Bobcats aim to build on last season’s success

After his team posted its most wins in a season since 2017, finishing 8-4 overall and 8-3 in the regular season, Bluffton head football coach Hayden Gregory knows the road to another successful run will start with his team’s maturation throughout the season.

The Bobcats lost a number of key seniors, starting with quarterback Aedan McCarthy, who threw for 3,543 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025. Still, Gregory has liked the team’s work ethic and focus throughout the spring and summer.

They will face a challenging schedule, traveling for nonregion games against Florida-based North Florida Educational Institute in Jacksonville and P.K. Yonge in Gainesville, along with Georgia-based Laney in Augusta.
Still, Gregory is confident his team is ready for its season opener against Savannah Country Day on Aug. 21.

“We lost a number of key people, but we have a good group coming back,” Gregory said. “The guys have been working very hard, and we will have a number of players who will be out there for the first time.”

Gregory said there has been an added focus on details.

“It was a total team effort in the offseason,” Gregory said. “We have been focusing on the little things, like cleaning up penalties, improving our special teams, and avoiding unforced errors.”

Heading the list of returnees is four-star senior wide receiver Amare Patterson, who caught 51 passes and recorded 10 touchdowns last year. Patterson verbally committed to playing for North Carolina’s Tar Heels June 20, 2026.

Junior Jack Calendine will take over at quarterback. Others expected to make an impact include senior running back Kordell Holley and senior linebackers Jacobi Saunders and Malcom Gordon, who was a first-team all-region and first-team all-state selection last year.

Gregory noted that line play will be a work in progress after the loss of four players on both sides of the ball.

Saunders, who had 108 tackles and two sacks last season, believes he and Gordon will again be an effective tandem.

“Malcolm and I make a perfect yin and yang combo,” said Saunders, who was a first-team all-region selection last season. “The chemistry is very good, and a lot of the guys grew up together. We are a family. There is a lot of raw talent that can be very exciting to see this season.”

Gordon, who registered 130 tackles and three sacks last season, sees himself as a leader on defense. He is confident the team can have another solid season.

“I think the chemistry on this team is very strong,” Gordon said. “Since I have been here, we’ve always had great potential. So, it’s about putting words into action and living up to it.”

Gordon wants to keep everything in perspective.

“We are taking it one game at a time,” Gordon said. “We’ll worry about later in the season when we get there. We have the potential to peak late in the season.”

His coach echoed those thoughts. The Bobcats looked good in their scrimmage against Savannah Christian, winning 27-17 and forcing three turnovers. Two of those turnovers resulted in scores.

“We want this to be a season in which we keep getting better each week,” Gregory said. “We want to be playing our best football in Week 10 of the season.”

Jeff Moeller has covered high school, collegiate, and professional sports for the past 42 years. He also is an avid runner and a frequent half-marathon participant.