Northwestern battles past South Pointe for key win over cross-town rival
“Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
The famous quote from legendary boxer Mike Tyson might have applied to Northwestern High School’s football team on Friday night. Before four minutes had elapsed from the clock, South Pointe had taken a 13-0 lead over the Trojans.
The Stallions stood inside the red zone on fourth down during their third possession, sensing an opportunity to go for the kill against their cross-town rivals by going for a touchdown instead of a short field goal try.
Their pass attempt fell incomplete, allowing Northwestern to take over.
The quote might have applied to South Pointe shortly thereafter. Northwestern countered with three touchdowns in the next four drives, scoring 36 unanswered points against the Stallions. It also could have gone back to the Trojans, as South Pointe scored 20 unanswered of its own.
In the end, though, Northwestern staved off the challenge, claiming a 43-33 victory and the WRHI Rock Hill city championship Friday night at District 3 South Stadium.
“We talked about it the whole week and today especially. We talked about the need to just keep chopping,” Northwestern coach Page Wofford said after the game. “We kept chopping and kept trying to do our thing, just reminding the kids to stay calm and collected and try to make good decisions throughout the game. I thought we did a good job of that.”
South Pointe (6-3, 2-2) started fast behind its do-everything standout D.J. Barksdale. Barksdale took his first two touches to the end zone, affording the Trojans their early 13-0 lead. Northwestern (8-1, 3-0) seemed to gain life from its red zone stand, unleashing a run of offense that lasted well into the third quarter. Whether it was Turbo Richard or Zilon Arnold, who each scored two rushing touchdowns, the Trojan run game again showed its best.
There was more to the Trojan offensive effort than just its skill players, however.
“We’ve got a bunch of seniors on the offensive line that play hard and play for each other. I love them all to death,” Wofford said. “The offensive line’s job is to protect somebody else. Jordan Knox, Marcus Macon, Win Young, Ben Acus, Brandon Mendoza-Gomez, Luigi Rizzo, Pace Howey, Jacob Adams — all those guys. If we don’t have them, we’re not a very good football team.”
The line proved a steadying influence for yet another balanced Northwestern offensive attack. The Trojans rushed for 211 yards and threw for 223, tallying four rushing touchdowns and two through the air.
South Pointe, for its part, preached a similar message about staying calm. The Stallions, staggered by the Northwestern flurry in the middle of the game, bounced back and took the fight to Northwestern, drawing within three points as the fourth quarter opened.
“I told them to just continue to play,” South Pointe coach Bobby Collins said. “This is probably the most our defense has given up this year, but we told them to just keep playing. The defense got four turnovers. We’ve just gotta be efficient on offense.”
Barksdale also played a huge role on both sides of the ball for the Stallions.
“I think D.J. Barksdale proved that he’s the best player in the state of South Carolina,” Collins said. “Elijah Caldwell is a heck of a wide receiver. When you’ve got a guy like that and you throw it up, he’ll either catch it or draw a pass interference. He’s tough to defend.”
Barksdale tallied six touches and ran for 40 yards, scoring three offensive touchdowns and adding a fourth on a 45-yard interception return.
The regular season comes to a conclusion next week, as both teams close with Region 3-4A foes. Northwestern welcomes Catawba Ridge to District 3 Stadium in a contest to decide the region champion. South Pointe travels to York, with plenty still on the line for both squads. Both coaches spoke after the game of what still awaits.
“Hats off to (York coach) Dean Boyd. He’s a Hall of Fame football coach,” Collins said. “We’re about to get back in the lab and make sure we leave there with a win.”
“It doesn’t get any easier. Now we’ve got Catawba Ridge,” Wofford said. “They’ve had a great season and they’re a great team. We’re gonna have to try to get well and get better, then game plan for them.”
Both games are slated to start at 7:30 next Friday.
Box score
Northwestern 8-14-14-7—43
South Pointe 13-0-12-8—33
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
SP – D.J. Barksdale 4 run (kick blocked) 9:43
SP – Barksdale 27 run (Jacob Brookover kick) 9:43
N – Elijah Caldwell 6 pass from Finley Polk (Caldwell pass to Mason Grier) :46.2
Second quarter
N – Turbo Richard 4 run (Matthew Fish kick) 6:06
N – Jalen Logan 21 pass from Polk (Fish kick) :47
Third quarter
N – Richard 68 run (Fish kick): 11:39
N – Zilon Arnold 15 run (Fish kick) 8:08
SP – Barksdale 2 run (conversion failed) 3:20
SP – Barksdale 45 interception return (conversion failed) 1:23
Fourth quarter
SP – Demari Kendrick 10 pass from Malachi Marshall (Barksdale run) 11:55
N – Zilon Arnold 21 run (Fish kick) 9:58
This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 12:20 AM.