They’re the Big South’s ‘other two teams’ …how can they join the elite?

They are the big two of the Big South.

Nationally ranked Providence Day and its Sardis Road neighbor, Charlotte Christian, annually command the attention of area high school football fans. They play the big-name teams and are destinations for high school football players looking to transfer to a winning program.

The Big South’s other two teams, Charlotte Country Day and Charlotte Latin, live in the shadows.

That’s something the coaches and players of those “other teams” would like to change. And they say change might not be far away.

“Last season showed what we’re capable of,” said Charlotte Latin head coach Drew Dayton, referring to his team’s surprising 8-0 start.

But the regular season ended with losses of 44-7 to Charlotte Christian and 52-7 to Providence Day.

Charlotte Country Day has lost 10 in a row to Providence Day, by an average of 33.6 points. The Buccaneers have dropped their last seven games against Charlotte Christian.

Charlotte Latin has lost six straight to Providence Day and eight of its last nine to Charlotte Christian.

It wasn’t always this way. Charlotte Country Day was a powerhouse program under Bob Witman, who retired after the 2014 season. Charlotte Latin was a powerhouse about a decade ago behind quarterback David Jones, now with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. The Hawks won the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship in 2016 and finished 12-0 with Jones’ brother, Bates, at quarterback.

But over the last decade, Providence Day and Charlotte Christian have moved to the front of the pack and become regional powers.

What will it take for the Buccaneers and Hawks to catch up?

‘We are close’

“We are close to being back to that level,” said Charlotte Country Day coach Drew Witman, who replaced his father as head football coach about a decade ago. “I’m a firm believer that this institution is close to being back where it should be.”

Witman, whose team opens its season Friday night at Savannah Country Day, said an incident during summer drills emphasized the way the program is growing.

“We had a full-blown fight, for the first time in my 11 seasons here,” he said. “No, that’s not what you want. And things cleaned up nicely. But it was something I think we needed.”

“These guys really care about the program, about succeeding,” he said.

Witman acknowledged that climbing back isn’t a task for the faint of heart.

“It’s taken a shift of mindset,” he said. “I’ve spent every waking hour trying to get us back to that point. And we’ve done it while maintaining the integrity of our athletic program at Charlotte Country Day.”

Sophomore defensive back Nate Dollard said the Buccaneers are concentrating on consistency.

“We approach every game the same, no matter who we’re playing,” he said.

“We have the talent,” junior Bobby Wakefield added. “We need to get over the hump.”

Witman said his team will need one or two big victories to change things.

“They’ve never experienced those big wins,” he said. “But we’re close. When that happens, a lot of things will fall in place.”

Build on last season

At Charlotte Latin, the Hawks feel they turned the corner last season with the 8-0 start.

“The kids bought in,” Dayton said. “The things we’d been talking about, they bought in. Everything went in the right direction.”

Junior quarterback Troy Logan, who threw for 2,385 yards last season, said last season was a lot more fun than the 2-8 campaign in 2023.

“The thing is, we got better and better every week,” he said. “It was something that kept building on itself.”

“Our confidence increased as we went along,” added tight end/defensive lineman Banks Cutter, who won a state wrestling championship last winter. “It was a lot of fun.”

Then came the losses to the Big South’s giants — followed by a first-round playoff loss to another private school powerhouse, Christ School.

What can change things around?

“A lot of it is mental,” Logan said. “We have to go into every game thinking we can win.”

Dayton said this year’s team has a talented group of seniors.

“They have been around, and most of them have been with us for four years,” he said. “Last year showed them what is possible.”