Orangeburg Prep hopes switch in offensive philosophy pays dividends caoming down stretch
Indians using more of a run-oriented attack to better utilize talent
Orangeburg – After suffering a 45-14 loss to Dillon Christian School in the second game of the season, Orangeburg Preparatory School football head coach Brooks Smith and his staff decided it was time for a change. Not among players or positions, but in offensive philosophy.
The change was in going from a more balanced attack to an option attack. It still remains to be seen how everything plays out, but Smith likes what he’s seen so far.
Orangeburg Prep had a great showing against Clarendon Hall the following week, winning 55-23. That was followed by a 38-6 loss to Dorchester Academy, a game in which the Indians turned the ball over six times in the first half. They scored 23 points in a 14-point loss to Greenwood Christian School in their SCISA Region 2-2A opener before beating Carolina Academy 37-6.
“We’ve always had it in our repertoire,” said Smith, whose team was 2-5 after a 42-8 region loss to Williamsburg Academy on October 2. “We had a lot of injuries early in the season, and we felt like we needed to regroup and see what we can do best moving forward.”
Smith said junior quarterback Cholly Williams has handled the switch to a more run-oriented offense well, both physically and mentally.
“He’s done great,” Smith said. “I met with him before we went to it. I told him we were going to a single wing, gimmicky offense. We were going through some things with it where we would work to being a true option team. Cholly said, ‘Coach, I’m not worried stats. I just want to win ball games.’
“Before this, I don’t know if he had taken a snap under center. It’s getting better. He’s done a great job. Him having multiple reads, I felt like he was ready for it.”
It’s not as if the Indians have abandoned the forward pass. Williams put it up 21 times against GCS, Orangeburg Prep passing a lot after falling behind. He completed seven of them for 137 yards and one touchdown. Against Carolina, he was 11 of 17 for 156 yards and a score while rushing for 33 yards and a score on five carries.
Through the first six games, Willaims had connected on 56 of 109 passes for 881 yards and eight scores.
Someone who has stepped in and become a key player in the running attack is junior Mikah Gilmore. A transfer from independent Orangeburg Christian School where he played on the offensive line, The 6-foot, 225-pound Gilmore had rushed for 350 yards and two touchdowns on 65 carries.
Most of that came against Greenwood Christian and Carolina. He carried the ball 15 times for 89 yards against GCS while rambling for 112 yards and a score on 13 carries against the Bobcats.
“He’s one we had high hopes for,” Smith said. “He really worked hard over the summer in converting to a running back/fullback type. He does a great job blocking for us, and he runs hard.”
Senior tight end Marshall Livingston has been the top target for Williams. Livingston had 25 catches for 371 yards and three touchdowns. The Indians’ big play receiver is senior Maxx Judy. He had 13 receptions for 295 yards and two scores, Sophomore Teddy McElhone had two TD grabs among his seven catches for 48 yards.
Livingston is having a pretty good season defensively as well. The defensive back had 52 tackles, three tackles for a loss, three interceptions, one fumble recovery and one fumble caused.
Junior linebacker Max Strickland is the leading tackler with 72 to go with four TFLs. Sophomore defensive lineman Cam Jolley led in TFLs with five among his 26 tackles, while senior linebacker Blake Inabinet led in quarterback sacks with three to go with 40 tackles. Williams had 50 tackles and a pick as a defensive back.
Smith hopes the Indians will settle in to the new offense and find their groove as the playoffs draw near.
“It comes down to execution,” the second-year head coach said. “We’re a more physical team. Everybody we play says that. They play hard, they play for one another. It just comes down to execution.
“Record-wise, of course, we’d like it to be better. As far as the kids go, I have no complaints. They’re working hard, and they’re getting better every day. I can’t ask for anymore from them from an effort standpoint. They practice hard, and they play hard.”
OP VOLLEYBALL HAVING STREAKY SEASON
The Orangeburg Prep volleyball team had five different streaks through their matches of September 30. Two of them were winning streaks and three were losing streaks as the Indians had yet to follow a single win with a single loss.
OP opened the year with two losses and followed it with two victories. Two losses came after that before it reeled off five straight wins. That was followed by four losses and amounted to a 7-8 overall ,;record and a 1-1 mark in SCISA Region 1-AAA.
Orangeburg Prep is coming off a 13-8 campaign in which it loss three All-Region performers to graduation. The Indians are young with just two seniors.
The Indians are led by senior Mary Legare Delaney, the reigning Region 1-AAA Player of the Year. She led Orangeburg Prep in kills with 98 and blocks with 23 to go with 26 service aces, 39 digs and 128 serves received.
Sophomore Blakely Garrick had 75 kills, senior Morgan Gue 74 and junior Harlo Sease 73. Sease led in aces with 37 followed by Garrick with 30, while eighth-grader Olivia Willams had 25. Junior Zita Keyter had 15 blocks.
Sease led in digs with 73 followed by Garrick with 64 and Williams with 48. Sophomore Marisa Griffith was the assists leader with 109 followed by Williams with 84. Sease led in serves received with 167.
Other members of the team are sophomore Brynley Bolen, freshman Hanna Bair and freshman Alyssa Williamson.
