In head coach Mark Sorrow’s first year leading the Dixie Hornets, he was faced with tons of adversity. A first year head coach, limited bodies and private school powerhouses Christ Church, St. Joseph’s and Southside Christian on the schedule left the Hornets feeling like underdogs heading into the 2023 season.
Despite these challenges, the Hornets impressed during the 2023 season, proving that the future is even brighter for 2024.
“I’m extremely excited for the season to start,” said Sorrow. “The kids have done a terrific job all summer and have really impressed me.”
An exciting addition to the Hornet football program is a new athletic facility, which includes a new weight room and locker room. This a huge step up from last season, where the Hornets had to borrow Erskine’s weight room while theirs was still under construction. According to Sorrow, the upgraded weight room will be a huge help.
“We’ve been able to put a lot more into weight lifting,” said Sorrow. “It’s been good to get another semester with the new facility under our belt, and I definitely feel like we’ve gotten stronger.”
Perhaps the biggest questions mark for Dixie heading into the 2024 is the quarterback position. In 2023, junior Staylon Johnson ran point for the Hornets and impressed at times. However, with a new face at the position in junior Dallas Dotson, the battle to be the commander of the offense is starting to heat up.
Dotson took the majority of first team reps during the summer, with Johnson taking reps at halfback and wide receiver. When you ask their head coach, the decision won’t be made right now, but whoever doesn’t win the starting job will find themselves on the field anyway.
“We’ve got two guys who are more than capable of handling the job, but we won’t make that decision until we get a few more weeks in pads,” said Sorrow. “Whoever doesn’t win the starting job will definitely find themselves playing somewhere on the field.”
Whether it’s Dotson or Johnson under center for the Hornets this season, one thing that is for sure is that Brandon Nance will be returning in the backfield. Nance, a Corey Carter Most Outstanding Player semi-finalist in 2023, tallied over 1,000 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns last season. According to Sorrow, his role will only grow larger as he continues to develop.
“He’s got to bring it everyday, especially with Austin (Wilson) gone,” said Sorrow. “He was a great player and leader as a sophomore and I’m sure we’ll get more of that this year.”
Schedule Prediction:
With Christ Church, St. Joseph’s and Southside Christian out of their region, the gates are wide open for Dixie. The Hornets are more than capable of sweeping their nonregion slate, even with the departure of senior Thomas Ferguson. In region play, with the exception of Abbeville, the Hornets match up well with all of their opponents. Overall, it should be an exciting year for football in Due West, with only more to be excited for in the future.
Final record: 8-2, second in Region 1-1A and loss in the second round of the playoffs.
| 8/23 – Week 0 | Ridge Spring-Monetta |
| 8/30- Week 1 | Fox Creek |
| 9/6 – Week 2 | @ Southside |
| 9/13 – Week 3 | BYE |
| 9/20 – Week 4 | @ Anderson Cavaliers |
| 9/27 – Week 5 | @ Towns County |
| 10/4 – Week 6 | Calhoun Falls |
| 10/11 – Week 7 | @ Whitmire |
| 10/18 – Week 8 | Ware Shoals |
| 10/25 – Week 9 | Abbeville |
| 11/1 – Week 10 | @ McCormick |