High school football notebook: Trojans’ ‘89 state title team to be recognized Friday
Northwestern will recognize the 25th anniversary of the school’s first football state title in 1989 before Friday night’s South Pointe-Northwestern game at District Three Stadium.
Team members are asked to contact the Northwestern athletics department at 803-981-1999 for more details about the gathering. The coach of that team, Jimmy “Moose” Wallace, has to call a game that night on the radio for WRHI, but still plans to be at the brief ceremony for as long as he can.
“That was a great group of young men,” said Wallace on Monday. “Great group of kids that worked extremely hard.”
Wallace’s bunch won its first 10 games of the 1989 season. Rock Hill knocked off Northwestern 19-16 triple overtime in the regular season finale on an Andy McCrorey touchdown catch, a loss that hurt even worse for the Trojans when starting quarterback Graham Stroman went down with a broken arm.
But the Trojans cruised through the playoffs behind backup signal-caller John Houston, allowing just 20 points in five games. They dusted Orangeburg-Wilkinson 26-7 in the first round, shut out Greenwood 21-0 in the second round, then exacted sweet revenge on Rock Hill in the Upper State championship game with a 14-7 win.
“Rock Hill was a very, very good football team that year,” said Wallace. “I mean, they were good. That kind of went on for a while, where we would play them in the region championship then turn around and play them in the turkey bowl. I think they said the stadium was sold out, I think they sold 11,000 tickets for that game in two days. It was packed to the gills.”
Lancaster awaited in the state championship. Not only was Stroman out, but lineman Jeff Dodge, who went on to play at Yale, and All-American running back Jeff Burris, who played at Notre Dame and in the NFL for nine years, were also sidelined with injuries. But the Trojans got step-up contributions from their second-teamers again, tailback Daniel Adams running for two scores and Wardell Curbeam catching a TD pass from Houston to help Northwestern to a 21-6 win and the school’s first football state title.
Wallace is hoping for a good turnout Friday night. A number of players from the ’89 team went on to college football, and many still live in Rock Hill. Coaches Bobby Page, Mitch Walters and John Barrett are still on the Trojans staff, while wide receivers coach James Blake is now the school’s principal. Three players from that ’89 team – Kevin Wright, Willie Workman and Ray McCloud – coach or work with the current Trojans.
Gainey, Melton selected to work North-South game
Longtime Rock Hill athletic trainer Walt Gainey and one of his student-trainers, Molly Melton, have been selected to be the trainers for the North squad during this year’s Touchstone Energy North-South Bowl in Myrtle Beach, in December.
Tri-County Awards
4A schools
Offensive Player of the Week: Cole Martin, Nation Ford – the junior quarterback completed 26 of his 39 pass attempts for 439 yards and a school record seven touchdown passes during the Falcons’ 63-55 win over Greenville on Saturday.
Defensive player: Alex Stinnett, Nation Ford – sophomore defensive back made 16 tackles, broke up two passes and tipped another ball that was intercepted during the Falcons’ win over Greenville.
Offensive lineman: Demontra Buckson, Northwestern and Ryan Enniss, York – Buckson graded out at 93 percent with three pancakes, while York’s Enniss also graded out at 93 percent and made five knockdown blocks.
Defensive lineman: Jamah Mitchell, Northwestern – junior defensive tackle made six total tackles with three assists during the Trojans’ win over Greenwood.
Special teams: Buddy Anderson, York – senior kicker hit all six of his PATs, a 35-yard field goal, kicked eight of his nine kickoffs for touchbacks and also downed three punts inside the 10-yard line during the Cougars’ win over Chester.
1A-3A schools
Offensive Player of the Week: Tommy Sanders, Chester – the Cyclones struggled in a loss to York on Friday night, but Sanders, the senior quarterback, had a good game, completing 14 of 21 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns and running for another score.
Defensive player: Cameron Meadows, Lancaster – senior linebacker made nine tackles and took an interception back 72 yards for a touchdown during the Bruins’ win over Pageland Central.
Offensive lineman: Braden Adams, Andrew Jackson – Adams graded out at 94 percent in the Vols’ loss to Great Falls.
Defensive lineman: Brandon Sellers, Indian Land – senior defensive lineman scored his second defensive touchdown of the season Friday, a fumble recovery taken back 18 yards for six points. Sellers also made three solo tackles and a sack in the Warriors’ win over Lewisville.
Special teams: Shea Rodgers, Indian Land – senior kicker made all five of his PATs, kicked all six of his kickoffs for touchbacks and punted six times for 208 yards (34.6 average), with no return yards allowed. Three of Rodgers’ punts landed inside the 20.
S.C. Prep Media Polls
York ascended one more rung up the 4A state rankings, moving up to No. 2 in this week’s latest edition released Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars face No. 10 Boiling Springs on Friday night looking to improve to 5-0.
Northwestern continued to receive votes for the 4A poll but is again on the edge looking in, while South Pointe dropped out of the 3A poll after a 28-7 loss to Vance (N.C.) on Friday. Great Falls remained at No. 8 in the 1A poll after beating Andrew Jackson for its fourth straight win to start the season. The Red Devils have a bye this week.
S.C. Prep Media Football Poll – Week 4
4A
1. Dutch Fork; 2. York; 3. Byrnes; 4. North Augusta; 5. Fort Dorchester;
Others receiving votes: Sumter, Northwestern, Ashley Ridge, Hillcrest, Westwood, Socastee, South Florence
3A
1. Myrtle Beach; 2. Hartsville; 3. Wren; 4. Daniel; 5. A.C. Flora; 6. Greer;
Others receiving votes: South Pointe, Emerald, Marlboro County, Belton-Honea Path, Broome, Georgetown
2A
1. Dillon; 2. Strom Thurmond; 3. Timberland; 4. Newberry; 5. Loris; 6. Woodruff; 7. Fairfield Central; 8. Chesnee; 9. Marion; 10. Powdersville
Others receiving votes: Mid-Carolina; Ninety Six, Batesburg-Leesville, Chesterfield, Keenan, Abbeville, Blacksburg
1A
1. Christ Church; 2. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler; 3. Allendale-Fairfax; 4. Bamberg-Ehrhardt; 5. Hemingway, 6. Estill; 7. Lamar; 8. Great Falls; 9. Lake View;
Others receiving votes: Williston-Elko, McBee, Southside Christian, Ridge Spring-Monetta, St. Joseph's
The S.C. Prep Media Football Poll is conducted by the Spartanburg Herald-Journal with voting from Andrew Macke, Greenwood Index-Journal; Bob Castello, Greenville News; Mike McCombs, The Island Packet; Thomas Grant, Orangeburg Times and Democrat; Chris Dearing, The State; Ian Guerin, Myrtle Beach Sun News; Kevin Melton, Spartanburg Herald Journal; Lou Bezjak, Florence Morning News; Adam Regan, Anderson Independent Mail; David Shelton, Charleston Post and Courier; Bret McCormick, The Herald (Rock Hill) and Noah Feit, Aiken Standard.
This story was originally published September 16, 2014 at 3:28 PM with the headline "High school football notebook: Trojans’ ‘89 state title team to be recognized Friday."