Greer, Byrnes, Eastside, and Riverside football each competed in scrimmages on Thursday night to give fans a glimpse of the upcoming football season. Brief recaps of each team’s performance are included below.
GREER (scrimmage vs. Gaffney)
The vibe from the Yellow Jackets was one of pleasant surprise, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Facing a stout defense from Gaffney — a team many favor to win the 5-A D2 state title this season — new quarterback Dawson Fowler more than held his own. Fowler made several solid throws into tight windows.
“I thought [Dawson] Fowler was solid,” said Greer head coach Will Young. “The offensive line did a decent job with protection, too.”
That’s no small feat against a massive Gaffney defensive line.
“Our defense flew around as well, but we need to make sure we tackle better,” said Young. “Overall, I thought we saw improvement as the scrimmage went on.”
BYRNES (scrimmage vs. Providence Day)
The Rebels faced a daunting opponent as well to get sharper before the season kicks off. In the McDonald’s Kickoff Classic (held at Woodruff High School) Byrnes took on North Carolina powerhouse school Providence Day.
A high-powered Charger offense proved a tough task for the Rebel defense to manage, but there were flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball.
Byrnes linebacker Mark Owens recovered a fumble in the red zone for the Rebels. Running back Jacobi Fuller was shifty in his breaks, popping off for a 92-yard touchdown run for the Rebels’ only score of the contest. There’s often no catching Fuller once he hits the second level, as the junior back runs a 4.4 and is one of the quickest, shiftiest backs in the state.
Fuller’s backfield partner Tre’ Segarra and wide receiver Choo Harris also made several nice plays throughout the evening.
Byrnes head coach Reggie Shaw said he was proud of the team’s effort against a powerful opponent, but that improvements were needed.
“There was some good and some bad,” said Shaw. “Some positives to take away from tonight, but also a lot of areas to improve. That team we played was one of the better teams we will see all season. I’m proud of the way the guys competed and did not give up.”
EASTSIDE (Scrimmage vs. Laurens, Mauldin, Union County)
The Eagles competed in a four-team scrimmage hosted at Laurens High School on Thursday night. Games were not scored, but head coach Andre Woolcock saw lots of promise in his backfield and offensive line.
“We were able to run the ball really well most of the night behind an experienced offensive line,” said Woolcock. “We have a group of backs that are all hungry and very supportive of each other. All of them did great things for us.”
Woolcock said one area that needs solidifying is the secondary.
“We’ve got to nail down our starters in the secondary, and they must play with hunger and confidence,” he said.
RIVERSIDE (Scrimmage vs. Easley, Pendleton, Seneca)
Riverside got some good work in against three quality sides on Thursday night.
Head coach Matt Rochester said he was proud of the team’s effort.
“I was really pleased about our fight,” Rochester said. “We came out of the gates really hot. As the day went on, we got a little lazy and sloppy, but that’s expected in these early scrimmages.”
Rochester also said he was impressed with the play from his running backs, and that the tackling from the Warriors was fundamental and solid. He added that the team still needs to clean up several areas, and that penalties were a problem all evening long.
