Wilson Hall Hits Stride Going Into Playoffs with 34-9 Win Over Northside Christian
Wilson Hall juniors Nolan Gooch holding for Ayden Parrott on the Barons go ahead extra point in the first quarter against Northside Christian.
Larry Gamble
Photo Editor
Sumter – The Wilson Hall Barons hosted Northside Christian Crusaders in the final regular season game and for the Barons the game to determine home field in the playoffs.
Barons head coach Adam Jarecki said he knew this game meant a lot, “they are very well coached, all those coaches have been around a long time and they are very, very good.”
“I’m just proud of the way we responded.” was coach Jarecki’s response to how the game started. Coach Jarecki continued, “They knew what was at stake and they know that if we just settle in, then we will be OK.” He wasn’t wrong.
The Barons first two drives of the game started off the worst way imaginable for Barons. After the opening kickoff and starting from their own 37, first play from scrimmage a pass by junior QB Nolan Gooch gets intercepted by the Crusaders senior DB/QB BJ Suits. Four plays later, 4th down at the 1, Suits keeps the ball to put first points on the board. Point after attempt is no good, and the Crusaders are up 0-6 within the first two minutes of the game.
For the Barons next possession, sophomore Hadrian Hughey breaks tackles for a 50 yard return to the Northside 17. Again, the Barons have problems keeping the ball. First play of the drive, fumble recovered by the Barons for negative two yards. Next play, Gooch rolls out on a pitch option that goes wrong and Northside’s Suits picks jumps on the fumble giving them the ball back at their 17.
Any team having their first three plays from scrimmage resulting in one interception resulting in a TD and two fumbles would demoralize them. Instead, the Barons defense locked in and three plays later Hughey intercepts Suits pass for a pick six, the extra point is good and Wilson Hall leads 7-6 with 8:27 left in the first quarter.
Northside gets the ball at their own 40 and drives down field in 10 plays until the drive stall at the Barons 12. The Crusaders kick the field goal and take the lead back 7-9.
As the first quarter is ending, Gooch goes 40 yards on an keeper for a TD as time expires and the extra point is good for a 14-9 lead to start the second quarter. Wilson Hall would not surrender the lead again and Northside would not add any more points to their score.
On their next possession, with 4th and 3 from their 34, Suits pass gets knocked down by senior Braelen Lewis causing a turnover on downs. Four plays later, junior Michael Hunter on 3rd and 17 from the 25 breaks free for another Barons TD and the extra point makes it 21-9 which is how the half ended.
In the second half, the only scoring was by the Barons. At 7:31 in the third quarter, Gooch breaks down the sideline for 71 yards and the TD to put the Barons up 28-9. The Barons scored one more time in the game on a one run by Cameron Wilsey for the TD but the extra point was blocked giving Wilson Hall its 34-9 lead with 9:44 left in the game.
At 8-2 for this season and now 3-2 in the region, Crusaders had a good year after a 3-7 season in 2025. Head coach Dean Howell said the kids are resilient, “they stuck together, they kept battling, and it isn’t over. We’re going to get to work to find a way to win a first round playoff game next week.” Led by seniors BJ Suits and Asian Railey, Nolan Reiser, Kai Finkbeiner, Will Brodie, and Hunter Peeler, this is a fairly young team, Northside’s key underclassmen players include, sophomore WR Tucker McGinty was a consistent target for Suits averaging 45 yards per game and 4 TDs this season. Junior RB Gracen Wilson averaging 7 yards a carry, junior kicker Warner Shores who 84% on his PAT’s at 33 of 39. Junior lineman, Cason Veasey leads the team with 76 tackles and 12 TLF with sophomore Luke Glover 65 tackles and 4 TFL.
At the time this article was posted, SCISA playoff brackets were unavailable.
