Nation Ford’s Kenan Bowman catches a pass during practice. Bowman and new quarterback Carson Black are two new Falcons that should help Nation Ford this season.

New athletes to Nation Ford to go along with returning players might be the right combination that the Falcons need to perform well this football season.

The 2020 Nation Ford Falcons will be replacing a lot of offensive fire power at quarterback and running back this season. Those two key positions carried them to the playoffs last year and that same goal is what is powering this year’s team.

“We have been working hard all summer,” said Nation Ford head coach Michael Allen.  “Everyday is a day to get better. Right now, we are just trying to take it day by day and get ready for game one.”

Last year’s starting quarterback Gabe Huitt transferred back to school in North Carolina. Sophomore Carson Black comes to Nation Ford from Sun Valley right over the state line in the Tar Heel state and started for them as a freshman last year.

“He has been showing some promise,” Allen said. “He has a strong arm. He has a pretty high football IQ. He is making some progress.”

In years past, Nation Ford has relied heavily on the pass. Last year, the Falcons had a workhorse back in Nathan Mahaffey, who moved the offense, along with Huitt. This year Allen feels like his offense will be an equal give and take of running and passing.

“We would be more balanced than last year,” Allen said. “We got a couple good running backs in Eli (Whitner) and Dylen (Fordham). Both of those are capable runners. I feel good about our offensive line. We are smart. I would say you would see us more diverse across the board.”

Black will have targets coming back in Ty Keaton and Jerrick Foster at the receiver position to go with others such as Kenan Bowman, who also moved into the district this season, just to name a few.

On the defensive side of the ball, Nation Ford will have players like Naval Academy commit Bryce Webb, who will be anchoring the line.  

Region 3-5A will again be the home of Nation Ford with two new teams in the region in Gaffney and Boiling Springs. Both teams should pose a challenge to the Falcons as only the top two teams in the region will make the playoffs.

Nation Ford will play all four of their region games within the first five weeks. They will also play White Knoll, Northwestern and Catawba Ridge in non-region action. Allen said he knows the importance of getting off to a good start within the region. Also, the Falcons game against Catawba Ridge will be the first on the varsity level and will put them against their former offensive coordinator Zac Lendyak.

“Playoff implications are from the first moment we step on the field,” Allen said. “Our kids know that; our coaches know that. We are always going to work hard every week. We know playoff berths are on the line right out of the gate. Either you are going to be ready or you are not. We are hoping we are ready.”

2020 Nation Ford varsity football schedule

Sept. 25                Fort Mill                               7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2                    at Boiling Springs              7:30 p.m.

Oct. 9                    Gaffney                                7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16                  at White Knoll                    7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23                  at Clover                              7:30 p.m.

Oct. 30                  Northwestern                   7:30 p.m.

Nov. 6                   at Catawba Ridge             7:30 p.m.

Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep