Usually when a team commits a pre-snap penalty, it draws the ire of the guilty party's head coach. However, Glenvar head coach Kevin Clifford was thankful that his team jumped offsides late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 2A State Title Game at Salem Stadium.
With the Highlanders and Wilson Memorial deadlocked at 14 with 4:30 to play in regulation, the Green Hornets sent junior placekicker Garrett McBee on to attempt a 32-yard field goal with the wind at his back. The kick was good, and Wilson took its first lead of the game at 17-14.
As the thousands of Green Hornet fans began to celebrate, very few in the capacity crowd noticed the laundry on the field. Prior to the release of the kick, the Highlanders had jumped offsides, leaving Wilson Memorial head coach Jeremiah Major with a tough decision to make. Major elected to accept the five-yard penalty, giving his offense a fourth down and one at the Glenvar 10-yardline. Wilson had eaten about seven minutes off of the clock already, and was looking to win the game right there and then. Unfortunately for the boys from Fishersville, All-State defensive lineman Quintin Alls stonewalled Sevant Swfit at the line of scrimmage, turning Wilson over empty-handed in process.
The rest was history.
Glenvar had an opportunity for a game-winning field goal itself at the end of regulation, but Corey Thompson's 37-yarder into the wind fell just short, sending the game into overtime.
As it has been the case all season, the Glenvar defense made a dramatic stop on the first series, giving way for the offense to make school history.
Quarterback Zack Clifford needed just two plays to put this one to bed. The junior took a snap and scampered 12 yards into the end zone to lift the Highlanders to a 20-14 victory, and the program's first state football title in school history.
"It's been a year of 'first times' the whole season," Clifford said. "The community has been behind us and supported us, and you can tell by the crowd that they were behind us today. They did an outstanding job; the coaches did an outstanding job putting in tons of hard work trying to get us ready this year, and this title was just well deserved all around."
The Finish:
Wilson Memorial got a new lease on life after Thompson's attempt missed, and the Green Hornets would get the ball to begin the overtime period. Wilson called three straight running plays, but managed to lose three yards in the process. On third down, Alls came up with perhaps the second-biggest defensive play of the day, when the mammoth junior leveled Wilson quarterback Mack Cullen for a three-yard sack. Following a procedure penalty, McBee's 30-yard field goal attempt fell short, giving way to Clifford and the Highlanders.
After being stopped for a two-yard loss on 1st down, Clifford fooled the entire Wilson defense and rolled left for a 12-yard game-winning touchdown, sending the Glenvar sideline into a well-deserved frenzy.
"We knew that lane would be open because they were sending hard pressure up the middle," Clifford said. "The running back and receiver Remington [Stanley] and Tyler Smith did a great job blocking. I saw the outside was open and it really worked just like we planned."
Added coach Clifford,"Zack called it, he said '117 sweep,' and we ran it. It was a good call on his part."
Game Management:
The last five minutes of Saturday's title game were loaded with game-changing decisions by both head coaches. Wilson's 17-14 lead lasted less than 10 seconds, as Major elected to take the three points off the board and go for it on fourth down and one. Prior to the fourth and short, the Green Hornets had barely eclipsed 100 yards rushing as a team, and had a difficult time moving the ball against Glenvar's front-seven. Nevertheless, Major sent his offense back onto the field, but the unit was turned away at the point of attack.
Following the crushing defeat, Major noted that he had faith in his offense, and going for it instead of taking the points was an easy decision.
"I believed in my kids to get one yard," Major said. "Our offense is built to get three yards, and we were getting our three yards, except for the times that we shot ourselves in the foot."
Glenvar took over with four and a half minutes to play following the huge stop on fourth down. A 13-yard grab by Elliot Stigall gave the Highlanders some room to work with, and Clifford followed it up with an 18-yard quarterback keeper all the way to the 49 yard-line. Following a five-yard penalty and a short gain, Clifford and Stigall hooked up for a beautiful 28-yard pass and catch to the Wilson 24 with a little less than two minutes to play. Despite holding all three timeouts, coach Clifford decided not to stretch field again, and milked the clock all the way down to two seconds to attempt a potential game-winning field goal into the wind.
"We didn't want to throw the ball there," said Coach Clifford of the final drive in regulation. "I wanted to get a little more yardage, maybe five more yards and then kick it, and really that was the difference. We were just fortunate that kids came out and played hard for 48 minutes and then some."
Tale of Two Quarters:
Believe it or not, there was much more to Saturday's final than the last five minutes of regulation and the overtime period. Glenvar came out of the tunnel smoking hot, and it looked as if the Highlanders were going to finish the game in the first quarter.
Glenvar opened the contest with eight straight runs that averaged 8.37 yards per attempt. The Highlanders methodically marched down to the Wilson Memorial 10 yard-line, wearing out the Green Hornets in the process. While the defense thought a ninth-straight running play was coming, Clifford dropped back and hit a wide-open Stigall for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Highlanders ahead 7-0.
Following a short punt, Glenvar once again drove deep into Hornet territory, and Tyler Smith finished off the drive with a five-yard run to pay dirt to double the Highlander lead. The Wilson Memorial defense had only given up 10 touchdowns all season prior to Saturday's contest, but surrendered two scores in the first 11 minutes against Glenvar.
After the Hornets went three-and-out for the third straight series, the Highlanders were looking to go in for the kill. Wilson safety Thai Wright had other ideas however, as the senior perfectly jumped in front of a Clifford pass, and returned the interception 30 yards to put the Green Hornets on the board for the first time.
Wilson Memorial did not get record a first down until the 5:08 mark in the second quarter, but it paved the way for its first offensive touchdown of the game. The Green Hornets put together their best drive of the day just before halftime, which was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Juh-Kwquan McCauley.
"Our kids settled in," said Major of the 14-0 second-quarter surge. "They played hard, and that was really all that I could ask them to do."
Defensive Struggle:
If you are a fan of offensive football, the second half of Saturday's game was not for you. Both teams combined for 27 yards of total offense in the third quarter, as neither Glenvar nor Wilson ever threatened to find the end zone. A trio of mishandled snaps at the line of scrimmage killed several Glenvar drives before they got started, and Wilson had a difficult time converting third downs.
McCauley's dive into the end zone in the second quarter represented the last touchdown in regulation. Traditionally high-power teams, Glenvar and Wilson combined for less than 200 yards for the contest.
"All I heard all week was how good their defense was, and no offense to them because they are a great defense, but we have played against some really good football teams," coach Clifford said. "We played against Joseph Dixon at Galax, we played against Jeremy Nelson at Auburn, and Giles twice, and there's nobody that runs the ball better than them. I was really proud of the way our kids gutted it out on defense today."
Players of the Game:
Clifford suffered a back injury in March while lifting weights, and the coaching staff was not sure if he would play this fall, but he capped off a memorable year in style. The junior led all rushers with 77 yards, and completed four of seven passes for six yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Even if he did not make the tackle, it appeared as if Alls was in on every play. The junior made the crucial stop on fourth down and one in regulation, and dropped Cullen for a three-yard loss on third down in overtime.
McCauley managed just 59 yards for Wilson, but the battle-tested senior earned every last one of them, keeping several drives alive on third and fourth down in the process.
What's Next?
Glenvar will say goodbye to 13 seniors, most notably bruising running back/linebacker Tyler Smith but the bulk of the skill players return next fall. Clifford, Stigall, Stanley, and Daryl Manns will lead a Highlander offense that will be one of the top units in all of 2A in 2015. Savion Stone is a big loss on defense, but the unit will return many top playmakers, including Alls and Zach Deck.
On the other side, Wilson will lose several team mainstays, including McCauley, and Wright, who have been with the varsity program for four years. The Green Hornets must also replace Swift, Cullen, Conner Chapman, Mack Curry, and a host of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Look for Jesse Trent to carry more of a load on offense, and rising senior David Holmes to lead the re-loading process on defense.
Major says that this has been a special group of seniors, and they will be missed both on and off the field.
"They set the tone for all of this," said Major of his outgoing class. "They worked hard in the offseason to get here, and that's what it's all about."
"We'll praise God when we win, and we'll praise him when we lose. We're just thankful for the opportunity we had to come out here and compete."
With the Highlanders and Wilson Memorial deadlocked at 14 with 4:30 to play in regulation, the Green Hornets sent junior placekicker Garrett McBee on to attempt a 32-yard field goal with the wind at his back. The kick was good, and Wilson took its first lead of the game at 17-14.
As the thousands of Green Hornet fans began to celebrate, very few in the capacity crowd noticed the laundry on the field. Prior to the release of the kick, the Highlanders had jumped offsides, leaving Wilson Memorial head coach Jeremiah Major with a tough decision to make. Major elected to accept the five-yard penalty, giving his offense a fourth down and one at the Glenvar 10-yardline. Wilson had eaten about seven minutes off of the clock already, and was looking to win the game right there and then. Unfortunately for the boys from Fishersville, All-State defensive lineman Quintin Alls stonewalled Sevant Swfit at the line of scrimmage, turning Wilson over empty-handed in process.
The rest was history.
Glenvar had an opportunity for a game-winning field goal itself at the end of regulation, but Corey Thompson's 37-yarder into the wind fell just short, sending the game into overtime.
As it has been the case all season, the Glenvar defense made a dramatic stop on the first series, giving way for the offense to make school history.
Quarterback Zack Clifford needed just two plays to put this one to bed. The junior took a snap and scampered 12 yards into the end zone to lift the Highlanders to a 20-14 victory, and the program's first state football title in school history.
"It's been a year of 'first times' the whole season," Clifford said. "The community has been behind us and supported us, and you can tell by the crowd that they were behind us today. They did an outstanding job; the coaches did an outstanding job putting in tons of hard work trying to get us ready this year, and this title was just well deserved all around."
The Finish:
Wilson Memorial got a new lease on life after Thompson's attempt missed, and the Green Hornets would get the ball to begin the overtime period. Wilson called three straight running plays, but managed to lose three yards in the process. On third down, Alls came up with perhaps the second-biggest defensive play of the day, when the mammoth junior leveled Wilson quarterback Mack Cullen for a three-yard sack. Following a procedure penalty, McBee's 30-yard field goal attempt fell short, giving way to Clifford and the Highlanders.
After being stopped for a two-yard loss on 1st down, Clifford fooled the entire Wilson defense and rolled left for a 12-yard game-winning touchdown, sending the Glenvar sideline into a well-deserved frenzy.
"We knew that lane would be open because they were sending hard pressure up the middle," Clifford said. "The running back and receiver Remington [Stanley] and Tyler Smith did a great job blocking. I saw the outside was open and it really worked just like we planned."
Added coach Clifford,"Zack called it, he said '117 sweep,' and we ran it. It was a good call on his part."
Game Management:
The last five minutes of Saturday's title game were loaded with game-changing decisions by both head coaches. Wilson's 17-14 lead lasted less than 10 seconds, as Major elected to take the three points off the board and go for it on fourth down and one. Prior to the fourth and short, the Green Hornets had barely eclipsed 100 yards rushing as a team, and had a difficult time moving the ball against Glenvar's front-seven. Nevertheless, Major sent his offense back onto the field, but the unit was turned away at the point of attack.
Following the crushing defeat, Major noted that he had faith in his offense, and going for it instead of taking the points was an easy decision.
"I believed in my kids to get one yard," Major said. "Our offense is built to get three yards, and we were getting our three yards, except for the times that we shot ourselves in the foot."
Glenvar took over with four and a half minutes to play following the huge stop on fourth down. A 13-yard grab by Elliot Stigall gave the Highlanders some room to work with, and Clifford followed it up with an 18-yard quarterback keeper all the way to the 49 yard-line. Following a five-yard penalty and a short gain, Clifford and Stigall hooked up for a beautiful 28-yard pass and catch to the Wilson 24 with a little less than two minutes to play. Despite holding all three timeouts, coach Clifford decided not to stretch field again, and milked the clock all the way down to two seconds to attempt a potential game-winning field goal into the wind.
"We didn't want to throw the ball there," said Coach Clifford of the final drive in regulation. "I wanted to get a little more yardage, maybe five more yards and then kick it, and really that was the difference. We were just fortunate that kids came out and played hard for 48 minutes and then some."
Tale of Two Quarters:
Believe it or not, there was much more to Saturday's final than the last five minutes of regulation and the overtime period. Glenvar came out of the tunnel smoking hot, and it looked as if the Highlanders were going to finish the game in the first quarter.
Glenvar opened the contest with eight straight runs that averaged 8.37 yards per attempt. The Highlanders methodically marched down to the Wilson Memorial 10 yard-line, wearing out the Green Hornets in the process. While the defense thought a ninth-straight running play was coming, Clifford dropped back and hit a wide-open Stigall for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Highlanders ahead 7-0.
Following a short punt, Glenvar once again drove deep into Hornet territory, and Tyler Smith finished off the drive with a five-yard run to pay dirt to double the Highlander lead. The Wilson Memorial defense had only given up 10 touchdowns all season prior to Saturday's contest, but surrendered two scores in the first 11 minutes against Glenvar.
After the Hornets went three-and-out for the third straight series, the Highlanders were looking to go in for the kill. Wilson safety Thai Wright had other ideas however, as the senior perfectly jumped in front of a Clifford pass, and returned the interception 30 yards to put the Green Hornets on the board for the first time.
Wilson Memorial did not get record a first down until the 5:08 mark in the second quarter, but it paved the way for its first offensive touchdown of the game. The Green Hornets put together their best drive of the day just before halftime, which was capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Juh-Kwquan McCauley.
"Our kids settled in," said Major of the 14-0 second-quarter surge. "They played hard, and that was really all that I could ask them to do."
Defensive Struggle:
If you are a fan of offensive football, the second half of Saturday's game was not for you. Both teams combined for 27 yards of total offense in the third quarter, as neither Glenvar nor Wilson ever threatened to find the end zone. A trio of mishandled snaps at the line of scrimmage killed several Glenvar drives before they got started, and Wilson had a difficult time converting third downs.
McCauley's dive into the end zone in the second quarter represented the last touchdown in regulation. Traditionally high-power teams, Glenvar and Wilson combined for less than 200 yards for the contest.
"All I heard all week was how good their defense was, and no offense to them because they are a great defense, but we have played against some really good football teams," coach Clifford said. "We played against Joseph Dixon at Galax, we played against Jeremy Nelson at Auburn, and Giles twice, and there's nobody that runs the ball better than them. I was really proud of the way our kids gutted it out on defense today."
Players of the Game:
Clifford suffered a back injury in March while lifting weights, and the coaching staff was not sure if he would play this fall, but he capped off a memorable year in style. The junior led all rushers with 77 yards, and completed four of seven passes for six yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Even if he did not make the tackle, it appeared as if Alls was in on every play. The junior made the crucial stop on fourth down and one in regulation, and dropped Cullen for a three-yard loss on third down in overtime.
McCauley managed just 59 yards for Wilson, but the battle-tested senior earned every last one of them, keeping several drives alive on third and fourth down in the process.
What's Next?
Glenvar will say goodbye to 13 seniors, most notably bruising running back/linebacker Tyler Smith but the bulk of the skill players return next fall. Clifford, Stigall, Stanley, and Daryl Manns will lead a Highlander offense that will be one of the top units in all of 2A in 2015. Savion Stone is a big loss on defense, but the unit will return many top playmakers, including Alls and Zach Deck.
On the other side, Wilson will lose several team mainstays, including McCauley, and Wright, who have been with the varsity program for four years. The Green Hornets must also replace Swift, Cullen, Conner Chapman, Mack Curry, and a host of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Look for Jesse Trent to carry more of a load on offense, and rising senior David Holmes to lead the re-loading process on defense.
Major says that this has been a special group of seniors, and they will be missed both on and off the field.
"They set the tone for all of this," said Major of his outgoing class. "They worked hard in the offseason to get here, and that's what it's all about."
"We'll praise God when we win, and we'll praise him when we lose. We're just thankful for the opportunity we had to come out here and compete."
