There are high expectations at South Pointe in 2021. There’s talent and toughness, too
DeVonte Holloman didn’t say that the three losses the South Pointe football team endured last year “haunted” him this offseason.
At least, he didn’t say it outright.
“I’ve watched them a lot of times (on tape),” the South Pointe football head coach said, shedding a smile of acknowledgment at a practice earlier this month, “if that means anything.”
It means a lot.
The Stallions had a superb 2020 season: They earned the program’s seventh-straight region championship. They delivered Holloman his first postseason win in his young head coaching career. They saw several players sign to play football in college — sustaining the Rock Hill school’s reputation as a 4A football power and a reliable ground for Football City USA in which to root its name.
But the most revealing parts of the 2020 season — and perhaps the most useful indicators for how good this 2021 team could be — can be found in the games the Stallions didn’t win.
In its three losses (to 5A Upper State title contender Northwestern; 5A state champion Dutch Fork and eventual 4A state champion A.C. Flora), South Pointe allowed a total of 823 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
“Any loss, you learn something about yourself,” Holloman told The Herald. “Those three losses last year came all in similar ways, with teams running the ball straight at us. So we definitely have to be more physical.”
Here’s a close look at the South Pointe football team’s strengths ahead of the season.
Stallion strengths
1. Offensive and defensive lines. That physicality issue Holloman mentioned? That appears to have been rectified this summer.
A once-young offensive line will return a lot of experience in 2021. The unit will be led by seniors Jordan McVay, Logan Day and Joshua Greenwood, as well as junior AC McMoore.
The defensive line should be a strength, too: Some players, like Greenwood, expect to play both sides of the ball. And some young talent in AJ Miller and CJ Dixon will beef up a line that’ll be led by senior Anquerrious Davis — the Stallions’ 6-foot, 225-pound All-Region returner.
2. Secondary depth. Toughness starts at the line of scrimmage, perhaps, but it extends across the field for South Pointe. And it’s especially present in the team’s secondary.
The unit’s leadership starts with Quan Peterson. The defensive back, who is also a state champion basketball player, committed to play football (and will try to walk on to the basketball team) at Syracuse earlier this summer. He’ll be starting for a third straight year.
Peterson is joined on the outside by senior returners Chris McCullough, Isaiah Steele and Jalen Stratford. DJ Barksdale, a junior, will also be important to the defense.
“Our secondary is crazy this year,” Peterson told The Herald with a smile. “Most of the people who are on our team have been on varsity since ninth grade, 10th grade, so we’ve all been playing against older people. Now we’re playing against people our age, and we’ve learned from the older players and soaked up the wisdom from them.”
3. A good, returning quarterback is among the best luxuries a high school football team can have entering a season. And South Pointe has one in Zay McCrorey.
McCrorey didn’t have a conventional junior season in 2020: He played JV during the South Pointe regular season last year — improving and getting game reps at the JV level while two seniors split QB reps on Friday nights — before being pulled up to varsity for the playoffs and unexpectedly proving vital in South Pointe’s come-from-behind playoff win over Greenwood.
McCrorey won’t surprise anyone this year, however. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound righty has been receiving some recruiting attention at camps this summer. Holloman said McCrorey has “dedicated” himself to becoming “a student of the game” this offseason.
“There were many times when I was meeting with the coaches, and he was right there meeting with us, just trying to learn and be a better quarterback,” Holloman said of McCrorey this summer. “And also he’s bonding with his JV guys last year, so that receiving group has really good chemistry.”
McCrorey will be surrounded by plenty of senior targets poised for big years, including Waymond Jenerette (who has received comparisons to former South Pointe star and current USC wideout O’Mega Blake from teammates), Peterson, Jakhari Webb and others. Juniors Armendiz Huskey (WR) and Caleb Sims (RB) have the chance to make an impact in the Stallion passing game, too.
“Like I said, we’ve learned our lessons these past couple years,” Holloman said. “We gotta be ready to play big-boy football, and it’s time to play it.”
South Pointe football at a glance
Head coach: DeVonte Holloman. (Holloman, a South Pointe alum, went on to make a name for himself as a South Carolina Gamecock and a Dallas Cowboy before returning to his high school alma mater to coach in 2019.)
Last year: 6-3, 4-0 (Region 3-4A champions). The Stallions earned a double-overtime win over Greenwood in the first round of the 4A playoffs — the first high school playoff win of Holloman’s young head coaching career — before falling in the second round to eventual 4A state champion AC Flora.
Base defense: Multiple. (Mainly a 4-2-5, but the team can also play in a 3-3-5.)
Offensive philosophy: Spread.
All-Region returners: Anquerrious Davis (DL); Quan Peterson (DB)
Key graduates in 2020: O’Mega Blake (QB/WR, All-State selection); Ernie Greenwood (OL, All-State honorable mention); Nebanye Moore (QB, All-Region); Nygel Moore (RB, All-Region); Caleb Raynor (WR/RB, All-Region); Troy Frazier (DB, All-Region); Jordan Mahoney (DB, All-Region); Collin Karhu (K, All-Region).
South Pointe football schedule
Check The Herald’s website for a comprehensive look at all the football schedules for high schools in York, Chester and Lancaster counties.
Aug. 14 WRHI Kickoff vs Cox Mill (scrimmage)
Aug. 21 at Northwestern (Saturday)
Aug. 27 Rock Hill
Sept. 3 at Mallard Creek
Sept. 10 Clover
Sept. 17 at Chester
Sept. 24 Spring Valley
Oct. 1 at Catawba Ridge
Oct. 8 at Lancaster
Oct. 15 Indian Land
Oct. 22 BYE
Oct. 29 York
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 11:55 AM.
.jpeg)