Rolling with the Changes: How a Midseason Defensive Switch Led to the 1980 State Title
Part 2 of The Woodruff Times Wolverine history series: after a loss to Liberty, Coach Varner changed defenses and the 1980 Wolverines ran off a string of shutouts to a state championship.
The Woodruff Times published Part 2 of its 12-part Wolverine history series, "Rolling with the Changes," on September 6, 2020. Here is our summary.
The story centers on the 1980 Woodruff High football team. After a 19-13 loss to Liberty in early October left the Wolverines in a tight spot in the region race, coach Willie Varner scrapped his longtime 5-4 defense the next morning and installed a "50" defense in about five days, aiming to contain the edges and put more defenders near the ball.
The change paid off quickly. According to the story, Woodruff beat Chesnee 34-0 and Northwestern 14-0, then won the region title with a 26-0 win over Pendleton. In the playoffs the Wolverines shut out Mayewood 61-0, Abbeville 21-0 and Lugoff-Elgin 27-0 to take the upper-state crown.
On December 5, 1980, Woodruff beat Swansea 34-0 for the state championship, its seventh straight shutout. The Times credits the defensive switch, the team's toughness and Varner's willingness to adapt, and names former players and assistant coach David Pratt among those looking back.
This is our own summary; the full reporting, including interviews and photos, is at The Woodruff Times (link below).