CLOVER – There was no doubt in Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak’s mind once the Copperheads entered overtime against Clover Friday night. If he needed to go for a two-point conversion, he was going to go for it.
Down 21-14 in overtime, Catawba Ridge’s Boston Halpin burst through the middle to score from a yard out on the Copperheads’ second play from scrimmage. Then, quarterback Will Griggs found Calvin Rocheleau on a perfectly executed inside route to earn the conversion and steal a 22-21 road win against the Blue Eagles on the final day of the regular season.
“We’ve been preaching to the boys all week, ‘be resilient and play with confidence,'” Lendyak said. “I knew as soon as we got to overtime, we’d go for two, no hesitation. Calvin and Will made a great play. They keep showing up, and they’ve practiced that play so many times. I’m so proud of them for showing up tonight.”
Running back Boston Halpin ran for 127 rushing yards on 23 carries and scored all three of Catawba Ridge’s touchdowns, including the final score in overtime, where he bulled through the Clover defensive line.
Griggs connected with Rocheleau, who had 47 receiving yards on four catches, over the middle on the final play to seal the win, which will surely give Catawba Ridge, now 5-5 overall and 2-4 in Region 3-5A, a chance to extend its season in the 5A Division II state playoffs. Meanwhile, Clover also ended the regular season with a 5-5, 2-4 record.
The playoff schedule will be released sometime this weekend.
Quarterback Will Griggs threw for 93 yards on 7-of-13 passing with a touchdown, took over the reins early in the second quarter for starter Bradey Compton, who suffered an injury.
“I’m so proud of the boys for playing as hard as they did,” Lendyak said. “It’s what we’ve worked on since spring ball. To end on a high note, we’re going to play Catawba Ridge football as long as we can.”
Clover’s Brody Woolbright found receiver Rhyan Watson for a 17-yard catch over the middle to give the Blue Eagles the early edge on the first possession of overtime. That was Woolbright’s longest completion on a night where offensive production came at a premium.
Both teams combined for 14 points over the course of the first three quarters. And both squads were missing key players: the Blue Eagles were missing quarterback Aaron Shealey and running backs Grady Stone and Jaytwon Croom, while the Copperheads were without running back Curtis Dayson and wide receivers Sebastian Archbold and Darius Sutton due to injury.
Neither team had a particularly bright start: Both Catawba Ridge and Clover punted on their first three possessions in the first quarter.
Clover registered the only early highlight on Catawba Ridge’s first drive. Jackson Hill of the Blue Eagles’ special teams defense blocked a Josh Crick 41-yard field goal attempt on Catawba Ridge’s first drive, and junior Najah Potts ran back a 59-yard scoop-and-score touchdown to give the home crowd something to cheer about on a chilly Halloween night.
Neither offense had much rhythm throughout the rest of the first quarter.
On Clover’s first drive in the second quarter, Brody Woolbright and running backs Jeremiah Farmer and Omari Stroud finally found some success.
Clover drove from its own 10-yard line down to Catawba Ridge’s 23, but the Copperheads sacked Woolbright, and Woolbright threw a pick near the end zone to cap off an 18-play, seven-minute drive that was ultimately fruitless.
A dead-ball penalty on Clover set up Catawba Ridge on the opposing 37 with 3:50 left to play.
Backup quarterback Griggs took over for Compton midway through the second quarter. He quickly took over the offense and connected with Joshua Dobson for a 27-yard completion down the sideline to set up a first-and-goal situation. Halpin only needed one chance to burst through the middle of the Clover line and score to tie the ballgame with 3:27 left in the first half.
Lendyak praised his running back’s ability to push through tackles and gain yards on the ground.
“How many times did he get hit after two or three yards, then the defense carries him for a first down?” said Lendyak. “He’s such a hard worker. A workhorse, he’s putting in the time. When his legs get moving, and he’s carrying people, and the offensive line is pushing, I couldn’t be more proud of the way he performed.”
Both teams had opportunities to possess the ball to end the half, but Clover went three-and-out, and Catawba Ridge was unable to push past its own 44.
Catawba Ridge had two strong chances to take the lead: Griggs was sacked on 4th and short at the Clover 18 on a busted pass play. Two drives later, Griggs made it back inside Clover territory, but Amanti Francis tipped his pass and intercepted it.
Neither team scored in the third quarter.
Kaleb Starr was Clover’s bellcow in the fourth quarter. He featured heavily on Clover’s first drive in the fourth quarter, then ran in for a six-yard touchdown to give the home team a 14-7 lead with 10:15 left to play.
Catawba Ridge quickly responded. Rocheleau returned the ensuing kickoff from his own 30 to the Clover 25, setting up Griggs nicely. Halpin rushed three times to push inside the red zone, and Griggs then tossed the ball to Halpin in the flat, allowing Halpin to use his open-field running to score from 15 yards out and tie the game 14-14.
