The Greenwood Jamboree once again sets the scene for the upcoming fall. Last Friday was no different as four household names in the Lakelands squared off at J.W. Babb Stadium, showcasing their squads for the first time in 2023.
The Report Card for each team:
*disclaimer: grades are based on the team’s expectations heading into Friday night.
GREENWOOD EAGLES: def. Ninety-Six 10-7
Graeme: The entire summer was spent in a QB battle for the Eagles, but it’s clear Triston Lewis was able to edge out Chamberlain for the starting job, giving a unique dynamic to the new look Eagles offense. Greenwood did not feed Kaleb Burton as much as they needed to (probably keeping him off film), but the Elijah Wade and Tank Gary RB tandem showed up to play. Braden Mitchell, as expected, was phenomenal, but Michael Holloway was in his face all game. Overall, the Eagles showed great game management to win a high-level football contest, but a few blemishes are holding them back from an A.
Grade: B
Landon: The Eagles seem to have landed on their starting quarterback for this season as Triston Lewis began his high school career under center on Friday. While Lewis still looks very young, he has shown tons of promise and is more than ready to be the starter. While Kaleb Burton was not involved as much, his impact was still felt as he was able to draw defenders away, leaving his teammates open. Elijah Wade was also impressive, showing that he is a more than capable RB2 if Tank Gary were to ever go down. Defensively, Mike Holloway was the MVP for Eagles. Every play, Holloway was causing disruption in the backfield and was the root of the defensive stop that gave Greenwood a chance to kick the game winning field goal. While the Eagles did look impressive in some ways, they still found themselves in a tight 10-7 ballgame with smaller 2A opponent Ninety Six, which drops their grade down slightly.
Grade: B+
NINETY SIX WILDCATS: lost to Greenwood 10-7
Graeme: If you remember last season before the shenanigans of the Greenwood Jamboree, the Wildcats turned a lot of heads with their offense. They are “winners” of the jamboree for the second straight year. Mitchell as a QB is better than advertised (if that’s even possible), along with his favorite targets Evan Adams and Ladarion Waldrop. The Wildcats were very sound and physical up front and are a well coached team all around. The secondary even got a takeaway as Adams reeled in an interception in the 2nd quarter. Ninety-Six came in as the most underrated team, but they should be on everybody’s radar heading into week 0.
Grade: A
Landon: The Wildcats entered Friday’s jamboree as arguably the most underrated team in the Lakelands, and they proved exactly why they should not be underrated much longer. Braden Mitchell showed everyone why he is ranked the #1 quarterback in the Lakelands, and possibly even further than that. New face Evan Adams had as good as a debut as you can have, racking up a touchdown catch and an interception on the defensive end. Ladarion Waldrop also showed flashes of a great senior year with two crucial catches on the sideline. The Wildcats possess a running attack with SIX guys that are more than capable of carrying the ball consistently (seven if you count Braden Mitchell). Defensively, the Wildcats have room to improve. However, being one of the best coached and disciplined teams in the area, I expect those issues to be cleared up soon. Even with the slight issues on defense, Ninety Six still found themselves holding Greenwood to just 10 points in an exciting game where they lost to a game winning field goal.
Grade: A
EMERALD VIKINGS: lost to Abbeville 13-7
Graeme: The Key Holloway led offense isn’t much different from last season. They still struggle with timing on complex routes and have to defer to running the ball to rack up yardage. The Emerald defense did give up one huge touchdown run, but was solid from there on out. Vikings CB, Christian Samuels has had an excellent preseason and continued to shine against a throw-happy Panther team. The Vikings really struggled coming from behind last season and Friday was no different. They were down 13-7 with five minutes remaining on the clock, somehow got TWO offensive drives and failed to reach the red-zone on both occasions. But they did manage to keep the defending AA state-champs in check.
Grade: B
Landon: The Vikings showed a lot of the same last Friday. While Key Holloway is one of the most dynamic rushers at the quarterback position, he’s shown little improvement as far as reading the defense and arm talent from last season. With that being said, the Vikings possess a powerful rushing attack featuring Holloway, Christian Foster, and A.J. Anderson. On the defensive end, the Vikings have two solid corners in Christian Samuels and Keenan Marshall. Christian Foster also made his presence felt on the defensive end. Overall, while the Vikings did not look much different from last season, they showed tons of promise and managed to stay in a close game with Abbeville.
Grade: B
ABBEVILLE PANTHERS: def Emerald 13-7
Graeme: Jay Hill looks like a real QB ready for the bright lights. That’s a great sign for the Panthers. Karson Norman showed out with a 60+ touchdown run on one of the first few plays from scrimmage, but that was really their only show of explosion all night. Damarcus Leach is the real deal, he needs to play nearly every snap for the Panthers this fall. The offense went stagnant in spurts and they were at risk of giving up the lead late by handing the ball to Emerald twice in the final stages. Abbeville is still a really good football team, but they couldn’t put away the Vikings who will struggle to be above .500 this season. I would give the Panthers a B, but their lackluster special teams play will bump them down a notch.
Grade: C+
Landon: After taking over for an injured Zay Rayford last season, Jay Hill looks more than ready to take on the starting quarterback roll in 2023. Per usual, the Panthers have an electric backfield featuring Al Patterson, Karson Norman, and Gavin Calhoun. Norman showed flashes by taking his first touch 60 yards to the end zone. After this play, the Panthers struggled to get the ball rolling on offense until Gavin Calhoun found his way into the end zone to cap off a 13-7 victory over a much less talented Emerald team. Defensively, the Panthers are loaded with star power such as Jae Harris and power 5 prospect Damarcus Leach. However, Abbeville is still looking for that vocal, defensive leader that Antonio Harrison played during his 4 years with the Panthers. Overall, Abbeville will always be Abbeville, however their lack of preparedness and common dominance lands them a grade of a C.
Grade: C