2023 was not kind to the Swansea football team as the group went 0-10 and 0-5 in 3A Region 5 play. Entering 2024, the team is looking to turn things around under the guidance of new head coach Willie Fox.

“Lately it’s kind of been a rough go of things at Swansea,” Fox said. “It’s a proud football tradition. We’ve had a really good spring and a really good summer. I know that’s coach speak. Everybody says that, but the buy-in has been incredible, and we got a good group of seniors and some younger guys that are really coming together.”

Swansea’s competition will look a lot different this season after statewide realignment moved all of their region opponents around. Swansea now competes in 3A Region 4 after local teams Brookland-Cayce and Gilbert moved to 4A, along with Dreher and Lower Richland. 

“I think that helps with the trouble that Swansea’s had,” Fox said. “They were kind of behind the eight-ball with numbers, but this new region pretty much everybody’s coming up from 2A.”

Swansea’s new schedule will not be a cakewalk. Even though many of the teams are coming from 2A, they were some of the more talented teams in the classification, including Newberry, Silver Bluff and Keenan.

With the new competition and rebuild after last season, Fox said the team is not setting any specific goals but looking to get better every day.

“I don’t think a goal is winning a state championship or anything like that,” he said. “We talk about trying to get better every day, trying to do little things, trying to live up to our standard. We talk about team accountability, competition and toughness. We talk about if we can do those things, winning will take care of itself.”

Offense

Swansea returns junior running back Dante Caldwell after being a bright spot on the team last season. Fox said he was fast, competitive and had a strong spring.

Senior Teysean Charlie will also take on running back duties. Fox said he doesn’t have much experience in the backfield but has seen some action in previous seasons.

“He’s a big, strong, in-between the tackle runner,” Fox said. “He’s going to be a really good player too, I expect.”

Charlie and Caldwell will run behind senior offensive linemen Kasiah Harkless-Adams and Logan Crider. Fox said both guys had strong offseasons and put in a lot of work in the weight room.

Junior William Geddis will be the team’s main tight end. Seniors DJ Green and Donnell Goodwin will lead the receiving group. They will catch balls from returning quarterback Jacob Harper.

Defense

Being a smaller school that is also rebuilding, Swansea will rely on many athletes to play both offense and defense.

Harkless-Adams spent most of his career on the defensive side of the ball. He looks to be one of the best defensive ends in the area and end his Swansea career on a high note.

Green and Goodwin will roam the secondary and look to shut down opposing teams’ passing attack. Green will spend his time at safety while Goodwin plays corner.

“We’re probably going to ask kids to play a little bit more both ways than what they’re used to,” Fox said. 

Schedule 

Week 0 - at Mid Carolina - Aug. 23

Week 1 - vs. Denmark-Olar- Aug. 30

Week 2 - vs. Wagner-Salley - Sept. 6

Week 3 - at Pelion - Sept. 13

Week 4 - vs. Barnwell - Sept. 20

Week 5 - at Columbia - Sept. 27

Week 6 - vs. Keenan - Oct. 4

Week 8 - at Silver Bluff - Oct. 18

Week 9 - at Fox Creek - Oct. 25

Week 10 - vs. Newberry- Nov. 1