West Charlotte High Lions’ roar: ‘Let’s be legendary’

WEST CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL

West Charlotte High football coach Sam Greiner holds aloft the 3A West Region trophy after the Lions beat Hickory 36-20 on Dec. 13. West Charlotte (12-2) will play Fayetteville Seventy-First Dec. 20 in the state final at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

West Charlotte High football coach Sam Greiner made it a goal before the 2024 season to put the Lions back on the football map.

West Charlotte (12-2) finished third in the Queen City Athletic 3A/4A conference behind 4A Hough and Mallard Creek, with the Mallard Creek loss by a point. Now, the Lions will play Fayetteville Seventy-First (15-0) for the NCHSAA 3A title Dec. 21 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Kickoff is 11 a.m.

“Getting to this point feels amazing,” Greiner said. “You never take [playing in a state championship] for granted. It is a very hard thing to do to get back to a state championship. There were a lot of good teams along the way.”

To Greiner’s point, the Lions were seeded eighth in the 3A West Region, which included 2023 state champion Hickory, who the Lions beat last week in the regional final 36-20. Hickory was undefeated and on a 30-game winning streak prior to that game. Along the way, West Charlotte had to contend with Greensboro Dudley, which was also undefeated. West Charlotte cruised 39-13. In the third round, the Lions traveled to Asheville to face the region’s top seed in Erwin, who they thrashed 58-0.

“We took down a lot of people’s [predicted champion] in Hickory,” Greiner said. “The game before that we faced a very athletic group in Dudley. Before that we had to get over that hump of taking on the No. 1 seed in the third round which we couldn’t get over the past two years. All those steps are done and yet the job is still not finished yet. It goes to show how hard it is to win a state championship to go through all of those steps and the main goal still not be accomplished.”

Greiner said before the season this year’s Lions were the most player-led team he coached at West Charlotte. It turned out to be the case.

“We’ve always been a good team,” Greiner said. “The last three years, a lot of times you can give credit to your coaching staff for a good team. But what separates a good team from a great team is that the team has to be player-led. Our captains are young in a lot of people’s eyes. There are a lot of junior captains on this team, but the seniors are quiet leaders. This group really sharpens one another.”

Greiner, who is coaching in his second state championship, led Harding to the 2017 4A championship. That team and this year’s Lions have similar traits.

“There was an instance [against Hickory] where I had a kid call a play,” Greiner said. “I haven’t really had a kid call a play out that was successful since the 2017 state championship game [at Harding] with Braheem [Murphy]. But, this past game, K.D. [Cotton] in the fourth quarter put the nail in the coffin when it was third and one and everyone thought we were going to run it and try to get a first down. [Cotton] said, ‘Coach the way they are playing me, we can slip this right now and beat them over the top.’ I was like, ‘Do it.’ I didn’t call the play. I said, ‘Go in the huddle and call the play.’ Next thing you know, it’s a touchdown.”

The Lions have great tradition across many sports but haven’t been to a football championship game since 2006 and haven’t won since 1995 when they beat Fayetteville Douglas Byrd 20-13. Standing in the way is Seventy-First, “a senior heavy group,” Greiner said.

“They’ve been playing together for a long time. Their quarterback [Deandre Nance] is [incredible]. He got a little banged up last game but never came off the field. It just shows his leadership qualities. They are going to be tough in the trenches, and they definitely don’t plan on handing us the game. When you look at this team, they’ve been there, done that. They’ve been to a championship before, so it’s nothing new to them. I’m sure they are eager to get the job done as well… but we are going into this game battle-tested, and they are going to have to take it from us.”

Greiner recognizes the West Charlotte culture and what being a Lion means to alumni and the community. He wants a title for his players and those that went before them.

“When I look at West Charlotte,” Greiner said, “they’re not defined by just championships. It is the legacy. When I became a part of this school, I knew the legacy was different. The alumni base and how everybody just loves to be a winner, it was different. It could be basketball, football, [alumni] support the baseball team. Whatever sport it is, the band even.

“It’s just a beautiful place that the people represent. People will be like, ‘Oh, I went to Dub C. Lion pride is nationwide.’ It is a real thing. If you become a champion here, you are remembered forever. That is what I’ve been telling the kids… It’s like the old ‘Sandlot’ quote, ‘Heroes you remember, but legends never die.’ Let’s become legendary.”

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