Cramer here Friday for football opener
(February 24, 2021 Issue)
For the first time in over 15 months, Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers are scheduled to host Stuart Cramer’s Purple Storm in the Big South 3A Conference opening football game Friday at 7 p.m. at John Gamble Stadium. All regular season games will begin at 7 p.m. this season.
At the time of this writing, only 100 fans are to be allowed in the stands but Governor Roy Cooper was supposed to make a decision whether or not to increase that number Tuesday, which was past the Herald’s deadline. There is some talk that up to 40% of the stadium’s capacity could be admitted.
Regardless of how many fans will see them either in person or by KM high.org livestream, the Mountaineers expect to put on a good show against Cramer and all the other opponents on their schedule. Because of COVID, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is allowing just seven regular season and four playoff games this year so winning every game will be the top priority for all schools hoping to win a conference championship and make a playoff run.
Kings Mountain saw action against a good Burns team in a scrimmage Saturday at John Gamble Stadium. The final hour (with a running clock) was game situations except for contact on kickoffs and punts.
During that time the Mountaineers scored one touchdown but missed the extra point. They threatened several more times but lost two fumbles inside the Burns 10 yard line.
It wasn’t unusual that both teams’ defenses were better than their offense but both the Bulldog and Mountaineer coaches were trying to get most of their players playing time so they can evaluate talents of non-returning starters.
Kings Mountain’s defense was strong all day. Defenders like Chris Ruffalo, Dameon Wilson, Javari Rice-Wilson, Ty Ledbetter, Chance Cannon, Robert Lipscomb, Logan Patrick, AJ Richardson, Derek Wilson, Devin Pressley and others basically kept the Dogs penned up.
The Mountaineers got good blocking from its offensive linemen, including Blake Davis, Michael Blanton, Chris Richardson and many others. They opened huge holes for running backs like Roderick Kendrick, Jaylin Mims, Caleb Holland and others.
Returning starter Ethan Reid scored the game’s only touchdown on a quarterback sneak and along with Logan Patrick threw some accurate passes to receivers like Deandre Hoyle, Chance Cannon, Blake Emory and Pressley. But they misfired occasionally and some other passes were dropped.
The scrimmage saw the varsity and JV teams working at once from 40 yards in. Lamont Littlejohn, son of former Mountaineer quarterback Lamont Littlejohn, threw three touchdown passes. Caleb Holland made some spectacular runs and then joined the varsity for the live action. Kendrick was also with the JVs during that time and made several long runs.