Underdogs no more: Providence Day takes down Charlotte Latin 33-21
By Jay Edwards
Correspondent CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Providence Day football coach Adam Hastings knows most of his opponents see Charger team as the underdog.
But Hastings and company have a much different opinion of themselves.
Thursday night, the Chargers proved they were the better team, beating Charlotte Latin 33-21 in the team’s conference opener.
Providence Day controlled the game and clock by rolling up 373 yards rushing on the night.
Senior Chargers quarterback John Schweitzer led the way, rushing for 191 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Junior tailback Gabe Montgomery also had a big game with 172 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries.
Providence Day (4-3, 1-0) jumped out to a 26-0 lead just 22 minutes into the contest, capped off by Montgomery’s 78-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the first half.
But Charlotte Latin (5-3, 0-2) gained some momentum on their final drive of the opening half when junior quarterback Bates Jones found Ryan Ensor for a 16-yard touchdown pass with just 44 seconds left.
Latin used that late first-half boost to help them roar back in the second half, scoring on a 16-yard run by Melvin Rouse, and then cutting the Providence Day lead to 26-21 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Christopher Elliott early in the fourth quarter.
But just when Latin looked like they may stage a comeback, the Chargers went on a 10-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Montgomery’s 2-yard touchdown run to give his team a 33-21 lead.
Providence Day’s defense did the rest, stopping Latin on downs on their final drive.
Jones led Latin going 16-for-24 passing for 225 yards and two scores.
Quote: “A lot of people see us as the underdog. But we don’t see ourselves that way. We see ourselves as a team that is capable of beating anyone. For us it’s all about us and what we can do to play our best football. That is all we focus on doing.” Providence Day football coach Adam Hastings of his team.
Records: Providence Day 4-3 overall, 1-0 in CISAA conference play; Charlotte Latin 5-2 overall, 0-2 in CISAA conference play.
Worth mentioning: After a 1-3 start where they averaged just 19.5 points per game, Providence Day’s offense has come to life; In three straight wins the team is averaging 52.7 points per game; The Chargers won their first CISAA conference opener since 2012 when they also beat Latin before finishing as NCISAA Division I runner-up to Charlotte Christian; Charlotte Latin looked dominant in their first five games, going 5-0, averaging 47 points per game. But in two straight losses have scored just 14 points per contest.
What’s Next: Providence Day hosts Carolina Pride next Friday night (Oct. 16) in their homecoming game, while Charlotte Latin also hosts Davidson Day on the same night.
By Jay Edwards
Correspondent CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Providence Day football coach Adam Hastings knows most of his opponents see Charger team as the underdog.
But Hastings and company have a much different opinion of themselves.
Thursday night, the Chargers proved they were the better team, beating Charlotte Latin 33-21 in the team’s conference opener.
Providence Day controlled the game and clock by rolling up 373 yards rushing on the night.
Senior Chargers quarterback John Schweitzer led the way, rushing for 191 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Junior tailback Gabe Montgomery also had a big game with 172 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries.
Providence Day (4-3, 1-0) jumped out to a 26-0 lead just 22 minutes into the contest, capped off by Montgomery’s 78-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the first half.
But Charlotte Latin (5-3, 0-2) gained some momentum on their final drive of the opening half when junior quarterback Bates Jones found Ryan Ensor for a 16-yard touchdown pass with just 44 seconds left.
Latin used that late first-half boost to help them roar back in the second half, scoring on a 16-yard run by Melvin Rouse, and then cutting the Providence Day lead to 26-21 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Christopher Elliott early in the fourth quarter.
But just when Latin looked like they may stage a comeback, the Chargers went on a 10-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Montgomery’s 2-yard touchdown run to give his team a 33-21 lead.
Providence Day’s defense did the rest, stopping Latin on downs on their final drive.
Jones led Latin going 16-for-24 passing for 225 yards and two scores.
Quote: “A lot of people see us as the underdog. But we don’t see ourselves that way. We see ourselves as a team that is capable of beating anyone. For us it’s all about us and what we can do to play our best football. That is all we focus on doing.” Providence Day football coach Adam Hastings of his team.
Records: Providence Day 4-3 overall, 1-0 in CISAA conference play; Charlotte Latin 5-2 overall, 0-2 in CISAA conference play.
Worth mentioning: After a 1-3 start where they averaged just 19.5 points per game, Providence Day’s offense has come to life; In three straight wins the team is averaging 52.7 points per game; The Chargers won their first CISAA conference opener since 2012 when they also beat Latin before finishing as NCISAA Division I runner-up to Charlotte Christian; Charlotte Latin looked dominant in their first five games, going 5-0, averaging 47 points per game. But in two straight losses have scored just 14 points per contest.
What’s Next: Providence Day hosts Carolina Pride next Friday night (Oct. 16) in their homecoming game, while Charlotte Latin also hosts Davidson Day on the same night.
