USC scrumhalf Courtney Fernandes /// Photo: Bailey White’s father •
When Callie Woods took over as University of South Carolina (USC) head coach, the Gamecocks were readying for the 2016 DII spring playoffs. The coaching transition was necessary but also unfortunately timed, and the shake-up was felt on the pitch. But for Woods – who has perspective as a USC player, captain and assistant coach – she can appreciate those trials as part of a process, one that’s been transforming USC into the Carolinas’ back-to-back champion.
When Woods began playing for USC, there was little concern for bettering the previous season’s performance.
“When I first started playing, we were lucky to have 15 players at a game, and we didn’t take it seriously,” Woods reminisced. “Random people would just play with us and we lost every game. It was so disappointing. But in the last 3-4 years, we’ve not only grown in terms of numbers but we’ve really learned how to play the sport and win.”
The turning point occurred during Woods’ senior year, when Katie Wurst joined as head coach for the 2014-15 season. The co-founder of First15 Sport Performance is also a USA Rugby coach educator, and Wurst’s guidance helped USC to an inaugural trip to nationals.
“She definitely changed the mentality of our team,” Woods said. “We only had her for a year but she gave us a great base.
“We’ve been getting so progressively better that now we can focus on our game – team play and positioning and wise game-planning,” the coach continued. “We want to play our best game and win that way, instead of just storming the field and trying to dominate with power.”
Saturday’s league-opener was a good test. In perfect conditions, UNC Charlotte is very good competition, but in wet weather, the Mean Green is even tougher. The drizzle affected handling, which in turn forced plenty of scrums, and that’s where UNCC had a decided edge. UNCC also had lots of possession, but USC’s focus on fast movements eventually paid off, as scrumhalf Courtney Fernandes did a superb job getting the ball away from the heavy-hitting breakdowns and moving it to a hard-striking back line.
The starting line has been playing together for two years, with many players banking three years together, and that consistency helped the 22-12 win in difficult conditions. Woods highlighted the performances of prop Haydn Jones, who connected the forwards and was named MVP; new flanker Maelee Williamson, a football crossover, whose tackle rate astounded; flyhalf Laura Satterthwaite, who led the defensive launch; and top-scorers Sydney Boudwin and Alicia Barry for out-stepping the opposition.
The stress of Saturday’s match also helped Woods and assistant coach Andy Lucas assess the squad’s teamwork. Last year at the spring Round of 16, the distraction of a coaching change saw players revert to an individual-driven game, and the staff has been working hard to overcome that tendency this year. Developing trust, positive communication and awareness of what’s happening around the pitch will help USC advance deeper into the playoffs, and the league-opener was a good first step toward that goal.
The DII Carolinas conference is divided into two pools, and the top finishers will cross over in conference playoffs in advance of the spring Round of 16. College of Charleston currently leads the opposing pool, having defeated Western Carolina 20-0 in an abbreviated league match Saturday.
MORE INFORMATION
• Curious which college conferences are competing toward the DII spring championship (there is no DII national championship)? Click here to view the leagues and teams.
• How did USC begin its season last year? Read more.
• Looking for other results from last weekend? Click here.