Burly in-state back, Gamecocks target enjoyed atmosphere of playing in Williams-Brice
Chance Black’s first two times playing in Williams-Brice Stadium have some sting to them.
His first time playing two years ago, his Dorman team lost in the final seconds going for two and missing to take the lead. This Saturday, his team pushed Dutch Fork into overtime, but fell on a walk-off touchdown pass to Tennessee commit Jalin Hyatt.
But despite those tough memories, the powerfully built back is loving the program that plays on the field.
“So far, it’s been really good,” Black said. “I love it over here.”
Black picked up an offer from South Carolina in late December. He said he’s not all that deep into the process of building the relationship with USC.
The offer came from Bobby Bentley, who recruits the Upstate.
This season, Black was a tank for the the state finalists. The 6-foot-1 back ran for 1,067 yards and 11 scores, though he was limited to 17 yards in the title game by a strong Dutch Fork defense.
“People love short backs,” Black said. “I’m more of a tall, 190(-pound) guy. I describe myself as a pretty big back, tall, wide.”
He said he also has an offer from Virginia Tech and interest from Wofford and Louisville.
He said he had a sense the USC offer was coming, but he’s not yet all that far along in the recruiting process.
He admitted there were a few butterflies playing in Williams-Brice (he didn’t take the field as a freshman in 2017), but he liked the atmosphere. He lamented a fumble that ended Dorman’s first drive in Dutch Fork territory and set the stage for the second Silver Foxes touchdown.
The Gamecocks are in the process of reloading their backfield after four seniors graduated. The team projects to have Kevin Harris, MarShawn Lloyd and Deshaun Fenwick next season, but none of those players is close to proven.
But Black’s college choice is a long way off. For now, he plans to take the sting of Saturday and turn it forward and put it toward returning to Williams-Brice and taking that elusive title.
“Just working hard,” Black said. “Doing our business is all I can say really. We came out here, we played our game, and hopefully next year we’ll be back.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Burly in-state back, Gamecocks target enjoyed atmosphere of playing in Williams-Brice."
