As Darryl Page enters his 17th season as coach at South Carolina's Wilson High School, he can't help but think back to the fall of 1996 and a decision he almost made.

After opening his fourth season with a 1-4 record that year, Page thought he made a mistake by becoming a head coach and was ready to turn in his resignation letter.

But what transpired in the following weeks was pure bliss for the coach and his program.

An Accidental Start

As an English major in college, Page had no desire of becoming a coach. His goal was to attend law school and become an attorney.

"I was unsure of what law I would practice, but I knew I wanted to go to law school," Page said.

However, all that changed one summer when he was working at home.

"My mother was a teacher for 37 years and she told me about a job," Page said.

That job happened to be at then McColl High School, and despite getting accepted into law school Page took the job. That's when it happened:

"I got the coaching bug."

Page would relocate to Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, where he would serve six years as an assistant coach.

Welcome To Wilson

At the age of 29, Page decided the time was right to set out on his own and try to become a head coach. He found the opportunity at Wilson High School, located in Florence, S.C.

However, he was surprised to find out just how football-deprived Wilson was.

"Wilson was a basketball school when I arrived. Before segregation, they had some great teams, and Walter English was a good coach," Page said.

Great teams were a far cry from what Page inherited, as Wilson, which was founded in 1869 as a school for African-Americans, had endured three consecutive losing seasons.

Unfortunately, the losing ways would continue early on for Page, but he had the support of principal Allie Brooks, whom Page says "was great."

"Our principal promoted what was best for the kids, which was special because of me being the coach," Page said.

His first season, the Tigers went 1-10. In 1994 and 1995, Wilson improved slightly, going 4-6 both seasons.

But the 1996 season almost proved to be too much for Page.

After opening at 1-4, Page typed up his letter of resignation and was about to turn it in prior to his team's game against Hartsville. The end result prompted Page to reconsider, as Wilson knocked off Hartsville en route to the Tigers winning their final six games to finish 7-4 and claim a three-way tie for the region title. Perhaps more important, it also marked the first time the Tigers advanced to the playoffs under Page.

Did Page's players know of his intention to resign? "No."

As for what was the deciding factor in that season, the veteran coach attributes a mature team.

"The majority of the team was juniors. When I came here, they were eighth graders and that was important. They were the core kids, and my mentality became their mentality. It was great to see them come together. That team may have been the best overall team I have coached. They were a special group, a band of brothers," Page said.

The turning point of the 1996 season helped spark a tradition of winning that continues today.

In 1997, the Tigers posted their first 10-win season and have since won three region championships, appeared in the state semifinals twice and won more than 100 total games.

"The hardest thing you have to do as a coach is take kids out of their comfort zone. It's not necessarily wrong, but it's different. You have to be able to get the kids hungry and willing. Once they see success, it is easy to build on," Page said.

That success would spell out an amazing result in 2007.

State Champs

Following the 2006 season, Page and his team were disappointed despite the fact the Tigers advanced to the state semifinals.

"We gave it away, and we left something there," Page said of his team losing in the semis.

Once the 2007 season rolled around, Wilson entered with its sights set on then-state championship site Williams Brice Stadium at the University of South Carolina.

Wilson entered with a strong team, but it was not until the Tigers defeated perennial power Timberland in the second round of the playoffs that Page believed his team could truly contend for a state crown.

"After that, I knew we'd be a tough out. The defense played well and the kids were just at a different level. After all we had been through, I knew we would win it," Page said.

Wilson knocked off region foe Crestwood in the state semis and then slipped past Chester 14-12 to claim the program's second state championship and first since integration.

"It was an amazing feeling, but it was a long season on all of us. I remember looking toward the back of the bus on our way home (after the title game), and the only people awake were me and the bus driver. We were just drained. It was the longest season physically and mentally," Page said.

Page said the state championship put the Tigers on the map.

"It validated everything. We have now come full circle after winning a state title," Page said.

Up In Smoke

Heading into the 2008 season, Page and his team were in unfamiliar terrain as the hunted.

"Once you reach that pinnacle the question becomes, Are you as hungry to do it again?" Page said.

Unfortunately, the Tigers would not get the opportunity to answer that question.

Aug. 28, 2008, was like any other game day for Page.

In its first game since winning the state title, Wilson fell 19-12 to rival Lake City, but before the teams could reflect on what transpired on the field, every player from both teams were involved in a brawl on the field.

"The fight was like building a house and everything is perfect and all of a sudden it burns down. It hurt so much, and I knew after the fight we were out of the playoffs," Page said.

His fears were justified, as the South Carolina High School League responded swiftly by placing both Wilson and Lake City on one-year probation from the postseason.

Ironically, Page said the probation may have been the best thing that could have happened to his team, as he used it as a teaching tool.

"The fight served several valuable lessons. For starters, we were everyone's biggest game, and the challenge was there every week. It taught us humility. We had been humbled," Page said.

Wilson limped to a 5-5 finish, but Page says he saw plenty of positives as the season progressed.

"I saw our confidence come back at the end of the season, and we were hungry again," Page said.

A Lot Left To Do

While many coaches would be content with one state championship, Wilson is the ultimate competitor and wants his school's trophy case full of state crowns.

"I want our program to get to the point where every year you have to look at us as a contender. We want to be there consistently," Page said.

Perhaps more important is the fact that Page, who admits he has mellowed quite a bit since he first entered the coaching profession, wants to use his profession to serve a greater need.

"This is where God wants me. I've won a state title, had guys play in the NFL and had some good teams.

"As a program, I would say, yes, we have accomplished all I wanted to, but professionally and personally, the answer is no. There's more young men to help. I enjoy what I do because I get to have an impact on these kids' lives each and every day. I want to make a positive impact on these kids," Page said.

With that positive attitude, Page no doubt will leave Wilson a winner regardless of how many trophies end up in that case.