Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
GEORGETOWN — Before Zyon Guiles was a highly recruited offensive lineman, he was a rec league quarterback. Fast forward a decade and about 200 pounds and the Carvers Bay High senior tackle is a South Carolina Mr. Football finalist. "I really wasn't expecting to be nominated," said Guiles, a University of South Carolina commit who leads the unbeaten Bears into the Class 1A playoffs. "It's such a high award that it's an honor just to be recognized." Guiles' desire to get recognized by recruiters - not easy at a small, rural school - fueled the 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior's transformation into the state's top offensive lineman, according to Rivals. Not bad for a peewee QB. "I was taller and faster than everybody when I was young, but I didn't get bigger until later," he said. "My body has changed a lot. I went from skinny to fat to skinny again. I was chubby and it all sort of turned into height." Guiles hit a growth gusher in the seventh grade, packing on the pounds until he got serious about conditioning. But it was the following year on the proving grounds of the varsity practice field that he flipped the switch. As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports across the country, Carvers Bay opted to cancel its junior varsity season. Unacceptable, said father/assistant coach Johnathan Guiles, who forced his son to work out with the varsity squad. "All his friends were getting on the bus and going home while he was out there getting his butt kicked," said the elder Guiles, a Georgetown County magistrate judge who played at South Carolina State and briefly in the NFL. "I didn't want him having that downtime. I was a police officer for 26 years, so I know how bad that can be for kids. He was hating life, but it made him tough. I said, 'Son, you don't like it now, but you will thank me one day.'" And he does. "As a kid at that age, at the time it felt like punishment," the younger Guiles said. "But I thank my Dad and the coaches for letting me come out and get that experience because it helped me get where I am now." Going on the road to build his reputation Despite blossoming as a varsity player, he was often overlooked by college recruiters at the tiny Class 1A school. That's when he and his father embarked on a cross-country tour and rigorous training schedule to get noticed. "The stigma of 1A football is that you didn't play against anybody," Johnathan Guiles said. "We discussed it as a family and a staff and decided if we can't get the competition and the recruiters to come to us, we will go to them." The father-son team went "camp hopping" and joined the California Power, a travel unit that pits the nation's top offensive and defensive linemen against one another. Zyon Guiles attended 12 college camps last year and turned heads. "Playing for a small school is definitely a factor, but it's also how much you put yourself out there," he said. "You can't leave it all on them to find you. You have to do the work and put yourself in front of their eyes. "My only offer was from The Citadel, and my recruitment kind of blew up from there. I wasn't expecting to get all those offers in a short amount of time, but I really wanted to go to South Carolina so it's a real blessing." After choosing the Gamecocks over Clemson and other ACC and SEC schools, Zyon Guiles has turned his attention to chasing the school's first state title since 2006. Carvers Bay coach Matthew Richard calls him the team's rock. "Zyon means everything to us," he said. "He sets the tone for these guys. His discipline, determination and dedication to the game of football and to his teammates is one of the big reasons we are where we are today. "Zyon is the kind of player every coach wants on his team. He's not just a great player; he's a great leader, a great student with a 4.4 GPA, a great kid, a hard worker. His teammates respect him, and they follow his lead." Literally, in the case of senior running back Kenard Heyward, who has rushed for over 2,000 yards behind Guiles' blocking. "Zyon works hard in the weight room and at practice," Heyward said. "That makes everybody else work hard." The burly lineman embraces his position, even if it has drastically changed over the years. "It feels good to be a role model for the young guys," he said. "I'm proof you can do it."
