Myers Park defense comes up big in win at Ardrey Kell
Myers Park High’s football team was really struggling on offense Friday night at Ardrey Kell.
But the Mustangs defense was looking plenty strong.
And Myers Park’s defense kept giving QB Lucas Lenhoff chances, and eventually the offense came through for a 13-7 win Friday night in Charlotte.
Myers Park (5-2, 2-0 South Meck 4A) was playing without top receiving threat Cam Thornton and really had a tough time with the Ardrey Kell pass rush and overall defense.
The Knights constantly pressured and sacked Lenhoff and took a 7-6 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the Knights (3-2, 0-1) appeared to be set up for another big defense stop when Myers Park was driving into scoring position.
Ardrey Kell came up with a big sack, and a loss of 13 on the next-to-last third quarter play. But on the final one, before Lucas Lenhoff thew a 38-yard scoring pass to Isaac Hill on the final play of the third quarter. Myers Park led by six.
The Mustangs’ defense came up with its biggest play on a fourth down play at the Ardrey Kell 36 with 3:42 left. The Knights tried a hurry-up formation and threw an incomplete pass.
Both defense dominated for much of the game.
Midway in the third quarter, down 7-6, for example, Myers Park got a huge fourth down stop inside its 20.
It was the same for the Knights.
Myers Park was driving early in the second quarter, but Ardrey Kell got an interception in the red zone.
The Mustangs then started their own drive but threw an interception and Ardrey Kell got the ball back at its 35 with 3:31 left in the third quarter.
Ardrey Kell, however, went three and out.
But after the Knights got a third down conversion, a Mustangs defender forced a fumble from Ardrey Kell QB Jack Curtis, giving the Mustangs the ball inside the Knights 30.
After throwing a completion on fourth and 5 to extend the drive, Myers Park quarterback Lucas Lenhoff scored from about the 1 with 5:14 left in the first half. The PAT was missed, however, and Myers Park led 6-0.
After its score, Myers Park had two 15-yard penalties -- one on the kickoff and another on an Ardrey Kell for roughing the kicker -- and the Knights had the ball near the Mustangs 30.
Ardrey Kell drove down the field and scored on a third and goal pass from Curtis to Jalen Toye-Ellis for a 7-6 lead with 37 seconds left in the first half.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 9:24 PM.
