By Jack Veltri
Correspondent
CHARLOTTE – The opportunity was there for the taking. With the ball to start the second half, Catawba Ridge was chugging along with four first downs. Then, trouble quickly arose.
Copperheads quarterback DJ Latimer misfired on three straight passes, setting up fourth and long. This was the play that could keep the momentum alive.
As Latimer dropped back, he looked downfield for an open target. But with pressure coming, he threw the ball high into the air and hoped for the best.
But the ball wouldn’t come anywhere close to being caught by his receivers. Instead, it was Ardrey Kell defensive back Chancellor Bryant who picked it off and took it to the house for a 78-yard touchdown.
It would be one of many heroic plays from Bryant that made the difference in a 27-14 win over Catawba Ridge Friday night.
The Copperheads fell to 1-3 and have now lost three straight games after defeating Fort Mill to open the season.
From the start of the game, things weren’t going right. After Ardrey Kell missed a field goal on its opening drive, the Copperheads moved into opposite territory but ultimately punted.
And that would be a common theme throughout the first half. Latimer, who was benched after the first quarter, started off 4-for-8. His inconsistent play was enough for Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak to make a switch.
After a three-and-out drive to begin the second quarter, backup quarterback Andrew Turner came into the game. But the change didn’t do much. Turner went 2-for-8 passing heading into halftime.
With the quarterbacks struggling, the Knights eventually struck first. Quarterback Gavin Adams hit up Bryant for a 34-yard touchdown pass four minutes into the second quarter.
Eventually, Latimer checked back into the game but continued to struggle. After throwing his first interception of the game, Bryant picked him off again on the next drive of the second half. Only this time, he didn’t take it all the way back. He would end up inside the 10-yard line. A few plays later, Adams found Jake Davids for an eight-yard score.
It wouldn’t be all doom and gloom for Catawba Ridge, though. Near the end of the third quarter, Josh Dobson intercepted an Adam pass in front of the end zone and took it the other direction for a 100-yard touchdown return. This play gave the Copperheads their first points and cut the deficit to 13.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Knights had a big pass play to move around midfield. However, the ball would be fumbled and scooped up by the defense to move into Ardrey Kell territory. This could have been where the offense showed up, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Copperheads came up empty on a fourth and long pass play.
Soon after, the offense did find its footing. On a busted coverage, Latimer threw to a wide-open Jordan Gilliam to make it a one-score game. Now it was on the defense to do its job with a few minutes left to play.
With the game slowly slipping away, Ardrey Kell faced a fourth and 10 in Catawba Ridge territory with 40 seconds to go. The Copperheads were out of timeouts, so it was now or never to make a play.
But as the play unfolded, Adams threw a deep pass to Bryant for a game-sealing touchdown. It would be an even more deflating play considering Catawba Ridge’s defensive coverage was almost immediately blown up.
With one more game to go before region play starts, the Copperheads will travel to Chester next Friday, Sept. 15.
