By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
The cats started the tango at homecoming with the Cougars taking a 40-0 halftime lead and Tucker County didn’t have the two-step response to the laissez-faire scoring approach as East Hardy danced to a 46-14 victory last Friday in Baker.
The Mountain Lions took the first step on the field receiving the kickoff, but East Hardy pounced for the initial touchdown within four minutes of the opening frame.
“It was just another win for us, just another game and that’s what we’ve been selling to the boys. I know homecoming is always exciting and this and that, but homecoming is no fun when the football team doesn’t win. It is all about the football team. We had good focus coming into the game. Our varsity executed the game plan very well. I am real pleased with the execution and buy-in this week. We are back to playing East Hardy football on the defensive side of the ball and we have to continue to do that,” East Hardy coach Devon Orndorff commented.
Tackles by East Hardy’s [private]Aaron Fishel, Austin Alt and Andrew Tharp, plus a Mountain Lions false start and incomplete pass on the opening possession led to a punt.
The Cougars (4-2) started at their own 35-yard line and Alex Miller’s first carry was for six yards before exploding for a 19 yard gain plowing through a defender en route to a first down at the Tucker County 40-yard line with Jacob Barrett finally hauling him down.
East Hardy quarterback Christian Dove dashed around to the outside for a 12-yard keeper and another first down at the 28-yard line.
The Cougars were penalized for being offsides, then Miller made a zigzag patterned run for 18 yards into the red zone at the 15-yard line gaining a first down in the process with a stop by Augustus Mullennex.
It took a group of Mountain Lions to bring down Miller on a three yard play.
East Hardy elected for an aerial attack as Dove connected with Andrew Tharp leaping above the cornerback to pull in the 12-yard touchdown reception and the extra point was blocked as the Cougars took a 6-0 edge at the 8:31 mark.
On the first play of the next Tucker County possession, East Hardy’s Andrew Tharp made an interception and nearly made a pick six touchdown return only to have the ball knocked loose by Hunter Collar fumbling it into the end zone for a touchback.
The Mountain Lions (0-6) went three and out with a punt as Collar gained only five yards and was stopped by East Hardy’s Adam Baker, then Jeremy Miller added three yards and was tackled by Noah Miller and Austin Alt before William McCallister was denied at the line by Dayton Miller and Patrick Helsley.
East Hardy’s seven play scoring drive began at the 28-yard line with Alex Miller rushing for four yards, then Dove added five and Miller picked up the first down at the 41-yard line on a four yard carry.
Dove gained five yards before throwing an incomplete pass and Miller added thee yards as the Cougars faced fourth down and one.
Noah Lang made a wide open 49-yard touchdown reception from Dove for the Cougars and Hinton Shifflett’s extra point was blocked as the score stood at 12-nil with 2:53 left int the first quarter.
Tucker County setup at the 42-yard line and the Cougars thrashed defensively allowing just three yards on another three and out punt with tackles made by Noah Miller and Adam Baker.
During the punt, the ball ricocheted off the back of Lang and Dove had the wherewithal to cover it up.
East Hardys tarted at the 31-yard line and there was a fumble on the pitch, but Miller recovered and twisted his way for four yards and added another six yards to close the first quarter.
Andrew Tharp made a 34-yard reception for the Cougars to open the second quarter reaching the Tucker County 25-yard line.
Alex Miller juked a Mountain Lions defender making him fall, then plowed past another player for a 25-yard touchdown run at the 11:21 mark and Noah Lang made the extra point for a 19-nil East Hardy lead.
“It feels great. We’re really coming together and stepping up our game. We’re working together as a whole team. We’re getting a whole lot of yards on offense and our defense is holding good. We work hard in practice on defense and have stepped up holding four teams to under 100 yards now,” East Hardy junior Alex Miller remarked.
McCallister gained six yards for Tucker County before being tackled by East Hardy’s Brayden Ritchie and Noah Miller at the 42-yard line.
McCallister tried to go up the middle and was stopped for no gain by Noah Miller.
Alex Miller made an interception for the Cougars and returned the ball to the Tucker County 27-yard line.
After a timeout, East Hardy’s Noah Lang made a leaping catch snatching the ball above the Mountain Lions defender for a potential touchdown before it was negated on double personal foul penalties with linemen throwing punches and the players on both teams were ejected for the incident.
The Cougars shook off the penalty and scored in three plays as Alex Miller made three carries capping off the drive on an eight yard touchdown run at the 8:24 mark and Lang added the extra point for a 26-0 lead.
After a touchback, Collar made a four yard run for the Mountain Lions prior to a false start.
McCallister was dropped for a three yard loss by East Hardy’s Adam Baker and Hinton Shifflett.
McCallister eluded a couple of defenders on the ensuing play, but was met by Austin Alt on a six yard run leading to a punt taking a roll to the 39-yard line.
Miller rushed to the outside and was forced out of bounds on a 16-yard run for the Cougars at the Tucker County 45-yard line.
Dove made a keeper for four yards and added another three yards before Miller notched a one yard pickup for a fourth down and four situation and East Hardy elected to go for it.
East Hardy’s Cole Pusl converted the fourth down on a 12-yard catch from Dove reaching the 27-yard line.
Miller garnered three yards on the ground, then the Cougars went back to the air as Dove connected with Tharp for a 24-yard touchdown reception at the 3:36 mark and Lang’s kick made it 33-0.
East Hardy’s Erik Flynn, Shifflett and Alt teamed up to bring down Tucker County’s Jeremy Liller for a loss at the 34-yard line.
McCallister was tackled for no gain by East Hardy’s Mason Miller.
Tucker County’s Hunter Collar was drilled by Cougars defender Dayton Miller causing the ball to by jarred loose and Austin Alt scooped up the ball returning it 34 yards for a touchdown with 1:50 remaining in the first half and Lang’s kick boosted the East Hardy advantage to 40-nil.
On third down, the Mountain Lions pass was intercepted Austin Alt and returned for a touchdown with eight seconds to go, but it was waived off due to a penalty with the Cougars kneeling to close the half.
Since there was such a large scoring margin, the second half quarters were reduced to eight minutes each along with a running clock.
The East Hardy junior varsity squad took the field at the 28-yard line and a couple of wild snaps and a tackle for a loss pushed the Cougars back to the nine yard line facing 4th down and 40 yards.
A high snap on the punt sailed out of the end zone resulting in a safety for the Mountain Lions at the 6:04 mark, 40-2.
East Hardy’s Dawson Price made a fumble recover during the kickoff return giving the Cougars possession at the Tucker County 42-yard line.
Tucker County’s Dominick Mullenax tackled East Hardy’s Mason Miller for a seven yard loss.
The Cougars responded as Miller threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Price at the 5:01 mark and the conversion failed for a 46-2 score.
East Hardy’s Erik Flynn and Casey Sine made tackles, then Josh Hahn deflected a pass to force a Mountain Lions punt.
There was a fumble during the punt return recovered by Tucker County’s Jeremiah Copenhaver at the East Hardy 43-yard line.
Collar notched one yard and was stopped by East Hardy’s Flynn and Braden Orndorff.
Mason Miller tackled McCallister on a two-yard pickup, then Jakob Barrett made a six yard catch and was stopped shy of the first down marker by Damian Iman.
An offsides penalty gave the Mountain Lions a free first down, then Liller was stopped for no gain by East Hardy’s Miles Kidwell at the 25-yard line to end the third quarter.
After an offensive holding call, Tucker County’s McCallister eluded a couple players to the outside before being tracked down by Sine on a two-yard gain.
A personal foul put Tucker County in the red zone with a first down at the 15-yard line, then Collar made a catch for four yards and McCallister added a ten yard run and was tackled shy of the goal line by East Hardy’s Jacob Combs.
Collar punched the ball into the end zone with 4:04 remaining and the two-point conversion attempt failed for a 46-8 score.
Iman made two short yardage carries for the Cougars to the 39-yard line before Tucker County’s Jeremy Liller made an interception with 1:56 to go returning the ball to the East Hardy 21-yard line.
Collar added three yards on the ground, then McCallister notched seven yards to reach the 11-yard line with 35 seconds and counting.
The Mountain Lions hurried to the line and Collar took the handoff going the distance for an 11-yard touchdown run and the conversion pass went awry with 21 seconds left for a final score of 46-14.
East Hardy hosts the Yellow Jackets for the Hardy Bowl this Friday.
“It is just the next game on our schedule. The Hardy Bowl will be great and it will be a fun atmosphere. Moorefield is a real good team over there, so we’re just excited for a quality game,” Coach Orndorff concluded.[/private]