Gray-Y all-stars hope to make it three Rock Hill state championships Saturday

Gradually, once it was just them again on the dormant grass at Hargett Park, the 20-something Gray-Y all-star youth football players began to chat among themselves like normal.

The Northwestern Trojans football team had already strode back across the field, back onto the two activity buses that brought the high school players over to the Rock Hill Gray-Y all-stars Wednesday night practice directly after their own, and headed back to the school. The 12-year old all-star football players recovered from the initial shock of meeting and shaking hands with their teenaged heroes.

Gray-Y player Marshall Stafford seemed to sum up the common impression: he was shocked “by how big they were.”

By now, it’s well known that two Rock Hill schools are chasing football state championships Saturday in Columbia. But a third team - the Gray-Y all-stars - is looking to make it a hat-trick for Football City, USA. The team - made up of 25 players from the nine teams in the local Gray-Y league - trucked its first three opponents in the state playoffs by a combined 134-0 score.

By several twists of fate, the all-stars face Florence Saturday at 1 p.m. at River Bluff High School. Normally, the high school football season would have ended last week, but was an extra seven days long this year because of October’s flooding. And the youth football state championship is normally played in Myrtle Beach, but is being contested in Columbia for the first time this year.

“I’m kind of glad we didn’t play in Myrtle Beach because South Pointe and Northwestern are playing in Columbia,” said coach Winfred Hood, who gets the honor of leading the team after guiding the Bellview Wildcats to the Gray-Y league championship. “We hope to leave with a victory, and hope the other two do too.”

The Gray-Y all-stars appear to have a good shot at breaking the city’s six-year state championship drought at the youth level. Hood has used food to elevate an already talented team’s spirit and chemistry. Pizza parties followed two practices in the last couple weeks, and sub sandwiches will be the treat after Thursday’s practice.

“And they love it, you know what I mean,” said Hood, chuckling.

When they rolled up to Hargett Park on a surprise visit set up by Hood, the Trojans caught the few Gray-Y players already at practice off guard. A big group gathered as the Gray-Y players rolled up one by one after getting dropped off by their parents. Trojans coach Kyle Richardson greeted each one, asking him his name and position, then introducing him to the corresponding players on Northwestern’s team.

“They loved it,” said Hood, who also had South Pointe coach Strait Herron out to the team’s practice several weeks earlier.

In another fortuitous turn, the Gray-Y all-stars are up first on championship Saturday in Columbia, playing at 1 p.m. Surely they’ll head over to Williams-Brice afterward to support the two high school teams?

“Oh absolutely,” said Hood, who plans to get the team championship rings provided it takes care of business. He said the whole crew - players, parents and coaches - will support South Pointe and Northwestern, reciprocating the backing shown to them.

Besides, why not experience Williams-Brice Stadium on state championship Saturday; it’ll be those Gray-Y all-stars taking the field down there in another three or four years.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Gray-Y all-stars hope to make it three Rock Hill state championships Saturday."