South Carolina or Virginia?

By Stephen Spiewak
MaxPreps.com

If one were to hold up a metaphorical mirror in front of the Virginia high school football scene, the image reflecting back would be massive, talent laden, diverse, and Carolinian, as in South Carolina, another state similarly blessed with a rich high school football landscape.

Not only do these states mirror one another, but they each seem to have something to satisfy the tastes of a diverse array of pigskin fans.

Like coaching?

South Carolina has John McKissick, high school football’s all-time leader in victories, with an astounding 565 wins, not to mention a slew of successful skippers who have taken Palmetto State programs to national prominence

Virginia has a bevy of talented coaches as well, led by Hampton’s Mike Smith, who recently notched win No. 400, joining McKissick as one of five active coaches with 400 or more victories. Coaches like Mickey Thompson (Stone Bridge) and Joe Thompson (Oakton) have helped give the northern part of the state a reputation for outstanding X’s and O’s game planning.

Have a pining for points?

Taking on all comers from around the country, the Byrnes Rebels have represented the Palmetto State by unloading on opponents, to the tune of 523 points in 12 games. Chris Miller’s squad scored 36 points against Georgia’s North Gwinnett, and pummeled its Florida opponents – Lincoln and Pahokee – by a combined score of 76-12.

Stone Bridge has overwhelmed its competition as well, leaving a trail of humbled Virginia opponents in its wake. The Bulldogs have scored an incredible 605 points 12 games, and that’s with their second string seeing a good deal of the second half action.

Have a defensive state of mind?

Featuring one of the nation’s best secondaries, Dorman has held opponents to 94 total points. The only time the Cavaliers allowed more than two touchdowns in one game was against Byrnes. Dorman pitched a shutout against traditional South Carolina power Gaffney, who has gone on to score more than 35 points in seven games.

In Virginia, head coach Richard Morgan has led Oscar Smith to an undefeated record on the strength of an impenetrable defense that has allowed a mere 64 points in the state’s largest classification. Half of the team’s victories have come in shutout fashion.

Dazzled by star power?

MaxPreps’ Tom Lemming has tabbed Byrnes star running back Marcus Lattimore as the nation’s best junior rusher. Calhoun County wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey and Greenwood defensive end Sam Montgomery are two national level recruits in the class of 2009. Dorman’s sophomore wide receiver Charon Peake and Myrtle Beach quarterback Everett Golson are two of the state's most talented players as sophomores.

The southeastern part of the state is traditionally a fertile ground for recruits in Virginia, and this season is no different. Tajh Boyd, Phoebus quarterback, is heading to Tennessee next season, while fellow Phantom, running back Shawne Alston, is heading to West Virginia. He’ll be joined by Great Bridge wide receiver Logan Heastie.



Shooting for No. 1?

The top ranked South Carolina team in the Army National Guard/MaxPreps National Rankings is South Pointe. Led by Stephen Gilmore and Devonte Holloman, who will both enroll at the University of South Caroline in the fall, South Pointe has hovered near the top of the rankings for much of the season, and currently sits at No. 5. An undefeated run through the South Carolina playoffs could push the Stallions to No. 1.

Bill Dee’s Phoebus squad is Virginia’s highest ranked team according to MaxPreps. The Phantoms are No. 23. A state title for Phoebus could involve a victory over undefeated Stone Bridge, who eliminated Phoebus from the playoffs last season. That would likely shoot the Phantoms even further up the rankings.

Like a great underdog story?

“Everybody looks at us as a small state,” said Jason Gilmer, who covers the South Carolina preps scene for The Spartanburg Herald. “But I think we play some very good football.

Rock Hill Herald writer and South Carolina high school sports authority Barry Byers concurs.

“The way we view it is bring them all up here, and we’ll play them,” Byers said of highly-touted, out-of-state opponents. “I can’t say it any other way.”

Byers also said that he knows several South Carolina schools that have tried to schedule games with out-of-state teams, including one nationally recognized program in a bordering state, but have received few takers.

Meanwhile Virginia may not be getting the national recognize it deserves, either.

“People always say to be Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama…Virginia couldn’t hold a candle to those,” Washington Post writer B.J. Koubaroulis said. “Pound for pound, some of the talent that comes out of here, it’s hard to argue against.”

 

The bevy of commonalities only begs the question of how the two states would stack up when compared side by side.

Here are seven cross-state match ups that could determine bragging rights between two states so evenly matched:

Stone Bridge (12-0) vs. South Pointe (12-0)
Oscar Smith (12-0) vs. Dorman (12-0)
Phoebus (12-0) vs. Byrnes (11-1)
Lake Taylor (12-0) vs. Northwestern (11-1)
Oakton (12-0) vs. Myrtle Beach (11-1)
Woodbridge (11-0) vs. Rock Hill (10-2)
Hampton (9-2) vs. Summerville (9-3)

Stone Bridge vs. South Pointe

This would no doubt be a game of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Stone Bridge has nine players that have scored touchdowns and the defending Division 5 state champs would no doubt pose a threat to South Pointe’s stout defense.

“Stone Bridge has just been so dominant,” Washington Post writer Preston Williams said.

However, South Pointe’s defense is impressive at each level. Devonte Holloman leads a secondary that would make an air attack very difficult. In the trenches and at the linebacker positions, South Pointe is also talented.

“I’d hate to be one of those teams, having to beat South Pointe, knowing their coaches are going to gameplan for that one game,” Byers said.

Oscar Smith vs. Dorman

Last season, Oscar Smith had 13 Division I players on its roster, and didn’t even advance to the state finals. That shows the depth of Virginia’s Division 6, and it also demonstrates that the Tigers have the talent to play with anybody.

Quarterback Phillip Sims may shatter some state records before he is done. He threw for over 3,000 yards last year as a sophomore, and is now one of the country’s top juniors. Dorman has not faced a quarterback of Sims’ ilk all season.

Dorman head coach Dave Gutshall has one of South Carolina’s best coaching minds, along with plenty of talent to boot. Upsetting Byrnes earlier this season proved that.

Dynamic running back Ashlin Butler has nearly 1,700 yards rushing. Charon Peake is extremely difficult to guard when lined up at wide receiver, but can also break big runs off reverses. Taylor Sowell and Walt Canty lead the team’s stellar secondary.

This is a game where both teams could easily combine to score 70 or 80 points, and the outcome would be determined by whoever had the ball last.

Phoebus vs. Byrnes

What’s a more potent combo: Tajh Boyd and Shawne Alston or Chas Dodd and Marcus Lattimore? This match-up would go a long way towards answering that question.
 
Phoebus has an undefeated record and has looked untouchable. Meanwhile, the Rebels have one loss (to Dorman), but have three wins against out-of-state teams.

With athletes all over the field, the winner of this game would likely be decided in the trenches. The thought of Phoebus' offensive line lining up against the Rebels' defensive front is particularly intriguing.

Lake Taylor vs. Northwestern

This is another example of an undefeated Virginia team playing a one-loss South Carolina team that was defeated by another Palmetto State power.

Lake Taylor’s most impressive win might have come last week when Hank Sawyer’s Tigers eliminated Hampton from the Division 5 playoffs.

A member of the trio of powers hailing from Rock Hill, S.C., Northwestern is led by stud sophomore quarterback Justin Worley, who has already thrown for over 2,800 yards.

Oakton vs. Myrtle Beach

A title contender in Virignia’s Division 6, Oakton is poised to make another deep playoff run. Joe Thompson’s squad features quarterback Chris Coyer and running back Jonathan Meadows.

Multi-talented player mark J.C. Watts could be an X factor for the Cougars.



Myrtle Beach has only lost once this season, and would have the best player on the field. Unbelievably, quarterback Everett Golson is only a sophomore, but shows the poise and athleticism of someone much older.

Josh Hoke, a writer for The Sun News and an expert on the Myrtle Beach area, is quick to point out what sets Golson apart on the football field.

“He’s a pro-style passer that is athletic. He runs a 4.5, but wants to sit in the pocket and throw the football. He scrambles to set up the pass,” Hoke said.

Woodbridge vs. Rock Hill

When you have a dynamic athlete like DeAntwan Williams, you feed him the ball. That’s exactly what Woodbridge head coach Keith King does.

Williams has recorded 31 rushing touchdowns this season, and is making a case for some postseason awards within Virginia. But the Vikings are far from one dimensional. Quarterback Frank Buckley has thrown for almost 1,500 yards.

Having seen the potent offenses of Northwestern and South Pointe already this season, there is no doubt the Vikings would be up for the test.



Head coach Joe Montgomery, who has over 250 wins and once coached in Florida, thinks South Carolina talent has really improved in recent years. Beating a team like Woodbridge would prove that.

Hampton vs. Summerville

Perhaps the most intriguing match-up pits coaching legends Mike Smith and John McKissick.

The talent on both teams is probably comparable. It could come down to the men on the sideline, which couldn’t be a bad thing for either side considering Smith and McKissick have combined for over 850 wins.

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Who would you take in this loaded seven game series...Virginia or South Carolina? Sound off in the comments section. For more help deciding, see team videos on MaxPrepsTV:

Stone Bridge
South Pointe
Oscar Smith
Dorman
Phoebus
Byrnes
Lake Taylor
Northwestern
Oakton
Myrtle Beach
Woodbridge
Hampton
Summerville

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Hat tip to Paul Tenorio, Preston Williams, and B.J. Koubaroulis of the Washington Post who helped tremendously providing local insight into the Virginia teams, and Barry Byers, Jason Gilmer, and Josh Hoke for their expertise on the South Carolina scene. Please visit their sites for great coverage of big playoff action in Virginia and South Carolina.