The Statesman

Despite a trying year off the field, Shell Dula has his Greenwood High team believing in hims and the Eagles are on the cusp of another state title

By STEVE WISEMAN

swiseman@thestate.com

LINDSAY SEMPLE/LSEMPLE@THESTATE.COM

Shell Dula, head football coach at Greenwood High School prepares his team for their upcoming playoff game on Wednesday in Greenwood, S.C.

While watching a master at work, Roger Hazel turned to a friend during a S.C. High School League meeting a few weeks ago and had awe in his voice.

“He’s the statesman,” Hazel said of Shell Dula, the Greenwood High football coach and athletics director, who was eloquently making a point to the league’s executive committee.

Hazel, one of the High School League’s assistant directors, joked that Dula could have been a lawyer. But then Hazel realized what Dula has proven he is truly best at during the past three decades.

“He’s a good football coach,” Hazel said.

Dula’s 29th season as a high school coach in South Carolina has been among his most trying. But despite wide receiver Xavier Dye’s contentious, drawn-out transfer to Byrnes that overshadowed the regular season, Dula’s Greenwood team is 12-2 and will play Conway for the Class 4A Division II championship tonight at Williams-Brice Stadium.

It was the chance to play for a state title that led Dye to transfer to Byrnes, which had won the past four Class 4A Division II titles. Byrnes, classified as Division I for this year’s playoffs, was eliminated by top-ranked Gaffney two weeks ago.

So Dye’s season is done while his ex-teammates are playing. The statesman’s response?

“Poetic justice,” Dula said. “I think we all need to appreciate what we have in any walk of life.”

Dula appreciates this Greenwood team, possibly in ways different from the appreciation he has had for teams during his head-coaching stops at Ninety Six, Union and Greenwood. He has won 235 games and five state championships at those schools.

But this team easily could have fractured when Dye, a receiver bound for Clemson next season, bolted for Byrnes. As Dula protested through High School League channels (eventually losing the fight), his players bound together in the hope of making this season memorable in a different way.

“We knew that he transferred, and it was a pretty big deal for a while,” Greenwood senior defensive end/tailback Zachary Norman said. “For the players, we put it behind us and we worried about the games we had to play.”

Added Greenwood senior linebacker/tight end Mackenzie Tharpe: “If that’s what he wanted to do, he did what he wanted to do. We just stuck together. I think that might have gotten us a little closer, going through a tough time.”

That mature reaction from his team touched Dula.

“Our football team has faced a lot of adversity,” Dula said. “They are very special simply because they’ve taken all distractions and they’ve been able to put them on the side burner. They’ve been able to stay focused and move forward and get better as the year went on.

“They are a very special group. The older you get, the more special they become. It’s very meaningful.”

Adding to the special season was Dula’s initial plan not to be the team’s coach this year.

Last year, he was a finalist to become the High School League’s executive director. When the job went to Jerome Singleton, Dula remained at Greenwood, where he had won Class 4A Division II championships in 1999 and 2000.

Had he missed an opportunity to coach this year’s Greenwood team, Dula jokingly said he probably would be kicking himself. But he is at peace with how things transpired.

“Everything works out for the good,” Dula said. “Jerome is doing a great job here. Certainly we appreciate the efforts he’s doing. It’s certainly been special to be part of this group. They are fine young men who have matured so much and come so far as a football team. It’s very special to be a part of them.”

His players feel the same way about him. Norman and Tharpe said they were happy Dula did not land the High School League job that would have ended his coaching career.

“He has a rich tradition behind him,” Norman said. “You look forward to playing for him because you know something special is going to happen in your season if you play for him.”

And when Dula puts his team through a drill or gives instructions, his team respectfully follows his orders.

“He’s succeeded before,” Tharpe said, “so we know if we do what he says and how he says to do it, we might get to do what he’s done before and win a state championship.”

When the statesman speaks, everyone listens.

Reach Wiseman at (803) 771-8472.