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It’s a simple four-word statement that members of the Charlotte Independence football program hear year in and year out.
Some teams say it with confidence before going up against the Patriots. Others utter it in disgust after a loss to the six-time state champions. And a few, like Richmond County and Charlotte rivals Providence, Butler and Vance, have come tantalizingly close to proving it.
But for the past six years, no one has actually been able to do it. So after 104 wins in a row — the longest prep football winning streak in the nation — Independence continues to rule the world of North Carolina high school football.
These facts have not been lost on the West Forsyth varsity football team. Rewarded with a trip to Independence after last week’s thrilling 27-20 triumph over Charlotte Vance in the first round of the 4-AA state playoffs, the Titans are fully aware of the mountain they must climb.
But as Titan head coach Chip Petree noted earlier this week, respecting an opponent and fearing an opponent are two entirely different things.
“We’re honored to be playing the best program in the country,” he mentioned while taking a break from watching game film this weekend. “What coach (Tom) Knotts and his staff have accomplished is amazing.
“But we’re not going to back down from anybody. For years our kids have been working as hard as they can just to get ready for a game like this. There’s no question that we’ll be ready to go on Friday night.”
Travaughn Long, West’s senior wide receiver who scored the game-winning TD against Vance in round one, is certainly prepared. He has family in Charlotte and an uncle in Maryland who will be in the stands when the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
“I’ve been wanting to play this game since my freshman year and now it’s finally going to happen,” he explained. “Our intensity level is going to be sky high. We’re already focused on having a great week of practice and we’re looking forward to Friday.
“Independence has a great record and that intimidates a lot of teams before the game ever starts. But it won’t happen to us. We know what we’re capable of and we’re excited about this opportunity.”
Boosting West’s confidence level is the fact that Vance lost to Independence by just one point earlier in the year. Also, Vance beat Butler and Butler took Independence into double overtime before falling in the final game of the regular season. Those results won’t mean a thing on Friday but they do show that Independence is not invincible.
But they are big. Led by a huge offensive line that features a 6’7”, 385-pound tackle, Independence is literally the biggest team West will have faced all season.
“They’re massive. They block out the sun when they come out for warmups,” Petree noted. “Plus they’re very talented.
“But we have a few kids who can play too.”
Petree said the focus at practice this week will be to make sure the Titan players carry out their assignments. Overhauling the West gameplan, he insisted, is not necessary.
“We didn’t get to this level without playing some pretty good football. What we must concentrate on this week is executing the fundamentals. Once the whistle blows and you hit somebody, it’s just another football game. And the key to being successful in football always comes down to handling your assignments.”
West has never played Independence but did come close in the 2002 state playoffs. A win over Scotland County in a second round game would have given the Titans the chance to host the Patriots in the quarterfinal round one week later. But Scotland trimmed West 7-6 and was then knocked off by an Independence team that featured All-American quarterback Chris Leak (who now stars for the University of Florida).
This year the Independence offense is led by quarterback Darryl McFadden, running back Dequan Leak and wide receiver Jason Barnes. Leak (no relation to Chris) has 1263 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns while McFadden, an East Carolina signee, has passed for 1625 yards and 11 scores. Barnes, a 6-4 senior, is the team’s premier college prospect and has narrowed his choices down to UNC and South Carolina. He has 970 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Like the rest of his teammates, senior defensive lineman Ron Howell has seen film on the Patriots and knows that slowing down their high-powered offense (which averages 40 points per game) won’t be easy.
“But it can be done,” he noted after Monday’s workout. “They’re big and they run the ball really well. As a defense, we just need to stay focused and not let up.”
Kyle Jarrett, another Titan defensive leader, agreed.
“We’ve seen a bunch of film on them and they are sound in every phase of the game,” he said. “But we’re going to go in and play our game. We’re looking to advance just like they are. We’re not going to be intimidated.”