FORT MILL – Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak said he wanted to see his team play “boring football” Friday night against crosstown rival Fort Mill.
Mission accomplished.
The Copperheads’ defense stood strong, quarterback Will Griggs managed the offense well and committed no turnovers, and running back Boston Halpin secured the game’s only touchdown in a defense-heavy 13-3 win over the visiting Yellow Jackets in the first round of the Class 5A Division II state playoffs at The Pit.
Kicker Josh Crick scored field goals from 23 and 35 yards in the first half to help Catawba Ridge take a 6-0 halftime lead.
Fort Mill’s Noah Hardy cut the lead to 6-3 with a 47-yard field goal of his own in the fourth quarter.
But the Copperheads responded when they needed it the most on the ensuing drive. Griggs found Colten McCauley for a 46-yard pass, the largest of the night, then Halpin and Mark Blakeney combined for six straight rush plays, before Halpin rumbled in to score from two yards out to push the lead to two scores and effectively end any chance of a Fort Mill comeback.
Catawba Ridge, now 6-5, advances to the second round, where the Copperheads will play at top-seeded Northwestern High School at District III Stadium in Rock Hill on Friday, Nov. 14.
“We came in wanting to play boring football,” Lendyak said. “Run the ball, take completions when they’re there, play strong defense… It feels great. Anytime you win in the playoffs, beat a crosstown rival, it’s really special. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys and the way the players and coaches performed tonight.”
Griggs went 12-for-21 throwing for 190 yards, while Halpin led the team with 93 rushing yards on 18 carries. Colten McCauley led all receivers with 115 yards on six catches, while Isaiah Thomas picked up 50 yards on two grabs.
Catawba Ridge doubled Fort Mill’s total yardage, 302 to 140.
For the Yellow Jackets, Broden Mitcheson was the team’s lone offensive standout. The running back also played as a Wildcat quarterback after starting quarterback Quinn Kelly sustained an injury late in the first quarter. Mitcheson finished the game with 6-of-19 passing for 56 passing yards, and an interception, as well as 51 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Fort Mill head coach Rob Neely consoled each of his players on their way to the locker room following the loss. He said his players made him a better coach every day, and that he was sad to see his seniors leave.
“They really believed in a brighter future,” he said. “It’s why I do what I do. Their belief in what we do as coaches, and who they are as players and as a team. They learned, and it showed.”
Neither team generated much offense to start the first half.
A botched Fort Mill punt snap gave Catawba Ridge its first drive on the Fort Mill 36-yard line, but Griggs and the Copperheads’ offense could only drive as far as the 6 before having to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Crick.
Griggs started the game following Compton’s injury sustained during last week’s road win at Clover.
With six minutes left in the first quarter, Fort Mill found itself on a long third down on its own 28. Kelly tried to escape the pocket, but Catawba Ridge’s Tyler Gindoff knocked Kelly hard to the turf with a bruising tackle. While Kelly was able to leave the field under his own power, he did not return in the first half.
Mitcheson, the team’s starting running back, took control under center and even threw 3-for-6 passing in his two drives in the second quarter.
The Copperheads were able to drive with six minutes left in the second quarter to push from their own 11 down to Fort Mill’s 18 on a five-minute drive.
The hosts benefited from a Fort Mill pass interference call. And even when Boston Halpin fumbled the ball, the play was negated after the Yellow Jackets committed a facemask penalty.
Halpin broke off his longest play of the night so far, a 24-yard run to set Catawba Ridge inside the 27. Eventually, the Copperheads settled for Crick’s 35-yard field goal to push the lead to 6-0 with 1:13 remaining.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. Catawba Ridge had the best chance with 5:15 remaining.
Griggs led his team from his own three to the Fort Mill 22 on eight plays, but the drive ground to a halt when Griggs threw three straight incompletions. Crick then missed a 39-yard field goal attempt to try and push the lead to two scores.
Hardy’s field goal finally gave Fort Mill a lifeline with 7:50 left to play in the fourth quarter.
But Griggs quickly went to work on the ensuing possession. Taking over at his own 20, he found Colten McCauley for a massive 45-yard completion across the field. Halpin and Blakeney then found space for short rushes to lead their team all the way down to the Fort Mill 2, where Halpin finally bull-rushed his way into the end zone for the game’s lone touchdown.
Ian Babcock picked off Mitcheson on Fort Mill’s final drive with 2:28 left on the clock.
Lendyak said he told his team to keep lining up and playing smart defense, despite the quarterback change.
“We knew with him, he played a lot at quarterback last year,” he said. “He definitely threw the ball and made completions. We had to adjust with our linebackers, and our defense had a bend, don’t break mentality.”
Lendyak said he was excited to have at least one more week to spend with his team. He said they will study film this weekend, then have a full-team meeting on Monday to discuss a game plan to take on the top-seeded Trojans next Friday.
Northwestern (9-1) won all six games in Region 3-5A to earn a bye into the playoffs.
“They do everything well,” Lendyak said. “We’ve got to play Catawba Ridge football. We run the ball, take what’s there, and try to stop them on offense.”
