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Coach Burris Is Changing the Vibe at Westwood by Jamie D. Martin Sr. | Brahma Media LLC

  • Writer: Brahma Media, LLC
    Brahma Media, LLC
  • Oct 28
  • 2 min read
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When you walk into Westwood’s practice field these days, there’s a different energy — and it starts with Coach Stephen Burris.

The RedHawks’ head man took over this spring after a strong run at Lamar High School, where he turned the Silver Foxes into a 1A powerhouse. Burris led Lamar to back-to-back 9-4 seasons and a region championship in 2023 before stepping up to the 5A stage in Blythewood. Before that, he spent over 16 years grinding through assistant stops at Ridge View, Conway, and Socastee — all programs where discipline, structure, and defense weren’t just talked about, they were lived.

Now he’s bringing that same formula to a Westwood team that went from 1-9 in 2023 to 6-6 in 2024 — one of the Midlands’ biggest leaps in recent memory. The roster’s got confidence again, and Burris has sharpened it even more with a focus on tempo, film-room precision, and toughness in the trenches.

You see it in the way the RedHawks carry themselves — practices run tighter, sideline energy stays up, and players look like they trust the system. It’s not about fancy schemes or highlight plays; it’s about habits, accountability, and showing up ready to compete every down.

Burris’s background in smaller programs shows in how personal his approach is — every player gets coached, not just the stars. That “Lamar mentality” of doing the little things right has started to take root at Westwood, and it’s why the RedHawks head into the final regular-season week with something money can’t buy: momentum.

Westwood football might not be a finished product yet, but under Coach Burris, it’s clear — the standard’s been raised.

Coach Burris was unavailable for comment before publication. Stats verified via MaxPreps and Richland 2 district records.

 
 
 

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