No program in state history has been to the state championship game 16 times. Southern Columbia has. No team has won eight state titles. The Tigers did it and they might do it the next two years, but this one was particularly sweet after coming up short last season.
Southern Columbia beat Wilmington 48-0 in the State AA Championship Game.
"I've been waiting for this moment since last year," senior linebacker Andrew Bell said. "I've been waiting for this moment since I was a kid. Feeling this gold trophy is just one of the best feelings in the world. I can't explain how happy I am right now."
The Tigers were fueled by last season's loss to Steel Valley in the 2016 championship game.
"I had my screen saver as (Steel Valley's) Paris Ford holding the state championship (trophy)," junior quarterback Stone Hollenabch said. "Coach (Jim) Roth talked about it before the game. I mean, that was our motivating factor all year. We talked about it all offseason. This is our goal to get back here and we got back here and obviously we got the job done this time. It's unbelievable. You know, such rich tradition, program. You know, to move here and do the things that we have done. I mean, it's unbelievable. I'm so happy and I'm so proud of this school that I'm at."
"I think we could but these points on many teams," sophomore running back Gaige Garcia said about scoring 48 points in a state title game. "If we go out there and play our best four quarters, the sky's the limit for us and this is a great team, great chemistry and we just bond well and we play great."
"It means the world to them. They're all tearing up," junior wide receiver Julian Fleming added about his senior teammates. "They're happy as can be. I mean, they got one two years back and I think last year was a little bit of a downfall. No one was very happy. So to come out this year and put the numbers up that we did and getting a trophy again, I think it meant the world to them."
So how do the Tigers stay humble and hungry?
"It's just keeping your head on your shoulders, not letting anybody get to you and just not letting the success get to you either," Fleming said. "You just have to keep working and you know, everybody can get better at some things."