Game Notes: Trinity Collegiate vs. Dillon Christian

OPENING KICKOFF: Friday's non-region matchup marks the 10th meeting between Trinity Collegiate (2-2) and Dillon Christian (1-3) in a series that dates back to 2012. The Titans lead the all-time series 5-4 and have won the last four matchups.

WHEN LAST WE MET:  Davidson Lynch (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) completed 8 of 13 passes for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Titans defeated the Warriors 19-0. One of Lynch's 3 touchdowns was a 90 yard completion to Desmond Williams II (Florence, SC/Wilson High School), which stands as a career long for both players. The Titan defense pitched their second consecutive shutout behind strong play from Walker Willcox, Jr. (Florence, SC/Royall Elementary School) with 14 tackles. Mac Burch (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) added 12 stops with 4 going for loss. James Herbert added 9 tackles, 1 for loss and a sack. Williams II and Garrison Copeland (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) registered interceptions and Gabe Bennett recovered a fumble for the Titans.

LAST TIME OUT: It was a record-setting trip to Charleston as the Titans raced out to a 41-7 lead en route to a 41-14 win over the host First Baptist Hurricanes. Davidson Lynch powered the offense, passing for a school record 445 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also adding one on the ground. Desmond Williams II snagged seven of his passes, going for a school record 206 yards and a touchdown. Garrison Copeland caught eight passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, while also registering an interception and a forced fumble on defense. Robert Mack (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) had over 100 total yards on offense to go along with a touchdown and contributed 7 tackles (4 for loss) and a sack on defense. The Titan offensive line of Kyler Johnson (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School), Carter Evans (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School), Johnathon Cottingham (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School), Drew Cockrell (Chesterfield, SC/Chesterfield Ruby Middle School), and Oliver Brodie (Charleston, SC/Briggs Elementary School) paved the way for a school record 619 total yards of offense. Defensively, Walker Willcox, Jr. led the way again with 16 tackles, 4 of which went for a loss, and a forced fumble. Andre Jackson, Jr. (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) registered 8 tackles, 3 for loss, and a forced fumble. Jaylen Clark (Florence, SC/Sneed Middle School) contributed with 7 tackles, 3 for loss and 2 sacks. 

WITH HONORS: Several Titans were honored with state-wide and regional honors. Davidson Lynch was selected the WBTW Pee Dee Player of the Week. He is the first Titan player to be so honored since Tre' McLeod was chosen for his 6 touchdown performance against Ben Lippen in the 2021 season. A record four Titans were awarded game balls by PrepRedzone South Carolina. They are Davidson Lynch, Desmond Williams II, Garrison Copeland, and Walker Willcox, Jr. 

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

STRONG FOUNDATION: The Titans are playing their 17th season of football, entering play with a 111-80 overall record. After spending their first three seasons playing eight-man football, during which they recorded a 9-21 (.300) record, the Titans are 102-59 (.634) since moving to eleven-man football for the 2012 season. Trinity is the only SCISA school to have competed across all five classifications of football offered by the league (eight-man, 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A). 

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Two 8th Graders are on the varsity roster for the Titans: Dre'den Bethea (Florence, SC/JL Cain Elementary School) and George Taflinger (Florence, SC/The King's Academy).

SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUT: Parker Phipps (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) connected on 5 extra points against First Baptist, the most by a Titan player since Cam Jordan's 7 against Ben Lippen in the 2021 SCISA 3A Quarterfinals. 

DYNAMIC DEFENSIVE DUO: Walker Willcox, Jr. and Mac Burch are leading the Titan defense from the inside linebacker position. Willcox ranks #30 nationally with 63 tackles, 16 of which went for loss. He has also forced a fumble. Burch has 31 tackles, 9 for loss, 1 sack, 1 safety, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble. 

TWO-WAY STARS: Garrison Copeland and Robert Mack were dominant on both sides of the ball against First Baptist. Copeland had 156 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns on offense to go along with 3 tackles (1 for loss), an interception, and a forced fumble on defense. Mack had 138 scrimmage yards, 7 tackles (4 for loss), and a sack.  

DEFENSIVE STATEMENT: The 83 points allowed through the first three games of a season are the least allowed by a Trinity defense in their first four games since allowing 83 points to open the 2016 season.

TITAN TIDBITS: This is the second game in the history of Trinity Collegiate football to be played on September 19th. The Titans are 0-1 on this date. On September 19th, 2014 the Titans fell to Colleton Preparatory Academy 51-33… This is the first regular season game between the Titans and Warriors in Darlington since 2019. In that meeting, the Titans surged to a 48-7 victory during their SCISA Class 2A State Championship campaign.

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. He has a record of 2-2 at Trinity Collegiate School.  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 DILLON CHRISTIAN: This is Dillon Christian's 5th game of the 2025 season. The Warriors are 1-3 on the year, falling to SCISA Florence Christian, Lee Academy, and Carolina Academy before racking up a 41-7 home win over Augusta Christian last Friday night. This is also the second consecutive week that will see Coach Fagan face off against a fellow coach also in their first year at a school.