Perennial powers meet with an abundance of questions to be answered

Very few programs in South Carolina are held in the same esteem as Byrnes.

Winners of 11 state titles, the Rebels receive a large share of the blame for the nation taking notice of high school football in the Palmetto State.

But while Byrnes was establishing itself as flag bearer in the Upstate, Myrtle Beach has done the same on the Grand Strand, earning six rings of its own and an annual place in the title discussion.

This year, however, the commonalities between Saturday’s combatants at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium do not stop there.

At the top of that list is the fact both Byrnes’ Brian Lane and Myrtle Beach’s Mickey Wilson will learn a lot about their teams — win or lose.

“We played Byrnes in a three-game series in 2009, 2010 and 2011,” Wilson said. “No matter what happened in those, we went in thinking win, lose or whatever, the Byrnes team we were playing was of the caliber that we could only get better.”

The last time these two perennial powerhouses met was in 2011, when the Seahawks rattled off 28 straight points to shock the Rebels, ending their 71-game home-winning streak.

Some things have changed since then, however. Seniors taking the field on Saturday night were only in the seventh grade that night, while Lane was still roaming the sidelines at Woodruff.

Years come and go, but certain things remain certain. Among those is Byrnes and Myrtle Beach possessing loads of offensive firepower.

But this season tends to be a tad different for both squads, lacking a veteran presence at skill positions — particularly under center.

As junior quarterback Lawson Cribb prepares to take lead the Myrtle Beach offense on the field Saturday evening, sophomore Brock Carroll will do the same for Byrnes. In similar fashion to his counterpart on the other sideline, Carroll received the nod after an long battle for the spot.

“(Carroll) despite being a sophomore, has a strong arm and he’s a tough, hard nosed kid,” Lane said. “He came out as the winner in a five-man quarterback race. They battled throughout the spring and summer, and Carroll found a way to wind up on top.”

While both coaches tend to be offensive-minded in their approach, they believe Saturday’s matchup will be won or lost on the defensive side of the ball.

“Honestly, three downs and a punt may wind up being a good thing for us on offense,” Wilson said. “The biggest thing I see as far as the Byrnes offense is concerned is that these guys play at a high speed, and are tough to contain. We must tackle well, rally to the ball, and most importantly, wrap up.”

Lane was a tad more direct with whom he believed the Rebels need to contain, specifically pointing to versatile playmaker Keyonte Sessions and linebacker Chase Brill.

“From what I’ve seen, Sessions is all over the field for (Myrtle Beach). He’s lined up at running back, wide receiver and then goes to the defensive side of the field to play linebacker,” Lane said. “(Brill) does a good job the defensive side of the ball as well. We must make sure to control those guys, and not let them control us with their defensive talents.”

The teams’ last meeting still remains fresh on Wilson’s mind, though, part of the reason this game is being played Saturday evening instead of being given the typical Friday night showcase.

“Because of lightning delays and such, the last time we played them in 2011 the game ended around 1 a.m.,” the Myrtle Beach coach said. “I actually walked back in my house at about 6:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

“The biggest thing is travel, though. It’s tough to go four hours on a bus and then get ready to play a football game. So we scheduled this game the way we did to avoid school, and allow whoever is traveling with Byrnes can return home at a reasonable hour.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 9:27 PM with the headline "Perennial powers meet with an abundance of questions to be answered."