Polk County gave Spartanburg (S.C.) High School a run for its money on Friday night, Aug. 10. The Wolverines played a strong game defensively, but couldn’t get the offense going in a 14-7 defeat at the Border Showcase Classic.
The eighth installment of the jamboree features some of the best teams in North Carolina and South Carolina. On the South Carolina side,
Byrnes and Gaffney have dominated the 4A state championships since the early 2000s. Spartanburg, on the other hand, dominated the South Carolina landscape for much of the 1990s, winning four state championships in that decade.
On the North Carolina side, Polk was joined by Asheville High School and T.C. Roberson. Polk head coach Bruce Ollis estimated around 30 state championships had been won by the six competing teams this season.
With that said, all eyes were on the Wolverines in the opening contest. Polk hurt themselves in the first quarter with two lost fumbles. Ollis said he thought that Polk’s excitement was an issue.
“They got excited a little late,” he said.
That excitement came from an Alec Philpott interception that he returned 47 yards for a touchdown.
Despite some mistakes, Ollis said he felt pretty good about his team’s effort. They hung with a South Carolina 4A team and were in position to win, he said.
“It’s exciting for our kids to play a big 4A school and compete,” he said. “I was pleased with our effort. It gives us something to build on going into next week.”