By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Moorefield Middle School crushed to a 24-nil halftime lead en route to crushing the Cougars 54-20 behind a strong rushing attack to claim the Junior Hardy Bowl title last Wednesday in Baker.
There will be a rematch in Moorefield for the Potomac Valley League Championship tonight.
“It goes back to everything I have said since day one. They work hard, this is a hard working group. This win is big, but losing Bill [Ware] is on our hearts, that is all we care about right now. We know we have to keep going and hopefully he will be okay. I have a lot of receipts in my pocket that I have been waiting the past few years of frustration and it is nice to get the win. It is nice to get to play them again and at home for all the marbles. We hope to keep rolling, but we are banged up and will have to heal up some. We have one more game,” Moorefield Middle School Football coach Eric Linville commented.
The Yellow Jackets opened the game with a 68-yard touchdown run by Bill Ware plus a two-point conversion for an 8-0 edge over East Hardy Middle School just ten seconds into the contest.
East Hardy Middle School’s Luke Holliday made a third down catch for 37 yards reaching the red zone, but a swarm of Yellow Jackets jarred the ball loose and Thomas Simmons made the recovery only to be negated on a roughing the passer call.
The Cougars were given a first down at the Moorefield Middle School 42-yard line.
East Hardy Middle School’s Cole Lantz recovered a fumble in the backfield.
The Yellow Jackets forced tow errant passes including a deflection by Edison Metheny to force an EHMS punt.
MMS’s Matthew Iman plowed over defenders on a 14 yard run for a first down at the 40-yard line.
Ware slipped on the ensuing carry and was injured on the play after a gain of eight yards and would not return.
MMS quarterback Luke Stutler connected on a shuttle pass to Iman, who raced 21 yards for a first down at the Cougars 31-yard line.
Iman garnered the remaining 31 yards on the ground for a touchdown and Metheny added the two-point conversion for a 16-0 lead with 2:39 to go in the first quarter.
EHMS began the next possession on the 41-yard line with a tackle for loss by Yellow Jackets’ Braedyn Toney and Gage Baker.
EHMS quarterback Brian Childers found Elijah Ludwig for a 27-yard pass down to the Yellow Jackets 33-yard line.
Childers executed a keeper rolling outside for six yards, then MMS’s Baker and Toney made a sack.
Simmons tackled Childers for no gain to end the first quarter.
A fourth down play for the Cougars started the second quarter transforming into an incompletion and turnover on downs.
It took five plays for the Yellow Jackets to strike again as Man rushed 40 yards for a touchdown and added the two-point conversion for a 24-nil advantage with 5:17 left in the second quarter.
Childers dodged an initial defender in the backfield before being slammed down by Alex Ketterman for a sack losing one yard.
Holliday rushed 11 yards for a first down at midfield for the Cougars, then Lantz took a pitch and collected three yards into MMS territory.
Lantz made a leaping one-handed reception on a 25-yard play into the red zone at the 19.
Child’s added one yard prior to throwing an incompletion and getting sacked by Ketterman.
MMS’s Hector Luna-Davy deflected a pass on fourth down with 23 seconds left.
Iman made an 80-yard touchdown catch, but it was negated on a block-in-the-back penalty and the Yellow Jackets took a knee heading into halftime with a 24-0 lead.
Moorefield Middle School’s Vance Simmons made an interception off a deflection on the second play of the third quarter and return the ball into the red zone at the 18.
Iman rushed 18 yards for a touchdown giving the Yellow Jackets a 30-0 lead at 7:36.
EHMS’s Luke Holliday made a catch for 13 yards reaching the 46-yard line dodging a couple defenders before being tackled by Luna-Davy and Zakk Keplinger.
Holiday made a catch for 35 yards and was toppled by Iman inside the red zone at the 19.
Both teams swapped penalties, then a potential touchdown was dropped.
There was a horse collar penalty during a sack attempt which put the Cougars inside the ten yard line.
Two plays later, Childers scored on a three-yard keeper and the conversion attempt was knocked down by Keplinger cutting the deficit to 30-6 at 6:15.
Four plays into the ensuing possession, the Yellow Jackes responded as Hector Kuna-Davy made a 63-yard touchdown run and Metheny caught the conversion throw from Stutler for a 38-6 lead with 3L48 left in the third frame.
The Cougars started on their own 39-yard line for the next series, but the first play was a setback as MMS’ s Dakon Taylor made a sack for a 14-yard loss.
EHMS answered with a 75-yard touchdown catch by Holliday with his conversion closing the gap to 38-14 at 2:43.
Metheny made a few carried for the Yellow Jackets picking up a first down at the 44-yard line, then Luna-Davy broke free on a 51-yard run deep into the red zone at the 5-yard line with a touchdown saving tackle from Holliday to finish the third quarter.
MMS’s Keysean Washington scored a touchdown on a five yard run to begin the final stanza and Stutler scored the conversion for a 46-14 lead at 7:51.
EHMS started on the 42-yard line with three straight incompletions including a dropped potential interception.
The Cougars went for it on fourth down as Lantz made a catch for 33 yards, but Thomas Simmons jarred the ball loose and MMS’s Washington recovered the fumble.
Edison Metheny garnered a 75-yard touchdown run and Iman added the conversion for a 54-14 lead at 6:58.
Lantz made a catch for 44 yards to get into the red zone at the eight yard line for the Cougars.
There were off-setting personal fouls on the next play.
Childers recorded an eight yard touchdown run and the conversion pass went awry as EHMS cut the deficit to 54-20 with 4:08 left.
The Yellow Jackets chewed up the remaining time entering the red zone to seal the 54-20 victory.
“I am super proud. We have some tough kids and it showed tonight. That team they have, they have numbers and they have strength. That is the toughest opponent we faced this year. It is always a tough match with Moorefield, it is what it is. They had a little bit more, but next week we will see what happens. We will see what we can do. We will work on our defense and see if we can make a stop or two and go from there,” East Hardy Middle School Football coach J.C. Nutter stated.
The Junior Hardy Bowl for the Potomac Valle League Championship will be in Moorefield tonight as the epic rematch for he conclusion and ultimate bragging rights is up for grabs.
