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

 

(Photo Courtesy of Andy Burriss at the Rock Hill Herald)

Northwestern Trojans

Going into the 2010 season the storied Northwestern Trojans football program had won state titles, but they had never gone undefeated in doing so. Their last state title was won in 2003 with a 2-0 victory over Gaffney, no we aren't talking baseball that was a football score.

This Northwestern football team was headed into its third straight appearance in the AAAA Division II State Championship -- they lost the previous two. In 2008 the Trojans lost in the Championship to bitter rival South Pointe, 35-14. Likewise in 2009 they lost to lower state foe Berkeley 33-24. But led back by Gatorade National Player of the Year and Tennessee commit Justin Worley the Trojans were on pace to right the previous years' wrongs. In total Worley passed for a mind-boggling 5,315 yards with 64 touchdowns along the way.

Unlike the previous two years the Northwestern Trojans lit up the scoreboards while dominating their competition. Powered by the Worley-guided no huddle offense, Northwestern averaged 41.3 points per game. They proceeded to beat rival, South Pointe, 42-20 in a nationally televised Saturday showcase that pitted Worley against the nation's consensus number one prospect in Jadaveon Clowney. They also defeated region foes Clover, Gaffney and Rock Hill by a combined score of 126-49. It wasn't just the offense that powered the Trojans, however.

Their defense led by highly recruited linemen Roderick Byers and Gerald Dixon was able to get stops when they were needed. The defense only allowed 17 points per game and only 14.8 during the Trojans region stretch.

To get to Columbia the Trojans beat James Island 45-14 and won shootouts over Ashley Ridge and Goose Creek, 49-35 and 41-34 respectively. In Columbia they would encounter annual power Greenwood and work to dismantle them 42-10. Powered by a ball hawking defense and Worley's 263 yard and five touchdown passing effort the Trojans righted the last two seasons wrong. Northwestern Head Coach Jimmy Wallace praised his team and his extraordinary quarterback for the efforts of the 2010 season.

"He's (Worley) been a special player, but all of our kids are special. That's why winning on our third try and going undefeated is tremendous."

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.”