How Bout Them Bears: The Championship Story Part 1

Preface

Nearly two decades ago, a football season kicked off that would forever etch its mark in the trophy case and Belton and Honea Path history. It was the season that brought home the first—and so far, only—football state championship to BHP High School. Today, when conversations turn to BHP football, comparisons to that legendary 2004 team are inevitable.

In this series, we’re going to journey back to that remarkable season, peeling back the layers to reveal the heart and soul of the only perfect season in BHP’s history. This isn’t just another series of posts on ThemBears.com. This is a unique blend of biography, narration, documentary, and yes, even a dash of autobiography—because I was there, a part of that unforgettable team.

The great Tony Soprano once said, "Remember when is the lowest form of conversation." But I invite you to take a moment and remember with me—to reminisce about a team that brought pride to two towns and achieved perfection that we may never witness again. Let’s relive the moments that culminated in a night of glory in Columbia, where greatness and perfection collided in a way that still resonates today.

Part 1 - Foundations and Beginnings

As I sat halfway back on that charter bus, heading back to the school, I glanced up to see Coach Green reclined back in the front row, looking like he was asleep. But that wasn't mere exhaustion from the game or the late hour. No, that was the deep, satisfying relief only a head coach who carried the burden of winning for the school, the towns, and his own legacy could feel.

The story of the 2004 championship begins much earlier than just that season, it starts with the birth of Belton Honea Path High School itself.

Belton Honea Path High School was a product of necessity and ambition, merging two neighboring towns into one larger educational institution. In 1966, the first class took place at this new school, equally positioned between Belton and Honea Path, South Carolina on the highway bearing their names. This merger wasn't seamless; the towns had long been rivals, each with its own high school and football teams that clashed annually. Bringing these forces together was bound to stir up competitive spirits—and perhaps some resentment.

The football histories of these two towns tell a story of both pride and rivalry. Since 1920, the Honea Path Stingers had won 273 of their 439 games, boasting a winning percentage of 62.2%. In contrast, the Belton Warriors had won 176 of their 364 games, with a 48.4% winning percentage. Despite potential inaccuracies in these century-old records, it's clear both towns had storied football traditions. Honea Path clinched two classification championships, one in 1937 (with a perfect 9-0-0 record) and another in 1945. Moreover, from 1961-1965 (the five years leading up to the creation of BHP), Belton and Honea Path combined for an impressive 86-22-2 record. (Data from ghsfha.org/w/Special:SCHSFHS/school/index)

But 1966 was a year of significant change—not just because of the new school but also because it marked the beginning of integration for these teams. The first year of BHP saw the integration of students from the Geer-Gantt High School (the school for black students in Honea Path), adding another layer of complexity to the already challenging merger. Yet, these students overcame these challenges, uniting to form a formidable football team. In their first three seasons, BHP went 9-1 in 1966, 6-4 in 1967, and 8-4 in 1968, winning a regional championship that third season.

However, this early success was short-lived. From 1966 to 1994, BHP's football team played 29 seasons, logging 304 games. During this period, their record was 157-143-4, with only two region championships. In those 29 seasons, they managed to win eight games only four times and nine games just three times, epitomizing mediocrity. This prolonged period of average performance set the stage for a new era in BHP football however, one ushered in by a single man: Doug Painter.

In 1995, Doug Painter took over as head coach. After a slow start to his tenure, the turnaround was swift and dramatic. In his first two years, the Bears went 5-16, but by his third season, they had amassed the most wins in a season in school history, going 10-2. By the end of his fifth season, Painter had already matched the number of nine-win seasons the school had seen in its entire history leading to him taking over.

Then, as suddenly as he had transformed the team, Coach Painter left, leaving a gaping hole in the program. The school and community, now hungry for more than just average, looked ahead with renewed hope and anticipation for the next head coach who could continue the journey back to their storied football roots.

Berea? We’re hiring a coach from Berea?!

With Doug Painter’s departure, the head coaching position at BHP was up for grabs once more. The team, trajectory going upward, had the fanbase clamoring for a high-profile coach to push them over the top. Then, in mid-February 2000, the Anderson District 2 school board voted on Wayne Green as the next head football coach and athletic director at BHP.

Coach Green’s football journey began as a player under the legendary Keith Richardson at Clinton High School, followed by a stint at Presbyterian College where his playing career ended. His coaching career kicked off as an assistant in the Georgia high school ranks, then five years as an assistant at Hillcrest High School, which eventually led him to a 14-year head coaching tenure at Berea High School in Greenville County. His track record at Berea, 92-65 with only three playoff advances past the first round, didn’t scream "home run hire" to BHP fans.

What many didn’t see was Green’s coaching philosophy, likely honed under Richardson at Clinton. Green brought a mentality of toughness, discipline, and relentless hard work to BHP. Weightlifting and conditioning were not mere components but the cornerstones of his strategy.

Initially, BHP’s fanbase was skeptical. After over two decades of mediocrity, punctuated by a recent spurt of 9 and 10-win seasons, hiring a coach from Berea, whose wins seemed just as average as the old BHP, felt underwhelming. There are even tales of one particularly vocal fan being banned from the stadium due to his outrage over the hire.

But winning cures all, and winning is exactly what Coach Green did. For his first season in 2000, he inherited a team featuring one of the state’s top running backs, Jamayes Dixon (who still holds BHP’s all-time rushing record). Green’s tough, run-first philosophy, combined with Steve Williams’ shutdown defense, led BHP to an impressive 12-1 record that first year. Their only loss was an upset loss to Greer in the second round of the playoffs.

That year, success wasn’t limited to the high school level. Middle school teams in Belton and Honea Path, particularly the eighth-grade class that would become the senior class of 2004, were turning heads. Among them were a standout offensive lineman who doubled as a linebacker, a lightning-fast running back and wide receiver, and a quarterback named O’Brian Clinkscales. And Coach Green and the other coaching staff took note of this coming class.

In 2001, coming off a stellar 12-1 season, expectations soared. Green and his staff made a pivotal decision to integrate some of those talented freshmen into the varsity squad, allowing them to practice and dress with the varsity team. This move, bringing 10 freshmen into the 8-quarter program, would prove crucial. Among those freshmen, three secured starting positions, including left tackle Barry Humphries, defensive lineman Kyle Mclain, and wide receiver Brian Miller all of whom would be 4-year starters.

I believe this decision—to immerse these freshmen alongside the upperclassmen, practicing every day—was the key factor in the 2004 state championship run.

In 2001, BHP went 9-3, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, only to follow with a disappointing 7-4 season in 2002. However, as that promising class moved into their junior year, expectations began to rise again. With three years of rigorous summer lifting and conditioning behind them, this class seemed ready to fulfill their potential the next season.

The Game That Started It All

Then came the gut punch. In the first game of the 2003 season, BHP lost to Laurens 10-0, failing to score a single point despite returning a majority of starters, including a highly recruited offensive tackle and a second-year starting quarterback. Yet, leaning on Coach Green’s toughness mantra, the team turned things around, winning 10 straight games and setting up a second-round playoff clash with perennial powerhouse the Union Yellow Jackets.

Union, a team that had played in four straight state championships and won three (1999, 2000, 2002), entered the matchup as the second seed from their region behind Greer (the eventual state champions). This was set to be the biggest game in BHP history, but it didn’t live up to the hype. From the outset, Union dominated, leading 20-0 at halftime and finishing with a 33-0 blowout, outgaining BHP 317 to 48 total yards. Coach Green told the Anderson Independent after the game, “I think they are a better football team but I don’t think it should have been like that. I really can’t explain why. We just got taken to the woodshed. I don’t know what to say about our guys other than the fact that I hate that a great season had to end this way.”

The image carved into my memory is of a teammate, on the sideline early in the 4th quarter, muttering, “This is embarrassing, they already put in their backups.” The entire team felt it—humiliation, not just defeat. This soon-to-be senior class had never tasted such bitter embarrassment on a football field and this one stuck.

Running Stadiums and the National Guard

With the 2003 season behind them, most players shifted to other sports—basketball, baseball, soccer, or track and field. But the sting of the previous season's end lingered, fueling a fierce commitment to a grueling offseason regimen.

As the school year drew to a close, the summer weightlifting and conditioning program began. Though participation wasn't mandatory, the senior class led by example, resulting in one of the highest turnout rates ever. Working out three times a week, the team's strength and speed began to build at every position.

Each session included weightlifting and conditioning. The conditioning routines seemed concocted in some sadistic, big-man-hating lab. Each session the players endured included anything from multiple sets of full stadium stair runs to 15 or more 100-yard sprints and timed 200-meter runs. This wasn't just physical training; it was a testament to Coach Green’s and Coach Blackston’s (offensive line and strength coach) determination to instill toughness. In the moment, it felt like pure torture.

But the offseason trials were far from over. Each year, the team would endure a preseason camp leading into fall practice. In previous years, these camps were held on campus, where varsity players spent four or five nights at the school sleeping in the gym. These camps were rigorous and demanding, taking place in the sweltering heat of late July or early August, with temperatures often soaring over 100 degrees. The team was subjected to two or even three practices per day.

The 2004 preseason camp had a twist. Instead of staying on campus, the coaches loaded up nearly 50 players and headed toward McCormick, South Carolina. We were informed of our destination, but nothing could prepare us for the true nature of the place. As the school bus turned off the main road, the sign read Clarks Hill Training Center - South Carolina Army National Guard. Minutes later, all disembarked and hauled their bags to the assigned barracks. Within an hour of arriving, the team was lined up on a makeshift field—a recreational softball field with no fences— being put through a conditioning session.

That night was a nightmare. The heat was relentless, the barracks offered minimal airflow from a lone rotating fan, and the dirt and discomfort compounded the realization that the next few days would be the hardest of our lives. The next morning, everyone ate breakfast and geared up for the first padded practice of the camp. The day consisted of hours of drills, fundamental work, and conditioning. Mid-day practices were slightly lighter, focusing on special teams and play responsibilities. The final practice each day was the toughest. After hours of drills and full team practice, we faced “The County Fair”—a series of grueling stations, each managed by a coach. Each station with a designated tourcure drill from up-downs, tire courses, bear crawls, and more, all while sprinting between stations. If a coach deemed the effort insufficient, everyone restarted the station.

Beyond the physical challenge, it was the small details that pushed everyone to the brink. The field was covered with sand spurs, stabbing anyone that was unfortunate enough to hit the ground. With everyone given new practice cleats for the new season, the new cleats brought blisters, necessitating long lines for taping before each practice. Tensions flared, resulting in fights over trivial matters—moving the fan, teasing, or just the heat and frustration.

As camp progressed however, the team began to gel, leadership emerged, and a sense of unity and talent began to surface. When the buses finally filled to head back to BHP, relief and exhaustion were palpable. Yet, a unique bond was also felt, forged through shared struggle and accomplishment.

As the group of teenagers started the 55-mile trip back, the bus was silent, except for the wind rushing through the open windows. But fate had one more twist. Just five miles from school, the old yellow bus broke down. We disembarked, waiting an hour for a new bus—a final shared trial that at least brought a laugh years later.

As we look back at the foundations and beginnings of BHP football, it becomes clear that the road to the 2004 season was paved with challenges, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. From the initial merger of two rival towns into a single high school, through years of mediocrity, to the transformative leadership of coaches like Doug Painter and Wayne Green, each step brought us closer to that historic championship run. In the next installment, we'll move from the preparation and groundwork to the thrilling gameplay that defined the 2004 season, where every practice, every sacrifice, and every ounce of determination culminated in a championship story. Stay tuned as we dive into the heart of the season, where the real action begins.