Rock Hill city council recognizes its 4 state championship teams: ‘Football City USA’
Buster Howard and Lawrence Brown watched in amazement.
The two coaches, both standing on the steps of Rock Hill’s city hall on Monday night, looked out at the sea of kids who were busy bouncing and wrestling and playing in the grassy courtyard. They’ve seen this many times before, they said, but they’ll never take it for granted.
“This is what I do it for,” Brown said.
On Monday evening, four football teams were recognized by the Rock Hill city council.
Three of them were All-Star youth football teams: The Small Fry (7- and 8-year-olds), Pee Wee (9- and 10-year-olds) and Gra-Y (11- and 12-year-olds) teams won state championships in Easley this past weekend.
And the fourth team was South Pointe High School. That team earned the school its seventh state title since it opened in 2005 and delivered the city of Rock Hill its 17th all-time high school football state championship earlier this month — stretching the town’s peerless football legacy into another generation.
Each football team, made up of smiley kids in their football uniforms over their street clothes, got their desired attention and photo opportunities on Monday night.
First up were the 8-and-under All-Stars, a group coached by Nat Baker (head coach), Jabbar Gordon, Tyrone Covin and Coley Wright. Perry Sutton — the renowned 30-year youth football coach who has mentored a good portion of the town’s near-40 players who have made the NFL — called these All-Stars “the best 8U team this city has ever seen.” These guys defeated Florence 22-0 en route to their state championship this weekend.
Next up were the 10-and-under All-Stars. They were coached by Brown (who’s better known as “Coach Snoop”), Howard, Jay Brown, Jeremy Brown, Chad Burgess, Stewart Good and Bert Neely, and they ended up defeating Florence 14-6 for the title.
“Football City USA,” Brown said at the podium, in front of the city’s council members.
And that solicited a remark from a man in the crowd: “Hallelujah!”
Next were the 12U players. Sutton, this team’s head coach, acknowledged the team’s assistant coaches (Pat Kennedy, Ron Hutchinson, Desmond Campbell, Tim Brannon and Reno Bowser) before telling those in attendance that this year’s 12U team wasn’t the biggest but had the most heart and tenacity — traits that delivered the team a 20-14 state championship win over Florence this past weekend.
Sutton even took the time to single-out one player, Aubrey “Jo” Schmidt, the only girl on the 12U team. Sutton said Schmidt marched up to South Pointe head coach DeVonte Holloman Monday night and told him that she’ll play for him one day. “This young lady is the toughest football player,” Sutton said. He added, “She has told me she’s going to the NFL. We’ve produced 39 (NFL players), and she’ll be No. 50.”
And finally, the South Pointe team was recognized. Mayor John Gettys, on behalf of the city council, even delivered a proclamation so that these Stallions would be remembered forever.
“I’m proud of this group of seniors, proud of this group of men, for the way they have carried themselves throughout the season, and the way they’re handling themselves through the success,” Holloman told those gathered in city hall Monday night. “There’s a lot of talent on the field, of course. I think everybody knows that and sees that. But really once you get to know these gentlemen off the field, you just kinda fall in love with them.
“I’m proud of these boys and the way they’ve conducted themselves throughout it all. This is what we aim to do at South Pointe. And hopefully it continues. We’re already getting ready to do it next season.”
Youth football teams recognized
Small Fry (8U)
#1 Thailand Gayton, #2 Zaeden Howze, #3 Ikeden Stevenson, #4 Antoine West, #5 Chaz Patterson, #6 Luca Martinez, #7 Darius Erby, Jr., #8 Camden Daniels, #9 Azion Hart, #10 Allen Thompson, #11 Caleb Thomas, #12 Zy’mir Hinton, #13 Caiden Walls, #21 Kylin Hemphill, #25 Paycen Allen, #40 James Wolff, #44 Kayden Chisholm, #45 Clinton Foote, #70 Hudson White, #71 Devin Dixon, #72 Conner Carpenter, #74, Cash Summerlin, #75 Kayden Scruggs, #77 Braylen Baxter, #78 Braxton Jollie
Pee Wee (10U)
#1 Alfonzso (AJ) Peterson, #2 Clayton Durham, #3 Jeremiah Martin, #4 Jamon Jeter, #5 Darnell Davis, #6 Kiantre Neely, #7 Landon Williams, #8 Tyler Walmsley, #9 Jaquan Hoyles, #10 Jace Allen, #11 Jhace Johnson, #12 Carson Burgess, #13 Briggs Talbert, #21 Zay Hemphill, #24 Jayden Joseph, #44 Terrel Jackson, #45 Clint “CJ” Wallace, #70 Ayan Orr, #71 Branden Carter, #72 Braylon Gaither, #74 Devar Richmond, #75 Cassius Radford, #76 Parker Marshall, #77 Zach Price, #78 Entre EJ Irvin.
Gra-Y (12U)
#2 Corinthian Bowser, #3 Ja’darion Carter-Simpson, #4 Timothy Brannon, #5 Amos Patton Jr., #6 Herbert Knox III, #8 Jai’den White, #9 Bohde Rawdon, #11 Amaren Neely, #12 Calvin Rocheleau, #13 Jamir Stewart, #15 Dontavious Cousar, #19 Kylen Murray, #21 Zachary Grissom, #22 Aubrie “Jo” Schmidt, #25 Ja’Zarie Lindsay, #43 Mario Watson, #44 Jordan Hines, #70 Nyomiah Rose, #71 Zenian Charles, #72 Henry Martin, #73 Breontae Neely, #75 Braeden Myers, #76 Damien Navarre, #77 Marceis Cunningham Jr., #78 Wuestin Smith
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