I saw him carry exactly twice when Easley came to Georgetown. The second carry was the one that changed the course of his life. He could have been a forerunner of McCaffrey.
Greatest player in SC High School History ??
- Thread starter BobbyBReloaded1975
- Start date
There need not be any argument. Lots of posters have seen lots of SC. high school football players over the several generations represented here. Those are fond memories of players who deserve to be remembered. Some of the younger folks here don't even know who those players are. They are getting an education.
Clowney.
The trifecta: Only player ever in SC to have a #1 rank at his position, #1 player in the state and #1 overall pick in the country.
The trifecta: Only player ever in SC to have a #1 rank at his position, #1 player in the state and #1 overall pick in the country.
Glad Freddie getting some love.
Like great guitar players, once you make the Top 5, it's a toss up.
Like great guitar players, once you make the Top 5, it's a toss up.
I don't think it's a toss-up. But all these players deserve recognition for the thrills and entertainment they delivered. We need to remember that a lot of people weren't around to see some of the old-time greats, and a lot of devoted high school football fans didn't live to see Clowney's generation play, either.
I saw him dominate games. One in particular stands out against Goose Creek. Summerville was down by 21 in the 4th quarter. Green scored multiple TD’s. One play was phenomenal. It was a bomb to the goal line. It was intercepted and Green ripped it from his hands to score the TD. He also intercepted a pass on defense and ran back a punt for a TD.
I saw Demetrius Summers in person too. I don’t recall anyone tackling him by themselves nor ever tackled in the backfield.
But number 1 for me has to be Jadeveon Clowney. As mentioned above he not only played defense and offense, but returned a kickoff for a TD as well.
Garnett was incredible in HS but flourished in the pro’s.
Zion Williamson was most dominant HS basketball player. Stanley Roberts was also a man amongst boys.
Let’s not be narrow minded, #1 in more ways than one.....Robert Richardson.
Discuss amounts yerselfs the rest, Alexander English, Dick Dietz, Kevin Garnett, Bobby Bolin, Billy O’Dell, the Mook, Art Shell, Squeaky, Willie Scott, Tyler Hellams......& the classic Cuda.......all post Korean War......oh, cuse, me, that was a police action.
Perry Cuda was a great HS QB. The Summerville QB had a HS record of 52-3 with a 41 game win streak in there. He was a parade all-American and went to go play for Bear Bryant at Bama.
Based strictly on High School, I've never seen a player takeover a game more than Duce Staley. I would follow that up with Demetrius Summers and Woody Dantzler. Full disclosure, I am a Airport High graduate and Clemson grad so I may have a touch of partiality.
Watching Demetris run was a thing of beauty.
Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal too. BJ McKie was a legend too at Irmo. I grew up playing rec league with him. I always wanted to be on his team cause they always won.
Duce did everything for Airport. QB, RB, WR on offense and played defense too. Probably doesn’t get the due credit since Airport is not one of the football powers in the state and the fact that his grades caused him to go the JUCO route.
I would still have to say Clowney is the best player in this state at the high school level. Everyone in this country wanted him. Everyone.
I've seen no one mention the boys from Laurens Dist 55 that went to play for Lou Holtz while he was at Minnesota. It's was the upstate boys that helped ole Lou at UM and then Tony Rice from Woodruff helped Lou after he got the Notre Dame job...
I guess the best high school player I saw in person, would have to be Rodney Anderson QB, from Broome High. I think it was Byrnes vs. Broome for the upstate his senior year. I just remember most of the talk was about how badly Broome and Anderson were going to beat Byrnes. As far back as I remember it was raining like cats and dogs that friday and they brought in a helicopter to help dry the field.
It made no difference, Byrnes won...I think it was 9-6 or something like that. He was an All American and signed with Clemson. He was the talk of the upstate that year. (seems like 1981 or 82).
I saw Kevin Garnett play on the Mauldin team that beat Dorman. It was at Dorman, and the place was packed and folks had to be turned away. It was'nt even close...
I guess the best high school player I saw in person, would have to be Rodney Anderson QB, from Broome High. I think it was Byrnes vs. Broome for the upstate his senior year. I just remember most of the talk was about how badly Broome and Anderson were going to beat Byrnes. As far back as I remember it was raining like cats and dogs that friday and they brought in a helicopter to help dry the field.
It made no difference, Byrnes won...I think it was 9-6 or something like that. He was an All American and signed with Clemson. He was the talk of the upstate that year. (seems like 1981 or 82).
I saw Kevin Garnett play on the Mauldin team that beat Dorman. It was at Dorman, and the place was packed and folks had to be turned away. It was'nt even close...
Speaking of Hardy me being from Blacksburg during that time we had Doug Bolin. He and Robert were both shrine bowlers that year representing Cherokee county and both were great great running backs.
Just looking at an old game program with Bennie in the team pic. My brother played for Carolina High in Greenville & both teams (Easley & Carolina) were in the Western AA Conference at the time.
Few if any can match "Stanley The Steamer's" level of success in high school, college and the pro's.
I remember him almost single handedly beating Mooney Player's best LR team for the state championship. Scored Easley's only TD and knocked down LR's 2 point conversion pass to preserve a 7-6 victory.
The story goes that he would have signed with USC but UT offered his mother a house.
Bennie will tell you the 62 game with Pickens was the toughest he played in on the way to winning the state championship.
For those of us who are older and can remember Isiah Moses Hipp(IM Hipp) from Chapin and Nebraska Cornshuckers, and Richard Brooks(RB) from Saluda who drowned in Lake Greenwood before enrolling were absolute beasts. Richard had committed to South Carolina and didn't get to enroll, while his brother Jonathan was an All-American at Clemson and played in the NFL(Richard was better by alot if that gives you an idea!).
I remember Ed McDaniel from Batesburg-Leesville hit Bolin in A-gap in the 2nd quarter of a playoff game and Bolin didn't get back in, throwing up on the field. It was a helluva hit by both but McDaniel in high school was unfair to a RB in between the tackles.
Dave Meggett played at Bonds Wilson would have been big time but senior year he broke his leg in the Sertoma classic jamboree went to Towson and played with the Giants and Patriots , also Art Shell attended Bonds Wilson we would have Art Shell day and he would bring Raider teammates.
I doubt if anyone here has seen all of the many greats SC has produced. For my money, it would be Solomon or Clowney that I actually saw play. The very best may have been Earl Clary, known as the Gaffney Ghost, who played high school in the late 1920's to early 1930's. He started playing for the Indians in the 8th grade, lost in the state finals that year, then won the next 3 state titles, back when they played the game in Columbia every year. They didn't keep stats the way we do now, but newspapers of the times confirmed he gain 2,000 yards rushing his junior and senior years .... just from his touchdown runs alone. He was also an excellent passer and kick returner, as well as an outstanding defensive player. After being recruited by all of the national powers, he settled on the Gamecocks, maybe because he had so much success on their field in high school, or else we had much better recruiter$ back then, lol. While playing for the Cocks in 1931, 1932 and 1933, we shut out Clemson all 3 years he played (freshmen were ineligible then) and he gained more yardage than the entire Clemson team his first two years, while playing with a bad knee his last season. Incidentally, Clary's Gamecocks won 21-0, 14-0, and 7-0 in the era of the most dominant Clemson years in the series. The Tigers had won 4 in a row before 1931 and then won 7 in a row after 1933. I'd say Clary made a difference for the Cocks! He was also the first member inducted into the Gamecock Athletic Hall of Fame.
im an LR alum and a Mooney Player fan and I was at that game. The one play that sealed the game, imo, was his reverse field run when he was trapped behind the LOS which would have resulted in not getting a critical late game first down, as I remember, He was a special player now doubt. I’m old but I don’t remember the failed 2 point conversion. No doubting you and am not surprised the Morgan was responsible.
Oh remember it well. Doug did return but Ed threw the wood to him at midfield unlike anyone else had to Doug. Funny thing week before that game we beat Lamar and levon Kirkland was the stud lb for them. Some great talent played on Blacksburgs field that year.
i saw freddie play my team lower richland in play off for state champion ship . in the MOONEY PLAYER days.we won but i'll have to say he was the best high school player I ever saw. i've seen lots of football games in my 80 yrs. that my two cents worth.
Clowney and Summers for me. Sometimes I type Summers name in the internet and watch his highlights - amazing.
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