Prep notebook: Myrtle Beach’s Sinclair furthering family legacy with father at side

Two weeks ago, Brandon Sinclair was able to walk on the field with his father, Randy, when the latter was inducted into the Socastee Athletics Hall of Fame.

On Friday, it will be Randy who watches his son go after some history of his own.

Brandon Sinclair, the senior Myrtle Beach running back, enters Friday’s second-round playoff game against Hilton Head 31 rushing yards shy of 5,000 for his career.

“It means a lot to me,” the younger Sinclair said of going after the milestone with his dad nearby. “I know it’s making him proud, just seeing the tradition go on.”

Brandon Sinclair, who already owns virtually every rushing record at Myrtle Beach – including single-game, single-season and career rushing yards and single-season and career rushing touchdowns – would be the first area player since Conway’s Bobby Wallace (2001-2004) to reach 5,000 rushing yards.

It’s proof of his longevity with the team, one he’s led in rushing all four years of high school, but also the Seahawks’ success. His breakout 2013 season that included 1,919 yards let fans know he could put up some big numbers.

And it gave Mickey Wilson and the rest of the staff enough reason to make the offense as balanced as it’s been since before Everett Golson’s time.

“After my sophomore season, I realized the coaches believed in me and let me run the ball,” Sinclair said. “I could start going after some records and set some personal records.

“I find it exciting and fun. It’s nice to have something like that, give people something to remember.”

He’s done just that, especially after he surpassed even his father’s numbers during his prep career. Between 1991-1993, Randy Sinclair rushed for 3,322 yards, a figure that stands second in Socastee history behind only Hunter Renfrow (3,506). Sinclair’s 41 touchdowns remain a program best.

Brandon Sinclair enters Friday with 62 career touchdown runs for Myrtle Beach. This season, he’s tallied 1,454 yards and 21 scores on the ground.

BROWN ADDS PERSONAL HISTORY TO ST. JAMES’ FEAT

St. James’ Robby Brown became the first local coach to win at least one playoff game at two South Carolina schools when the Sharks defeated Marlboro County last week in the first round.

Brown, who was the interim coach at Carolina Forest in 2004 while Doc Davis was fulfilling his commitment to the South Carolina National Guard, led the Panthers to two playoff victories that season. With the help of careers that started in North Carolina, three other area coaches have won at least one playoff game at two schools. Socastee’s Doug Illing also had postseason success at Davie County prior to joining the Braves, who won two playoff games in his first season there 2013. North Myrtle Beach’s Blair Hardin won playoff games at Freedom and Porter Ridge.

Current Carolina Forest coach Marc Morris, whose team opens the postseason on Friday at Goose Creek, will be trying to steer his third team to a playoff victory. He also won postseason games at Cleveland and Harnett Central in North Carolina.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Myrtle Beach’s Sinclair furthering family legacy with father at side."