Kings Mountain took an early lead with freshman quarterback Jordan Jenkins scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run after a 73-yard drive, but South Point rallied in the second half to claim a 34-13 victory at John Gamble Stadium on Friday night. The Red Raiders outscored the Mountaineers 34-7 after halftime, turning the game around and keeping their hopes alive for a share of the Big South 5A/6A championship.
South Point’s coach Adam Hodge praised his team’s effort after the match. “I’m super proud of this team; everyone knows to win these type of games it takes everyone,” he said. “We had a great week of practice and our guys worked really hard. It really showed (Friday night).”
Kings Mountain had entered the contest on a six-game winning streak, averaging 46 points per game. Their early success seemed to suggest a continuation of that form, but South Point’s defense resisted throughout the night, bending but not breaking. Hodge singled out Jenkins, saying, “(Jenkins), that kid is going to be phenomenal,” while also emphasising his team’s focus on resilience. “We just asked our guys to ‘move on to the next play.’ Don’t let the previous play beat us twice; our guys put in a team effort and we were able to make things work in our favor.”
The teams were tied 7-7 at halftime. South Point seized the initiative on their first possession of the third quarter, driving 73 yards in 13 plays. Quarterback Cayden Rumph gave the Red Raiders their first lead of the night with a 3-yard touchdown run. After Kings Mountain’s next drive ended with a controversial turnover on downs—Mountaineer coaches and players argued that a catch by Xavier Hutchens was wrongly ruled incomplete—South Point’s running back Kaveaun Pless took over momentum with a 66-yard touchdown run. That score put the Red Raiders ahead 21-7.
Pless scored his second touchdown earlier, a 2-yard run in the second quarter. Rumph also added two more rushing touchdowns in the second half, one from four yards out and another on a 33-yard run. Hodge praised the team’s focus and energy. “You know, there was a lot of energy in the building tonight, and we just wanted to play good team football. Don’t worry about the scoreboard, just play. I wanted them to give me six seconds at a time, and our guys did that. I’m mighty proud of them.”
The victory marks South Point’s third consecutive win over Kings Mountain and their 11th in the last 14 meetings between the teams. South Point improved to 8-1 overall, with a 4-1 record in Big South 5A/6A play, remaining a game behind Crest in the league standings. The Red Raiders will finish their regular season with a trip to Forestview on October 23.
Kings Mountain fell to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the league. They now face a road game against Hunter Huss as they look to regroup after their first loss in seven weeks.
According to Yahoo Sports.
