ROCK HILL – Nation Ford interim head coach Jason McManus praised his team’s ‘resilience’ and ‘grit’ following a week marked with change that ended in a lopsided loss.
On Monday, it was announced that longtime football coach Michael Allen had resigned after 14 years with the program. McManus was promoted to the top job, and his Falcons team fought hard for four quarters in a 67-13 rout at Northwestern High School. With the loss, Nation Ford drops to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Region 3-5A.
“We had a great meeting the day that coach Allen resigned,” McManus said. “In the past few days, we’ve let (the team) know how much we love them, how much we respect how they handle change. This is just a part of life. I think for some of them, this is the first time they’ve handled this part of life. The outcome of this game isn’t a reflection of how they are as kids. We’re gonna rally around and get better from it. I’m proud of their resilience, their grit.”
Third-ranked Northwestern, 5-0 overall and 1-0 in region, dropped nine touchdowns throughout the game, including six on the ground and three thrown by standout quarterback Finley Polk, who went 18-of-20 for 345 passing yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
Nation Ford wide receiver Josh Ameo was the lone bright spot on a tough night at District III Stadium in Rock Hill. The senior tallied 165 receiving yards on seven catches, as well as both of the Falcons’ touchdowns. McManus called Ameo “probably the most underrated receiver” in South Carolina.
“He was the best player on the field tonight,” he said. “I’ve got to do a good job of getting creative and making sure he keeps getting the ball. He’s a hyper-competitive kid, and I’m excited to see his recruiting take off over the next few weeks.”
Nation Ford quarterback Carson Sanford went 7-of-12 for 148 passing yards and a touchdown before he was injured with 2:20 left in the first half. Backup Emanuel Young finished the game under center for Nation Ford, and even found Ameo in the back corner of the end zone to finish the drive and cut the Trojans’ lead to 50-13.
Northwestern was dominant from the beginning, scoring on each of its eight first-half drives. Polk found receiver Kameron Vance in plenty of space for a long gain before handing the ball off to running back Zymier Gordon-Miles for an 8-yard draw play up the middle to open up the scoring. Polk finished off the drive with a hard-nosed 2-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead.
Nation Ford responded quickly on the next drive. Following two short plays for a small gain, Sanford aired out a bomb to Ameo, who streaked down the near sideline for a remarkable 75-yard toss-and-catch, motoring into the end zone without being touched.
But the good feelings didn’t last long. Polk found receiver Daniel Caldwell for a 49-yard passing touchdown just two plays later. Nation Ford was forced into back-to-back punts, and the Trojans punished the visitors. Running back Quay Mobley finished off a seven-play, 90-second drive with a 1-yard scoring rush. Mobley then followed up his first touchdown with another, just a few minutes later from 9 yards away.
With less than 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Nation Ford gave up a fumble, leading Northwestern to take over inside the Falcons’ red zone. Polk pushed his way in to score just three plays later to put the home team up 36-7 with 11:55 left in the half.
Nation Ford’s Rylee Cook was helped off the field with an apparent leg injury with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter after defending a punt play.
Gordon-Miles earned his second touchdown of the night from 4-yards out before Sanford found Ameo for gains of 19 and 11 yards.
But Polk and his offense couldn’t stop scoring. The quarterback found Nigel Smith from 58 yards away to score on just the second play of a drive that started on his own 20, giving Northwestern a 50-7 lead.
Sanford connected with Ameo down the sideline to push Nation Ford into Northwestern’s territory for the first time in at least an hour.
Sanford appeared to suffer an arm injury with 2:20 left to play in the first half after an incompletion on 3rd and 14 on the next drive. He was replaced by Young on the next play. McManus said Sanford appears to be OK, and that he would be assessed on Monday.
“We’re looking forward to next week’s bye week,” he said. “It’ll be a good opportunity to get everyone healthy, get everyone fresh mentally, and we can all look ahead to putting together some wins in region play.”
Just two plays after taking over, Young found Ameo with a dot to the back corner of the end zone from 22 yards out, and Nation Ford cut the lead to 50-13 after a failed extra point.
With 1:30 left in the half, Polk quickly got back to work and found TaDarrian Knox for a massive 50-yard pass before finding him in space over the middle for a 10-yard scoring touchdown with 39.9 seconds left.
Most of Northwestern’s starters took the bench after the halftime break, including Polk, Vance, Nichols, Mobley, and Gordon-Miles. As the Trojans led by more than 42, the second half took place with a running clock. Nigel Smith scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, and backup kicker Braeden Bybee nailed a 27-yard field goal in the fourth.
McManus said his team would focus on fundamentals in the bye week.
“We need to make sure we’re fundamentally sound in 5A football,” he said. “We’ll reassess our schemes and strategies, but we need to make sure we’re giving our kids the best chance possible.”
Nation Ford begins its bye week and will not play next Friday. The Falcons will next host Indian Land Oct. 4 before traveling to Rock Hill High on Oct. 11.
