Honoring the 2010 High School Football Champions - Class 4A Division I

 (Photo Courtesy of GoUpstate.com)

James F. Byrnes Rebels

You can probably count on one hand the amount of times the Byrnes Rebels have been underdogs in the past decade. The 2010 Class AAAA Division I Championship was one of those times. After suffering through what some would label a disappointing regular season with three losses the Rebels found momentum at all the right times.

The Rebel's 2010 campaign saw them drop their season opener on national television to Hoover (AL) High School of MTV's Two-A-Days fame. Then even more stinging than that 14-0 defeat were the two losses at the hands of Gaffney and Dorman. The Dorman game was also nationally televised. 

Byrnes would find their heat at the right time when the start of the playoffs came around. The opening round of the playoffs saw them pitted against the Mauldin Mavericks, a team that the Rebels had to come back and rally to beat in the regular season. Many thought that it would be time that Mauldin turned the corner and finished a game against Byrnes but it was not to be as the Rebels dominated the game and won handily 44-14. The Rebels made quick work of their next two opponents Dutch Fork and Lexington, respectively. They dominated the two, winning by a combined score of 62-21.

All of the roads led to this. The rematch everyone wanted to see. Byrnes vs. Dorman II. Riding a powerful running game led by junior tailback Shakeem Wharton the Rebels powered past the Cavaliers winning in brilliant fashion, 34-14. It was redemption for the Rebels 21-14 loss earlier in the year.

The most fitting quote by any member of the Byrnes Rebel football program was from Wide Receiver Josh Sims.

“Nobody thought we could do it because we lost Marcus and other big time players. We had to do what a lot of Byrnes teams have had to do, and that’s work for it. And we did it. It doesn’t even seem real right now because at the beginning of the season, none of us knew what to expect after losing so many good players.”