Grant Armistead, defense power Charlotte Christian past Charlotte Latin
By Herb White CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Grant Armistead was in the right places at the best time for Charlotte Christian.
The senior cornerback was a game-changer during the Knights’ 24-7 CISAA win against Charlotte Latin, with a blocked punt and an interception, both of which resulted in touchdowns.
“I did all right,” Armistead said. “I had a couple of busted coverages, but it feels good to have the ability to be able to make those plays and set up a great team win. The offense and defense did great on both sides of the ball.”
Christian led 3-0 in the second quarter when Armistead sprinted in from the wing to smother a Latin punt deep in Hawks territory, which set the stage for Justus Woods’ 3-yard scoring run. Until then, Latin and Christian slugged it out on defense, probing for an opportunity to seize momentum.
“I made a move to the outside and came back underneath,” Armistead said.
Said Latin coach Larry McNulty: “The blocked punt was really the turning point in the game. I tell my guys every year when you play in a big game there’s going to be something in the kicking game that’s going to turn the game one way or the other. I think that had a huge impact on the game.”
Armistead wasn’t finished. His third-quarter interception and return to the Hawks’ 29 led to Woods’ second score for a 17-7 advantage. Turning the ball over in scoring territory made things easier for Christian, which accumulated 224 yards, including 113 on the ground.
“That’s one of the strengths of this Charlotte Christian team,” Armistead said. “We’re blessed to have the players we have. I wouldn’t want to be on any team other than this team.”
Latin pulled to within 10-7 on a 44-yard strike from Bates Jones to Hunter Sheridan 17 seconds ahead of halftime, but couldn’t overcome Christian’s defense, which racked up three interceptions.
“We thought we had a decent offensive plan, but we couldn’t get anything going. We couldn’t read zone, we couldn’t run power, we couldn’t run counter, we couldn’t run outside. We had a few plays here or there, but that set the tempo.”
Quote: “We were up only three points, so we had an opportunity to create a bigger lead.” – Armistead.
Records: Charlotte Christian is 4-2, 1-0 in CISAA; Charlotte Latin is 5-1, 0-1.
Worth Mentioning: There was just one fumble lost despite the slippery conditions.
What’s next: Charlotte Latin plays at Providence Day. Charlotte Christian plays at Liberty Christian (Va.) in a nonconference game.
By Herb White CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Grant Armistead was in the right places at the best time for Charlotte Christian.
The senior cornerback was a game-changer during the Knights’ 24-7 CISAA win against Charlotte Latin, with a blocked punt and an interception, both of which resulted in touchdowns.
“I did all right,” Armistead said. “I had a couple of busted coverages, but it feels good to have the ability to be able to make those plays and set up a great team win. The offense and defense did great on both sides of the ball.”
Christian led 3-0 in the second quarter when Armistead sprinted in from the wing to smother a Latin punt deep in Hawks territory, which set the stage for Justus Woods’ 3-yard scoring run. Until then, Latin and Christian slugged it out on defense, probing for an opportunity to seize momentum.
“I made a move to the outside and came back underneath,” Armistead said.
Said Latin coach Larry McNulty: “The blocked punt was really the turning point in the game. I tell my guys every year when you play in a big game there’s going to be something in the kicking game that’s going to turn the game one way or the other. I think that had a huge impact on the game.”
Armistead wasn’t finished. His third-quarter interception and return to the Hawks’ 29 led to Woods’ second score for a 17-7 advantage. Turning the ball over in scoring territory made things easier for Christian, which accumulated 224 yards, including 113 on the ground.
“That’s one of the strengths of this Charlotte Christian team,” Armistead said. “We’re blessed to have the players we have. I wouldn’t want to be on any team other than this team.”
Latin pulled to within 10-7 on a 44-yard strike from Bates Jones to Hunter Sheridan 17 seconds ahead of halftime, but couldn’t overcome Christian’s defense, which racked up three interceptions.
“We thought we had a decent offensive plan, but we couldn’t get anything going. We couldn’t read zone, we couldn’t run power, we couldn’t run counter, we couldn’t run outside. We had a few plays here or there, but that set the tempo.”
Quote: “We were up only three points, so we had an opportunity to create a bigger lead.” – Armistead.
Records: Charlotte Christian is 4-2, 1-0 in CISAA; Charlotte Latin is 5-1, 0-1.
Worth Mentioning: There was just one fumble lost despite the slippery conditions.
What’s next: Charlotte Latin plays at Providence Day. Charlotte Christian plays at Liberty Christian (Va.) in a nonconference game.
