Highly Regarded Quarterback Will Lead Top Ranked Dillon To Success In 2025
Dillon Coach Kelvin Roller.
HSSR AAA Football Ranking
(As of 7-26-2025)

1.Dillon
2. Mountain View Prep
3. Oceanside Collegiate
4. Loris
5. BHP
6. Woodruff
7. Newberry
8. Powdersville
9. Christ Church
10. Aynor
11. Orangeburg-Wilkinson
12. Hanahan
13. Swansea
14. St. Joseph’s
15. Swansea
Highly Regarded Quarterback Will Lead Top Ranked Dillon To Success In 2025
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Moncks Corner—The HSSR is just being the messenger with a prediction that Dillon will win the 2025 AAA state football championship with rising freshman Under Armour all-American quarterback Khayel Sam Fonga-Talia (6-1,191) leading the way, along with North Carolina wide receiver commitment Zay Robertson (6-0,170,4.4).
Behind Dillon in the HSSR Class AAA football ranking is second ranked Mountain View Prep, the defending AAA champions Oceanside Collegiate is number three, followed by Loris and BHP at 4-5 respectively.
Dillon finished 10-2 last season. In this tradition rich football community, the goals and expectations never change. “We always want to be playing our best football once the play-offs start,” said head coach Kelvin Roller. “We always have a goal of playing in the final game and competing for a state championship.
“I have coached at both Dillon and Marlboro County, and sometimes you win a state championship, not so much for having more talent, but for having focused hard-working players who play with unity and purpose,” said Coach Roller. “It’s all about getting everyone, coaches included, to work towards a goal of winning a championship.”
Dillon set attendance records for junior varsity football games last season when “Khayel” lit up the scoreboard with his big time NFL arm. He and Robertson are a match made in heaven, and opposing defenses will have fits trying to stop the Wildcat’s balanced attack of run and throw during the 2025 season. As they say, “Chose your poison?”
Dillon head coach Kelvin Roller is very high on his young quarterback. “Aside from his physical size, Khayel is a quarterback who can make all the throws,” said Coach Roller. “No doubt he is a special player with a huge upside. The thing that has also impressed me is his leadership skills to be an incoming freshman. The guys on the team look up to him and follow him around everywhere. He’s a young man that leads by example.
“Zay is just a great natural athlete who is also a talented basketball player,” said Coach Roller. “When he faces press coverage is it similar to the defenses he sees as a point guard on the basketball team. He is long and lengthy and he catches a ball at high point. He is so fluid and a great route runner also. He is a very smart football player.
“We expect Khayel to help Zay and vice-versa this season,” said Coach Roller. “We will have some talent on the other side also.”
Senior Dominick Felton returns as a key running back, after nursing injures his sophomore and junior seasons. “We know that Dominick is a good football player, and he gives us great depth at running back, but we need for him to stay healthy,” said Coach Roller.
The offensive line returns left guard Kiele Pompey (6-0,270). “He’s the strongest kid on the team,” said Coach Roller. “He is built like a brick house and he is very coachable.” Pompey will flip to the defensive line this season and start both ways, a very rare two- way player for Dillon.
The OL should also add depth from Dillon Christian sophomore transfer Jasper McEntyre (6-4,245) who will start at one of the tackle slots. “Jasper is a big kid with good football genes,” said Coach Roller. “His father played at Wofford and his grandfather played at South Carolina.
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Depth at WR is expected to come from senior Rike Niyongabo and Jotavious McAlister who is being moved from FS to slot receiver.
Freshman Nibras Huggins, cousin to former Dillon WR Ahmari Bruce Huggins who played at Louisville, will be the team’s back-up quarterback and he will add depth at receiver.
Coach Roller also said that linebacker Daniel Capehart (6-1, 195) looked good in the play-offs last year when he got some carries at running back. “Capehart has had an extremely good off-season and he is locked up with more strength this season. He runs a legit 4.5 forty. He reminds me of some of those old schools I formation running backs that run downhill right at you.” Capehart will still start at linebacker on defense where he had 120 tackles last year including three TFL and three sacks.
Noah Singletary also returns to provide depth at running back. Keyshawn Ray will see action as a tight end and linebacker.
Speaking of the Nasty Cats of defense, leading tackler linebacker Keriyon Brown returns bigger, stronger and faster and he will lead the linebacking group. Brown led the defense with 158 total tackles last season, including 9 TFL and three sacks.
“Keriyon is a three-year starter with great football instincts and he was just a tackling machine last year,” said Coach Roller. “He is also a good team leader. He is an outstanding linebacker who can also come down and play in the box.”
Kelvion Manning returns at FS where he 49 tackles and five TFL a year ago. Tristian Blue returns to play LB after having 49 tackles and three sacks last season. JJ McAlister is back at one corner after having four picks last season. Sophomore Lucas Butler (6-1, 180) will see action in the defensive front this season. Jamir Washington and Dan Rogers will provide depth in the defensive front also. Dontavious Tanksley should provide depth at LB and in the DL.
Dillon will have a new kicker with the same last name of last year’s place kicker. Steven Rojas has graduated but his brother Jose Rojas will take over place kicking this season. While punting duties are still up in the air, JJ Campbell is back after doing a good job in the play-offs last season.
Dillon’s first scrimmage in August will be hosted by Carolina Forest and they will also be joined by teams form North Myrtle Beach and West Florence. On June, 19 Dillon will also compete in a 7-on-7 skills competition camp at USC. Last year they played in the championship finals against a highly regarded team from Atlanta.
Dillon will once against host the Dillon Jamboree on August, 15 and the Wildcats will play Darlington. Dillon will start the regular season on the road at Scotland County, NC on August, 22. There next two games are at home against Socastee and Wilson.
The only thing that will stop Dillon’s potent offense in 2025 is unfortunate injuries and everyone hopes that will not happen.
As long as Mountain View Prep has senior running back Jaylen McGill in the back field, they will be a strong contender for the goal medal round in AAA this season.
McGill’s recruiting has been all over the place. In January he committed to Rutgers, then flipped to North Carolina in April, and there was even one report that he would reclassify to the 2025 class and enroll at North Carolina over the summer. Apparently, McGill is staying at MVP and that gives his team every opportunity to be a contender in AAA.
McGill rushed for 1,658 yards on 163 carries while scoring 24 touchdowns as a junior. He has a good set of hands also catching 22 passes for 379 yards and seven touchdowns.
After beating Dillon in the AAA playoffs last season, Oceanside Collegiate went on to win a state title with an impressive 35-17 win over BHP at South Carolina State University.
The Sharks will also be a contender in AAA this year as long as they keep very talented junior quarterback Aiden Manavian (6-0,185) healthy. In the championship game last December Manavian was lights out completing 21-of-26 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
Oceanside did graduate 17 seniors. They will return seven starters this season. They will have a strong defensive front led by Appalachian State defensive end verbal commitment Sawyer Arnold (6-4,220) and Mike Jones. Arnold finished with over 20 sacks, and Jones, who also flips to the offensive line had nearly the same.
The Sharks were coached by interim head coach John Patterson and he had no desire to continue on after the season. Brent LaPrad, who had been coaching the defense was named the head coach in January.
After being named the head coach, Coach LaPrad shared his elation. “This is the best high school football coaching job in the state of South Carolina, and it truly is my dream job,” said Coach LaPrad. “I want my 8-year-old son SJ o one day play for the Landsharks and graduate from Oceanside Collegiate Academy. I can’t wait to get to work and continue building something special at OCA, on and off the field.”
