Class AAAA - Division II outlook

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Without 2010 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Justin Worley (left) at the controls of Northwestern's offensive arsenal, first year head coach Kyle Richardson knows his team will have a target on its back this season.

For Northwestern, the third time was truly the charm.
Two consecutive years of disappointment came to a head last December, the Trojans finally getting over the hump in resounding fashion by way of a 42-10 thumping of Greenwood. It was the first title for the program since 1993, and its first undefeated football season in school history.
The victory provided the perfect swan song for quarterback Justin Worley, who during his time at Northwestern claimed several state passing records.
In April, legendary head coach Jimmy "Moose" Wallace also decided to call it quits after 31 years roaming the sideline, 24 of those at Northwestern. Wallace finished with a 286-62 record and four state titles.
On their way to last year's Class AAAA - Division II championship, the Trojans' perfect campaign clashed with another in the Lowcountry — that of Goose Creek. The Gators ran out to a 20-7 first half lead, only to watch Northwestern's "Air Raid" assault fight back and eventually claim the game.
Goose Creek head coach Chuck Reedy and his players have yet to forget about that game.
Ahead of the curve last season, the Gators come into 2011 as the odds-on favorite to claim the "Little 32" state title. Arguably boasting the Palmetto State's best running game keyed by its big bruiser at fullback Virgil Smalls and an improved passing game, it'll be tough to figure who can put the clamps on this offensive juggernaut.
Defensively, look for the squad to be equally as stout, led by hard hitting linebacker and Clemson commitment T.J. Burrell. However, one must wonder whether Goose Creek can stop the big play, evident in last year's loss to Northwestern.
Do not be surprised if the road to Death Valley in the Class AAAA-Division II ranks passes through "The Swamp."
The Trojans may have a say in how things finish though, returning 12 starters from last season's championship winning squad. Guru of the program's renowned "Air Raid" attack Kyle Richardson has taken the headset once fitting the head of Wallace, but he definitely will not be the only one with big shoes to fill.
Among the gaping holes seeking plugging are those left by Gatorade Football Player of the Year Worley, now at Tennessee, and star defensive tackle Gerald Dixon, a South Carolina signee. Whoever is under center for the Trojans will have plenty of experience at wide receiver to count on though, among them B.J. Boyd and Rontavious McClure.
Also hungry to get the sour taste of defeat out of its mouth is Greenwood. Though Shrine Bowl linebacker Quinn Backus — a key piece of a defense which gave up under 15 points per game last season — is gone, coach Gene Cathcart's cupboard is far from bare, bringing back 11 players from a team which advanced to the state title game.
Speed will be the name of the game for Greenwood, this year expected to stretch teams out by way of weapons like all-purpose back D.J. Goodman, who can line up in the backfield and split out at wide receiver on any given play. The Eagles potentially could be even better than last year on defense, particularly at linebacker where Davon Durant and Marquavious Lewis will roam free.
Easley, North Augusta and Beaufort could also make things interesting this season, each trying to make that next step toward a title.

FAVORITE: Goose Creek
CONTENDERS: Greenwood, Northwestern, Easley, North Augusta, Beaufort, Wren
LOOK OUT FOR: Conway — After three consecutive close calls in the state title game, the Tigers fell on hard times — particularly the last seasons in which head coach Chuck Jordan's teams could not get past the five win plateau, bowing out in the first round of the playoffs each time. This year's team has the talent to break the trend, led by the versatile Mychal Moody. Look for Conway to reassert its dominance in Region VI-AAAA.

Mr. Football award finalists announced

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

South Pointe's Jadeveon Clowney (left) and Northwestern's Justin Worley are among the finalists for the S.C. Autombile Dealers Association Mr. Football award recognizing the state's most outstanding player.

No head scratching necessary for this one … these kids deserve the recognition they are receiving.
Noticed for their prowess on the gridiron, the field was narrowed down to eight in the running for the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association Mr. Football award.
Among those chosen was Northwestern’s record setting quarterback Justin Worley. The Tennessee commitment has led the Trojans to a 12-0 mark thus far in 2010, hoping to accomplish the one thing he has not done during his high school football career -- win a state championship.
All-American Jadeveon Clowney was also tabbed as a finalist for this year’s Mr. Football award, the defensive end (and part-time running back) serving as the focal point of a dominating South Pointe defense which currently sits atop the Class AAA Prep Writers’ Poll.
Clemson commit and Dorman standout wide receiver Charone Peake was among those honored as a finalist for the award, in addition to Myrtle Beach quarterback and North Carolina commitment Everett Golson, Greenwood linebacker Quinton Backus, Summerville running back DeAngelo Henderson, James Island wide receiver Bo Patterson, and Goose Creek offensive tackle Brandon Shell.
Current South Carolina running back and former Byrnes High School standout Marcus Lattimore won the S.C. Mr. Football award in 2009.
The Mr. Football award be handed out during the North-South awards ceremony Dec. 11 at Myrtle Beach High School.

Previous Mr. Football Winners
2009: Marcus Lattimore - Byrnes HS (South Carolina)
2008: Stephon Gilmore - South Pointe HS (South Carolina)
2007: Richard Mounce - Blythewood HS (Charleston Southern)
2006: Malcolm Long - Gaffney HS (South Carolina State)
2005: Prince Miller - Byrnes HS (Georgia)
2004: JD Melton - Myrtle Beach HS (Navy)
2003: Trey Elder - Byrnes HS (Appalachian State)
2002: Eric McCollum - Camden HS (Iowa)
2001: Moe Thompson - Stratford HS (South Carolina)
2000: Roscoe Crosby - Union HS (Clemson)
1999: Mark Logan - Greenwood HS (Georgia Tech)
1998: Derek Watson - Palmetto HS (South Carolina)
1997: Chris Hope - Rock Hill HS (Florida State)
1996: Kyle Young - Daniel HS (Clemson)
1995: Jermale Kelly - Greenwood HS (South Carolina)

Northwestern's Worley, Blacksburg's Hames lead list of dazzling Week 10 performances

Photo by Scott Powell/ The Gaffney Ledger

Blacksburg running back Chase Hames became the program's single season leading rusher last Friday night, running for 212 yards in a 26-14 victory qualifying the Wildcats for postseason play. The senior has 2,155 yards this season.

Week 10 was chock full of dazzling performances around the Palmetto State, as players hoped to drive their teams toward region titles and favorable playoff positioning. Here are a few of the noteworthy performances last Friday night:

Kevin Miller, Lexington: The Wildcats' leading rusher had a night to remember last Friday at Wildcat Hollow, running through the Orangeburg-Wilkinson defense to the tune of 407 yards and five touchdowns in Lexington's 69-20 victory. He scored on runs of 12, 64,16, 27, and 6 yards.
And to think, Miller did that much damage in three quarters of play.
Montrece Kennedy, Northwestern: Likely a name Gaffney quarterback DeEdward Burris will not soon forget. The Trojans' safety picked off three passes during Northwestern's 42-28 win, lifting his team to the Region III-AAAA title.
Daiquone Ford, Myrtle Beach: There was little capable of stopping the Seahawks' running back last week, Ford accounting for 199 yards and four scores on the ground as well as an 85-yard kickoff return for a score in Myrtle Beach's rout of rival North Myrtle Beach.
Chase Hames, Blacksburg: Already recognized by MaxPreps as the nation's player of the week earlier this year, Hames added another honor last Friday, becoming the school's single season rushing leader during a 26-14 win over Southside Christian. The senior ran for 212 yards in the contest, upping his total for the 2010 season to 2,155 yards on the ground.
Justin Worley, Northwestern: No matter how much Gaffney tried, there was no stopping the Trojans' Worley last Friday night. The Tennessee prospect was 37 of 48 for 427 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to another score on the ground to help Northwestern claim the Region III-AAAA championship in a 42-28 victory over the Indians.
Rondreas Truesdale, Indian Land: Truesdale scored twice on the ground and passed for a touchdown in Indian Land's 41-13 win over Buford. He wound up with 214 yards on 14 carries on the night for the Warriors.
Quinshad Davis, Gaffney: Northwestern's Jimmy "Moose" Wallace became the latest coach around the state to rave about Gaffney's Davis. The junior wide receiver torched the Trojans' defense last Friday night, catching 13 passes for 258 yards in the Indians' 42-28 loss.
Hunter Townes, Christ Church: Accounting for more than 400 yards passing and seven touchdowns is more than enough to make our list, the Christ Church quarterback leading his team to a Region II-A title and top seed in the Class A playoffs with a 57-26 drubbing of rival Landrum.

Northwestern makes statement - Trojans get last word against Gaffney, win dogfight 42-28

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Northwestern wide receiver Rontavious McClure hauls in his second touchdown over the outstretched arms of a Gaffney defender to clinch the Region III-AAAA title for the Trojans, who defeated the Indians 42-28.

Northwestern head coach Jimmy “Moose” Wallace warned his team in the week leading up to the Trojans’ contest with Gaffney that it would be nothing short of a war.
The two Class AAAA heavyweight went back and forth for three quarters Friday night at Rock Hill’s District 3 Stadium, however, it was Northwestern which had a little more ammo left in its chamber, defeating the Indians and claiming the Region III-AAAA title.
It took a complete team effort for the Trojans to notch the victory, as quarterback and Tennessee prospect Justin Worley found the end zone six times -- five through the air and once on the ground -- while safety Montrece Kennedy grabbed three interceptions, including two in the fourth quarter to halt Gaffney drives.
“I’m proud of our kids,” Wallace said. “We told our kids all week it was going to be a war, a dogfight. … We knew we had to play as good as we could, and our secondary did a good job.”
Things got off to a fast start for Northwestern, intercepting Gaffney quarterback DeEdward Burris on the game’s first play. A few plays later, Worley was able to find his favorite target, wide receiver Robert Joseph, for a 13-yard score to give the team a 7-0 advantage.
Burris and the Indians did not stay on the mat long, however, engineering a drive keyed by the star signal caller’s athleticism both with his arm and legs, with the senior hitting pay dirt on a 6-yard run to tie the game. After forcing a rare Trojans’ three-and-out, Gaffney would take the lead on a 4-yard score from C.J. Miller
During the drive, Burris separated his left (non-throwing) shoulder, an injury that would impact how he and his team played the rest of the game.
Northwestern would tie things at 14 apiece to end the first stanza, hitting Brandon Lewis 24 yards down the center of the field for the score.
With just over four minutes remaining in the first half, Gaffney’s Burris returned to a standing ovation by Indian faithful, driving the offense 56 yards to reclaim the lead at 21-14, with backup quarterback Joey Copeland doing the honors by running it in from a yard out.
A controversial call to end the first half drew the Trojans even as the teams went in for intermission, Worley hitting big target Rontavious McClure on a fade route just over the outstretched hands of a Gaffney defender to make the score 21-21.
“That was big, big, big; we’ve been wanting Rontavious to just go up and get the ball,” Wallace said.
Things slowed down quite a bit in the third quarter, as Northwestern was the only ones to score in the stanza. Following Burris’ second interception of the game, Worley directed a 12 play, 94 yard drive which ended with the quarterback crossing the goal line on a seven yard run, giving the Trojans a 28-21 lead.
As had been the case all game though, Gaffney would again return the favor, the drive ending with Copeland’s second score of the game. But Northwestern would seize control of the contest for good on its next possession, using its short passing game to chip away at the Indians’ defense before hitting it big, this time a 10-yard completion to B.J. Boyd for a 35-28 lead.
The Trojans would put things out of reach with Worley’s sixth score, a 9-yard pass lofted to McClure in the corner of the end zone to give them a 14-point advantage, one it would not relinquish.
The Northwestern quarterback finished 37 of 48 passing, throwing for 427 yards and five scores. He had one interception in the contest. Worley’s top target on the night was Boyd, who hauled in 11 balls for 112 yards.
Gaffney’s Burris was 15 of 25 for 246 yards and four interceptions, gutting things out despite sustaining a shoulder injury early in the first half. Quinshad Davis had 258 yards receiving for the Indians in a losing effort.
Northwestern improves to 10-0 (4-0 S.C. Region III-AAAA), while Gaffney falls to 7-3 (3-1).

S.C.'s Top Performers (Week 7) — Quarterbacks steal show

Photo by Larry Hilliard/ The Gaffney Ledger

Gaffney senior quarterback DeEdward Burris was virtually unstoppable in his team's contest against Clover, scoring five times in dropping the Eagles from the ranks of the unbeaten in the Indians' 41-27 win.

Mitch Campbell, Myrtle Beach: Stepping in for injured Seahawks' starting quarterback Everett Golson, the senior again made the most of his playing time in Myrtle Beach's 62-7 win over Socastee. Campbell was nearly perfect in the game, going 10-for-12 for 246 yards and five touchdowns for the Seahawks.
Daiquone Ford, Myrtle Beach: Not to be outdone, Ford also had a game to remember vs. Socastee, rushing for 163 years on four carries, including a 99-yard touchdown run in the 62-7 romp. He nearly reached the century mark for reception yards in the contest, catching three passes for 96 yards and a touchdown grab.
Robert Joseph, Northwestern: Joseph continues to be Trojans' quarterback Justin Worley's top target in the team's "Air Raid" offense, last week catching six balls for 122 yards in Northwestern's 35-12 win over region for Spartanburg. The scoring receptions were from 22, 86 and 20 yards.
Justin Worley, Northwestern: You can only describe the Tennessee commitment in one word: special. Worley, though not showing his typical pinpoint accuracy, went 19 for 34 for 321 yards in the Trojans' 35-12 win over Spartanburg last week.
In addition, the Northwestern senior signal caller set a new state record against the Vikings, eclipsing Byrnes standout quarterback Willy Korn's mark (123) by throwing his 124th touchdown pass in the contest.
Shamier Jeffery, Calhoun County: The beginning of a good weekend for Calhoun County kids with the last name of "Jeffery," Saints' quarterback Shamier Jeffery made his mark last Friday night in passing for 338 yards on 21 of 27 passing in the teams' 50-0 drubbing of Fox Creek. He also passed for five touchdowns in the game.
Cyril Davis, Orangeburg-Wilkinson: The Bruins' offense remained hot under the direction of Davis, who was 15 of 28 for 361 yards and four touchdowns in O-W's 36-21 victory over South Aiken.
DeEdward Burris, Gaffney: The dual threat under center for the Indians wreaked havoc all night on the Clover defense, scoring three times with his legs and twice with his arm to give the Eagles their first loss of the season, 41-27. Burris ran for 129 yards in the game, while throwing for 248 more.

Third quarter explosion pushes Northwestern past rival South Pointe

Photo by Joe L. Hughes II

Northwestern quarterback Justin Worley celebrates with receiver Brandon Lewis after the two connected for a touchdown in the third quarter of the team's nationally-televised contest with rival South Pointe. The Trojans would go on to win the game 42-20.

Sometimes it takes a little adversity to reveal the true character of a team.

It didn't take long for Northwestern head coach Jimmy Wallace to get his answer — and he could not be more pleased.

Down 20-7 midway through the third quarter to crosstown rival South Pointe, the Trojans exploded for touchdowns on their next five possessions en route to a 42-20 victory to open the season at Rock Hill's District Three Stadium.

For much of the first half, Northwestern's fans — and more notably its "Air Raid" offense — was silent, helpless as the Stallions defense dominated play. South Pointe forced three turnovers on the afternoon, each of which was converted to points for the team.

Top prospect Jadeveon Clowney, who wreaked havoc in the Trojan backfield all day, was responsible for the the final turnover, stripping Northwestern running back LaThomas Long of the ball a few plays into the third quarter. It didn't take the Stallions long to cash in, with Brian Jennings fighting his way into the end zone to give the team a 13-point advantage, seemingly insurmountable at the time.

"At halftime, I didn't think our kids were handling adversity well," Wallace said. "To win games, you must be able to do so ... I'm sure glad our kids responded like they did."

On the Trojans' next possession, a short slant pass by quarterback Justin Worley to wide receiver Brandon Lewis turned into a 47-yard completion, helping move the ball into the red zone and providing the team a spark. A few plays later, Worley used his escapability to shake free of Clowney, giving the Tennessee commit enough time to find Stewart Hunt for the score.

Now within six points, it would take only three plays for Northwestern to again reach pay dirt and reclaim the lead.

Blessed with good field possession after the Stallions' James Jackson could not control the ensuing kickoff, a long completion by Worley drew the ball within five yards of the goal line. From there, Worley found Long on a screen pass around right end for the score, giving the Trojans a 21-20 lead.

Things went from bad to worse for South Pointe, its next possession also ending with a turnover as Northwestern's Nicholas Cousar intercepted a pass from quarterback Tay Hacklin, returning the ball to the Stallions' 24-yard line. The Trojans' Lewis would win a jump ball in the end zone with an opposing defender on the very next play, pushing the squad's lead to eight points, 28-20.

Northwestern's star quarterback would continue his third quarter mastery of the South Pointe (1-1) defense the next drive, as following another fumble he completed a 51-yard pass to Long before finding his favorite target Robert Joseph in the end zone for a short touchdown pass. The aerial assault would end with a flourish for the Trojans as Worley from the Trojans' 43-yard line hit Lewis in stride, the receiver outrunning a Stallions defender up the sideline for a touchdown, the final salvo in a 42-20 victory.

"We really had a good scheme," said Lewis, who caught six balls for 172 yards and two touchdowns on the day. "I think we gelled well because we had confidence in this team, and the momentum we could create at any time. We believed we could had more will to win this than they did, we just had to bring it out on the field. I think we did just that."

Worley completed 24 of his 33 attempts in the game, passing for 310 yards. He also had five touchdowns and two interceptions on the day.

Each team's defensive front dominated play in the first half, making running the ball difficult for both teams. During the first 24 minutes, however, the Stallions' secondary forced the Northwestern (1-0) aerial attack to be more patient than it wanted to be, holding it scoreless in the first half with the squad's only score coming by way of a fumble return for a touchdown early in the first quarter.

However, like a ticking time bomb, it was only a matter of when — not if— the Trojans' offense would explode ... and boy did it do just that.

"It looked like it would be a defensive game for a while," Wallace said. "But I have to give credit to our offensive coordinators, they did a great job. This was a good win; we're going to celebrate but we know it's on to the next one; we'll have to be ready."