Champions Weekend

This weekend will be something special. We've been lucky to have witnessed two of the best high school football players this state has produced in Justin Worley and Jadeveon Clowney - and this weekend will be the last time they will play for our Rock Hill Teams. It's been 40 years since I played high school football, but you don't have to have played  to appreciate what these gentlemen have accomplished. You and your children will be able to say, I saw them the last time they played in high school. I made the same statement about Enzo Martinez, and he is now leading the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Soccer Tournament.

Thank you Justin and Jadeveon, Coach Carroll and Wallace, and the rest of the Trojans and Stallions for allowing us to come along for the ride. There is one more mountain to climb. Good luck!

From the Myrtle Beach Sun Paper:

South Pointe does not dally in building powerhouse

By Josh Hoke - For The Sun News

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TEXT SIZE:  ROCK HILL -- There are historic football factories in South Carolina prep football.

Schools like Byrnes, Northwestern, Spartanburg, Summerville and others routinely win championships and churn out college prospects. Though South Pointe is a much newer kid on the block, perhaps it's time the Stallions are added to the club.

Bobby Carroll's program will play for the Class AAA state championship Saturday against Myrtle Beach. The school is just six years old and the football program is in its fifth year, but the Stallions are seeking their second title in the last three seasons.

South Pointe (13-1) is certainly among the state's leaders in talent production. Three seniors on this year's team, including top prospect Jadeveon Clowney, will likely play collegiately at FBS programs and several others could be bound for FCS and Division II schools. More than 20 players, including University of South Carolina defensive backs DeVonte Holloman and Stephon Gilmore, signed National Letters of Intent following the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

South Pointe has achieved such success without some of the built-in advantages that the aforementioned schools currently enjoy. The Stallions don't have a large alumni base and play second fiddle in their own city to Class AAAA giants Rock Hill and Northwestern, a squad that will play in Friday's Division II title game for the third straight season.

However, coach Bobby Carroll has built a program to be reckoned with.

"There were a lot of doubters out there that said this was a one-shot wonder, South Pointe High School," Carroll said. "In 2008, we had Gilmore and Holloman and some of those other great players that went on to college. People doubted if we could do this again. But we had Clowney and [Gerald] Dixon and we kind of built around those guys."

The 2009 Stallions lost to Northwestern in the Class AAAA, Division II semifinals and then earned a rightful place - though it was aligned in the state's largest classification, South Pointe never belonged there based on its enrollment - in Class AAA this season.

Since losing to Northwestern on ESPNU in late August and then getting tested by Independence (N.C.) in week three, South Pointe has steamrolled through most of its remaining schedule. The Stallions have averaged 53 points in their last five games and have held four of their last five opponents to single digits.

The defense led by Clowney and Dixon, the two FBS-bound defensive ends, has been dominant all season long. The group has 70 sacks, 81 tackles for loss, 24 interceptions and has recovered 17 fumbles in 14 games.

Yet, it was the development of the offense that allowed the Stallions to play for another state championship. Gilmore quarterbacked a spread offense in 2008, but South Pointe lost offensive coordinator Greg Taylor, who became the head coach at Myers Park (N.C.), this past offseason. Unable to hire an outside coordinator due to the economy, Carroll promoted Rick Martin off his staff and they installed a flexbone, option offense similar to Georgia Tech.

"The offense has stepped it up a lot since the beginning of the year," Dixon said. "We switched quarterbacks and the offensive line has really started clicking."

Junior Tay Hicklin opened the year as the team's starting quarterback, but he was replaced by sophomore Devin Pearson in mid-October, allowing Hicklin to return to his natural position at corner.

Pearson has been solid, rushing for a team-high 576 yards - South Pointe has a balanced attack with eight players over 200 yards - and completing 20-of-40 passes for 628 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense was also buoyed by Clowney's contributions. He has carried 30 times for 274 yards this season as an A-back, giving the team's offense some added power.

"We just improved every week there on out [after the Northwestern loss] and made it all the way," Clowney said. "It means a lot to me knowing I got here in my senior year. Even though I got here in 2008, I just played my role. In my senior year, I want to play a big role and help my team win."

The Stallions certainly have plenty of motivation, kicker and reserve safety Landon Ard said.

"I think the hunger to win," said Ard, assessing the factors that make this team special. "After we lost last year, it left a bitter taste in our mouth. It brought us back to reality. We're not almighty. It made us better and made us want to win more this year."

Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/03/1847268/south-pointe-does-not-dally-in.html#ixzz174AOiLGI