Northwood’s Captures Region Title With 35-7 Win Over LMA
Northwoods Academy football head coach Johnny Waters picks up 100th career win.
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Summerville – Friday night at Northwoods Academy it was senior night for the Chargers as they hosted the Laurence Manning Academy Swampcats in a region championship matchup that saw the Chargers win handedly 35-7, clinching the SCISA Region II AAAA and giving head coach Johnny Waters his 100th career win.
After the game coach Waters put the 100th win in prospective, “The 100th victory is for everybody that has been part, “players, coaches, fans”, of and supported the program but the region championship is more important to the team. It puts us in a position we need to be in to make a run at a state championship.”
The Chargers finished the season with an 8-2 overall record but they went 5-0 in the region while the Swampcats finished 6-3 overall and tied for second in the region with Pinewood Prep at 3-2. Pinewood holds the tie breaker as they beat LMA 35-28 in their earlier matchup.
NA started the fast as quarterback Kevin Johnson hit Drew Wolfe with a 52 yard catch and run moving the ball to the LMA 19 yard line. After three runs by Michael Polite moved the ball to the 9- yard line where Johnson hit Aiden Rutledge for the first touchdown of the game. The PAT by Elliot Parrott made it 7-0 NA.
The Swampcats responded n their first possession behind the arm of quarterback Grainger Powell as he completed 5-6 for 81 yards with Asher Sanders hauling in two of the passes for 27 yards. However, would not cash in on the drive as on third down from the one Scoop Dennis tried to jump over the pile into the end zone. He was met by a host Chargers and fumbled the ball which was recovered by Tristen Simmons at the two.
“Not being able to cash in the opportunity to score was huge. Against a good football team, you have to take advantage when you can. We played our worst game of the year but they had a lot to do with it.”
The Swampcats would fumble again on their next possession. On third down the center snap to the quarterback was high and Powell was not able to haul it in before NA’s Memphis Varner fell on the ball at the LMA 14.
Two plays after the turnover Johnson hit Scott Geisel, who made a great diving catch, for a 20-yard touchdown pass. Parrott made the pat and the Chargers led 14-0.
The second quarter saw the Chargers offense turn the ball over three times but the Swampcats were unable to take advantage of any of them: First - Blandyn Miller recovered a NA fumble at the LMA 31, second- Dennis made a leaping interception inside the red zone stopping a Charger drive, third – Pierson Gamble intercepted Johnson again at the LMA 48.
The Charger defense stepped up each time and kept the Swampcats offense off the scoreboard.
“Our defense has made plays all year. They have come so far since the beginning of the season. We are depending a lot more on them and they come through. They are playing their best ball of the season,” said Waters.
The second saw the Chargers score three more times before the Swampcats avoided the shut by scoring in the fourth quarter.
Johnson would connect with Rutledge again this time from 18-yards out, Artuan Faison ran over the LMA defense on a 31-yard scoring jaunt and Johnson and Giesel connected again from the 11 to stake the Chargers to a 35-0 lead.
The Swampcats would finally get on the scoreboard after Gamble rumbled 68 yards on second down to give LMA a first and goal at the NA 10- yard line. On second down Powell hit Connor Carter with a 10-yard strike.
Next for both teams will be the SCISA AAAA playoffs with possibility of these teams meeting again.
