Editor’s Note: The Augusta Press Pigskin Preview, a special high school football section, will be available for download Aug. 12. Here’s a sneak peek of one of the stories from that section.
Last year was a dream year for the Silver Bluff Bulldogs.
All the pieces fit together, according to coach De’Angelo Bryant.
“Last year had magical moments,” he said. “We saw so much growth in our team.”
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The goal was to get to the state championship, and the team did just that with a loss in the state championship game against Gray Collegiate on Dec. 8, 2021. Up to that point, it was everything Bryant and the team had hoped for.
The Bulldogs were undefeated heading into that final game.
With 17 seniors, the Bulldogs had a strong team with members who’d played together for several years.
They’d finished a COVID-shortened 2020 season by losing only two games by a combined score of three points. The feeling they couldn’t lose permeated the ranks.
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Now that those seniors have graduated, Bryant has his work cut out for him to develop another powerhouse, and he said he’s got some players who he believes can rise to fill some of those gaps.
One of those is starting quarterback Maleik Williams who put up just under 2,600 total offensive yards last season.
The junior passed for 1,791 yards while rushing for another almost 800.
Protecting Williams from the line is Christian Echols, a 6-foot-4-inch tall 220-pound tackle, who Bryant expects great things from.
On defense, Bryant is looking to Ricardo Jones Jr. and Jordan Boyd to lead the team.
Jones, who plays several positions including cornerback, is more like the “quarterback of the defense,” Bryant said. His strong on-field leadership skills come into play, and Boyd started as a sophomore.
Even with those players, Bryant admits the season won’t be a walk in the park.
“This year will have a lot of challenges,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment.”
He expects the challenges to begin on the first game of the season at home against South Aiken Aug. 19.
“They are a well-coached, disciplined team,” he said. “Conference matches as well as non-region games have their own sets of challenges, and you never know what can happen on the gridiron. Fox Creek, Strom Thurmond and Barnwell will all be tough games and don’t forget nearby Midland Valley.”
Despite losing 17 strong players, Bryant is heading toward the year with a positive outlook.
“We’re really looking forward to the challenge overall,” he said. “We have to find our identity. And we have to realize this is not 2021. This is a new year with a lot of challenges, but that also creates a lot of excitement.”
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
