HS Football 411: Rock Hill and Northwestern scheming to knock off vaunted opponents
Most high school football fans and coaches in South Carolina, especially the Upper State, know the Gaffney mystique, that the Indians crank it up a few hundred gears in the postseason every year, that they’ve won a record 16 state championships. Rock Hill hosts the Indians Friday in the second round of the 5A playoffs, but coach Bubba Pittman doesn’t think his team will be bothered by the visitors’ historic success.
“Our kids are in a new situation, they don’t know the reputation Gaffney has for stepping it up in the playoffs like the coaches do,” said Pittman. “I think our kids just know that they’re a tough opponent and we’re gonna have to play well. Our kids will show up and they’ll play hard. We’ve got a chance, we just have to take care of ourselves.”
That doesn’t mean the coaches aren’t clearly aware of the threat posed by Dan Jones’ crew. This Gaffney team is like many others, very athletic and huge on the offensive and defensive lines. Pittman, a former QB himself, is impressed by Indians sophomore QB Undre Lindsay. Limiting his big plays -- with arm and feet -- has been emphasized this week.
“He’s a big kid, man, he can sling it, he pulls it down and takes off with it,” said Pittman.
A big key for Rock Hill -- and warning, this is no major revelation -- is avoiding turnovers. The Bearcats have done a decent job of that during a six-game winning streak. Pittman wants to make sure his team doesn’t shoot its feet off and kill its chances of what would be a momentous playoff victory for a program that’s come a long way this season.
Gaffney (10-1) at Rock Hill (8-2)
Last week: Gaffney beat Woodmont 26-13; Rock Hill beat Laurens 51-30
Last meeting: Gaffney won 44-14 (2017)
Key players: G - LB Quez Smith, RB Peanut Kirby, TE Hunter Bullock (James Madison commit), WR Stan Ellis. RH - LB Alex English, OL Devon Rice, WR Cam Walker, DB Nick Ervin.
Will Rock Hill or Gaffney win Friday night? Vote below (or here if you’re using a mobile device)
Northwestern (4-6) at T.L. Hanna (11-0)
Northwestern has hardly practiced outside this week as the rain poured down, a concern for Trojans coach James Martin. Northwestern heads down I-85 to face 11-0 Hanna Friday, the two schools’ first meeting since 1975. The Yellow Jackets pummel opponents into submission with their wing-t offense, and Martin really would have liked some better weather so his kids could practice defending the uncommon offense.
“We haven’t been outside much,” Martin said with a rueful laugh, “which can certainly cause some problems getting prepared for that offense. They run a wing-t and they run it really well. They’re very fundamentally sound.”
The Northwestern-Hanna will feature two of the best college football prospects in the state, the Yellow Jackets’ Zacch Pickens and the Trojans’ Jamario Holley. Pickens is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end, but he also lines up at fullback in the wing-t offense, a terrifying sight for opposing defenders. If Pickens runs through people, well, most people can’t even touch Holley. He touched the football 11 times in last week’s first round 5A playoff win over Boiling Springs, scoring five touchdowns.
The Trojans need to score when they get the ball because it’s likely T.L. Hanna will put up some yards and points when it has the pigskin.
“Offensively, we’ve just got to execute,” Martin said. “Defensively, we’ve got to put them in third-and longs and make them punt some. I think field position will be a big part of it.”
T.L. Hanna last progressed beyond the second round of the state playoffs in 1990. The Yellow Jackets have a highly successful coach in Jeff Herron, who was a winner in Georgia previously, but the program, the school, isn’t used to success like Northwestern. The Trojans have won three state titles in the last eight years. Of course, none of that matters Friday night down in Anderson.
“We’re certainly gonna be the underdogs,” said Martin. “The only ones that believe we can win are playing within the white lines. We’re gonna go in, give it everything we’ve got and we’ve just got to be one point better at the end of the game.”
Last week: T.L. Hanna beat Spartanburg 56-20; Northwestern beat Boiling Springs 54-35
Last meeting: T.L. Hanna won 27-6 (1975)
Key players: TLH - DE Zacch Pickens (South Carolina commit), QB Alex Meredith (Army commit), DT Devonte Jones, LB Jeloveon Lagroon. N - LB Greg Johnson, OL Greg McMoore, RB Antonio Heath, DE John Odom.
Can Northwestern knock off undefeated T.L. Hanna? Or will the Yellow Jackets march on? Vote below (or here if you’re on a mobile device)
Nation Ford (6-5) at Dorman (10-1)
Last week: Nation Ford beat Blythewood 14-6; Dorman beat Greenwood 52-0
Last meeting: Dorman won 52-35 (2016)
Key players: NF - DB Petey Tuipulotu, OL Aronde Smith, DL Andre Moore, WR Kaleb Starnes. D - WR Jacoby Pinckney (Virginia Tech commit), OL John Gelotte (Duke commit), OL Mason Trotter, ATH Zack Hillstock.
Need to know: Dorman’s three-point loss to Gaffney is its only defeat this season. The Cavaliers are massive on the offensive line and the Falcons will have to work hard to prevent them from having their way on the ground. Nation Ford is led up front by Ashten Schaufert, who is capable of knifing into opposing backfields, and they’ll need help from the second and third levels of the defense too. Offense has been a work in progress all year for the Falcons, except for running the ball. Michael Allen’s team needs another season’s best game from Nathan Mahaffey, who had one of those last week, if it is to pull off the upset and advance in the 5A playoffs.
Daniel (9-1) at South Pointe (10-1)
Last week: Daniel beat 49-20; South Pointe beat Walhalla 54-19
Last meeting: South Pointe won 55-28 (2015)
Key players: D - QB Tyler Venables, LB David Cote, DB Bubba McAtee, OL Dylan Shiflett. SP - DL Jamarion Heath, LB Savion White, QB Tahleek Steele, OL Jackson Chappell.
Need to know: South Pointe won its 21st playoff game in a row last week, but this week’s game should be tougher. Daniel is a free-scoring team with a first-year offensive coordinator in Page Wofford, who was an assistant for a handful of years at Northwestern. The Lions have only turned the ball over nine times this season, and they’ve scored at least 42 points in six straight games, running a lot of the Air Raid stuff that Wofford saw during his time with the Trojans. Familiarity with that system could help South Pointe in defensive preparations. If the Stallions can rip off some of the explosive plays they’ve been getting the last month or so, they should have a good shot of outscoring the visitors either way.
Will South Pointe continue its march toward another title? Or will Daniel pull off the shocking upset? Vote below (or here if you’re on your phone or tablet)
York (6-4) at Greer (10-1)
Last week: York beat Orangeburg-Wilkinson 49-24; Greer beat Pickens 35-6
Last meeting: Greer won 28-6 (2000)
Key players: Y - OL Will Boggs, OL Shaw Littleton, DL J.Q. Guinn, RB Frank Thompson. G - WR Braxton Collins (Old Dominion commit), DL Quack Cohen, RB Dre Williams.
Need to know: York hasn’t beaten Greer since 1986. The Cougars need some big plays in special teams and on defense to augment their offense and increase their shots of a road upset in the 4A state playoffs. York does a great job bringing pressure to the opposing QB and effective pass rush might force a turnover or two Friday night. The Yellow Jackets held Pickens, coached by former Clover head man Chad Smith, to 173 yards rushing on 53 carries last week, indicative of Greer’s strength on the defensive line. The team has also been buoyed by the return of defensive coordinator Travis Perry, who missed five games undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Broome (5-6) at Chester (11-0)
Last week: Broome beat Woodruff 38-35; Chester beat Liberty 47-0
Last meeting: Chester won 28-21 (2015)
Key players: B - QB Brenden Taylor, OL Jysaiah Cromer, LB C.J. Littlejohn, WR Keyvon Graham. C - OL Daniel Elkins, LB Octaveion Minter, RB Emmanuel Wright, DE Teddy Murphy.
Need to know: Broome lost to Woodruff 48-12 earlier in the season, but edged the Wolverines last week in a pretty decent upset, thanks to a last-second field goal. So the Centurions head to Chester this week in a reunion of former region rivals. They’ll look quite different from their last visit. Jet Turner left for Woodmont in 2017 and second-year coach Lynn Fleming shifted the Centurions to a spread offense. They have a North-South QB in Brenden Taylor and two members of a state championship track relay team playing receiver, but the pressing question is whether Broome will be able to slow down Chester’s blunt instrument rushing attack. Victor Floyd’s group has run for over 300 yards in seven of 11 games. Actually, one more question: will Cyclones QB Zan Dunham be back this week? He’s been out since injuring his shoulder about a month ago against Fairfield Central. Chester could use its hulking freshman from here on out.
Indian Land (6-5) at Union County (8-3)
Last week: Indian Land beat Crescent 29-14; Union County beat Chesnee 56-13
Last meeting: never played
Key players: IL - RB Jiquese Tinsley, DE Tahj Knight, DE Cornelius Barber, WR Jacob Cooley. UC - RB T.T. Kershaw, QB Kesean Glover, OL Lewis McBeth, OL Parker Northern.
Need to know: Indian Land got its first playoff win since 2005 last week. That was also the last time the Warriors advanced to the third round of the state playoffs, though back then it was in the 1A classification. This will be a tough one for Horatio Blades’ crew, but if they’ve got anything it’s grit and pluck. This game at Union could be a quick one, time-wise, because both of these teams are more comfortable pounding the football on the ground. The Yellow Jackets have won six games in a row, scoring at least 42 points in five of those contests, and they’ve got a large offensive line. But Indian Land knows that and Blades is showing himself to be a super schemer, game-planner. This game will be a smasher, and it might be a long pass play or kick return that swings the result.
WATCH: Get to know Indian Land defensive standout Dorian Williams
This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 3:22 PM.