Brett Burnett, Airport-The third year starter at quaterback gets one last opportunity to have a major impact on the Airport Eagles. With experienced options at wide receiver and dependable options at running back, the potential is there for Burnett to sustain the Eagles’ current level of success.

 

Patrick McClure, Ben Lippen It feels like the pieces are in place for Ben Lippen to make some noise. It begins with Patrick McClure, who passed for 2,500 yards in his first season as the Falcons’ starting quarterback. With experienced receivers and a dependable running back, and if Byrce Thompson stays healthy which was an issue for Ben Lippen running backs in 2015, McClure won’t have to carry the offense by himself.

 

Jay Washington

 

Reed Charpia, Brookland- Cayce-The young Brookland Cayce quarterback led the Bearcats to their first playoff win in over a decade. While he only has a couple of starts under his belt, there is plenty of optimism about Charpia running the Brookland-Cayce offense. It certainly helps his coach is the father, and he has been around the offensive game plan his entire life. He will have to work on chemistry with some new receivers, but an experienced rushing attack should help.

 

Cam Tringali, Cardinal Newman- Tringali begins year two in head coach Doug Dutton’s system. There is plenty of hope year two goes better for the offense than year one. There are questions at running back and concern at wide receiver after the Cardinals threw for only 53.7 yards per game in 2015. Tringali will be looked on to provide leadership to the offense. With the ablity to move the ball with either his arm or feet, Tringali may have as big an impact for his team’s offense as anyone in the Midlands.

 

Lucas Prickett

 

Jay Washington, Dreher-One of the biggest concerns for Dreher coach Treigh Sullivan entering the 2015 season was finding a running back to replace Lorenzo Ward Jr. To say he found a capable replacement would be an understatement. In his first season as starter, Jay Washington ran for 1,500 yards. Washington will do so with an athletic but mostly inexperienced offensive line. However, Washington’s experience should pay off in 2016.

 

Lucas Prickett and Jack Theodore, Hammond- Not that coach Erik Kimrey has had any shortage of capable receivers, but the 2016 wide receiving unit for Hammond may be the best the Skyhawks have had since Kimrey has been coach. Prickett is 6’5” and can stretch the field. He may have the best hands on the team. On the other side of the field is Jack Theodore. While not as tall as Prickett, Theodore, 6’1”, is a playmaker. Kimrey will have to make it a point to get the ball in his hands at least 10 to 15 times a game.

 

Brandon McCullough

 

Brandon McCullough, Heathwood Hall-Bright spots were hard to come by when looking at the 2015 Heathwood Hall campaign. Brandon McCullough was one of them, rushing for 643 yards. He will help absorb the loss of Brandon Hill. He is even more valuable to the Highlanders because they are breaking in a new quarterback, former wide receiver Duffy Beal. McCullough won’t be asked to carry the load by himself. Reagan Olsen will provide a good 1-2 punch in the Heathwood Hall rushing attack. Aloysius Jackson, Richland Northeast-The first year starting quarterback was able to get Richland Northeast six wins, the most wins by the Cavaliers since 2012. Now in a new region, with South Pointe, York, and Westwood, an experienced quarterback will be a welcomed commodity for coach Jay Frye. With the 2015 leading rusher returning and an improving wide receiving corp, Richland Northeast’s offense should be a strength for the team in 2016. Terrell Jackson, Spring Valley After losing leading rusher Ty’Juan Fulton to graduation, Terrell Jackson will be called upon to help fill the shoes of the 1,205 yard rusher from 2015. His position is especially important because of Spring Valley’s triple option offense, a new quarterback, and a young offensive line. A shifty, low to the ground runner, Jackson may have to use all of his skills early to gain some tough yards.

 

Terrell Jackson

 

Lane Botkin, A.C. Flora- The A.C. Flora defense is not lacking in experience, but Lane Botkin is one of the few remaining players who played in the Upper State Championship game two years ago for the Falcons. He is a leader on the team and will be valuable in the secondary especially considering Garrett Whetstone just moved to the secondary during the spring, and Matt Jamison and Quincy Riley lack experience.

 

 

Keyron Richardson, Airport A senior cornerback on possibly the best unit on the Airport roster, Keyron Richardson is a shutdown cornerback for the Eagles. He, along with C.J. Wright and Anthony Calhoun, will look to improve a defense that gave up 339.9 yards per game in

 

Wills Chase, Ben Lippen- Linebacker will be a key position for Ben Lippen in 2016 as the Falcons run a 3-5-3 defense. Along with Tyler Estridge, Wills Chase brings experience and talent. Both will have to be leaders in the huddle as fellow linebackers Chase Gray, Seth Hester, and Kempton Meetzs get up to speed.

 

Tay Pringle, Brookland- Cayce- Tay Pringle has made an impact on both sides of the ball for Brookland Cayce. The senior defensive tackle will look to end his Bearcat career on a high note as a leader for a unit which only gave up an average of 288.9 yards per game. He is part of an experienced defensive line. A big, powerful guy, Pringle will be a handful for opposing offenses. He has also made an impact in the Brookland- Cayce running game as well. Shane O’Connor, Cardinal Newman- The Cardinal Newman defense turned in a pretty good performance last season, allowing only 270 yards per game. One of the stars of the defense, Shane O’Connor, will look to build off a stellar season as the Cardinals enter year two under coach Doug Dutton. O’Connor is the bell cow for one of the strongest units on the Cardinal Newman team. Anthony Salters, Dreher- A two way player for Dreher, Anthony Salters excels in the Blue Devil secondary. A shutdown corner entering his third season for Dreher, Salters’ best performance may have come during his sophomore season when he shut down Lower Richland star Larry Collins. He will team up with Tyren Rush, who also has plenty of experience, to form one of the best cornerback tandems in the Midlands. Michael Ogburu, Hammond The Hammond defense turned in one of the best overall performances in high school football last season. The Skyhawks allowed only 169.6 yards and 6.9 points per game. They gave up double digit point totals in only two games. One of the emerging stars on the Hammond defense is Michael Ogburu. Despite only entering his third year playing football, Ogburu is a fast player with plenty of potential. Griffin Harden, Heathwood Hall-The linebacking unit for Heathwood Hall is probably the strongest on the team. Griffin Harden is the leader of the group. Coming off a season-ending injury in 2015, Harden will look to make up for lost time in 2016. With an inexperienced defensive line, Harden, along with his fellow linebackers, will have to provide leadership and increase production on the field. Tim Gibson, Richland Northeast-While T.J. Brunson received most of the headlines for Richland Northeast, Tim Gibson quietly put together a better season statistically. He had more tackles for loss and sacks than Brunson. Now with the former Cavalier star playing for the University of South Carolina, Gibson will step into the role left by Brunson in hopes of building off a stellar 2015 campaign. Paul Stokes and Myles Taylor, Spring Valley- Paul Stokes leads one of the best linebacking corps Spring Valley has had since head coach Robin Bacon has been with the Vikings. His production could be impacted greatly by the performance of Myles Taylor. The mammoth defensive tackle will likely take on plenty of double teams, allowing Stokes, along with the other Spring Valley linebackers, to roam around and make plays.