After ejection last Thursday, can South Pointe’s Derion Kendrick play against Westwood?

South Pointe’s Derion Kendrick was ejected from last Thursday’s win over Ridge View, but the standout senior can play this Friday.

The South Carolina High School League made that ruling Monday even without an official appeal from South Pointe’s athletic department. Stallions athletic director Lance Roberts sent film of the incidents that led to Kendrick’s ejection to the SCHSL and it was determined that Kendrick could play in Friday’s game versus Westwood.

South Pointe-Ridge View encounters have been feisty the last two years and last Thursday was no exception. At one point, Kendrick’s helmet was ripped off by a Blazers tackler, which prompted heated verbal exchanges and led to Kendrick’s ejection.

Roberts admitted that he may be looking at the situation with a South Pointe bias and that he could not hear what Kendrick said during the ensuing scuffle.

But, he said, “I really think he kind of handled himself well down there. He’s a 17-year old kid and they were trying to rip his helmet off. It looked pretty blatant.”

Even still, Roberts acknowledged that Kendrick and South Pointe, which moved up to No. 5 in USA Today’s high school football national rankings, dodged a bullet. The first-year AD and coach Strait Herron “had a good talk” on Monday with Kendrick, who is committed to play football at Clemson and will graduate high school in January. Herron said after Thursday’s game, a 56-14 blowout win for the Stallions, “this was actually good for us.”

Sophomore QB Tahleek Steele played in the second half, during which the visiting Stallions poured 32 unanswered points on the Blazers to move to 6-0. Steele was 3-for-6 passing for 64 yards and two touchdowns, while South Pointe’s defense played one of its stingiest halves of the season.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "After ejection last Thursday, can South Pointe’s Derion Kendrick play against Westwood?."