How Greer football won a region championship by turning wide receiver Chris Hall into its quarterback
GREER – Seven games into the football season, Greer still wasn’t settled on quarterback.
So, the Yellow Jackets did something drastic.
They moved a senior wide receiver who had never played quarterback in high school to that position. It changed everything.
Chris Hall ran for two touchdowns and threw for another Friday night as Greer beat Riverside, 42-21, at Dooley Field to win Region 2-AAAA and claim a No. 1 seed for the state playoffs beginning next week. Hall rushed 20 times for 156 yards and went 6-for-9 passing for 92 yards,
“What he’s done for our offense is tremendous,” Greer coach Will Young said. “He adds a whole new dimension. He really bought into it and worked his tail off on it. It definitely changed us offensively.”
The Yellow Jackets (5-5, 4-0) will have a home game in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors (5-5, 2-2) had a chance to take that top spot but was behind, 28-7, by halftime.
SCOREBOARD: South Carolina high school football scores for Week 10 of the 2023 SCHSL season
Greer and Riverside came into the season finale ranked No. 18 and No. 19, respectively, in the 864 Huddle Super 25 list of the best teams in the Upstate.
Greer started the season 1-5 in a tough non-region schedule. The Yellow Jackets switched to Hall at quarterback in a Sept. 22 game against Westside. They lost but scored 42 points. From there, Hall has led an offense that has averaged 42.5 points and heads into the postseason on a four-game win streak.
“We had some struggles back and forth with some quarterbacks,” Young said. “We finally decided we needed to just find one who is an athlete and put him back there. We knew we would be able to run the ball. We didn’t realize how gifted at quarterback Chris would be. He throws a pretty ball and makes good decisions.
“... We probably look kind of stupid for not doing it sooner. But we’re glad we did it.”
Hall switched from wide receiver to running back early in the season when standout junior LaDainnian Martin was out because of an injury. Hall had a 200-yard rushing game in Martin’s absence.
“My life is crazy,” Hall said. “There have been so many changes in such a little amount of time. I’m just adapting and changing with it.”
Hall was a middle school quarterback in Florida before his family moved to Greer but in a run-based offense with almost no passing, he said.
“Moving to quarterback this season changed my whole mentality,” Hall said. “I had to make sure I gave it my all and studied the position as much as I needed to. From there, I just had to trust my instincts.”
“He’s more special at quarterback than he was at wide receiver or running back, I think,” Young said. “Athletically, he just looks different.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC high school football: Greer beats Riverside for region title
