FRIENDLY FIRE: Strom Thurmond, Lincoln County coaches share competitive fire, mutual respect

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WJBF) — There's been no shortage of pre-game chatter and chirping between the Lincoln County and Strom Thurmond football fanbases. And, ahead of Friday's marquee matchup of two of the CSRA's most storied programs, it makes sense.

Both schools are shrouded in championship pedigree with both playing for state titles last year. Strom Thurmond captured the SCHSL Class AA state crown last season while Lincoln County finished its 2025 campaign coming up just short of a GHSA Class A title against Bowdon.

The 2025 momentum has spilled over into 2026 as both squads enter Friday's game in the Peach Fields ranked No. 1 in their respective classifications.

Throw in last year's 45-20 Lincoln County victory in Lincolnton last year, and you've got every ingredient needed for elite pre-game trash talking.

But two people who won't be contributing to the bulletin board material will be the coaches. Lincoln County's Lee Chomskis and Strom Thurmond's Andrew Webb almost were almost gushing over each other as well as their respective programs and school communities.

And it wasn't just coachspeak. There's a true and genuine respect and relationship between the two programs to the point where coach Webb got the chance to speak to Chomskis' Red Devil bunch last year before making the trip to Atlanta to play for it all.

"I got to speak for their state championship week devotion and for their victory meal last year," Webb said. "To be able to go share Jesus with them. To celebrate with them coming off a seminfinal win leading into a state championship game, it was special, and I was really, really honored that Coach asked me to do that."

What makes the head coach comfortable enough to go pour into a local rival coach's program, even while still basking in his own?

"The respect that I have for coach Chomskis and his program is second to none," Webb said. "And I think the world of him and his program. I can't say enough about how much I care about him and how highly I think of his program. He does such a good job. It's such an honor to be able to compete against him and the Lincoln County Red Devils."

And, in case you're wondering, the feeling is mutual on the other side.

"[Strom Thurmond] is an incredible program," Chomskis said. "Coach Webb does an incredible job. Their staff is made up of super folks. Their kids play very hard. Very disciplined program that's had a lot of success, and they're coming off a state championship."

Both teams come into Friday's game battle tested. As impressive as Strom Thurmond has been offensively, the Rebels' defense as been especially stout.

Thurmond has won its first three contests by a combined score of 113-13, doing it against the likes of North Augusta, Abbeville and Batesburg-Leesville — none of which will be mistaken as "doormat" programs.

Meanwhile, Lincoln County's (3-1) lone loss came during Week 2 of the season in a 48-41 shootout setback to a solid Westside squad.

Last Friday, in front of a Game Night Live viewing audience, the Red Devils dispatched Harlem 35-21, though it was a costly loss as several of Lincoln County's star players went down with injury, including last week's McDonald's Players of the Game, Aiden Jones and Travis Franklin.

Jonathan Norman, who's been getting regular Division I and Power 4 recruiting attention, has already been hobbled by an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, coach Webb calls his bunch "pretty healthy" ahead of Friday's game, citing the typical "dinks and donks you're always gonna have throughout the course of a season."

Junior Kaden Wigfall has been a standout for the Rebels with five rushing touchdowns through three games, but fellow junior Zy Rouse isn't far behind with four rushing scores while averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

For Lincoln County, if Jones, Franklin and Norman can't go, or are limited, Chomskis will likely look to senior Kameron Crew, junior Sims Antonakos and Bryson Elam to tote the rock in their run-oriented scheme.

That trio performed well in relief of Lincoln County's stars last week against Harlem. But coach Chomskis is aware of what the challenge he may be up against if forced to face Strom Thurmond with limited offensive weaponry.

"I'm sure in the CSRA, people will pay attention to [this game]," Chomskis said. "It'll mean a lot to the people in Strom Thurmond and here in Lincolnton. But, you know, at the end of the day, it's just gonna be a non-region ball game. But it's going to be an opportunity to play somebody that plays good football, and hopefully we'll be able to at least stay on the field with them."

As for Webb, he's seen enough of Lincoln County to know it will pose a formidable challenge no matter who trots out on the field come kickoff time Friday night.

"We know we've gotta stop the run," Webb said. "They do such a good job of running the football. When you cut their film on, it's like watching football played in the 1980s. They run to the line. They get off the ball with low hats. They play really physical and really fast. It's really fun to watch, but it's tough to prepare for."

Both coaches have prepared their teams well for what each says should be a raucous high school football atmosphere. And Webb is prepared to set aside his fandom of Chomskis and company, at least for one night.

"I feel like [Chomskis] knows I geneuinely pull for him and just the amount of respect I have his program," Webb said. "And outside of this week, I pull for them every other week."