MitchMash: Still very good to be a (Byrnes) Rebel in Duncan, S.C.

CONCORD, Calif. — It was almost six years ago that I took a trip of a lifetime to South Carolina. My goal was to find out what made South Carolina football so special.

At the time — late October of 2008 — three of the top 13 and four of the top 23 high school football teams in the country were from the Palmetto state. So I spent almost a week delving into the how and whys. 

I met one of the most unforgettable prep sports scribes imaginable — a South Carolina treasure — Rock Hill Herald's Barry Byers, who introduced me to a young, writer Jason Gilmer, boiled peanuts and all things South Carolina.

I interviewed one of my all-time favorite prep athletes, Marcus Lattimore, then a standout junior running back at Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), and one of the most soft spoken top-tier athletes I can recall, South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) senior Stephon Gilmore, now a starting cornerback for the Buffalo Bills.

See Byrnes versus De La Salle preview here

I was there to cover the big showdown between Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) and Byrnes — two top 20 teams — and the game was postponed a day due to a torrential rainstorm. Thirteenth-ranked Dorman upset No. 3 Byrnes 35-28 that Saturday at Gorman's state-of-the-art stadium. Next to a few Texas games, and the Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) versus St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) game before 35,000 fans at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium,  — I'd never been to a high school game with such passion or pageantry.

With Byrnes making its first trip West of the Mississippi on Friday to face famed De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) in a National Top 10 Game of the Week, here is a look at what I found out about the juggernaut program that has gone 133-15 since 2004 and won 11 South Carolina state titles overall.

(By the way, the Rebels avenged the loss to Dorman with a 24-13 win in the state semifinals and went on to win the state 2008 crown.)

Long gone is Lattimore — though I wouldn't be surprised if the San Francisco 49ers' injured reserve running back showed up on the Byrnes sideline Friday — as is Byers. I was hoping someday to repay the graciousness he showed me with some California hospitality. But the legendary journalist died last October of cancer. He was beloved by thousands as revealed in tributes here, here and here.

Video on South Carolina football with Stephon Gilmore and the late Barry Byers

As far as Byrnes, this was my report on a community who loved their Rebels then and still do. I referred to their speed back then and De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh mentioned Thursday that speed is the No. 1 trait that stands out about the Rebels now.

"And they are very aggressive to the ball," he said. "They tackle and execute extremely well. It's not by accident they've won 11 state championships. This will be an extremely formidable test for us."

Byrnes has no trouble traveling. We were fortunate enough to see them battle St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) in South Florida in a battle of the top two teams nationally in Sept. of 2010. Byrnes actually got the better of play, but turned the ball over too many times in a wild 42-34 loss. But the Rebels actually matched the team speed of St. Thomas Aquinas that night as well.

"They have a strong history, really strong and fast players and are very well coached," Alumbaugh said. "It should be a great game."

From Oct. 25, 2008

DUNCAN, S.C. – Speed has been a major factor in Byrnes’ ascent to the top of high school football’s perch but starting linebacker Daniel Cleveland suspected this 150-yard jaunt during Thursday’s freshman game with Dorman might take a spell.

 

From just outside the team’s locker room to the press box atop the Rebels’ football stadium, Cleveland was stopped more than a dozen times.

Video on why it's good to be a Rebel in Duncan, S.C.

 

A girl wanted him to join her at the T-shirt booth. One booster offered a burger, another requested autographs for six footballs that were to be auctioned off.

 

“I bet I sell three by halftime,” said Randy Dill, noting they go for $25-to-40 a pop. 

 

Moms gave hugs, dads offered pats and kids furnished starry eyes. Everyone wished him luck heading into Saturday’s game at Dorman.

 

The only thing missing was confetti, streamers and a convertible.

 

Cleveland wasn’t running for office.

 

Simply, he’s a Rebels football player and in Duncan, S.C., that carries more weight than gold, petrol or public office.

 

“Everyone in the community gets into it,” said Cleveland, whose climb to the top of the stairs took him just under 15 minutes. “When they talk about towns literally shutting down on Friday night that is what happens here. The stadium is packed no matter what. They support us and we support them. … They are always there for us.”

 

It helps that Byrnes supply victories just about every Friday night. Everyone loves a winner.

 

The Rebels are the reigning state 4A-I (large school) champion and eight-time state titlist overall. They’ve won 23 consecutive games, outscored foes 349-77 and heading into tonight’s game they reached the top of the USA Today national rankings. MaxPreps.com has them No. 3.

 

“It’s very humbling,” said Cleveland, a hard-hitting 6-foot, 205-pound senior who leads the team in tackles. “When we first saw (the No. 1 ranking) it was like ‘wow.’ But we have to put it behind us. Hopefully we have 15 games this seasons and that’s the reality. I don’t want to think about (the rankings). I just want to play football.”

 

Tonight’s foe Dorman, a straight 10-mile shot up route 290 to Roebuck, is the team’s arch-rival and a national power in its own right.

 

The Cavaliers are also 8-0 and ranked 13th in the country and, like Byrnes, feature numerous Division I prospects. They’ve lost seven straight games to the Rebels however and will be itching for revenge and national notoriety.

 

More than 15,000 fans figure to pack into Dorman’s state-of-the-art stadium and not only are the national rankings at stake, more importantly is a regional title and top seed into the state playoffs.

 

“This is a rivalry game,” senior safety and Florida State commit Justin Bright said. “Everyone knows each other. It’s bragging rights. It’s for a regional championship. We try not to think about it but we’re No. 1 in the nation right now and we know that’s going to fire them up. It’s going to be a tough challenge.”

 

Said junior running back Marcus Lattimore: “We just have to stay calm and execute on offense and defense and we’ll be fine. We’ll have to match their intensity because they and their fans are going to be hyped. As long as we match their intensity we’ll be fine.”

 

Leave it to Lattimore to offer calm and the finishing touches on the hype.

 

The soft-spoken 6-foot-1, 204-pounder is the team’s bluest chip recruit and finisher on most of their drives.

 

He’s rushed 141 times for 1,289 yards and seven touchdowns and this week CBS College Sports/MaxPreps recruiting expert Tom Lemming called him the No. 1 junior running back in the land.

 

“For real?” he said when informed of the fact. “Wow that’s great. I hadn’t heard that.”

 

Lattimore seemed legitimately taken by the news but, like the rest of the Rebels, warned that rankings and recruiting lists can lead one to lack of focus.

 

By all accounts, that’s never a problem for Lattimore, who takes an offensive approach.

 

“All eyes are on us and everyone wants us to fail,” he said. “We just have to keep working to stay No. 1. I don’t want to lose. I want a national championship.”

 

It’s hard to imagine what the reaction around Duncan would be then.

 

Lattimore said the Rebels are treated like kings, and better yet, pro football stars.

 

“It’s crazy around here,” he said. “Everyone knows you because you play football. They want to meet you and they want their kids to meet you. It’s a blessing. They look at us like NFL players and that makes me feel good.”

 

The Rebels don’t just take it in. Like on the field, they dish it out.

 

On Thursday during the freshman game a large group of Rebels, including Lattimore, quarterback Chas Dodd and Bright, went to a local elementary school fair and signed autographs.

 

During the week, the team takes part in program where it opens car doors for elementary school kids as they are dropped off at school.

 

“We just greet them and tell them to have a good day,” said Bright, a 6-3, 175-pounder who is getting some late interest from Stanford. “You never know, maybe the kids are having a bad day or their dad is an alcoholic and this is a way to make them feel a little better. I always tell them to study and hit the books because somebody told me when I was young that football can’t get you very far if you don’t have the grades.

 

“The whole thing is cool. It lifts them up and it lifts me up.”

 

Dodd, a 6-foot, 181-pound junior who has thrown for 1,558 yards and 12 touchdowns, said he takes great pride in being the quarterback at Byrnes.

 

“It’s just awesome getting this chance to be in this community,” he said. “They support us 100 percent. They’re always down here doing whatever they can for the Byrnes. … Being on a team like this, the players are a great guys and the coaches I believe are the best in the country. They teach us about life and everything you need to know.

 

“It’s just wonderful to have a chance to be on a team like this.”

 

It all comes with a steep price – a ton of hard work.

 

Last December, the Monday after Byrnes won the state title; Bright said the team was back in the weight room.

 

“We never took a break,” Bright said. “We just go year round.”

 

But that’s why the Rebels could relish, at least momentarily, it’s top ranking.

 

“You take pride in it because you get recognized for all the hard work you put in,” he said.

                                                                                                           

That conditioning is a big reason why the Rebels wear teams out late and their offensive linemen aren’t the biggest, but lean and fast.

 

Senior center Dylan Bishop (6-0, 254) said all the sweat has been worth it and then some. The third-year letterman is emphatic that he’s part of something very special.

 

“I mean what more could you want?” he said while pointing to spots throughout campus. “We’re the No. 1 team in the country. We have the best facilities in the state of South Carolina. We got the best field and the best fans. Who else has a jumbo (scoreboard) like we do? The community is so great, the teammates are wonderful, the coaches are aggressive but they love you.

 

"It’s just really great.”

 

E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.