WAGENER — Football followers in northern Aiken County have some fresh faces and places to process this season, with Wagener-Salley High School's team having a first-year coach and being on the verge of stepping into a new playing facility.
Coach E'Mond Brown, whose years as a player included time at Wagener-Salley and White Knoll, spent the past five years at Midland Valley as an assistant coach for the Mustangs, starting with the running backs and then moving on to become offensive coordinator; and Brown is on course to lead the War Eagles in their last game at the school's old stadium and their first game in the new one, which has been taking shape over the past year.
The War Eagles started the season with a big victory on the road, shutting out Great Falls 48-0.
Brown's teens will have their first home game Aug. 28 vs. Branchville, and the shift into a new facility is to take place Sept. 4, with Ninety Six as the visitors.
Unity, Brown said, is a key concept at this point in his team's formation. "I feel like our players have great chemistry with each other," he said, noting that many of the players have years of experience together from recreation-league play followed by time at A.L. Corbett Middle School.
Among the most experienced of the bunch is senior Zamien Capers, on course to play wide receiver and nickel corner, the coach said. "He played varsity his freshman and sophomore years. He broke his leg his junior year, but he'll be a big player for us."
Another familiar figure is a wide receiver with plenty of field time is coming by way of Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High. "Trenton Summers … transferred in from H-K-T. He's a Wagener native but … transferred after his junior year."
Another H-K-T transfer with three years of varsity experience is Kaleb Landy, on course to be a linebacker and defensive end, the coach added. "He's originally from Wagener, also."
Among the biggest of the bunch are freshman Cam Williams, a left tackle listed at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds; and sophomore Khrist Gardner, a right tackle, at 6-2 and "about 280 pounds," Brown said.
The War Eagles, he said, have a good mixture in terms of class levels. "Our senior class is … super-talented, but we've also got a good group of ninth-graders that came in from a pretty good A.L. Corbett system this year.
He added, "I truly think that any team that lines up against us is in for a long night. They'll have to play a full four quarters to beat us."
This season will have the War Eagles in Region 4-A, with neighbors including Barnwell, Blackville-Hilda, H-K-T and Calhoun County. Wagener-Salley's 2025 season, with Blaze Gillespie in his second and final year as head coach, reached the second round of the playoffs and wound up with records of 5-7 overall and 2-3 in region play.
Leave a Comment