FLORENCE – Bryan McCartt is already a journeyman.

But that journey is worth it because the senior’s grit and perseverance brought him further than he could have ever imagined.

And all he wanted to do was play quarterback.

When did he start being a quarterback? The eighth grade.

Some might say that’s too late. But McCartt would say it’s better late than never.

He would have none of that regret about what could have been if he had just tried playing quarterback after playing center or defensive tackle in recreation leagues.

But the South Florence senior now knows he can.

You see, McCartt is the starting quarterback for the state’s top-ranked Class 4A football team.

If the Bruins are to repeat as state champions, McCartt will have to play a role.

A big role, at that. McCartt has completed more than 50

percent (52.17) of his passes for a total of 806 yards and seven touchdowns.

“I’m getting better every week,” McCartt said. “I don’t worry about last week. I just want to keep getting better.”

Through 10 games, he has thrown only two interceptions.

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No way anyone else thought McCartt would be doing this after he was cut from Sneed Middle School’s team.

“I went out and never played quarterback before, so it was a struggle,” McCartt said. “I didn’t know what to do; I didn’t know the calls. I didn’t know how to catch a snap. It was pretty bad.”

McCartt then found an AAU team to play for, and his journey to South Florence’s starting quarterback began.

“Then, after AAU, I was figuring out where to play high school football,” McCartt said of his freshman season, which was to be in 2020. “I was going to try out for West Florence, but that was the COVID year and they didn’t let freshmen try out for the team. I didn’t know what to do.”

McCartt then found a minor-league football team to practice with: The Pee Dee Vikings.

“One of their players knew (then-Wilson coach) Derek Howard and suggested I would be a good fit,” McCartt said. “So I ended up transferring there.”

McCartt played on the Tigers’ JV squad in 2020 and the team won one game.

After Howard left to coach his alma mater, Ridge View, Rodney Mooney took over the Tigers, and McCartt was on varsity – as a backup.

All the while, McCartt was still learning the position.

“I was learning how to lead a team, and that’s hard to get ahold of,” McCartt said. “You’ve got to understand the downs and distance; you’ve got to understand what passes to make and when and when to dump it off when you have to.

“That year, my problem was just holding on to the ball and not finding the open receiver so I wound up having to run,” he added. “I’m not the fastest guy, so I would get 3 yards on every run.”

McCartt was also a backup his junior season. And when he had concerns about whether he would play much his final season, he looked elsewhere.

“I wanted to be better,” he said. “I was tired of sitting on the bench, and I was tired of losing. I kept working. I stayed in the weight room and tried to get my weight up. I was 185 last year, and I’m now 205.”

The next step was a conversation with Drew Marlowe, South Florence’s coach.

“It was a good conversation,” McCartt said. “We talked about competing, and I had to be there in the spring if I wanted the best chance to start. The biggest thing was the weight room. I had to be great in the weight room.”

McCartt indeed transferred from Wilson and participated in the Bruins’ spring workouts.

“He’s a really smart kid who picks up on things quickly, and he has grown and understands what we do offensively,” said Marlowe, who coached the Bruins to last year’s state championship.

Marlowe said late summer there was no clear frontrunner between McCartt and sophomore Messiah Jackson for the starting quarterback position.

“I knew it was going to be a little bit rough. Messiah is a little bit better physically than me and a little bit faster and he can throw the ball a little bit farther,” McCartt said. “So I knew I had to be better in everything else. I had to be better at moving the team down the field and be more consistent throwing and be more consistent in the pocket.”

But after the Bruins had an electrifying, dual-threat quarterback last year in current South Carolina Gamecock LaNorris Sellers, Marlowe has at times expressed frustration about this year’s offense.

But the Bruins lost running back Rodrick McRae for the season to injury in the season opener against Goose Creek. Then, star receiver and USC commit Jayden Sellers was lost for the season due to injury against Hartsville.

Of course, the Bruins’ smothering defense has played a tremendous role in this season’s perfect record (West Florence didn’t earn a first down against the Bruins last week until its final play). Defensive coordinator Cannon Jordan’s unit, according to Marlowe, has even scored points in eight of the Bruins’ 10 games.

The Bruins’ current leading receiver is Juan Fargas (236 yards and three TDs on 16 catches) and the top rusher is Zion Gilbert (833 yards eight TDs).

Meanwhile, McCartt has continued to start every Bruin game with another transfer, SyRee Livingston (Mullins) also now in the mix behind center.

“That’s been awesome that I’ve started every game; that’s a massive change of pace for me,” McCartt said.

Marlowe, meanwhile, has developed an appreciation for McCartt’s intangibles

“One thing I can say about Bryan is he’s always calm and in control,” Marlowe said. “He never panics. That’s really important when you play as a quarterback because there are a lot of things going on and a lot of things you have to manage.

“And he’s done a really good job with that for us this year.”

McCartt admits he hasn’t played perfectly.

“I’ve been working on accuracy,” McCartt said. “I’ve always been pretty good about getting the ball out quick and not taking sacks. But my problem has been not being accurate. But I’ve gotten better at hitting my passes more consistently.”

McCartt’s next start is the Bruins’ playoff opener when they host Lug off-Elgin (7:30 p.m. Friday).

“We’ve got to be able to throw some deep balls and put some pressure on defenses to defend us vertically,” Marlowe said. “We’re trying to establish the deepball threat so people can’t load the box up on us.”

McCartt will be one of South’s quarterbacks to get that chance. But he will get the first shot.

“It’s been amazing,” McCartt said. “It’s massively gratifying. Everybody I know has come up to me and told me how proud they are, and it’s just been awesome.”

That includes young people inspired by McCartt’s will to succeed.

“Never give up. If I gave up after I got cut, none of this would have happened,” McCartt said. “I wouldn’t have a chance to go play college ball. I wouldn’t have a chance for any of that.

“I give all glory to God,” he added. “Without God, none of this would have happened.”