‘We know where we are’: Legion football falls in 2021 debut to No. 2 Gray Collegiate
Offer a true but rose-tinted postgame analysis of Legion Collegiate’s first game in its first season in its new era, and head coach Strait Herron will politely smile but not mince his words.
“It’s the little things,” the coach, who this decade has won five state championships and helped grow and sustain South Pointe High School as a Rock Hill and statewide football power, told The Herald on Thursday night. He said this fresh off of Legion’s 42-0 loss to Gray Collegiate in FUSE District Stadium in Gastonia, Legion’s home stadium in 2021.
“But it’s part of trying to grow a program,” he continued. “We got some guys who are still learning the game. And it’s our job as coaches to teach them.”
It’s true that Legion had a few early chances not pan out, yes — ones that could’ve changed the semantics of Legion’s debut since breaking away from the South Carolina High School League in May.
But it’s also true that Gray, the No. 2 team in South Carolina 2A football, came to play.
Especially its running back.
Kz Adams, a senior Georgia State commit who’s started since he was a freshman, put the first two touchdowns on the board (one rush from seven yards out, one from 41). Then — after a Gray Collegiate pick-six via Zach Glenn that stuffed Legion’s most promising drive and pushed the game to 24-0 and all but completely deflated the Legion home crowd — Adams tacked on another score: this time an 85-yard scamper on the first play of the second half to make it 30-0.
In all, Adams notched 13 carries for 231 yards and three touchdowns rushing. He was a challenge the Lancers simply couldn’t rise to on Thursday.
“Anytime you lose like that, it’s discouraging,” Herron said. “But we know where we are. It’s just trying to get guys in the right positions and put them in positions to make plays. They just gotta go make them.”
Outside of Adams, Gray saw solid performances from wide receiver Devin Johnson, who caught four passes for 52 yards and rushed for a touchdown, and quarterback Ta’trevias Robinson, who notched an efficient 10-for-15 passing for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Legion was led by its freshman quarterback Andrew Turner — who despite only turning in 27 rushing yards and 72 passing yards and two interceptions, was a bright spot on an overcast night for the Rock Hill public charter school. (Charles Green was Turner’s favorite target Thursday, adding four catches for 42 yards.)
The Lancers make their North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association debut against Charlotte Christian next Friday on the road. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:10 AM.
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