Bitter battle: Brookland-Cayce finally faces Gray in football. Here’s how it played out
A lot has happened to the high school sports landscape in South Carolina since the last time Brookland-Cayce and Gray Collegiate met on the football field.
The two Lexington County schools located six miles apart aren’t traditional rivals on account they haven’t played each other often, but it’s no secret that bitterness and strong feelings exist between Gray and B-C when it comes to sports.
The schools’ football teams squared off Tuesday for the first time since 2017, a matchup born out of the S.C. High School League’s most recent reclassification that moved Gray up to Class 4A and in a region with Brookland-Cayce.
And though the War Eagles dominated the Bearcats in a 49-7 victory, the game played out with all the elements you’d expect when there’s no love lost between teams: a lot of adrenaline, plenty of trash talking and hard hits, and even some gamesmanship.
“Ever since we joined the region, it has been a love-hate relationship,” Gray Collegiate coach De’Angelo Bryant said. “It is the crosstown rivals and everyone knows each other. … I’m glad we got it and I am glad the seniors had the opportunity to play the game.”
A lot of build-up to this game
Tuesday’s game was originally scheduled for Oct. 4 but was postponed because of the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Football teams across South Carolina are in the process of making up games, with some teams playing like Brookland-Cayce playing four games in a 12-day span.
And yet the showdown between Gray and B-C likely would not have happened at all without the statewide rules changes and reclassification that took effect in December and January.
Gray’s ascension as public charter school that became a Class 2A sports powerhouse was a big reason the SCSHL added a multiplier to the formula for placing teams in classifications. The War Eagles, whose student population is 81% from outside its designated attendance zone, were elevated to Class 4A for athletic competition and in the same region with nearby B-C and Airport high schools.
“They’ve got a good team and you can’t take anything away from them,” B-C coach Rusty Charpia said after Tuesday’s game. “They have got a bunch of our players, a bunch of Airport’s players and everybody else’s players. That is the future. That is the way things are going.”
Charter schools like Gray in West Columbia and Oceanside Collegiate in Mount Pleasant have faced a lot of scrutiny in recent years. Critics say the charters that are sports-focused are able to build powerful teams and have an advantage with what amounts to a statewide attendance zone. Similar charter schools have opened recently in the Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg areas.
Before this school year, teams at Brookland-Cayce and Airport — both in the Lexington 2 district — simply didn’t schedule Gray Collegiate in athletics. Lexington 1 schools took the same approach. Gray’s previous Class 2A region opponents from around the Midlands went as far as forfeiting games instead of playing the War Eagles.
And still, Tuesday’s football game was a culmination of at least seven years of pent-up animosity between the two athletic departments. Among the notable tension points:
▪ Gray has added via transfer its share of B-C and Airport athletes over the years. Charpia estimated that 140 athletes zoned for Brookland-Cayce are playing sports this school year for Gray. Meanwhile, B-C’s starting quarterback was on Gray’s roster last year.
▪ Airport and Brookland-Cayce declined to play the War Eagles in junior varsity games in any sport this school year.
▪ Soccer coaches Kevin and Emily Heise used to work at B-C, but both left not on the best terms and have worked in Gray’s athletic department ever since. Kevin is now Gray’s athletic director.
Gray dominant on the field
Brookland-Cayce arrived at Tuesday’s game on Gray’s campus 30 minutes before kickoff, or about an hour after a visiting team typically shows up. The Bearcats wore their silver, black and white uniforms and gray helmets — the same color scheme as Gray Collegiate.
Gray junior quarterback Tyler Waller threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more. Linebacker Michael Boulware returned a fumble for a touchdown as the War Eagles (5-2, 4-0) stayed tied with North Augusta for first in the region race.
B-C had some chances early and had a goal-line stand in the first half. The Bearcats also picked off Waller twice but never could get any sustained drives against the War Eagles’ defense.
The game was sloppily played at times and marked by penalties, including several personal fouls.
There was no postgame handshake line afterward between the teams. Charpia instead offered a brief wave toward the Gray sideline.
A few B-C players — including quarterback Dre Dopson, who played last season at Gray — still walked over and got some hugs and handshakes from the War Eagles’ players.
Coaches usually agree before a game to not shake hands if they think things might get out of hand. There was no such agreement Tuesday, according to Bryant, Gray’s coach.
Charpia compared the decision to nix the handshake line to the Bearcats’ prior game, a 50-49 loss to Gilbert.
“You could see it was getting so bad. It was like the Gilbert game where they didn’t shake hands,” Charpia said. “You don’t want to run the risk of something happening. When I played at Clemson and in professional baseball, we didn’t shake hands when the game was over. It wasn’t that we were bad sports. … We did that mainly so nothing would happen or get in trouble.”
Bryant said he understood Charpia’s perspective.
“If that is the smartest thing to do to make sure we keep kids eligible for the next week, then that is best for us and his program,” Bryant said. “I respect it.”
Midlands Scores
South Aiken 35, Gilbert 28: Javon Edwards scored on a 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter as South Aiken rallied past the Indians. Edwards finished with 178 yards and three touchdowns.
SA quarterback Tucker Bryan threw for 128 yards, a TD and also rushed for one.
South Aiken trailed 28-21 going into the fourth quarter but scored twice. Gilbert drove the ball to SA’s five-yard line late in the game and had a touchdown called back on a penalty before turning it over on downs.
Gilbert running back Trevon Williamson rushed for 128 yards, caught three passes for 45 yards and had three total TDs.
Midland Valley 49, Airport 7: The Eagles dropped to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in region after loss to Mustangs.
Statewide Scores
- Daniel 56, Berea 0
- Greer 42, Pickens 21
- Hillcrest 38, Greenville 14
- JL Mann 31, Greenwood 14
- Seneca 47, Blue Ridge 21
- TL Hanna 57, Easley 30
- Woodmont 34, Mauldin 28
This story was originally published October 23, 2024 at 7:30 AM.
