‘Everybody’s hungry’: South Pointe’s versatile defense leads way to 4A semifinals
South Pointe is among the most dominant high school football teams in the Palmetto State, and its defense is a huge reason why.
The Stallions, the top seed in SCHSL Class 4A playoffs, have won 12 consecutive games and scored at least six touchdowns in each of the past seven weeks. The Rock Hill power is set to face No. 3 seed Westside in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at District Three South Stadium as the program chases its eighth state title.
Junior linebacker Kj Burg, who recovered a fumble and set up a touchdown during the Stallions’ last playoff win, is among numerous two-way players on the roster and leads the defense with 114 total tackles, averaging 11.1 per game.
“We just set the tone,” Burg said. “We translate our energy to the offense. We all just feed off each other.”
South Pointe’s defense drives versatility
Many of the Stallions can do it all.
Senior quarterback J’Zavien Currence also starts at safety, ranking second on the roster with 66 solo tackles. Even standout receivers like senior Dailan Duncan and junior Malik Ratliff are elite contributors on defense.
That versatility gives coaches flexibility with game plans and brings extra value to every position group. The results are obvious on the field, and it starts with their efforts behind the scenes.
“It’s what we practice every week,” Currence said. “Coaches, they give us the right game plan, day and night. They stay up late. We walk through in the morning, watch film and then execute throughout the week: Monday through Thursday, and then Friday is just easy.
“This football team is very special, because you can mix and match any guy anywhere. We’re very versatile. You got RJ Brown, can go play (offense) or play safety. You got me, I can play receiver if you need me to. RJ Brown can also play quarterback.”
‘The accountability level is high’
The Stallions’ deep roster creates intense competition at practice.
For head coach Bobby Collins, having a player like RJ Brown — who leads South Pointe with 18 total touchdowns — sets a tone, especially as he can also play in the defensive backfield.
South Pointe’s strong defensive unit also includes senior leaders such as Brysen Ginn, both a defensive lineman and linebacker, and senior nose guard Miles Wilson.
“We’ve gotta deal with them every day in practice,” Collins said with a laugh. “It’s a pleasure watching those guys compete. The standard is high every day at practice. The accountability level is high every day at practice. So we push them to a point of no return at practice so on Friday nights, they let it out on other people.
“We have no ‘me’ guys. Everybody’s humble. Everybody’s hungry. Everybody wants to get down (Interstate) 26 to get to Orangeburg, December the 6th, 12 p.m. Midday. Everybody wants that. They know the most important week that we’ve got coming up is next week. Short week with school Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, it’s just all football. We’re practicing on Thanksgiving. That’s always the goal.”
