Class 4A Upper State Final Preview
The team that has been knocking at the door is getting ready to face the one that only recently discovered there was a door. In Friday’s Upper State final between A.C. Flora and Catawba Ridge, we’ll see a Falcons team…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe team that has been knocking at the door is getting ready to face the one that only recently discovered there was a door.
In Friday’s Upper State final between A.C. Flora and Catawba Ridge, we’ll see a Falcons team that won nine and 10 games, respectively, the last two seasons before bowing out in the second round of the state playoffs. And in Catawba Ridge, we’ve got the that that defies the logic of building a program.
The Copperheads are in their second season of varsity football and need only one more victory to reach the state finals. In a sport that frequently sees the same teams competing for state titles year after year, they are going against the grain.
Despite their differences, both teams have reason to believe this year won’t be over before a trek to the state championship.
SECOND-QUARTER MAGIC
If you want to know the inside story about Catawba Ridge’s season, look at the second quarter.
After losing the season opener against South Pointe, the Copperheads (7-1) rebounded by learning how to push forward after getting warmed up on Friday nights. In their ensuing seven games, Catawba Ridge is +46 in scoring in that quarter alone.
Behind super sophomore Brody Tesimale, the defense has given up just 17 points in the quarter all season – and 10 of those came in that loss to South Pointe. Four of the points came via safeties.
That’s pretty simple math: Catawba Ridge’s defense has given up one field goal and zero touchdowns in the second quarter since Week 2 began. That’s a flex.
DROPPING THE HAMMER
Falcons (7-0) coach Dustin Curtis joked that Prep Red Zone’s mention last week of his talented crop of running backs not losing a single fumble all season jinxed his squad for the second-round game against South Pointe in the Upper State semifinals. Sure enough, leading rushing Matthew Pack put the ball on the ground twice against the Stallions.
A lot of schools would love to be “jinxed” like Curtis has been this year.
Because what the Flora coach also saw happen was his team win 41-14 and Pack run for … *checks notes* … 269 yards and three touchdowns on only 16 carries. Also, his stable has put up more than 900 yards on the ground after two playoff games 2,265 yards in seven games – an average of 323.6 yards a night.
In addition to Pack (892 yards, nine touchdowns), Terrell Coleman (568, seven) and Markel Townsend (499, eight) are nice complements to that backfield.
PREP RED ZONE’S PICK
Catawba Ridge is an absolute feel-good story, as the Copperheads have continued to win and advance in their second year of varsity football. But all good stories must end at some point, and A.C. Flora is just the team to do it.