Arch rivals Riverheads and Wilson locked horns this evening in an explosive shootout that featured non-stop offensive action for 3 1/2 quarters and plenty of momentum swings, only to end in a totally different fashion...........with an awesome goal line stand by the Gladiators that allowed them to leave Fishersville with a hard-fought 38-31 win. RHS is now 4-1 on the season after three straight road games against county rivals and will finally get to finish out the season at home the next two Wednesdays against Fort Defiance and Staunton. As for Wilson, I was told they came into this one unbeaten and I believe they will host Stuarts Draft next week.
Just like last week's Big Red win at Buffalo Gap, this game was all about the extra point conversions and appeared to be headed for a dramatic finish as everyone in the stadium assumed Wilson would score on a final drive to close to within 38-37 and that the outcome would hinge on whether they converted a game-winning two-point try. Instead after they moved to a first and goal at the RHS 7, the Gladiator defense stiffened and stopped them not once, but twice, from the 1 yard line. On the fourth down play, which came with about a minute left, a Riverheads defensive end that I wish I could name for you sniffed out the play and raced around virtually untouched to drop the Hornet ball carrier for a loss before the play could develop.
The Gladiators were then able to run out the clock to preserve the win but prior to that it was anybody's game with one big play after another. We soon learned that each team had a big playmaker on this particular evening and that neither team was going to be able to stop the other's go-to guy. For Riverheads that was Mr. Reliable Jonathan Talbott who was coming off a four-touchdown night at The Gap and although he did not quite match that production tonight, he was still a major factor for the visiting Gladiators.
But in all fairness to Wilson their man-of-the-hour stole the show and seemed like the most likely hero to pull out the win. He was number 2, last name Jones, but I did not catch the first. Devon maybe? He was all over the field for the Hornets as he faked out Gladiator defenders all night long for big gains and hauled in an impossible TD pass in the second quarter (more on that play shortly) and he was of course the guy everyone assumed would score the potential game-winner for the Hornets.
Jones factored into the opening drive for Wilson as they took a short RHS kickoff and needed only about three minutes to score. They elected to kick the one-point PAT, which did not seem significant at the time, but as it would turn out, no one ever attempted another placement after a score.......it was all about those two-pointers! Riverheads matched the Wilson TD with a more steady drive that consumed most of the rest of the first quarter. They would go on to convert their first four two-point PATs as the first quarter ended 8-7.
The second quarter was action-packed and featured some key penalties. First Wilson scored and decided that it would be in their best interest to try to match RHS 2 for 2, so they were successful as they took what would turn out to be their final lead of the night at 15-8. In no time at all, maybe even the first play from scrimmage, Talbott took it around right end and scored untouched to make it 16-15 after the conversion.
The Gladiators then got what looked like their best break of the night when Wilson failed on a fourth down play as apparently neither team had a punter tonight, and that gave the Big Red a chance to score again before halftime. They did exactly that, scoring with just under 12 seconds left on another Talbott run and they appeared to be sitting pretty with a 24-15 lead, knowing that they would also get the second half kickoff.
However, someone forgot to tell Wilson to just kill those final 11 seconds and go to the locker room to re-group because they actually managed to score again, although Riverheads gave them all the help they needed to get the job done. That bizarre sequence started around midfield and on the first play, the Hornets completed about a 20 yard pass play out in the right flat. However, RHS was also flagged for roughing the passer, which was added to the end of the play, giving Wilson one final play with just three seconds left. They lofted a pass into the end zone to who else...Mr. Jones....and he wrestled it away from two defenders for the score as the Wilson sideline went ballistic. The follow-up conversion sent the teams to the locker room with a totally different 24-23 score.
With Big Mo now on the side of the home team, Riverheads instead calmly took the second half kickoff and marched down the field, eventually scoring on their most impressive play of the night, a quarterback sneak. And what was so impressive about a sneak you might ask? Well I am not sure they drew it up this way but it was a 14-yard QB sneak! On 4th and 1, Ethan Mulcahy started churning for yardage, looking just for the first down, only to have several of his buddies push and push and push, rugby scrum style, and those nice guys in the striped shirts did not blow the whistle until Mulcahy and company had crossed the goal line. The ensuing extra point made it 32-23.
Wilson of course answered and added yet another two-point play to make it 32-31 as once again the quarter ended with RHS clinging to a one-point lead. That set the stage for a fourth quarter that would see only one more TD scored but it still had plenty of action.
First Wilson finally managed to stop Riverheads and had the ball with a chance to take the lead. They moved into Gladiator territory but stopped their own momentum with a holding penalty. That eventually led to them facing a 4th and 1 from around the Riverheads 40. Despite the fact that the Big Red had not been able to stop Jones all night long, the Hornets rather oddly elected to try and pick up the first down through the air. But a pass out in to the right flat was overthrown, turning the ball over on downs with about 5 minutes left.
Riverheads then scored with what might have been their best play call of the night. Since Wilson had not been able to stop Talbott all night, he was getting most of the carries. So instead they gave the ball to fullback Holden Fitzgerald, seeing his first action since an injury in the Draft game. On this, only his second or third carry of the night, he busted it right up the gut and scored untouched from about 40 yards out. However, just when they most needed a two-point PAT to make it a two-score game, the Gladiators were flagged for delay of game and failed to convert. That of course led to Wilson having the opportunity to pull out the win, but as you have learned by now, they came up agonizingly short.
The varsity teams will now meet in Greenville Friday but they will be hard-pressed to match the drama in this one. Even the weather cooperated, as the sprinkles of rain waited until fans were heading for the exits.
Just like last week's Big Red win at Buffalo Gap, this game was all about the extra point conversions and appeared to be headed for a dramatic finish as everyone in the stadium assumed Wilson would score on a final drive to close to within 38-37 and that the outcome would hinge on whether they converted a game-winning two-point try. Instead after they moved to a first and goal at the RHS 7, the Gladiator defense stiffened and stopped them not once, but twice, from the 1 yard line. On the fourth down play, which came with about a minute left, a Riverheads defensive end that I wish I could name for you sniffed out the play and raced around virtually untouched to drop the Hornet ball carrier for a loss before the play could develop.
The Gladiators were then able to run out the clock to preserve the win but prior to that it was anybody's game with one big play after another. We soon learned that each team had a big playmaker on this particular evening and that neither team was going to be able to stop the other's go-to guy. For Riverheads that was Mr. Reliable Jonathan Talbott who was coming off a four-touchdown night at The Gap and although he did not quite match that production tonight, he was still a major factor for the visiting Gladiators.
But in all fairness to Wilson their man-of-the-hour stole the show and seemed like the most likely hero to pull out the win. He was number 2, last name Jones, but I did not catch the first. Devon maybe? He was all over the field for the Hornets as he faked out Gladiator defenders all night long for big gains and hauled in an impossible TD pass in the second quarter (more on that play shortly) and he was of course the guy everyone assumed would score the potential game-winner for the Hornets.
Jones factored into the opening drive for Wilson as they took a short RHS kickoff and needed only about three minutes to score. They elected to kick the one-point PAT, which did not seem significant at the time, but as it would turn out, no one ever attempted another placement after a score.......it was all about those two-pointers! Riverheads matched the Wilson TD with a more steady drive that consumed most of the rest of the first quarter. They would go on to convert their first four two-point PATs as the first quarter ended 8-7.
The second quarter was action-packed and featured some key penalties. First Wilson scored and decided that it would be in their best interest to try to match RHS 2 for 2, so they were successful as they took what would turn out to be their final lead of the night at 15-8. In no time at all, maybe even the first play from scrimmage, Talbott took it around right end and scored untouched to make it 16-15 after the conversion.
The Gladiators then got what looked like their best break of the night when Wilson failed on a fourth down play as apparently neither team had a punter tonight, and that gave the Big Red a chance to score again before halftime. They did exactly that, scoring with just under 12 seconds left on another Talbott run and they appeared to be sitting pretty with a 24-15 lead, knowing that they would also get the second half kickoff.
However, someone forgot to tell Wilson to just kill those final 11 seconds and go to the locker room to re-group because they actually managed to score again, although Riverheads gave them all the help they needed to get the job done. That bizarre sequence started around midfield and on the first play, the Hornets completed about a 20 yard pass play out in the right flat. However, RHS was also flagged for roughing the passer, which was added to the end of the play, giving Wilson one final play with just three seconds left. They lofted a pass into the end zone to who else...Mr. Jones....and he wrestled it away from two defenders for the score as the Wilson sideline went ballistic. The follow-up conversion sent the teams to the locker room with a totally different 24-23 score.
With Big Mo now on the side of the home team, Riverheads instead calmly took the second half kickoff and marched down the field, eventually scoring on their most impressive play of the night, a quarterback sneak. And what was so impressive about a sneak you might ask? Well I am not sure they drew it up this way but it was a 14-yard QB sneak! On 4th and 1, Ethan Mulcahy started churning for yardage, looking just for the first down, only to have several of his buddies push and push and push, rugby scrum style, and those nice guys in the striped shirts did not blow the whistle until Mulcahy and company had crossed the goal line. The ensuing extra point made it 32-23.
Wilson of course answered and added yet another two-point play to make it 32-31 as once again the quarter ended with RHS clinging to a one-point lead. That set the stage for a fourth quarter that would see only one more TD scored but it still had plenty of action.
First Wilson finally managed to stop Riverheads and had the ball with a chance to take the lead. They moved into Gladiator territory but stopped their own momentum with a holding penalty. That eventually led to them facing a 4th and 1 from around the Riverheads 40. Despite the fact that the Big Red had not been able to stop Jones all night long, the Hornets rather oddly elected to try and pick up the first down through the air. But a pass out in to the right flat was overthrown, turning the ball over on downs with about 5 minutes left.
Riverheads then scored with what might have been their best play call of the night. Since Wilson had not been able to stop Talbott all night, he was getting most of the carries. So instead they gave the ball to fullback Holden Fitzgerald, seeing his first action since an injury in the Draft game. On this, only his second or third carry of the night, he busted it right up the gut and scored untouched from about 40 yards out. However, just when they most needed a two-point PAT to make it a two-score game, the Gladiators were flagged for delay of game and failed to convert. That of course led to Wilson having the opportunity to pull out the win, but as you have learned by now, they came up agonizingly short.
The varsity teams will now meet in Greenville Friday but they will be hard-pressed to match the drama in this one. Even the weather cooperated, as the sprinkles of rain waited until fans were heading for the exits.
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