Cougars host Nation Ford in playoff opener

The York Comprehensive High School stadium, the largest on-campus football facility in the tri-county area, will be rocking Friday when the Cougars host Nation Ford in a first-round Division 11 4A playoff game.

Friday’s game begins at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars, a program that reached the state finals last season, won 42-28 on the road against a Falcon team that was unbeaten in Region 3-AAAA at the time.

“We were able to run the football effectively over there and they dropped a bunch of footballs,” said YCHS head football coach Bobby Carroll.

But winning once doesn’t guarantee a victory.

“We played a lot of man coverage,” said Carroll. “We’re gonna have to do a lot of the same kind of stuff Friday and put a lot of pressure on that quarterback. We’ve got our work cut out for us. Beating the same guy twice is extremely hard.”

Carroll said Nation Ford has made some noise in recent years in arguably the toughest high school football region in the Palmetto state.

Coach Michael Allen “has turned that crowd around over there and built a good program,” said Carroll. “They’re extremely strong. We’re gonna have to play our best game.”

The high school 4A playoffs were delayed a week due to flooding in many areas of the state.

“That week off probably helps a little bit,” Carroll said. “We’ve got to be smart practicing this week. A twisted knee, a twisted ankle, a banged up shoulder can get you way behind when you’re really lacking a lot of depth.”

Carroll is happy the Cougars are hosting a playoff game.

“The 4A points system and the opponents we played helped us,” he said. “When there’s a three-way tie for second place, the team that has the highest playoff points gets the highest seed, and we won the second seed in our region.

“We ended up seeded sixth in the playoff brackets. Blackwood beat Spring Valley, so that moved us from fifth to sixth.”

Several Cougar seniors talked about their expectations.

“Another home game is special for the seniors,” said middle linebacker Jacorrius Logan. “We’ve got to win. When we beat them, I thought we were the best team that night. It might not be that way every game. We’ve got to be ready.”

Wide receiver Antonio Hardy said the Cougars need to continue the physical play that led to the win over Nation Ford in the regular season game.

“After making the playoffs, we want to get back to state,” said Hardy. “The key Friday is to keep making plays, protect the ball and never give up.”

Running back Brandon Garvin said hosting the opening playoff game and not having to travel is a big deal.

“The seniors get to play one more game at home,” he said. “We’ll try to run the ball the way we did the last time. We feel real good about the playoff opener.”

Defensive tackle Joe Gill said the week off had advantages.

“The open week gives you a chance to rest your legs,” said Gill, a defensive impact player. “We’ve got a long way to go, but all 4A playoff teams are 0-0 at this point.

“Nation Ford has a lot of key players,” Gill said. “We’ve just got to stop them in the line.”

Junior quarterback Wally Wilmore believes the Cougars are ready to meet the challenge.

“We were the more physical team the first time we played them,” he said. “Nation Ford is a good team. Our defense looks pretty good to stop them and our offensive line is the best in the area. The key Friday night is to stop the pass.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Cougars host Nation Ford in playoff opener."