A salute to the area's prep football programs

 The 2007 high school football season in Marion County has drawn to a close. A number of experienced players have moved on, and it appears that a youth movement has taken place. Take into account, two new head coaches taking the helm in Ron Lanham for the Aucs and Bryan Carfley of the Foxes, the area is reaching new horizons.

The Mullins Auctioneers (3-7) displayed a gritty effort on the season, getting contributions from a number of players making their way from the middle school level to running with the “big boys.” The Mullins coaching staff will be ahead of schedule next season with the return of all of their starters on both sides of the ball, minus a couple of players.

Coach Al Calcutt and the staff  of the Creek Bridge Warriors (1-9) finished the year with a victory, and the program looks immediately towards the future, bringing back the majority of the team. The Warriors are steadily building the program with a talented group of running backs and signal caller given the keys to the offense. It should make for a smooth ride towards being competitive in a tough region.

Region re-alignment will make the road through Class 2A competition a brutal schedule. However, Coach Bryan Carfley and the crew should continue to hold out as the contenders for the crown after two very good seasons. The second place finishers, Marion Swamp Foxes (6-6) were downed in the second round on the road against Manning by a score of 27-13. Marion will miss a number of Seniors, but more than of few players have stepped into the spotlight.

Coach Lon Spivey and the Golden Eagles of Pee Dee Academy (7-4) have produced a solid class of players over the years, and the team has been racking up an average of seven victories. The impact of the team leaders were major, but the remaining players that will return next season are more than capable in adding to the legacy.

The few players that stood out this season is just a small scale of the talented athletes any coach would love to have. A standing ovation goes out to all the participants that wore a uniform, from varsity to small fry. It’s too easy to come up with a team that could crack the top of the prep football polls, but it’s difficult trimming down a roster for the field. 

Offense: Offensively, D.J. Gause of the Foxes has to be one of the most lethal weapons in prep football. The speester was called into the leadership role as a senior and was counted on to make plays anyway possible, starting with the quarterback position.  However the kid was a game breaker at reciever, running back, and as returner on special teams. Seqwan McFarland moved into elite wide receiver status with a remarkable season. Qwan caught 44 passes on the year, resulting in eight touchdowns and over 800-yards. Pee Dee Academy running back Ed Stephens is one of the most physically imposing ball carriers in the game. The bruiser has been awsome during his career, and finished with 1,089-yards and 11 touchdowns. Creek Bridge was led by Senior playmaker Delonta Smith, who plays with heart and determination. Smith is a very good athlete who aided in guiding a very young team and helped cultivate a crew of newcomers that will improve the Warriors program.



Quarterbacks Kyle Drew Eagles, Justin Brock Foxes, Chris Cooper Aucs, Bobby Crawford, D.J. Gause Foxes, Rakeem Williams Warriors.

Receivers Seqwan McFarland Aucs, Greg Platt Aucs, Russ White Foxes, Jarrott Hooks Foxes, Ra Ra Hemingway Foxes, Chas McMillan Eagles, Arnett James Eagles.

Running backs Ed Stephens Eagles, Jacolgan Rowell Foxes, Justin Leggette Aucs, Chris Williamson Aucs, Brian Gilliard Foxes, Kendel Timmons Warriors, Timothy Grant Warriors.

O-Line Aaron Taylor Foxes, Jeremy Davis Foxes, Tyquan Perkins Foxes, Dylan Mincey Eagles, Avery Grant Aucs, Lequone Reaves Aucs, Dreako Young Warriors.

Defense: The area is filled with defensive players that are versatile and fast. Arnett James Jr. anchored a solid frontline at Pee Dee Academy, and it was credited to his dedication to working hard during the offseason. "Big Game James" plays in the form of the popular "Hybrid" defender that has an impact at linebacker or on the defensive line, which was evident in his 47 tackles on the year. However, James is one of the better receivers at the tight end position, scoring pratically everytime the ball was thrown his way, averaging over 20-yards per catch. Freshman defensive end, Charles Green has a bright future ahead leading the Creek Bridge defense. Well over six feet tall, Green has the size and fearless attitude like a young "Mean Joe Green." Swamp Fox linebacker Carlton Brown is arguably the best defensive player in the region. It's criminal that he isn't representing the state as an all-star at his position. The defensive philosophy of the Foxes allowed the core to make plays, and Brown did just that with 97-tackles on the year with two interceptions. Teammate Brian Gilliard added 105-tackles to form a solid crew of defenders. Add Deonte Johnson to the mix, and bringing down oppenents would be the least of your troubles. Freshman cornerback Jeremiah Reaves was as good as advertised. The shutdown corner led the Auctioneers with six interceptions and will continue to improve if dedicated to the cause during the offseason. Sophmore defensive lineman Keyon Rogers is another young Auctioneer who is turning heads. Rogers is aggressive and has a nose for the football. His play will be counted on heavily in the future with "tackling machine" Bennie Anderson.

Defensive Line T.J. Jordan Eagles, Arnett James Eagles, Charles Green Warriors, Michael Cross Warriors, Akil Sanders Foxes, Jimmy Sanders Eagles, Mark Gunter Foxes, James Graves Foxes, Julian Sharpe Aucs, Keyon Rogers Aucs, Donnie Washington Aucs, Quinton Washington Foxes.

Linebackers Carlton Brown Foxes, Brian Gilliard Foxes, Deonte Johnson Foxes, Bennie Anderson Aucs, Timmy Johnson Aucs, Zach Smalls Eagles, DeEric Davis Warriors, Lawrence Grant Foxes Zamario Cooper Warriors.

Defensive Backs Jeremiah Reaves Aucs, Jamal Young Aucs, Jeremy Leggette Aucs, Josh Clark Foxes, Kendrick Owens Foxes, Kirk Coleman Eagles, Charlie Fincannon Eagles, and Delonta Smith Warriors.

Before closing I'd like to tip my hat to one of my favorite teams, the Dillon Wildcats. In my opinion those kids are champions and one of the best football teams in South Carolina. For the Nasty Cats to handle their business during the regular season(9-1, outscoring the opposition, 306-36) but still get the tough draw of traveling to face the Cheraw Braves, you're looking at an uphill battle from the start. However I take nothing away from the defending champions, making their fourth consecutive appearance, home has been good to them. I have to make room for Travis Murphy, Damien Sowells, Jonathan "Jay" Wright, Dionte Hargrove, Fred Ladson, Adrian McCollum, Quinn McCollum, Quad Roberts, L'Twane Thompson, Roderick Jackson, Ghiamo Bethea, Chris German, Daniel Johnson, Jamil Townsend, Ira Owens, Tyshawn Bruce, Jamaal Davis, Terrence Davis, and Dwan"Devin Hester" Byas. Yeah, I know that's a lot of room, but my team is deep like that, and there's a few names I missed, but I'm proud of all of them.