WEST COLUMBIA- Palmetto Preps was onsite at Eagle Stadium to take in the sights and sounds of Midlands Friday Night Lights on Sept. 13, and Westwood (2-2) defeated Airport (0-3) in a runaway, 31-7 win after a physical, tight contest in the first half.
The Redhawks defeated Lakewood 35-0 but lost to strong opponents AC Flora and Richland Northeast. And Westwood will seek to take that momentum into a big home contest against rival Blythewood on Fri. We spoke to head coach Robert O'Connell in an exclusive after the game. Here is everything he had to say about the Redhawks:
PALMETTO PREPS: What was your message to Carrington Carter following the interception right before halftime?
O'Connell: "We talked to him before that drive. We were trying to score before the half, so we were just trying to take a shot. Sometimes, those things happen. The biggest thing for him and the whole team is that we were playing good defense. And we've been playing good defense the last four weeks. We felt like we were going to continue to play good defense. It was more about not stopping ourselves, and I think we did that in the second half.
We came out with a little bit more energy. We challenged them at halftime to come out and play the way that we wanted to play, and I think they did that in the second half."
PALMETTO PREPS: Physical junior linebacker Ako Taylor made a key, critical stop on athletic, dual-threat Class of 2028 quarterback Jay Eady on Airport's last drive in the second quarter, ending the Eagles' momentum and chance to take a 14-3 lead into the locker room. Was this a momentum building moment for your program?
O'Connell: "It was. Anytime you make plays like that on defense, it gets everybody going. And you know, Ako is a guy who has played a lot of football for us, and he's really, really come along during the last couple of weeks. And we're expecting some big things out of him moving forward."
PALMETTO PREPS: Carrington Carter made solid connections with Tyrek Jenkins and athletic wide receivers on the perimeter in the first half running out of the spread formation, but your team wasn't quite able to score a touchdown or take the lead heading into halftime. So what was it that made you click in the second half?
O'Connell: "It was really just making the plays when they were there. We had a couple of penalties in the first half, but not that many in the second half. The biggest thing we talked about was, 'we are getting to the point where we are having the opportunity to make big plays, and we've just got to make them.' We did that, and the momentum and the energy on the sideline really helped with that."
PALMETTO PREPS: Talk about the big pick-six in the third quarter from defensive lineman Matthew McCoy and his overall performance during tonight's game.
O'Connell: "He played really well. He had a couple of tackle for loss and some big hits. The whole defensive group, and the whole defensive front, Jamar Gallman, Darryl Jones, David White, and Derek Williams, they've done a great job all season. And we played really well on defense. But we haven't had a play like that. So that was really good to see, and on the very next possession, we got another interception. Those are the kinds of plays we've been missing, and it was awesome to see Matt make that play."
PALMETTO PREPS: How is tonight's win a momentum builder for your program moving forward?
O'Connell: "Obviously, it's great. I told them after the game that it wasn't pretty. Football is not pretty. It's a tough game played by tough people. Our biggest thing is coming into this week's game (vs. Blythewood), we're 2-2 heading into region. The biggest thing not for us, but for everyone, isn't how you start, but how you finish. It's about continuing to get better every week. And if you do that, then you're going to be able to (survive in the postseason). And that's what we're trying to do."
PALMETTO PREPS: Sophomore running back Angelo Rios was all over the field tonight, especially on a big fourth quarter drive where he continued to ground and pound and wear down the defense. What were your thoughts on that drive and his performance overall?
O'Connell: "That was pretty awesome to see. The first thing is that we pride ourselves on being able to run the football. I don't know how many times we ran it on that drive or throughout the game, but we want to be a physical football team. Angelo is just a sophomore. He has a motor, and he is going to be a heck of a player for our team."
PALMETTO PREPS: What were your thoughts on junior defensive lineman DJ Jones's standout performance tonight?
O'Connell: "He had another good game, he's kind of one, who just always has one. He made a couple of good plays tonight, but he is a guy who does everything right. He's always in the right spot, always in the right gap that he is supposed to be in. So, I'm proud of him for that."
PALMETTO PREPS: Which players from your program should we be on the look out for?
O'Connell: "You've already hit on some. Matthew McCoy, D.J Jones, Angelo Rios, and Jase Rios. Zion Oliver had a big interception tonight, and Carrington Carter is playing better each week, although it may not look like it in the stat book. We had some drops tonight, but he is playing some good football."
