2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Gamecocks eager to get over the playoff hump

The New Brockton Gamecocks had made the playoffs six straight times but have gone 1-6 during that span, as well.

In the past 12 years, New Brockton has made 10 playoff appearances and has recorded just one playoff win during that span. In fact, in the past 30 years New Brockton has won a total of three playoff games. This fact is not lost on Gamecock coach Zack Holmes or his team.

“At some point we have to be a program that doesn’t just make the playoffs. We have to get over that hump,” Holmes flatly said. “In the past 10 years I think New Brockton has one playoff win and we need to get over that hump.”

Holmes pointed to the team’s slow starts in the past three seasons – even before he came to the program – as a big contributor in the team’s playoff struggles. New Brockton started 0-3 in both 2018 and 2019 and started 0-2 in 2017.

“I think it starts with how we’ve started slow the last few years. It’s hard to go on the road and win in the playoffs,” Holmes said. “So, it’s important that we start fast to give ourselves a chance to be able to host in the playoffs. I think that comes with being focused on the day each and every day.

We’d like to win the region but for me, it’s about not just getting to the playoffs but it’s being able to compete and win some playoff games.”

Things won’t get any easier for the Gamecocks either as New Brockton moves up to Class 3A for the first time in school history. Since New Brockton first began playing football in 1974, the Gamecocks have been either Class 1A or Class 2A every year until now.

Holmes said that the expectations he has for the 2020 Gamecocks is the same as he had every year, to consistently get better.

“We say we’re going to be better everyday and that’s what we try to focus on,” Holmes said.

Holmes has been impressed with the work his team has put in during the summer.

“Summer workouts have been outstanding. Attendance has been good, their attitude has been good and the work they’re putting in is good,” Holmes said. “The most notable thing is that you can tell that with it getting so hot in June that the kids haven’t been outside as much, so the heat acclimation is really important.”

The Gamecock offense loses 1,000-yard rusher Kyan Horne, a pair of linemen and all-state tight end/punter Rusell Weeks, but still returns a veteran nucleus that Holmes expects to get even better in 2020.

Junior quarterback Kaden Cupp is coming into his third year as the starting quarterback and Holmes said that he will have more freedom in the offense than ever before.

“We’ll take the reins off of Kaden a little bit more and he’ll have the freedom to (make audibles) and keep us out of bad plays, which is going to be good,” Holmes said.

Replacing a productive back like Horne will likely be done with a rotation that will include senior Enterprise transfer Jordan Tacey, junior Jamarcus Brown and senior linebacker/running back Julian Noble.

Replacing Weeks’ production in the passing game will also be more of a rotation with senior safety/receiver Colton Marsh, senior cornerback/receiver Avery Weed and junior receiver CJ Wilkerson being called on for additional production in the passing game.

On the offensive line, sophomore Curtis Wambles, senior Hambone McGhee and sophomore Bradley Adkison return from last year’s team along with senior Brik Schofield who didn’t play last season, but was a starter in 2018.

On the defensive side, Holmes said that the Gamecocks would continue to use the same scheme but will give offenses different looks.

“Our focus has been the same scheme but we’re going to try and be more multiple and give different looks,” Holmes said. “Last year it was about getting the base defense in but now we’ll put more stuff in terms of coverages and things like that. I’m really excited about the defense because they’re going to be giving offenses a bunch of different looks.”

The Gamecock defense returns a number of players with starting experience including Weed at cornerback, Marsh, safety Trae Boland and linebackers Jack Royce, Julian Noble and Drew Cashin. Tacey will also be called to play linebacker and Enterprise transfer Damarion Holt will play in the secondary.

The defensive line will be a point of emphasis in fall camp for the Gamecocks after losing the production of all-state linemen Josh Cardwell and Brandon McCoy from last season.

Noble and Marsh are expected to be the leaders of the Gamecock defense and those two, along with Cupp, are the fastest players on the team. Holmes said that he expects both to return kicks this season along with Tacey.

The kicking game is another phase of the game that New Brockton is looking for answers at early on. Weeks was an all-state punter for two years at New Brockton and McCoy handled field goals and PATs. Marsh has been practicing PATs and backup quarterback Brayson Carr has been punting in practice along with Cupp.

The answer, though, may be senior soccer player Jacob Bustamante, who Holmes said he hopes can win all of the kicking duties.

Unfortunately, due to a New Brockon student contracting COVID-19, and having close contact with the football team, the entire team was placed into a 14-day quarantine on Aug. 14 leading to the rescheduling of the Aug. 21 game against Cottonwood and cancellation of the Aug. 28 game against Georgiana. New Brockton's game with Cottonwood will be played on Oct. 30.