It was this resilience that rescued Indian Land football against neighbor Nation Ford

When senior Indian Land captain Drew Hardin had a pass hit his hands and fall incomplete late in the game against Nation Ford, it would have been easy for him to hang his head.

Instead, he used it as motivation.

Hardin snared a 28-yard touchdown toss between two Nation Ford defenders on a frantic final drive, giving the Warriors a 34-27 victory over the visiting Falcons at The Reservation.

“Drew’s a kid — Drew’s the player that you want every player to be. He’s a leader on and off the field, and he doesn’t come off the field — he doesn’t want to come off the field,” Indian Land coach Adam Hastings said. “He had a ball in his hands that he just didn’t come up with, and he came back in the huddle while we were trying to get everybody together. He got everybody up, then said, ‘Coach, I’m gonna make up for that play. Watch. I’m gonna make up for that play.’

“When I saw the ball was contested, I was like, ‘Oh, he has it.’”

Special start

Indian Land (1-0) capped its first possession with a punt, but Warrior special-teamer Jaden Peoples hopped on the loose ball to allow his team to secure possession at the Falcons 18. Blake Goode scored on a five-yard rollout run four plays later, giving the Warriors a 7-0 advantage. A trade of punts ensued as the first quarter ticked away.

The home side provided its first significant short-yardage stand early in the second period, turning away the visitors on consecutive attempts from the five. The momentum from the stop propelled Indian Land to a 13-play drive on the ensuing possession, but Nation Ford forced a punt to halt the charge. One play later, though, Foster Lambert climbed the ladder to snag a Falcon throw and haul it 30 yards to the end zone, putting Indian Land ahead 13-0.

Nation Ford (0-1) seized the momentum on its second possession of the third quarter, as Carson Black located a wide-open Quadier Hand for a 44-yard touchdown strike to bring the Falcons within a score at 13-6 with 4:30 remaining. The Falcons then forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and took over at the Indian Land 15. Black needed just one play to hook up with Kenan Bowman and draw the game level at 13 with 4:12 to go in the period.

The Warriors then fumbled another kickoff, setting up Nation Ford on the one. Three plays later, Black and Hand again connected from four yards away, giving the Falcons their first lead of the contest. The Warriors immediately answered, finishing an eight-play drive on a 23-yard Jaden Singletary touchdown scamper that again leveled the game, this time at 20-20, two minutes into the final quarter.

“We tried to put them in so many adverse situations in the offseason,” Hastings said. “We’re just really happy and proud of these guys to get in those situations, and to have a trio of mistakes happen all in the middle of the third quarter, and they all regathered. The three guys that made mistakes that are not characteristic of them really came back later on in the game and made really big plays for us. That piece of it we’re just really proud of.”

Fantastic finish

Nation Ford had another answer, going 52 yards on 11 plays on the ensuing drive. Black again hit Bowman — this time from 19 yards — to put the Falcons back in front, 27-20, with 6:17 remaining. Singletary allowed no time for celebration, however, unleashing a 59-yard jaunt on the kickoff return to place Indian Land at the Nation Ford 31. The Warriors then cashed in a Sean McCray 10-yard run on a jet sweep five plays later, again tying the game, this time at 27.

Nation Ford drove late in the game with a chance to secure the winning touchdown, but the sixth play of that series resulted in a fumbled snap that Jareece Brennden recovered at the Nation Ford 43. The Warriors then took three plays to cement the eventual game-winning score.

Black completed 19-of-33 throws for just over 200 yards for the Falcons, with Nation Ford running back Eli Whitner tallying 20 totes for 90 yards. Bowman and Hand grabbed two apiece of Black’s scores through the air.

Singletary and Kendrick Armstrong tallied 30 combined carries for just over 175 yards for the Warriors. Goode completed 14-of-22 passes for 135 yards.

Nation Ford hosts Catawba Ridge next week. Indian Land travels to Northwestern.

This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 11:58 PM.