2025 Preview: Catawba Ridge Copperheads

After a one win season in 2023, Catawba Ridge righted the ship, finishing with an 8-4 record in 2024 and falling to TL Hanna in the second round of the playoffs. Now as the Copperheads turn the page to 2025, the motivation is there to try to make a deeper run with the talent they have coming back.   “Last year was a turnaround year for us. We came back and we saw what we could do. I think this group really has a motivation within them to build off of that and build more success and bring that culture into this year and I think that's going to be a big part for this team to get out there and make a deeper run without having that second round loss,” senior linebacker Casey Fikis (pictured above) said.   The Copperheads lost about 80 to 85% of their production on offense last year, and they'll need to figure out who will be the starting quarterback. Copperheads head coach Zac Lendyak says it is a three-man race with Brady Compton, Will Griggs and [player_tooltip player_id='901164' first='Davian' last='Hall'].    “All three have their own things that they bring to the table, and three different strong points, but they all have things that they need to be working on as well. So (there's) a lot of evaluation, a lot of competition, a lot of healthy competition going on with them. We make it clear that, hey, at the end of the day, there can only be one of you on the field at a time. So they're helping each other, but they're also pushing each other at the same time,” Lendyak said.   [player_tooltip player_id='1650419' first='Aaron' last='Jones'] is the leader up front on the offensive line along with Ben Chris at center. Jones told us at the Prep Redzone Media Day series at Catawba Ridge on June 20th that they've spent the offseason working to get stronger and be able to run block better in 2025. Expect the Copperheads to be running back by committee with Mark Blakeney to be one of the featured backs.   The Copperheads' defense returns a lot of experience beginning up front with [player_tooltip player_id='1270438' first='Connor' last='McFadden'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1603727' first='Alex' last='Johnson'] back on the defensive line. The secondary will be senior led with Xavier Gilmore, Ian Babcock returning along with [player_tooltip player_id='1608770' first='Tyler' last='Robinson'], who transferred in from nearby Nation Ford. There's also another defender who is getting major college interest. We'll have more on him in a moment.   As the summer begins to wind down and the focus shifts to the season opener on August 22 on the road against Chapin, Lendyak wants his team to focus on being the more physical team on Friday night.   That's (in the) weight room and putting them in situations where they're tired and it's early morning, late night, super hot, and expecting high expectations for them .... On August 22nd, when we're down in Chapin and it's probably 95 degrees on the turf and it's halfway through the third quarter and you're in a dogfight that we know that we're gonna get the best out of them then.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1422524' first='Josh' last='Dobson'] DB, 2027 – Dobson is the unquestioned leader of the Copperheads' defense, and has the athleticism and the toughness that you want to see at the position. He has the ability to stay toe-to-toe with the best receivers and it's why numerous Power Four schools like SMU, Oklahoma, Clemson, Ohio State are all vowing for his services at the next level. Expect him to see time on offense as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592500' first='Darius' last='Sutton'] WR, 2026 – Whoever ends up being the starting quarterback for the Copperheads will have a dynamic receiver in the slot to throw to. Sutton runs great routes and can find the green grass and make plays with the ball in his hands. He has great speed on the outside as well – he finished 2024 with 560 receiving yards and five touchdowns.   Casey Fikis LB, 2026 – Fikis is fun to watch at the linebacker position. He can play out in space in coverage and make plays on the ball when they present themselves. But he's also not afraid to get his hands dirty and plug up the run lanes and make tackles there. The second-team all region selection in 2024 also plays basketball.   Improvements heading into 2025: “Defensively, we had a lot of success last year (so) just building off of that. Fixing some things, tweaking some things but overall, we played pretty well on defense and just pace as a team. Building up our pace so we can play faster with stamina and just be able to go out there and play all night through Friday nights.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1592496' first='Nolan' last='Jones'] LB, 2026 – Jones is a disruptive linebacker to where he can diagnose a play quickly and get in and make tackles. He had two interceptions when we went back and watched his film where he sunk into coverage and read the quarterback's eyes well.   Motivation after losing to TL Hanna: “It just shows we can play with a lot of teams, especially when we're in the right spot. Just keep working. We haven't arrived yet but keep working and we'll get there next year.”   KEY LOSSES   CJ Couch QB – The All-Region selection moves on after throwing for 33 touchdowns and 3,096 yards as the Copperheads will be looking to replace him.   Brady Ambrose TE – The Shrine Bowl selection from 2024 is now at Campbell University after an injury shortened senior season in 2024 that saw him record 21 receptions and 313 yards.   FILM REVIEW   Colton McCauley WR, 2027 – McCauley is a deep, outside threat who can go up and make contested catches. His route running is crisp and he has great hands to make plays with defenders all around him. His recruiting interest is starting to pick up as he has offers from the University of San Diego and Campbell University.    UP AND COMING POTENTIAL   Calvin Rocheleau WR, 2028 – Rocheleau is only a sophomore, but his speed is impressive when you turn on the film. He runs great routes and can go up and make the one-on-one catch for a touchdown. Lendyak says he's been impressive in the summer 7-on-7s as well.   Curtis Dayson RB, 2027 – Dayson is another young guy who runs with a good combo of power and speed once he gets out into the open field. He can bust through arm tackles as well. And don't be surprised if you see him on defense as well.    Goodwin made a name for himself for the Copperheads as a sophomore on the offensive line in 2024. He has great size and engages well with opposing defensive linemen. He has good hands to affect how the defensive linemen rush him and in turn, it gives him an advantage. We expect him to have a big junior season with a full year of experience under his belt.

After a one win season in 2023, Catawba Ridge righted the ship, finishing with an 8-4 record in 2024 and falling to TL Hanna in the second round of the playoffs. Now as the Copperheads turn the page to 2025, the motivation is there to try to make a deeper run with the talent they have coming back.