Northwestern answers the question about who will be Region 3-4A champion

Northwestern head coach Page Wofford saidh he doesn’t want to diminish the value of a region championship.

However, he said, for him and his program, the standard has been and will continue to be state championships.

But after Northwestern’s 64-31 win over South Pointe -- a win that gave the Trojans their fourth-consecutive region title -- Wofford recognized the position he and his team are in.

“It’s nice to be region champs,” Wofford said. “I probably play that down a little too often... it’s special. There’s a lot of programs that never win a championship in anything.

“So to be region champion and city champion -- first time we’ve been back-to-back city champions since 2015. It’s not done a lot in this city. I think Northwestern has the most city championships out of anybody. So I’m just blessed and pleased to be at the school of Northwestern.”

The 64 points are the most the Trojans have scored all season.

The offense was led by senior running back Turbo Richard, who ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns, and junior quarterback Finley Polk, who threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another.

However, despite the seemingly overwhelming success performance from his team, Wofford still saw a lot of room for improvement.

The offense committed two turnovers that kept points off the board, and Northwestern punted only one fewer time than South Pointe. A Trojan defense that came into the game allowing 16 points and 264 yards gave up 31 points and 431 yards.

“Honestly, we didn’t play very well,” Wofford said. “We got to play better, and we’re going to see some things on film that we have to correct sooner rather than later. The points that they got, we were blowing coverages, missing tackles, we can’t have that.

“We had the two turnovers right there that were totally our fault. It’s just things like that. It’ll eat at you. I’m happy for the kids. The kids played great. The kids overcame the mistakes that we as coaches have to correct, so that’s always good to see.

South Pointe focused on season finale

Sixty-four points was the most points South Pointe has ever allowed.

The Stallions defense did create some stops, but the offense wasn’t able to match Northwestern’s offensive efficiency.

South Pointe head coach Bobby Collins had nothing but respect for his Friday night opponents.

“You know what’s a great thing about how the playoffs are set up, if you do what you’re supposed to do, you’ll see them again,” he said. “They’re a good football team. (Andre Pickett), the defensive tackle that they have, he’s a junior. We have not seen one that good. And (Turbo Richard), he’s the real deal at running back.

“The quarterback (Finley Polk) is a really, really smart player. From if he’s got to pull it, if he’s got to hand it off, or if he’s got to throw it. The complete definition of a (run-pass-option) guy, he’s got it. He’s well coached, so I think he gives them a fighting chance to be successful.”

When the Stallion offense was truly able to get things going, it was thanks to a run game anchored by junior running backs Mason Pickett-Hicks and Aidan Turner.

The duo combined for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

That production opened a South Pointe passing attack that really picked up in the second half, with quarterback Malachi Marshall throwing for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Wide receiver Jordan Curbeam caught 7 passes for 97 yards and the score.

And South Pointe still has a lot on the line in its regular season finale against York next week.

Whoever wins that game finishes will be the No. 2 seed in the region and will begin their postseason campaign at home.

“Just stay focused on what we do,” Collins said. “Take care of your bodies. We’re going back to the weight room. Going back to practice. Doing what we’ve been doing since day one. Right now, we’re 6-3, and we just got to work from there.”

Northwestern’s push continues

With the region crown locked up, Wofford said he wants to see his team get better at preparation and execution, regardless of what the score is or who the next opponent may be.

“I want to see daily improvement,” Wofford said. “I want to see us try to win every rep, every play and every practice. That’s what I want to see. I want to see them continue to stay focused, to make sure to hold themselves accountable, to not be selfish and fight off complacency.

“That’s my thing, we’re never going to be good enough. And the kids understand that. We’re hard on them, and it’s difficult to play at Northwestern because there’s a standard that we have. A very high standard that we have to uphold. We have fun, and we win a bunch of football games, and I think it’s because of the standard we hold our kids too.”

Looking ahead

Northwestern (8-1, 4-0) will head up to Fort Mill to take on Catawba Ridge for its regular season finale, while South Pointe (6-3, 3-1) will be at District Three South for its finale against York.

Both games are scheduled to kickoff on Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 10:35 PM.