After tornado rocks school and community, North Central inspires in state title run
If there was a moment Saturday that could sum up the last month for the North Central wrestling team, it was Cam Hoffman’s match in the state championship.
Hoffman rallied twice, including with 10 seconds left in the third period to force overtime in his match at 138 pounds. He rallied again in the third extra period to win, 9-8.
“He wanted it,” North Central coach Jason Brazzell said. “He was up a weight class and wanted it. The other kid was a lot bigger, but Cam kept wanting it.”
Hoffman’s win put North Central up 27-24. The Knights couldn’t hold the lead, however, and lost to Bamberg-Ehrhardt 42-30 as the Raiders captured their third straight Class 2A championship. It was the second straight year North Central made it to the finals.
But making it to the championship match wasn’t an easy task for the Knights. North Central was three players short for much of the year and had to forfeit those classes, giving away 18 points to opponents each match, including Saturday.
The obstacles on the mat were just a small part of what the team faced.
North Central High School was hit by an EF-2 tornado, with wind speeds of 130 mph, on Jan. 11. The tornado severely damaged the school and athletic facilities. School officials said 75 percent of the facility couldn’t be saved — and students likely won’t return to the school for two years.
Classes this year were moved to Kershaw County’s vocational school, about a 20-minute drive away.
North Central’s athletic teams were left scrambling to find venues for practice and to hold their home contests. The wrestling team’s practices and home matches were held at North Central Middle School.
Still, the obstacles seemed to rally the tight-knit community and school of about 500 students. North Central had a large contingent of fans Saturday at Dreher High School for the championship
The school received tremendous support from athletic programs across the state in the weeks since the storm damage. The Carolina Panthers also stepped up — the NFL team gave the football team equipment and will host the school’s prom.
“The grind don’t stop,” said Kalab Haven, a Division I football prospect who won quickly in Saturday’s first match and is 40-0 on the season. “We put the effort into everything. Those two hours of practice, you go in and work your butt off and you get what you earn.
“And yeah, it has been rough. It is inspiring to bring a group together and come back to the state championship again.”
Brazzell said it was veteran guys like Haven, a junior, who were able to keep everything together when things were stacked against them during the year.
“If I had a young team, I would be in trouble,” Brazzell said. “The kids kept fighting this season. They showed resilience all season. They showed it tonight. We didn’t have enough bodies to overcome a good Bamberg-Ehrhardt team.”
Even in the loss, North Central football coach and athletic director Tyronne Drakeford said the accomplishment is one the school and community could rally around.
“I know they are heartbroken but they gave a really good effort. They made the school and community proud,” Drakeford said. “It is just a testament that you might have to go out of your comfort zone to make things work if you want to achieve your goal.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2020 at 3:53 PM.
