The 2021 football season gets started today with the second annual Battle at the Ford featuring all three local high schools in action.
The event at Nation Ford High starts at 5 p.m. and will culminate with Nation Ford playing at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event are $7 and can be purchased through the GoFan app. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to low 90s at kick-off at 5 p.m. and then drop to about the mid-80s for the last contest at 8 p.m.
The event features four match-ups starting with a non-local out-of-state contest between Porter Ridge High and Phillip O’ Berry Academy kicking things off at 5 p.m. Each contest will be for roughly an hour.
Fort Mill will be the first local team in action as they take on Cuthbertson at 6 p.m. While just a scrimmage, Fort Mill head coach Rob McNeely said the team needs to execute Friday and every game moving forward.
“What it comes down to is Fort Mill not beating Fort Mill,” he said. “We have dealt with that and we have got to get out of that. We are focusing on us. When these kids understand we can win football games when we don’t beat ourselves and execute, then mentally we will be in a lot better shape.”
Fort Mill will officially open the season Friday, Aug. 20 at Catawba Ridge in their first trip ever to the Snake Pit.
After the Jackets’ scrimmage, Catawba Ridge will play Charlotte Christian in the 7 p.m. match-up. Catawba Ridge is coming off a historic season and for the Copperheads, these type events signal that the season is upon them.
“The urgency is definitely there,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak. “You get those butterflies. It is hard to believe that football season is here, but we are excited about it.”
Nation Ford closes the night out playing Marvin Ridge at 8 p.m. Falcons’ head coach Michael Allen said some of his starters will play to open the scrimmage, but what he is looking for is how his younger talent does under the lights.
“Hopefully, we can fill up the stadium and get more back to normal,” Allen said. “We want to look at a lot of young kids as opposed to our ones. Our ones will play, but we need to get a lot of our young kids on the field.”
The Falcons will officially open the 2021 season on the road Aug. 20 at Indian Land High.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
