A little sloppy, but Providence Day football claims league title, beats Country Day
BY LANGSTON WERTZ JR.
First-year Providence Day football coach Chad Grier was ecstatic that his team won the Big South 4A conference championship Friday night.
He just wasn’t happy with how the Chargers finished.
Providence Day beat rival Charlotte Country Day 35-30 but allowed the Buccaneers to recover three second half onside kicks -- two of which came late in the fourth quarter. To Grier, that made the Chargers work harder than they probably should have for their first regular-season sweep of rivals Country Day, Charlotte Christian and Charlotte Latin in at least 17 years.
Those recoveries -- and great play from Country Day quarterback Russell Tabor -- allowed Country Day to score 20 fourth-quarter points. Providence Day’s win was not secure until Country Day’s final onside kick didn’t go 10 yards and Providence Day got the ball via penalty in the final seconds.
“I’ve got to figure out my words here,” Grier said after his team’s third straight win. “I am really proud of the kids to come in with a new staff and new schemes and COVID, and the commitment the boys made, buying into the culture. That showed. They’re winners and they compete. So I’m extremely proud. We did some good things. Right now, I don’t remember those good things.”
Last week, in a win over Charlotte Christian, the Chargers struggled with their punting game. Grier emphasized that all week and the Chargers were better Friday night.
This week, though, Providence Day couldn’t recover the onside kick.
To start the third quarter, Country Day tried and recovered one, down 21-10 and struggling to stop the Providence Day offense. The play was called back for penalty. So Country Day tried it again and still recovered.
“I feel like we got punched in the stomach a little bit,” Grier said. “That’s not the way I expect us as a staff to prepare our kids to finish. That’s on my shoulders....That’s painful.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
JT Smith, Providence Day: promising sophomore had six carries for 61 yards and a score. He had two catches for 25 yards and another score. On defense, he had eight tackles and an interception.
Nickel Fields, Providence Day: 17 carries for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Fields had scoring runs of 77 and 67 yards.
Russell Tabor, Charlotte Country Day: completed 22-of-41 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 18 times for 82 yards and a score.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Providence Day got three interceptions Friday: from Jay Brandon Jones, Smith and Brody Barnhardt. The Chargers also recovered a fumble.
▪ Providence Day sophomore Sydney McCorkle, who earlier this year broke the gender barrier in N.C. Independent Schools’ football, got a fourth quarter kickoff, driving it to the Country Day 16.
▪ Grier praised senior Jay Brandon Jones and junior Dalton Godwin for moving from their natural positions at linebacker and defensive line to play left and right tackle on offense due to injury. Godwin rarely came off the field.
▪ Country Day got big games from Reid Simmons (13 carries, 81 yards, TD, two onside kick recoveries); Jordan Erwin (7 catches, 97 yards); and Stephon Wright (2 catches, 31 yards, two scores, plus five tackles).
THEY SAID IT
“It all starts with the offensive linemen giving the quarterback time and making holes. We had two tackles go down and some guys man up and play in the trenches for us. That was big.” -- Providence Day sophomore JT Smith, who had a rushing and receiving touchdown Friday
WHAT’S NEXT
Providence Day (3-0) will host Charlotte Latin (0-3) in the Big South conference tournament next week. Country Day (1-2) will play at Charlotte Christian (2-1).
The winners will play for the league tournament championship Nov. 6. The losers will play for third place the same day.
▪ The N.C. Independent Schools state playoffs will begin Nov. 13. There will be four teams in Division I and four more in Division II for a two-week playoff. The state finals will be Nov 20.
BY LANGSTON WERTZ JR.
First-year Providence Day football coach Chad Grier was ecstatic that his team won the Big South 4A conference championship Friday night.
He just wasn’t happy with how the Chargers finished.
Providence Day beat rival Charlotte Country Day 35-30 but allowed the Buccaneers to recover three second half onside kicks -- two of which came late in the fourth quarter. To Grier, that made the Chargers work harder than they probably should have for their first regular-season sweep of rivals Country Day, Charlotte Christian and Charlotte Latin in at least 17 years.
Those recoveries -- and great play from Country Day quarterback Russell Tabor -- allowed Country Day to score 20 fourth-quarter points. Providence Day’s win was not secure until Country Day’s final onside kick didn’t go 10 yards and Providence Day got the ball via penalty in the final seconds.
“I’ve got to figure out my words here,” Grier said after his team’s third straight win. “I am really proud of the kids to come in with a new staff and new schemes and COVID, and the commitment the boys made, buying into the culture. That showed. They’re winners and they compete. So I’m extremely proud. We did some good things. Right now, I don’t remember those good things.”
Last week, in a win over Charlotte Christian, the Chargers struggled with their punting game. Grier emphasized that all week and the Chargers were better Friday night.
This week, though, Providence Day couldn’t recover the onside kick.
To start the third quarter, Country Day tried and recovered one, down 21-10 and struggling to stop the Providence Day offense. The play was called back for penalty. So Country Day tried it again and still recovered.
“I feel like we got punched in the stomach a little bit,” Grier said. “That’s not the way I expect us as a staff to prepare our kids to finish. That’s on my shoulders....That’s painful.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
JT Smith, Providence Day: promising sophomore had six carries for 61 yards and a score. He had two catches for 25 yards and another score. On defense, he had eight tackles and an interception.
Nickel Fields, Providence Day: 17 carries for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Fields had scoring runs of 77 and 67 yards.
Russell Tabor, Charlotte Country Day: completed 22-of-41 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 18 times for 82 yards and a score.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Providence Day got three interceptions Friday: from Jay Brandon Jones, Smith and Brody Barnhardt. The Chargers also recovered a fumble.
▪ Providence Day sophomore Sydney McCorkle, who earlier this year broke the gender barrier in N.C. Independent Schools’ football, got a fourth quarter kickoff, driving it to the Country Day 16.
▪ Grier praised senior Jay Brandon Jones and junior Dalton Godwin for moving from their natural positions at linebacker and defensive line to play left and right tackle on offense due to injury. Godwin rarely came off the field.
▪ Country Day got big games from Reid Simmons (13 carries, 81 yards, TD, two onside kick recoveries); Jordan Erwin (7 catches, 97 yards); and Stephon Wright (2 catches, 31 yards, two scores, plus five tackles).
THEY SAID IT
“It all starts with the offensive linemen giving the quarterback time and making holes. We had two tackles go down and some guys man up and play in the trenches for us. That was big.” -- Providence Day sophomore JT Smith, who had a rushing and receiving touchdown Friday
WHAT’S NEXT
Providence Day (3-0) will host Charlotte Latin (0-3) in the Big South conference tournament next week. Country Day (1-2) will play at Charlotte Christian (2-1).
The winners will play for the league tournament championship Nov. 6. The losers will play for third place the same day.
▪ The N.C. Independent Schools state playoffs will begin Nov. 13. There will be four teams in Division I and four more in Division II for a two-week playoff. The state finals will be Nov 20.
