Indian Land opens new stadium with a hard-fought victory over Broome
The night couldn’t have been bigger for Indian Land, unless it was a playoff game.
The Warriors had closed out The Reservation with a big win over Nation Ford three weeks prior, and the team was set to christen brand-new Warrior Stadium with a non-region contest against Broome that had just been scheduled five days prior after a two-week COVID quarantine break.
A roaring crowd. All the pageantry. The ability to close one stadium and open another — both with victories — in less than a month.
Mission accomplished — though not without some tense moments.
Indian Land responded after finding itself down 10 points to a feisty Centurion club late in the third quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points and putting away Broome, 51-33.
“I was really proud of how our guys responded,” Indian Land coach Adam Hastings said. “I don’t like being used to getting down and coming back up, but what I think we’ve gotten used to is responding. That’s the thing I’m proud of is how they respond to adversity. They look for opportunities to make plays and they do it.”
Hunter Moran tallied the first points in Warrior Stadium history, as the Indian Land kicker made a 20-yard field goal with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter. Broome (1-2) answered on its next drive, taking just over two minutes on a drive capped by a 16-yard scoring strike from Dylan Ramirez to Jamir Dewberry to give Broome a 6-3 advantage.
Indian Land (2-0) answered almost as rapidly, with Warrior quarterback Jaxon Scheidt hitting a sprinting Jeremiah Strickland for a 46-yard score that put the home side ahead, 10-6, as the first quarter expired.
Dewberry then cashed in the next Centurion drive, going 15 yards to pay dirt to return the lead to Broome at 13-10. Sean McCray then went 22 yards to score on the ensuing Indian Land drive, giving the Warriors a 17-13 margin they would take into halftime.
Broome then sliced its way down the field on its first drive, with Ramirez finding Braxtin Turner for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Centurions back ahead, 19-17. Ramirez then found the end zone again on the next drive, hitting Carlos Cohen for a 36-yard strike to extend his club’s lead to nine. A Myles Stinson 4-yard burst drew the Warriors within a field goal at 26-23 with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Cohen then found a seam on the kickoff seconds later, breaking free for a 90-yard touchdown gallop that put the Centurions ahead, 33-23, and reduced the boisterous Indian Land crowd to a stunned murmur.
The tension continued to linger in the air until Indian Land’s playmaking senior, Drew Hardin, rose above a Broome defender to snatch away an 11-yard touchdown and cut the visitors’ advantage to four.
“I think Drew has the heartbeat of our team. I think our guys kind of lean on him to make big plays,” Hastings said. “I think our guys expect for him to make big plays. I think when he makes a big play, our guys are energized, because they know we’re gonna get going.”
The game seemingly spun on a dime from there. The Hardin score unleashed a burst of 28 unanswered Warrior points, with Scheidt rushing for short touchdowns on back-to-back drives to swell his club’s lead to 10. Following a penalty that pushed Broome inside its 5, Malikai Jefferson pressured Ramirez and notched a safety to push the lead to 45-33. Jaden Singletary then plunged in from a yard away to provide the final margin.
Hastings offered one final thought about the new Indian Land environs.
“This is a special place. I think we finally got the OK for everything about 4 today,” Hastings said. “When they came down at 6:05 and walked in that locker room, that was the first time they saw the locker room. I think that (gave us) a lot of excitement. I’m excited to be here.
“We love The Reservation. The history of The Reservation is amazing. I think that for us to build on what we wanna build on, this could be a great pinnacle of that foundation.”
Scheidt shined in relief of starting quarterback Blake Goode, who was unable to play for the Warriors. Scheidt connected on 18-of-26 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, adding 107 yards on 15 carries and two more scores. Strickland hauled in four throws for 102 yards, with Hardin adding 91 on four snags. Hardin also intercepted a late Broome throw.
“I think Jaxon’s a really tough and heady kid. We’ve got a lot of faith in him,” Hastings said of his quarterback. “Losing Blake was tough, but we had a lot of faith and excitement that Jaxon was gonna step in and do a good job, and he did.”
The Warriors return to action next Friday, traveling to East Clarendon for a non-region contest. That game is slated to kick at 7:30.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 11:39 PM.