Stallions, Trojans to meet with title trip on line

By Barry Byers - bbyers@heraldonline.com

Expect a big crowd Friday at District Three Stadium when Northwestern hosts South Pointe for a berth in this year's Class AAAA Division II football state championship game.

That either team has made it to this point is a tribute to the work of their players and coaching staffs. There are high expectations at each school, but looking back at what unfolded last year, it is not where either team was picked to be at this point.

The Stallions and Trojans were on opposite sides of the Division II playoff brackets last season and among the teams picked to win it all. Each won three playoff games to set up a meeting in Clemson for all the marbles.

South Pointe went into the title game 14-0, Northwestern 13-1. The Trojans' only loss was to the Stallions in the regular season. The championship game was another 21-point win over Northwestern by South Pointe, which won the title in only its third season of varsity football.

Both were decimated by graduation, and it looked like a rebuilding year at both schools. South Pointe dropped two straight early and lost to Rock Hill on the final night of the regular season. Northwestern started 0-4 and was 1-5 after losing to South Pointe, but the Trojans have won seven straight. The run included a win over Gaffney for the Region 3-AAAA title.

So here we go again, one game short of playing for the championship, but a showdown as big as they get. And the players on both sides are not looking ahead.

“We are one win away from returning to the state championship, and we want to go back and defend our title,” South Pointe running back Ce-Ce Jones said Friday night. “We have to beat Northwestern to get there, and we know they are a lot better team now than the one we played in the regular season. They will be fired up for the game, but so will we. It gets down to this is the playoffs and we are both 2-0. What happened in the regular season doesn't matter.''

TICKETS — Advance tickets for the game are on sale, and it is a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity with only three days of school this week.

Northwestern will be selling tickets today in the lobby of the school's F gym from 2-4 p.m. Tickets will be sold at both schools' athletic offices Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

South Pointe coach Bobby Carroll, a longtime assistant under Northwestern's Jimmy Wallace, said he hopes the game is played before a packed house.

“When you put the ticket information in the paper,'' Carroll joked after his team beat James Island 42-0 on Friday, “tell the fans me and Coach Wallace are going to box each on the field at halftime. That should help sell some tickets.''

Tickets are $6. The only passes honored at the gates will be those distributed by the South Carolina High School League.

NUMBERS — Northwestern's duo of quarterback Justin Worley and wide receiver Robert Joseph continued their assault on the school and state passing and receiving records in the Trojans' 42-9 win over Hartsville on Friday.

Worley completed 32 of 41 passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns. He pushed his season totals to 338 of 498 for 3,819 yards and 37 TDs. Worley has completed 67.9 percent of his passes and has an efficiency rating of 151.43.

Joseph set the state record for most catches in a season (and in a single game, 22) two weeks ago, breaking the record of 103 held by former Byrnes receiver Omar Wright. With his 13-catch performance against Hartsville, Joseph widened his hold on the single-season record with 128 catches.

He also caught a pair of TD passes from Worley, giving him 15 touchdowns and 1,596 yards this season. Worley and Joseph are juniors.

NUMBERS II — Just in case you haven't been paying attention, the Stallions and Trojans have blazed through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Northwestern has outscored its two opponents 95-9. South Pointe also holds a huge margin in its two wins, 81-0. So let's come up with an imaginary number.

Take away the nine points allowed, and Northwestern is a 5-point favorite. But wait — South Pointe beat Northwestern 30-7 on Oct. 2, so the Stallions should be an 18-point favorite. Don't count on it. Either team can win this one, and it's gonna be good.

SAY WHAT? — There are eight teams left in Class AAAA's two playoff divisions, and four are from the Spartanburg area. All four are in Division I, the first time one region has dominated like this.

Byrnes hosts Spartanburg. Dorman has a home game against Gaffney. Byrnes, Dorman and Spartanburg are in Region 2; Gaffney is in Region 3 with Northwestern.

South Pointe, from Region 4, plays Northwestern in one Division II bracket. The other has a pair of Lower State teams, Berkeley and Goose Creek.

THREE IN A ROW? — Chesterfield plays Lamar on Friday in the Class A Division I championship game at S.C. State in Orangeburg.

Chesterfield has won two straight titles and was runner-up the year before the streak started. So is anyone picking Lamar?

Chesterfield is coached by former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill. Since he began his successful run with the Rams, he has been rumored to be a front-runner for nearly every vacant job in the state.

There are several good ones out there this year, so keep your ears open, but don't believe everything you hear.