2023 Preview: Catawba Ridge Copperheads

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Catawba Ridge is heading into Year 4 as a playoff eligible program, and after coming up two games short of a state title losing to Greenville in the quarterfinals in 2022, head coach Zac Lendyak and the Copperheads are looking to continue to make strides and develop mental toughness with the pieces they have in place to make a deeper run in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I think for this group, man, their effort is there, their attitude is there. And I think with any high school kid, any adult as well, that mental toughness piece is what we're looking to build and overcome adversity when that strikes because in the region we play and the schedule we play, you're going to have ups and downs. That piece of it is really important for us,” Lendyak said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest question the Copperheads will need to answer between now and the season opener on August 18 at home against Fort Mill is: Who will be the starting quarterback? <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1574007' first='CJ' last='Couch'], [player_tooltip player_id='1261525' first='Andrew' last='Turner']</strong>, who transferred back to the program following the discontinuation of the Legion Collegiate football team in Rock Hill, along with <strong>DJ Lattimore </strong>are all competing for the job. Lendyak told Prep Redzone SC that all three possess different qualities and the staff will look to make a decision on who will start by the time they scrimmage at Gaffney against Kings Mountain in early August.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other returners offensively include <strong>Chayson Anderton, </strong>who<strong> </strong>will anchor things on the offensive line while also taking snaps on the defensive line. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1360198' first='Lewis' last='Price'] </strong>and <strong>Jake Sines </strong>headline the returners on the defensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STARS SET TO SHINE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ira Mister, </strong>RB, 2023 – Mister played both sides of the ball, running for 654 yards and 7 touchdowns on offense while recording 62 tackles and 2 PBUs in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809747' first='Brady' last='Ambrose'], </strong>TE, 2025 – Ambrose recorded 27 receptions for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2022. Ambrose can flex out like a receiver and will be a tough matchup for opposing defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='595831' first='Rasean' last='Marajah']</strong>, LB/DL, 2025 – An All-State selection from 2022, Marajah (pictured above) was all over the football, applying pressure and quickly defeating blocks. He currently has an offer from UNC Pembroke.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sheldon Crawford, </strong>DB/WR, 2025 – No one was able to cover Crawford during the summer 7-on-7 period, according to Lendyak. He has great speed and will be a home run threat. He'll also play defensive back in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FILM REVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jackson Burger</strong>, FS, 2024 – Standing at around 6 '3 to 6' 4, Burger has good hands and had four touchdowns on defense in 2022. He attacks downhill when it comes to rushing the passer and recognizes plays quickly to either knock it away or limit the gain.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14483155/637ce6e35797ef0744fbe599' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64c7020ccf8aa"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY LOSS&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brody Teismale</strong>, LB – A four-year starter for the Copperheads who had 124 tackles during his senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preston Cooper, </strong>WR, 2025 – Cooper's inaugural season of football was in 2022. Lendyak called him “the biggest surprise.” He's received rave reviews from the staff and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/06/rock-hill-7-on-7-standouts-from-each-palmetto-state-team/">caught our eye during the 7-on-7 at Rock Hill in late June.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422524' first='Josh' last='Dobson'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603804' first='Colton' last='McCauley'], </strong>DB, 2026<strong> </strong>– Two incoming freshmen who are quick and athletic. It will be interesting to see if they can contribute on the varsity squad as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->