By Will Bryan
MaxPreps.com
Charlotte Latin was fully prepared to celebrate its fourth consecutive NCISAA state title. The Hawks were playing the championship game on their home field and facing a team that had not won a championship since 1992.
The only problem was that Charlotte Latin never got on the scoreboard.
Emboldened by a dominating defense all season, the Knights from Charlotte Christian captured the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I title by shutting out Charlotte Latin, 15-0.
Christian held the Hawks to just 79 total yards as they beat Latin for the second time this season and finishing the title campaign 9-3.
Christian defense was stifling all evening as they forced incomplete passes on Latin’s first nine passes of the game and held the Hawks to 11 total yards in the first half. Those 11 yards came on 16 rushing attempts for an average of 0.69 yards per play.
On the game, Christian’s defense netted two sacks, one safety and one late-game interception to preserve the shutout.
“We've come a long way in a couple of years, getting people to believe we could win football games at Christian,” coach Jason Estep told the Charlotte Observer. “Our defense is dad-gone good. Most of them are coming back next year. We're going to be good next year.”
But while Christian’s defense helped preserve the game, it was the play of special teamer Wil Kamin that helped win it.
The punter and field goal kicker notched two field goals from 38 and 25 yards out, while also booming two punts inside of the Latin ten-yard and two kickoffs into the Latin end zone for touchbacks.
Kamin’s biggest plays helped turn misfortune into opportunity for Christian. On Christian’s first possession, he recovered a snap that went over his head and kicked it on the run from his own goal line for 37 yards.
Later in the third quarter, Kamin drew two consecutive roughing the kicker penalties that extended Christian drives and set up the Knights only a touchdown of the game, a 17-yard pass from Luke Bard to Jonathan Miller that made the score 15-0.
“Special teams are pretty important,” Kamin told the Charlotte Observer afterwards. “Getting kicks into the end zone limits the other team, and field goals put points on the board when another team might punt in that situation. Coach Estep gives me a lot of leeway with field goals.”
After losing to Latin in the title game last season, Friday night’s breakthrough meant so much to the Christian players and fans, especially Coach Estep.
“I was reading the list of state champions and saw a lot of Latins and Country Days there, with Ravenscroft sprinkled every few years. I'm glad we're on that list again now.”
Independence 43, East Mecklenburg 16
On a night where Independence quarterback Anthony Carrothers was being frustrated by an effective coverage scheme by East Mecklenburg, the Patriots turned to running back Harold Blythe. That change in philosophy led to 27 unanswered points in the second half.
Blythe finished the game with 126 yards on 14 carries for three touchdowns. Carrothers was still nursing an injury but finished 160 yards passing and 84 yards rushing, accounting for three touchdowns himself.
Independence’s second round win, coupled with a 45-7 win by Butler over Providence, will lead to a rematch between Charlotte’s two best teams next week. Independence won the first matchup 42-31.
South Mecklenburg 49, Crest 26
South Mecklenburg tallied 439 yards rushing en route to a 49-26 win over Crest in the 4A playoffs. Running back Tim Palmer finished with 181 yards and four touchdowns while teammate Spencer Shuey was right behind him with 173 yards and two touchdown runs.
South Meck only threw the ball once all night, yet Crest was never able to stop the run.
“Every team that we play, knows what is coming,” South Meck coach James Martin told the Charlotte Observer. “But (running the ball) is what we do. Tonight, everything just came together.”
South Meck advances to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs after just picking up their first playoff win in 14 years last week in the opening round.
Will Bryan covers the Charlotte, N.C., area for MaxPreps. He may be reached at wbryan08@gmail.com.
