Northwestern keeps winning (and dancing) streak alive in Boiling Springs playoff win
The tradition started sometime in the middle of the season, sometime during Northwestern’s now-10-game winning streak.
It has featured disco-adjacent moves. Tik-Tok trends. It’s been done after close wins. After big wins. After wins where the Trojans looked downright invulnerable — which they have for most of the 2021 season.
And it was present on Friday night, when the Trojans defeated Boiling Springs, 52-7, in the opening round of the 5A state playoffs in Rock Hill’s District Three Stadium.
It’s simpler to explain the tradition (superstition?) the way the Trojans do in a timely postgame tweet each Friday night: “We win. We dance.”
Specifically, head coach Page Wofford joins his excited team in the locker room and dances while players joyfully yell and dance around him.
This week? Although it wasn’t caught on video (like it usually is), Wofford said he hit some sort of shuffle, inspired by late singer/songwriter James Brown.
“You know, he’s from South Carolina,” Wofford told The Herald with a smile. “Gotta represent the South Carolina guys.”
The Trojans’ tradition is a reminder that winning a game, however it’s done, is and should be fun. Their win over Boiling Springs on Friday night was particularly so — it extended their season another week as the Trojans inch closer to their state championship dreams.
“Hopefully we can continue to improve,” Wofford said. “And hopefully we can improve for about four more games.”
Northwestern crushes Boiling Springs
Everywhere you looked on District Three Stadium’s field, every down, Northwestern players were busy. (Recording 479 yards of total offense and 57 points on 50 plays will do that.)
The Trojans scored on their first five possessions:
The first possession featured one pass and then five straight runs — the last one an 11-yard stretch to the left for a running back Turbo Richard touchdown. 7-0.
The next possession featured back-to-back senior quarterback Will Mattison connections with prolific junior wide receiver Elijah Caldwell, the last one a 12-yard touchdown helped by a nasty Caldwell stiff arm. 14-0.
Then, after a Jecari Bryson interception in the second quarter, Mattison found speedy senior Gerrell Watkins for a 22-yard score. 21-0.
Then came a 46-yard Kanoah Vinesett field goal and another 32-yard Richard touchdown run to make it 31-0 — which is the score the Trojans would go into halftime with and would never come close to relinquishing.
The teams played with a running clock for most of the fourth quarter.
Northwestern-Boiling Springs stat leaders
The Trojans were led by an assortment of characters on Friday night.
Mattison completed 10 of 16 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns and one interception (which came right before the half). (He also had 54 yards on six carries — only playing second fiddle to starting running back Richard, who notched 149 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries.)
Mattsion, the North-South All-Star game selection and Mr. Football finalist, spread the wealth nicely: Watkins (three catches, 51 yards, two touchdowns), Caldwell (two catches, 45 yards, one touchdown) and Drennon Falls (two catches, 17 yards) all had chances to make plays Friday.
Backup quarterback Greer Hopkins impressed in his time, too. He went 5 for 5 for 33 yards and one touchdown — his score a 15-yard toss to Ben Gregory.
The Northwestern defense only allowed 218 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers: that aforementioned Bryson interception; an Avery Scott interception as time expired in the first half; a fumble recovered by Emmanuel Sanders; and a Michael McMullen interception in the third quarter.
“We gotta put it together, we gotta keep putting it together,” Wofford said postgame, his dancing celebration done and his eyes already looking for an edge against second-round opponent Byrnes next week. “Next week, everyone is 0-0. Byrnes is 0-0. And we’re both trying to go 1-0. And we’ll see what happens.”
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 11:58 PM.
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