Bum ankle? Why injury couldn't take South Point football's Patrick Blee off the field
Patrick Blee admits the past month took its toll on him and the South Point football program as a whole.
The Red Raiders went almost a month between victories, losses to Hunter Huss, Crest and Kings Mountain short-circuiting their hopes of a Big South 3A title. To make matters worse, South Point’s Oct. 6 loss to Kings Mountain proved costly in more ways than one, with Blee leaving in the fourth quarter due to an ankle injury.
His status in question ahead of a Week 9 clash with Ashbrook, and the threat of rain and one less day of preparation have compounded South Point’s concerns. But as the Red Raider quarterback has proven time and again, it’ll take more than a nagging injury to keep him off the football field.
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“(The rehab plan) changed at the start of the week (for me) when the game got moved to Thursday,” Blee said. “We had to redo what we were doing. So I came back to practice Tuesday, and then (during a walkthrough) Wednesday (my ankle) felt good.”
Though ailing, Blee showed no ill effects last Thursday as he rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-14 South Point win over Ashbrook.
“The past couple weeks, we haven’t had that winning feeling. It’s always in the back of your mind when you don’t win. You’re just thinking about it,” he said. “Our team played great (against Ashbrook). Really bounced back from last week and the past couple weeks, and I think we got back on track.”
As a freshman, Blee was key in South Point winning 13 games and advancing to the NCHSAA 3A West final, where it lost to eventual 3A state champion East Lincoln. For the season, he rushed for 1,419 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 688 passing yards and 10 TDs.
The Red Raider quarterback is again on pace to rush for his second straight 1,000-yard season. Through eight games, he’s run for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns. Blee has rushed for 100 yards or more in six of his team’s eight games, including a career-high 227 yards in Week 1 at Lincolnton.
“He’s a tough young man, a great kid,” said South Point football coach Adam Hodge. “He goes out there, does what he has to do and we’re awfully proud of him.”
Through eight games, South Point is averaging 34.3 points per game. According to Blee, such is the byproduct of an offensive unit working cohesively.
“Whenever we’re on, we’re on,” Blee said. “(Last Thursday against Ashbrook) was a work of art. We were scoring every couple plays, and they couldn’t stop us. Our (offensive line) played good; when we get the front moved out, it lets me, (fullback Chanyce Ford) and the backs go to work. That’s all it takes.”
In addition to his work on the gridiron, Blee has shown he’s a capable baseball player as well. A Wake Forest commit, he hit .372 with three home runs and 20 RBIs last spring to help South Point to the Big South 3A title.
Such business can wait, however, as the South Point quarterback is intently focused on getting his team prepared for what he hopes is another long playoff run.
“We’re still playing for (seeding) in the playoffs; these last two games, they aren’t for nothing,” he said. “We’ve shown the last few weeks (what we’re capable of). We took Crest to the fourth quarter, Kings Mountain to the fourth quarter. We’re right there (in every game), we just have to finish.”
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA football: Injury does little to slow South Point's Patrick Blee
