Homecoming and flipping the script: How Northwestern came up with a big region win

By Michael Burgess

Updated October 7, 2023 7:46 AM

Rock Hill, SC

For Northwestern students, it was homecoming.

For Northwestern fans and alumni, it was a celebration of the 1993 and 2013 state-champion football teams.

For Northwestern head coach Page Wofford, it was just another Friday night football game against another tough opponent for which he and his team had prepared.

Wofford said he’s always nervous ahead of football games., even when the team is on a long win streak and making a push towards its fourth-straight region title.

So much can happen in the 48-minute contests that are high school football games; three hours after the opening kickoff, there will be a winner and a loser.

However, Wofford didn’t have to worry long, as Northwestern jumped to a 35-0 lead within the first 20 minutes of a 45-14 win over Indian Land.

“That’s a win,” Wofford said. “We’ll take a win all day long, especially in our region. Good teams, great coaching and great players. We’ll take that all day long and twice on Sundays.”

Northwestern started the game on fire offensively, scoring touchdowns on each of their first five possessions.

A lot of thanks goes to the defense, who forced three punts and two turnovers in Indian Land’s first five offensive possessions.

Even the punt team had a positive impact, forcing Indian Land into some hurried punts with relentless pressure.

This resulted in the Northwestern offense having its drives start less than 40 yards from the end zone on average.

Wofford said he was proud of the team, and hopes the defense continues to come into form.

“They were playing very well,” Wofford said. “They got some talent over there in Indian Land. They’ve got some good players, some good young players, and they put them in a good position. It’s a testament to Coach (Mario) Donato and our defensive staff, and the things they’ve been able to put together to stop those guys.

“If you just look at the numbers as far as the rushing and passing yards, but then you look at the score, that’s indicative of a defense that’s been setting us up all night.”

The defense was led by senior linebacker Will Massey with 7.5 total tackles and two tackles for loss, while Tamario Watkins and Jayden Woods each came down with an interception.

Junior defensive lineman Andre Pickett picked up two tackles and recovered a fumble.

Indian Land searching for a region win

Indian Land didn’t give up despite falling behind big.

After falling behind 35-0, the Warriors outscored the Trojans 14-10 and outgained them 193-186.

Head coach Adam Hastings said he is proud his team didn’t quit but knows they left too many chances on the board early.

“We got ourselves, in all three phases, into positions that against really good football teams, you’re just not going to have the opportunity to be successful, so that was a big disappointment early on,” Hastings said. “Just being in positions and kind of blinking a little bit. You can’t do that against a good football team. After we had that first quarter, I thought our guys did a really good job of gathering themselves and being ready to go and competing in those last three quarters.”

Both of Indian Land’s touchdowns came on the ground. The first was a 19-yard run by sophomore running back Jamol Horton with 2:34 left in the first half. The second was a 35-yard option keeper by quarterback Jaxon Scheidt.

One brights spot for the Warriors was the play of the offensive line. The line overcome injuries to two starters and keep Scheidt upright for most of the game, allowing only one sack against a vaunted Northwestern defensive line.

“A lot to build off of for those guys,” Hastings said. “Those guys got challenged. Northwestern has a really good, skilled defensive line. The defensive tackles are as good as anybody around, and I thought our guys responded really well to the challenge.”

Hayden Morris had a stellar game for Indian Land, making eight receptions for 84 yards.

Northwestern leans on rushing attack

Northwestern’s offense leaned slightly into the pass coming into the game, with the Trojans averaging over 280 yards through the air and 225 yards on the ground.

However, Northwestern flipped the script against Indian Land, rushing for 256 yards while only passing for 102.

Running back Turbo Richard had a huge game, picking up 138 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Despite the low passing yardage, quarterback Finley Polk completed passes when it counted, 12 of 16 to go along with three passing touchdowns.

“We were able to run the ball pretty well,” Wofford said. “That’s always nice to be able to do that. And Finley (Polk) was really on. Really hitting some receivers, and he’s usually playing well. The defense set us up, and we had great field position the whole night.”