Saluda begins what it hopes is a run to AA state title against Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Head coach Greg Woerner said Tigers are taking the journey one game at a time
Saluda – This has been a special season for the Saluda High School football team. The Tigers are 8-2 on the season, won the region title in a region that included the defending AA state champion, got the No. 2 seed in the lower state portion of the bracket in the state playoffs and the first-round bye that came with it.
All of that’s nice, but the push to make it a truly special season starts on November 13 when SHS plays host to Region 4 foe Orangeburg-Wilkinson in a second-round game. That will be the start of what Saluda hopes is four victories that will secure a state championship.
“The ultimate goal is to win a state championship,” said Tigers head coach Greg Woerner, who is in his second season in charge. “But we can't win state without winning the first game. That is our first goal, win the first playoff game. And we are going to do that the way we have done the whole season, focusing on what we can control, focusing on winning one play at a time.”
Since the Bruins are a region foe, that means SHS played it during the regular season. Saluda won 56-41, handing Orangeburg=Wilkinson its first loss of the season at that point. The Tigers played defending state champion Strom Thurmond the next week and handed it its first loss as well with a 31-27 triumph.
“We knew this season could be a special season,” said Woerner, whose team went 5-0 to claim the region. “It's a message that we have said to the team all offseason in preparation for this year, so I would not say that this season has been a surprise to us. We knew it had the potential to be a special season.”
And one of the main reasons for that is the talent SHS possesses on offense. Running back Tristan Daniels has rushed for 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns on 154 carries. Daniels also has 10 catches for 235 yards and five more scores.
Daniels isn’t the only one who can hurt you taking a handoff or catching a pass. Darryl Hill has 38 receptions for 895 yards and 10 touchdowns while picking up 51 yards and another score on nine carries. Ceddion Springs has 26 catches for 495 yards and eight TDs while using 20 rushes to pick up 295 yards and two more touchdowns.
Mekhi Linton has 10 grabs for 128 yards and four TDs.
The trigger man for the passing game is quarterback Avery Coyle. He’s connected on 99 of 158 passes for 2,111 yards and 29 scores.
“We have a lot of guys who can make a big play happen anytime they touch the ball,” Woerner said. “Having a QB like Avery Coyle, who is able to get the ball to those playmakers, also helps this offense. We just focus on one play at a time, stay on schedule and let the big plays happen when they do.”
The defense has been involved in some epic shootouts and then had some games where it was dominant.
“Our defense has had a different journey than our offense,” Woerner said. “The offense has been running the same base offense for the last three seasons, so they have that base of knowledge. The defense is under a new coordinator for the third season, so they were still learning the defense and its goals and nuances early in the season. I think that the defense has really come on the last few weeks and is starting to put it all together when it matters most heading into the playoffs.”
Jayden Myers leads Saluda in tackles with 94 with Jaylen Bledsoe is right behind with 92 stops. Bledsoe has five quarterback sacks, an interception and has a defensive touchdown, while Myers has three sacks.
Jahmeer Myers leads in tackles for loss with 15, while Bledsoe has 12, and Jayden Myers and JyDay Robinson have 10 apiece.
