43 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com experienced with any of the teams in Region 6. “Our strongest competition could be anybody because we don’t have any familiarity with the teams,” Hall said. Despite these challenges and any adjustments his players will have to make, Hall is expecting the team “to be able to play with anybody on our schedule.” “A lot of players will have to step up and play a lot of positions at any given moment on both offense and defense,” Hall said. “But we have a chance even in my first year to have a winning season. And we are on the verge of taking that next stride to become a Lowcounty powerhouse.” OCEANSIDE LANDSHARKS Editor’s Note: This story does not contain a coaching profile due to the recent resignation of head coach Chad Wilkes that occurred on Aug. 27. Winning a football championship two years running is the goal of every player and coach, yet one of the rarest things for a team on any level to achieve. But now the Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks are on a quest to change that and solidify themselves as a football power. In South Carolina high school Division 1 football, repeating as state champions on any class level is one of the most soughtafter achievements – and one of the rarest for Lowcountry schools. While a host of Upstate teams such as Dutch Fork, Spartanburg, Byrnes and Woodruff have had multiple back-to-back runs since 1944, only AAAA Summerville has managed the feat in the Lowcountry. Depth will be needed to get the Landsharks through a gauntlet of a schedule, especially after being reclassified to AAA Region 6. They will face perennial contenders Irmo (4A), Ashley Ridge (5A), Calvary Day and Savannah Christian (both 3A) and the defending 5A state champion Dutch Fork – all in non-region play. In-conference opponents include the always tough Dillon, BeltonHonea Path and nearby Hanahan. The coaching staff’s main focus is keeping everyone healthy; the Landsharks were so injury-laden last season, they were forced to enter the state title game with a freshman quarterback. Aside from potential injuries and tough opponents, the biggest factor for the Landsharks could come down to simple experience in both winning and losing. For example, in the 2022 state title game, Abbeville defeated Oceanside 35-20. In 2023, the Landsharks posted a 12-2 mark en route to beating Gray Collegiate Academy 35-28 in a huge state title nailbiter that saw them trailing by 14 early, rallying to keep the game close with three ties and then holding on for dear life after scoring the winning points with just over 1 minute left in regulation. Seniors Will Virgilio and Grayson Freeling both said that even with a state title now in hand, lessons learned from the 2022 loss are still present. “It’s a different kind of pressure than what we were feeling last year, or in 2022,” said Freeling, a third year returning starter. Virgilio, who already has collegiate offers from Army and Navy, added that the chance to repeat is as much a motivator as the 2022 loss. “Now that we’ve experienced losing and winning in the title game, we’re as focused as last year, only this time to win it all again,” Virgilio said. Alongside them will be seniors Gavin Gaspar, who had two touchdown catches against Gray; right tackle Carson Lee, who kept many opposing defenders from getting to the quarterback; and linebacker Max Moorman, who can play multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Following the resignation of two-year head coach Chad Wilkes, who cited “personal reasons” in a letter to the school explaining his abrupt departure, former James Island head coach John Patterson will serve as Oceanside’s interim head coach for the foreseeable future. The question now is: Can Oceanside recreate another magical season and recapture that lightning in a bottle? Only time will tell.
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