2D Semis: #2 Central-Wise 39 #3 Tazewell 20 - FINAL
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Brady Hess | Sports Correspondent
NORTON, Va.—The night CJ Crabtree became Wise County Central High School’s all-time leading scorer in football is one he will not forget anytime soon.
Behind Crabtree’s 166 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, Wise Central defeated Tazewell 39-20 in the first round of the VHSL Region 2D playoffs Friday night.
“He runs so dag burn hard,” said Wise Central coach Luke Owens of his senior tailback. “We have the utmost faith that anytime we give the ball at any moment it can go to the house.”
The reason for Owens’ faith was displayed early and often in Friday night’s battle in Norton. In the first quarter, Crabtree scored on five, 19 and four yard scampers to put the Warriors up 20-0 at the end of the first quarter of play.
“Our line did a great job—it was just wide open,” Crabtree said. “We were driving down the field real well and chewed up the clock.”
Crabtree continued his onslaught of the Bulldogs defense in the second quarter when he reached the end zone for the fourth time on the evening on a nine-yard dash with 3:13 remaining in the frame. The Warriors rushing attack continued to flex its muscles in the second quarter as Matthew Boggs also reached the end zone on a two-yard plunge to push the Wise Central lead to 32-0 at halftime.
“We kind of enforced our will there in the first half and that kind of got things taken care of,” said Owens. “If you let us go on five, six, seven minute drives—we are hard to handle.”
Tazewell entered Friday’s contest with the advantage in the speed department. However, the Bulldogs could not get out of their own way as they tried to exit the dog house by committing five of their six turnovers in the first half.
“The first half we just turned the ball over. That is something that is uncharacteristic of us,” said Tazewell coach J’me Harris. “I thought we battled back in the second half and played hard in the second half and played hard. We just dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half.”
Tazewell showed fight in the third quarter behind senior quarterback Gavin Nunley’s lead. Nunley pierced the goal line on a one yard scamper in the third quarter before finding Josiah Jordan on a 74-yard strike to cut into the Central lead with a score of 32-14 going into the final quarter.
However, the second half was not all Tazewell.
Crabtree found the end zone for the fifth and final time on a 10-yard sprint to extend the Warriors lead to 39-14.
“It felt great to come out here and give them down the road,” said Crabtree.
Tazewell fired one last shot behind the cannon of Nunley who found Cassius Harris on the end of an 87-yard touchdown strike to set the score at 39-20, which would be the final.
When the dust settled in Norton, the Wise Central Warriors clinched an appearance in the second round of the VHSL Class 2 playoffs. The Warriors will play the winner of Saturday’s Union-Graham matchup.
NORTON, Va.—The night CJ Crabtree became Wise County Central High School’s all-time leading scorer in football is one he will not forget anytime soon.
Behind Crabtree’s 166 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, Wise Central defeated Tazewell 39-20 in the first round of the VHSL Region 2D playoffs Friday night.
“He runs so dag burn hard,” said Wise Central coach Luke Owens of his senior tailback. “We have the utmost faith that anytime we give the ball at any moment it can go to the house.”
The reason for Owens’ faith was displayed early and often in Friday night’s battle in Norton. In the first quarter, Crabtree scored on five, 19 and four yard scampers to put the Warriors up 20-0 at the end of the first quarter of play.
“Our line did a great job—it was just wide open,” Crabtree said. “We were driving down the field real well and chewed up the clock.”
Crabtree continued his onslaught of the Bulldogs defense in the second quarter when he reached the end zone for the fourth time on the evening on a nine-yard dash with 3:13 remaining in the frame. The Warriors rushing attack continued to flex its muscles in the second quarter as Matthew Boggs also reached the end zone on a two-yard plunge to push the Wise Central lead to 32-0 at halftime.
“We kind of enforced our will there in the first half and that kind of got things taken care of,” said Owens. “If you let us go on five, six, seven minute drives—we are hard to handle.”
Tazewell entered Friday’s contest with the advantage in the speed department. However, the Bulldogs could not get out of their own way as they tried to exit the dog house by committing five of their six turnovers in the first half.
“The first half we just turned the ball over. That is something that is uncharacteristic of us,” said Tazewell coach J’me Harris. “I thought we battled back in the second half and played hard in the second half and played hard. We just dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half.”
Tazewell showed fight in the third quarter behind senior quarterback Gavin Nunley’s lead. Nunley pierced the goal line on a one yard scamper in the third quarter before finding Josiah Jordan on a 74-yard strike to cut into the Central lead with a score of 32-14 going into the final quarter.
However, the second half was not all Tazewell.
Crabtree found the end zone for the fifth and final time on a 10-yard sprint to extend the Warriors lead to 39-14.
“It felt great to come out here and give them down the road,” said Crabtree.
Tazewell fired one last shot behind the cannon of Nunley who found Cassius Harris on the end of an 87-yard touchdown strike to set the score at 39-20, which would be the final.
When the dust settled in Norton, the Wise Central Warriors clinched an appearance in the second round of the VHSL Class 2 playoffs. The Warriors will play the winner of Saturday’s Union-Graham matchup.
