WHAT WE SAW: Northwestern 59, Westside 21
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ROCK HILL | Turbo Richard Turbo Richard 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Northwestern | 2024 State SC came into the night with the potential to make history. He broke the single season rushing record, passing Jeff Burris’s record in…
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Continue ReadingROCK HILL | Turbo Richard Turbo Richard 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Northwestern | 2024 State SC came into the night with the potential to make history. He broke the single season rushing record, passing Jeff Burris’s record in 1989 as Northwestern pummeled Westside, 59-21 in the third round of the 4A Upper State Playoffs on Friday night.
“I couldn’t do it with my coaches. Coach (Page) Wofford, Coach Stew (Stewart Hunt), my o-line. If they’re not blocking, I can’t get it. They were blocking, doing all their assignments and I was able to achieve that goal,” Richard said.
Northwestern did not take long to get in the end zone as Finley Polk Finley Polk 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Northwestern | 2025 State SC connected with Greer Hopkins for a 58-yard TD pass to make it 7-0 Trojans with 10 minutes to play in the first.
Richard makes his runs look easy as he showed patience in the hole and a quick burst of speed. He got into the end zone for his first score of the night on a 15-yard TD run to increase the Trojan lead to 14-0 in the first. He added another score to make it 21-0 with 2:34 to play in the first.
Westside would show a little sign of life with a 47-yard TD connection from Cutter Woods Cutter Woods 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Westside | 2025 State SC to Joshua Williams to cut into the Trojan lead at 28-7 on a beautiful double move with 58 seconds to play in the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER RUN
The second quarter went from bad to worse for the visitors from Anderson County as Jaylen Woods picked off Woods, leading to an immediate 45-yard TD strike from Polk to Elijah Caldwell Elijah Caldwell 6'1" | 190 lbs | WR Northwestern | 2023 State SC to make it 35-7 with 8:04 to play in the second. Woods was picked off by Justin Spencer for the second consecutive series, with the same result for Northwestern – this time, it was another Richard run for a touchdown.
“(The defensive staff) gets in the lab there and puts their heads together and figures out what we can do with what we have available and go at it. We’ve been missing two starting corners for two, three weeks now. To be able to hold a good passing team like that to seven points in a half is outstanding,” Northwestern coach Page Wofford said.
Zilon Arnold also added three short touchdowns in the second quarter as the Trojans led 56-7 at the half.
The second half featured a running clock but Westside was able to get on the board twice with scores of 44 and 39 yards from Williams and Jimmar Boston Jimmar Boston 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Westside | 2024 State SC . Northwestern’s Matthew Fish knocked through a 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.
Northwestern travels to Greenville next Friday night with the winner advancing to the state championship.