Providence Day gave coach Adam Hastings the only thing his résumé lacked: a state title
Five years ago, Providence Day hired Adam Hastings to make its football program a consistent winner.
Legendary coach Bruce Hardin was retiring after coaching for seven seasons and winning a state championship in 2011. Hardin left a good foundation, and Hastings — whom Hardin had recruited and coached when he was an assistant at The Citadel — came in and did the same thing he did when he was at Ardrey Kell. Hastings attracted talent, and he began producing college recruit after college recruit.
Turn on the TV most Saturdays and you’ll see one of Hastings’ players. Guys like Osita Ekwonu at Notre Dame or his brother, Ikem, at N.C. State. On this year’s roster, Hastings has two future Saturday stars in defensive linemen Jacolbe Cowan (Ohio State) and Kedrick Bingley-Jones (UNC).
And after Friday’s 28-13 win over Metrolina Christian, Hastings has about the only thing his résumé had been lacking: a state championship.
“I’m just very fortunate to coach such great kids,” Hastings said. “I looked the other day and we’ve had 98 practices from the summer to now. I have enjoyed every minute of it.”
Hastings, a 2005 graduate of The Citadel, is now 66-49 for his career. He was the second coach at Ardrey Kell when he started in 2010, with one losing season in five years. Before he got there Ardrey Kell had one winning season ever.
In 2010, Hastings was named Southwestern 4A Coach of the Year in 2010, and in 2011 he was named the Marine Semper Fi Coach of the Year for North and South Carolina for his role in developing leaders.
At Providence Day, he has kept up that good work, with three more winning seasons in five years, including two state championship appearances.
And this year’s team could’ve been so much better. Hastings lost wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Porter Rooks, who both transferred to Myers Park a few years apart. Muhammad, a Texas A&M recruit, and Rooks, bound for N.C. State, are top 25 national recruits at their position.
Without them, Providence Day wasn’t as dynamic as it could’ve been, but the Chargers still began the year as the favorite to win the Division I championship. That didn’t happen. Charlotte Christian won a third straight championship, and Providence Day didn’t qualify for the D1 playoff.
But what Hastings did do was quickly get his team focused on what it could win. And by the happy looks on the faces of everybody wearing red, white and blue Friday night, winning D2 was just fine.
They’re still getting rings.
And Hastings has enjoyed this group like none other.
“They’ve made practice fun,” he said. “They made games fun. They love each other. I love being around them. It’s so gratifying to coach such great kids and to see them develop, see them buy in and see them come together.”
And now he has seen them become champions.
3 Quick Observations
▪ Charlotte Catholic looked good in its opening-round playoff game Friday, a 39-14 win over Gastonia Forestview. The Cougars won for the sixth consecutive week and won their 11th consecutive postseason game.
Next, Catholic will play at Gastonia Huss in a second-round game Friday. The Cougars will face former teammate Lamagea McDowell, who transferred in September. McDowell, who did not play in Friday’s first-round playoff win over Monroe, was the leading rusher on Catholic’s 2018 state championship team. This week’s game will be a rematch of the 2018 third-round playoff game that Catholic won 28-7.
▪ A lot of teams like to say they played the toughest schedule in the state. Butler High can make a real case. The Bulldogs lost 21-0 to Vance on Friday and end their season at 8-4. The four losses are to the 9-2 Cougars and three unbeatens — Richmond Senior, Mallard Creek and Myers Park. All three teams are nationally ranked in one poll or another.
The combined record of the four teams that beat Butler is 41-2-1.
▪ I’m an advocate of having an open class 4A and 4AA state playoff, not worrying about geography. Many coaches I speak to are proponents of the same thing. Many others, though, argue against that idea because of geography, for saving schools long bus rides and expenses. Well, North Rowan, about 50 miles from uptown Charlotte, is playing in the 1AA East bracket and will host Princeton next week. Princeton is about a 2 1/2-hour drive away.
North Stanly, about 40 miles from uptown, is also in the 1AA East. It will play at Edenton Holmes next week. That’s nearly four hours from campus.
Just saying.
Quick Links
Friday’s boys, girls basketball capsules
Friday’s NC/SC statewide scores, how the Sweet 16 fared, next week’s schedule
PHOTOS/Story: Gastonia Forestview at Charlotte Catholic
After ‘embarrassing’ Hough loss, Vance bounces back, shuts out Butler
Hough shuts out Olympic, Richmond Senior on deck
Ardrey Kell stops Independence, sets up Myers Park date
Providence Day sacks Metrolina’s upset bid, wins state
Elevator
↑Boilling Springs Crest: After falling behind 14-0 to Asheville Erwin, Crest won 42-14 and extended a remarkable streak. The Chargers have gone 27 consecutive seasons with winning at least their first round game.
↑Providence Day defense: Picked off three Metrolina Christian passes and held the Warriors to 153 total yards.
↑Ardrey Kell: Friday’s 25-14 win over Independence was the Knights’ 11th of the season and 11th in a row. Both are school records. The single season win total tops the 2014 team’s 10-4 finish.
Videos
Friday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Jakhiry Bennett, Kannapolis Brown: Ran 28 times for 322 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-50 win over Skyland Roberson. That helped the Wonders overcome a 445-yard, six-touchdown performance from Roberson QB Brody Whitson. Whitson completed 32-of-53 passes.
Cannon Bridges, West Lincoln: In a 48-6 win over Ashe County, his school’s first-ever postseason win, Bridges rushed for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns, crossing the 2,000-yard mark for the season.
Malik Corry, Gastonia Huss: With Lamagea McDowell out, the junior ran 18 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Monroe.
Jalen Houston, West Rowan: Ran for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-32 win over Morganton Freedom.
Paul Neel, Charlotte Catholic: Ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-14 win over Gastonia Forestview in the first round of the N.C. 3A playoffs. Teammate Jimmy Brewer, a sophomore, ran for 91 yards and a score.
This story was originally published November 16, 2019 at 3:19 AM.
