Johnsonville has some holes to fill from Class A lower state championship team
Golden Flashes do return 4-year starter Malik Shippy at quarterback
Dillon – Johnsonville High School is coming off of a football season in which it won its first 13 games before losing to Christ Church in the Class A state championship game.
The Golden Flashes lost eight starters on offense from that team, including 2,000-yard rusher Daquan Burroughs, and five starters on defense.
“We're a work in progress right now,” said JHS head coach Ken Cribb following a 7-on-7 event at Dillon High School. “We’re learning on the run and we're just trying to get a little bit better every day.”
Cribb said he hopes his returning players will take some added confidence and swagger into the upcoming season after last year’s run. However, he’s being realistic as well.
“We're just going to work hard and try to do it the right way and see where the chips fall,” Cribb said. We had a really good year, but a lot of them cats are gone. We're starting over, but they've worked really, really hard. We've had a good summer so far. We're excited about the season and we'll see what it holds.”
While Johnsonville lost Burroughs, it does return quarterback Malik Shippy, a Furman commitment. He will be in his fourth season as a starter.
“He's been a blessing,” Cribb said of Shippy. “Malik's a great kid, loves football. He's like another coach on the field. Heck, he might can run it (the offense) better than I can sometimes. He's a blessing to have and kids don't come along like him a lot.”
As to who will be lining up in the 1-back formation with Shippy, senior Neil Martin is listed as the starter. However, Cribb said he will be far from the only player toting the football.
“It's going to be a kind of running-back-by-committee thing,” he said. “We've got Neal Martin, (junior) CJ Woodberry, (senior)Travis Wilson. We’ve also got freshman Zaghe Davis, who had a good year on JV (junior varsity) last year.”
While there will be some new faces, what the Flashes will be doing on either side of the football will remain very familiar to its fans.
“We're going to be pretty much the same,” Cribb said. “We’re going to do what we do and try to be balanced and take what the defense gives us on offense. On defense we try to fly around and be fundamentally sound.”
The defense is led by Martin, who has committed to North Greenville. The other linebackers are juniors Landon Cribb and Tashawn Brown.
Other seniors who are expected to start are center Taylor Davis and Wilson at wide receiver. Wilson will also start on the defensive line along with Kyle Alford and Luke Altman.
Coach Cribb likes the way the spring and summer have gone for his team.
“We've had a good summer so far,” he said. “The kids have bought in and they're pretty much doing what they're supposed to be doing. I've been pleased with the effort.
“We only got four or five practices in during the spring. We’re a small school, so we have kids playing baseball, running tack, so many different things. We do so much year around though I think we're going to be OK scheme-wise.”
Johnsonville opens its season on August 18 with a road game against North Central.
About us
Recognizing the achievements of young athletes in South Carolina since 1986.