South Pointe football aims to recapture tradition after back-to-back early playoff exits
After winning its seventh state title in 14 years in 2021, South Pointe football underwent a coaching change.
Since that state championship, the Stallions have gone 8-4 in each of the two seasons since, and suffered narrow second-round playoff losses both times under coach Bobby Collins. He and a Stallions roster with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball want more, and they believe they might be able to break through once again this season.
“My seat is extremely hot, and that’s the way I want it,” Collins said. “You got a place that has a lot of players, a lot of tradition and a lot of prestige. And you know, as a head coach, these are the kind of jobs you pray for.”
USC offensive line commit Anthony Baxter is an example of South Pointe’s talent. The junior is one of three key returning offensive linemen for the Stallions. Collins remembers first meeting him at the end of his eighth-grade year at a lifting session as he was preparing to join the program.
“When I see him walking through the door, man, big gentle giant, smile that lights up a room. I knew he had the potential to be a Division I player,” Collins said. “If Anthony just continues to progress, he’ll be a Sunday player as well.”
Since then, the junior has grown not only as a player, but as an athlete. Baxter also plays on South Pointe’s basketball team, which he feels has helped with improving his footwork, keeping him in shape and getting quicker.
“If you ask them to grade themselves out after practice, he’s always going to probably give himself a C or D because he’s reaching further. He wants more,” Collins said of Baxter. “I think when you got somebody that’s humble and hungry, and loves being in the weight room and loves the thought process of practice and loves to grind, you got yourself a great football player.”
That work ethic and improvement has led to his USC commitment and other offers from Duke, Virginia Tech and Penn State.
“It was an amazing process,” Baxter said of his recruitment. “Coach (Shane) Beamer, great guy. He knows how to recruit and it feels like home every time I walk in. I learn something new every time I go there.”
Baxter ranks 13th on The Charlotte Observer’s ranking of the top 50 high school football players in the region entering this season, while his teammate, safety and quarterback J’Zavien Currence, is on the list at No. 6.
“We expect (Currence) to be on the field on both sides of the ball at all times,” Collins said. “ He says he’ll play every position. But we think he’s next up to be one of those guys to be a Sunday player. The last few guys that played here on Sunday played on both sides of the ball, so we want to kind of keep that tradition going.”
While Currence appears set to start at quarterback, he can play in plenty of positions across the offense while the Stallions will also have junior Fairfield Central transfer Cam McMillon available at quarterback.
“Read options are going to be key,” Baxter said. “Quarterback runs (too), you got a guy that can move in space and can throw it. Got a young quarterback also on the roster, he’s probably gonna get some snaps. And our defense, they some animals.”
With other players like Mason Hicks at running back and wide receiver and a defensive line Collins thinks is the best in the state, South Pointe believes it has what it takes to get back to the South Carolina state title.
“I’m very excited, I can’t wait to hit people,” Baxter said. “My goal is to win state, our team goal is to win state, keep winning state. We want to go undefeated this season. And as a leader team, I got to make sure that happens.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
