CLEMMONS — This Titan definitely remembers.

West Forsyth Titan head football coach Russell Stone was unlucky enough to be commanding the opposing sideline the night South Rowan’s football program turned things around. It was October 22, 1999. The place was Clemmons, N.C., just down 1-40 from Winston-Salem.

For awhile, Stone’s troops casually clobbered the Raiders, just as they had done every year since 1988. After two Titan possessions, South Rowan — hapless, helpless, 1-7 South Rowan — trailed 14-0. But a funny thing happened to the Raiders on their way to 1-8. Titan back Anthony Butler, who was most of Stone’s offense, broke his hand.

Shortly after that quite literal break came their way, a couple of Raider senior offensive linemen named Brian Billings and Patrick Gaddy decided they were fed up with years of frustration and losing. They were mad, and well, they just weren’t going to take it anymore. Billings and Gaddy started tearing holes in the Titan defense and Keith Garrett and Tore’ Girty started tearing through them.

And then, suddenly, a whole team was on fire. South wound up winning 35-17, dominating its perennial tormentors down the stretch. In the second half, the Raiders were a tidal wave washing the Titans right off their own field. And there was nothing Stone could do but stare in amazement.

“Anthony got hurt and South’s two big kids took control,” said Stone. “The second half we got three first downs and they got 28 points. They laid it on us.”

South’s been laying it on people, more or less, ever since. After beating the Titans, it beat R.J. Reynolds and Mount Tabor to sweep the 4A Central Piedmont Conference’s Forsyth County teams for the first time. It made the 4A state playoffs. It’s still beating people in 2000. It’s swept Rowan County, including a terrific 7-1 West Rowan team. And it’s beaten 7-1 Mooresville.

Pointing out the ‘99 West Forsyth game as the turning point in South’s football fortunes is as easy as pointing out the equator on one of the maps in South head coach Rick Vanhoy’s geography class. In the 33 ballgames prior to Oct. 22, 1999, South went 6-27. Since that fateful night, it’s gone 9-3.

n

You notice two things about Stone.

First, he doesn’t look like a prototypical football coach, although he’s been one for 21 years. Maybe it’s the thick, black wavy hair. Maybe it’s the cool glasses and the button-down sport shirt.

Second, Stone doesn’t talk like a football coach. Football coaches like to build up every opponent like they’re the St. Louis Rams. They downplay their own team’s talents and are careful not to say anything that could end up on someone’s bulletin board. But Stone speaks his mind and figures he’ll let the chips fall.

When he’s told it looks like R.J. Reynolds (7-1, 1-0) is the team to beat in the Central Piedmont Conference, Stone lets loose with an outraged growl. “Reynolds has talent,” he says. “But are they the team? I don’t see it like that. I believe whoever wins our game with South on Friday night is gonna be conference champion.”

Not so long ago, a journey to play South Rowan was about as exciting for Titan players as a visit to the dentist.

“But it’s not like that anymore,” Stone assured. “We’ll be excited. We have 17 starters who were on the field for the South game last year. They’ll remember. These kids haven’t beaten a South team, because South’s jayvees have beaten us three straight years.”

Stone refuses to poor-mouth the talent he’ll be busing to Donnell Stadium. His best players are lefty quarterback JoshMcGee, whom Vanhoy says is comparable to Northwest Cabarrus star Ryan Woodham, and Adam Regenthal, who plays tight end, defensive end and long snapper. Stone is partial to Regenthal, partly because he dates Stone’s daughter, partly because the kid caught a TD pass and blocked a punt last week.

“Adam’s a mature kid and this is a mature team,” Stone said. “It’s the strongest team I’ve had. Our kids can throw around some steel.”

The Titans have been throwing a lot of teams around lately. They’ve won four straight (including cardiac CPC wins over Davie and Mount Tabor). They’re a modest 5-3 overall, but Stone says his team blew early games to Grimsley and Parkland when it was still putting things together.

“Carver is No. 1 in 3A and they beat us (31-6),” he admits, “but we should be 7-1. If we were, then this game with South (6-2, 1-0) would really be a sparkling matchup.”

Vanhoy says the matchup sparkles plenty, thank you.

“West is a really good team — quicker than Davie,” he says. “The big thing is that maybe West overlooked us last season. That won’t be the case this time.”

No, it won’t.

Stone can tell you as much about the 2000 Raiders as his own children. He knows their numbers, their names, their stats. He’s puzzled that Raider QB Tim Cook hasn’t played more, because Cook looked great on film in South’s overtime win over Davie. But Stone says the Raiders’ other QB, Ricky Childers, can sure run the offense. He says Ricky reminds him of his son, Tripp, a quarterback and DB for the Titans a few years back.

Mostly Stone marvels at Garrett, who is Rowan County’s leading rusher.

“People say a kid that size can’t be a great player,” said Stone. “But Garrett is a great high school player. He had a great game against us last year. He can run, catch and he blocks so well for a kid his size. But Garrett couldn’t dominate games at 150 pounds if he didn’t have his friend back there. Girty can play too.”

Stone says it’s always been a pleasure to lock horns with Vanhoy and with Larry Deal before him.

“We respect South. We’ve always respected their conduct and how hard they play,” he said. “There were years when we put beatings on them, but they still played us clean.”

In a way, Stone longs for the good old days when the Titans overwhelmed South by scores like 42-0 (1998), 42-6 (‘95), 34-2 (‘93) and 40-0 (‘91). But in other ways, the competitor in him is eager for Friday’s showdown.

“The turnaround that’s happened at South does credit to Rick and his coaches and kids,” he said. “Not long ago they were dead in the water. They weren’t close. They didn’t have a chance. But this is their best team since ‘94 when they had the (Jeff) Kerr kid. We know it’s a big game for them. It’s definitely a big game for us.”

n

Mike London is the assistant sports editor of the Post.