Game Notes: Trinity Collegiate vs. Northside Christian

OPENING KICKOFF: Friday's SCISA 3A Region II matchup marks the 2nd meeting between Trinity Collegiate (3-2, 0-0 SCISA 3A Region II) and Northside Christian (2-3, 0-1 SCISA 3A Region II) in a series that dates back to 2024. The Crusaders lead the all-time series 1-0, taking the inaugural meeting in Lexington last season.

WHEN LAST WE MET: In a game postponed to the bye week in October due to adverse weather conditions, the Titans fell on the road, 28-20. Davidson Lynch (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) was both the leading rusher and passer for the Titans. Defensively, Mac Burch (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) paced Trinity with 12 tackles. Robert Mack (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) contributed defensively with eight tackles, three going for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Walker Willcox, Jr. (Florence, SC/Royall Elementary School) also had eight tackles for the Titans. Caden Hodge and Logan Galloway each had interceptions on the day.

LAST TIME OUT: The Titans returned home after spending three weeks on the road to face off against Dillon Christian. The Warriors put up a strong fight and the Titans only led by a touchdown at the half before pulling away for a 35-13 win. Davidson Lynch threw a pair of touchdowns, one each to Desmond Williams II (Florence, SC/Wilson High School) and Garrison Copeland (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School), and also ran for a score. Williams II also found the end zone on a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown. Robert Mack (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. Walker Willcox, Jr. paced the Titan defense with 15 tackles, including five for loss, and two pass breakups. Johnathon Cottingham (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School) had a massive game from the interior defensive line, registering 10 tackles, six for loss, a sack, and a pass breakup. Andre Jackson, Jr. (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School) had eight tackles, with six being for loss, and two sacks. Jackson, Jr.'s tackles for loss tallied up to -40 yards of offense for the Warriors. 

WITH HONORS: Two Titans were honored with state-wide honors as Game Ball recipients from PrepRedzone South Carolina. Walker Willcox, Jr. was honored for the third time this season as he continues to rank among the top tacklers in the nation. Johnathon Cottingham was recognized as well after a dominant performance at the defensive tackle position.

LEADING THE WAY: The Titans have a senior-heavy squad this year, with eleven total seniors on the roster. They are: Oliver Brodie (Charleston, SC/Briggs Elementary School), Mac Burch, Jonathan Charles (Florence, SC/Wilson High School), Drew Cockrell (Chesterfield, SC/Chesterfield Ruby Middle School), Johnathon Cottingham, Matthew Dameron (Hartsville, SC/Hartsville Middle School), Kyler Johnson (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School), Davidson Lynch, Jy'ell Preston (Darlington, SC/Darlington Middle School), Walker Willcox, Jr. and Desmond Williams II.

STRONG FOUNDATION: The Titans are playing their 17th season of football, entering play with a 112-80 overall record. After spending their first three seasons playing eight-man football, during which they recorded a 9-21 (.300) record, the Titans are 103-59 (.636) since moving to eleven-man football for the 2012 season. Trinity is the only SCISA school to have competed across all five classifications of football offered by the league (eight-man, 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A). 

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Two 8th Graders are on the varsity roster for the Titans: Dre'den Bethea (Florence, SC/JL Cain Elementary School) and George Taflinger (Florence, SC/The King's Academy).

SPECIAL TEAMS STANDOUT: Parker Phipps (Florence, SC/All Saints Episcopal Day School) connected on 5 extra points for the second consecutive week. 

DEFENSIVE DYNAMO: Walker Willcox, Jr. leads the Titan defense from the inside linebacker position. Willcox ranks tied for 24th nationally with 78 tackles, 21 of which went for loss. He has also forced a fumble and broken up two passes. 

TWO-WAY STARS: Desmond Williams II and Robert Mack were dominant on both sides of the ball. Williams II had 35 yards receiving and a touchdown on offense to go along with 2 tackles (1 for loss) and an interception returned 32 yards for a touchdown. on defense. Mack had 105 rushing yards, 5 tackles (3 for loss), and a pass breakup.  

DEFENSIVE STATEMENT: The 96 points allowed through the first five games of a season are the least allowed by a Trinity defense in their first five games since allowing 92 points to open the 2016 season.

TITAN TIDBITS: This is the second game in the history of Trinity Collegiate football to be played on September 26th. The Titans are 1-0 on this date. On September 26th, 2014 the Titans beat Thomas Sumter 18-0…This is the first game between the Titans and Crusaders in Darlington.

COACHES' CORNER: Shawn Fagan enters his first season as Head Football Coach at Trinity Collegiate School, bringing 14 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels. He has a record of 3-2 at Trinity Collegiate School.  A Florence, SC native, Fagan attended Charleston Southern University, where he earned his degree and began his coaching career. From 2008–2011, Fagan served at Charleston Southern as a student assistant on defense before coaching outside linebackers. During his tenure, the Buccaneers posted the highest win percentage in the Big South Conference and competed against top-ranked opponents, including the No. 1 Florida Gators in 2009. Fagan's coaching journey has taken him to a variety of programs, including Kentucky Christian University (Running Backs Coach, 2015), Northwood Academy (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Special Teams Coordinator, 2016–2018), Cathedral Academy (Head Coach, 2019–2021), Pinewood Preparatory School (Co-Offensive Coordinator, 2022), and St. John's Christian Academy (Running Backs/Special Teams, 2023; Offensive and Defensive Line Coach, 2024). His leadership has helped teams earn multiple postseason appearances, including a playoff berth with Northwood in 2016, a semifinal run with Pinewood Prep in 2022, and a playoff appearance with St. John's in 2023.

THE WORD ON NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN: This is Northside Christian's 6th game of the 2025 season. The Crusaders are 2-3 on the year, dropping their first three games of the season against Greenwood Christian, Calhoun Academy and Wilson Hall, but are riding a two-game winning streak into this week's contest, having defeated Andrew Jackson Academy and Spartanburg Christian in back-to-back weeks