Northwestern defense shuts down a top SC offense in Byrnes to keep season alive
Tay McCroey insists it was instinct.
With the game late in the fourth quarter, Northwestern up big and the chances for a Byrnes comeback sinking fast, the senior Northwestern defensive back saw something he recognized. He saw a wheel route, he said — and so McCroey did what he’d been doing “his whole life.”
“I saw the wheel coming,” McCroey told reporters postgame, a smile peeking through an otherwise tough demeanor as he recalled the story. “(Then I) broke off, dove for it and caught it.”
The result?
A wild interception.
The first interception of a pretty great senior season for McCroey.
And an emphatic punctuation mark to the most impressive and all-around win put on by the 5A power from Rock Hill: The Trojans, buoyed by turnovers and other powerful defensive sequences, shut down one of the top offenses in the state en route to a 42-3 win over Byrnes in the second round of the 5A state playoffs.
“I didn’t think he had a shot at it,” Northwestern head coach Page Wofford told reporters postgame. (The normally stoic Wofford was more excited and animated on the sideline after McCroey’s interception than at any other point on Friday night.) “What a tremendous play and a tremendous athlete, man. I mean, he’s come a long way.”
He added: “That (being his first interception) surprised me because he’s such a good player. And it just tells me that teams aren’t really trying to throw his way.”
The Trojans’ offensive capabilities are well-known. And they were on display again Friday: The team notched 377 total yards on 53 total offensive plays, and the offense did so with a remarkably balanced attack (throwing 24 times and running 29 times).
But the Trojan defense — by allowing three points and only 196 yards on 51 offensive plays to a Byrnes team that had averaged 38.4 points a game coming into Friday — was what tipped the game’s scales.
And it’ll be what the team needs when it faces Gaffney at home next week for a chance to make it to a second-straight Upper State title game.
“Being able to do that really gave us a lot of confidence,” Wofford said of his team’s defense. “Calling plays on offense, we never felt pressured, we never felt like we had to score a 10-point touchdown. So it was a pretty good night.”
How Northwestern stunned Byrnes
Northwestern controlled this one from beginning to end — and the first meaningful play came because of the Trojan defense.
Midway through the first quarter, on Byrnes’ second possession, Michael McMullen forced a fumble on a Byrnes reception and teammate Zi’Anthony Whitlock scooped it up. That set the Trojans up on their side of the field for their second possession.
The result? One completed pass and four consecutive sophomore running back Turbo Richard runs — the last of which was a 2-yard touchdown. 7-0, Northwestern.
Then the next possession, early in the second quarter after another defensive stop, Northwestern quarterback Will Mattison faked a handoff to Richard and found a wide-open Drennon Faile for a 26-yard touchdown. 14-0, Northwestern.
Byrnes responded with a promising drive of its own, positioning itself with a first down two yards from the end zone. But the Northwestern defensive front prevailed and forced a field goal — a moment that would serve as an omen for the rest of the game’s run. 14-3.
The rest was all Northwestern:
▪ There was a Kanoah Vinesett kick right before the half from 35 yards.
▪ There was another Mattison touchdown toss, this time to senior speedy receiver Gerrell Watkins that was caught in the flat and then run for 76 yards. (That was followed up by a perfectly executed fake extra point-turned-2-point conversion pass to make it 25-3.)
▪ There was a Zachary Anderson run up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown, which was followed by a Mattison 26-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Caldwell and then a 27-yard field goal from Vinesett.
All the while? The Northwestern defense looked invulnerable.
“I mean, we just played great as a team,” Mattison said postgame. “Everywhere. All the running backs did their jobs. Receivers, defense, O-Line. Defense played a heck of a game. You just can’t ask for a better win.”
Mattison, between his North-South All Star selection and S.C. Mr. Football Finalist honor and more, is among the most accomplished quarterbacks in the state. But the praise belonged to the defense on Friday, he said.
“I mean, I threw a horrible pick. Our defense comes out, interception,” Mattison said. “So I mean, you can’t beat that. We have room for error. We try to be perfect, but knowing we have a defense and we have room for that, it helps us for sure.”
Northwestern stat leaders
Northwestern had contributors all over the field.
Mattison finished 17 for 23 with one interception and 252 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran four times for 24 yards. He spread the wealth to his weapons: Caldwell (six catches, 74 yards and a touchdown), Watkins (three catches, 101 yards and a touchdown) and Drennon Faile (one catch, 26 yards and a score) all made an impact.
He was aided by his starting running back, Richard, who is closing in on 1,000 yards this season: The sophomore Friday took 15 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.
“It feels great,” Richard said postgame. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work on the offseason and with my teammates. And I gotta thank my O-Line. They’ve been opening up big plays for me.”
As for the defense? McCroey and sophomore Jammar Perry earned interceptions, and defensive linemen Will Monroe, Isaac McLellan and Austin Wilkes all notched sacks.
A performance like this might make some teams feel invincible. But McCroey, the man who provided Friday’s proverbial punctuation mark, doesn’t see his team like that.
“We don’t underestimate anybody,” he said, right before heading back into the locker room to do some more celebrating with his teammates. “We just gotta keep focused and keep fighting.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2021 at 12:04 AM.
.jpeg)