Senior quarterback Tyler Fikis and senior running back Tyler Jones each scored two rushing touchdowns for Catawba Ridge in a convincing season-opening 31-7 win Friday night against crosstown rival Fort Mill at Bob Jones Stadium.
A new transfer who moved from Hampshire, Ill. over the offseason, Fikis created opportunities with his feet and with his arm for the visiting Copperheads (1-0). The quarterback finished with 117 passing yards (10-of-18 passing) and 45 rushing yards on seven carries, including two short quarterback keeper plays that ended in scores.
“When you’ve got wheels like that, wow,” said Catawba Ridge coach Zac Lendyak. “He did a great job at getting us right. Making plays happen in the RPO game, he had really great reads.”
Jones also impressed as Catawba Ridge’s top rushing choice. He picked up 99 yards on 21 carries throughout the night, including an electric 24-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give Catawba Ridge a 24-0 lead.
Fort Mill (0-1) struggled to gain a foothold in the game against Catawba Ridge’s imposing linemen. The Jackets finally picked up a score with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when quarterback Isaiah Haynes (10-for-19, 1 INT, 114 passing yards) found receiver Jason Moran on a 49-yard throw through the middle.
But that was the lone highlight for Fort Mill. The Jackets could only muster 17 yards on 14 carries in the second half.
“They can’t get down on themselves,” said Fort Mill coach Rob McNeely on his team. “One game doesn’t define us. We’ve got to get back to work and get better.”
Catawba Ridge capitalized on its first offensive drive. Taking over on Fort Mill’s 47-yard line, Jones strung together four strong rushes to push the Copperheads into the red zone.
Fikis tossed a 10-yard pass to receiver Jordan Gilliam to reach the 1-yard line before rushing into the end zone himself to give Catawba Ridge a 6-0 lead. The 13-play drive lasted about four minutes.
Fort Mill suffered another setback when Catawba Ridge’s Grant Lovette picked off Haynes on the ensuing drive after Haynes’ pass got tipped in the air near the Fort Mill 25.
Hoping to strike quickly, Fikis went for a deep ball on fourth and 12, but Braylon Thomas stepped in and made the clutch interception to give Fort Mill the ball back.
The two teams traded punts to end the first quarter.
Catawba Ridge enjoyed a short field again to start the second quarter, picking up possession on the Fort Mill 35. But the offense couldn’t break down Fort Mill that time, and the Copperheads settled for a 35-yard field goal by kicker Kohen Kozel.
With 8:32 left to play in the first half, Catawba Ridge got the ball back on its own 40. Quarterback Nate Thomas, who also took snaps throughout the game, combined with Jones for yardage before running back Ira Mister broke off a 17-yard rush to put the Copperheads in Fort Mill territory.
On third and two at the Fort Mill 20, the Fort Mill defense sacked Thomas and TJ VanStocken recovered a fumble to give the home team a chance to score.
Fort Mill began its last meaningful drive of the half from its own 25. Haynes quickly found receive Van Piercey with a 25-yard dart through the middle, and Cade Haley picked up significant yardage on the ground. Fort Mill picked up a first down on the Catawba Ridge 25, but a personal foul call backed them up to the 41. Three plays later, the promising drive came to an end.
Lendyak paid special tribute to senior linebacker Brody Tesimale, who picked up several tackles throughout the game for the Copperheads.
“He’s a tackling machine,” Lendyak said. “He’s the heart and soul of the defense, the heart and soul of the team. I don’t know how many tackles he had, but I heard his name quite a bit.”
Fikis picked up in the second half where he left off. After the opening kickoff, Fikis found Brandon Rasyor for a 30-yard gain, then ran the ball in for his second touchdown from nine yards by adjusting to a broken play and scrambling to the left sideline.
Catawba Ridge put on an even better drive on the next possession, driving 88 yards on just six plays, including a Jones 24-yard touchdown that included a broken tackle and several Fort Mill defenders in his wake to put the Copperheads up 24-0 midway through the third quarter.
Fort Mill nearly answered with 6:20 to play in the third quarter. Moran’s 54-yard kick return set Fort Mill up at the Catawba Ridge 35 to start the new drive. After Eli Craddock broke open a 10-yard run and Van Piercy picked up an 11-yard catch, the Jackets had a chance from the Copperheads’ 8. But the offense fumbled the snap and Catawba Ridge took over, ending another hopeful drive in its tracks.
“We’ve got to focus on Fort Mill,” McNeely said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re not beating Fort Mill.”
Jones picked up his second touchdown of the night midway through the fourth quarter, this time from three yards out following a 25-yard quarterback keeper by Fikis.
Haynes’ long bomb to Moran gave Fort Mill fans something to cheer about, but it was too late to affect the outcome.
Running back Cade Haley led the home team with 48 yards on nine carries.
“Anytime you come out, the first game of the year and get 31 points, you’re pleased with that,” Lendyak said. “There’s a ton of things to clean up, but anyone’s like that in Week 0.”
Both teams will play non-region games at home 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Catawba Ridge will host Charlotte Latin at The Pit, while Fort Mill will welcome Chester High to Bob Jones Stadium.
