A September loss fueled Providence Day’s drive to Friday’s NCISAA state football finals
The low point came in late September, Providence Day head football coach Chad Grier says.
His team, expected to be a state title contender this season, had a 1-2 record and was in the process of losing yet again, to Christ School in its conference opener.
“That was the turning point,” Grier says of the Sept. 24 game, which Providence Day lost 25-21 and dropped to 1-3 on the season.
The Chargers are 6-0 since then and will face visiting Rabun Gap School (8-2) at 7 p.m. Friday for the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Division 1 state title.
Providence Day and the Eagles have a lot of history over the past year, but more about that later.
Grier says the Christ School game could have wrecked his team’s season.
The Chargers had 14 players injured and had to use a wide receiver at quarterback.
“On Thursday of that week, I took him and gave him two running plays to operate,” says Grier, whose teams usually employ very sophisticated pass-oriented offenses.
“The kids rallied behind him, played their hearts out, and almost won,” he says. “After that, practices starter improving. We felt there was something that had clicked.”
After losing to Christ School, Grier says, the Chargers had no wiggle room.
“We knew we couldn’t afford any more misses,” he says. “We told ourselves, ‘We have to finish strong.’ ”
The Chargers won their next two games, but then had to survive a 48-47 overtime victory against Charlotte Christian.
And then a week later, on Oct. 22, the Chargers hosted Rabun Gap.
That’s where the history comes in.
A year ago, Providence Day was considered the state title favorite, but the Chargers lost 52-42 in the semifinals to Rabun Gap. Grier’s team turned the ball over four times in the first half, with the Eagles converting each time.
Rabun Gap led 31-7 early and held off the Chargers (there were 55 points scored in the second quarter).
“We just weren’t ready that night,” Grier says. “They came in with a very talented team, and we simply didn’t play well.”
The Chargers recovered, limiting Rabun Gap to 88 yards of total offense in the second half after the Eagles had 342 yards in the first half.
Those memories were still fresh when Rabun Gap, which has a half-dozen FBS recruits on its roster, came to Charlotte in October.
The Eagles took a 7-0 lead, but Grier’s team scored 25 straight points and won 25-14.
Providence Day prefers to throw the ball, and quarterback Grantt Logan has totaled 2,038 yards and 23 touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp, who has drawn interest from a number of FBS programs, has 44 receptions and eight touchdowns.
Rabun Gap’s seniors who have committed to FBS programs include wide receiver Tucker Holloway (Virginia Tech); tight end Darren Agu (Notre Dame); safety Coleman Bryson (Minnesota); defensive end Linus Zunk (Vanderbilt); and tight end Marlin Klein (Michigan).
The Eagles are the only Georgia member of the NCISAA.
A pair of junior running backs have totaled nearly 1,000 rushing yards this season, and quarterback Aiden Semo has passed for 1,358 yards.
Cabarrus Warriors seek D2 state crown
Also playing for a state championship Friday are the Cabarrus Warriors (9-2), who travel to Harrells Christian (11-1) for the NCISAA Division 2 crown.
The Warriors, representing Cannon School and Concord Academy, lost 21-14 at Harrells Christian on Oct. 1. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Green has thrown for more than 2,500 yards for the Warriors this season, and senior Xander Lamb has nearly 1,000 yards in receptions.
Harrells Christian beat the Warriors in the Division 2 semifinals last season, 63-35, before losing to Christ School in the finals.
The Crusaders are averaging more than 300 rushing yards a game and have thrown only 27 passes all season.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle