In Sweet 16 showdown, Weddington beats Porter Ridge in Union County game of the week
When you’re playing against Weddington, and your quarterback fumbles the ball at the 1, Weddington recovers.
When you’re Weddington, and your quarterback fumbles on the very next play, the ball bounces back into the hand of the quarterback, and he runs untouched into the end zone for a touchdown.
It’s good to be Weddington.
The Warriors took a strong shot from host Porter Ridge but battled back Friday night and beat the Pirates 36-12 in the Deer Park Water Union County Game of the Week.
It was the Southern Carolina 4A Conference opener for the fourth-ranked Warriors (6-1 overall), who rallied twice in the game.
“They gave us a good test,” Weddington coach Andy Capone said of the Pirates (5-2, 1-1), who were in the game until early in the fourth quarter. “We didn’t help ourselves either, but our defense came up big.”
Two key third-quarter plays made the difference.
The first came just 52 seconds into the second half, when Weddington’s Tyler Budge connected with Keenan Jackson on a 45-yard touchdown pass. That put the Warriors up 22-12.
Porter Ridge took the kickoff and launched a long drive, similar to its two first-half scoring drives. The Pirates moved from their 22 to the Weddington 29, but a fourth-down Porter Ridge pass fell incomplete.
Porter Ridge’s trademark option offense worked well in the first half. The Pirates took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for a score, on Jatavien Taylor’s 30-yard run. The Pirates’ second score came on another 80-yard drive, midway in the second quarter. That one was fueled by two Weddington personal fouls.
“We keep making the little mistakes, and that’s what’s preventing us from being a great team,” Capone said. “It’s the little things, like the defense getting off the field on third and fourth downs, and not making those costly penalties.”
“This has the makings of a really good team,” he added.
Oh … about those quarterback fumbles.
They happened early in the fourth quarter. Porter Ridge’s Jared Lockhart lost his grip on the ball, and Weddington sophomore lineman Aiden Harris recovered at the 1. On the next play, Budge fumbled the ball – only to have it bounce back into his hands, as he rounded right end and dashed into the end zone.
“We know we’re going to get other teams’ best shot,” said Jackson, who scored two touchdowns. “Coach has prepared us for that, and we know we’ll have to work hard.”
“We’ll learn and get better,” Capone said.
Three who made a difference
Keenan Jackson (Weddington): A senior wide receiver and defensive end, Jackson scored touchdowns on an 8-yard run and a 45-yard pass.
Jared Lockhart (Porter Ridge): A 6-4 junior quarterback, Lockhart was the engine that drove the Pirates’ offense. He rushed for 53 yards and completed 8-of-16 passes, mostly for short yardage.
Drew Harris (Weddington): Several Warrior defenders had a big night, including Harris, a sophomore defensive end. He had three tackles for loss and a sack.
Worth noting
▪ Weddington’s defense held Porter Ridge to 60 yards’ total offense in the second half. For the game, the Warriors piled up a 401-203 edge in yardage.
▪ Linebacker Braeden Barger and lineman Aiden Harris also had big games for Weddington. Barger had three tackles for losses, and Harris had a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
▪ Jared Lockhart is ideal as quarterback of Porter Ridge’s option-style offense, but the Pirates have another quarterback waiting in the wings. Sophomore Christian Myers saw action in the closing minutes. He showed a strong arm and good accuracy, completing 4-of-5 passes.
▪ Weddington’s Tyler Budge is one of the area’s top passing quarterbacks, but the Warriors gained 240 of their 401 yards on the ground. Nick Diamond led the way, carrying 14 times for 105 yards.
▪ The Weddington-Porter Ridge game, like others Friday night in Union County, was played with new regulations for fans. Only clear bags may be taken into games by fans, and students in elementary or middle schools must be accompanied by adults. The rules were put in place by the Union County Public Schools following a fight among spectators that broke out last week at the Forest Hills-Monroe game.
What’s next
Each team is home against Southern Carolina 4A competition next Friday. Weddington hosts unbeaten (7-0) Sun Valley, while Porter Ridge is home against Cuthbertson.
Scoring Summary
Weddington 0 15 7 14 — 36
Porter Ridge 6 6 0 0 — 12
PR — Jatavien Taylor 30 run (kick blocked)
W — Keenan Jackson 8 run (Everett Scott kick)
PR — Jared Lockhart 16 run (run failed)
W — Nick Diamond 7 run (Brady Ritter run)
W — Jackson 45 pass from Taylor Budge (Scott kick)
W — Joseph Madden 25 pass from Budge (Scott kick)
W — Budge 1 run (Scott kick)
