Ardrey Kell gets mad at itself, gets even with South Mecklenburg

A week ago, Ardrey Kell lost 51-24 to rival South Mecklenburg and dropped its second straight game. Knights coach Joe Evans said his players were awful mad after that game – mad at themselves.

“We turned the ball over five times, and we gave up a whole lot of points in the second quarter,” Evans said of last week’s game. “We out-gained them on offense, so we weren’t mad at anything but ourselves for the mistakes we made that put ourselves in the hole.”

When the 4AA playoffs were released last Saturday, Ardrey Kell was given an immediate rematch with South Meck in the first round of the playoffs. Evans quickly went to work.

He said he moved some players around to different positions and changed some schemes, but what Friday’s 16-9 upset win really came down to was desire.

Ardrey Kell stopped South Meck on a fourth and goal at its 1 to secure the win. South Meck tried a quarterback sneak. Evans’ Knights stuffed it, giving him his first postseason win at Ardrey Kell in his first season.

It also gave Evans and the Knights redemption after last week’s loss.

“My kids just didn’t want to let them score,” Evans said. “They played hard all week in practice, prepared and watched film. We just had a great week of preparation and the kids decided they weren’t ready to go home yet.”

▪ Butler beat Providence 52-3 in its first round playoff game and now the Bulldogs are going to play rival Mallard Creek at home next week. Only Butler’s stadium is too small, technically, to meet state association standards to host a 4AA playoff game. So Butler officials are likely to ask Providence for permission to play there next week.

▪ Davidson Day coach Chad Grier is building a little dynasty in northern Mecklenburg County. The Patriots, who won three state titles in Division II and Division III, stepped up with the big boys of the private school world this season, moving to Division I. Davidson Day went undefeated for the first time and beat Charlotte Latin 31-13 to win its fourth state title in five years. And Grier had said all year he felt this team could be even better in 2016 than it could be this year.

Watch out.

Elevator

↑Butler defense: Bulldogs held Providence to 55 yards on 37 plays Friday.

↓Vance coach Aaron Brand’s nerves: It’s been a trying year for the Cougars coach, who thought his team could win a 4A title. Vance ended the season with three losses in four games. Two losses by one point, one win by one point and another loss by six.

↓Mallard Creek-Butler II: Hate to see these two, who appear to be hitting their strides, meeting so early in the postseason. This is a regional final worthy matchup.

Friday’s Top Performers

Cade Carney, Davidson Day: Wake Forest recruit ran for 224 yards and two scores in a 31-13 win over Charlotte Latin in the NCISAA Division I state final.

Tarus Dameron, Lincolnton: Career high 226 yards on 20 carries in 40-0 win over Lexington.

Clifton Duck, Butler: 151 yards on three punt returns in a 52-3 win over Providence. Duck returned one punt 61 yards for a score and he had an interception.

Bryce Maginley, Ardrey Kell: 129 yards rushing, one score, plus 53 yards passing and an interception on defense in the Knights’ 16-9 upset win over Ardrey Kell.

Quantavious McGill, Independence: 19 carries, 243 yards in Patriots’ 31-0 win over Lake Norman.

Friday’s Roundup

West Forsyth 14, North Meck 13: The Vikings, seeded No. 12, had a chance for a big upset at No. 5 West Forsyth. The Vikings were up 13-11 and got an interception deep in North Meck territory as West Forsyth was driving late in the game. But North Meck suffered a fumble and West Forsyth converted a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

Myers Park 21, Mooresville 17: No. 13-seeded Myers Park pulled off one of the night’s biggest upsets in Mooresville. Myers Park (7-5) had lost three of its last five games. But the Mustangs held on late to snap Mooresville’s three-game winning streak.

Hough 31, West Mecklenburg 7: The Huskies (11-1) started slowly Friday, getting down 7-3 in the first quarter and leading only 10-7 at halftime. But Hough eventually found its rhythm and worked out to a comfortable win. Hough (11-1) won its seventh straight game. Hough QB Jackson Gibbs was 9-of-17 for 138 yards and two scores. Rashad Williams rushed 16 times for 127 yards and a score.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Ardrey Kell gets mad at itself, gets even with South Mecklenburg."