Blue-chip athletes on Chapin football roster heralded for talent, leadership qualities
As a young assistant coach at Marlboro County High School, Justin Gentry watched Darin Bradford help lead the Bulldogs to the 1998 state championship.
Bradford was quarterback on the Marlboro County team that defeated Ridge View for the Class 4A Division II championship. More than 20 years later, Gentry has another Bradford as his signal caller at Chapin High.
Jayden Bradford, the son of Darin, is a sophomore quarterback and a rising national prospect.
“He has no ceiling and will keep getting better day in and day out. He is still learning the game as a whole,” Gentry, Chapin’s head coach, told The State. “The mental attributes are coming and he spent a lot more time classroom learning the game. That will just keep getting better with experience and understanding the game.”
Bradford is one of four Division I prospects the Eagles have on their team, all on the offense.
Senior running back Bennett Galloway is committed to North Carolina State and senior receiver Zavier Short is an Appalachian State commit. Offensive lineman Chase Sweigart hasn’t committed yet, but the senior has offers from Virginia Tech, Liberty, South Florida and Charlotte among others.
“They are very good football players, but they are better young men,” Gentry said. “When you have those guys in your locker room that are that quality of athlete but bring a lot more to the table than just a football in their hand, it is phenomenal. I can’t say enough about them, about their leadership off the field, and that is why they are who they are.”
Bradford, who started some at quarterback as a freshman, picked up an offer from South Carolina last week to go along with offers from Penn State, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt. He is the No. 2 ranked prospect in South Carolina for Class of 2024 and ranked in the Top 100 nationally by 247Sports.
Bradford credits his dad for helping him in his development and knowledge in the game, although he jokes he might be the better athlete of the two.
“Definitely me,” Bradford said. “He won state at Marlboro County and it is great learning from him. We chop it up sometimes, we don’t talk about football. It is just dad and son. He is a great guy. I love him.”
Bradford has thrown for six touchdowns in the first two games for the Eagles, who are 2-0 going into Monday’s game at Newberry.
Sweigart is the anchor of the Eagles’ offensive line and follows in the tradition of strong offensive linemen the school has produced over the years, joining the likes of Mason Zandi (South Carolina) and Thornton Gentry (N.C. State).
While Bradford has the ball in his hands a lot and Sweigert’s job is to protect and block, getting the ball to Galloway and Short are priorities for the Eagles offense.
The two Chapin speedsters have been friends since middle school. Short moved to South Carolina from North Carolina in the fourth grade. They have an ongoing debate on who is the fastest between the two.
Both ran in the 4.45-second range in the 40-yard dash at a camp at North Carolina State this summer.
“I’m faster,” Short joked while Galloway disputed it as the two talked following a preseason jamboree against Spring Valley.
Gentry compares Galloway to Shon Carson, who he coached at Lake City High School and who went on to play at South Carolina.
Galloway comes from an athletic family. His father played baseball at South Carolina and grandpa Benny “Getaway” Galloway was a running back for the Gamecocks known for his speed and a member of the 1965 Atlantic Coast Conference title team.
Bennett Galloway is yet to settle on a nickname, although North Carolina State fans tried to come up with one on social media last month.
“I guess I will get one. Hopefully I get one,” he said. “I have been gifted but I have been working hard. I also run track.”
The 6-foot-2 Bradford has the ability to make plays throwing and running. Bradford said his versatility to do both is his strength.
Bradford spent a lot of time this summer at different camps to get ready for the season and will soon start taking different trips to colleges. He plans to be at South Carolina for the Gamecocks’ game against Kentucky on Sept. 25.
“We have been soaking it all in. It has been a childhood dream of mine to play Division I sports,” Bradford said. “I am trying to keep it level-headed. Right now, it is all Chapin and all about the season.”
Both Short and Galloway are off to strong starts to their seasons. Galloway has almost 400 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns, while Short has almost 300 yards of offense and six scores so far.
“I’m feeling really great about this year,” Galloway said. “Offense is looking good and the defense is looking good.”
Short says it’s fun playing in an offense like Chapin’s with so many weapons, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
“We have known each other for a long time, so we are going to continue to give our best effort,” Short said. “Bennett, Jayden and Chase are players, and I think they know it too. But they get out there and don’t talk, play their game and do their talking. And it shows.”
