By DAN BISER

East Columbus High School has never beaten South Columbus High School in varsity football.

In fact, SCHS has won virtually all of the past 15 games in the rivalry by lop-sided scores, including a 41-0 runaway last season.

The Stallions of South Columbus will again be the heavy favorite Friday night when they take the field against the visiting Gators, but SCHS head coach Joey Price knows that this is a much different type ECHS team than his squad has seen in recent years. Gametime is 7:30.

“They are a vastly improved football team,” said Price, who was particularly impressed by the Gators’ 30-14 Homecoming victory over Waccamaw Conference rival North Brunswick last Friday. “They made some big plays on offense and had some big stops on defense. They have good size and quickness.

“They run their offense out of the single wing and Notre Dame box, and their quarterback (Alex Williamson) does a real good running it,” Price said. “He isn’t real big, but he can sure move the football. You have to be ready for what they are doing if you plan to stop it.”

The 5-foot-8, 150-pound Williamson rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns against North Brunswick while Zack Ward and Demetrice McKelvie also had good nights carrying the football.

East Columbus is now 1-1 in Waccamaw Conference play and 2-5 overall.

South Columbus, which bowed to unbeaten Wallace-Rose Hill 20-6 in a non-conference game last Friday at Wallace, is 1-0 in the conference and 4-2 for the seasons. This marks the first time since 2001 that the Stallions have lost more than one game in regular-season play.

ECHS head coach Travis Conner knows that his team will be taking on a lot at South Columbus, including well over a decade of a winning Stallion tradition.

“They have a very solid program and they always play with a lot of intensity,” Conner said. “All their kids have paid their dues in the weight room and they know what winning is about.”

Conner said that it is important that his squad play well and stay focused against the Stallions.

“This will be a really big test for out football team,” he said.

South Columbus, which opened its conference schedule two weeks ago with a 35-7 win over North Brunswick has a solid running attack built around James Vereen, Andrae Jacobs and Dakota Piver. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, West Columbus has won 29 of its last 30 Waccamaw Conference games as well as seven of the last eight conference championships.