Sertoma to help answer key questions of football season

HIGH SCHOOLS

The Sertoma Classic, the unofficial start of the high school football season, is just eight days away. Here are five questions that will be answered over the next few weeks:

Will Stratford rebound?

The Stratford Knights were the rock of the Lowcountry football world heading into the 2007.

Coach Ray Stackley's teams were 118-18 over the past decade, averaging nearly 12 victories a season. The Knights had a 58-game region winning streak heading into the season.

But even the Knights are prone to one bad season. The Knights lost two conference games and finished 5-7 last year. The defense was substandard compared to past Stratford units, allowing 22.3 points per game.

Will West Ashley continue to improve?

Bobby Marion wasn't a miracle worker in his first year at West Ashley. He was a muscle worker, stressing that his players have to hit the weights if they want to compete at the Class AAAA level. The team worked hard in the weight room and showed improvement on the field, posting a 4-7 record.

This year, the Wildcats are stronger, more experienced and could cause headaches in Region 8-AAAA. Marion's squad returns 32 lettermen, including 13 starters. Eight of the starters are back on offense, including K.J. Cohen, who passed for 1,492 yards and 10 TDs last fall?

Will Timberland win the state championship?

Two years ago, Timberland lost the Class AAA state championship to Blythewood on a last-second field goal. Last year, the Wolves were somewhat depleted by graduation and injuries, but still averaged 36.3 points per game en route to a 9-3 record.

This year, the Wolves are loaded with three of the state's top 25 players.

Offensive lineman Quinton Washington is massive at 6-4, 320, running back Rockarius King is elusive at 5-8, 180 with 4.4 speed, and defensive end Aldrick Fordham is good enough to have earned and accepted a scholarship from the University of South Carolina.

Oh yeah, the Wolves will compete at the Class AA level for at least the next two years.

How good will the new teams be?

The Cane Bay Cobras and Ashley Ridge Swamp Foxes will field extremely young and inexperienced teams this fall. Both teams' rosters include only freshmen and sophomores, so the youngsters will learn something from the school of hard knocks early in the season. But both schools hired experienced coaches with excellent resumes.

Jeff Cruce, the coach at Cane Bay, took a slumping Hanahan program and turned it around, with 112 victories in 13 years.

Doc Davis, the coach at Ashley Ridge, won 178 games and five state championships in 18 years at Spartanburg High before taking the job in the Lowcountry.

Who are the top 10 returning players in the Lowcountry?

This list could change almost daily, but there's a lot of talent in the Lowcountry. Here are my top 10 returning players:

Lineman Quinton Washington, Timberland; defensive back Nick Carson, Hanahan; defensive back Denzel Myers, North Charleston; running back Rockarius King, Timberland; defensive end Aldrick Fordham, Timberland; defensive end Duane Chisolm, Beaufort; running back Greg Roper, St. John's, quarterback Galen Bennett, Fort Dorchester; lineman Cedric Chisolm, West Ashley and quarterback Robert Smith, Woodland.

Warrior Jamboree

Stall will hold its Warrior Jamboree on Friday at West Ashley High School.

The Warriors' stadium is having it lights worked on, hence the move to the Wildcats' venue.

West Ashley will play James Island at 6 p.m., and Bishop England and Fort Dorchester will battle at 7 p.m.

The night concludes with Stall playing Wando at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $6.

Reach Philip M. Bowman at pbowman@postandcourier.com or 937-5592.