All the Strom Thurmond Rebels did during 2022 Region III-AA Coach of the Year Andrew Webb’s first season at the helm in the peach fields was win their region and make a deep playoff run, handily defeating Chesnee and Keenan before being knocked out in the quarterfinals by their longtime rivals the Saluda Tigers.
So, what do Webb and the Rebels do for an encore after losing 2022 Upper State Defensive Player of the Year Chase Brightharp, All-State WR/DB Gregory “G” Bryant, and all-region performers Israel Glanton, Tyler Clark and Dallas Hitt to graduation?
Webb and his crew intend to follow up that 2022 season by lifting hardware at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium the weekend after Thanksgiving.
It doesn’t hurt that they return nearly every starter on both sides of the ball. That core of returning starters is led by All-State LB/RB Mike Blocker.
“He doesn’t get all the attention or all the fanfare, but he’s our dog,” Webb said of his senior leader. “He sets the tempo for the rest of the guys.”
Blocker is joined by 2022 Region III-AA Special Teams Player of the Year Nate Nordeen along with 2022 All-Region selections Whitt Miller (LB/S), JuJu Stevens (TE/LB), Tre Clarke (S/WR), Nate Stevens (DL), HD Yonce (OL/DL), and trigger man Quan Edmond.
“(Edmond) understands (the offense) like (the coaches) understand (the offense),” Webb said of his senior signal caller. “We have a lot of confidence in what he can do for us.”
And if that wasn’t enough firepower for Webb’s spread-out offensive style, the Rebels added Tennessee commit and 4-star prospect Braylon Staley and his former Aiken wide receiver stablemate Demarius Tolen to the fold over the summer.
The Rebels open up the 2023 campaign by hosting longtime rival Laney from across the river in Augusta. The Wildcats shut out the Rebels in 2022, 16-0. The Rebels will look to avenge that loss as they begin a nonregion slate that doubles as a tour of the CSRA before diving into the meat of region play where they will face the likes of an improved Silver Bluff squad and an always dangerous Saluda Tiger team led by Webb’s good friend Stewart Young.
2023 Prediction: The Rebels go 8-2 overall, 5-0 in region play to take their second consecutive Region III-AA crown. They avenge their loss last season to Saluda in the playoffs, but eventually lose to perennial AA powerhouse Abbeville in the Upper State Championship.