Petersburg took the first punch in the second quarter, then the Cougars delivered the knock out blow scoring 26 unanswered points displacing the Vikings 26-6 at Yellow Jacket Field in Moorefield during the regular season finale last Friday to secure a spot in the state playoffs.
“I am very excited. It’s the East Hardy way, an East Hardy tradition. I don’t know what it is about Baker, but we always have tremendous athletes. If we can stay healthy, we can be dangerous. The one guy who hasn’t received much recognition for our uptick in offense is Christian Dove. He’s not the biggest guy, but his heart is and he plays at another level. I told him to find his playmakers tonight and he did just that tonight finding Brayden Ritchie, Andy Tharp who made a great catch on the sidelines and Noah Lang. Alex Miller is our work-horse and coming out in the second half I told him he is going to win us the ballgame, we were feeding him the ball. He deserves a lot of recognition for that. We’ve got to start winning the field position battle earlier in games and not getting behind the eight ball. When they are at our 20 or 30 yard line, they are bound to find the end zone and hats off to our defense tonight,” East Hardy coach Devon Orndorff commented.
A fire destroyed the Petersburg field house and area teams offered assistance to make it possible for the Vikings to have their senior[private] night including Moorefield stepping up to provide the field and equipment was donated by Keyser, Frankfort, Pendleton County, East Hardy and Roane County among other schools willing to help their fellow Mountaineers in need.[private]
“This type of thing is what we talk about all the time in our program. When there is a need, no matter what the situation or who is involved, our players and coaches will step right up and help however they can. That is a testament to their character and leadership. We are proud to give our support as a program to any person or program that needs it. It is our pleasure to help a program in need,” Moorefield coach Matt Altobello remarked.
Additional support from the community included Summit Community Bank providing free popcorn, water and hot chocolate for the fans and proceeds from the sale of Viking Strong decals went directly back to Petersburg to help in the rebuilding process.
The hot chocolate was appreciated by the fans as the temperatures dipped below 30 degrees during the game.
“Moorefield stepped up right away and Keyser High School stepped up right away. They were right there for us and Coach Whiteman from Frankfort called me to offer their field. Even East Hardy stepped up and had a plan to do things and I appreciate that. I got calls from Elkins and Loudoun County, Virginia. Roane County drove up here with 30 pairs of pants and that was a return of the favor we did for them. Usually when you help somebody, they will remember it and somewhere down the road come back and help you. The outpouring of support has been amazing,” Petersburg coach Winston Redman stated.
Before this contest, East Hardy reached out to offer the use of their field, providing extra game balls and to wear white jerseys at home.
“Anything we can do, we are willing. I told them after the game I have extra equipment I am willing to donate. I know that’s a terrible thing to happen over there, but the great thing about West Virginia is we take care of our own,” Coach Orndorff noted.
After an opening kickoff return by Gabe Henderson to the 34-yard line, the Cougars started the offensive drive with Alex Miller breaking free to the outside for a 39-yard run before being tracked down by Petersburg’s Wyatt Arbaugh at the Vikings 27-yard line.
Petersburg’s Jacob Perez made a huge hit in the secondary, while knocking the ball down for an incompletion.
Miller was tackled for a three-yard loss by Petersburg’s Peyton Day.
On third down, East Hardy quarterback Christian Dove connected with Andrew Tharp for an eight yard reception to the 22-yard line with the tackle by Vikings McCoy Fitzwater and Jacob Bivens.
Day applied pressure on Dove during a fourth down incomplete pass for a turnover on downs.
Fitzwater picked up one yard for Petersburg on the first possession with a stop by East Hardy’s Dayton Miller and Noah Miller.
Day dodged an initial tackle in the backfield before being mauled by a pride of Cougars led by Brayden Ritchie and Noah Miller for a loss.
Perez converted third down on a 29-yard catch for the Vikings into East Hardy territory at the 49-yard line with Cougars defender Noah Lang making the stop.
Day rushed for four yards and was tackled by East Hardy’s Austin Alt and Noah Miller.
Petersburg’s Dawson Tingler added three yards and was brought down by Ritchie and Dayton Miller.
After a two yard pickup by Day, the Vikings faced fourth down and one with Tingler carrying the load for the first down on a two-yard keeper.
Petersburg’s William Vanmeter was tacked for a loss by Alt and Dayton Miller, then Day erased the negative yards on a four yard run with Tharp making the stop.
Perez caught a pass for 16 yards to move the chains at the 26-yard line with a tackle coming by Dove.
Tingler added three yards, then Day dodged two tackles in the backfield prior to being stopped for no gain by East Hardy’s Alex Miller.
Fitzwater reached the red zone at the 18-yard line for the Vikings and the fourth down conversion attempt went awry as Fitzater was stopped at the line of scrimmage by a trio of Cougars led by Adam Baker, Noah Miller and Aaron Fishel.
East Hardy’s Alex Miller rushed for a dozen yards for a first down, added another six yards before grabbing a second first down on this possession at the 40-yard line to close the first quarter.
Dove escaped danger in the backfield and was chased out of bounds, then Noah Lang made a 25-yard catch for the Cougars into Petersburg territory at the 45-yard line.
Miller rushed for eight yards, but the next carry spelled disaster loosing grip on the ball twice with the ability to corral the first fumble only to lose it moments later and Petersburg’s Cody Nuzum covered the ball for the fumble recovery.
The Vikings took over at their own 28-yard line and the first pass attempt was swatted away by East Hardy’s Dawson Price and Christian Dove sandwiching the receiver.
Vanmeter was stopped for no gain by a group of Cougars, then Baker applied pressure creating an incomplete pass prior to a Vikings punt.
East Hardy began the next series at its own 27-yard line and Miller notched six yards before an incompletion.
Tharp converted a third down reception into a first down moving the chains at the Petersburg 47-yard line on a 20-yard play.
Ritchie made a great block to give Dove a chance to run for another first down on a 10-yard keeper for the Cougars.
Tharp made an acrobatic catch falling backwards as Petersburg’s Charlie Moomau defended on the play putting the Cougars at the five yard line with the 32-yard catch.
Dove picked up three more yards, then Alex Miller tried to run up the gut and the ball was stripped by Nuzum and Tingler made the fumble recovery dashing down the field 76 yards to the East Hardy 22-yard line where Ritchie made the touchdown saving tackle.
Day made a couple carries totaling six yards, then Petersburg’s Nuzum found the end zone on a 16-yard touchdown catch and the extra point attempt went awry as the Vikings took a 6-nil lead at the 5:52 mark of the second quarter.
East Hardy’s Alex Miller sandwiched a couple carries of two yards around an offsides call on the Vikings before a sack by Dakota Rohrbaugh leading to a punt.
After a false start, Tingler gained five yard and was stopped by East Hardy’s Hinton Shifflett and Austin Alt before being dropped roa a loss by Shifflett and Fishel.
Petersburg collected its own fumble prior to a punt with 1:32 remaining in the first half.
The Cougars went to the air as Dove connected with Noah Lang, who was wide open, for a 71-yard touchdown strike to equalize the game as the extra point attempt missed for a 6-all score with 1:20 to go.
Petersburg was backed up to its own 16-yard line after an illegal substitution and a Tingler was stopped for no gain by Baker and Ritchie before Alex Miller made an interception for East Hardy returning it to the Vikings 13-yard line with one minute remaining in the half.
Dove was chased outside by Fitzwater on a two-yard gain, then threw an incomplete pass.
Petersburg’s Charlie Moomau made an interception in the end zone with 40 seconds left denying a scoring opportunity for the Cougars and the Vikings made one short run to close the half, 6-6.
“It has been a bad roller-coaster year with injuries. Our kids always played with heart, but the problem with us is moving so many people around it is hard for them to learn. Your coach does a good job taking you out of your offensive rhythm, because he can’t get a play in a timely manner. Two times I hurt the ball club, but that’s the difference of having a veteran quarterback. Listening to the fans, I know what nasty sounds like. We had opportunities getting in the red zone, but we don’t finish and the difference is having a freshmen front. People don’t understand what we are going through. They couldn’t run the ball much better than we could. I had no doubt we could come in and win this game. We came in and did some good things, but we shot ourselves in the foot defensively. As a coach, I made two mistakes that killed the momentum and that’s on me. People don’t need to be so evil. As coaches we hear everything and we know when we are wrong. I will be the first to tell you I screwed up,” Coach Redman said.
The Vikings fumbled the second half opening kickoff as East Hardy’s Noah Lang stripped the ball and Hinton Shifflett made the tackle and recovery at the Petersburg 26-yard line.
After a couple touches by Miller moving the Cougars to the 21-yard line, Dove found Ritchie for a 21-yard touchdown catch at the 10:38 mark of the third quarter and Shifflett added the extra point giving East Hardy a 13-6 advantage.
Shifflett made a huge hit on special teams planting the Vikings at their own 15-yard line.
A pride of Cougars dropped Day for a two-yard loss, then the Vikings got some breathing room as Perez gained 11 yards before being tripped up by Ritchie and Dove.
Tingler converted the third down on a two yard keeper, then was stopped for no gain by Fishel and Dayton Miller.
Petersburg garnered another first down on a 19-yard reception by Day to the 45-yard line with a tackle by East Hardy’s Dawson Price.
Perez was dropped for loss by Alex Miller, then Nuzum gained 18 yards on a catch with a tackle by Austin Alt and Alex Miller at the Cougars 39-yard line.
Day collided with a teammate after hauling in a pitch and was tackled by Dayton Miller after one yard on the play.
After knocking the ball down, Dove made an interception on the next Vikings pass at the nine yard line denying a potential score.
East Hardy went three and out as Miller managed to collect just nine and a half yards on three carries before a punt.
Petersburg started at the Cougars 37-yard line and a reverse by Day notched only two yards as Baker and Shifflett made the stop.
A hard count didn’t move the lineman, then the Vikings threw an incomplete pass.
Day caught a screen pass and was tackled after one yard by Alex Miller.
The Vikings decided to go for it on fourth down and pressure by East Hardy’s Aaron Fishel forced an off-kilter pass which was defended by Tharp deflected down for a turnover on downs.
On second down, Dove eluded capture in the backfield and rolled out finding Cole Pusl for a 15-yard catch moving the chains for East Hardy at the Vikings 47-yard line.
Alex Miller took a pitch and added four more yards for the Cougars.
Petersburg’s Jacob Perez made an interception and was knocked out of bounds by Dove at midfield, but a flag for a personal foul gave the Vikings field position at the East Hardy 35-yard line with two seconds left in the third quarter.
Tingler picked up two yards to close the third quarter.
Petersburg went to the air with three incompletions starting off the fourth quarter for a turnover on downs.
East Hardy’s Noah Lang was tacked for a loss on a pitch by Petersburg’s Wyatt Arbaugh.
After an incomplete pass, Tharp converted third down on a 45-yard catch dodging tackles to reach the Vikings 25-yard line.
Miller rushed for nine yards, then there was a holding call on East Hardy.
The Cougars erased the negative yardage on a 15-yard run by Miller for a first down in the red zone at the 11-yard line.
Dove was stopped for no gain by Perez on first down.
Ritchie caught an 11-yard touchdown pass at the 8:14 mark of the fourth quarter and Shifflett added the extra point to put East Hardy ahead 20-6.
Petersburg began the next possession at its own 32-yard line and the first play was an incompletion.
Tingler rush for 14 yards to give the Vikings a first down at the 46-yard line.
Nuzum hauled in a pass and dodged tackles racing down to the 10-yard line, but it was called back on a holding call.
After an errant pass, the ensuing air mail toss was intercepted by Dove for the Cougars and featured to the 13-yard line with a personal foul on Petersburg moving East Hardy to the seven yard line.
A block by Ritchie cleared the path for Alex Miller to score on the touchdown run with 6:28 remaining and the extra point was blocked for a 26-6 advantage.
The Vikings took three plays to convert a first down at the 30-yard line, then Montana Sindledecker rushed for 28 yards snatching another first down at the East Hardy 42-yard line.
East Hardy’s defense clawed into the frost covered terrain as Baker made a tackle on a two yard run for Perez before Shifflett stopped Sindledecker for no gain.
Pusl and Lang covered the Vikings receiver knocking the ball down as Baker and Noah Miller applied pressure on the quarterback.
Baker was in the backfield again applying pressure forcing an errant pass on fourth down for a turnover on downs.
East Hardy took over at the 40-yard line and Alex Miller dodged tackles racing down to the two-yard line, but the play was shortened on a block in the back penalty putting the Cougars at the Petersburg 35-yard line.
Austin Alt spun away from one tackle for an eight yard gain before being brought down by Arbaugh.
Fitzwater tracked down Alt on a three yard carry, then Pusl hauled in a 12-yard pass and was slammed to the ground by Nuzum in the red zone at the 18-yard line for a first down.
East Hardy took a knee to end the game as 26-6 victors and earned a trip into the state playoffs.
The No. 8 Cougars (7-3) will host No. 9 Midland Trail (6-4) this Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the first round of the state playoffs.[/private]