St. Andrews’ George Tharpe (44) breaks the tackle of Reinhardt’s Kendrick Hawkins (25) during Saturday’s game in Laurinburg.
File photo
LAURINBURG — Through seven games, the St. Andrews Knights football team has yet to get a win. The Kentucky Christian Knights have yet to do so either.
On Saturday in Laurinburg, one team will change that and bring the 110-pound Knights Trophy back to their respective school as they’ll face each other in the annual “Battle of the Knights” rivalry game.
“Getting that first win as we rebuild this program this year (is) really important,” St. Andrews head coach Bob Curtin said. “And it’ll bode well for the future and give us a lot more confidence going into the games coming up. But Kentucky Christian, they’re looking for the same thing. Their coaching staff’s just like ours; they’re rebuilding and fighting the same youthful challenges we are. And at the end of the day, we want to bring home the trophy we left there at Kentucky Christian last year in that offensive juggernaut.”
Last year, Kentucky Christian won over St. Andrews 51-28 in Grayson, Ky. But during this past offseason, Kentucky Christian had several players transfer out of the program, including last year’s starting quarterback Maxwell Ward and running back Josh Traylor — both now at Campbellsville. That’s led them to find replacements at key positions, making it a struggle to build off of last season’s 3-8 record.
“It just talks to the fact that they’re very young,” Curtin said. “They’re fighting for reps for their guys just like we are, which means the hungrier team will win; the more disciplined team will win. And so, we don’t quite understand what they’ve got other than what’s on paper. If they’ve recruited and maintained some of the guys that are true football players, then they’re going to be just as eager and excited to play this game. I know the St. Andrews Knights players are.”
Kentucky Christian is 0-2 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play — while St. Andrews is 0-3 — and lost 49-0 at Pikeville last Saturday. They’ve scored just 12 points all season on two touchdowns and are averaging a measly 135.9 yards per game.
Part of the reason for their offensive struggles is because of turnovers. Kentucky Christian has thrown nine interceptions and lost seven fumbles this year — an average of more than two turnovers a game. QB Malious Cain has thrown seven of those interceptions and only one TD and 186 yards; as a team, the Kentucky Christian Knights have thrown for 389 yards this season. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have an outside threat they throw the ball to.
Although he hasn’t played in Kentucky Christian’s last two contests, wide receiver Ja’raylan Johnson has caught 14 passes for 147 yards and a TD in four games.
Running the ball is where Kentucky Christian has had more success, though, with RB Jamari Wilson leading the way with 124 carries for 357 rushing yards and a TD.
Defensive back Javid Gayle Jr. has 40 tackles (28 solo) and two interceptions to lead the Kentucky Christian defense; defensive lineman Montrezus Hopkins has a team-best 1 1/2 sacks; DL Trent Hill has 5 1/2 tackles for loss; and linebacker Cameron Norfleet has 4 1/2 tackles for loss.
“I think statistically we’re very similar,” Curtin said. “But we’re not going to worry about them. We’re going to worry about us, worry about what we can control. I think the guys sense that this is going to be a great game.”
In the four games between St. Andrews and Kentucky Christian dating back to 2019, the home team has won each matchup. Curtin believes his team can move ahead 3-2 in the series because of that very stat.
“I think the advantage that we have is we’re at home,” Curtin said. “It’s been a tough season. And for the most part, we’ve had positive feedback from the parents (and) positive feedback from the community. And regardless of what anybody says, that’s tough to do. It’s tough to do seven games into it when we should have performed better. I think it’s very important that we go out there with all cylinders firing in unison, all three phases of the game: offense, defense, special teams.”
Asked about how significant the rivalry is, Curtin said it’s important because it gets his players motivated.
“You’ve got to have rivalries,” Curtin said. “You’ve got to have something to battle for. This is good for both programs, both schools, both communities. We’ve got 70-something recruits coming Saturday. So, we want to show them that the rebuilding is working. We want to show them that we’re a competitive program. And then, long term, it’s nice to say that you have the trophy, you have the big Knights helmet on the stand, and all those things. This year, it means we (can) get (a) win, and that’s important.”
Saturday’s game is slated to start at 1 p.m.
Reach Brandon Hodge at 910-506-3171 or by email at bhodge@laurinburgexchange.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @BrandonHSports.