Legion will get first taste of NCISAA football in 2021. And the Rock Hill team is ready
BY ALEX ZIETLOW
ROCK HILL SC If change and opportunity truly go hand-in-hand (and they do) — the Legion Collegiate Academy football team has a lot to play for in 2021.
The changes that the Rock Hill public charter school has seen since it opened in August 2019 have been well-documented:
▪ This summer, the Lancers broke away from the South Carolina High School League and joined the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, a prestigious coalition of private school programs that include athletic powerhouses Providence Day, Charlotte Latin and Charlotte Christian. (Opportunity: The move gives Legion a chance for national exposure in the near future, Legion officials say, as well as a fresh start after a rocky tenure with the SCHSL membership.)
▪ The Lancers also moved into a school — its own campus on an 80-plus-acre site in Rock Hill. After two years of practicing at city-owned parks, the team can lift weights and train where it learns. (Opportunity: A permanent campus provides a feeling of home, of cohesion, that undoubtedly spills over into the school’s athletic programs.)
▪ The football team, specifically, has found a new place to host its first-ever slate of home games, too. They’ll play three (maybe four) home games on Thursdays at Fuse Park in Gastonia, which is home to the Honey Hunters, a newly formed professional baseball team in North Carolina. (Opportunity: Home games and home crowds!)
With all that has happened, though, Legion football head coach Strait Herron has anchored himself to what he can control and what he knows.
And the longtime coach in Rock Hill knows football.
“I’ve always said, ‘You gotta coach them up as hard as you can,’” Herron told The Herald at a summer workout last month, “‘and then put the ball down and go play.’”
Here’s a close look at Legion’s football team in 2021.
MEET THIS LEGION COLLEGIATE TEAM
Leaders: A strength of the Lancers is the team’s receiving corps, and you can’t talk about the group without mentioning returning senior Skyler Woodard.
For a team that may struggle with depth early on, Woodard is invaluable: As a junior, the 5-foot-8 playmaker did a little bit of everything: He returned punts and kickoffs; he played defensive back; he lined up in the slot, on the outside, in the backfield — “anything you can think of,” Woodard said with a smile.
“Our goal is to accomplish things, make history, set records, do whatever I can to get myself there, you know?” Woodard told The Herald. He added, “We’re going to come out and play hard.”
Woodard will be joined by returning receivers AJ Smith (junior), Vic Lindsay (senior) and Judge Collier (junior), as well as a fresh prospect from Ohio with Division I potential Charles Green (senior) and others.
Another place to look for offensive contributions? Legion’s backfield. Some of those guys include returning senior running back Zion Rasheed and newcomers Elijah Coleman (sophomore) and JD Robinson (junior).
Valuable newcomers: Much of the rest of the Legion offense will be new. The team will tout a young, returner-less offensive line — and that may be accounted for in the team’s new offensive philosophy. (Expect more gap schemes instead of zone-blocking one-on-one, for instance.)
The Lancers quarterback, whether it be Grant Powell, Andrew Turner or Collier, will be new to taking varsity snaps, too. And so will much of the defensive line, which is expected to be led by Dylan Blackwell and Dylan McCollough.
One key hurdle Legion will have to clear is its depth. Or lack thereof.
Not that Herron pays that challenge much mind.
After all, as a Northwestern High School football player back in the 80s (and as part of the program’s first region championship team ever in 1985), Herron rarely came off the field. You name it, and he played it: from halfback to defensive end, from being on the punt return team to being on the punt block team.
It’s a different game now, Herron admitted. Expectations have changed, too.
But that doesn’t change Legion’s needs.
“I told them, ‘You gotta get in shape,’” Herron said. “‘You’re gonna play offense, you’re going to play defense, and you may even be on special teams. So either you want to do it and win, or don’t and take your chances.’”
LEGION FOOTBALL AT A GLANCE
Head coach: Strait Herron. (Herron won five state championships in seven years as head coach at South Pointe High School before retiring in 2018 and taking on the athletic director/football coaching job at Legion in 2019. He’ll be joined by another state-championship-winning coach in Bobby Carroll (DC), as well as Dustin Martin (OL coach), Spencer Carroll (OC), Shawn Woodard (DB coach) and others.)
Last year: 2-3 (2-2 Region 2-2A). Legion ended up finishing third in its region, just missing the playoffs, in its first and only year as a candidate for the SCHSL playoffs. COVID-19 issues canceled the team’s Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 games, which were the last two weeks of the 2020 regular season.
Base defense: 4-3.
Offensive philosophy: Balanced.
Key departures: Nate Kelly (RB, signed to Newberry); Parker Prevette (OL, returned to Northwestern for his senior year); Donaven Pittman (WR, transferred to Nation Ford); Joey Hylinski (QB, focusing on baseball in his senior season).
LEGION FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home games are taking place on select Thursdays (see below) at Fuse Park in Gastonia, N.C. Conference games below are indicated by an asterisk.
Aug. 20 at Providence Day*
Aug. 27 at Cannon School*
Sept. 2 vs. Gray Collegiate (Thursday)
Sept. 10 at Charlotte Christian*
Sept. 17 at Charlotte Latin*
Sept. 24 at Hemingway High School
Oct. 1 at Chesnee High School
Oct. 8 vs. New Hope Leadership Academy (Location TBD)
Oct. 14 vs. St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Thursday)
Oct. 22 at Landrum High School
Oct. 28 vs Blacksburg High School (Thursday)
BY ALEX ZIETLOW
ROCK HILL SC If change and opportunity truly go hand-in-hand (and they do) — the Legion Collegiate Academy football team has a lot to play for in 2021.
The changes that the Rock Hill public charter school has seen since it opened in August 2019 have been well-documented:
▪ This summer, the Lancers broke away from the South Carolina High School League and joined the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, a prestigious coalition of private school programs that include athletic powerhouses Providence Day, Charlotte Latin and Charlotte Christian. (Opportunity: The move gives Legion a chance for national exposure in the near future, Legion officials say, as well as a fresh start after a rocky tenure with the SCHSL membership.)
▪ The Lancers also moved into a school — its own campus on an 80-plus-acre site in Rock Hill. After two years of practicing at city-owned parks, the team can lift weights and train where it learns. (Opportunity: A permanent campus provides a feeling of home, of cohesion, that undoubtedly spills over into the school’s athletic programs.)
▪ The football team, specifically, has found a new place to host its first-ever slate of home games, too. They’ll play three (maybe four) home games on Thursdays at Fuse Park in Gastonia, which is home to the Honey Hunters, a newly formed professional baseball team in North Carolina. (Opportunity: Home games and home crowds!)
With all that has happened, though, Legion football head coach Strait Herron has anchored himself to what he can control and what he knows.
And the longtime coach in Rock Hill knows football.
“I’ve always said, ‘You gotta coach them up as hard as you can,’” Herron told The Herald at a summer workout last month, “‘and then put the ball down and go play.’”
Here’s a close look at Legion’s football team in 2021.
MEET THIS LEGION COLLEGIATE TEAM
Leaders: A strength of the Lancers is the team’s receiving corps, and you can’t talk about the group without mentioning returning senior Skyler Woodard.
For a team that may struggle with depth early on, Woodard is invaluable: As a junior, the 5-foot-8 playmaker did a little bit of everything: He returned punts and kickoffs; he played defensive back; he lined up in the slot, on the outside, in the backfield — “anything you can think of,” Woodard said with a smile.
“Our goal is to accomplish things, make history, set records, do whatever I can to get myself there, you know?” Woodard told The Herald. He added, “We’re going to come out and play hard.”
Woodard will be joined by returning receivers AJ Smith (junior), Vic Lindsay (senior) and Judge Collier (junior), as well as a fresh prospect from Ohio with Division I potential Charles Green (senior) and others.
Another place to look for offensive contributions? Legion’s backfield. Some of those guys include returning senior running back Zion Rasheed and newcomers Elijah Coleman (sophomore) and JD Robinson (junior).
Valuable newcomers: Much of the rest of the Legion offense will be new. The team will tout a young, returner-less offensive line — and that may be accounted for in the team’s new offensive philosophy. (Expect more gap schemes instead of zone-blocking one-on-one, for instance.)
The Lancers quarterback, whether it be Grant Powell, Andrew Turner or Collier, will be new to taking varsity snaps, too. And so will much of the defensive line, which is expected to be led by Dylan Blackwell and Dylan McCollough.
One key hurdle Legion will have to clear is its depth. Or lack thereof.
Not that Herron pays that challenge much mind.
After all, as a Northwestern High School football player back in the 80s (and as part of the program’s first region championship team ever in 1985), Herron rarely came off the field. You name it, and he played it: from halfback to defensive end, from being on the punt return team to being on the punt block team.
It’s a different game now, Herron admitted. Expectations have changed, too.
But that doesn’t change Legion’s needs.
“I told them, ‘You gotta get in shape,’” Herron said. “‘You’re gonna play offense, you’re going to play defense, and you may even be on special teams. So either you want to do it and win, or don’t and take your chances.’”
LEGION FOOTBALL AT A GLANCE
Head coach: Strait Herron. (Herron won five state championships in seven years as head coach at South Pointe High School before retiring in 2018 and taking on the athletic director/football coaching job at Legion in 2019. He’ll be joined by another state-championship-winning coach in Bobby Carroll (DC), as well as Dustin Martin (OL coach), Spencer Carroll (OC), Shawn Woodard (DB coach) and others.)
Last year: 2-3 (2-2 Region 2-2A). Legion ended up finishing third in its region, just missing the playoffs, in its first and only year as a candidate for the SCHSL playoffs. COVID-19 issues canceled the team’s Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 games, which were the last two weeks of the 2020 regular season.
Base defense: 4-3.
Offensive philosophy: Balanced.
Key departures: Nate Kelly (RB, signed to Newberry); Parker Prevette (OL, returned to Northwestern for his senior year); Donaven Pittman (WR, transferred to Nation Ford); Joey Hylinski (QB, focusing on baseball in his senior season).
LEGION FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home games are taking place on select Thursdays (see below) at Fuse Park in Gastonia, N.C. Conference games below are indicated by an asterisk.
Aug. 20 at Providence Day*
Aug. 27 at Cannon School*
Sept. 2 vs. Gray Collegiate (Thursday)
Sept. 10 at Charlotte Christian*
Sept. 17 at Charlotte Latin*
Sept. 24 at Hemingway High School
Oct. 1 at Chesnee High School
Oct. 8 vs. New Hope Leadership Academy (Location TBD)
Oct. 14 vs. St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Thursday)
Oct. 22 at Landrum High School
Oct. 28 vs Blacksburg High School (Thursday)
