Northwestern's Worley, Joseph go out in style

Northwestern lined up four receivers to the left and one to the right.

Senior quarterback Justin Worley had no problem looking right. He knew fellow senior Robert Joseph would be on the other end.

Worley lofted a 19-yard touchdown fade to Joseph for the game's final score in a 42-10 win against Greenwood in the Class AAAA Division II state championship game.

That was the last of three touchdowns on the night from Worley to Joseph. The first connection came on a 12-yarder in the final minute of the first half. No. 17 and No. 86 added another touchdown in the third quarter.

It marked a fitting final chapter for the most prolific pass-catch duo in Palmetto State history. The Trojans finished their first 15-0 season. Worley and Joseph each head to the next level with a handful of state records.

In the post-game huddle, Northwestern coach Jimmy "Moose" Wallace looked at Joseph and said, "I love you 86."

Joseph shot back, "I love you too, coach."

That love isn't lost on Wallace.

"That's our offense," he said. "We score 42 points per game. That's what we do. Those two kids are special, and that's a special group of seniors."

Worley and Joseph were no strangers to Williams-Brice Stadium. Worley hit Joseph for two touchdowns in last year's 33-24 loss to Berkeley.

The two spent the offseason making sure the Trojans wouldn't leave with a loss in their third consecutive trip to state.

"We got the newspaper out from last year, and we read it this morning," Joseph said. "We looked at our second-place medals. That got us in the right frame of mind."

Worley said the process started in the offseason.

"We worked real hard to get our chemistry together," Worley said. "We brought some of the younger guys in and made them better. (Offensive coordinator) Kyle Richardson did an excellent job of making it work."

Worley finished with 263 yards and five touchdowns. He closes his career with 13,385 yards and 157 touchdowns, and he finished this season with 5,315 yards and a state-record 64 touchdown passes.

He'll take his talents to Tennessee next season, but the senior will take a little time to celebrate the state championship.

"I'm going to enjoy this as long as I can," Worley said. "To be a part of a 15-0 championship team, and to be able to play at the next level, it's a special thing."

Joseph broke the single-game and single-season reception records with 22 and 150 catches, respectively, but he drew more coverage this season.

The numbers were still there, however.

Joseph had 12 catches for 121 yards on Friday, giving him 1,416 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. He's still sorting out college offers.

"The coaches call all the plays," Joseph said. "All the credit goes to the coaches."

For his part, Richardson didn't want the day to the end.

"I got in the car this morning, and I got a little emotional," Richardson said. "The thought of No. 17 and No. 86 walking off the field - and all these seniors - it's a bittersweet deal."

How will Northwestern replace those two? Matt Turney appears in line to take over at quarterback, and B.J. Boyd will be the leading returning receiver. Running back LaThomas Long also will be back.

"I'm going to enjoy this win with my wife and family tomorrow," Richardson said.

Then he laughed.

"On Monday, we'll worry about who the next quarterback is."

This story was originally published December 4, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Northwestern's Worley, Joseph go out in style."