By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
The dog days of summer are the slowest to pass when waiting for the Friday Night Lights of fall. But for the Woodruff football team, June served as a springboard for a 2022 season that carries lofty expectations for an experience and talent-laden Wolverines’ roster.
As the temperatures heat up, so does competition at 7 on 7 passing camps and tournaments across the state, and the Wolverines have been busy airing it out through the humid, muggy air.
Carson Tucker, returning for his third season as the Wolverines’ starting quarterback, has potentially his most loaded receiving corps yet at his disposal. The time spent with his wideouts this summer, he says, “has been invaluable.”
“The team is looking great,” said Tucker. “Wide receivers, defensive backs, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, all of it. But me personally, I have to step up my game before the season starts working on timing, ball placement, and all of that good stuff.”
That timing with the receiving corps has improved with each successive passing competition, and Tucker has no shortage of weapons at his disposal.
Rising seniors Anthony Graybill and Nemo Cochran are the elder statesmen, with rising junior D.J. Nash considered a rising star, along with soon-to-be-sophomore Hunter West. Kory Scott will be a junior with a versatile skill set that will allow him to play receiver or running back, and Cam Nabors has seen time at the running back position along with highly-touted rising freshman Jordan Hood who has seen his share of quality reps this summer.
“It makes my job a lot easier having a bunch of studs out there,” Tucker said. “In years past, we maybe had one or two main wide receivers, but this year we can spread it out a lot more and get it to everybody.”
Graybill, who burst onto the scene last season as a junior, is a two-way player who also patrols the Wolverines’ secondary, but his skills at wide receiver have garnered a lot of attention over the offseason, and it has seen his recruiting stock rise with several contending FCS schools showing interest in the sure-handed speedster.
He is using the summer games and camps to refine his craft and get on the same page with his teammates.
“Carson knows where we are going to be before we even come out of our breaks which is important in creating separation,” said Graybill. “The chemistry and connection with our wide receiving corps and with Carson is a lot stronger this year. I know we are ready for the season.”
Head coach Bradley Adams knows he has a talented group on his hands, and this year he has ramped up the degree of difficulty in scheduling 7 on 7 dates including participating in one of the state’s largest tournaments held at the University of South Carolina against top-flight teams from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Adams is also looking at the big picture and has been working hard with every position group to ensure every player understands their responsibilities and what they have to do to improve the team.
“We are continuing to work on getting better each day,” Adams said. “We have a few guys on the perimeter that we feel can be a threat to make big plays every time they touch the ball. Our biggest challenge right now is the most important part of football. We are extremely young up front on the offensive line. That is our main focus throughout the summer as we continue to develop and mold chemistry on offense. All the weapons on the perimeter mean nothing if we cannot get the ball out to them.”
However, Tucker and Graybill have the utmost confidence that each unit will perform at a high level. The 2022 Wolverines are not only one of the most talented Woodruff teams on paper in the past ten years but also one of the most experienced in most areas. With over 20 seniors on the projected roster, the players know the time to win is now, starting with the continuity they are developing this summer.
That belief in themselves and a sense of urgency is the recipe for an exciting season.
“We have all grown up together as a unit and have caught countless balls from Carson,” noted Graybill. “Being together for all of these years helps with our chemistry.”
Tucker added, “We have all been playing together since pee wee football, so the chemistry is there. We just have to make a run for it. This is the culture at Woodruff. Growing up watching guys like Ryan Perkins, Keevon Gist, all those guys, and watching Coach (Brian) Lane and Coach (Trey) Elder, we just have to keep the culture going and run with it.”
One of Adams’ mantras is to be the best you have to compete with and beat the best. His rising upperclassmen have been battle-tested over the past two seasons, and he sees that as a positive. This upcoming senior class has taken on a mentoring role for the younger Wolverines.
“Our older guys with experience know what it takes to play tough competition on a Friday night,” he said. “Our inexperienced players do not know that right now. They will learn it once they are put up to the test. The older guys are using what they know and relating it to the younger players. It is always rewarding to watch the older guys coach the younger ones.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
