Reitenour believes Jefferson Davis has a chance to be very good
Head coach likes look of Raiders despite loss of several key performers
Blackville – Jefferson Davis Academy lost a load of talented football players to graduation from last year’s squad that went 11-2 and lost in the semifinals of the SCISA 8-man state playoffs after winning the title in 2023. That, however, doesn’t deter Raiders head coach Anthony Reitenour from believing his squad can be right back in the mix for a title come November.
“This team is as good as any team I’ve coached since I’ve been here,” said Reitenour, who is off to a 1-1 start in his fourth season. “We’re still figuring out the right formula, the best fits at every position. With guys who have transferred in or have come up from the junior varsity, we’ve got a lot of guys who are new to the system on varsity. There have been plenty of growing pains but I’m seeing progression.
“I like where we are, and there are a lot of things to improve on. I feel like 8-man is pretty wide open this year. There is no clearcut, dominant program. It should be a good, competitive year, and I think we can be in those talks at the end of the year as much as anybody else.”
Jefferson Davis is having to replace its entire offensive backfield in quarterback Colson Loadholt and running backs Nasir Void and James Grubbs. Loadholt rushed for 769 yards and 15 touchdowns on 83 carries while completing 14 of 37 passes for 374 yards and six scores. Grubbs rushed for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns on 150 carries, while Void rushed or 1079 yards and 15 touchdowns on 132 carries. That’s 43 rushing touchdowns and 32 yards shy of 3,000 that need to be replaced.
The Raiders opened the season with a 38-8 loss to Providence Athletic Club, a home school team out of the Columbia area, on August 15. They bounced back with a 52-6 triumph over Cross Schools on August 22.
Senior Dalton Nix is the starting quarterback. He threw just three passes last season, but completed all of them for 29 yards and a score. Nix rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Reitenour hopes Nix can step up and take control of the position this year.
“I think he had first-game jitters against PAC, but he bounced back and had a good week of practice and played well against Cross,” Reitenour said. “There are things he needs to improve on and fix. We need him to step up and be the man. He wants it, he works hard, and he wants to step up and do it. Hopefully it will lead somewhere.”
As for running back, newcomer Gregory Lihan was listed as the starter. However, he suffered a dislocated elbow against Cross Schools and will likely miss a few games. Lihan ran for three touchdowns in the contest.
Despite that, Reitenour feels good about the running back room. Keegan Fanning stepped up and had a strong game against Cross Schools. Others who will be getting carries are Judson Bowers, Jake Harrington, Nolan Craig and .
“Considering we lost the entire backfield from last year, I feel pretty good about where we are,” Reitenour said. “I try to keep a good stable of running backs.”
Ray will also see time at wide receiver along with junior Reece Still, whom Reitenour calls the best athlete on the team. Offensively, Still had a team high seven receptions for 209 yards and two scores last season, and he also ran for three TDs.
“We’ve got to find a way to get him the ball,” Reitenour said of Still. “He’s the most athletic playmaker I have. I need him touchdown the ball eight to 10 times a game. I think he only touched it three times against Cross. He’s the guy this year, and we need him stepping up big time. I’ve got to find creative ways to get the ball in his hands for sure.”
Senior Landon Williams – no longer Little Landon following the graduation of Big Landon Williams -- is the starting tight end. Two of the three offensive linemen return in left tackle Fischer Robinson and center Bryson Livingston. The right tackle is Davison Owens.
Defensively, Still and Craig are the only two returning starters. Still will start in the secondary after . coming up with six interceptions, 25 tackles and three fumble recoveries last season. Craig had 49 tackles, five tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.
Connor Sandifer had a big game at end against Cross Schools, and Owens is also seeing time at end. The noseguard is Stanse Youngblood. Harrington and Bowers are the linebackers, and Fanning and Leighton Lihan are the other defensive backs.
Reitenour hopes the players who have been a part of the program for the past three years will help set the stage with the newcomers.
“We’ve got a lot of players who have played with very good football players the last three years,” he said. “They know the system. This is still assignment football. It’s a case of knowing what to do and doing their jobs.
“We did a little bit better (against Cross). I feel like we have all the parts we need. We have all the tools, we just have to figure out how to use them all. We have the bodies we need to have a successful defense, we just fine-tune it.”
