Class 4A Title: Breaking Down Northwestern

When Page Wofford returned to Rock Hill from Daniel in the Upstate to lead the Northwestern Trojans in the late summer of 2019, the program finished his first season with a 2-8 record.   Fast forward three years later, and the opportunity is there for his Trojans to win the school's first state championship since 2015 if they can defeat <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/class-4a-title-breaking-down-south-florence/">South Florence.</a>   “I'm happy to have another week with these players and that's what it's all about. I learned a long time ago that if it wasn't about the players, you need to get out of it. I'm in it for these players, I'm in it for this school. I'm happy that we've been able to put Northwestern where they belong, which is back on top for another state championship,” Wofford said.   Northwestern has rolled through the Upper State bracket with convincing wins over Wade Hampton, Greenwood and Westside. Their lone test came last week in the semifinal matchup on the road in Greenville last Friday night, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/what-we-saw-northwestern-comes-from-behind-to-defeat-greenville/">where they overcame a 17-7 deficit to defeat the Red Raiders</a>. They defeated Catawba Ridge <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/10/what-we-saw-northwestern-28-catawba-ridge-23/">in a closely contested regular season finale</a> where they once again had to come from behind.   The Trojans' <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/09/what-we-saw-gaffney-28-northwestern-7/?_thumbnail_id=448053">lone loss of the year came in a 28-7 loss to Gaffney</a>, where they struggled with tackling and poor execution offensively on a warm September night at District 3 Stadium in Rock Hill. But since then, they've 48.2 points per game and have shored up their defense, which is only allowing 14 points a game in the playoffs.   THE MAINSTAYS   The offense will be led by quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='241044' first='Finley' last='Polk']. The bright lights and big stage have not been too much for Polk, who is only a sophomore. He has completed 67 percent of his passes for 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His best performance in the playoffs came against Greenwood, where he was almost perfect, going 19-for-22, 251 yards and five touchdowns. Look for him to take shots downfield if the opportunity presents itself on Saturday night.   He'll have Northwestern University commit left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='89343' first='Jordan' last='Knox'], who is the leader up front on the offensive line. He can seal off the edge in pass protection, keeping Polk's jersey clean or open up holes in the run game.   Speaking of the run game, not many have been able to slow down running back [player_tooltip player_id='265222' first='Turbo' last='Richard'] as the sophomore back has run for 2036 yards and 24 touchdowns in the 2022 campaign. He holds the school record for rushing yards in a season, previously held by Jeff Burris in 1989. And colleges are taking notice, too as UNC Charlotte, Duke and Coastal Carolina have all shown interest in him. He has a great blend of power and speed that makes him difficult to stop.   And if you need someone to go up and catch a jump ball, wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='146372' first='Elijah' last='Caldwell'] is your guy and he's been doing it all season. The West Virginia University commit leads the team in receiving yards with 1302 and 18 touchdowns. He's a guy that can make a 10-15 yard reception turn into a touchdown if you don't wrap up and make the tackle, especially when it comes to the quick passing game.   On defense, the Trojans' core of linebackers will be a matchup to watch at Benedict College. We'll start with [player_tooltip player_id='336118' first='Damien' last='Jackson'], as the Touchstone Energy Bowl North/South selection will look to cap off his senior season with a victory. Jackson attacks the football and has 16 tackles and one tackle for loss.   Jayden Woods and Will Massey have been hard to slow down during the playoff run. Massey leads the team in tackles with 41 and has 10 ½ tackles for loss. He also has two sacks on the year. Woods is another thumper with 37 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.    And on the defensive line, [player_tooltip player_id='1360156' first='Andre' last='Pickett'] is fifth on the team currently in tackles with 29 solo tackles. He is all around the football as he has 14.5 tackles for loss and has recovered a fumble.   PLAYER TO WATCH   Keep an eye out for Greer Hopkins, who is second on the team in catches with 40 for 601 yards and 7 touchdowns. He will line up in the slot and can make a guy miss and it can be off to the races for him with his breakaway speed.   Class 4A State Championship   No. 1 South Florence vs. No. 3 Northwestern    When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2   Where: Benedict College, Columbia   Tickets: $15, available only through <a href="http://gofan.co/">gofan.co</a>. Parking an additional $10

When Page Wofford returned to Rock Hill from Daniel in the Upstate to lead the Northwestern Trojans in the late summer of 2019, the program finished his first season with a 2-8 record.