By DAN BISER

Their records are identical. They are probably as evenly matched as they have ever been.

But the big question remains.

Can the Whiteville Wolfpack find a way to break the serious grip that the South Columbus Stallions have held in their football rivalry for the past 11 years?

That rivalry will be renewed for the 15th time Friday night at 7:30 at South Columbus as the two teams close out regular-season play with the Waccamaw Conference championship and the Columbus County championship at stake. The winner will also receive the conference’s top berth in the state 2A playoffs, which will open next week.

Both teams have 5-0 conference records and both are carrying 8-2 season records. This marks the first time that the schools have met for conference title with both holding unblemished marks in league play.

A capacity crowd is expected at Civitan Stadium.

South Columbus has won the last two Waccamaw titles and eight of the last 10. Whiteville has not won an outright conference championship since 1992.

Since the 1995 season when SCHS quarterback Justin Hughes connected with Willie Barnes for a 76-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass for the game-deciding points in a 14-7 comeback, the Stallions have held the upper hand.

Whiteville, which won the first three games in the series, has kept things close several times in the last 11 meetings with some of the losses bringing on extra frustration.

In 2004, the last game played at South Columbus, Whiteville ran to a 27-12 halftime lead and the score remained the same with eight minutes left to play. But South Columbus rallied behind the inspired play of current UNC football player Bryan Dixon to pull out a 34-27 victory.

Since Price became SCHS head coach in 1997, the Stallions have not lost a home conference game. They have won 11 straight county titles.

Last season, South Columbus took a 28-9 victory at Whiteville, converting two Wolfpack turnovers into big scores and coming up huge on defense.

Price said that preparing for Whiteville is always a tough assignment.

“Whiteville has always had good athletes, and we’ve rarely been able to match their team speed,” Price said. “The key is to stay aggressive and do what you can to try to control some the things they do well. You’ve got to play hard the whole way.”

One of the interesting parts of the Whiteville-South Columbus rivalry is that Price served on the Whiteville staff when the Wolfpack claimed the first three wins of the series from 1992 to 1994. A year later, he became defensive coordinator for Jack Holley at South Columbus and was elevated to head coach after Holley resigned.

Price’s 10-year head coaching record at South Columbus now stands at 104 wins and 22 losses.

“We have good kids,” said Price in referring to the success of the Stallion program. “They’re willing to work hard and have made the commitment. We also have a tremendous group of assistant coaches.”

WHS head coach Mark Little, now in his fifth season at the Wolfpack helm, said that his team is worked hard to forget about what has happened in the past and stay focused on what they are accomplishing this season.

“Our players don’t remember actually watching Whiteville come out on top against South Columbus,” Little said. “It’s been a long time.

“Any team that beats South Columbus at this point of the season is going to have to play extremely well,” Little added. “We know we’ll have to be at our best.”

Both teams have run-oriented offenses, but both are capable of passing the football.

Whiteville running backs Jarrod McKinney and Tyson Wilcox provide much of the Wolfpack firepower on offense. Quarterback Harrison Jordan has thrown three touchdowns passes in the last two games. Alex Royal is the Wolfpack’s leading receiver.

South Columbus counters with several backs, including Dakota Piver, Andrae Jacobs and James Vereen. Michael Hewett and Justin Duncan have rotated at the SCHS quarterback position with Jeffrey Singletary and Derrick Clay the leading receivers.

The Whiteville defense is led by Kevin Gamble, John McZeak, Albarin Powell, Josh Lennon, DeQuan Gaddy and David Mosley.

Among leading defenders for South Columbus are Jacobs, Piver, Buster James, Matt Garrell, T.J. Richardson and Donovan Watts.

The record

1992 – Whiteville 49, South Columbus 14
1993 - Whiteville 29, South Columbus 16
1994 - Whiteville 37, South Columbus 16
1995 - South Columbus 14, Whiteville 7
1996 - South Columbus 19, Whiteville 15
1997 - South Columbus 26, Whiteville 7
1998 - South Columbus 36, Whiteville 7
1999 - South Columbus 12, Whiteville 7
2000 - South Columbus 50, Whiteville 0
2001 - South Columbus 27, Whiteville 18
2002 - South Columbus 17, Whiteville 0
2003 – South Columbus 14, Whiteville 7
2004 - South Columbus 34, Whiteville 27
2005 - South Columbus 28, Whiteville 9

Whiteville Wolfpack
(8-2, 5-0)

Whitevillle 21, W. Bladen 0
E. Bladen 8, Whiteville 6
Whiteville 32, S. Robeson 12
Whiteville 47, W. Columbus 14
W. Brunswick 14, Whiteville 7
Whiteville 33, E. Columbus 7
Whiteville 40. Pender 6
Whiteville 28, S. Brunswick 7
Whiteville 40, Trask 6
Whiteville 14, N. Brunswick 6

S. Columbus Stallions
(8-2, 5-0)

S. Columbus 27, Laney 14
S. Columbus 14, Loris 0
E. Bladen 42, S. Columbus 7
S. Columbus 47, W. Columbus 7
S. Columbus 35, North Brunswick 7
Wallace-Rose Hill 20, S. Columbus 6
S. Columbus 42, E. Columbus 0
S. Columbus 27, Pender 12
S. Columbus 48, S. Brunswick 12
S. Columbus 28, Trask 8