Brookland-Cayce QB excels at making plays on the fly
Reed Charpia doesn’t worry when a play breaks down. In fact, that might be when he’s at his best.
The Brookland-Cayce quarterback has used his improvising skills to his advantage the past three years and hopes to continue that in his senior season.
“It kind of comes natural. I try to have fun and play loose. I can get us out of things sometimes and move the chains,” Charpia said after last week’s scrimmage against Berkeley. “I don’t try to scramble. I try to improvise if I need to. I try to run the play, but if it is a bad play I try to turn it to a positive play.”
Charpia’s father and B-C coach Rusty Charpia can’t argue his son’s improvising style, especially after the results the past three years. The Bearcats have won 21 games over the past two years and been to two consecutive Class 3A Lower State championship games.
Last year, Reed Charpia completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,759 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The elder Charpia is used to seeing that style from his son dating to his days in youth football in West Columbia. Charpia remembers the West Columbia coach trying to get Reed to stay in the pocket. That changed after he ran for a couple touchdowns in the first game.
“Instead of trying to put a square peg in a round whole, we just try and go with it,” Rusty Charpia said. “I have coached a lot of good players, and he is the best that I have coached for being able to escape trouble and make plays.
“His improvising, or whatever you want to call it, he continues to make plays. Occasionally, it doesn’t turn out well, but 90 percent of the time, he either runs it for a first down or throws it for a big play.”
Charpia has one college offer (S.C. State) but more might come if he has another big season. The Bearcats return nine starters from last year’s team and are making the jump to Class 4A this season.
B-C must replace leading rusher Rasheed Taylor and Dominique Perry.
“We’ve got to put our big boy pants on and prove we can play with the big boys,” Charpia said. “We are looking forward to it.”
About Brookland-Cayce
Coach: Rusty Charpia (8th year, 42-40)
Last year’s record: 9-5
Number of starters returning: 9
Key returning players: QB Reed Charpia WR Jo Pedepsi, LB, Paul Edwards, LB Hampton Stutler, OL Tyrick McCoy
Newcomers to watch: WR/DB Cam Morris, WR/DB Keon Middleton, RB/DB Will Way TE/DE. Josh Baxa, DL Demoni Jones, LB KJ Blackmon, WR/DB Latrell Jamison
Schedule
Aug. 17: vs White Knoll
Aug. 24: at Airport
Aug. 31: at Spring Valley
Sept. 7: vs. Irmo
Sept. 21: vs. Newberry
Sept. 28: at North Augusta
Oct. 5: at South Aiken
Oct. 12: vs. Midland Valley
Oct. 19: at Aiken
Oct. 26: vs. Airport
This story was originally published August 8, 2018 at 11:43 AM.