STATE CHAMPS! Providence Day avenges loss to Charlotte Christian, makes history
The first time Providence Day played rival Charlotte Christian this season, the Chargers got up big — twice — and relaxed.
Friday night in the state championship game, Providence Day got up big again, and this time it didn’t let up.
Playing a rival they refer to as “the school down the street,” the Chargers ran away for a 55-13 win and made history.
“We said all along, we wanted to play our best Nov. 18 (the date of the state championship game),” Chargers coach Chad Grier said. “We’re always looking for that perfect game. We didn’t play perfect tonight. We left some points on the field. But we played pretty (darn) well.”
No question.
Providence Day finished 12-1, won back-to-back state championships for the first time, and avenged its only loss of the season, a 38-37 loss at home to Christian on a walk-off field goal by Tripp Woody. Charlotte Christian is located a little over a mile away from Providence Day. The schools enjoy a friendly but bitter rivalry across all sports.
But few matter quite as much as football.
The Chargers, who won the 2019 Division II state championship, won the large division football crown for the fourth time. Providence Day also won in 2011, 1991 and 1986.
Christian (10-3) — which won four straight state titles from 2017-2020 — was down a few offensive starters and struggled with the Chargers’ defense. Christian threw five interceptions and managed 146 yards of total offense.
Providence took advantage of turnovers and short fields to jump out to a 27-6 lead at halftime. They also remembered their history. The Chargers led 20-0 and 34-14 in the first game but Christian came back twice.
Not Friday.
The Chargers’ first third quarter possession went for a touchdown and a four-score lead. Chris Peal, playing with an obvious shoulder injury, ran in from the 1, turning backwards to keep his injured shoulder away from contact.
Charlotte Christian kept playing hard, however. Ryan Henley answered Peal’s score with a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown, but there was not going to be a comeback Friday night.
Providence Day — chock full of high major recruits — was too good and looked like the team, in preseason, that was ranked in several national polls and all had sorts of national expectations.
Quarterback Jadyn Davis threw for 352 yards and six touchdowns. The Chargers ran up more than 500 yards of offense and they were simply too much.
“We know what happened last time,” Davis said. “Nobody had to say too much. We just had that extra motivation. We had a great game plan going into and when we got the looks we wanted, we took advantage of it.”
First half highlights
▪ Charlotte Christian came out with major pressure on Providence Day quarterback Jadyn Davis. The Chargers run game and pass game didn’t work for the first possession and a bit in the second, but the Chargers put together a long drive, using screens and shorter passes, that Davis paid off with a pretty 6-yard slant to Jayden Hollar for a 7-0 lead.
▪ Early in the second quarter, Christian deflected a Blake Porter punt and got the ball at the Chargers 49, down 7-0. Christian QB Cam Estep was intercepted by Channing Goodwin and Providence Day struck quickly when Davis hit Jordan Shipp with a quick pass that Shipp turned into a 60-yard TD.
Providence Day led 14-0 with 10:26 left in the second quarter.
▪ On Christian’s ensuing possession, Estep tried to hit his tight end on third and long. The ball was tipped and Goodwin dove in for his second interception in 85 seconds of game time. Providence Day got the ball at Christian’s 44 with 9:15 left in the quarter.
One Providence Day’s next play, Davis hit Brody Barnhardt for a 44-yard scoring pass and a 21-0 lead.
▪ Christian finally got a good drive going on its next drive, and Cam Estep hit LJ Porter with a 9-yard pass for a score with 5:55 left in the quarter. Goodwin nearly got his third interception of the first half. The PAT was missed after a false start and Christian trailed 21-6.
▪ In the first meeting, which Christian ultimately won on a walk-off field goal, the Knights rallied twice from down three scores. Friday, Providence Day answered the Knights with a quick scoring drive, finished by Chris Peal’s 6 yard run. The Chargers led 27-6 with 3:14 left in the first half.
Three Who Mattered
Brody Barnhardt, Providence Day: Barnhardt had two interceptions and caught five passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
Channing Goodwin, Providence Day: Top 20 national recruit at his wide receiver position had two interceptions at safety and caught two touchdown passes, both in the second half.
Ryan Henley, Charlotte Christian: junior had the 99-yard kick return, plus nearly a third of team’s total offense.
Scoring Summary
Charlotte Christian 0 6 7 0 — 13
Providence Day 7 20 14 14 — 55
First Quarter
PD: Jayden Hollar 6 pass from Jadyn Davis (Jake Porter kick)
Second Quarter
PD: Jordan Shipp 60 pass from Davis (Porter kick)
PD: Brody Barnhardt 44 pass from Davis (Porter kick)
CCS: LJ Porter 9 pass from Cam Estep (kick failed)
PD: Chris Peal 6 run (kick failed)
Third Quarter
PD: Peal 1 run (Porter kick)
PD: Channing Goodwin 27 pass from Davis (Porter kick)
CCS: Ryan Henley 99 kick return (Woody kick)
Fourth Quarter
PD: Brody Barnhardt 9 pass from Davis (Porter kick)
PD: Goodwin 14 pass from Davis (Sydney McCorkle kick)
PHOTOS: Charlotte Christian at Providence Day
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 9:32 PM.
