YORK – The Nation Ford and York football game kicked off Friday night, but will have to finish Saturday afternoon.
Nation Ford’s football game against York Comprehensive High School has been postponed until 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 due to lightning strikes in the area.
The Cougars were about to start their second drive of the game Friday night when lightning was spotted in the distance and officials brought the game to a temporary halt.
The game was then officially postponed nearly 30 minutes later. York will restart the game on Nation Ford’s 48-yard line with 2:28 left in the first quarter. Nation Ford was leading 7-6 at the time of the stoppage. Both teams scored on their first offensive drives of the first quarter.
Nation Ford’s kick returner caught the kickoff inside his own 20, made two players miss, and dashed down the near sideline before getting tackled at the York 27.
Five plays later, Nation Ford quarterback Carson Sanford threw a 25-yard dot to receiver Lucas Barz in the back of the end zone to put the Falcons up first.
York responded in kind on the next drive. Starting on their own 43, running back Ziggy Byers tore off a pair of strong runs before quarterback Tayshon Freeman used an 18-yard quarterback sneak to push the Cougars into Nation Ford’s red zone.
On second and 10 at the Nation Ford 11, Freeman tossed a slant to Johnathan Tobias, who broke a couple tackles at the goal line before pushing his way in to score. The York kicker’s point-after attempt was blocked at the line, allowing Nation Ford to maintain a 7-6 lead.
Nation Ford was stuffed on its next drive, and punted back to York with less than three minutes left in the first quarter.
Both teams lost their first games of the season last week on the road. The Region 3-4A Cougars fell to Indian Land 22-20, while the Region 3-5A Falcons were beaten by Blythewood 44-6.
