LAURINBURG — Running back Zay Jones accounted for over half of Scotland’s offense. Quarterback Ji’San McPhatter impressed in his first game as Scotland’s starting quarterback.
But neither of them — and no other player on the team for that matter — made a bigger play than kicker Cameron Cole did Friday night when he nailed a 37-yard game-winning field goal with five seconds left to give the Fighting Scots (1-0) a 32-29 season-opening win over the Southern Durham Spartans (0-1).
“(I) did that against Jack Britt last year; I was ready to do it again,” Cole said after the game. “I was thinking about it (in) the fourth quarter. I was talking to the punter, and I was like, ‘What if it comes down to a field goal’ because I knew we didn’t have much time. I was just trying to calm my nerves and do what I’ve been doing in practice.”
Pate Stadium roared with cheers from fans, players, and coaches following Cole’s FG — and it even made head coach Richard Bailey pass out on the field.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever coached harder in my life to be truthful with you; maybe a little too hard,” Bailey said in a shortened postgame interview due to the incident. “I’m proud of the kids. It wasn’t perfect, but they gave a lot of effort.”
Despite the made kick, there was still 0.4 left on the game clock, which meant Southern Durham still had a chance to win on the kickoff. But the Spartans bobbled and fumbled the ball on the return, and Scotland recovered it to end the game.
The game-winner was set up on a drive that started on Scotland’s 45-yard line with 1:36 to go and included a third-and-18 conversion on a screen play from McPhatter to Jones, which Bailey said “was big.”
“Great screen call there at the end,” Bailey said. “Coach (Steven) Harris did a good job, called some key passing plays that really were effective.”
While the passing game played a big part in the win, running the ball did too. The Scots ran for 207 of their 342 yards on offense and had 12 first downs on rushing plays.
“(The) running backs ran phenomenally,” Bailey said. “(The) offensive line did what they do against a stacked box. They (Southern Durham) have five D1 (Division I) guys on their defense, and we ran for (a lot of) yards tonight.”
Scotland took an early 7-0 lead after Jones scored a 65-yard touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. In the second quarter, Southern Durham’s Jordan Glover, who is listed as a defensive back, tied the game with a 20-yard rushing TD, and on the ensuing kickoff, Scotland fumbled the ball, which led to a 12-yard TD reception by wide receiver Justin Baskerville; however, the extra point was no good. With 1:12 to go before halftime, Scotland scored and took a 14-13 lead when McPhatter threw a 30-yard TD pass to WR Dakota Quick-Smith.
After a slow start to the second half for both teams offensively, the Scots broke things open with 3:55 remaining in the third quarter with a 9-yard rushing score from Jones.
Just before the third quarter ended, Jones went down on the field before returning to the game in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Southern Durham evened the score with 8:24 left after QB Jordan McClure found Baskerville from 19 yards out for the duo’s second TD connection of the night, and Glover ran in the two-point conversion. The Spartans took their first lead of the night with 3:26 left when McClure found WR Amir Hall for a 23-yard TD strike. But instead of attempting the extra point, Southern Durham went for another two-point conversion and was successful after McClure dotted a pass to Baskerville.
Scotland tied the game at 29-29 on Jones’ third rushing score of the evening from a yard out, and a run by WR Shylan Harrell, who was set up in the wildcat formation, on the two-point conversion attempt.
Jones finished with 225 yards on 21 carries for the Scots, and WR Quatavius Everette led the team with 57 yards receiving on four grabs.
McPhatter was 8 of 11 for 135 yards which Bailey was impressed with.
“I can’t say enough (about) Ji’San,” Bailey said. “(I) thought he handled himself quite well.”
McClure was 20 of 40 for 250 passing yards and had 45 yards rushing for Southern Durham. Baskerville finished with 92 yards on seven catches, and Hall had 88 yards on six grabs.
Before the game started, the Fighting Scots honored their fallen teammate, Zyshawn McInnis, a JV player who passed away earlier this year, by having his family on the field for the coin toss.
Bailey said he knows “our kids were emotional.”
“A lot of them were very tight with him,” Bailey said. “Appreciate their families showing up tonight for that and his mom being our captain.”
Jones was one player who was close with McInnis. He said his performance against the Spartans was because of him.
“This one was mostly just playing for my brother,” Jones said. “All he wanted to do was just play varsity and be that starting DB (defensive back), that lockdown corner, he would say. So, this game was just showing out for him, really. I just can’t let him down. Like, I know he’s watching over me. So, whatever I’ve got to do, I’ve got to do for him to the fullest.”
Scotland will play at Terry Sanford next week in a rematch from the second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 3A state playoffs last year.
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