Catawba Ridge is on the 4A football map. Copperheads aim to make another leap in 2022
To an outsider, one might look at the 2022 Catawba Ridge Copperheads and assign a keyword of “change.”
After all, the first robust class of senior talent has moved on from the still-young school — a class that included Division 1 cornerbacks Jacobie Henderson (Marshall) and Andre Hodge (Wake Forest), three stalwarts on the defensive line, and more. Quarterback and top college prospect in Class of 2024 Jadyn Davis also departed, transferring back to Providence Day in Charlotte.
For head coach Zac Lendyak and his squad, there’s another key word: consistency. Whether talking to his team after a recent practice or speaking with the media, the message remains the same.
“You can’t get too high. You can’t get too low. You’ve gotta play the next play. You’ve gotta come to practice the next day,” Lendyak told The Herald. “You can’t let one bad day turn into two or one good day make you complacent.
“Last year there was a lot of noise all the time,” Lendyak added. “The more we can just focus — and I tell the guys all the time — we’re not any of the other teams in the region, we’re not anybody else, we’re Catawba Ridge.”
That consistency starts with the cornerstones of the offensive and defensive units. Running back Tyler Jones — who nearly broke the 1,000-yard barrier last season — anchors the charge on offense. Middle linebacker Brody Tesimale helms the defense. Both senior stars echo their leader’s message.
“I feel like we’re all together as a unit,” Tesimale said of the 2022 Copperheads.
“This group of guys, we are knit tight,” Jones added. “A different guy talks each time. Everyone has their own role. It’s just all about the bond. All of our dudes are competitors.”
The three hope the sense of stability helps to guide a Copperhead squad that looks to repeat its past successes: The team put together its second straight winning season in 2021, going 6-5 overall and winning a playoff game.
But the team is also focused on seizing new opportunities that present themselves.
Leaders for Catawba Ridge
The offensive backfield will be a key element in helping the Copperheads control the clock, maintain possession and avoid the mistakes that Lendyak emphasized may hold back the team. Jones will be the primary ball carrier, but the question of who will hand him the ball is still unanswered.
Senior quarterback Nate Thomas returns to the roster after winning both starts in Davis’s absence last season. A fellow senior, Tyler Fikis, and junior Davin Latimer could take snaps for the Copperheads, and each brings qualities that excite Lendyak.
“We’ve got three guys competing,” Lendyak said, adding, “The team understands in the end that we’ve gotta move the football and we’ve gotta put the football in the end zone, and we have so many different ways of going about it. It’s definitely a different vibe this year. As coaches, it’s our job to take the guys we have and put a system around them that allows them to excel, and I think we’ve done a really good job this summer of doing that.”
Jones also sees the potential in the three quarterback options.
“(Nate) is a leader. He wants it. He wants it bad. He’s competitive,” Jones said. “Tyler is one of the most humble guys I’ve ever met. He won’t talk trash, but when he gets on that field, he’s coming for throats. Davin has one of the best raw arms I’ve ever seen. All of our guys can make plays on Friday. It’s really down to which one of them wants it more.
“Whoever is on that field, I’m gonna love every single one of them and I’m gonna give them the best that I’ve got, whether it’s going out for a route, blocking, or running.”
Jones, for his part, cited last year’s thriller against Indian Land as his personal turning point.
“I’ve just seen the game slow down. You’ve gotta trust your work, and I’ve worked so hard over the past two years,” Jones commented. “Last year, that first game when I got in was really sped-up. Indian Land is when it clicked. That’s when things were really in slow motion for me and it was almost instinct.”
Jones continues to work on that instinct, as well. He regularly watches highlights of running backs like ex-Steelers star Le’Veon Bell to draw inspiration.
Stars blocking ahead of Jones like Cade Purgason, J.D. McClain, Alex Bunz and Asa Johnson have moved on, but many more physical linemen stand ready to step in for them.
“(Junior) Chayson Anderton and (senior) Tyler Morrow are the two that come back as starters, but then you’ve got a kid like Curtis Whitlow who’ll be playing tackle. He has put in so much work over the last three years and is finally kind of getting his shot,” Lendyak noted. “Eli Brooks and Tony Atkins are battling it out at center. We’ve got some depth that we haven’t had in the past. We’ll have some guys that are playing defensive line that will jump over and play some offensive line.
“There’s no more, ‘I play offense, I play defense.’ They’re our line. Those boys in the trenches are gonna play both sides of the ball this year.”
‘The toughest 4A region in the state’
That spirit of playing both sides of the ball will also apply to the receivers and defenders that join Tesimale. Brandon Raysor returns as a starting wideout, joined by Miles Baucom from last year’s squad. Sophomore Brady Ambrose will take over for Jairus Frank in the block-and-release role Lendyak expects from his tight ends. And just like Henderson and Hodge before them, the two corners will catch passes.
“Our two starting corners, Sheldon Crawford and Jordan Gilliam, will step over and play some offense,” Lendyak noted.
Tesimale, who Lendyak opined is “like having an assistant defensive coordinator on the field,” will roam the center of the field. The senior, who missed significant time last year due to injury, sets the tone for his group.
“You could just see a difference when he went out,” Lendyak said. “The defense still played fantastic, but that’s like taking your quarterback off the field. He does everything the right way. He’s a leader.”
“I learned to lead even more. I noticed that I needed to be a coach on the field and just show the guys what to do,” said Tesimale of his observations from last year. “I love football, so I don’t want to sit on the sideline again.”
Kohen Kozel returns to do the placekicking, while Kade McCarter will do the long snapping. Tesimale will compete with several candidates to handle the punting.
Region 3-4A added Northwestern after realignment, expanding the region to six schools. While Lendyak acknowledges the challenge of the new addition, he believes the internal focus will be the key factor in getting the Copperheads back to the postseason.
“You’ve gotta play the teams that are in your region,” Lendyak said. “In my estimation, this will be the toughest 4A region in the state. If you can get through that and get in the playoffs, you’ve already seen two or three of the best teams the state has to offer. The goal is always to win them all and go win the region, and what better region to have a shot at one with the types of teams we have in it?
“If you try to play like somebody else, you’re probably gonna lose. We have a certain style that we have to play and a certain way that we have to go about doing our business. If we can focus and be Catawba Ridge, we’re a pretty good football program. When we try to be someone that we’re not — that’s with anybody — if you get out of your wheelhouse, typically things aren’t going to go well for you.
“We’ve gotta maintain and just focus all season long on being Catawba Ridge.”
Catawba Ridge schedule
Check The Herald’s website for a comprehensive look at all the 2022 football schedules for high schools in York, Chester and Lancaster counties. Asterisks indicate a Region 3-4A matchup.
Catawba Ridge: Aug. 19 at Fort Mill — Aug. 26 vs. Charlotte Latin — Sept. 2 vs. Nation Ford — Sept. 9 vs. West Cabarrus — Sept. 16 vs. Chester — Sept. 23 BYE — Sept. 30 at South Pointe* — Oct. 7 vs. York* — Oct. 14 vs. Lancaster* — Oct. 21 at Indian Land* — Oct. 28 at Northwestern*
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 9:00 AM.