Seniors, Gamecock signee to lead South Pointe football against SC’s best in 2020
A month and a few days ago, under a blazing morning sun, South Pointe football head coach DeVonte Holloman spent a lot of time during a summer workout checking his watch, making sure that his carefully planned, color-coded schedule matched what was happening around him.
At that time, the South Carolina High School League hadn’t adjusted its football schedule, which is now a seven-week season starting Sept. 25. It hadn’t approved wearing helmets in practice, which it has since allowed, or ironed out many other details pertaining to the 2020 season.
“The motto of this year,” Holloman told The Herald through a light blue facial covering as he watched his players motion through sprints that morning, “is to just take it a day at a time.”
That said, despite all of the SCHSL developments in the last month, the South Pointe football team’s outlook on the upcoming season hasn’t changed much since early July. In fact, outside of being able to practice with equipment, hiring a proven assistant coach from Mallard Creek and having a few non-region games canceled because of the truncated season — South Pointe’s 2020 mission hasn’t changed at all, Holloman said in a phone interview Wednesday.
“We’re trying to keep everybody focused and be the best version of us,” Holloman said.
South Pointe’s big game
South Pointe’s seven-game schedule inherently doesn’t have much room for surprises. Four of South Pointe’s first five games of the season are region games, and two of its three allotted non-region contests are against its 5A Rock Hill foes, Northwestern and Rock Hill.
But the last non-region game stands out: Although the SCHSL’s COVID-19 schedule rearrangement prevented South Pointe from a marquee game against Myers Park in September, which would’ve made history as the first game to be played in the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium, the Stallions replaced that game with one against reigning 5A state champion Dutch Fork.
The Silver Foxes have won four straight state championships, similar to how South Pointe did at the 4A level from 2013-17.
“I think we’re excited to play,” Holloman said. “You know, who we play, from my team standpoint, doesn’t matter. We accept all challenges.
“We know Dutch Fork is a great team, with four state championships in a row. Coach (Tom) Knotts is a very proven coach. And while we know that that’s down the road, we’re focused on us right now as we go throughout our season.”
South Pointe looks to replace key 2019 pieces
Last season, the Stallions won their region title but saw their undefeated regular season end in the first round of the state playoffs, the second year in a row they’ve exited early after four straight seasons that produced state championships. They lost to Greer in a game that went to an untimed down.
Over the summer, the team had several leaders graduate, some of whom signed to play football in college, including starting quarterback Tahleek Steele, starting running back Quay Chambers, and Shrine Bowl defensive end Rontarious Aldridge.
But the Stallions welcomed back plenty of key pieces ahead of this season, too.
There’s Ernie Greenwood, a 6-2, 300-pound senior offensive lineman who was the Tri-County Coaches Association’s 5A/4A Offensive Lineman of the Year last year. There’s Caleb Rayner, a 6-1, 190-pound running back and receiver who grew up in Rock Hill but went to school in Columbia last year.
“(Players) in Columbia have more trained speed and they have trained athleticism,” Rayner told The Herald in between reps on one July workout day. “Whereas in Rock Hill, football-wise, all of it is natural. Some of these people out here, it’ll be their first year weight lifting, their first year doing track, but when you watch them in games, it looks like they’ve been doing this for years.”
There’s 6-1, 197-pound senior free safety Troy Frazier, one of several players who will be a key part of an always-deep Stallion defensive back bunch.
And then there’s O’Mega Blake. Last year, he was South Pointe’s wide receiver, backup quarterback, defensive back and punter — and he accumulated 38 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns receiving; 39 rushes for 353 yards and six touchdowns rushing; and 223 yards passing in the 2019 regular season.
This summer, Blake committed to the University of South Carolina over several other Power 5 schools who offered him, including Louisville and Michigan State.
Blake told The Herald last month that he first met USC assistant coach Bobby Bentley, when Bentley visited South Pointe last fall. Blake’s relationship with the Gamecock coaching staff grew from there, and Blake said his first visit to USC’s campus felt like “home.”
“Ever since I committed, it actually relieved some stress,” Blake said. “It released a lot off my chest. Like I said, I was wondering where I was going to end up at, and I just had to make the best decision for me.”
Also in July, Blake said that learning that the football season would be starting was his favorite moment of the 2020 summer — and, similar to the team’s approach to the season, that probably hasn’t changed since.
“I’m one of the team captains, so you know, coach (called) me and I was one of the first ones who knew,” Blake said. “It made me very happy to know that I’m coming out here to practice and be out here with my brothers.”
South Pointe football schedule
Sept. 25: Catawba Ridge (home)
Oct. 2: Lancaster (home)
Oct. 9: Indian Land (away)
Oct. 16: Northwestern (home)
Oct. 23: York (away)
Oct. 30: Dutch Fork (home)
Nov. 6: Rock Hill (away)
Editor’s note: This story is one of 15 high school football previews The Herald will run prior to the first game of the regular season on Sept. 25. Look out for a preview of Northwestern football to appear at heraldonline.com next week.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 8:53 AM.
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