By David Thackham
Correspondent
COLUMBIA – Catawba Ridge’s motto all season long has been, “Be The Why.”
The ‘W’ stands for being willing to do whatever you need to do to help the team. The ‘H’ stands for having the heart to finish. The ‘Y’ represents the youth of the program and living up to their teammates’ high expectations.
To the very last snap, the Copperheads’ football team exemplified those ideals Friday night in a 42-21 loss to A.C. Flora in the Class 4A Upper State finals at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. The Copperheads was just the fourth Fort Mill based team to make it to the Upper State football title game. The last was in 2015 with Nation Ford. The previous two before that were Fort Mill in 1975 and in 1965. All four games ended up in losses for the Fort Mill based teams.
Senior Kayden Hager was a particular standout, as he moved anywhere his team needed him to be.
The playmaker began the season on defense, switched to quarterback when starter Jadyn Davis went down for several weeks with a collarbone injury, and played in three different positions during Friday night’s road loss to the undefeated Falcons, who will progress to play in the Class 4A state championship game next Saturday against North Myrtle Beach.
It was fitting that an enthusiastic Copperhead fanbase gave Hager and his teammates a huge ovation after the final whistle as each player emerged from the visitors’ locker room.
“It means everything,” Hager said of the fans, who have followed the team all postseason long. “The fans have kept us going all this time. I just wanted to do whatever it took to help the team win. I don’t care about the personal stats or where I play… (Tonight) is going to be memorable. It’ll be something I remember for the rest of my life.”
A.C. Flora running back Matt Pack scored four touchdowns on the ground, while fellow backs Markel Townsend and Terrell Coleman also found the end zone. The undefeated Falcons (9-0) built up a 21-0 lead, then outscored the Copperheads 21-7 in the second half to ice the victory.
Quarterback Jadyn Davis found wide receiver Jacobie Henderson for back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter to cut the lead to 21-14 at halftime, but the Falcons’ rush offense couldn’t be held for long. Henderson caught six passes for 60-yards. Davis would go 15-of-28 for 135-yards and the two scores.
Townsend, Coleman and Pack traded snaps to push the Falcons from their own 33-yard line to the Catawba Ridge one, and Pack pounded in the score. After a Catawba Ridge three-and-out, Coleman ripped a huge 77-yard play from scrimmage on the next Falcons drive as he bolted down the left sideline to push the lead to 35-14.
Catawba Ridge could only reach A.C. Flora’s 41-yard line on the next drive, and Davis was sacked on fourth down. That gave the Falcons the ball back, and Pack made no mistake, cutting a hole through the Copperheads’ defense and scoring from 51-yards out to give the Falcons a 42-14 lead with 6:42 left to play.
Still, the Copperheads refused to take a play off. Taking possession with less than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Hager entered as quarterback and found Quinten Jackson, Lane Boutwell and Ben Hudgins for completions, then called his own number to score from six yards out to make it 42-21.
The score wasn’t going to change the outcome, but it was indicative of the team’s never-say-die attitude. Hager began the game playing at outside linebacker due to an injury, then played several snaps at running back throughout the game before going under center in the final minutes of play.
“It’s just who they are,” said Copperheads head coach Zac Lendyak, who praised the fight in his kids. “Whether the game is close or not, we know that Catawba Ridge is going to fight to the end. … It’s been an unbelievable story. It’s heartbreaking tonight, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
Catawba Ridge ends the 2020 season at 7-2. Lendyak’s team strung together seven straight victories en route to earning a spot in the Upper State championship game. The team defeated Greer in the first round and Irmo in the state quarterfinals.
This is just the second year of varsity competition for the Copperheads. Last year, the team won just two games in its inaugural season.
Falcons’ coach Dustin Curtis tipped his hat to Catawba Ridge in his post-game interview.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to seriously congratulate them,” Curtis said. “To be in their second year and be in a dogfight for the Upper State championship, that’s tremendous. I have the utmost respect for them, and I know they’ll be around for years to come.”
The Falcons got off to a hot start in Friday’s game.
Quarterback Ethan Beamish found wide receiver Carew Bates for a 58-yard pass on the Falcons’ first offensive play of the game, which set up Pack for an easy three-yard touchdown just two plays later to put A.C. Flora on the board.
Catawba Ridge earned its first drive in AC Flora territory by recovering a fumble midway through the second quarter. However, Hager threw an interception which ended the drive on the second play from scrimmage.
Pack and Markel Townsend traded rush attempts on the ensuing AC Flora drive before Pack burst into the end zone for the Falcons’ second rushing touchdown of the first quarter, this time from two-yards out.
A third straight Catawba Ridge punt gave the Falcons the ball back early in the second quarter. Beamish found Eriq Rice for a 30-yard gain, which set up Townsend for rushes of 15 and 21-yards, the latter of which ended for a score to make it 21-0 Falcons.
But just as it seemed that the Copperheads would stall on offense for a fourth time, Davis was able to find a streaking Henderson over the middle on third and eight on the AC Flora 46. Henderson made a couple jukes and was able to dive into the end zone to cut the lead to 14.
The play rejuvenated the Catawba Ridge defense, which ended a Falcons drive early after sacking Beamish for a 14-yard loss. The Copperheads took over on the Flora 28 and Davis was able to operate. He found Jackson for a 10-yard gain, then spotted Henderson on the right edge of the end zone for an 18-yard pitch and catch to make it 21-14 with just five minutes left in the opening half.
But the Copperheads were unable to keep up the momentum in the second half. Ayden McCarter missed a field goal from 43-yards out that would have cut the lead to 21-17 deep in the third quarter.
Pack scored his third touchdown of the game just a few minutes later on the next drive.
“I definitely felt like we had the momentum,” Lendyak said. “The defense played great in the first couple series, but we just couldn’t take opportunities. I felt like if we got one on the board (in the second half), that really could have swung things our way. It just snowballed on us in the fourth quarter.”
Lendyak said he’s talked to his team about the expectations that he wants his seniors to leave for the underclassmen, and the importance of playing up to those ideals, heading into the offseason.
“I don’t want them to just have a great 2020 season,” he said. “We’ve lived it out, and it’s the underclassmen’s job to keep it moving for the seniors.”
Hager agreed, saying he’ll look back on his senior season with pride. He finished the game going 5-of-7 for 52-yards passing, while carrying the ball nine times for 25-yards.
“Since last year, we never ever gave up,” he said. “We always played our hardest. I hope that’s the Catawba Ridge way going forward.”
AC Flora 42, Catawba Ridge 21
Scoring Summary
First quarter
AC – Matthew Pack three-yard run, 9:55
AC – Pack two-yard run, 3:14
Second quarter
AC – Markel Townsend 21-yard run, 10:06
CR – Jacobie Henderson 46-yard pass from Jadyn Davis, 8:24
CR – Henderson 17-yard pass from Davis, 5:07
Third quarter
AC – Pack one-yard run, 1:36
Fourth quarter
AC – Terrell Coleman 77-yard run, 11:32
AC – Pack 51-yard run, 6:42
CR – Kayden Hager six-yard run, 1:00
