South Pointe ignites 4th-quarter comeback and high-steps into next round of 4A playoffs
The goal line referees hadn’t even raised their hands to indicate that a touchdown was scored before South Pointe’s Phillip Mickles started high-stepping toward his teammates who were already celebrating.
Mickles, who’d been one of South Pointe’s deep threats on Friday night, somehow got himself open in the middle in the endzone — and sophomore quarterback Zay McCrorey bought enough time scrambling in the backfield to find him. They connected on the pass, and for a moment, everyone on the home-side of District Three South Stadium cheered and jumped and danced so much that the city of Rock Hill seemed to shake.
Touchdown, South Pointe. 34-31. The score came in the second overtime, and the Stallions had forced Greenwood to kick a field goal the possession before, so that was it: Game over. The Stallions, after two consecutive years with heartbreaking playoff losses in front of their home crowd, were moving on to the second round of the 4A state playoffs.
The win gave South Pointe head coach DeVonte Holloman the first playoff win of his coaching career.
“It means a lot,” O’Mega Blake told reporters after the game. “It hit us as a team in our heart when he said he’d been a head coach for three years and never got a playoff win. So that really hit us where it hurt. So we just had to come out here, do our thing, play four quarters of straight horse power, execute and get the job done.”
A minute after Mickles’ catch, the team ran to the other side of the field and gathered around Holloman, who was trying to say a final word to his team. But the Stallions were too excited to listen and another mosh pit ensued — this one with Holloman jumping and screaming through a smile in the middle of it.
“I don’t want to make it about me,” Holloman said postgame through a mask, who was back on the sideline after having to miss two weeks due to SCHSL rules. “Glad to be back for my boys and to be there for them. They’ve held strong without me, and have helped me up. And so again, I’m just proud of this team.”
South Pointe hangs on in wild game
Through three quarters on Friday night, it seemed bleak for South Pointe.
Despite Greenwood fumbling the ball 10 times — and the Stallions recovering two of those fumbles — South Pointe only had notched 13 points: two Collin Karhu kicks (43 yards, 29 yards); and a beautiful 16-yard connection between starting quarterback Nebanye Moore and wide receiver Caleb Rayner.
Greenwood, conversely, was running at will and eating clock while doing it: The team ended up only completing one pass all game — and that was an 82-yard connection between Jaylin Tolbert and wide Ahmari Coats. (In total, Greenwood ran the ball 63 times for 279 yards.)
That changed in the fourth quarter, though. With Greenwood leading 21-13, sophomore quarterback Zay McCrorey (who took all second half reps for South Pointe and played junior varsity in 2020-21 up until this point) found Blake for a 64-yard touchdown pass. The Stallions then went for two, calling on workhorse running back Nygel Moore to punch in the short-yard score to tie it at 21.
“Always be prepared,” McCrorey said postgame when asked what made him ready to embrace this moment, shedding his sophomore smile. “Coach Holloman did a great job of preparing me this week and throughout the season.”
Then came overtime.
South Pointe had the ball first, and McCrorey made a beautiful read on a run-pass-option, finding Blake again for another touchdown. 28-21.
Then after a Greenwood rushing touchdown, Greenwood started the second overtime with the ball and kicked the field goal to go up 31-28. And then came the aforementioned McCrorey roll out; the Mickles catch; and the Stallion celebration.
South Pointe ended up being led by quarterback McCrorey, who went 6-for-13 for 119 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; and quarterback Moore, who completed 7-of-16 passes for 69 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Blake added five catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns (and even completed a pass for 42 yards), and Mickles had two catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Nygel Moore led the Stallions on the ground with 14 attempts for 33 yards and a critical two-point conversion.
“We’re going to enjoy this win,” Holloman said, “and get back to work tomorrow.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2020 at 12:57 AM.
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