Head football coach Isaiah Perrin’s second season kicked off with a sloshfest, 21-8 win over Socastee at a soaked Robert Hayes field for a home opener delayed three days due to pouring rain. The first win for the Warriors signified the grueling work since Perrin’s first season to build a new culture with the program.
Through the off season, senior starting quarterback Harris Stone and Perrin grew a stronger connection.
“This year, I feel like me and Coach Perrin, we’ve gotten a lot closer, a lot tighter. You know, we speak more on the phone all the time during practice, and we’re more communicative… You know, our relationship just really grew more personal this year. I feel like I really know him,” Stone said.
Stone is excited about his wide receivers and running backs this year, both returning and promoted.
“This year. It’s a great thing to have [wide receiver] Dave [Vennard]. You know, he’s been my guy since freshman year. I’m always looking to get him the ball and, with that, it helps open up the field for the other receivers. Also, the running backs, just getting them more involved this year. Just, really motivating the guys to push for it every day,” Stone said.
Stone utilizes his ability to be a dual threat quarterback at times, something which he has been very vocal about using against opposing defenses since moving up to varsity as a sophomore.
“I love to pass the ball, but I also like to run the ball as well. I feel like it’s one of my strong suits. Some big guy I’m tough to bring down…We’ve added more plays where I run the ball this year, and, we run it more, more, continuously… I feel like that’ll be a big part of our game plan this year,” Stone said.
Perrin expects a lot from his senior quarterback but he believes in Stone to carry the offense behind his command under center.
“To step up and be more of a leader than he was last year… he has to take that role as a senior even more seriously. He’s going to be that catalyst of what we do offensively this year, if that’s throwing the ball or running the ball,” Perrin said.
Culture change was big in year one for Perrin, now he wants to set a higher standard for his team.
“That’s not just in games as in practices and doing little things every single day, that’s in the classroom, whatever the weight room, whatever… It starts with just teaching guys. You know, day one, this is the expectation, and this is the standard,” Perrin said.
Perrin is working with a different style of team in the new season, with experience and youth playing a role in the rotation.
“Offensively, we have some room to grow. We will be young on the offensive line compared to where we were last year. We’ve got some young guys who are going to step up as well,” Perrin said. “Defense looks really good. They look like they’ve worked hard all summer…Preaching intensity every single day. One of those guys to show up and just. Just be a physical, mean group,” Perrin said.
That defensive effort became evident Monday night as the Warriors held Socastee scoreless in the first half and only surrendered one score in the second.
Overall, Perrin’s play calling system is mostly hands off or split unless big situations arise at times during games. Craig will share offensive duties with him this year.Senior linebacker Matthew Payes steps into his second year as a team captain and is ready to take charge again this season. Payes is focused on lifting up the defense as a leader and teaching younger guys to continue attacking future snaps.
“It’s really all about being encouraging and making them feel like they’re that guy out there, that they can be the best player, they can be out there. Really have to encourage them and help them try and strive to be the best player,” Payes said.
