North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

A new era has begun at North Myrtle Beach High School as the Chiefs will be lead by former defensive coordinator Greg Hill this upcoming season. Following former head coach Matt Reel's departure, Hill was later promoted to head coach. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

A North Myrtle Beach assistant coach cheers on his players getting after it in drills during an early morning practice on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

Greg Hill is already readying himself.

“Our younger kids in our program, that’s where all of our meat’s at,” said Hill, the first-year North Myrtle Beach head coach. “There will come a time during the season when decisions will need to be made. Are kids who are older getting the job done, or do we go to a full youth movement?”

A new era has begun at North Myrtle Beach High School as the Chiefs will be lead by former defensive coordinator Greg Hill this upcoming season. Following former head coach Matt Reel's departure, Hill was later promoted to head coach. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

Such is the 2022 football season for a North Myrtle Beach squad that might be the most inexperienced team in all of Class 4A. The Chiefs bring back one starter on offense in guard Jamari Brooks and one on defense in linebacker Jonathon Francois. Aside from that, linebacker Avery Duncan, who injured his shoulder and missed all but four games, is the closest thing to significant experience coming back on either side of the ball.

By the numbers, it’s even more eye-opening. The Chiefs lost 99.85% of their rushing production from last season, as well as 99.82% of its receiving production. On defense, Francois was fourth on the squad in tackles last year.

However, no other player who is coming back after recording a stat in that category in 2021 played in more than six games.

So, with 14 seniors, five juniors and 16 sophomores on the initial lineup for this fall, there’s no hiding that there could be some bumps in the road. Nor is anyone’s job safe.

“He tells us every day that if he thinks a younger guy is better or at an equal skill level, he’s going to roll with the younger guy because they have extra years,” Duncan said. “It tells us to work harder. We have to fight for our position every day.”

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

That’s not the only reason the Chiefs are keeping their heads on a swivel.

In addition to straight-up personnel changes, the players have also been prepared to switch positions on a moment’s notice.

Hill, previously the team’s defensive coordinator, is going to be in a constant state of evaluation.

For instance, instead of utilizing total-game grades, North Myrtle Beach will now conduct those on a half-by-half basis moving forward.

The staff wants to see that players are taking halftime adjustments seriously and learning from their mistakes.

A North Myrtle Beach assistant coach cheers on his players getting after it in drills during an early morning practice on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

This is, as clearly as Hill can put it, the long game.

As good of a feel as he has for most of the players on this team - he’s already pin-pointed a massive crop of offensive linemen coming up through the current sophomore class, for example - he just doesn’t know what he’s got to work with yet.

There’s just no way to replicate how these Chiefs will respond to the rivalry game against Loris or the sheer size of the offensive line at Hartsville or the passing attack of South Florence or Myrtle Beach.

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

“We try to put them into stressful situations in practice as much as we can,” Hill said. “But there’s nothing like the lights being on and being in the formula. There’s no formula for what I can do until they experience it for themselves.

“They’re fantastic to work with and they have a great work ethic, but we just don’t know.”

Soon, they’ll all find out together.

North Myrtle Beach football team practices early Wednesday, Aug. 3 ahead of the start of the 2022 season. The Chiefs open their season at home against Socastee on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.Photo by Ian Livingston Brooking / ian.brooking@myhorrynews.com

Contact Charles D. Perry at 843-488-7236

The roster for the 2022 North Myrtle Beach Chiefs football team

Record: First season at North Myrtle Beach and 88-71 overall

Last year: 5-5, fifth place in Region VI-4A, lost in second round of state playoffs

Players to watch: OL Jamari Brooks, QB Chance Hall, LB Avery Duncan, LB Jonathon Francois, DB Chase Sturgeon, DT Isiah Black

Breakout candidate: Offensive lineman Jacquari Witherspoon is 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds and will likely see considerable time throughout the season, even if he’s not a full-time starter for now. His size can’t be manufactured, and it’ll be part of a trend for the coming years in Little River.

Keys to success: With the understanding that expectations might need to be tempered, this entire season is very much about building for the future. Keeping confidence and positivity on an upward trend could mean all the difference in the years to come.

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