State titles source of pride at North-South football practice

MYRTLE BEACH -- Raemond Robinson is in a bit of a Catch-22 this week.

On one hand, the Goose Creek linebacker wants to make sure everyone knows that he’s one of just nine players in this week’s SCADA North-South All-Star Football game to earn a state title this fall. On the other, he knows opening his mouth, to his South squad teammates or to anyone from the North team, might be a bad idea.

“They can’t really talk trash, because I can back it up and say I won a state championship,” Robinson said. “I didn’t really try to hold that against them. Some of these guys, I beat them in the playoffs, and I don’t want anything to happen, a fight or anything. I’ll keep it on the down-low.”

For all the talent and big-time college commitments on the field this week, those players with state titles on their resumes are relatively rare. And while Robinson would love to take the path of least resistance in terms of his high school team’s success, it may be a pipe dream.

The remaining 80 or so players already know who won the state titles, at least in their own divisions. And in some cases, they are teamates for the week with players whose regular squads knocked them out of the playoffs.

That’s an especially hard pill to swallow for Jerome Bigby and Shonquille Byers of Gaffney – which fell in last week’s Class AAAA, Division I championship to Byrnes – and Dillon’s Kevin Lynch and Archie Gilcrest. The Wildcats were the favorites to win the Class AA, Division I title before Timberland had other ideas in the state semifinals.

Lynch and Timberland defensive back Lee Mayes are not only playing for the same team this week; they’ll also likely see plenty of time on the field at the same time on Saturday.

“I hated them last week,” Lynch said of the two Timberland players on the South squad. “I did. I hated them last week. But I got to meet them, and they’re a nice group of guys.”

That’s not to say the time-honored North-South tradition of trading helmet stickers with teammates might not include some awkward moments. After all, do the players from some of those teams who fell just short in November or December want that sticker from the team that sent them packing?

It adds a tinge of bittersweet to some of the players who have invaded Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium this week.

For the other half, though, it’s another source of pride in an already memorable event.

“All these guys are great athletes and great players,” Bishop England quarterback Danny Croghan said. “Every one of them deserve a state championship. I’m just lucky to say that I had one.”

Notes

Croghan’s status for Saturday’s game is up in the air after he injured his left knee earlier in the week.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Croghan threw for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns for Bishop England this year. He also ran for another 500 yards and 10 scores.

If he is shelved, that will leave the South squad with only one true quarterback on the roster. A.C. Flora’s Stephen Cagle would get the majority of the snaps, although several of the team’s running backs played in systems that had them taking direct snaps in wildcat formations.

Croghan’s injury was the first reported, but the sport almost guarantees he won’t be the last prior to Saturday’s noon kickoff.

Aynor coach Jody Jenerette, who is serving as an assistant with the South team, said that head coach Jeff Cruce (Cane Bay) dictated that each player invited to play on the team have a “physical” quality to his game. Neither team has shied away from hitting during the two-a-day practices.

“You’re going to get bumps and bruises along the way, but I think this team is going to play fast and physical on Saturday,” Jenerette said. “It’s amazing how good we are on defense.”