Magical
season
for SCHS

As parents and family members, friends and other South Columbus High School football supporters gathered around the Stallion team and their coaches at midfield following their Eastern N.C. 2A championship, it was evident that to be a feeling of pride and accomplishment was being felt like never before. It was something that everyone involved in Stallion football had always felt would arrive one day ... and now it had.

Stallion head coach Joey Price, told his players that while the team’s ultimate goal has yet to be accomplished, he noted the seniors on this year’s Stallion squad had just played the last game on their homefield, and that the entire team should reflect on that.

Price, who has guided his team to 119 wins and lost just 24 losses in his 11 seasons as Stallion head coach, had to fight back tears when talking about this year’s group of seniors and how special they have been.

“They’ve worked their tails off every day in practice and played their hearts every Friday night. I’ve gained so much by being around them every day and having the privilege of being their coach.”

Price asked his team to not only appreciate being part of the school’s first team to advance to the state finals, but to also appreciate the players of past Stallion teams who worked hard to put the schools’ football program at the level it has attained but fell short of reaching the rung this year’s team has achieved.

Back Dakota Piver, one of several SCHS seniors who have been full-time starters for three years, said the Stallions had reached the destination they had planned to attain when the season started.

“We’ve taken it one game at a time, and now there is just one more left,” Piver said. “We’ve come this far, and we know what we have to do.”

Senior Andrae Jacobs, the cornerstone of the Stallions’ staunch defensive unit, said the team will be ready one more time next Saturday.

“We’re ready to go for it all,” he said.