Northwood, the top football team in the county last year, didn’t have the most ideal start to the 2024 offseason with the departure of former head coach Mitch Johnson and star tight end Gus Ritchey.
However, last year’s successful season didn’t just come down to those two.
Numerous contributors to last year’s run to the state playoffs are returning for a Northwood team that’s now under the leadership of head coach and former Charger Dalton Brown.
With returning players stepping into larger roles, returning starters becoming veteran leaders and a new coaching staff at the helm, the Chargers won’t be expecting to go through a full rebuild. Northwood looks to do more of a regrouping as it aims to take last year’s successes a step further.
Last Year
After splitting the first two games of the season last year, things changed for Northwood after a physical 38-12 loss to North Moore. It served as a wake-up call for the Chargers who were out-muscled in that game, and they responded with five straight conference wins with an average margin of just over 45 points.
Northwood significantly hurt its chances to win the conference with a late-season loss to Cummings, however it still made its first playoff appearance since 2021 and lost in the first round. The Chargers finished the season with a 7-4 overall record.
Changes and Newcomers
Brown said it was “surreal” stepping out onto the very practice field where he once lived out his playing days now as the head coach.
“I remember we broke up into indie, and I didn’t really have anything to do,” said Brown, the former offensive lineman. “It’s more of an eyes on everything type moment instead of being focused on one position.”
Now with a coaching staff that includes Jay Williams (defensive line, Northwood alumnus), Brendan DiBernard (Northwood alumnus), Matt Sullivan (quarterbacks, Northwood alumnus), Cedric Peerman (special teams and wide receivers) Derrick Lee (defensive coordinator) and a returner in Darcus Elliott (linebackers), the key this offseason has been getting the team onboard with the new system.
“We’ve been walking a good line of what’s expected, discipline and also, a lot of love,” Brown said. “Three faces in three different years is tough on them. But to their credit and the rest of our team, they’re buying in, and we’re seeing hard work every day.”
On the player level, newcomer Raje Torres, the sophomore quarterback who transferred from Jordan-Matthews, has created a quarterback competition between himself and returnee Grayson Cox.
Cox backed up Carson Fortunes last year and showed solid quarterback play in his opportunities to lead the offense while Torres showcased his ability to evade defenders and get the ball downfield last season despite his smaller build. Brown said he’ll have more of an idea of who the starter will be going into week one of the regular season.
“Both came in the summer and have shown up every day, put in the work and have been really solid picking up the playbook,” Brown said.
Said Cox, “We’ve had a bond together. We’ve definitely pushed each other, especially in sprints. We always run next to each other…Whoever steps out there, I know we’re both going to do good things.”
Players to watch
Fortunately for whoever gets the start at quarterback, Northwood will have plenty of weapons to utilize on this “fast and athletic” roster. Seniors Isaiah Blair and Antoine Brewington and junior Cam Fowler highlight a talented receiving corps that did damage last season alongside former Chargers Ritchey and Ashton Elliott.
“I’m expecting a lot out of them to produce a lot and to be leaders as well,” Brown said.
In the run game, the Chargers will return senior running back Robert Tripp who accumulated over 500 yards of offense last season.
Defensively, senior linebacker Collin Weir will step into a more vocal leadership role at the middle linebacker position that Mason Powell filled in 2023. Senior defensive lineman Franklin Sandria will also look to be one of the Chargers’ more impactful players as the defense operates under Lee’s system.
Outlook
Should the Chargers effectively utilize its personnel and make a smooth transition into a new system this season, they could make another run to the state playoffs in what looks to be a wide-open Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference.
Northwood has one of the strongest corps of talent in the county and will just have to figure out how to put it all together in a new form. The start may be bumpy, but the ending could be sweeter than 2023 once the team finds its groove.
