With seniors leading the way, Northwestern has its state title dreams within reach
The four of them are sticking around the Northwestern High School practice field in Rock Hill on Friday morning, discussing their expectations and dreams for the 2022 season, when senior offensive lineman Jordan Knox shrugs and offers a bit of news.
“Hardest summer since I’ve been here,” he says nonchalantly.
His teammates around him — junior running back Turbo Richard, senior wide receiver Elijah Caldwell and senior linebacker Damien Jackson — all nod knowingly. Some chuckle. Some speak up.
“Probably so,” Jackson adds.
“For sure,” Caldwell responds.
“You can tell the intensity level is a lot higher this year,” Knox continues. “Without COVID, we actually all got to go to (District Three Stadium) every Tuesday and run stairs and all that. A lot more conditioning with our new strength coach.”
He then adds: “I think we’re going to be one of the most in-shape teams in the state.”
The Northwestern football team has entered the 2022 season refocused and reshaped and hopeful after coming so close in 2021: Last year, the Trojans won 11 straight games. They dominated Region 4-5A for a second-consecutive region title. They made a deep run in the playoffs, too, before that run was derailed by a heartbreaking third-round loss to eventual 5A state champion Gaffney.
These Trojans are tired of merely getting close, though, it appears. The team’s upperclassmen and head coach Page Wofford know that the differences between the “good” Northwestern teams and the “great” Northwestern teams are slim and exist at the margins — hence the “hardest summer I’ve been here” truth.
And they’re willing to work hard in service of their ultimate goal, which is to win a state championship, players say.
To be “great.”
“I feel like we’ve been one of the best teams the last two years,” Caldwell said. “So third time’s a charm.”
“As close as we’ve come the last two years,” Knox said, “it’s the only way.”
Here’s what you need to know about Northwestern ahead of the 2022 season.
3 key strengths of Northwestern football
1. A returning offensive line. If the old maxim is true — that high school football games are won at the line of scrimmage — Northwestern will win a lot of games in 2022.
Knox, a soon-to-be three-year starter who committed to the Big 10’s Northwestern University earlier this summer, will start at left tackle. He’ll be joined by other seasoned returners: senior Luigi Rizzo (right guard), senior Vance Ventry (right tackle), senior Marcus Macon (left guard) and senior Edwin Young (center).
That line paved the way for 2,093 rushing yards a year ago — most of that thanks to now-junior running back Turbo Richard. The All-Region and All-Area running back took 174 carries for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
Richard said his foremost goal is team-oriented (“to win a state championship”). But when asked if he had any individual goals, he smiled.
“To double my yards from last year, to get to 2,000,” he said.
Is that feasible?
His teammates jumped in to answer for him.
Said Jackson: “I mean, it is, bro!”
Said Knox: “He did that last year after missing a game, missing a couple games last year.”
The line also shielded a productive passing game last season — a phase of the game that accumulated 3,183 yards and 42 touchdowns. This year’s quarterback battle is still ongoing.
It also helped block for a good special teams group. Wofford said that Caleb Rodriguez, the backup for current NC State kicker Kanoah Vinesett last year, will be the kicker in 2022.
2. Dynamic wide receivers. A lot of Northwestern’s talent on the offensive side is in the team’s wide receiving corps, and that has to make receivers coach Ryan Hunt smile.
Caldwell corralled a team-best 77 catches for 1,247 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. The senior committed to West Virginia earlier this summer. He’ll be joined by William Brooks, who caught a team-third-best 26 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, and a bunch of receivers who’ve notched experience this summer.
“There’s going to be something special in the receiving room this year,” Caldwell said.
3. A young defense with potential. The Northwestern offense got a lot of love last season. And rightfully so. But it was the team’s defense that proved to be a strength at the end of the season — particularly in the team’s final game against Gaffney: The defense held one of the most productive offenses in the state to 16 points and only 197 yards.
Many players from the 2021 Trojan defense departed, including nine starters. Among the guys who contributed on last year’s team that will be expected to contribute this year: senior defensive lineman Jeremiah McDowell, senior linebacker Damien Jackson and senior linebacker Trey Wilmore.
Jackson, who notched 36 tackles and two sacks last season, summed it up best.
“Coming up as a senior this year, I’m just keeping that same mentality, the same process that (the senior class) had last year,” Jackson said. “To answer your question, we’re going to be young and the experience might not be there. But as long as the effort’s there, we’re going to hold it down.”
Quotable Trojans
Wofford on the leadership of Caldwell and Knox: “They’re not leaders because they got the chance to go play in college. They’re leaders because they’re here every day. The kids see that. They see Jordan Knox, who doesn’t take a day off, who does extra work. They see Elijah Caldwell coming out and running full speed routes. So all that comes full circle.”
Caldwell on a grueling summer and being a senior leader: “It’s something you gotta want to do. You can’t just show up and expect to get through the day, especially with the new strength and conditioning coach (Tommy Adams) and the way Coach Wofford has the team going. We’re in a good position. We were in a good position the last two years, so we gotta keep it going.”
Wofford on playing in South Carolina’s 4A this year instead of 5A due to last year’s realignment: “I don’t care who we play, I care how we play. We have extreme confidence in our system and the way we practice, the way we lift weights, the way we condition, the way we coach the kids, our expectations. We have confidence that if they do that right — and they have been doing that right to this point — then when we step foot on the field, what’s there to worry about now?”
Northwestern at a glance
Head coach: Page Wofford. He’s entering his fourth season at the Northwestern helm after serving as an assistant at the Rock Hill school from 2012-18.
Last year: 11-2 (4-0 Region 4-5A); lost in the third round of the playoffs.
Competes in: After this past winter’s South Carolina High School League realignment, the Trojans will compete in Region 3-4A, bumping the team down one classification. That means that the team will be in the same region as city rival South Pointe, which won the 4A state championship in 2021.
Base defense: 4-3.
Offensive philosophy: Balanced.
All-Region departures: Will Mattison (Region Player of the Year, QB, Gardner-Webb signee); Jecari Bryson (DB, Gardner-Webb signee); Gerell Watkins (WR); Kanoah Vinesett (K, NC State signee); Isaac McLellan (DL, Western Carolina signee).
All-Region returners: Turbo Richard (RB); Jordan Knox (OL, Northwestern University commit); Elijah Caldwell (WR, West Virginia commit).
2022 regular season schedule: Aug. 19 vs. Rock Hill — Aug. 26 at Clover — Sept. 2 vs. Brooklyn-Cayce — Sept. 9 at Nation Ford — Sept. 16 vs. Gaffney — Sept. 23 BYE — Sept. 30 vs. Lancaster* — Oct. 7 at Indian Land* — Oct. 14 vs. York* — Oct. 21 at South Pointe* — Oct. 28 vs. Catawba Ridge*
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 9:15 AM.
