There are five coveted trophies that Rock Hill-area high school football teams are seeking this fall. Five attempts to forever etch their names and legacy in local sports history.
The hunt for those trophies starts Friday, as schools aim to open their 2024 campaigns in the win column.
All games start at 7:30 p.m. Friday unless noted otherwise.
The Herald’s Game of the Week: Northwestern vs Hough in Charlotte
For the second season in a row, Northwestern opens its regular season in the Tar Heel state. The Trojans are facing a Hough team that has averaged 12 wins over the previous three seasons. The Trojans are led by returning senior starting quarterback Finley Polk (2,902 yards passing, 38 touchdowns) and several returning starters on defense, including linebacker Will Massey (90 total tackles, 5.5 sacks).
“We are coming along pretty well,” Northwestern head coach Page Wofford said. “Still have some things to iron out but all in all, we have had a good lead up to our season. We have a lot of big tests coming up and are trying to prepare as best we can.”
Game time is 5:15 p.m. at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium.
Spartanburg at South Pointe
A rematch of last season’s opener for both teams, South Pointe will host Spartanburg to kick off the 2024 season. The Stallions are still without quarterback Cam McMillon , who joined the team in the spring following two seasons at Fairfield Central. He is recovering from knee surgery and four-star junior defensive back J’Zavien Currence will start in his place.
The Stallions return one half of its 1,000-yard rushing duo from last season in Mason Pickett-Hicks to go along with three starting offensive linemen with Division I offers. South Pointe won last season’s meeting 16-14.
Rock Hill at River Bluff
Rock Hill begins the Randy Birch era with a road test against River Bluff. The Bearcats are not only debuting a new head coach but also a new starting quarterback following the graduation of four-year starter Matthew Wilson. Birch has yet to decide a starter between senior and two-year Lewisville starter Ian Grissom and junior Kason Canupp. The first-year head coach said that will be “a game-time decision.” Four-star Florida State commit Malik Clark (wide receiver) returns for his senior season.
Fort Mill at Ballantyne Ridge
Coming off its first postseason appearance since 2017, Fort Mill aims to continue that momentum by starting the season 1-0 for the first time since 2015. The opponent? A Ballantyne Ridge program playing its inaugural game, debuting as a member of the 4A South Meck Conference.
The Yellow Jackets return junior starting quarterback Quinn Kelly (1,022 yards passing, seven touchdowns) and senior receiver Tanner Mays (963 all-purpose yards, three touchdowns).
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Chapin at Catawba Ridge
Last season’s 1-9 record was a program worst for Catawba Ridge after battling injuries and a midseason transfer of a potential starting quarterback. The Copperheads look to put last year’s woes behind them as they host Chapin to open the 2024 regular season.
Catawba Ridge returns 18 starters in its inaugural season as a 5A program as senior C.J. Couch takes over starting signal caller duties after missing most of last year due to injury. Senior defensive lineman Lewis Price (65 tackles, six sacks) and sophomore defensive back Josh Dobson will carry the mantle defensively.
Nation Ford at Blythewood
Nation Ford opens its season against a familiar opponent in former region foe Blythewood. The Falcons won last year’s contest 34-28. Nation Ford is heading into the season hoping to capitalize on a huge senior class that has loads of experience. Seniors Kaden Barnett (2,371 yards passing, 25 touchdowns), Kaleb White (1,108 yards rushing, two touchdowns) and Josh Ameo (854 yards receiving, seven touchdowns) anchor the offense, while linebacker Rylee Cook (115 tackles) leads the defense.
Chambers at Clover
Clover look to begin Perry Woolbright’s second season as coach better than his first as it opens the year hosting Chambers. The Blue Eagles started 0-2 last season before ripping off nine straight wins en route to an undefeated region championship and a playoff win. Senior running back Landon Stone (2,254 yards rushing, 21 touchdowns) leads the offense, while seniors Sam Lee and Peyton Root headline a Clover defense that allowed 16 points per game last season.
The Blue Eagles are looking to secure back-to-back region championships for the first time in over 20 years.
York at Indian Land
Another season-opening matchup between programs who used to be region opponents, Indian Land and York open the season against each other. York returns four starters from last year’s team, including junior quarterback Tayshon Freeman (980 yards passing, 10 touchdowns), while Indian Land will be going with sophomore Sequel Patterson (200 yards passing, five touchdowns; 960 scrimmage yards, eight touchdowns) as its starting signal caller following the graduation of Jaxon Scheidt. The game promises to be competitive; five of their six meetings have been decided by single-digits. Last season’s 28-20 York victory saw the two schools combine for over 300 penalty yards.
Lancaster at Chester
At the end of the 2023 regular season, Lancaster sat at 1-9, Chester at 8-2. Three weeks later, both teams were knocked out in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. The two schools will meet in their season openers for the third year in a row, splitting the previous two meetings. Chester won 42-6 last season. The Bruins are led by returning starting quarterback RJ Brown and Georgia Tech commit Kevin Peay, while Chester’s Trooper Floyd (2,060 yards passing, 18 touchdowns; 551 yards rushing, five touchdowns) will start at quarterback and strong safety for the preseason No. 1 team in 2A.
South Carolina Spartans at Buford
Following an 8-3 season in 2022, Buford went 1-9 last year in Joe Watson’s first year at the helm. The Yellow Jackets look to start 2024 with a win, taking on the lone team they beat last season in South Carolina Spartans. Buford won last season’s contest 49-0. The team returns starting quarterback Noah Crump (649 yards passing, four touchdowns) and a trio of offensive line starters in Conner Shumate, Cade Poyner and Ethan Jaimez.
Great Falls at North Central
Great Falls heads into the 2024 season with newfound optimism behind first-year head coach Syvelle Newton. The team travels to Kershaw to take on North Central for its season opener. The Red Devils saw the 2023 season shut down with two regular season games to go, citing player safety concerns after having only 13 healthy players eligible. Great Falls is led by senior quarterback Tremaine Caldwell (495 yards passing, five touchdowns; 339 yards rushing, three touchdowns) and a full returning starting defensive backfield that also features Caldwell (10 tackles, three interceptions).
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