Unveiling the 2021 Tri-County Coaches Association’s HS football Players of the Year
A record-breaking receiver. An All-Star quarterback. A veteran coach laying the foundation for a special future, and a young coach sustaining a state championship legacy.
If you followed the 2021 high school football season in York, Chester and Lancaster counties, you don’t need to be re-introduced to these guys. You know who they are.
So without further ado, here are the 2021 Tri-County Coaches Association Players and Coaches of the Year.
Note: The Herald compiled the end-of-year ballot and conducted the vote after the end of the 2021 South Carolina high school football regular season.
5A Players and Coach of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year: Will Mattison, Northwestern
Mattison did almost everything a player could in his final season at Northwestern High School. The 6-foot-4 quarterback finished the year completing 225 of 349 passes for 3,085 yards, 41 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also added 378 yards rushing and a team-leading nine rushing touchdowns — all while leading his offense to a remarkable 38.6 points per game average and his team to an 11-2 overall record and a Region 4-5A championship.
The amount of awards Mattison racked up his senior year was remarkable: He ended as a South Carolina Mr. Football finalist, a North-South All-Star game selection, an All-State selection, the Region 4-5A Player of the Year and a South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year candidate. The Rock Hill native committed to play football at Gardner-Webb University in late November.
Other nominees for OPOY: Carson Black, Nation Ford
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Jordan Knox, Northwestern
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Knox’s 2021 season? He was only a junior. The Northwestern team captain and left tackle finished his year with 38 knockdown blocks, no sacks allowed and an overall grade of 88%. He did so while leading a tough offensive line — one that paved the way for 2,093 total rushing yards and one that protected Mattison well. Knox finished as an All-State and All-Region 4-5A selection and has notched Division I offers from Southern Florida, Eastern Michigan and UNC Charlotte.
Other nominees for OLOY: Marcus Boston Brinkley, Fort Mill; Marcus Romec, Nation Ford
Defensive Player of the Year: Jackson Sims, Nation Ford
Nation Ford’s outside linebacker and strong safety had a special senior year. The All-State honorable mention and three-year varsity player finished with 121 total tackles (13.4 average in his nine games played), nine tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He led a Nation Ford team that finished 4-6 (2-2 in Region 3-5A) and a defense that gave up 27.7 points per game. Head coach Michael Allen can’t say enough good things about Sims: “(He) came up through the ranks attending Nation Ford youth camp when he was 7 years old,” Allen said, adding, “He is the kind of young man any football program would want in a uniform on Friday night.”
Other nominees for DPOY: Ashton Latta, Northwestern; Miller Shouse, Fort Mill
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Isaac McLellan, Northwestern
The Northwestern offense was great. But by the end of the year, the Trojan defense was just as good as its offensive counterpart — and a lot of that had to do with defensive lineman Isaac McLellan. The senior captain and All-State and All-Region selection finished 2021 with 83 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two pass deflections, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. This winter, he’ll have a chance to defend a state championship in wrestling.
Other nominees for DLOY: Luke Bracey, Rock Hill; Maurice Bonneau, Rock Hill; Clayton Rygol, Nation Ford
Special Teams Player of the Year: Kanoah Vinesett, Northwestern
Vinesett had a way of making things look easy. The senior kicker and N.C. State commit did so all year. The All-State, All-Region and North-South All-Star selection finished 9-of-13 on field goals. His longest of the year was from 46 yards. He also added 64 touchbacks and finished 59-of-60 on extra points — at one point breaking the South Carolina record for most consecutive extra points converted with 76.
Other nominees for STPOY: Joe Schepler, Fort Mill; Reed Richardson, Nation Ford
Coach of the Year: Page Wofford, Northwestern
What Wofford has done in his three years at Northwestern is simply exceptional. After a 2-8 season in 2019, the Northwestern coach has set an infrastructure — solid middle school, ninth-grade, JV programs — for more Trojan success in coming years. In 2021, specifically, Wofford was named the Region 4-5A Coach of the Year.
It’s worth noting: After wins, the Trojan coach could always be counted on to dance. (Yes, dance.) It was a tradition the team and its excitable players warmly embraced, and it served as proof that Wofford was not only leading a program that could win — he was leading a program that could win and have fun while doing it.
4A Players and Coach of the Year
Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Zay McCrorey and Waymond Jenerette, South Pointe
Both ends of arguably the most lethal connection in South Carolina share the 4A Offensive Player of the Year award. It just feels right, doesn’t it?
McCrorey, the South Pointe senior starting quarterback, took full advantage of his first and only full year as a starter for the Stallions: He ran for 413 yards and eight touchdowns, and he completed 225 of 357 passes for 2,988 yards and 25 touchdowns. He did so while leading a balanced offense — South Pointe could beat you throwing and running — and en route to a 12-1 record, an eighth straight region championship and a 4A state championship.
A bulk of McCrorey’s offensive output was filtered through Jenerette. The senior receiver finished with 84 receptions for 1,360 yards and 15 touchdowns. (By the season’s end, he’d crushed South Pointe’s single-season records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.) Jenerette also ran the ball six times for 86 yards and a touchdown. And he could spin it, too — going 6-for-6 passing for 75 yards and three touchdowns.
Other nominees for OPOY: Tyler Jones, Catawba Ridge; Ayden Davis, York; Drew Hardin, Indian Land
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Ahmarion McLeod, Indian Land
McLeod was one of a bunch of returning talented players for Indian Land in 2021 — and he had a great senior year. The North-South All-Star selection notched 24 knockdown blocks and graded out at 88% on the year. He was a leader on an offense that averaged 25.9 points per game and on a team that finished 5-4 with a berth to the 2021 playoffs.
Other nominees for OLOY: Jordan McVay, South Pointe; Cade Purgason, Catawba Ridge; Zach Moss, York
Defensive Player of the Year: Dumkele Idehen, Indian Land
Idehen did just about everything for the Warriors in 2021. He was a running back, yes — but he made the most noise as a linebacker. The All-State and North-South All-Star game selection notched 166 tackles (18.4 per game), five sacks, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker has earned offers from Army and Newberry College.
Other nominees for DPOY: Jacobie Henderson, Catawba Ridge; MeKayle Burris, York
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Asa Johnson, Catawba Ridge
Johnson has now won this award in each of the three seasons he started at Catawba Ridge, and for good reason. The senior and All-State selection finished with 87 tackles, five sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 2021. He anchored a defensive line that won the Copperheads (6-5) some games — including in a contest against Indian Land, where a goal-line stand in overtime was required to win.
Other nominees for DLOY: AJ Miller, South Pointe; Fred Twitty, Lancaster; JT Knight, Indian Land
Special Teams Player of the Year: Chip DiStasio, South Pointe
The Stallions were blessed with talent in 2021. And that included the kicker position: DiStasio finished the season going 51-for-55 on extra points and 4-of-5 on field goals. He also averaged 41.3 yards a punt and notched 38 touchbacks.
And what did all of that yield? Sure, it fueled a good special teams unit for a state championship-winning team. But it also powered something called “#KickWithChip” — a program that allowed for community members to donate to the Rock Hill Education Foundation while also keeping up with South Pointe football. (#KickWithChip, which DiStasio initiated himself, led to the pledging of $5,000 to the RHEF’s “Back the Pack” program.)
Other nominees for STPOY: Kohen Kozel, Catawba Ridge; Jevon Long, York
Co-Coaches of the Year: Dean Boyd of York, DeVonte Holloman of South Pointe
Boyd and Holloman were deserving of this recognition in different ways. Let’s start with Boyd: The York head coach, who returned to his hometown in 2019 with hopes to restore York’s rich football legacy, had his best year yet in 2021. His team finished with a 7-3 record and was scrappy, strong and disciplined — finding ways to win despite often being outmatched on paper. The Cougars defeated Rock Hill High for the first time in six years this season, and they also vied for a Region 3-4A championship but lost to South Pointe in the last regular season game of the season.
Holloman, like Boyd, returned to his alma mater in 2019 with hopes of sustaining South Pointe glory. And he certainly delivered in 2021. Eighth straight region championship? Check. Seventh state title in school history? Check. But beyond the wins, Holloman proved to be the man for the job time and time again this season. He and his coaching staff kept the team together after a tough loss to Spring Valley in September, and they continually found ways to keep the Stallions from getting complacent during their nine-game winning streak to end the season.
3A, 2A, 1A Players and Coach of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year: Trey Thompson, Andrew Jackson
In nine games, Thompson ended up with 1,183 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 198 carries. The sophomore running back also added six receptions for 47 yards. The All-Region 4-2A and All-State selection was an undeniable weapon that Andrew Jackson regularly turned to — and it worked out for the team. The Volunteers (6-4) notched a winning season for a third time in four years and did so by averaging 25.7 points per game.
Other nominees for OPOY: Zae Brown, Great Falls; Foxx Moore, Great Falls
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Wyatt Faulkenberry, Andrew Jackson
Faulkenberry helped pave the way for Thompson and the rest of the Andrew Jackson offense’s success. The lineman — who, too, was an All-Region and All-State selection — finished his senior season with 19 pancakes and an average grade of 86% in eight games played.
Other nominees for OLOY: Ubi Santos, Great Falls
Defensive Player of the Year: Antonio Hopkins, Chester
The Cyclones (9-4) were young and talented in 2021 — and they perhaps used their naivete to fuel a surprising run to the 3A Upper State championship game. One of those young guys head coach Victor Floyd relied on? Antonio Hopkins. The sophomore linebacker finished the season with 152 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He also rushed for 300 yards and five touchdowns and will be part of a backfield that should return some pretty special talent in 2022.
Other nominees for DPOY: Fuller Sims, Andrew Jackson
Co-Defensive Linemen of the Year: Natorris Woodard of Great Falls, D’Arrius Edwards of Lewisville
A lot has been said about the Great Falls (7-4) and Lewisville (3-6) offenses. And deservedly so. Each unit averaged over 31 points a game in their wins. But their defenses were quite talented when healthy, too.
Woodard of Great Falls finished the season with 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, six sacks, 24 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. (The senior also scored a 66-yard touchdown on his only rushing attempt of the season.) As for Edwards of Lewisville? In only six games played, the senior finished with 65 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Other nominees for DLOY: De’Marrion Carter, Chester; Derick Anthony, Andrew Jackson
Special Teams Player of the Year: Henry Glenn, Chester
Three seniors on the 2021 Chester team started on its 2018 state championship team — and Glenn was one of them. The soccer-player-turned-placekicker finished his senior season going 36-for-40 on extra points and 4-of-6 on field goals. His longest field goal make of the year was from 36 yards, and he also notched six touchbacks.
Other nominees for STPOY: Blake Brice, Andrew Jackson; Stephen Caughman, Great Falls
Coach of the Year: Victor Floyd, Chester
Chester had plenty of reason to believe it could be good in 2021: The Cyclones returned a four-year starting quarterback, which is an almost unheard of luxury in high school football. They didn’t have many seniors, but of the few they had, a solid chunk of them (four) started on the offensive line.
And, of course, they had Victor Floyd as their coach.
Since returning for his second stint at Chester in 2015, Floyd has gone 58-25 and has won a state championship (in 2018). And 2021 was a feather in his cap: The Cyclones got better as the year went on and earned an Upper State title appearance for the second time in four years last month. The best part for Floyd? Most of the Cyclones will return in 2022.
Tri-County Coaches Association voting method
The Herald compiled the end-of-year ballot and conducted the vote on Nov. 2, after the regular seasons of all the area teams were complete. Season statistics have been updated through the end of each team’s respective season and were provided by each school. Members of the Tri-County Coaches Association, who nominated players and made up the poll’s electorate, include Page Wofford (Northwestern head football coach); Bubba Pittman (Rock Hill head football coach); Rob McNeely (Fort Mill head football coach); Michael Allen (Nation Ford head football coach); Brian Lane (Clover head football coach); Marcus Surratt (Lancaster head football coach); Adam Hastings (Indian Land head football coach); Zac Lendyak (Catawba Ridge head football coach); DeVonte Holloman (South Pointe head football coach); Dean Boyd (York head football coach); Victor Floyd (Chester head football coach); Will Mitchell (Lewisville head football coach); DeMarcus Simons (Great Falls head football coach); and Todd Shigley (Andrew Jackson head football coach).
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that Northwestern made an Upper State championship game (state semifinals) this season. The Trojans made the state quarterfinals. The error has been fixed.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 10:02 AM.
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