When Leroy Collier first took the reigns of the McCormick football program, he was dealt a hand of freakishly athletic talent. The vast majority of those players, however, were members of the class of 2024. Their departure leaves Coach Collier and the Chiefs with big holes to fill on both sides of the ball.
Starting quarterback and defensive back Markese Stevens will be a major piece of the plan to fill those holes. Stevens threw for over 700 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense in addition to four interceptions on the defensive side, all while missing significant time due to injury in 2023. According to Collier, Stevens’ impact will not only be felt on the field, but also off the field..
“He’s more of a leader this season than ever before,” said Collier. “He’s got the keys to the bus now, and he knows and understands that.”
One player can’t do it all, however, and with a team that only contains three seniors, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the Chiefs in 2024.
How do you respond to that? If you ask Collier, then you schedule the toughest Class A schedule in South Carolina.
“There’s a lot of guys that we have to replace,” said Collier. “I know what my guys are capable of, and we’re going to use that as the point of attack.”
The first test the Chiefs will face is the Strom Thurmond Rebels, a school very familiar to Collier, as well as members of his coaching staff, including Kevin Jones and Vernon Miller, all of whom were members of the 2005 Rebel squad that took home the Class AAA state championship.
It’s the first time that the two foes will face off against each other in football and, according to Collier, the game is all about the community.
“I have a lot of friends and history in Johnston,” said Collier. “I think it will be brilliant for the community for this game to happen for the first time.”
Key returners aside from Stevens include juniors Quantrell Hearst and Toquan Thompson, and senior Andre Bost, all of whom will be playing both sides of the ball. When you ask Collier, his returners will have to learn to play as a unit in order to succeed.
“We’re going to have to play as a unit, play good defense, and hydrate,” said Collier. “It’s going to take every single one of us to get things done.”
Schedule Prediction:
As stated previously, the Chiefs have a very tough schedule on their hands. Apart from the matchup against Strom Thurmond, the Chiefs have to take on cross-river rivals Lincoln County and Washington Wilkes as well as Fox Creek, a team the Chiefs fell to last year. That’s all before region play, where they will have powerhouse Abbeville and an improved Dixie squad waiting for them. Overall, the Chiefs have a very young, promising team. However, with the schedule that lies before them, the stars just aren’t going to align for the Chiefs just yet.
Final record: 3-8, first round playoff exit.
| 8/23 – Week 0 | vs. Strom Thurmond |
| 8/30 – Week 1 | vs. Lincoln County |
| 9/6 – Week 2 | @ Washington-Wilkes |
| 9/13 – Week 3 | @ Fox Creek |
| 9/20 – Week 4 | @ Edisto |
| 9/27 – Week 5 | BYE |
| 10/4 – Week 6 | vs. Abbeville |
| 10/11 – Week 7 | @ Ware Shoals |
| 10/18 – Week 8 | vs. Calhoun Falls |
| 10/25 – Week 9 | @ Whitmire |
| 11/1 – Week 10 | vs. Dixie |