Former USC QBs Dylan Thompson, Phil Petty rooting hard for Boiling Springs

Boiling Springs has a chance to win its first state football title in Saturday night, and Boiling Springs alumni and former South Carolina quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Phil Petty will be following closely to see if the Bulldogs can make history.

Thompson will be on the sidelines at Williams-Brice Stadium cheering on the Bulldogs against Dutch Fork, while Petty is returning to his home in North Myrtle Beach in time to watch the game on television.

The two have followed all year as Boiling Springs has put together its best season in school history. The Bulldogs are 13-1 heading into the weekend after knocking off Spartanburg in double-overtime last Friday to earn their first state title berth.

“It’s been wild. It’s been what every kid from Boiling Springs grows up wanting to do, be the class that finally makes it, and they’re doing it,” Thompson said. “It’s really cool to see… I’m just excited for all of them.”

Thompson is back in the Boiling Springs area and attended last week’s game against Spartanburg.

He said the Bulldogs playing for the state championship is the talk of the town.

“Every conversation pretty much is built around them,” he said. “I’m pretty positive my freshman year of high school the varsity team won one game, and from that point to now, they’re about to play in the state championship in the biggest division in South Carolina, which is as competitive as anywhere. That’s a testament to the kids and the coaches, all those guys, they’ve done a great job.”

Boiling Springs head coach Rick Tate was an assistant when Thompson played for the Bulldogs, and Thompson’s dad, Danny Thompson, coaches middle school football in Boiling Springs.

“He’s coached pretty much all of them,” Thompson said. “Pretty much everybody on the roster you know because Boiling Springs is a small town.”

Petty has not been able to attend games this season but said he has enjoyed following on the internet.

He added it has been fun to see Boiling Springs’ rise from being a Homecoming opponent to a state power.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s something I’m very proud of and what they’ve been able to accomplish,” he said. “They have that level of confidence you’ve got to have to beat those teams in that upper state area. As a former player I’m very proud of them.”

Petty sees similarities with the Boiling Springs program and the way South Carolina’s program was built under Lou Holtz and then Steve Spurrier.

“It doesn’t happen overnight. A lot of times people want to see the prize. They don’t want to see the process. But it is a process, and it’s a tough one,” he said. “To see what’s happened at Boiling Springs from when I was there to when Dylan was there and what they’ve been able to accomplish this year, which is amazing, I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Former USC QBs Dylan Thompson, Phil Petty rooting hard for Boiling Springs."