“Slippery When Wet” signs were displayed all around Cline Stansberry Stadium in West Union last Saturday with pouring rain and chilly temperatures wreaking havoc of ten combined turnovers as No. 1 Doddridge County took advantage of the blunders for a 21-6 victory over the No. 8 Cougars in the Class A state football quarterfinals.
East Hardy (8-4) lost two fumbles and threw five interceptions, while the Bulldogs (12-0) fumbled thrice away (five fumbles for both teams).
“That team is good, but we had an eight point lead and we were playing great defense with the elements and everything. That’s what we do and getting the two touchdowns was big. I can’t tell you how excited we are, we are in the final four and we were there last year and we got that taste,” Doddridge County coach Bobby Burnside remarked.
“I think a lot of people at the beginning of this year were looking at last year’s team and all that we lost and all year long we said this is a new group and we don’t want to talk about last year and here we are facing a very good team. Whenever you don’t capitaliaze on some of those opportunities and leave a team hanging around, they are one play away from making it a tied ball game. We were good on our extra points and getting it to two touchdowns did help us and our defense. [Fumbles] That’s not how we have been winning games. Our defense creating turnovers, we needed that because we turned the ball over. The most important play is the next play. We made some crucial mistakes, but had to just go to the next play. All of our turnovers were in the first half. The conditions were challenging from the snap to the quarterback to the running back, but we were able to overcome them. We were able to get some momentum and that momentum carried us. East Hardy is a good team and I think they will be really good next year and I told the coach that our kids have their respect.”
The Cougars came ready to play scoring on the opening drive of the game, but the Bulldogs bite and the elements took its toll throughout the game.
Doddridge County struggled in the first quarter on offense with a punt, turnover on downs and a fumble before unleashing a gnarly attack to kick off the second quarter with two touchdowns in a minute and change to grab the [private]lead for good.
The Cougars started at their own 30-yard line and Alex Miller was stopped for no gain, then East Hardy went to the air on second down with a pass from quarterback Christian Dove to Brayden Ritchie for seven yards and Dove moved the chains on a five yard run.
After an encroachment penalty put East Hardy at the 46-yard line, the Cougars pulled a magic trick out of the hat with earlier season quarterback Cole Pusl getting the ball and throwing to Andrew Tharp for a 36-yard completion into the red zone at the 18-yard line.
An errant pass and a three-yard run by Miller was followed by a false start backing the Cougars to the 20-yard line.
Dove connected with Dawson Price leaping along the side of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown strike in double coverage at the 8:53 mark, but Hinton Shifflett missed the ball on the extra point attempt creating a fumble recovered by the Bulldogs as East Hardy held the initial 6-nil edge.
Doddridge County’s return was to the 31-yard line to start the possession, then Hunter America garnered his first three rushing yards out of a game-high 196 yards on 31 carries with a tackle by East Hardy’s Austin Alt.
The Bulldogs had one pass fall incomplete and the next was batted down by East Hardy’s Adam Baker leading to a punt.
The Cougars went three and out as Miller notched one yard prior to two errant passes with one tipped by Doddridge County’s Austin Kelley resulting in the punt.
The punt by Brayden Ritchie nearly went off the hands of the returner and was picked up and taken into the end zone by Tharp, but it was ruled down at the 10-yard line.
America slipped away from a tackle attempt and was chased out of bounds by Alt, who was called for a block in the back and the Bulldogs were given a first down the East Hardy 49-yard line.
America gained 13 yards pulling away from defenders before being brought down by a pride of Cougars including Alt, Pusl and Noah Miller.
Shifflett and Ritchie stopped the Bulldogs’ Reese Burnside for no gain and America added one yard with a stop by Alt and Mason Miller before two incompletions created a turnover on downs as the last pass was caught out of bounds down the sideline by America.
Dove rushed for 13 yards and it was called back on a Cougars holding penalty, then Dove made another keeper for eight yards.
Tharp caught a 11-yard pass into Doddridge County territory at the 48-yard line, then Dove’s next pass was intercepted by Hunter Jenkins, his first of three interceptions on the day with a 25-yard return coinciding with a Bulldogs penalty as the rain started to fall.
Doddridge County started at the 33-yard line and America had the ball stripped away for a fumble recovery by Alt and the Cougars regained possession at the Doddridge County 41-yard line.
An eight yard run was made by Dove and Miller added three yards for a first down at the 30-yard line.
After an errant pass, Tharp caught a pass for two yards and Alt rushed for three yards.
Ritchie made what appeared to be a diving catch on fourth down, but it was ruled incomplete for a turnover on downs as the Bulldogs took over at the 25-yard line.
A short gain of four yards by Dylan Knight and a false start ended the first quarter for Doddridge County.
Two plays into the second quarter, Doddridge County quarterback Noah Bumgardner tossed a screen pass to Griffin Devericks, who eluded a tackle near the Cougars sideline and dashed 71 yard for a touchdown at the 11:10 mark and the extra point kick by D.J. Devinney put the Bulldogs ahead 7-6.
“Both teams were playing in the same conditions, so I won’t make any excuses in terms of that. Obviously, the rain does affect the spread offense more than it hurts the ground and pound. We had a clash of two styles of offense and it made it interesting and with that being said, they gifted us the ball a couple times and we could have taken better advantage of that and one time they did take better advantage,” East Hardy coach Devon Orndorff commented.
“Doddridge County is the best team in the state and they had a good game plan coming in and hats off to them, they came in and executed a little bit better than we did. I think that’s always true [offensive within striking distance] with our type of offense and the weapons we have and the good thing is they aren’t going anywhere, we are bringing all of them back next year. We’re explosive now and we’re only going to get more explosive on offense as we grow with a running quarterback. Good things will happen as we do the right things. Brayden Ritchie has the best hands on the team and that has been apparent since day one. We play East Hardy defense and that is a really good running back over there and a really good offensive line, but we bottled him up for the most part with the exception of a couple explosive plays and he’s good at that. Hats off to them for executing the game plan, but our defensive effort was there and we just have to capitalize on the turnovers.”
East Hardy started at its own 32-yard line and Miller fumbled the ball with Doddridge County’s Austin Kelley making the recovery.
A pass into the end zone with East Hardy’s Dawson Price jumping up in the face of the receiver as the ball was coming and both fell to the ground creating a pass interference call to place the Bulldogs at the 17-yard line.
Doddridge County took advantage of the red zone opportunity as America plowed over two Cougars and was finally brought down by Tharp at the two-yard line before punching it the rest of the way to pay dirt on the next carry and the extra point created a 14-6 advantage at the 10:05 mark.
Ritchie made a leaping catch stretching for the ball on a 22-yard reception for East Hardy to move the chains at the Bulldogs 41-yard line.
Jenkins made an interception two plays later for Doddridge County and returned the ball 31 yards.
“That kid is an all-state safety for us. He is at ten interceptions now. He covers the field and makes tackles,” Coach Burnside noted.
The Bulldogs would cough up the ball in the rain as America lost grip of the ball and Dove made the recovery for East Hardy at the 17-yard line.
A procedure penalty and a sack by Knight led to a Cougars punt, but America fumbled the ball again and Ritchie snatched up the ball at the Bulldogs 30-yard line.
An offensive pass interference was assessed, then Dove connected with Ritchie for 23 yards just outside of the red zone at the 22-yard line.
Facing third down and short, the Cougars fumbled and Kelley recovered the ball for Doddridge County.
The Bulldogs failed to get a first down and punted with the Cougars taking over at the 44-yard line with under four minutes left in the first half.
Dove made an eight yard run into Doddridge County territory, then Miller added four yards for an East Hardy first down.
The drive stalled with two incompletions sandwiching a one yard gain by Dove yielding a punt.
Devericks gained 17 yards to end the first half with the Bulldogs leading 14-6 at the break.
The East Hardy Marching Band had a performance at halftime adorned in ponchos and entire crowd enjoyed the show.
Doddridge County started the second half at the 48-yard line and America gained a first down on two carries to reach the Cougars 37-yard line before the drive stalled and two incomplete passes led to a punt.
The Cougars began at the 34-yard line and Dove’s arm was hit hard during an incomplete pass.
Miller added five yards and the next pass sailed beyond the intended target setting up a punt rolling to the 18-yard line.
A personal foul on the Bulldogs during a carry by America pushed the ball back to the 10-yard line, then America added five yard.
East Hardy blitzed on third down forcing an incomplete pass and Doddridge County punted.
Dove returned the ball to the Bulldogs 32-yard line, but the good field position was flipped upside down as Kelley made an interception for Doddridge County taking the ball near midfield.
America used a stiff arm on second down going around the outside and was forced out of bounds on the 14-yard run to the Cougars 37-yard line.
After a holding call, Bumgardner made a lateral pass to Brady Zellny, who cut back inside and was dropped for a loss by East Hardy’s Casey Sine.
An illegal shift was declined, then Devericks caught a wide open pass and was slammed to the ground with a stinger by Dove at the 23-yard line, but the play was negated on a penalty.
There was a fumble on a lateral pass play and the Bulldogs lost about three more yards before punting. with four minutes to go in the third quarter.
East Hardy had five receivers spread out, then Dove made a keeper for five yards to reach the 21-yard line, then there was a block in the back penalty during a carry by Miller placing the ball at the 14-yard line.
Miller spun away from a tackle before being tripped up by Devericks on an eight yard run, then Dove added three yards to reach the 25-yard line prior to a rugby style punt by Ritchie.
Doddridge County took over at the 41-yard line after the rolling punt, then America made two carries to reach the 46-yard line withs tips by Alt, Baker, Shifflett and Dayton Miller.
Devericks made a first down catch of nine yard to the Cougars 45-yard line where Tharp and Price made the stop to close the quarter.
Alt and Ritchie made tackles on America as the Bulldogs reached the 41-yard line.
Devericks looked open, but Dove raced over to knock the ball down forcing a punt into the end zone.
East Hardy brought in freshman Mason Miller at quarterback and a high snap sailed over Miller, who made the recovery as Doddridge County’s Connor Cunningham swooped in for the tackle at the six yard line.
Miller pitched to Tharp going out of bounds on a two-yard gain, then Miller passed to Tharp for three yards before a punt with pressure coming from Knight forcing a high and short kick.
The Bulldogs setup shop at the East Hardy 30-yard line and America plowed over Tharp en route to the end zone for a touchdown at the 8:01 mark as Doddridge County extended the lead to 21-6 with the kick.
East Hardy began the ensuing possession at the 34-yard line and Mason Miller passed to Ritchie, who was wide open for a 33-yard reception to the Bulldogs 33-yard line.
Miller was chased out of bounds and a late low hit occurred moving the Cougars just inside the red zone.
Pusl made a catch for seven yards tp the 12-yard line, then a bad snap was kicked backwards by Miller and recovered by Baker at the 31-yard line.
After suffering that loss in yardage, Miller’s pass was intercepted by Doddridge County’s Jared Jones bobbling the ball going to the ground at the 14-yard line.
The ball was jarred loose on a one-yard carry by America during a pride of Cougars tackle, but deemed forced out by the ground contact.
America added eight yards with a stop by Shifflett, then the Bulldogs moved the chains on a third down keeper by Bumgardner with Shifflett and Push making the tackle.
A few more carries took time off the clock before the Bulldogs punted with three minutes remaining.
There was a deflection on the pass by Mason Miller and Doddridge County’s Hunter Jenkins made his third interception and tenth of the season returning the ball 24 yards into the red zone.
A penalty plus stops by Shifflett and Tharp led to a turnover on downs with under a minute to play at the Cougars own 20-yard line.
After an errant pass, East Hardy’s Alex Miller rushed for five yards, then Mason Miller slipped away from a tackle for a nine yard keeper and a first down at the 34-yard line, then then final play was an incomplete pass.
Dove was 6-of-20 for 85 passing yards with one TD and three INTs plus 51 rushing yards against the Bulldogs.
Alt led the Cougars with 140 tackles and six forced fumbles, followed by Tharp with 139 tackles.
Dove was 53-of-114 for 1,144 passing yards with 14 TDs and nine INTs.
Alex Miller had 173 carries for 892 yards with nine TDs.
Tharp had 35 cathces for 641 yards and five TDs.
Doddridge County advances to the state semifinal round hosting Williamstown this weekend, while the Cougars made the season ending water-logged trip back home to hibernate for next year.[/prvaite]