Newberry College football ‘is all about grit,’ sets sights on another special year

Coming off one of the most successful football seasons in school history, Newberry College is confident it can do the same — if not more — this year.

After posting a 6-1 overall and 3-1 South Atlantic League record in spring 2021, the Wolves claimed the league title in the fall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Newberry closed the season ranked 17th nationally, finishing with a 10-3 overall and 7-1 conference mark.

“Last year was pretty special for us around here,” Newberry coach Todd Knight said. “We’ve won it before, but last year you can’t just look at the football season. Because of the whole COVID thing, we played a season in the spring that people kind of forget about.

“We were one play away from, in double overtime, going undefeated and winning two conference championships in one year — one play away.”

Following a 2021 calendar year in which the Wolves played 20 games, there was concern about how the squad physically handled the challenge. The coaching staff put the team through less physical contact in practice in an attempt to compensate.

“We’re still seeing the effects of it at this point,” Knight said. “That was one thing I was worried about coming from the spring season into the fall. Could our bodies handle it?

“You could see the wear and tear take affect toward the end of the year, but I think the kids were so excited that we kind of played through it.”

With several team leaders returning, Newberry again has set its expectations high.

“I pretty much know we have a good chance with the people we have on this team and our coaching staff,” quarterback Dre Harris said. “They’re instilling all the same things, the grit. Our team is all about grit. I pretty much know this team is going to be good.”

The Wolves return several veterans. Harris, named all-conference in 2021 and preseason all-conference this year, is the squad’s offensive leader. He rushed for 444 yards and seven touchdowns, while completing 171 of 276 passes for 2356 yards and 18 scores.

Running back Mario Anderson, who rushed for 1,237 yards and 12 touchdowns, also returns.

The offensive line is back virtually intact. There is talent on the defensive line as well, led by tackle Juwan Moye.

“Defensively we’ll be just as good, if not better,” Moye said. “We lost some key pieces but, ultimately, we’re returning a lot of guys who played. We lost two older guys but, in those spots, we return guys who can play. In the linebacker corps we lost one guy. We have all-conference linebackers returning. In the secondary we have young guys (at cornerback) who can play as well. I don’t see us having a drop-off defensively.”

The Wolves open the season with a game against Allen University, a series Knight would like to become an annual event.

“I think it is a good thing,” Knight said. “They’ve been in the bus all over the place. We’ve been in the bus all over the place going to Florida, going to Tennessee, Virginia, all this stuff.”

Allen, located in Columbia, is fresh off making the move to Division II.

“This is a great game,” Knight said. “We’re 30 minutes apart. This could be a great rivalry to get started in the state. It’s crazy we haven’t been playing this game the whole time.”

Newberry College 2022 football schedule

• Sept. 3: vs. Allen, 6 p.m.
• Sept. 10: at North Greenville, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 17: at Emory & Henry, 1 p.m.
• Sept. 24: vs. Erskine, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 1: at Carson-Newman, 2 p.m.
• Oct. 8: vs. Barton, 4 p.m.
• Oct. 15: at Catawba, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 22: at Lenoir-Rhyne, 2 p.m.
• Oct. 29: vs. Limestone, 4 p.m.
• Nov. 5: at Wingate, 2 p.m.
• Nov. 12: vs. Mars Hill, 1 p.m.