With a three-game winning streak to end the regular season a year ago, Hilton Head Prep turned a forgettable season into one the Dolphins didn’t want to see end.
They’ll try to pick up where they left off with a 2019 team whose confidence — and roster — was bolstered by the late-season success.
“That was huge,” senior lineman Bradbury Kiser said. “Not even just the confidence, but getting kids out there. They all want to be a part of it.”
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The win streak, capped by a stunning 35-19 win over rival Hilton Head Christian Academy that gave the Dolphins the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, helped coax several players from other sports onto the gridiron this fall, including potential stars like Tyrone Calloway and Luke Bennett.
The influx of athletes — who Prep hopes to convert into football players as the season progresses — gives the Dolphins a supporting cast around star quarterback Stone McDonald.
With McDonald back and working behind an experienced offensive line, the Dolphins will be on opponents’ radar from the start this year, so if they again wind up with that No. 1 seed, no one can say they didn’t see it coming.
“I think we’re OK with that,” McDonald said. “I think we play to our opponents, and if they give us their best, we’re going to give them our best. I’m excited.”
HILTON HEAD PREP DOLPHINS FOOTBALL (click for team page)
Coach: Dave Adams
Record at HHP: 9-18 (4th season)
2018 record: 4-6 overall, 2-1 region (lost in first round of SCISA 2A playoffs)
Returning starters: 8 offense, 5 defense
Offensive scheme: Double wing
Defensive scheme: 5-3
Top returners: QB Stone McDonald, RB Tommy Stauffer, OL Bradbury Kiser, SE/DE Carson King, K Trevor Weldon
Notable losses: RB Hunter Hopman, LB Gage Hurlbut, DE Ben Pellicci
PLAYER TO WATCH
Tyrone Calloway, WR: A star point guard on the basketball team, Calloway is a speedster who gives the Dolphins a downfield threat as well as a playmaker who can turn short passes into big gains. As he and quarterback Stone McDonald build a rapport, look for him to become a factor in the offense.
BURNING QUESTION
Who will anchor the defense?
The Dolphins have one of the area’s best quarterbacks in McDonald and plenty of weapons at his disposal, but they also have question marks on defense. Only five starters are back on that side of the ball, and they will have to take on greater leadership roles. Carson King is a disruptive defensive end, but the rest of the unit is unproven, so Prep will need several players to step up.
REGION AND BEYOND
The Dolphins wound up with the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker after their upset of Hilton Head Christian Academy last year, and they have the talent to be right there with the Eagles again this year. The offense should be good enough to stay in just about any game, and if they stay healthy and peak at the right time a deep run in November is well within the realm of possibility.
SCHEDULE
8/23 — vs. Memorial Day
8/30 — vs. Colleton Prep
9/6 — Open
9/13 — vs. Thomas Heyward
9/20 — vs. Orangeburg Prep*
9/27 — at John Paul II*
10/4 — at Carolina Academy
10/11 — vs. Bethesda Academy
10/18 — at Dorchester Academy
10/25 — vs. Northwood Academy*
11/1 — at Hilton Head Christian*
*region opponent
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