Big plays lead Myers Park football past Ardrey Kell

The Myers Park football team wanted to make a statement when it hosted Ardrey Kell.

Friday night, the Mustangs did all their talking on the field as the Myers Park knocked off No. 14 Ardrey Kell 30-20 in what Myers Park coach Scott Chadwick called “their biggest regular-season win in his three-year tenure.”

The Mustangs (2-0) made big plays when they needed to all night, starting with their first drive when they went 51 yards on seven plays, capped by sophomore running back Jacquez Robinson’s 3-yard touchdown run to take 7-6 lead.

Next, it was the Myers Park defense’s turn when junior linebacker Shane Collins picked off Ardrey Kell quarterback Luke Hefferly and returned it 49 yards, setting up his offense on the 14.

One play later, running back Aaron Jordan scored on a 14-yard run after he reversed field, giving Myers Park a 14-6 lead.

Myers Park had another big drive on the first possession of the second half, going 81 yards on 10 plays in 3 minutes, 57 seconds, capped by quarterback Jack Davidson’s 2-yard run. The extra point made it 21-6.

Ardrey Kell (1-1) would not give in or give up. On its first possession of the second half, Hefferly scored on a 7-yard bootleg run.

The Myers Park combination of Davidson and receiver Elijah Bowick made another huge play when they hooked up on 6-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Mustangs a 27-13 lead.

Davidson finished 15-of-19 for 175 yards passing a touchdown, and Bowick had six catches for 93 yards and a score.

The Knights had one last answer, when Hefferly founded Jaylen Erwin on a 9-yard touchdown pass, their second scoring combination of the night, to make 27-20.

Myers Park kicker Tyler Dameron put the game away with 28-yard field goal to make 30-20 with 2:10 to play.

Mustangs freshman defensive back Cameron Roseman-Sinclair iced the game with an interception with 1:05 to play.

Quote: “This was a major statement win for our team. Obviously, our playoff win (last season at Mooresville) was huge, but as far as the regular season, this is the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been here. It’s a big statement because we’re 2-0, we beat a very good team, and a lot of our players played big roles in this win. We had a lot of guys make plays. – Myers Park coach Scott Chadwick, in his third season as the Mustangs’ head coach.

Records: Myers Park 2-0; Ardrey Kell 1-1.

Worth mentioning: Myers Park quarterback Davidson and wide receiver Bowick are having a big season. Through two games, Davidson has 395 yards passing and four touchdown passes, and Bowick has 10 catches for 170 yards and three touchdowns. ... Myers Park starting sophomore cornerback Trey Bly has a familiar name. His father, Dre Bly, starred at North Carolina before enjoying a 12-year NFL career. ... Ardrey Kell quarterback Hefferly also had a strong game, passing for 292 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights’ Jaylen Erwin had four catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Nicco Crew had 10 rushes for 94 yards and six catches for 84 yards.

What's Next: Both teams will be on the road next Friday night, with Ardrey Kell traveling to Marvin Ridge and Myers Park playing at Providence.

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 11:25 PM with the headline "Big plays lead Myers Park football past Ardrey Kell."