This time, Ballantyne Ridge’s football players and fans got to see how the other half lives.
They got to experience a scoreless first quarter and a one-point game at halftime. The Wolves’ fans yelled “Dee-fense” and rang cowbells in the fourth quarter, when it still made a difference.
And everyone on the Ballantyne Ridge side — players, coaches, fans — got to experience how it feels for the game to be on the line with fewer than 10 seconds to play.
In the end, visiting Berry Academy beat the Wolves 13-6.
But for a first-year Ballantyne Ridge team that has suffered a string of 50- and 60-point losses while playing freshmen and sophomores, Thursday night showed what the future might hold for the Wolves’ program.
“Tonight, for our program, was a step we needed to take,” said Wolves coach Chris Redding, who came to the new school after coaching for two years at Berry Academy. “Our kids were in a meaningful game.”
Ballantyne Ridge (0-7, 0-4) got the ball at its 31 with 54.3 seconds remaining, and, behind the passing of freshman quarterback Ryder Polston, drove to the Berry Academy 10 with 3.9 seconds left. But the Cardinals (2-5, 1-3) picked off Polston’s pass to end the threat.
“It was bittersweet for me, having coached those kids at Berry before coming to start this program,” Redding said. “Those kids (Berry) are good kids, and they’ve worked hard. But we wanted to beat them.”
Redding said it’s difficult to learn a lot in a 50-0 game that’s decided after one quarter. But, he added, close games like Thursday’s are full of teaching moments.
“Our kids learned how close the margin between winning and losing can be,” he said. “We’re in the process of learning how to win. Tonight, I thought we showed the fruits of our labor for the first time.”
Berry Academy got on the scoreboard first, on a 6-yard pass from Justin Williams to NaNa Mensah in the second quarter. Elijah Britt’s conversion kick made it 7-0. But Ballantyne Ridge drove in the closing minutes of the half and scored on the second quarter’s final play on a pass from Polston to Ty’Barious Young. The conversion kick failed, leaving the Cardinals up 7-6.
Berry Academy got its second touchdown on the first series of the second half, with Williams throwing a 9-yard pass to Britt.
The Cardinals got outstanding defensive play from junior edge rusher JaShawn Shaw and senior lineman Josh Jordan. And Marquise McNair picked off a Wolves pass in the fourth quarter to stop a Ballantyne Ridge drive in Berry territory.
Polston had a big game, completing 20 of 34 passes for 254 yards.
“I told our kids afterward, ‘It hurts because it matters. It hurts because it was so close,’” Redding said. “And it was great for our program to be in a game that was competitive like this.”
In other area games:
No. 1 Weddington 49, Porter Ridge 0: Brody Anson ran for four touchdowns, and the host Warriors (6-0, 1-0 Southern Carolina 4A) returned to action with a lopsided victory. Weddington hadn’t played in three weeks, because of a bye and a Hurricane Helene-caused game cancellation.
The Warriors struck quickly, as Kelson Tate returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Gregory Fee and Anthony Barrino also scored on runs for Weddington. Porter Ridge fell to 4-3, 0-2.
No. 9 Charlotte Catholic 57, Garinger 0: Nick Bierman scored on a 59-yard punt return, and the host Cougars (5-2, 4-0 Southwestern 4A) also scored on a blocked punt against the Wildcats (0-7, 0-4).
Charlotte Catholic opened scoring with a safety, then went up 9-0 on Jake Anderson’s 1-yard run and a Roman Hyland conversion kick. Garrett Nowlan and Jon Pacheco also scored on first-half runs for the Cougars, who led 43-0 at halftime.
The Cougars face Butler in a showdown for first place next Friday.
No. 10 Independence 42, Providence 14: Jayden Jones, the No. 2 rusher in North Carolina, had another huge game as the Patriots (6-1, 2-1) steamrolled to a Southwestern 4A victory. Jones rushed for 207 yards on 10 carries and scored three touchdowns. Teammate Travis Hill had 10 carries for 104 yards and a score.
Quarterback Justin Little completed 15 of 23 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown. Providence (1-5, 0-3) got a pair of touchdown passes from junior Jackson Debe.
Butler 50, Rocky River 13: Jayden Williams ran for four touchdowns as the host Bulldogs (4-4, 4-0 Southwestern 4A) rolled to victory. Damorian Thomas-Wright also ran for two Butler touchdowns, and DeQuadre Currence returned a punt for another score. Rocky River (2-5, 1-2) got two touchdown passes from Ramir Watson.
Charlotte Latin 20, Charlotte Country Day 17: Holden Freno kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play of the game, lifting unbeaten Charlotte Latin to its eighth victory of the season. Fresno earlier kicked a 30-yarder for the Hawks (8-0, 1-0 Big South).
Troy Logan fired a 54-yard touchdown pass to Joe McGirt in the first quarter for Charlotte Latin, which was 2-8 a year ago. Charlotte Country Day fell to 4-4, 0-2.
Forest Hills 35, West Stanly 9: Zach Dillworth fired three touchdown passes,and Rodney Smith and Kylan Polk ran for scored in leading the Yellow Jackets (4-3, 1-1 Rocky River 2A-3A) past the Colts (1-6, 1-1). Dillworth connected on a 30-yard scoring toss to Jerel Bolder, and on passes of 30 and 41 yards to Kemarion Massey.
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