How Myrtle Beach has reached another state championship game without star QB Luke Doty
Ryan Burger wasn’t expecting to play a major role in Myrtle Beach’s 2019 season.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore had just 233 yards on 33 attempts in the regular season, spelling Shrine Bowl quarterback Luke Doty during some of the Seahawks’ dominating victories.
Now, Burger holds the keys to a perfect season after Doty’s throwing hand injury sidelined him from all but two quarters of the playoffs.
The final test comes Saturday, when the defending champion Seahawks (13-0) face Wren (12-2) for the S.C. Class 4A state championship at 6:30 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
“This has been a crazy experience, but I’ve got great teammates and coaches around me who have made it easier,” Burger said. “I’m fortunate to have a great offensive line, great running backs, great wide receivers, and a great defense to make plays. This is a team game and I’m lucky to have a great team around me.”
Although he was forced into action during the Seahawks’ opening-round game against Lakewood, Burger has been preparing to move into Doty’s role next season and has learned from the University of South Carolina commit, who was named the “Back of the Year” in the state on Thursday by the South Carolina Football Coaches Association.
“Luke has been great for me. He’s mentored me this year to show me what it takes to play quarterback at this level,” Burger said. “He’s taught me how to watch film and break down a defense, what to look for to attack a defense, and how to take advantage of practice reps.”
Myrtle Beach head coach Mickey Wilson praised his young quarterback for growing up on the fly. Burger has passed for 667 yards and seven scores in the playoffs.
“He’s been improving each week during the biggest stretch of the year,” Wilson said. “He’s been thrown in the fire, but he’s responded and is getting some great experience for us. We don’t know if we’ll have Luke back for Saturday, but we have full confidence that Ryan can keep playing well and hopefully bring home a win.”
During the regular season, Myrtle Beach rarely trailed, attacking teams early and often with a big-play offense and stifling defense. In the playoffs, the Seahawks have found their clutch gene, having trailed by double digits in each playoff game to this point against Lakewood, North Myrtle Beach, Airport and Hartsville.
Along with Burger’s successes in the passing game, the Xayvion Knox-led power-running Rhino package has proved to be a great weapon as a change-up for the potent passing attack. Knox, to his credit, has rushed for more than 400 yards and 11 touchdowns in the playoffs working primarily as the ball-handler in the Rhino package while also playing regularly on defense.
“I just do whatever my team needs me to,” Knox said. “If I need to carry the ball, okay. If I need to play defense, okay. If I need to do both, no problem. We just want to win another ring. (In Rhino) I try to let the plays develop and be patient with my blocks. I know, running behind my guys, that they will make a hole. Then it’s my job to hit the hole and make something happen.”
For Myrtle Beach to bring home a second consecutive state championship on Saturday, both Burger and Knox will be critical pieces to the puzzle.
“Playing a team like [Wren] will be a challenge for us,” Wilson said. “They’re explosive and have great weapons on the offensive side and a good defense as well. We know that this will be a big challenge for us, but our team will be up for it.”
Scouting Wren
Quarterback Joe Owens is one of the most productive players in the state, piling up nearly 60 passing touchdowns on the season for a Wren team that has scored more than 60 points in seven games this season, including a stretch of five consecutive games in September and October.
It’s not just the Wren offense that is worthy of praise, the Hurricanes’ defense has been stout, with linebacker Dez Frazier putting up an impressive stat line of 150-plus tackles and more than 10 sacks. As much as the Wren offense has been impressive, its defense has held its own while playing a considerable number of snaps.
Owens has two receivers with more than 1,000 yards on the season, Eli Wilson has 1,611 yards on 87 catches with 19 touchdowns and Tyler Cherry has 1,328 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season. Logan Simmons leads the rushing attack with 912 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year.
Wren is on a seven-game winning streak with all of the wins by double digits. It lost to Camden County of Georgia in its opener and to Daniel, which went undefeated in the regular season, by six points on Oct. 11.
The game
Who: Myrtle Beach (13-0) vs. Wren (12-2)
What: S.C. Class 4A state championship
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: WWMB (CW) Channel 21, Live streaming on NFHSnetwork.com
Radio: 104.9 Bob FM