Myers Park gets big call, big performance from Jacob Newman, to stop Hickory Ridge.
Hickory Ridge High football coach Jupiter Wilson is not one to talk about officiating, but after Myers Park beat his Ragin’ Bulls 14-7 Friday night, it didn’t take much prodding to get Wilson to talk about the officiating.
“Was it the reason we lost,” Wilson said. “No. Other things affect the game, and most times, they have nothing to do with the refs. But it is hard to not look at that play and not say it didn’t have a direct effect on the game and was definitely something that should not have been called.”
So here’s what happened:
In a game that was a defensive battle where neither team could move the ball consistently — Myers Park coach Mark Harman estimates there were a combined 33 yards of offense in the third quarter — Hickory Ridge got a break.
The Ragin Bulls (3-1, No. 11 in the Sweet 16) recovered a fourth quarter fumble and returned it to the Myers Park 25. Shortly after, QB Alex Bentley threw a pass to a receiver over the middle. The receiver appeared to be hit immediately after the catch and the ball came free. Myers Park (4-0, No. 5 in the Sweet 16) picked up the ball at its 4, pointing towards its end zone in unison, celebrating a turnover.
Hickory Ridge thought it was an incomplete pass.
The officials called it a fumble.
And after that, Myers Park went on a punishing scoring drive, led most of the way by junior running back Jacob Newman, who had the most carries (29) and yards (192) of his high school career. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on, and Myers Park QB Lucas Lenhoff ended the drive with a pretty scoring pass to Cam Thornton.
Harman said he couldn’t see the Hickory Ridge pass and catch from where he was standing.
Wilson, a former lineman at North Carolina, said he had a good view.
“That was a bad call, in my opinion,” he said. “That affected the game.”
So instead of being able to continue its drive, near the Myers Park red zone, Hickory Ridge needed to get the ball back.
And Newman, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior, simply wouldn’t let them. He didn’t break the long SportsCenter Top 10-type of run Friday night, but he ran plenty of plays where he made a quick move at the line of scrimmage or a deke or a spin to create space. Then, he finished almost every one of his 29 carries with a punishing thump.
“He played great,” Harman said. “We kept feeding him the football and he kept running harder.”
Wilson was equally impressed.
“He’s a tough kid,” Wilson said. “He’s a real, real, real hard runner and honesty was the difference in them getting field position. We did a good job containing their passing game, but he broke a couple of big ones and he’s definitely a good player at the FCS, Group of Five level, or even something higher.”
Newman was offensive MVP of the Mustangs JV as a freshman, when he got spot duty on the Mustangs’ nationally ranked varsity. Last season, he played behind his brother, Tim, now a freshman at Presbyterian.
Newman was a nationally ranked football and basketball player in middle school, and he said he wants to turn this junior year into his coming out party in high school.
Friday night was a pretty good night to have your best game. Myers Park now has the clear path to the Southwestern 4A conference championship. Hickory Ridge will play Butler (3-1) at home next week in a game that could cost the loser a postseason berth.
“I’m probably going to be sore in the morning,” Newman said. “It was just a hard fought game. Our defense played really well and we knew it was going to be a battle all week, and we took it on and we got the (win).”
Newman said he’s being recruited by Appalachian State, Army, East Carolina, Liberty, Miami (Ohio), Mississippi State and San Jose State. He’s on pace for 1,000 yards in a seven-game regular season and his blend of speed, vision, quickness and power looks a lot like other Mecklenburg backs who played at the highest level.
“I want to be a workhorse,” Newman said. “That’s why I get in shape and train the way I do. It’s a big year for me, and we don’t have as many games as we normally would. So I want everybody in Charlotte and everybody in the country to know my name this year.”
He’s certainly off to a good start.
Three who mattered
Lucas Lenhoff, Myers Park: Threw for 94 yards and two touchdowns, both to Cam Thornton, including the game-winner. Both players, like many of the Mustangs key skill position guys, are juniors.
Alex Bentley, Hickory Ridge: Lefty quarterback (like Lenhoff) throws a pretty ball and is very good at getting out of dangerous situations. He completed 11-of 21 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Christian Hamilton, Hickory Ridge: Fast, long and with definite star potential. Hamilton, a sophomore receiver, caught two passes for 93 yards.
THEY SAID IT
“You’ve still got to challenge them. I talked to them about how I feel like our practices are getting better, but sometimes if you’re still making mistakes on Friday and you’re not making them Monday through Thursday, well, maybe we’ve to adjust more as coaches. We’re a better team than what we put on that field tonight” — Myers Park’s Harman
Myers Park 0 7 0 7 — 14
Hickory Ridge 7 0 0 0 — 7
HR: Jordan Marsh 51 pass from Alex Bentley (Riley Stubbs kick)
MP: Cam Thornton 28 pass from Lucas Lenhoff (Win Byerley kick)
MP: Thornton 27 pass from Lenhoff (Byerley kick)
If you can’ t see the photos from the game on mobile, click here
Friday’s #BIG5 Top Performers
Josh Abernarthy, Alexander Central: had six carries for 65 yards in a 39-7 win over McDowell. He also had a punt for 33 yards and a kick return for 16.
Lukas Dendrolivanos, Providence: linebacker had eight tackles, three sacks and two pass breakups in a 33-6 win over Central Cabarrus. Providence (4-0) allowed 60 yards rushing. Panther QB Holland Stallings threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores.
Christian Haile, Berry: had a 99-yard scoring run in a 28-27 win over West Mecklenburg to set a new school record. Berry QB Jalil Quick threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns and safety Michael Dulin had two interceptions. Haile had 11 carries for 123 yards and completed 2-of-3 passes for 59 yards.
Kellan Hood, Richmond Senior: completed 14-of-18 passes in a 52-14 win over Hoke County. Hood threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. He ran three times for 22 yards and another score.
Crishon Shephard, Lake Norman: threw for 59 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 127 in a 33-6 win over Iredell County rival Mooresville. Lake Norman had 294 yards rushing and limited Mooresville to 8.
Around The Area
▪ In a 19-13 loss to Marvin Ridge, Cuthbertson QB Evan Bernard completed 28-of-40 passes for 230 yards. He ran 13 times for 21 yards and a score. On defense, teammates Kurt Petroff (10 tackles, 3 for loss) and Andrew Rastia (9 tackles, 2 for loss) had big games.
▪ McDowell’s Grayson Blackwell had 14 tackles in a 39-7 loss to Alexander Central.
Quick Summaries
I-MECK 4A
Lake Norman 33, Mooresville 6 - Crishon Shepard rushed for 127 yards and caught two touchdown passes, as the Wildcats (3-1, 3-1) pounded their southern Iredell County rivals. Mooresville is 0-3, 0-3.
Hough 50, North Mecklenburg 7 - Sophomore quarterback Tad Hudson threw three touchdown passes, and Nolan Hauser kicked a pair of field goals, as the Huskies (4-0, 4-0) remained tied with Vance atop the conference. Sophomore Markell Quick returned the opening kickoff of the second half 80 yards for a Hough score. The Vikings fell to 1-2, 1-2.
Vance 54, West Charlotte 0 - The Cougars (4-0, 4-0) have outscored their opponents 194-21 this season. The Lions fell to 1-3, 1-3.
SO MECK 7 4A
Berry Academy 28, West Mecklenburg 27 - The host Cardinals (2-2, 1-2) got their first conference victory, as West Mecklenburg (0-4, 0-4) missed a potential game-winning field goal with 2:30 left.
SOUTHWESTERN 4A
Butler 42, Independence 0 - The Bulldogs (3-1, 3-1) scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half, taking a 21-0 lead and breaking open what had been a tight game. The Patriots drop to 1-3, 1-3.
SANDHILLS 4A
Richmond Senior 52, Hoke County 14 - Kellan Hood scored three touchdowns, and Tremel Jones added two scores, including an 85-yard run, as the Raiders improved to 2-0, 2-0.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
Alexander Central 39, McDowell 7 - The Cougars (2-2, 2-1) held McDowell to 111 yards total offense. Lance Justice and Andrew Bumgarner each ran for a pair of touchdowns. McDowell is 2-2, 2-2.
Watauga 49, St. Stephens 13 - The host Pioneers (3-0, 3-0) built a big first-quarter lead and remained atop the conference. St. Stephens fell to 1-3, 0-3.
NORTH PIEDMONT 3A
Statesville 40, North Iredell 10 - The Greyhounds (3-1, 2-0) won their third straight game and remained in a first-place tie with Jesse Carson. North Iredell is 0-3, 0-2.
West Rowan 20, South Iredell 14 - Hunter Watts returned a kickoff 90 yards with what proved to be the winning touchdown for the Falcons (2-2, 2-0). South Iredell slipped to 1-3, 0-2.
SOUTH PIEDMONT 3A
Jay M. Robinson 26, Cox Mill 14 - Jay M. Robinson (4-0, 3-0) scored the game’s final 17 points and remained a half-game behind A.L. Brown in the conference race. Cox Mill dropped to 0-4, 0-3.
A.L. Brown 47, West Cabarrus 0 - The Wonders (4-0, 4-0) got two touchdown runs from Jamison Flowe and an 80-yard touchdown dash from Teddy Russell. West Cabarrus is 1-2, 1-2.
SOUTHERN CAROLINA 3A
Marvin Ridge 19, Cuthbertson 13 - The Mavericks (3-1, 3-1) remained part of a second-place tie, as Alex Meeks and Evan Medders each ran for touchdowns, and Bryce Yoggi had a key fourth-quarter interception. The Cavaliers dropped to 2-2, 2-2.
Monroe 34, Sun Valley 0 - Jack Crump ran for a pair of scores, and Nate Crosby returned an interception for a touchdown, as Monroe improved to 3-1, 3-1. The Spartans dropped to 0-4, 0-4.
Weddington 56, Parkwood 7 - The visiting Warriors cruised to a 49-0 lead, improving to 3-0, 3-0. The Wolfpack dropped to 0-3, 0-3.
ROCKY RIVER 2A-3A
Forest Hills 20, Montgomery Central 12 - Tyquan Rushing and Zach Barber each had touchdown receptions for the victorious Yellow Jackets (2-2).
CENTRAL CAROLINA 2A
North Davidson 21, Salisbury 14 - North Davidson built a 21-0 lead and held off a Hornet comeback. Salisbury (2-2, 1-2), which reached the 2AA state finals in 2019, now faces an uphill battle to reach the playoffs.
FOOTHILLS 2A
Hibriten 56, Draughn 6 - Darren Perry ran for three first-half touchdowns, and the Panthers (4-0, 3-0) won in a rout. Draughn dropped to 2-2, 2-2.
SOUTHWESTERN 2A
Shelby 20, Burns 18 - Marquis Adams ran 4 yards for a Shelby touchdown with 4:34 left, giving the Golden Lions (4-0, 4-0) a 20-12 lead. Burns scored with 2:05 left on Camron Sweezy’s 5-yard run, but the Bulldogs (3-1, 3-1) were stopped on the ensuing two-point conversion.
South Point 45, East Rutherford 0 - Trevan Jones ran for a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, and South Point (3-1, 2-1) remained in the race for a playoff spot. East Rutherford slipped to 0-4, 0-3.
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT 1A
Community School of Davidson 31, Cherryville 20 - The Spartans (3-1, 2-1) rallied from an early deficit for their third straight victory. Cherryville dropped to 1-3, 1-2.
Thomas Jefferson Academy 61, Christ the King 0 - Donovan Berry had a pair of long touchdown runs, as the Gryphons (4-0, 3-0) remained unbeaten. The Crusaders are 1-3, 1-3.
Pine Lake Prep 52, Union Academy 0 - The Pride (4-0, 4-0) remained atop the conference with a blanking of the Cardinals (0-4, 0-4).
YADKIN VALLEY 1A
North Rowan 56, Chatham Central 8 - Zay Davis ran for two touchdowns and returned an interception 45 yards for another score, leading North Rowan (3-1, 3-0).
North Stanly 43, Albemarle 7 - Jaylen Pinckney ran 53 yards for an Albemarle touchdown early in the third quarter, cutting North Stanly’s lead to 14-7. But the Comets (3-0, 3-0) pulled away after Christian Barber scored on a short run. Albemarle fell to 0-2, 0-2.
NONCONFERENCE
Providence 35, Central Cabarrus 6 - Providence (4-0) led only 7-6 at the half, but Holland Stallings threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes to Anthony Tandoh for a runaway victory. Central Cabarrus is 2-2.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Charlotte Catholic’s game against Piedmont was canceled. Piedmont’s last two games have been called off.
And wet grounds forced the postponement of several games to Saturday.
Crest and Hunter Huss will play at 7 p.m. at Stuart Cramer High. South Caldwell will play at Freedom at 6 p.m. And the North Lincoln-Maiden game has been reset for 3 p.m. at Maiden Middle School.
Four other games already had been set for Saturday:
Ardrey Kell at Olympic, 6 p.m.
South Mecklenburg at Harding, 1 p.m.
Hickory vs. Forestview, at Stuart Cramer High, 2 p.m.
Madison County at Avery County, 3 p.m.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 9:24 PM with the headline "Myers Park gets big call, big performance from Jacob Newman, to stop Hickory Ridge.."
