Greer to host Byrnes preview
By Leland Burch

One losing streak is coming to an end Friday night when Greer hosts old rival Byrnes at
Dooley Field.

Neither team has put a “W” on the board this season. The Rebels have lost to a pair of
Yellow Jackets hives, T.L. Hanna and Irmo, and Greer could make it three stings in a row.
But Greer is 0-3, having lost to teams that Coach Will Young says “are comparable to
Byrnes. They all have great defensive lines and throw the ball well.” That is bad news for
Greer’s shell-shocked secondary. Rebels junior quarterback Caine Rogers, completed 24 of 38
passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns at Irmo.

The old news is that Byrnes has won 16 straight games against Greer. The Yellow Jackets
were last victorious was in the year 2000, before Byrnes’s enrollment ballooned to triple the size
of Greer’s student body. The only time the Yellow Jackets have come close was a 23-14 battle in
2022.

Coach Young noted, “We had a chance to beat Hillcrest last week, and I would say
Byrnes is more like Hillcrest than B-HP and Boiling Springs with a really big line and the things
they do offensively. Their quarterback throws like the kid from Boiling Springs and they have a
really good, quick running back in Ta Dawkins who also catches passes out of the backfield.
Defensively they run a 3-4 base, but they did some weird stuff against Irmo. Their best defensive
lineman is Jaidyn Ferguson, a senior, who had two sacks against Hanna one against Irmo.”
The goal for the Yellow Jackets “is to prepare better and continue to improve. I thought
our quarterback, Kaden Rowland, took a big step forward when he led the team the length of the
field for our last touchdown against Hillcrest, and I hope that continues.”
Young said injuries will keep three Yellow Jackets out of action including leading
receiver Brock Diggins, kicker Wills Ryan and offensive lineman Tyler Jones.

by Leland Burch

Like starting swimming lessons by jumping into the deep end of the pool, Greer will plunge into the 2024 season on the road at 5-A power Boiling Springs.

"They are extremely formidable, one of the best teams in their region," declares Yellow Jackets head coach Will Young. He said the Bulldogs will have "the best defensive front we have seen, by far. Unlike a typical high school defensive line, they play hard all the time and don’t take plays off. This will be a huge test of manhood for our offensive line."

Boiling Springs is no slouch offensively either, returning quarterback Lincoln Huskey who threw for 182 yards against the Yellow Jackets last year. "He is going to sling it Friday night, and if we make a mistake, Huskey will make us pay," Young warns. The Bulldogs also return top running back Javen Chhim who rambled for 157 yards in the 31-14 win over Greer. 

"Some think it would be better to start off with an easier game so we could throw the back-ups in there and let them get some reps. But no one else would play us," Young said of the season opener. "Besides, games like this will help us get better for the region part of the schedule."

As for the Yellow Jackets, Young said "I think we have a good nucleus in place, although we have not had nearly the number of practices as in previous years because school has started so early. We have only had 17 days on the practice field together, compared with 28 days in the past."

Even with fewer days, Coach Young said pre-season drills have gone well. "Our scrimmage at Gaffney went well from a physical standpoint, although neither team was ready for a game at that point. Then we started fast against Powdersville, slacked off in the middle and finished well. At Chapman last Friday, we started slow with some dropped passes, but we came from behind to score twice to win, which was nice."
Young observed that quarterback Kaden Rowland "has gotten better entering his senior year, but he still has things to do. Most of our offensive line are veterans, and they will be okay. Our defensive front has some big guys who can run, but they have to improve at pass rushing."

The kicking game is a mixed bag with wide receiver Brock Diggins taking over the punting duties, while sophomore Parker Burns is subbing for veteran pace kicker Wills Ryan is sidelined for several weeks. Otherwise, there are no major injuries entering the opening game.

Leland will have a post game article and interview with Coach Young every Saturday!