ROCK HILL – Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak took the time Friday night to bear-hug every one of his senior players following his team’s 42-7 loss to Northwestern High School in the second round of the Class 5A Division II state playoffs.
Lendyak said he was incredibly appreciative of the buy-in that his 17 seniors gave to his program. He said that between May and mid-November, it’s possible he spent more time with his team than with his own family.
“They become your family,” he said. “I look at all of those 17 seniors as my sons. Some may say that’s cheesy, but when you get to know them the way I do, and you ask them to push themselves so hard, it’s emotional when it’s over for them.”
Catawba Ridge, which finished 6-6 on the season, held the top-seeded Northwestern Trojans to a 6-0 halftime lead, but gave up five second-half touchdowns, including a 96-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter.
For Northwestern, kicker Alex Bendt scored field goals of 32 and 21 yards out in the first half, Kameron Vance lit up the field on the electric kick return, and quarterback Xavier Means threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to help Northwestern (10-1) reach the third round of the playoffs next Friday, Nov. 21 against Gaffney.
Northwestern earned a bye into the second round by finishing the regular season as Region 3-5A champions. Catawba Ridge, in contrast, needed a road win over Clover to reach the postseason, then topped crosstown rival Fort Mill to earn the right to play at District III Stadium on Friday, Nov. 14.
“Anytime you have seniors play their last high school football game, it’s emotional,” Lendyak said. “The guys have given me everything for the past four years. I’m going to miss them all here. I appreciate them, I love them for what they did for us. I hope they leave here better men than when they came, and they’re always going to be a part of our Copperheads’ family.”
Sophomore Will Gambrill had played as the Catawba Ridge JV quarterback this year, but was asked to step in for his varsity debut Friday night against the top-ranked team in the state following the injuries to quarterbacks Will Griggs and Bradey Compton. Compton sustained an injury at Clover, and Griggs picked up an injury during the Fort Mill win, leaving Gambrill as the next best option available under center.
Gambrill quickly fit into the Catawba Ridge offense, managing his team from his own 27 to the opposing 5. He found receiver Colten McCauley for a huge 34-yard gain to earn momentum, and running back Boston Halpin rumbled for 15 yards to push inside the Northwestern red zone.
On third and goal at the 5, Gambrill tried to find a receiver in the Trojans’ end zone, but Jayden Baxter picked off the sophomore to thwart an exciting 11-play, 68-yard first drive on the quarterback’s varsity debut.
“We had a great job by (Gambrill),” Lendyak said. “You can’t ask for a whole lot more from him. Really proud of how he performed. He didn’t shy away from the moment.”
The Catawba Ridge defense held firm in the first quarter, stopping quarterback Xavier Means and forcing punts on back-to-back possessions.
Northwestern took over on Catawba Ridge’s 37 with 34 seconds left in the first quarter, then pushed as far as the 15, but the Copperheads forced Northwestern into an offsides penalty, then held on Means’ QB sneak on the 15. Kicker Alex Bendt opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
With 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Catawba Ridge pushed from its own 29 to the Northwestern 24, courtesy of a Northwestern pass interference call and a big rush gain by Mark Blakeney to set the Copperheads up inside Trojans’ territory. Josh Crick had a chance to tie the game with a 41-yard field goal, but Khalil Williamson blocked the attempt.
Northwestern took over and pushed downfield to the Catawba Ridge 4. Means nearly threw a touchdown from the four, but Connor McFadden had a great defensive play to swat the pass attempt in the air, giving his best Dikembe Mutombo impression to end the drive.
Bendt buried his 21-yard field goal to push the lead to 6-0 Northwestern.
Northwestern had one final drive in the first half. Means nearly found Kameron Vance wide open in the middle of the field, but Vance was unable to corral a tipped pass into his hands. Means was later flushed out of the pocket for a 19-yard loss, forcing the Trojans into a fourth and 33 punt play that effectively ended the first half.
“We talked all week long about how we finish the season, finishing the season the right way,” Lendyak said. “We did that tonight. They didn’t shy away from a really tough situation. They executed the game plan about as well as we could have. The opening kickoff was tough, and we didn’t have what we needed to finish the game, but they believed in the coaches and what we’re doing. They do a great job of showing the younger guys what buy-in looks like.”
Northwestern quickly took control in the third quarter.
Kameron Vance caught the kickoff on his own 4, then weaved his way through a field of Catawba Ridge defenders before breaking out through the middle and dashing 96 yards for a momentum-swinging touchdown. Amarian Coleman rushed in for the 2-point conversion to give the Trojans a 14-0 edge.
Northwestern scored on its next four drives in the third quarter. Vance earned his second touchdown of the night with a four-yard run. Means found receiver David Flood from 43 yards out to push the lead to 28-0 with 5:30 left in the third.
The lone bright spot in the second half for Catawba Ridge came on a monster Mark Blakeney 57-yard rush down the far sideline that set up the Copperheads on the Northwestern 18. Gambrill only needed one throw to find Isaiah Thomas from 18 yards out in the end zone to cut the lead to 21.
But Northwestern soon answered. Means scored a 2-yard touchdown on the ground less than two minutes later, then threw a 39-yard score to Payton Vining to push the lead to 42-7 with 10:12 to play.
Gambrill nearly led his team to another touchdown with less than nine minutes to go. He found Thomas for a 28-yard completion downfield, pushing the Copperheads into the Trojans’ red zone. But Coleman picked off Gambrill inside the 5 again, frustrating what had been another promising drive.
Northwestern emptied its bench with about five minutes left on the clock.
“We can’t go in super conservative,” Lendyak said. “We have to play to win the game. We’re playing the best team in the state, so we have to go out there and let it rip. We had nothing to lose.”
Gambrill in his varsity debut went 12-of-28 for 119 yards and a touchdown. Halpin rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries and Blakeney rushed for 96 yards on seven carries. Thomas caught two passes for 48 yards and the only Catawba Ridge score, while McCauley caught four passes for 55 yards in leading the Copperheads.
