Football rewind: Cardinal Newman, Dutch Fork roll. River Bluff holds off Gilbert

After relying on its passing game the last two seasons, Cardinal Newman has switched things up on offense.

The Cards turned to a ground-oriented attack in 2024 led by senior Caleb Ford and their big offensive line. That recipe worked Thursday night as Ford rushed for three touchdowns and unofficially 301 yards, and Cardinal Newman defeated Ben Lippen 28-0 in the SCISA 1-4A opener for both teams.

The win snapped Cardinal Newman’s two-game losing streak.

“You have to play to your team’s strength,” Cardinal Newman coach Cory Helms said. “We have a big offensive line, a really big tight end and a physical H-back. And we’ve got a big, physical running back, so it would be silly for me to sit in 10 personnel (no tight end) or 11 personnel (one tight end). Biggest thing is to play to your team’s strength.”

The change in offensive style is more what Helms, a former offensive lineman at South Carolina, likes. The switch had a lot to do with the graduation of quarterback Duncan Skehan, who threw for over 2,000 yards in each of the last two seasons and the arrival of Ford from Gray Collegiate.

Ford was Gray’s leading rusher as a sophomore before he tore his ACL in the middle of the season. Last season, he played behind BJ Montgomery and transferred to Cardinal Newman.

Ford said it was a tough decision to leave Gray. He arrived at Cardinal Newman in January.

He has been the Cards’ go-to-man on offense and came into the game with an area-best 767 yards rushing. The senior came up with a pair of-second half touchdowns, the second a 13-yard run to put Cardinal Newman (2-2) up 28-0 with 6:07 left.

“It feels great to be part of this offense,” Ford said. “They treated me well as soon as I came here. And we have dominated since spring workouts.”

The game was delayed for more than 30 minutes in the third quarter after Cardinal Newman freshman offensive lineman Jeremiah McGowan was taken off the field in an ambulance. Helms said McGowan was having some neck pain and the move was done as a precaution.

The first play after the delay, Ford scored on a 19-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.

Defensively, the Cardinals came up with a big stop in the first half with Ben Lippen (2-2) deep in their territory. They forced a turnover in the third after turning it over the play before. It was the second straight year Cardinal Newman shut out the Falcons.

River Bluff 14, Gilbert 13

The Gators stopped the Indians on a two-point conversion with 31 seconds left to hold for a win at Tomahawk Stadium.

Gilbert trailed 14-7 with 5:39 left and started its final drive from its own 1-yard line. The Indians converted on a fourth down from its own 9 and marched down the field. Quarterback Cooper James completed several big passes on the drive, with one to Chandler Guthrie to the River Bluff 1-yard line.

On the next play, Jaylen Jay scored on a 1-yard run to cut the lead to 14-13. Indians coach Ozzie Exume decided to go for two and the win. James dropped back to pass and tried to hit Guthrie, but River Bluff’s Blaine Fender broke it up and the Gators recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

“I told him I loved him,” River Bluff coach Blair Hardin said of Fender. “I want to kick his butt sometimes, but I am proud of him. We bowed up in a tough game and it is good to have that experience before we get into region play.”

Exume didn’t second-guess his decision to go for two.

“I’m aggressive by nature,” the first-year Gilbert head coach said. “I trusted our guys. We had a good play call and set-up. It didn’t work out.”

River Bluff jumped on top, 7-0, in the second quarter when Parker Murray hit East Carolina commitment Stephen Collier for a 10-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Murray was 16-of-20 for 121 yards. Hayden Myers rushed for 87 yards before leaving the game in the second half with an injury

Gilbert tied it on James’ pass to Guthrie with 7:52 left in the third quarter.

River Bluff answered on its next drive as Lathan Smalls ran it in from 1-yard out with 3:58 left in the third quarter. Gilbert had a drive deep in RB territory but fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter.

James finished with 186 yards passing for Gilbert.

Dutch Fork 35, Gray Collegiate 0

Ethan Offing threw two touchdowns and running back Maurice Anderson went over the 100-yard mark for the Silver Foxes (3-0), who recorded their second straight shutout.

Offing was 16-of-26 passing for 218 yards. Boykin Bickley caught six passes for 113 yards and a TD. Isaiah Shine had a TD catch and ran for a score.

Anderson finished with 149 yards on the ground.

Irmo 55, Carolina Forest 7

Virginia Tech commitment AJ Brand had more than 400 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets moved to 4-0.

Irmo scored 48 points in the first half.

Brand threw four TDs and ran for two more. He was 18-of-26 for 377 yards passing and carried it six times for 77 yards.

Donovan Murph and Maleek Miller each had more than 150 yards receiving and two scores apiece.

Camden 43, Ridge View 26

The Bulldogs rallied from a halftime deficit and shut out the Blazers in the final two quarters.

Ridge View took a 26-21 lead into halftime on Khristian Jackson’s kickoff return for a touchdown on the final play of the second quarter.

Navier Boykin scored the first of his two second-half touchdowns to put Camden up 29-26. Tylin Drakeford added a TD to make it 36-26 with 1:31 left in the third. Drakeford also had an 84-yard TD catch from Wyatt Thompson in the first half.

Blythewood 23, Keenan 14

Johnny Collins threw TD passes to Carter Coleman and Chance Johnson as the Bengals moved to 4-0 on the season.

Greenwood 14, Lexington 0

Tristan Lewis threw two TD passes to Landen still as Greenwood handed Lexington its first loss of the season.

Westwood 31, Airport 7

Matt McCoy returned an interception for a touchdown as the Redhawks broke open a close game in the second half.

The Redhawks scored 24 of its 31 points in the final two quarters. Cam Cunningham and Angelo Rios had TDs for Westwood (2-2).

Batesburg-Leesville 21, Lower Richland 7

KD Whitt had an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and added an 18-yard TD run to help the Panthers (3-0) to their third straight win.

Hammond 48, Heathwood Hall 0

Andrew Turner threw three touchdown passes to Jack Croft as the Skyhawks rolled past the Highlanders.

Turner also had a TD run. Manny Johnson, Kinson Holland and LSU commit Mike Tyler all had TD runs for the Skyhawks.

——— Thursday’s games ———

Richland Northeast 58, Nation Ford 49

The Cavs outscored Nation Ford, 28-7, in the second half to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2010.

RNE quarterback and North Carolina State commit Will Wilson threw five touchdown passes and also ran for three scores. Unofficially, Wilson finished with 290 yards passing and 155 rushing.

RNE opens up region play next week at Camden.

Chapin 42, Newberry 37

Brady Albro came off the bench and threw four touchdown passes for the Eagles (4-0).

Albro, the team’s normal starting quarterback, didn’t start because of a leg injury suffered against Spring Valley last week.

Brock Smith started in place of Albro and put the Eagles up 7-3 in the first quarter. Albro came in the second quarter and hit Khalen Bostick on a 27-yard TD on fourth down to put Chapin up 21-9.

Albro finished the game 18-of-25 passing for 275 yards. Bostick finished with six catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Colione Martin had a TD rushing and receiving for the Eagles.

Newberry then took a 23-21 lead with 2:47 left in the second quarter. Chapin answered with an Albro TD pass to make it 28-23 with 1:47 left in the second. The lead grew to 42-23 before the Bulldogs rallied to cut it to 42-37 with 1:46 left.

Chapin recovered the onside kick to end the game.

Newberry quarterback Kenton Caldwell had three rushing touchdowns and also threw a TD. Caldwell finished with 334 yards passing and 43 rushing. Bryce Satterwhite had a TD pass.

Calab Levy and Cash Brown each had TD catches. Levy had a team-high five catches for 218 yards.

Lugoff-Elgin 49, Aiken 18

Aiden Fitzgerald threw four touchdown passes as the Demons moved to 3-1 on the season.

EJ Richardson had three touchdowns and Ry’Keez Brown, Quentin Benjamin and Jeremiah Benson each had one. Jarkese Grant had a TD run.

Columbia 20, Great Falls 6

Myles McDuffie returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter in the Capitals’ victory.

Malachi Butler had a TD run in the first half for Columbia (3-1).

Swansea 28, Pelion 18

The Tigers moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2012 with a win over the Panthers.

Tysean Charley rushed for more than 100 yards and two TDs for the Tigers.

May River 35, Brookland-Cayce 13

Andrew Johnston had three rushing touchdowns in the Sharks’ win over the Bearcats.

Fairfield Central 33, Lewisville 8

Quarterback Kaden Diggs ran for two scores and threw for one as the Griffins (3-1) defeated the top-ranked team in Class A.

Ty Grier and Kenyan Douglas also had TDs for FC.

Saluda 16, Chester 12

Brayden Williams hit Tristan Daniels on a 54-yard touchdown pass with 1:33 left to give the Tigers a come-from-behind win.

Williams finished with 148 yards passing and also rushed for a score to put Saluda (3-0) up 10-6 in the fourth quarter,

Richard Winn 56, Laurens Academy 20

Quarterback Charlie Bonds had two touchdown runs and a TD pass for the Eagles (4-0).

Barber Smith added a pair of rushing touchdowns. Bennett Nicholson had a TD catch and ran for a score.

Mid-Carolina 34, North Central 13

The Rebels (2-2) picked up their second straight win with a victory on the road.

Ryker Woolstenhulme rushed for 133 yards and a TD and Monteith Brown had two rushing touchdowns.

Davis Ruff and Ty Floyd each threw TD passes for the Rebels.

Ridge-Spring Monetta 21, American Leadership 6

Jaiden Holloway threw for a touchdown and ran for one in RSM’s victory.

Holloway finished with 163 yards passing and 75 yards rushing.

Ian Briggs had a 44-yard TD run for ALA (0-3).