passes for 756 yards and three touchdowns. Six other receivers reached double figures in receptions and they have all graduated. That is probably going to mean that Mckinley will be targeted early and often until other receivers emerge. Heathwood Hall will also have a new quarterback as they open the season on the road at Pinewood Prep.     [player_tooltip player_id='2246636' first='Isaiah' last='Smith'] Camden   Smith is one of the most versatile players in this group. He caught 27 passes for 468 yards and four touchdowns and added 497 yards rushing on 30 attempts. If you want to do the math, that's a whopping 16.6 yards per attempt. He runs great routes, catches everything near him and plays more physically than his 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame might indicate. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1354590' first='Greyson' last='Rimpf'] returns after throwing for nearly 2,400 yards last season and the Bulldogs will need all the firepower they can muster since they open the season on the road at Dillon.

It's here. We begin the season Friday.