BYRDS -- Run Highway 78 through St. George, past the cotton fields and the small-green sign that announces you have arrived in the very small town of Byrds.

Cross over Indian Field Swamp, ignore the sign that tries to coerce folks into taking the left and heading to Harleyville, roll another 100 yards or so and you are at Woodland High School, home of the Wolverines. Make the trip in the afternoon, around 4-ish, and you're bound to catch freshman-phenom Robert Smith out on the football field behind the school, working with assistant coach Rusty Charpia on the Wolverines spread passing attack.

That's where they were Tuesday afternoon around that time. Smith and Charpia standing in the middle of the field, lines of wide receivers to their right and left and a center tossing back shotgun snaps on go. Practice hadn't technically started yet. In fact, most of the Wolverines were still in study hall, and head coach Reed Charpia wasn't on the field, but Rusty was calling out plays and Smith was running them. It was a quick paced pre-practice with a lot of teaching. Smith would run a play, Charpia would instruct. Sometimes, the coach would step in and show the pupil how it was supposed to be done with never more than a few seconds of downtime between each snap.

These are good times at Woodland High. With a win over Barnwell Friday, the Wolverines improved to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in conference, a school-record for wins in a season. Another win Friday at Silver Bluff would go a long way toward securing the school's first-ever 5-AA region championship. And, with Smith -- who has passed for 1,502 yards and 17 touchdowns --- the future is bright as well.

"It is real good four our young people," Wolverines head coach Reed Charpia said. "I think I am more proud of them. The record is great. But, just the things they have had to go through in the last couple of years ... to accomplish this means a lot. We tied our (wins) record two years ago, and then last year we got off to a good start, and then we lost three of our last four. We worked so hard and put so much into it. This is special for our young people.

"You know how young people are," he added. "They are real critical of each other. If you are not playing good it's, 'Oh, ya'll don't have anything ... you don't do this.' But, we have overcome a lot."

There's a lot of credit to be spread around for that. And, when it comes to the Wolverines success in Charpia's spread offense, much of that credit can be given to the duo -- Robert and Rusty -- that was setting the pace in Tuesday's pre-practice.

"(Rusty) has done a tremendous job with (Robert)," the elder Charpia said. "(Robert) won't be 15 until the latter part of this month, but he has matured real fast. He grasps things real quickly. He has good sense, and Rusty has spent hours and hours with him. (Robert) comes in on Saturday and Sunday to watch film with us. He has done a tremendous job for us."

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Woodland can trot the young gun out behind a veteran offensive line led by senior center David Ross, who Charpia said is drawing interest from several colleges. Also starting along that line is junior Paul Daniels, senior Dennis Willis, junior Malik Heath and Stephon Rasberry.

"The offensive line has done a great job," Reed Charpia said. "If you would sit down and watch the prep of us offensively, you would be like, 'How in the world did they remember all that stuff?' We spend so much time on it, we just go over and over things."

Smith also has his share of weapons to spread the ball around too. At receiver, AJ Johnson leads the team with 34 receptions while Marquise Carson has hauled in 30 passes and leads the team in touchdowns with eight. Also, Rafael Bennefield has 29 catches and Gabriel Brown has 15. It all can make for a rough night for anyone.

But, Charpia says Silver Bluff presents the same challenge, just in a different way.

"The challenge they run against everyone is the type of offense they run," he said. "You don't see the 'Wing-t' as much as you used to years ago. It's the same problem you have when you play the 'Wishbone.' You just don't see it as much, and with only two or three days to prepare for it ... you cannot simulate it with your practice squad. They don't know how to run it, and Silver Bluff is so efficient with it."

So, beating Silver Bluff won't be easy, but Charpia hopes his team's hard work k.jpg paying off. If it does, the Wolverines might make the trip back down 78, past the cotton fields and over Indian Field Swamp Friday night with a win under their belts and the school's first region title all but assured.

"It's going to be a great football game," Charpia said. "We have a good football team, and they have a good football team. I don't think either of us is going to shut the other out.

"Anytime you can play for (a region title)," he continued, "I think that is a feather in your hat."

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be contacted via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland, at www.thetandd.com.

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