Indian Land football is treating 2021 like ‘Year 1,’ and its returners have bought in
They’re considering this their “Year 1.”
And it’s not because the Indian Land football team wants to start over. The players and coaches don’t want that at all: They have plenty to build off of from last season, including a final stretch where they won three of their last four, with their one loss coming against 5A foe Nation Ford in overtime.
Instead, the Warriors are considering this their “Year 1” in order to reflect their “new start” mentality, one that has been easier to cultivate this summer than the year before.
“Everybody wants to say it, but looking at the (commitment) from our core group of guys has been really good,” head coach Adam Hastings told The Herald in a phone interview earlier this week, a few days from his team’s home opener against Nation Ford. He added, “We’re really excited. We felt like because of COVID and the obstacles that COVID provided (last year) — that this is kinda Year 1 for us. And the things we really wanted to implement this offseason, our guys have really stepped up to it and embraced it.”
Hastings took over as the Warriors’ head coach before the start of the 2020, yet another piece of debris in last year’s carnage.
But a full offseason, a boatload of returning talent — and a willingness for last year’s leadership to “buy-in” to a new Indian Land way — has the Warriors feeling optimistic in 2021.
“It’s tough to get kids — it’s tough to get adults — to trust you if they don’t know you, you know? And so we had this offseason for our kids to really get to know us and know why we have the expectations that we have,” Hasting said, adding, “A lot of the guys who were integral in the success we had last year, but who also were in the leadership of our team, are back. I think that’s really helped us this offseason. And I think that’s really going to pay dividends as we go.”
Here’s a close look at the Indian Land football team — and why its 2021 optimism makes sense.
Indian Land is returning a lot
Offensive notes: Perhaps Indian Land’s largest source of hope? Its returning playmakers on offense.
The Warriors expect to be anchored by a solid and experienced offensive line. Among those who headline the group include junior Jack Beachum (who is 6-foot-4, 265 pounds and was last year’s 4A Tri-County OL of the Year last year); Ahmarion McLeod (6-foot-4, 285 pounds); Stefan Schmal and others.
Those guys will protect senior Blake Goode, who’s been the starting quarterback at Indian Land since he was a sophomore. Goode (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) is “one of those guys who really doesn’t get too high and really doesn’t get too low,” Hastings said — but who has the capability to get hot. (In the team’s final (scheduled) regular season game in 2020 against Fort Mill, Blake threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns.)
Blake will have plenty of playmakers around him, too: He could hand it off to sophomore Jaden Singletary, who had a stellar debut season. He could also toss it to All-Region senior returners Sean McCray (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) and Jeremiah Strickland (5-foot-10).
Defensive notes: The defense has its share of returning talent, too. And it starts with the Warriors’ linebacking corps.
Indian Land returns three star linebackers. One of them is Dumkele Idehen (6-foot, 215 pounds), last year’s Region 3-4A Defensive Player of the Year who picked up an offer from Army earlier this month. Idehen will be joined by senior returning starters Foster Lambert (6-foot, 180 pounds) and Anthony Rodriguez (5-foot-11, 190 pounds).
“It’s really helpful when you have three linebackers who started last year,” Hastings said. “I think the other part of it is, if you look at every level — linebackers, defensive line, defensive backs — we have some of our most productive players in those units back.”
Senior JT Knight (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) will lead an otherwise young defensive line, and defensive backs Drew Hardin (senior; 5-foot-11, 175 pounds) and Jaden Peoples (junior who missed a bulk of last season with an injury; 6-foot, 163 pounds) will return as well.
Warriors football at a glance
Head coach: Adam Hastings. (Hastings arrived at Indian Land before the 2020 season after successful stints at Charlotte’s Ardrey Kell and Providence Day. The coach, who has deep college football connections as well as a winning reputation, viewed Indian Land as a compelling coaching destination for a number of reasons, he told The Herald last August — one of those reasons being the area’s projected population growth.)
Last year: 4-4 (1-3 Region 3-4A). Hastings ended up taking a job at a school in a stacked region, yes — but his impact started to show at the end of 2020: The Warriors won three of their last four, and their only loss down the stretch came against Nation Ford, who’ll be the team’s home-opening opponent in 2021.
Base defense: 4-3.
Offensive philosophy: Balanced.
All-Region returners: Sean McCray (WR), Jeremiah Strickland (WR), Jack Beachum (OL), Ahmarion McLeod (OL), Dumkele Idehen (LB and Defensive Player of the Year), JT Knight (DL) and Drew Hardin (DB).
Key departures: TJ Thomas (RB, All-Region), Mikey Cshuta (OL, All-Region), Desmond Ivey (DL, All-Region), Chris Cruz (DL, All-Region), Caleb Gleason (DB, All-Region) and Mieqwel Lewis (WR/ATH, All-Region Special Teams Returner of the Year).
Indian Land football schedule
Stay up to date on all the high school football scheduling shifts (many of which are already happening) at heraldonline.com.
Also it’s worth noting that Indian Land’s first home game, on Friday, will be played at The Reservation (its old stadium). The program hopes to use its new athletic stadium — which is on the campus of the newly built Indian Land High School — later this season.
Aug. 20 Nation Ford
Aug. 27 at Northwestern
Sept. 3 at Fort Mill
Sept. 10 Rock Hill
Sept. 17 at Lakewood
Sept. 24 Andrew Jackson
Oct. 1 York
Oct. 8 BYE
Oct. 15 at South Pointe
Oct. 22 at Catawba Ridge
Oct. 29 Lancaster
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
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