South Pointe looking for strong finish in SC high school football championship

After years of falling short, coach Bobby Collins and the South Pointe Stallions have the chance to win the program’s eighth state football championship.

South Pointe (13-1) is fresh off a 40-0 victory over Westside in the regional final. Last season, the Rams were South Pointe’s nemesis, knocking them out of the playoffs. While Collins isn’t viewing the win as revenge, he did admit it felt nice to win in the manner they did.

“Yeah, that win felt good,” Collins said. “But after the game you kind of felt a sense on the field that they guys knew they weren’t done yet. This is what we have been working toward since January. We are excited for the guys. This is my fourth year, so these seniors came in with me when I got here. It is a great opportunity for them. We just have to stick to the game plan and the things we’ve been doing.”

South Pointe will face South Florence (13-1) in the SCHSL 4A title game at noon Saturday. These two teams have a familiar opponent in Northwestern, which is competing on Friday night for the 5A Division II championship. South Pointe mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter to beat its crosstown foe. The Bruins, however, fell 55-35 to the Trojans.

“The last four years, they have been in four state championships,” Collins said of the Bruins. “So this isn’t their first go-round and coach (Drew) Marlow does a great job all season with his guys in the weight room. I think the team that is able to win the battle of physicality on offense and defense is going to be the team that wins. They are solid on all fronts, and we are going to have to be at our best, no question about it.”

Stallions standout J’Zavien Currence has been on a tear throughout the playoffs as he has all season. He plays quarterback and defensive back for South Pointe and excels at both. He leads the team in interceptions this season with four and leads the team in rushing yards at just over 109 yards per game. Collins joked that having a player like that makes coaching a lot easier.

“The biggest thing with J’Zavien is just how humble he is,” Collins said. “He goes out there and does whatever we need him to do. He is always doing the things that others aren’t willing to do and he is our leader. It is as simple as that. He is our leader, playing both sides of the ball and doing things the right way. He doesn’t go out there and look for shortcuts. It’s great when you have a player like that, but that is also just a great human being. Then he gets a chance to play for a state championship. I am happy for him.”

To Collins’ point about Currence’s humility, when asked what has been clicking for him this season, Currence quickly credited his teammates.

“This feels great for the guys who work so hard all season,” Currence said. “The blood, sweat and tears that go into a season like this. It is special. It is nice to be close to seeing the fruits of our labor. We have been working hard since January. Well, we have been working really since we lost 35-14 to Westside last year. We always knew the goal was a state championship, so now we are here, it is time to finish the job.”

Since Collins took over in 2022, the Stallions had two years going 8-4, went 11-3 last season and now are 13-1 playing for Collins’ first state title with the Stallions. Collins doesn’t want to focus on himself, but rather said it feels good to know he and his staff have put together a winning culture that has gotten the Stallions back to competing for state championships.

“It’s exciting,” Collins said. “I haven’t stopped to smell the roses. I just love the process. I told the kids today that the next time they load the team buses it will be to go to Orangeburg to play for a state title. So, yes, it’s exciting for me, but really I am just excited for my players. Like, I am a fan on Friday nights to see all the work these guys put in, and I get to coach them and see their success. That is what it is all about. I say it all the time, but nobody works as hard as we do in the offseason, now the kids get to see the fruits of their labor. It is on us to finish strong.”