Preview: Titans Prepare to Open Fagan Era against Pee Dee

OPENING KICKOFF: Today's non-region matchup marks the 5th meeting between Trinity Collegiate (0-0) and Pee Dee Academy (0-0) in a series that dates back to 2014. The Titans lead the all-time series 3-1 but the Eagles picked up their first victory in the series in last season's matchup. 

WHEN LAST WE MET: Pee Dee raced out to a 28-6 first quarter lead and held on for a 40-20 victory over Trinity in the season opener last season. James Herbert led the defense for the Titans, making 3 tackles, two for loss, and one sack, to start off his senior season. Desmond Williams II (Florence S.C./Wilson High School) collected 4 receptions along with 115 yards and two touchdowns. The game was called in the third quarter after repeated failure of the lighting at Pee Dee Academy.

LAST TIME OUT: Pinewood Prep, eventual SCISA 3A State Champions, took a 28-7 lead at halftime en route to a 49-13 win over Trinity in the SCISA 3A State Quarterfinals. Davidson Lynch (Florence, S.C./All Saints Episcopal Day School) finished his junior season strong with 207 passing yards to go along with two touchdowns. James Herbert completed his career for the Titans with 8 tackles to finish with the program records for a career (292). He also recorded 1 TFL to set the school record with 62 in a career. Walker Willcox, Jr. (Florence, S.C./Royal Elementary School) led the team with 14 tackles, 5 for loss, and 1 sack to cap an all state junior season.

WITH HONORS: The Titans return four All-State players from last season, including Walker Willcox, Jr. and Mac Burch (Florence, S.C./All Saints Episcopal Day School) at linebacker, Davidson Lynch at quarterback, and Robert Mack (Hartsville, S.C/Hartsville Middle School), who was selected as an athlete. 

LEADING THE WAY: The Titans have a senior-heavy squad this year, with ten total seniors on the roster. They are: Oliver Brodie (Charleston, S.C./Briggs Elementary School), Mac Burch, Jonathan Charles (Florence, S.C./Wilson High School), Drew Cockrell (Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield Ruby Middle School), Johnathon Cottingham (Darlington, S.C./Darlington Middle School), Matthew Dameron (Hartsville, S.C/Hartsville Middle School), Davidson Lynch, Jy'ell Preston (Darlington, S.C./Darlington Middle School), Walker Willcox, Jr. and Desmond Williams II.

OPENING STATEMENTS: The Titans begin their 17th season of football this evening, entering play with a 109-78 overall record. This is the second straight season Trinity has opened the season with Pee Dee, the first time the Titans have opened up with the same opponent in back-to-back seasons since 2014-2015 when they faced off against Hilton Head Christian.

FAMILIAR SIGNALS: Trinity returns Davidson Lynch at quarterback, who started a majority of games for the Titans last year. Lynch took over as the starter after the third game of the season. He threw for 1,346 yards in eight games, completing 55.8 percent of his passes with twelve touchdowns and four interceptions. 

200-LEVEL CLUB: Davidson Lynch was able to put up big numbers in the passing game last season. Lynch threw for 200 or more yards in the season's last three games and had five 200-yard passing games in total last seasons. 

TWO-HEADED BEAST: The Titans return their top two receivers from last season in Desmond Williams II and Robert Mack. Williams II collected 19 receptions for 357 yards and five touchdowns while Mack hauled in 32 passes for 325 yards and a pair of scores.

DEFENSIVE DUO: Trinity also returns a duo of linebackers who made a major impact last season. Walker Willcox, Jr. was the team's leading tackler last season, recording 117 total stops. He was also the leader in tackles for loss with 22, registered two sacks and forced two fumbles. Mac Burch was not far behind Willcox, collecting 105 tackles to go along with 20 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. 

NEW FACES/OLD FACES: With the hiring of Shawn Fagan as head coach and the hiring of three new assistant coaches, there will be several new faces on the sidelines this season. Richard Cue takes over as offensive coordinator, coming to Trinity from Wilson High School, where he had served in the same role since the 2022 season. Chad Hayes joins Fagan from the Mullins High School, where he coached the offensive linemen. Hayes had previous coaching stops at Summerville High School and Goose Creek High School. Colin Renner, Eldred White, and Marvin Toney are returning to coach the Titans this season. Renner will continue his role as defensive coordinator, leading a unit which pitched three shutouts and saw opponents held to fewer than 20 points per game last season. White will work with the running backs again this season. Toney will serve as the teams strength and conditioning coach as well as guiding the defensive backfield.

COACHES' CORNER: Shawn Fagan enters his first season as Head Football Coach at Trinity Collegiate School, bringing 14 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels. A Florence, SC native, Fagan attended Charleston Southern University, where he earned his degree and began his coaching career. From 2008–2011, Fagan served at Charleston Southern as a student assistant on defense before coaching outside linebackers. During his tenure, the Buccaneers posted the highest win percentage in the Big South Conference and competed against top-ranked opponents, including the No. 1 Florida Gators in 2009. Fagan's coaching journey has taken him to a variety of programs, including Kentucky Christian University (Running Backs Coach, 2015), Northwood Academy (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Special Teams Coordinator, 2016–2018), Cathedral Academy (Head Coach, 2019–2021), Pinewood Preparatory School (Co-Offensive Coordinator, 2022), and St. John's Christian Academy (Running Backs/Special Teams, 2023; Offensive and Defensive Line Coach, 2024). His leadership has helped teams earn multiple postseason appearances, including a playoff berth with Northwood in 2016, a semifinal run with Pinewood Prep in 2022, and a playoff appearance with St. John's in 2023.

THE WORD ON PEE DEE: The Eagles enter the 2025 season fresh off a victory in the 2024 SCISA 2A State Championship Game. Pee Dee graduated several key seniors off of last year's team, but return a number of contributors at many vital positions.