Winfield's Gannon Boggs (9) carries the ball as Herbert Hoover's Jay'Sean Walker (11) pursues during a high school football game on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Winfield.Â
South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's Malcolm Brown carries the ball as Capital's Darius Thomas (left) and others attempt to bring him down during a high school football game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
Winfield's Gannon Boggs (9) carries the ball as Herbert Hoover's Jay'Sean Walker (11) pursues during a high school football game on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Winfield.Â
CRAIG ALLISON | For the Gazette-Mail
South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's Malcolm Brown carries the ball as Capital's Darius Thomas (left) and others attempt to bring him down during a high school football game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä followed its first football win in nearly three years with a bye week, which Black Eagles coach Donnie Mays said was spent in self-reflection.
“We spent a lot of time on us,†Mays said in the week following South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä's 27-23 win at Ripley on Aug. 29. That victory was the Black Eagles' first since Oct. 21, 2022, when SC defeated St. Albans for what was its only win under then-coach Carl Lee.
Some time, Mays said, was spent watching video of Friday’s opponent, Winfield, and the Generals’ loss at home to Herbert Hoover.
Winfield's 35-0 setback isn’t an indication of just what the Generals can do, Mays said, which is why the Black Eagles also replayed video of their own win over the Vikings.
There is familiarity between the two teams and their coaches when Winfield rolls into South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. nonconference game with the Black Eagles.
Mays and Generals coach Eddie Smolder's teams faced off in 2023 when Mays was the coach at Hurricane.
Some of the Winfield players have even played for Mays.
“Aiden Tate is an athletic kid,†Mays said. “I coached him at Hurricane before he transferred to Winfield.â€
Generals quarterback Jared Miller also caught Mays’ eye.
“[He] is a really good player,†Mays said. “Those two players [Miller and Tate] alone are problems for people.â€
South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä (1-0) brings its share of athletes too, Smolder said.
“They have good size and good athletes,†Smolder said. “Their running back [Malcolm Brown] is a real good player.â€
Smolder said Winfield spent the past week ensuring it doesn’t have a repeat of the game against Herbert Hoover.
The Generals spent the hours before the lightning-delayed second half concluded on Saturday watching film of Friday’s first half. Winfield spent more time this week watching footage of the game against the Huskies.
“It was a total opposite from the first game,†Smolder said.
A reset, the coach said, is what he’s hoping it takes to get back on the track Winfield was on when it defeated Lincoln County in the first game of the season.
However, South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä will present its own challenges for Winfield (1-1).
Like Mays’ teams at Hurricane, the Black Eagles spread the field with the offense and get the ball to multiple players, Smolder said.
Then there’s Brown.
“He’s a dynamic football player,†Mays said, comparing Brown to former Black Eagles player Romeo Dunham. Brown shows the same type of ability on the basketball court.
“He’s a very unselfish player,†Mays said. “He’s a guard [in basketball], so can put [his teammates] in the right positions to succeed.â€
Brown rushed 23 times for 236 yards in South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s win over Ripley.
Winfield and SC have met six times, the last game coming in 2015, a 51-28 victory for Mays' Black Eagles.
The Generals’ lone win in the series came with a 32-6 triumph over SC at Oakes Field in 1989.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
