Posted on Thursday Oct. 01, 2009 in The Miami Herald
Byrnes' success rivals Aquinas'
BY ADAM H. BEASLEY
abeasley@MiamiHerald.com
Friday's nationally televised showdown with No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas is far from the first foray into the limelight for No. 2 Byrnes, a public high school located in the textile town of Duncan, S.C.
Three state championships in the 1970s and '80s established a tradition of dominance, but it wasn't until 2002 that the Rebels truly emerged as a national power.
Byrnes was scheduled to leave the state to play Hart County (Ga.) High School that year, but the host school accidentally double-booked the date and dropped the Rebels.
With a hole in its schedule, Byrnes agreed to travel to Shreveport, La., to play Evangel Christian, a team vying for a national title.
Undaunted, the Rebels staked a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing.
''It was the day our kids realized we could play on a national level,'' said Byrnes offensive coordinator Bobby Bentley, then the Rebels' head coach. ``We won the state title that year, and six of the last seven.
''A lot of people look back at that Evangel game as the day it all happened.''
In all, Byrnes has nine South Carolina state championships, but has never been this close to a national crown. Having routed its opposition by a combined score of 305-42, including defending 3A state champion Myrtle Beach 65-14, the 4A powerhouse likely won't be challenged the rest of the season.
A win at Lockhart Stadium against St. Thomas (3-0), which mirrors Byrnes' tradition of excellence, would put the Rebels (5-0) on the path to the national title.
Kickoff for the affair, which will appear on ESPNU, is 8 p.m.
''All we want to do is see where the competition level is, how good we are compared to other schools,'' said current Byrnes head coach Chris Miller. ''When we were approached about the game, we knew they were supposedly the best. So why not?
''It's unbelievable to have this kind of opportunity,'' Miller said. ''It's kind of a dream come true.''
Unlike the Raiders, who pull in talent from all over the region Byrnes is located in a small town where nearly everyone grew up together.
Still, through a superior talent development program, the Rebels have evolved into a national force, one that routinely sends its players to Division I-A colleges.
In running back Marcus Lattimore and defensive ends Corey Miller and Brandon Willis,
Byrnes boasts three recruits in Rivals.com's top 40 players at any position in the country.
And they eagerly await a shot at St. Thomas.
''The kids are smart, they read, go on the websites,'' Miller said. ''They know St. Thomas is right there, know what kind of football they play. Our kids love competition, playing against the best.
''They're going to play the best.''
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