Late scoring drive lifts South Pointe past Mallard Creek in defensive battle
South Pointe coach Bobby Collins had a simple message for his team after a Mallard Creek fumble recovery in the end zone left the Stallions trailing by four points with 3:25 to play.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but in times of challenge and controversy,” Collins said. “I wanted to see how our guys rallied back. Our quarterback wanted the ball in his hands.”
That quarterback guided his Stallions to a game-winning drive.
Malachi Marshall capped a gutsy late Stallion drive with an 11-yard pass to a diving Jay Sanders, giving South Pointe a hard-fought 16-13 result over Mallard Creek at District 3 South Stadium in a game keyed by intense defensive effort on both sides.
The tone for the game was set early, as both defenses forced punt after punt and several key turnovers on downs. South Pointe (3-0) held a precarious 9-0 lead at the half, as the visiting Maverick defense stymied the high-powered Stallion offensive attack. The Stallions scored on their first offensive drive on a 14-yard throw from Marshall to Demari Kendrick and lodged only an additional safety before the break.
“Hats off to Mallard Creek. That’s a good football team. Their kids played all four quarters,” Collins said. “We’ve gotta do a better job of being efficient on the offensive side of the ball, taking care of the football, being smart, and getting the ball in the hands of our offensive players.”
South Pointe, for its part, limited the Maverick offense for the first three quarters. Mallard Creek (1-2) pulled within a field goal early in the fourth quarter after finally breaking through the Stallion defense, getting a gorgeous 71-yard touchdown strike from Justin Wheeler to Ben Black. Black’s one-handed grab and score cut the lead to 9-6. That would be the only offensive touchdown the Mavericks would tally.
“We didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We got in the red zone three times and didn’t execute,” Mallard Creek coach Kennedy Tinsley said. “We didn’t do worth a darn offensively.”
The final red zone stop came courtesy of the Stallions with 3:37 to play. Mallard Creek had a fourth-and-1 inside the five, but A.J. Miller and the Stallions turned away a Maverick run, giving the Stallions the ball at their own 2.
Mallard Creek then took the lead on a defensive stop of its own. The Mavericks forced a fumble in the end zone and recovered the loose ball, grabbing a 13-9 advantage with 3:25 to play. The Mavericks then booted a kickoff deep to Mason Pickett-Hicks, who returned the ball to the Maverick 34 and put the wheels in motion for the final drive.
South Pointe faced third-and-7 as the drive continued, holding the ball at the Mallard Creek 11 with the clock draining. The Stallion crowd rose to its feet as Marshall rolled, then found a diving Sanders who hauled in the winning score.
“We’ve gotta be in place for the big one,” Tinsley said of his defense. “The defense’s job is to keep us in the game, and they did that. We had the lead. They put us in position to have the lead. They’ve gotta make a play in the red zone. That guy got wide open. That can’t happen.”
On the other side, Collins finally saw the complete four-quarter effort he wanted from his team.
“That’s what happens when you play four quarters of football,” Collins said. “They showed some character. I was proud of them. ... I knew that was a good football team in Mallard Creek. Coach Tinsley’s a really good football coach, and they’ll win next week.”
That game next week for the Mavericks comes against defending South Carolina 5A state champion Gaffney. Mallard Creek hits the road for a 7:30 p.m. contest against the Indians.
Collins’ South Pointe squad travels to Chester for a 7:30 p.m. game against the Cyclones. He had a simple message for his team and those who watch it.
“I know everybody wants to put us on the mountaintop right now. We’re gonna stop reading newspaper clippings and just play football,” he said.
How they scored: South Pointe 16, Mallard Creek 13
Mallard Creek—0-0-0-13—13
South Pointe—7-2-0-7—16
First quarter
SP – Demari Kendrick 14 pass from Malachi Marshall (Jacob Brookover kick) 7:25
Second quarter
SP – Safety :43
Third quarter
None
Fourth quarter
MC – Black 71 pass from Wheeler (kick failed) 9:40
MC – Fumble recovery in end zone (Charlotte Stavis kick) 3:25
SP – Jay Sanders 11 pass from Marshall (Brookover kick) 1:25
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 11:35 PM with the headline "Late scoring drive lifts South Pointe past Mallard Creek in defensive battle."