ORANGEBURG — Ever since former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill took over as coach in 2005, the Chesterfield Rams have gone from somewhat of a ragtag football program to one that is accustomed to winning.
After capturing their first state championship last year, the Rams will have the opportunity to go back-to-back Friday against Carvers Bay.
Chesterfield returned 16 starters from last year’s Class A Division I state championship team, and the Rams have been in championship form since their first scrimmage.
Chesterfield has outscored its opponents 406-78 in 13 games. The Rams’ only loss this season was against Central, which is playing for the Class 2A upper state title Friday.
“We were a dropped two-point conversion away from having an undefeated season,” Taneyhill said. “ ... We’ve had a lot of guys come back and they know what to expect. Come December, if you want to play football at Chesterfield, you’re lifting weights four times a week.
“That’s part of what we’ve done to build this program.”
Taneyhill points to two major reasons for the Rams’ dominant run: their quarterback and their defense.
“Akeem (Johnson) has really played much better this season,” Taneyhill said of his senior QB. “People saw the numbers he had last year and thought he played so well, but he’s really taken it to another level this year.”
Johnson threw 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. This year, he has 38 TDs against six picks.
“Coach Taneyhill makes sure you have the fundamentals down,” Johnson said. “After that, most of the team has been together so long that we pretty much know what the other person is going to do.”
Johnson has thrown for 2,892 yards and the Rams have complemented that with Derrick McQueen’s 1,436 rushing yards.
“It’s kind of pick your poison,” Johnson said. “A lot of teams can stop one thing but not the other. Makes it a lot harder to defend.”
Chesterfield will face a Carvers Bay defense that has thrived on causing havoc for opposing offenses. Carvers Bay has 40 takeaways this season — 25 fumbles, 15 interceptions.
“It’s like most high school football games at this point,” Taneyhill said. “The team that makes the fewest mistakes and capitalizes on the other team’s will probably win the game.”
The Rams have been equally impressive on defense, though, allowing just 99 points this season.
“Our defense is better than it was last year, even though we’ve changed it completely,” Taneyhill said. “We went from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and it’s worked out well this year.”
As in previous years, the Bears will hold a size advantage over the Rams.
“We’ve played a lot of big, physical teams this year like Cheraw and Central,” Taneyhill said. “We’re just going to have to use our quickness and speed to attack the ball carrier and wrap him and make sure they don’t get any big plays.”
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