South Pointe overwhelms Rock Hill with rout in high school football rivalry
South Pointe football asserted its dominance.
The Stallions’ commanding defense stifled Rock Hill early in their 28-6 victory Friday night at District Three South Stadium in the local rivals’ annual showdown.
J’Zavien Currence, the future Gamecock and versatile standout, started at quarterback for South Pointe (1-1, 0-0 Region 3 4A). Several early big passes helped the Stallions build an insurmountable lead, capitalizing on explosive plays and a stingy defense that kept the Bearcats (1-1, 0-0 Region 3 5A) to minimal gains throughout the night.
“He’s the No. 1 player in the state,” South Pointe head coach Bobby Collins said. “It’s just tradition here at South Pointe: Put your best player on the team at the quarterback spot, and it gives us a chance to be able to win some games.”
Led by junior running back RJ Brown’s two touchdowns — including an electrifying breakaway — a nice touchdown grab by senior receiver Malik Ratliff after a penalty setback and a late Rasean Brown dash to paydirt, South Pointe’s offense showed up — and continually kept its opponent at bay.
Rock Hill, under first-year head coach Leon Boulware, showed grit. The Bearcats forced turnovers and were competitive — but couldn’t sustain drives against South Pointe’s relentless pressure, managing only two field goals by junior kicker James Heckard.
“You’ve got three competitive football teams now,” Boulware said of his South Carolina hometown known as Football City, USA. “We sent a message (Friday) that we are going to compete and fight for 48 minutes. Our guys are going to battle. We’re not going to quit. And we’re going to get better.
”Our defense is something to be reckoned with. Our offense is coming. It takes some time with our offense to gel, and once we gel, we’re gonna be fine. I’m excited, and I’m proud of the way our kids came out and competed.”
Notable
▪ South Pointe earns its first victory of the season after coming up short against Hough, the top-ranked school in The Charlotte Observer’s newest Sweet 16 poll, in a 14-10 contest at Bank of America Stadium.
▪ The Stallions lead the all-time series against Rock Hill, 16-3. Their crosstown rivalry began in 2006 when South Pointe fielded its first varsity team, establishing early dominance after initial struggles.
▪ Rock Hill’s three victories against South Pointe came in 2006, 2009 and 2018. The Bearcats’ most recent upset denied South Pointe of the city championship.
They said it
“Our defense has given up touchdowns in two games,” Collins said. “That’s a huge stat for us. Coach Leon Boulware has done a good job — they’re the most-improved football team — but I haven’t coached a football game where I’ve had this many flags thrown.
“We won, so we’re going to celebrate that and work from there.”
Up next
South Pointe hosts West Charlotte next Friday at 7:30 p.m.. Rock Hill travels to Lancaster at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.
Scoring summary
Rock Hill 3 0 0 3 — 6
South Pointe 7 14 7 0 — 28
FIRST QUARTER
SPHS: RJ Brown 4-yard rushing touchdown (7-0, South Pointe)
RHHS: James Heckard field goal (7-3, South Pointe)
SECOND QUARTER
SPHS: Malik Ratliff touchdown reception (14-3, South Pointe)
SPHS: RJ Brown rushing touchdown (21-3, South Pointe)
THIRD QUARTER
SPHS: Rasean Brown touchdown rush (28-3, South Pointe)
RHHS: James Heckard field goal (28-6, South Pointe)
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:46 PM.
