Big Third Quarter Propels Northwoods To 41-14 Win Friday Night
Northwood Academy senior QB Kevin Johnson after the 2025 state title game.
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Charleston – As Northwood Academy and Atlantic Collegiate Academy headed to halftime tied at 14 it seemed that all the momentum was on the side of ACA as they had tied the game up when Semaj Wilson scored from the five yard line.
Well, halftime is the time to make adjustments and sometimes it is a time to get on your team because of their play in the first half. Northwood Academy head coach Johnny Waters and his staff did a little of both and the Chargers responded by scoring 20 third quarter points on their way to the 41-14 win. The win improved their record to 3-1 while ACA dropped to 2-2.
“I got on my team pretty hard at halftime. We were playing more individually than as a team. I told them we had to improve on our effort and execution because it was more about that part of the game, then it was X’s and O’s,” said coach Waters. “We also made a couple of adjustments that helped us on both sides of the ball.”
Whatever coach said to his team at the half, they got the message. The defense forced a three and out on ACA’s first possession and the offense went 72 yards in 11-plays to take the lead for good when NW quarterback Kevin Johnson hit Amiere Simmons for a 27-yard touchdown pass on a slant route.
Michael Polite would add a two-yard touchdown run before Brooks Arnold would essentially put the icing on the cake as he picked of ACA quarterback Broderick Evans and returned the pick to pay dirt. Calvin Brown added the two-point conversion to end the 20 point third quarter explosion. This all happened in the first 8:10 of the third and the Charger’s led was 34-14.
“Brooks was an impact player for us all night. The pick-six was huge. He gave us that extra energy needed to have the big second half,” Coach Waters said.
The game started out exactly as the Chargers wanted as they drove 55 yards in just three plays to take a 7-0 lead. Johnson connected with Drew Wolfe for a 38 yard touchdown pass. Wolfe broke the ACA defensive backs ankles on a move at the 20 and raced untouched into the end zone.
The Armada answered two series later when Evans hit Brennan Moore with a perfectly thrown seam route and Moore out ran the NW secondary to complete the 78-yard touchdown toss. The extra point tied the game at 7.
The Chargers would retake the lead in the second quarter. After Oscar Meeks forced and recovered a fumble at the Armada’s 22 yard line. Polite scored his first touchdown on the night from five yards out. The point after made it 14-7 Chargers.
The Armada would tie it on Wilson’s run before the half and then the third quarter Charger explosion happened.
The final score of the game came on the Chargers first possession of the fourth quarter when Johnson and Wolfe hooked up again this time from 72-yards out. The pass from Johnson was his best of the night as he throw just over the defenders out stretched arm into Wolfe’s awaiting hands.
The Chargers will head to Columbia next week to take on undefeated Ben Lippen (4-0) while ACA will host Loris (3-1).
