Catawba Ridge routs Irmo, 41-21, and heads to 4A Upper State championship game
The Catawba Ridge Copperheads used a strong second quarter to break the game open and to defeat the Irmo Yellow Jackets, 41-21, in the second round of the 4A playoffs Friday night in Irmo.
The Copperheads were spectacular on both sides of the ball all night. The offense scored on a couple of long drives, while the defense stopped Irmo’s strong running game and picked off three passes when it tried to throw. Both sides of the ball had numerous standouts contribute to the one-sided victory.
The Copperheads outscored Irmo 17-0 in the second stanza to take a 24-7 lead at halftime.
Catawba Ridge opened the scoring on its second possession of the night. The Copperheads drove 55 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead.
Quarterback Kayden Hager got the touchdown on a 20-yard run with 4:05 left in the period. Prior to the scoring run, he kept the drive alive with a 21-yard scramble on a third down and 20.
Irmo answered on its next possession. The Yellow Jackets drove 80 yards in six plays to tie the count at 7-7. Dedrick Starks scored the touchdown on a two-yard run.
The Copperheads answered in a hurry. They capped an 80-yard march with a 37-yard field goal by Ayden McCarter. That gave them a 10-7 advantage with 11:27 left in the second quarter.
Catawba Ridge added a pair of scores prior to intermission to take a 24-7 lead.
Catawba Ridge takes control in second half
Quarterback Jayden Davis hooked up with Quinten Jackson for the first score to make it 17-7 with 7:32 remaining until halftime. Irmo’s next possession was stopped by an interception by Jackson at the Catawba Ridge five-yard line.
The Copperheads’ stormed 95 yards in nine plays to cap the first half scoring. Hager keyed the drive with a 31-yard scamper and added a pair of pass completions along the way. He ended the impressive march with a 15-yard strike to Jackson for the touchdown. That made it 24-7 with 23 seconds left in the first half.
Catawba Ridge’s defense got in the scoring act early in the third period. Jacobie Henderson picked off an Irmo pass and returned it 23 yards for the score. With the extra point, it was 31-7 with 10:42 to play in the third quarter.
The Copperheads got another interception by Jackson at their five-yard line, and the offense responded with an 85-yard march for a score to make it 38-7. Davis found Ben Hudgins on a nine-yard pass play for the touchdown midway through the quarter.
Irmo took the ensuing kickoff and drove for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 38-14. Starks did the honors from five yards out with 1:36 left in the third quarter.
Catawba Ridge was not through lighting up the scoreboard. They drove to the Irmo 12-yard line on the next possession, and got a 29-yard field goal from Matthew Carlyon. That upped the count to 41-14 with 9:27 left in the contest.
The Yellow Jackets closed the scoring on a 50-yard run by Jayan Chambers after the issue had already been decided. That made it 41-21 with 2:59 to play.
The Copperheads improve to 7-1 on the year with their seventh straight victory. They will take on the AC Flora Falcons next Friday night for the Upper State championship.