Catawba Ridge boys ‘find a way’ to Upper States; 2 other Fort Mill teams still alive
After the team’s emotional, down-to-the-wire, penalty-shootout win on Tuesday, the Catawba Ridge boys’ soccer team jumped and yelled on the field for a while after time expired — the players part joyful and part relieved that their state championship hopes were still intact.
On Friday, though, once the game was called over and it was official the Copperheads had won, there wasn’t the same celebration.
“We all went into the locker room, and were like, ‘Ah gosh, we’re all really tired and all really sore,’” senior Dalton Bailey told reporters postgame with a fatigued laugh. “But still, at the end of the day, we still won and are still happy about the win.”
Catawba Ridge, a team widely considered a 4A state championship contender, proved tough time and time again when it needed to this week, and that was particularly true in its 3-2 win over AC Flora in the second round of the 4A state playoffs on Friday night in Fort Mill. The Copperheads (22-0-2) overcame an own goal by virtue of the spark of a steely sophomore and the quiet but confident will of a group of seniors.
And now — for the first time in the school’s two-year history (which didn’t see a full 2019-20 spring season) — they’re headed to the Upper State finals.
“I told players that this was going to be one of the hardest games,” Catawba Ridge head coach Phillip McCarter told reporters postgame, Drake’s triumphant record “Headlines” playing in the background. “Unfortunately we met them in the second round instead of the final. I knew it was going to be a battle and it was. They fought hard.
“Hats off to AC Flora. They played a great game. The game could’ve gone either way. But we did what we’ve done all season: Find a way to win.”
The Copperheads never trailed: The scoring got started with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half (31’) when a hard AC Flora tackle in the box resulted in a Catawba Ridge penalty kick. Bailey drilled it in the lower right corner past the goalkeeper. 1-0.
The Falcons benefited from that aforementioned Catawba Ridge own goal early in the second half (46’), but the Copperheads responded resolutely — with two goals — like they had all season.
The first score came after a pretty, highflying ball found the feet of Catawba Ridge senior Caleb Brooks, who then dribbled left then crossed over to his right and nailed a shot from the top of the penalty box past the AC Flora keeper. 2-1. 27 minutes remaining.
The next goal came with 19 minutes remaining. Copperhead sophomore Evan Serkin found himself with a one-on-one with the keeper and glided it past him with his left leg to extend the lead to 3-1.
The Falcons continued to fight. They took more chances, constantly forcing the issue and sending their taller defensive backs into the box on corner and free kicks. And a goal came out of it: With just under six minutes remaining and after a scrum in the box, AC Flora forward Jackson Price was alone with the keeper and found the back of the net. 3-2.
But then a strong Catawba Ridge defense kept clearing the ball away — each clear was met with a louder and louder ovation (with cowbells ringing) on the Catawba Ridge home-side stands — until the game was called over.
Friday marked the last time the Catawba Ridge seniors will play at home. The win sends the Catawba Ridge team into the Upper State finals against Eastside, which will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Copperheads will have a proverbial target on their backs once more. They’ll likely be tested and get tired and sore again. But in some ways, they’re comfortable with that, McCarter said.
“We talk about that every game,” McCarter said of that growing target. “However, our boys kind of flip it. They say that they want to come out and prove it every game. They look at it like they’re the underdog in every game they play. And that they’ve got something to prove. And I think that’s a pretty cool way to look at it.”
Other local high school soccer results
How have other teams from York, Chester and Lancaster counties fared thus far in the 2021 soccer playoffs? Here’s a quick rundown.
Nation Ford girls move on
The Nation Ford Falcons picked up two wins and are headed to the Upper State 5A finals.
After battling to a 1-1 tie in regulation, they edged Riverside on penalty kicks in the opening round and followed with a 4-0 victory over Blythewood in the second round.
The Falcons will take their 15-5 record and travel to Greenville to take on J. L. Mann in the Upper State finals on Monday at 7 p.m.
Catawba Ridge girls advance
The Catawba Ridge Copperheads picked up a pair of victories to earn a trip to the Upper State 4A finals.
They toppled Greenville 4-0 in the opening round and followed with a 3-0 victory over A. C. Flora in the second round. The two wins improved their overall to 14-1 on the year.
The Copperheads will travel to Eastside on Monday in the Upper State title match, which is set fror 6:30 p.m.
Legion Collegiate boys win
The Lancers (14-4) defeated Saluda, 4-0, on Friday night after a 2-1 win over Newberry on Tuesday. They’ll play Andrew Jackson on Monday for a shot at an Upper State title.
Legion played Andrew Jackson twice in the regular season — and beat them both times 2-0.
Andrew Jackson boys advance
The Andrew Jackson Volunteers started their postseason by beating Woodland 4-2. They used a 3-1 victory over Phillip Simmons Friday night to advance to the next round.
They will carry an overall record of 16-4 with them on Monday when they play Legion Collegiate for the Upper State championship.
Five other girls’ teams made the postseason
In 5A the Clover Eagles picked up a 2-1 first round win over Wade Hampton of Greenville, but saw their season end in the second round with a 3-0 loss to J. L. Mann.
In 4A the Indian Land Warriors saw their season come to a close with a first round 2-1 defeat at the hands of Eastside.
In 3A the Chester Cyclones were eliminated with an 11-0 loss at Daniel in the opening round of play.
In 2A the Legion Collegiate Lacers started the postseason with an 8-0 rout of Barnwell, but their season ended in the second round when they lost to Southside Christian by a count of 3-1.
The Andrew Jackson Volunteers saw their season come to an end with a 1-0 loss to Wade Hampton of Hampton in the first round.
Six other boys teams saw postseason play
In 5A the Clover Blue Eagles, the Rock Hill Bearcats and the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets lost in the first round. Riverside beat Clover 6-1, J. L. Mann defeated Rock Hill 4-0, while Dorman toppled Fort Mill 3-0.
In 4A the Indian Land Warriors were eliminated in the opening round. They were edged 2-1 by Eastside.
In 3A the Chester Cyclones closed their season on the road with an 11-0 first round loss to Daniel.
In 1A the Lewisville Lions ended their season with a 6-0 first round loss to Dixie.
Sam Copeland contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 7, 2021 at 9:54 PM.
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