Enter the Northwestern High School Trojans, an Upstate South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) juggernaut based in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Northwestern goes to war against top-notch AAAA (4A) competition under the Palmetto State Friday Night Lights each fall.
In 2022, the Trojans only fell one game short of the elusive state championship on Dec. 3 at Benedict College in Columbia this time in a 57-30 shootout against South Carolina dual-threat quarterback commit Lanorris Sellers and his undefeated 15-0 South Florence Bruins.
The Trojans finished 13-1 in 2022.
In terms of creating next-level talent historically, Northwestern has produced three stars in Benjamin Watson, a tight end that starred with the Patriots, Browns, Saints, Ravens, and Patriots from 2004-2019, Cordarrelle Patterson, a Tennessee commit that went on to star for the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, and now Falcons, and of course, the University of South Carolina’s very own Jonathan Joseph, who enjoyed a long and successful professional career with the Bengals, Texans, Titans, and Cardinals from 2006-2020.
News flash: the Trojans are just the tip of the iceberg for the small South Carolina city bordering Charlotte that has produced the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore, and several others.
Hell, there has to be a reason why the municipality has earned the moniker ‘Football City, USA.
While it’s hard to tell who’s ‘next,’ in a sport where less than 1% of college athletes play professionally, oftentimes, there are plenty of diamonds in the rough that break through the cracks. Think Tyreek Hill from North Alabama or Randy Moss from Mississippi Valley State.
That’s not to say that 5-10, 190-pound Turbo Richard, a Trojans workhorse Class of 2024 running back, will play professionally, but the physical speedster is at least an under-the-radar player that more prep football fans in the Palmetto State (and coaches throughout the United States) should pay closer attention to.
Last fall, Richards rumbled to the tune of over 2,000 yards while also picking up another 500 in the all-purpose category, falling just 17% short of the 3,000-yard club.
To commend his efforts, local media nominated him as a First-Team 4A-3 All-Region student-athlete. He was also heralded as York County’s player of the year.
More importantly for Richards, though, he carried his team to an Upper State championship, and while hoisting the Palmetto State trophy at Benedict College in Columbia and earning a Power 5 offer haven’t quite happened yet, anything is possible in 2023.
And trust me, when playing against hard-knocks 4A competition in the Palmetto State’s 4A division, accomplishing either is never an easy feat.
Plenty of blood, sweat, and tears along the way are a given in a top-notch division of South Carolina high school football that includes the likes of A.C. Flora, Greenville, and Trojans’ regional rivals like Catawba Ridge and South Pointe.
Turbo and the Trojans’ state championship dreams won't rest during this slow, cold, and dark season, as they will soon return to winter workouts, but in the meantime, the lightning bolt that can run it up your throat, cause the camera trouble keeping up when returning kickoffs, and field flats, slants, and curls and cut to the sideline with a mean streak has been on a roll on the recruiting trail.
Soon, he may even receive a Power 5 offer.
Richard has already drummed up interest from Duke and Maryland, along with other P5s.
Now totaling 11 offers, it was big news when Richards got off the phone with Newland Issac, co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Liberty University. It signaled a step in the right direction for his recruitment, especially considering the new man running the show in Lynchburg, Virginia: former Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head coach Jamey Chadwell.
That was Jan. 11, and since then, the Rock Hill running back has been on a tear, earning an offer from Marshall (Jan. 18), Appalachian State (Jan. 19), East Carolina (Jan. 20), and Georgia State (Jan. 23).
Previously, Richard locked in with Eastern Michigan (Oct. 19), Charlotte (Oct. 17), Coastal Carolina (Aug. 20), James Madison (June 4), and Old Dominion (May 20).
There’s no telling what the future holds for Mr. Richard, but heading into his senior season in Football City USA, Turbo has already rocketed off to a fast start on the recruiting trail.
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