When asked for words to describe his South Caldwell High football team, head coach Butch Carter thought for a few seconds and then offered his choices.
“Heart. Blue Collar. Hard Working. Dedicated,” said Carter.
Now there’s another description Carter can add to his list: Champions.
Combining their trademark pounding run game with a shutdown defensive performance, the Spartans beat visiting Watauga 20-7 to wrap up at least a share of the Northwestern 3A-4A title.
It’s the first varsity football championship at South Caldwell since 1994, and the third in school history.
At 5-0 in the conference and one league game left, the Spartans can do no worse than earn a co-championship. They’re 8-1 overall as they travel to Alexander Central next Friday to complete their league schedule.
The Pioneers (5-4, 3-1) left 3-1 in the conference and in second place, one game clear of Alexander Central and Hickory.
“I don’t think it’s quite hit me yet,” said Carter when asked to reflect on the Spartans’ first crown in 17 years (the other came in 1977).
“It’s just a great feeling, and the guys have worked hard for it,” he said. “There have been a lot of long, hard days put in this year and in the off season, but (a championship) can’t happen unless the kids buy into it.
“I’m just so happy for our players, the fans and our community.”
Giving the fans plenty to cheer about Friday was dominant play on both sides of the ball.
Devin Potter’s 121 yards on 26 carries with two TDs paced an offense that picked up all of its 288 yards on the ground. Potter, the league’s top rusher a year ago, is at unofficially a 1,031 yards for his second straight season over the 1K mark.
As bruising as South Caldwell’s running game was, its defensive effort was equally as smothering. The Spartans limited Watauga to 59 yards and just three first downs – including none in the second half – in their fifth shutout this season.
South Caldwell is giving up a paltry 7.2 points per game, having allowed 65 this season.
“We’ve hung our hat on that all year,” said Carter. “When we started to build this program, we wanted to build it on a great defense, ball-control offense, and great special teams play. That all played out tonight.”
And it was a special teams play that provided the Spartans their biggest play in the first half and jump-started an offense that was stagnant through the opening quarter.
Jake Macchia’s 36-yard run on a fake punt from the South Caldwell 20 gave the Spartans only their second first down in the first half, at the Pioneers’ 44. Three plays later, Potter gave South Caldwell its only points in the half on a 1-yard score with nine minutes, 47 seconds remaining.
“We had to have it, and it sparked a touchdown,” Carter said of the gutsy fourth-down call. “We practice it every day, and we don’t have a problem doing it.”
The Spartans then put the game away with two fourth-quarter scores.
Potter’s second 1-yard TD with 8:13 left capped a 12-play, 50-yard drive. And after getting the ball back on downs at the Watauga 22, South Caldwell posted its final points on Bryson Bowman’s 2-yard score.
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