South Meck gets defining win; Providence has chance to get one. More in Monday Rewind
Two weeks ago, South Mecklenburg ended a 14-game losing streak when it beat Harding, 42-0. That was somewhat expected.
Harding (0-6) is having a tough season. The Rams have scored 20 points in six weeks.
But Friday, South Mecklenburg upset AL Brown, which was undefeated and ranked No 13 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll.
That was pretty unexpected.
“It was a win that finally let these kids know that all the hard work they’ve put in is worth it,” second-year Sabres coach Joe Evans said. “And it shows that they belong in a higher echelon of high school teams.”
Evans believes the win was transformational for his program, which won the 1981 4A state title but hasn’t had sustained success in the past 20 years.
“I bill myself as a player’s coach,” Evans said, “and I like to commit with my kids and build relationships. That’s what I get out of coaching: helping young men be better men. So it’s been tough because of how hard these kids have worked, and they’ve not been able to see a lot of success.”
That changed Friday, when the Sabres jumped out to a lead at AL Brown, a bona fide 3A state-title contender, and won 17-14 when the Wonders missed a field-goal attempt in the final minute.
Evans said during the hard times, not one player came to him to quit. Instead, he said, they just committed to work harder.
Evans said that’s why Friday’s win meant so much.
“We’re such an instant gratification society,” Evans said, “with social media and everything, and it’s really refreshing that my guys saw the vision of long term, and if you put the work in, what could happen. You don’t get that a lot with high school kids.”
Evans came to South Meck in the summer before the 2019 season. He was South Meck’s third head coach in 13 years, and he knows the history he’s fighting: no winning seasons since 2015, just four in the past 21 years.
But Evans, 41, has had success in similar conditions.
In 2013, he took over an Independence powerhouse that was losing a little steam. He went 9-5 his first year and 12-1 in his second, the Patriots’ best season since 2009.
At Ardrey Kell, his teams made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016. And after he became an assistant at Myers Park, Evans helped developed the Mustangs into a national power bursting with major-college talent.
Now, he wants do to the same thing at South Meck — and he’s making progress.
South didn’t win a game his first year. Now, they have their first two-game win streak in three years, and South Mecklenburg will finish the season with winnable home games against Berry (1-3) and West Mecklenburg (0-5).
“That AL Brown win helps a lot with the confidence of the kids,” Evans said. “Now we’re going into the end of the season, and we turn around and go right back to work in June for the fall. We have another season in August. It’s actually kind of a blessing. You can build that momentum, go right into the season and they don’t have to wait six or eight months.
“That’s good for us.”
Hough AD leaving for private school position
After 17 years in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Hough athletic director Masanori Toguchi is leaving to become AD at private Charlotte Country Day.
Toguchi, a former Wake Forest football player, will begin his new job July 1.
Toguchi spent 11 years at Hough and also was a teacher and wrestling coach at Harding before becoming AD at West Charlotte.
“My passion is athletics,” said Toguchi, a two-time N.C. Athletic Director of the Year and former N.C. High School Athletic Association board member, “and those who get to know me will hear about how athletics changed my life. I enjoy mentoring new athletic directors and coaches, and I challenge my coaches to provide our student-athletes with genuine experiences that will prepare them for life after athletics.”
Around the area
▪ Butler receiver Jake Snapp had a productive first half in Friday’s 52-14 win over Hickory Ridge: four catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
▪ Independence got a big boost from its linebackers during Friday’s 31-0 win over Garinger. Jeremy Phillips had six tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three QB hurries. Ronnell Garrett had seven tackles and a fumble recovery for a 47-yard score. And Chayce Jordan had three tackles, 1.5 sacks and a caused fumble.
▪ Burns freshman Jeremiah Norris had 184 yards rushing on 10 carries and three scores in Friday’s win over East Gaston.
▪ Mount Pleasant beat Forest Hills 39-12 Friday, limiting the Yellow Jackets to 124 yards rushing and 198 yards total offense. Mount Pleasant’s Jakob Craver (13 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and Brennen Jones (11 tackles) had big nights.
▪ Pine Lake Prep improved to 5-0 with Friday’s 46-26 win over Mountain Island Charter. QB Vic Garrido was 4-for-7 for 52 yards and a score. He ran 21 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns, and he had two 2-point conversions.
Running back Colby Lane had 24 carries for 181 yards and two scores. He also had two 2-point conversions, plus two tackles for a loss. On defense, Sam Cornacchione (5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) and Jeremy Shatsha (4 sacks, 2.5 sacks) had big games.
Games of the Week
No. 11 Olympic (5-0, 5-0 SoMECK) at No. 16 Providence (5-0, 4-0), Thurs., 7: Olympic can win the outright SoMECK 7 conference championship. Providence is enjoying one of the best starts in school history and can win the league title by beating Olympic and then No. 15 Ardrey Kell (4-1) next week. The Panthers defense allowed Harding 24 yards rushing on 29 carries. Providence, which has allowed 19 points all season, will face one of the area’s best run games this week — and one of the state’s best running backs. Olympic’s Cameron Smith, who ran for 2,000 yards last season, is a Navy recruit.
No. 5 Myers Park (5-0 Southwestern 4A) at Porter Ridge (4-1), Thurs., 7:30: Myers Park, despite losing head coach Scott Chadwick to college and All-American QB Drake Maye to early graduation, can lock up the conference championship. Porter Ridge can get into position to win at least a share of the league crown with a win. Only two guaranteed playoff spots are available, so this game is that much bigger for both teams.
Mallard Creek (3-2) at No. 2 Hough (5-0), Thurs., 7: Remember when Mallard Creek was 0-2 and folks were trying to write the Mavericks off? Well, Mallard Creek has won three in a row by an average of 43-14. Up next is Hough, which has the ultimate trap game. The Huskies have a potential game-of-the-year date at No. 1 Vance next week.
