Both the Catawba Ridge Copperheads and Nation Ford Falcons football teams came away victorious from the Battle at the Ford event at Nation Ford High Friday evening.
The eight-team event featured five North Carolina teams and the three local Fort Mill high schools. Porter Ridge beat Phillp Barry Academy in the opening scrimmage 21-7, which kicked off the second annual event at a steamy 5 p.m. Fort Mill and Cuthbertson played at 6 p.m., followed by the Copperheads and Charlotte Christian at 7 p.m. Nation Ford wrapped the evening up at 8 p.m. taking on Marvin Ridge. Each scrimmage lasted one 24-minute half consisting of two 12-minute quarters.
Cuthbertson 30, Fort Mill 7
The Fort Mill offense struggled from the opening snap turning the ball over two times in the first three plays with an interception and a fumble. Cuthbertson wasted no time in getting in the endzone as they controlled the ball for most of the first quarter scoring on their opening drive where they scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass at 5:02 on the clock.
Less than a minute later, Cuthbertson picked off a Fort Mill pass and went 25-yards to the end zone to go up 12-0. The North Carolina team chose to not get extra points in the scrimmage. With about 90 seconds left in the first quarter, Cuthbertson struck again scoring on a 13-yard touchdown pass to go up 18-0.
There were some bright spots for Fort Mill as in the second quarter, both Brandon Elliott and Michael Threatt helped to lead the Jackets’ running game. Elliott rushed for 76 yards on four carries, including a 67-yard run that set up a Threatt three-yard touchdown run one play later. Threatt rushed four times for 10-yards and the only Fort Mill score in the scrimmage. The two players combined for 86-yards on eight carries unofficially.
Cuthbertson would score two more times in the final 3:11 of the second quarter. Fort Mill head coach Rob McNeely said his players have to be ready every time they step on the field.
“We were very vanilla,” he said. “We got a lot of guys dinged up. Other guys have to be ready.”
Fort Mill opens their season on the road next Friday, Aug. 20 at Catawba Ridge.
Catawba Ridge 6, Charlotte Christian 0
While the score wasn’t indicative of the results, Catawba Ridge already looks in mid-season form. Their offense controlled the ball often, despite taking some time to get up to full-speed.
Sophomore quarterback Jadyn Davis was impressive going 10-for-11 with an interception for 113-yards and a touchdown. Davis started the game going 6-for-6 passing before the interception. That interception led to a Charlotte Christian 40-yard field goal attempt which missed wide left.
The Copperheads’ defense was just as dominate, but like the offense took a while to get going. After the missed field goal, Charotte Christian didn’t threaten again.
“We got to make sure all 11 guys know where they are doing,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak.
If there was one aspect that Davis struggled it was running the ball as he rushed the ball three times for negative 10 yards. However, the quarterback was off limits in the scrimmage so those plays were blown dead before he had a chance to try to make something happen, despite the lost yardage.
In the second quarter, Davis and Catawba Ridge scored as he hit Jacobie Henderson for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 2:36 to go in the quarter. The extra point missed after bouncing off the left upright.
“I liked the way our offense played,” Lendyak said. “We had some big third downs. The offensive line did a good job tonight.”
Jarius Frank caught two passes for 66-yards for the Copperheads and Henderson caught two passes for 26-yards and the touchdown.
The Copperheads host Fort Mill Friday, Aug. 20 to open the regular season at the Snake Pit.
Nation Ford 7, Marvin Ridge 6
Falcons’ head coach Michael Allen described his team as rusty after their scrimmage against Marvin Ridge.
“We got work to do,” Allen said. “We have got to get the right people in the right places at the right time.”
Nation Ford started slow and didn’t get on the board until about 2:30 left in the opening quarter. Junior quarterback Carson Black also started slow on the Falcons first series, but found his groove on their second series hitting four consecutive completions leading to a touchdown.
Black hit Quadier Hand for a 15-yard touchdown to get the Falcons on the board as the lone score would be enough to give them the win. Hand caught three passes for 49-yards to lead Nation Ford. Black went 7-or-14 for 90 yards in the scrimmage.
Defensively, Nation Ford did well as they held Marvin Ridge to just two field goals, as the visitors threatened on several occasions to punch it in to the endzone. Marvin Ridge did score one touchdown, but had that play negated because of a lineman down field.
Nation Ford opens the regular season next Friday, Aug. 20 at Indian Land. The game, originally slated to be played at the new Indian Land High, will be played at the old high school off River Road in Indian Land.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
