Northwestern withstands Dorman comeback and punches ticket to Upper State championship

In a battle of two elite Upper State teams, it almost couldn’t have ended any other way.

Northwestern ball. Third-and-one at the Dorman 35. The clock had seemingly taken hours to drain to just under two minutes remaining.

Trojan junior quarterback Will Mattison strolled under center and did what he had done 12 times in his team’s prior two games: compel the defense to jump offsides.

This flag felt a little more significant, though. It allowed his team to gain a first down and kneel out a 27-21, second-round playoff victory over the visiting Cavaliers, a hard-fought slog of a contest that everyone expected.

“We put that in a few weeks ago,” said Northwestern coach Page Wofford of the play call that afforded his team the chance to put the tilt on ice. “I don’t know why they jumped, but (it was) good for us that they did.”

For his part, Mattison smiled a bit when asked about the play. “It’s just something we’ve worked on quite a lot,” Mattison commented.

It appeared for a while that the contest may not require that final play.

Northwestern (7-0) set the tone early, going 65 yards on 14 plays in 3:33 on the game’s opening drive. Kyle Aldridge capped the series and gave the Trojans a 7-0 advantage with a one-yard run. Kanoah Vinesett made it two scores on two possessions, drilling a 32-yard field goal to put his side ahead, 10-0.

Dorman (5-2) then drove 80 yards in eight plays over 2:20 to draw the game within 10-7. Cavalier running back and Virginia Tech commit Chance Black marched the final nine yards to pay dirt to finish the charge. The narrowed margin was short-lived, however, as the Trojans took the next two drives to the house. Another one-yard Aldridge plunge made it 17-7, and a 19-yard Christian Watkins grab pushed the score to 24-7.

The visiting Cavaliers made a much-needed strike to counter a 41-yard Vinesett field goal as the half neared its end. Zay Foster found Black from eight yards away, drawing Dorman within 13 at the interval.

Both defenses then wrested control in the third quarter, forcing three combined punts on just four total offensive drives. The lone drive not ending on a boot came midway through the period. Dorman traversed 90 yards on a nine-play series, cashing in a 28-yard pop pass from Foster on a reverse to draw the game within a single score.

The teams traded possessions throughout the final stanza, forcing punts on three successive short drives. Dorman’s final chance came after the Cavaliers took possession near midfield with 2:55 remaining. Northwestern broke up a fourth-down pass attempt, however, and turned away the Cavaliers.

Wofford expressed pride in his defense’s play, particularly in its containment of Dorman running back and Virginia Tech commit Chance Black. “That running back, that guy’s special. We knew we had our hands full with that.

“They held Dorman to 21 points. What else do you need?”

Black rushed 28 times for 148 yards but was held much more in check in the second half. Foster connected on 13-of-19 throws for 127 yards.

Mattison turned in another huge game for the Trojans. The junior tallied 22 completions on 33 attempts for 234 yards. Aldridge rushed 22 times for 88 yards, adding the two short scores.

Northwestern will host the Region 1-5A champion T.L. Hanna Yellow Jackets (8-0) next Friday for the Upper State crown. Hanna won at Gaffney Friday night in the other Upper State semifinal. Mattison was ready for either opponent but knows what needs to be done to earn a trip to Columbia.

“We know what we’re capable of. If we practice how we’re supposed to, and do what we’re supposed to, we don’t care who we play,” Mattison said. “Nothing’s given to us, nothing has been given to us, and we’re gonna go out there and we’re just gonna play with a chip on our shoulder.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 11:34 PM.