Trojans eye II-AAAA shocker

The James Island Trojans shocked the South Carolina high school football community last weekend by posting a 56-55 overtime victory over Wren in the opening round of the playoffs.

Tonight, James Island can accomplish another impressive feat against South Pointe. A Trojan victory would end the Stallions' reign as the Division II-AAAA state champions.

James Island (4-8) shocked Wren, which posted a 9-2 record in the regular season and won the Region I-AAAA championship. The Trojans received a huge effort from quarterback Chris Wilkins, who passed for 339 yards and four touchdowns while running for another score.

There will be no element of surprise tonight when the Trojans travel to Rock Hill to play South Pointe, which enters the matchup with a 9-3 record.

"It won't be easy," James Island coach John Patterson said. "They have a wonderful program. The school is only four years old, but they already have a great tradition. That's the toughest thing to do, build that tradition."

Patterson knows his team is the underdog. But he likes his squad's chances.

"I felt we had a great chance to win last week," he said. "I just didn't expect to score 56 points."

The Trojans have had some tough-luck losses, including a 34-33 regular-season setback against Berkeley, the No. 1 seed in the Division II-AAAA field.

The Stags got a lucky bounce on a fumble that led to a 17-yard score and decisive point-after touchdown with no time left. Berkeley coach Jerry Brown called it "a miraculous win for sure."

The record might not indicate it, but the Trojans have made strides under Patterson, a former assistant at The Citadel.

"We've had to battle that 'Woe is me' and 'here we go again' attitude," Patterson said. "The hardest thing to do is to change the hearts and minds of the players. It's easy to get them to lift more, and stuff like that. The big thing is changing the way they think. It's just not the time you spend with the coaches, it's what you hear in the community, in the classroom and at home."