‘The cinderblock off my back:’ Hough High wins state title 

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

After opening the season with a win against Rock Hill South Pointe in the Keep Pounding Classic, Hough High capped it with a 21-0 win against Raleigh Millbrook in the North Carolina 8A title game, the Huskies' first.

CHAPEL HILL – The Hough Huskies are state champions at last.

After years of preseason favorites, Hough (14-0) finally got over the hump with a 21-0 win against Raleigh Millbrook (13-1) to claim the school’s first state football title in its 15-year history. 

“I thought our guys played exceptional,” Hough coach DeShawn Baker said. “All year long, we’ve been through ups and downs. We battled. The ups and downs that nobody ever sees in practice and things we go through. I told y’all back on August 26 that we had the best defense in the state, and they showed that tonight.”

Millbrook, which came into the game averaging more than 39 points per game, managed just 148 yards of total offense and no points. A chunk of those yards came late when the outcome was not in question. Millbrook faced tough defenses during the season like Rolesville and Hoggard, but nothing like Hough’s.

“It starts with their players,” Wildcats coach Laymarr Marshall said. “They’ve got 11 really good players on defense. They are really good schematically as well. They give you a lot of different looks and pressure to get off blocks. It is probably the best tackling team that we’ve faced. So, shout out to those guys, they did a great job, and we have to give them credit.”

Hough set the tone early by forcing an opening three-and-out by Millbrook. A methodical 66-yard drive later and Huskies’ quarterback Ethan Royal kept the ball on a read option for the opening score of the game. Royal, who was named most valuable player, had a hand in all three touchdowns.

Royal’s catchphrase all season was “Talk Soon.” Even after winning a state title in an undefeated season, the junior remained humble.

“This feels amazing,” he said, “just to get it done for the senior class. It is a really, really good feeling.”

A defensive stalemate ensued for the second and third quarters until Royal found Jahmere Anderson on third-and-goal from 7 yards out to put the Huskies up 14-0. Royal put the nail in the coffin late in the fourth quarter with a 73-yard touchdown run.

“These past couple weeks, even though we had a bye week we were working on some of the stuff we run,” Royal said. “On that one particular play I just saw that everyone [on defense] was shifting right and I just got outside.”
Baker said after the season opening win against Rock Hill South Pointe in the Keep Pounding Classic that it was like getting a monkey off his back finally beating a South Carolina foe. This win was much bigger. 

“I got the cinderblock off my back,” he said. “It is amazing. I’m excited for myself but it’s more about [the players]. They do all the work. They just come in and listen to us yell and scream, punish them, run them and all this stuff. For them to just take the coaching and do what we ask them to do, it’s a thrill. I’m excited, but more excited for the program.”

The Huskies finished the season with six shutouts, including two in the state semifinal and final. Defensive coordinator Chachi Sullivan — who has been at Hough since it opened in 2010 — said while it feels great to win the championship, he is more interested in the players and their futures.

“The championship is icing on the cake,” Sullivan said. “I care more about what these young men are going to do in the future and long term in life. Winning championships doesn’t change what I am going to do in the community, what I do for other kids and what I do for the kids here as well as what they do for me. So, yes, the championship feels great, but the reality is there are some juniors and even seniors on the team that are deserving of [college] offers I think they should have, and we are working to make that happen.”

Hough has a lot of talent coming back. While four-star Texas commit Samari Matthews won’t be on the roster next season, he was glad to go out on top.

“This definitely feels great,” Matthews said. “I’ve been here four years, and the first three years were all tough losses. This was my last time playing with a lot of great seniors. So, I just promised them, when the time is right, I promise [we’d win].”

With talent like Royal, running back Jamarion Morrison, linebacker Ryan Peterson among others returning, Baker is excited for the future.

“We hope to get back here again and get another state championship,” he said. “Now, we’ve got young guys that know how it feels and know the hard work that it takes to get here. I think the senior leadership will be even better. … All these guys have seen a great senior group lead this team and so they are just going to build on the momentum. I think it will take us a long way. … I really want to be back here next year, so we are going to work and figure it out.”

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