Personal Injury Attorney Near Me Fort Mill, SC

Catawba Ridge is moving on.

The No. 8 seed Copperheads earned a 13-3 victory in a tightly contested SCHSL football playoff game against ninth-seeded Fort Mill in the first round Friday night at the venue known as “The Pit.”

Catawba Ridge (6-5) will play the top-seeded Northwestern Trojans at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at District 3 Stadium.

Fort Mill finishes the season with a 5-6 record.

“I thought I was down at the one,” Catawba Ridge junior running back Boston Halpin said with a laugh recounting his fourth-quarter touchdown, the only one by either side. “I look up, and I see ref like, holding the uprights.

“The support from the fans is amazing. They've been there every single home game. And the defense, man, I just want to thank the defense. Absolutely did their thing.”

How Catawba Ridge defeated Fort Mill

The Copperheads struck first in an early defensive battle.

After Fort Mill shanked the punt on its opening possession, Catawba Ridge took over with good field position and put points on the board. Sophomore kicker Josh Crick blasted a field goal, which gave the Copperheads a 3-0 advantage.

Both sides continued making stops, and a burst from Halpin brought it deep in plus territory. But the Yellow Jackets’ defense broke up a pass on third down and held Crick to another field goal.

Possessions became increasingly valuable, particularly late, and the Copperheads used a second-half timeout before a strong Halpin rush on third and short. They moved farther downfield as the third quarter continued, but Fort Mill once again kept them to a three-point opportunity — then blocked Crick’s field goal attempt.

The Yellow Jackets rode that momentum and moved the football deep in Catawba Ridge territory, and a penalty on fourth down gave Fort Mill a chance for a field goal. Junior kicker Noah Hardy nailed it, making it 6-3 late in the fourth quarter.

Catawba Ridge senior quarterback Will Griggs threw the ball well to junior receivers Josh Dobson and Isaiah Thomas, while Halpin and senior running back Connor McFadden maintained the bruising ground game throughout the late stages.

The Copperheads brought themselves all the way into the red zone, and Halpin made it first and goal, breaking through the defense and forcing Fort Mill to start using its timeouts. Halpin dashed into the end zone, reaching across the plane to score the game’s only touchdown and give Catawba Ridge a 13-3 lead.

“Boston (Halpin) is just always in the weight room,” Griggs said. “Everyone’s just always working so hard, and I think it really showed on the field.

“We’re feeling pretty good. Big win, defense played their hearts out. And we've got some things to fix.”

An interception derailed one of the Yellow Jackets’ final chances, but they got the ball back following a turnover on downs. Junior quarterback Broden Mitcheson connected with junior receiver Jameson Terrell to bring Fort Mill near midfield, but a fourth-down deep pass fell incomplete.

Notable

He said it

“(Fort Mill) is where a lot of these guys came from,” Catawba Ridge head coach Zac Lendyak said. “You want to win the town, and coach (Rob) McNeeley does a phenomenal job over there. We knew coming in, to beat them twice was going to be really hard. Both those games, that’s only 14 points between the two of us. Just finding ways to win, and anytime you can win a playoff game is great, but when it’s your crosstown rival, it makes it a little sweeter.”

What’s next for Catawba Ridge?

The Copperheads advance to meet No. 1 seed Northwestern in the second round of the SCHSL Class 5A Division II playoffs.

Scoring summary

FIRST QUARTER

CR: Crick field goal (3-0, Catawba Ridge)

SECOND QUARTER

CR: Crick FG (6-0, Catawba Ridge)

FOURTH QUARTER

FM: Hardy FG (6-3, Catawba Ridge)

CR: Halpin 2-yard touchdown (13-3, Catawba Ridge)

Fans of the former Mama’s Pizza & Pasta in Indian Land won’t have to wait much longer for another helping of traditional Italian food, this time in Fort Mill.

Sal Vindigni, who owned of the Italian spot in Indian Land’s Publix shopping center that closed two years ago, is about four weeks from opening Mama Lina’s Pizza & Pasta. It’ll go in a 1344 S.C. 160 East, suite 105 central storefront at the newest strip shopping part of Avery Plaza, at S.C. 160 and Springfield Parkway.

“We specialize in pizza,” Vindigni said. “A lot of people know us in Indian Land.”

The native Italian has owned butcher shops and restaurants in the region, prior to a 10-year run in Indian Land. He’s had similar North Carolina locations in Mint Hill, Huntersville and Matthews.

“We came from Long Island, and I’ve opened up four places between North Carolina and South Carolina,” Vindigni said. “We’ve been here about 20 years.”

His son George, who went to culinary school in North Carolina, will join the team at Mama Lina’s.

The new spot will have an area for pizza and takeout, plus a dining room offering classic Italian dishes and weekly specials. It’ll be similar to the former Indian Land menu that had New York thin crust, white, square and gourmet pizza options, hot and cold subs, calzones and stromboli.

The newly built section of Avery Plaza sits between a Food Lion shopping center and a QuikTrip gas station. In addition to growth throughout Fort Mill, the shopping center is just south of a new senior living neighborhood that’s under construction, with more than 500 homes.

Mama Lina’s will share the strip mall with the already opened Dunkin’ Donuts, an animal hospital, a dentist and a tutoring business. Together, Avery Plaza has more than 60,000 square feet of commercial space. Mama Lina’s will take up more than 2,700 square feet.

Mama Lina’s will join a crowded pizza scene in Fort Mill, though many of the existing spots in town are in the Kingsley and Baxter area, or north of it. Visit York County lists 11 Fort Mill pizza places, but only Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen on Fort Mill Parkway and Toppers Pizza on North Dobys Bridge Road are located south of U.S. 21 Bypass. Mama Lina’s would become the easternmost spot.

For Italian dining that’s less pizza-focused, there’s also Salmeri’s Italian Kitchen on Mercantile Place — although it does offer smaller pizzas — and Rizzo’s Spaghetti House, which has a Fort Mill address but is in Indian Land.

A popular York County eatery is bringing its famous burgers and beers to Fort Mill.

Hoof and Barrel will open a second location at 2429 Highway 160 in Tega Cay, South Carolina, taking over the former Famous Toastery spot, according to a Facebook post.

The Fort Mill location of Famous Toastery officially closed Sept. 10, citing a reset to its trade area, CharlotteFive previously reported.

Hoof and Barrel opened its first location in York in 2019, offering classic American fare including hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks and pork chops, according to its menu. Featured appetizers run the gamut from chili cheese fries to mozzarella sticks and bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp fittingly dubbed “constrictors.”

Customers can wash it all down with Hoof and Barrel’s craft cocktails and beer.

Its “Big Bertha” cocktail is a meal and drink in one: a 20-ounce Bloody Mary stacked with a cheeseburger slider, two bacon-wrapped shrimp, fried pickle spears, a chicken wing, a boiled egg, applewood smoked bacon, and veggies.

“There aren’t many full-service bars and restaurants in the heart of the country that people can enjoy seven days a week,” Ian Terhune, co-founder of Hoof and Barrel, told CharlotteFive in 2019. “There are a few, but most are not open everyday.”

Now the eatery is looking to expand its footprint.

The restaurant teased its newest location via Facebook, and said it’s currently hiring for managers, hosts, servers and other positions as it prepares to open its doors to the public.

“Our next stop has us heading to where the peninsula meets the lake and luxury living feels like a vacation every day,” its website says. “Picture this: championship golf courses, pristine waters, and a community where Southern hospitality shines brightest.”

A grand opening date hasn’t been announced.

This story is developing and may be updated: CharlotteFive has reached out to Hoof and Barrel for comment and is awaiting a response.

Hoof & Barrel

Location: 2429 SC-160, Tega Cay, SC

Menu

Cuisine: Burgers | Beer

Instagram: @hoofandbarrel