Berkeley High School’s football program continued trending upward this fall.
The Stags’ 2025 journey carried them all the way to the Lower State championship game for the first time in eight years. It ended there with a loss to Irmo High School. Berkeley’s 10-3 mark was its best since going 11-2 in 2018.
“Obviously, we’re very proud of the work we’ve done and the program that we’ve built over the last three years,” Stags coach Eric Lodge said. “We think we’ve built a pretty good foundation. I’m excited about the future.”
Lodge and company should be.
Berkeley waves goodbye to more than 20 seniors but returns most of its offense, led by junior quarterback Henry Rivers. Rivers combined for over 2,000 total yards, topping 800 yards on the ground and reaching paydirt 16 times. He threw for more than 1,200 yards and 12 scores. Junior running back LJ Washington (774 yds, 2 TDs), junior Jessie Brown (357 yds, 4 TDs) and sophomore Bryson McGee (293 yds, 2 TDs) will be a productive bunch out of the backfield in 2026. With junior Malik Callen leading the way at 26 grabs for 426 yards and five scores, Berkeley’s top four receivers can also return. Junior John Cleveland (25-383-4), sophomore Elijah Mitchell (18-237-3) and junior Jonathan Mitchell (18-285-1) were regular targets for Rivers.
All-region lineman Zion Britt will be missed up front on the offensive line. Britt just signed to play college football at Howard University.
The Stags will be hit hardest on the other side of the ball, losing their top five tacklers. Linebacker Marcus Henderson led the defensive unit with 75 stops, followed by DL Landon Jackson (67 stops), DE Jah’Mir Heyward (61 stops), LB Kevin Rivers (52 stops) and LB Gehad Sneed (50 stops). Heyward earned the region’s defensive player of the year nod with quite a few disruptive plays to his credit. He recovered five fumbles, returning three for scores, and blocked a total of four kicks. Jackson made a team-high 11 sacks. Sneed earned a spot on South Carolina’s Shrine Bowl roster.
Junior DB Cam McCue and sophomore DB Copeland President are the top tacklers returning with over 40 stops each. McCue also snagged a team-high four interceptions and was a threat to score as a returner.
On special teams, the Stags can bring back junior kicker Ryland Curwen (35 XPs, 6 FGs) and junior punter Benjamin Szala (37 yd avg).
The Stags outscored opponents 464-213 this season, topping 40 points five times with three shutouts.
“I hope our players recognize they had a great season,” Lodge said. “Any time you win 10 games, that’s something to look back on positively. When I got here, playing for a Lower State championship wasn’t in the realm of possibility. As the sting of defeat gets less and less, they’ll appreciate all the memories they made.”
Lodge said his team will return to the weight room this month to get ready for 2026.
Head Coach Eric Lodge:
lodgee@bcsdschools.net
