Wacky, wild, wonderful - what a Football Friday!
The Charlotte area’s high school football Friday started across the Atlantic Ocean.
And before it ended, there was a little of everything:
Lots of delayed starts due to thunderstorms.
A fake punt by a five-star recruit that won the game.
An overtime finish in one of the state’s biggest rivalries.
A game with national implications that ended 10 yards short of a potential winning touchdown.
A Charlotte rivalry that wasn’t a rivalry but became a rivalry again.
A fourth-down sack near the end zone on the game’s final play.
A David-and-Goliath story in which David won.
A missed field goal near Charleston that brought victory for a Charlotte-area team.
And a first-ever victory for a school that’s had two coaches in the last month.
And we’re probably just scratching the surface.
But here is a look at a wild, wacky and wonderful Football Friday in the Charlotte area.
FIVE-STAR RECRUIT TO THE RESCUE
East Lincoln had taken a 19-10 lead over host Providence when their game was halted by a storm Thursday evening. The teams picked up Friday evening, and East Lincoln built a 26-24 lead. David Beam scored for the Mustangs, and Luke Meador threw a pair of touchdown passes for Providence.
The host Panthers thought they had forced East Lincoln to punt with a minute remaining, but Jaxon Dollar fooled them. Dollar, a five-star recruit and Georgia commit, faked the punt and ran 58 yards for a first down. East Lincoln then ran out the clock and won 26-24.
NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS …
Norfolk’s Maury High doesn’t lose often as the Commodores have won four straight Virginia state championships. Their only loss last season was to an N.C. school – Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons.
But Muray opened this season once again with a loss to a school from the Tar Heel State, as Mallard Creek hung on for a 31-30 come-from-behind victory.
On the game’s final play, Maury completed a pass in Mallard Creek territory, but the receiver was stopped by two Mavericks’ defenders at the Mallard Creek 10.
Mallard Creek trailed 24-7 in the second quarter but battled back with a Joshua Everette field goal and two Chase Roberts touchdown runs. That tied the game at 24-all in the final period, but Maury regained the lead on a 66-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion run failed.
Coach Kennedy Tinsley’s Mavericks then put together a game-winning drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown run by Roberts and an Everette conversion kick.
ACROSS THE POND …
Ambassador Christian trounced Grapevine Christian, a Texas school, 58-34 – in Dublin, Ireland. The teams met as part of the same event that also featured Saturday’s North Carolina-TCU college game.
Ambassador Christian scored on a safety just three minutes into the game and built a 23-7 lead on two David Echevarria touchdown passes and an Ezekiel Kelly scoring run.
In all, Echevarria threw seven touchdown passes. The last was a 99-yarder to Knowledge Echols.
IT’S A RIVALRY AGAIN …
Once upon a time, Charlotte Catholic vs. Charlotte Country Day was a big Queen City rivalry. In recent years, though Charlotte Catholic dominated. The Cougars won six straight times, and then the teams stopped playing each other after 2018.
Charlotte Country Day stunned the Cougars on Friday night, capturing the Cook-Oddo Cup with a 15-7 victory. The Cougars drove to the Buccaneers’ 2 in the fourth quarter but fumbled the ball away. In the third quarter, they were stopped on downs at the Bucs’ 1.
The Buccaneers scored on a pair of second-quarter runs.
SCORE ONE FOR DAVID …
The “little guy” won this battle against the giant, as Class 2A Corvian Community blanked Class 7A Independence 19-0. The Cardinals scored on a Desmond Walker run in the first quarter, added a third-quarter touchdown run by quarterback Tyson Douglas-Brown, then added a pick-six in the fourth quarter. Corvian Community, which annually faces a few 6A and 7A opponents, gave Butler a strong game last season before losing.
GREAT FINISH FOR A RIVALRY …
Crest toppled visiting Shelby 27-24 in overtime, adding another thrilling chapter to the long Cleveland County rivalry. Crest had taken a 21-14 lead shortly before halftime on Jahmere Canady’s 55-yard interception return. That margin held until 10:24 left in the fourth quarter, when Shelby’s Jonas Woods scored on an 11-yard run.
The teams played scoreless ball for the rest of regulation. Shelby’s Matt Grenier kicked a field goal on the Golden Lions’ overtime possession, but Crest won it when Brock Melton connected from 10 yards out with Malachi Gamble.
ONE FOR THE COACH …
Bradford Prep is playing varsity football for the first time this season, but the Bears made news for off-the-field reasons in recent weeks. Head coach Adam Webber resigned before the first game, under reasons that remain unclear. Jeremy Chandler took over as coach, days before the school’s first varsity game last week. That contest ended in defeat, but Bradford Prep rebounded Friday night with a convincing 28-0 shutout of host Highland Tech.
GAME-SAVING SACK …
North Mecklenburg trailed host South Iredell 27-22, but the Vikings had driven to South Iredell’s 3 in the closing minute. On fourth down, South Iredell’s Maximus Manning sacked the North Meck quarterback and preserved the victory. South Iredell trailed 22-21 early in the quarter, but Carter Clifford ran 6 yards for the decisive score.
DOWN NEAR CHARLESTON …
Cannon School scored a 22-21 victory over perennial S.C. power Oceanside Collegiate, after the Landsharks missed a potential game-winning field goal in the final minute. The Cougars had taken a 22-21 lead in the fourth quarter on a touchdown run by Tyzhir Dyer and a decisive conversion pass from Lucas Lopez to Rudolph Davis
IN OTHER GAMES …
These contests had drama of their own.
Mecklenburg games
Ardrey Kell 20, Porter Ridge 7: The Knights rallied from a 7-0 deficit and some early problems, scoring a big victory. They failed two score on two first-quarter drives deep into Porter Ridge territory, and the host Pirates took a 7-0 lead on a 75-yard pass from Corbin Donahoo to Keenan Sullivan. But Ardrey Kell rallied, behind three touchdown passes by Noah Dailey. He connected twice with Khy’Lieb Rodriguez and once with Sidnee Westbrook.
Butler 42, Statesville 14: Donald Littlejohn is 2-0 as a head coach, as his Bulldogs went on the road and scored a big victory. The Bulldogs led 14-7 at the half but added two touchdown passes in the third quarter and scoring runs by Christian Liles and Jamir Waring in the final period.
Chambers 48, Hopewell 8: Jamouri Nichols ran for a touchdown and threw for three more, as the Cougars cruised. The game was scoreless after the first quarter, but Nichols scored on a 1-yard run. Then Matt Taylor scored for Chambers from 2 yards out, and Nichols completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Kam Guy shortly before halftime.
Charlotte Christian 49, Buford (SC) 6: M.J. Barrow ran 2 yards for a touchdown in the opening minutes, and the Knights cruised to victory.
Christ the King 47, Raleigh Grace Christian 0: There was no drama here, as the Crusaders scored early and often in this road game. Caden Fritz ran for four touchdowns, and Carter Stevens returned the game’s opening kickoff 80 yards for a score.
Community School of Davidson 35, South Mecklenburg 14: D’Marion Haney ran for a touchdown and threw for another, and Brayden Gates-Boyd scored on a 62-yard fumble return, as the Spartans ruined the debut of South Meck’s new stadium. Aidan Bedford ran for two Sabre touchdowns.
Cox Mill 41, Rocky River 12: Beaten 77-13 a week ago by Marvin Ridge, Cox Ridge came back this week in a big way. The Chargers built a 14-0 lead in the first three minutes, on a Jordan Peagus touchdown run and a Carson Misenheimer touchdown catch. From there, the rout was on.
East Mecklenburg 20, West Mecklenburg 8: The Eagles took a 13-8 lead in the fourth quarter on Zahir Wilson’s 15-yard touchdown run, then stopped the Hawks deep in East Meck territory late in the game. The Eagles added a clinching score with one minute left on a 2-yard run by Tyler Willis.
Harding 47, Garinger 21: Harding raced to a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter, on two Jamarcus Hairston touchdown runs, and the Rams pulled away.
Hickory Grove Christian 51, Cabarrus Stallions 14: Freshman Tyler Love completed 7-of-8 passes, including a touchdown, and Nathan Dowdy ran for three Lions’ touchdowns. Noah Belote also returned a punt for a Hickory Grove touchdown, and the Lions’ defense had nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
Palisades 32, Olympic 0: The west-side rivalry was a one-sided affair Friday night. Palisades quarterback Cole Hough threw three touchdown passes, and Izayah Davis ran for a pair of scores.
Providence Day 34, Rolesville 0: The area’s No. 1-ranked team posted another dominant victory, as it heads toward next Friday’s big game against Hough. Cole Cater threw four touchdown passes, two of them in the first half to Braylon Clark.
SouthLake Christian 29, Raleigh Ravenscroft 22: SouthLake Christian led 15-13 at the half but built a 29-13 behind two touchdown runs from Jackson Tolbert. The Eagles clinched the victory with a ball-control drive in the final minutes.
South Point 42, Charlotte Latin 20: Kaveaun Pless ran for three touchdowns and Cayden Rumph ran for two more, as the visiting Raiders rolled. Pless scored on runs of 24, 43 and 8 yards. Troy Logan threw two touchdown passes for the Hawks.
Weddington 35, Myers Park 14: The Warriors built a 21-0 lead and coasted. The early surge included a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown by Tristan Litsky. Anthony Barrino and Brayden Devereaux also scored on touchdown runs, and Kamden Lindgren returned a short punt for 30 yards for a score. That enabled Weddington to build a 28-7 halftime margin.
West Charlotte 22, Monroe 20: The Lions battled back from a 14-0 deficit on an Emory McClain Jr. touchdown run and two DeVarius Hill touchdown passes. The victory was the first for D.J. McFadden as West Charlotte’s head coach.
Area games
A.L. Brown 44, Concord 6: The Wonders continued their recent domination of the Battle of the Bell, racing to a 37-0 halftime lead. Lemar Grier ran for three touchdowns, and A.J. Settles added a touchdown run.
Chase 44, Albemarle 19: Chase dashed to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and cruised.
Cherryville 57, C.D. Owen 28: Cherryville led only 28-26 at halftime, but the Ironmen broke it open in the third quarter with three touchdowns.
Jay M. Robinson 37, West Cabarrus 0: Aury Greenfield threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, and the Bulldogs also ot touchdowns from Tony Johnson, Marece Miller and Ennis Stiles. Ryse Szabo added a field goal.
Kings Mountain 32, Burns 7: This Cleveland County rivalry game wasn’t as close as the Shelby-Crest contest. Kings Mountain built a 12-0 lead, but Burns got within 12-7 in the second quarter on a Romeo Wells touchdown run. The Mountaineers then pulled away, scoring on three Jaydon Jenkins touchdown passes. The first two came late in the second quarter and the other was in the final period.
Lake Norman 35, Mount Tabor 7: Kaden Craft passed for three touchdowns, including a 60-yard toss in the third quarter, as Lake Norman scored a big home victory.
Parkwood 52, Cuthbertson 17: The Wolf Pack raced to a 26-0 lead early in the second quarter and rolled.
East Rowan 28, Pine Lake Prep 7: The visiting Pride lost two fumbles and threw a pair of interceptions.
High Point Christian 22, Metrolina Christian 0: The visiting Warriors were held to less than 150 yards’ total offense.
Mountain Island Charter 44, College Prep and Leadership 8: Javon Boyd completed 7-of-10 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns, and Andrea Ramseur had a pair of touchdown receptions.
North Stanly 41, West Stanly 0: J.J. Crute ran for touchdowns of 7 and 46 yards and returned an interception 71 yards for another score. R.J. Brooks had touchdown runs of 78 and 65 yards.
Northwest Cabarrus 27, Central Cabarrus 24 (OT): The Vikings tied the game at 21-all on Jaden Tolliver’s touchdown run and went ahead on an overtime field goal. But Northwest Cabarrus won this rivalry contest when Hudson Irwin completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Nate Jones.
South Rowan 64, Langtree Charter 12: The visiting Lions trailed only 16-12 in the second quarter, as Kole Kinney threw for a touchdown and ran for another, but South Rowan went on a 48-0 run.
Stuart Cramer 63, North Gaston 0
Sun Valley 28, Mooresville 23: What a difference a week makes! Last weekend, Sun Valley was drubbed 47-0 by Lake Norman. This week, the Spartans knocked off a lake-area power, thanks to a game-winning touchdown pass from Grayson Hensley to Amari Baker.
West Iredell 55, North Iredell 0: Jabraylan Patterson threw three touchdown passes, and West Iredell also added touchdowns on punt returns by Phillip Maxey and Treylan Davidson.
West Lincoln 41, Lincoln Charter 6: Cole Carpenter ran for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, and West Lincoln routed their in-county opponent. West Lincoln led 35-0 at halftime, scoring all their touchdowns on short runs.
