An extended weather delay due to lightning shortened a scrimmage and canceled another at the Battle of the Border football showcase late Friday evening at Nation Ford High School.
The showcase was meant to be the final preseason tune-up before the regular season begins next Friday, Aug. 22.
Catawba Ridge notched a 14-0 lead over Cuthbertson High School, out of Waxhaw, NC, in their matchup after two eight-minute quarters, but the game was delayed due to lightning one play into the third quarter. Officials called the game about 30 minutes later.
Nation Ford and Ambassador Christian School, out of Huntersville, NC, tried to start their nightcap game soon after, around 7:45 p.m., but the lightning never abated in the area. School officials may explore an option to play Saturday against another opponent.
CATAWBA RIDGE 14, CUTHBERTSON 0: Catawba Ridge quarterback Will Griggs, went 3-for-6 for 75 yards and threw for two touchdowns in the final two minutes of Friday evening’s preseason scrimmage.
Neither team registered much of a chance in a sluggish first quarter, but Catawba Ridge’s defense injected some life into a soggy evening at Nation Ford High School.
Senior Nolan Jones and sophomore Shane Corley registered back-to-back sacks to force a turnover on downs just over the midfield line midway through the second quarter.
Griggs took over the offense with around three minutes left. Facing fourth and 8 on the Cuthbertson 42, Griggs rolled out left and heaved a deep ball down to receiver Lucas McCauley in light coverage, and the sophomore touched the pylon to give Catawba Ridge an early 7-0 lead.
Sophomore linebacker Noah Burt then picked off the Cuthbertson quarterback on the Cavaliers’ first offensive play, giving Catawba Ridge a short field with 71 seconds left in the half.
Catawba Ridge committed consecutive penalties, forcing Griggs into a third and 34; the quarterback found receiver Isaiah Thomas downfield, leading to a Cuthbertson pass interference.
Facing a much more favorable third and 18 on the Cavaliers’ 29, Griggs threw a bullet to Darius Sutton over the middle, and the senior twisted his way into the end zone as the halftime buzzer rang to double Catawba Ridge’s lead to 14-0.
Catawba Ridge is coming off an 8-4 season and a second-round playoff appearance in their first year in Class 5A. The Copperheads lost about 80 percent of their offensive production from last year due to graduation.
Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge begin the 2025 regular season with non-region matchups at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 as the Falcons host Blythewood, while the Copperheads travel to Chapin.
Over in York, Fort Mill was scheduled to play York Comprehensive High School in the Bill Pate White Rose Classic, but the event never got started. Fort Mill’s scrimmage was supposed to be the third of the evening at York with West Charlotte and Westwood starting things off and then Providence Day and Clover being the second of three scrimmages. This is the second consecutive year the event has been cancelled because of heavy rains and lightning.
