RIverheads/Stuarts Draft
- Thread starter Gladiatorfencepatrol
- Start date
Wow! There are so many threads about this game that I don't which one to piggy-back! I guess that proves that it really was worth the hype.
In all fairness to the Cougars, this was not your typical 49-14 game. It was only 28-14 at the break and Draft showed every sign on its first third quarter possession that they were going to cut it to a one-score game, but that drive stalled in the red zone and Riverheads gradually pulled away to win by a margin that none of us saw coming.
The major factor was SD's complete inability to stop Zac Smiley. After smoking Buffalo Gap for six touchdowns last week, the junior (yes folks he will be back next year!) almost topped that performance tonight with 5 touchdowns and a two-point conversion. According to the stats I have heard, he had 28 carries for around 230 yards and that kind of ball-control offense gave the Cougars precious few opportunities to showcase their more high-powered game. If they keep time of possession stats in high school ball, and you rarely hear it if they do, I would guess that the Big Red had the ball tonight for at least 30 of the 48 minutes.
To begin my report, the atmosphere was everything you expected as the stands were full and the fence crowd was at least 5-6 deep in places. In fact you could not tell where one side ended and the other began but I would not be afraid to suggest that the Gladiators just might have outnumbered the home fans.
Things got off to a great start for RHS as they kept two very impressive strings alive.......they received the opening kickoff for the 9th time out of 10 games and more importantly, they scored on their first possession for the 10th time in those 10 games. It will be interesting to see if they can extend that string.
The opening drive consumed almost exactly half the first quarter as the Big Red marched about 65 yards all on the ground to take a lead they would not relinquish. Smiley swept left end from about 12 yards out, hurdling a defender (with no flag this time I might add!) and Peyton Skillman's PAT made it 7-0.
But it took the Cougars only about 30 seconds to score the equalizer as Henry Cooke found Jo'el Howard streaking down the right sideline and he took it to the house from about 55 yards out. Lingenfelter's PAT tied things up at 7-7.
Moments later RHS created its first break of the game when Braeson Fulton laid his entire body on the line and partially blocked a Cougar punt to give the Big Red the ball around the 25. On the first play of the second quarter, Smiley scored from about 20 yards out to put RHS ahead 14-7. I believe that TD was scored on fourth down.
An action-packed second quarter continued with Smiley scoring his longest TD of the night and maybe one of his most impressive of the season as he started out with a simple sweep to the left. He was met after only about a five yard gain, but just like he has done many times this season, he somehow eluded half a dozen tackles and motored up the Gladiator sideline for an explosive 75 yard score to make it 20-7. A Cougar defender used an angle to block the extra point, drawing howls from some of the Gladiator faithful who thought he was offsides but Riverheads would soon have the last laugh on that issue.
But first the Cougars had something else in mind. With Riverheads still clinging to its 20-7 advantage, they marched into Gladiator territory. Facing a fourth and long from the 37, Cooke found Freddie Watkins at the six and he hauled in a beautiful catch to keep the drive alive. The same combination worked for the touchdown moments later to trim the lead to 20-14.
The Gladiators then drove for what might arguably have been the most important score of the night, as they ate up the rest of the second quarter clock before Smiley's fourth TD made it 26-14, setting the stage for a satisfying two-point PAT. The Gladiators first lined up for the routine kick and the same Cougar got the same jump. However this time he WAS flagged for being offsides, and RHS took advantage as Smiley sliced in from the two to make it 28-14. The Big Red had managed the clock so well that the Cougars had less than 30 seconds to work with.
They failed in that attempt and everyone in the stadium knew that SD's opening possession of the third quarter was either going to get them back in the game or probably give Riverheads the momentum to put the game away. The home team got the first break when targeting was called on Riverheads, a rarity in high school ball. That enabled SD to eventually get as far as the 17 yard line. But the drive stalled on four incompletions and as it would turn out, the Cougars never threatened again.
Riverheads went to its bag of tricks to grab a 3 TD lead when back-up quarterback Cy Cox, also one of the Gladiators' more dependable running backs, started off on a toss-sweep right from around the Draft 45. All of a sudden he pulled up and fired a halfback option pass to Fulton who hauled it in around the five and sidestepped a defender to put RHS firmly in control at 35-14.
At that moment, no one was even thinking we could possibly get to a running clock situation, but Smiley's fifth TD of the night made it 42-14 early in the fourth and then with just over 5 minutes left, second-string back Aiden Miller broke the initial line of containment and put on an awesome spin move to break himself free for a 34 yard TD to wrap up the scoring. The elusive sophomore has two more years to show his stuff, much to the delight of Gladiator fans.
To each team's credit, tonight's cold weather did not seem to be a factor. I say that because if there was a single lost fumble I don't recall it. I also don't think either team threw an interception.
If you like this sort of stat, tonight's win puts RHS ahead in the overall series 26-25 and when they meet at Riverheads next November the Gladiators will have a shot to make it a two-game lead. Chances are that date has already been circled on at least one county calendar!
But first let's see how far they each can go in their respective playoff games. Each retains its number one seed and home field advantage. Unofficially the Big Red will be entertaining Rappahannock County next Friday and Buffalo Gap is being mentioned as a likely opponent for the Cougars. If that one comes to pass, it might be a rather interesting 1 vs. 8 match-up. The key will be whether SD can lick its wounds from tonight and be ready for what might be a pretty confident Bison team.
In all fairness to the Cougars, this was not your typical 49-14 game. It was only 28-14 at the break and Draft showed every sign on its first third quarter possession that they were going to cut it to a one-score game, but that drive stalled in the red zone and Riverheads gradually pulled away to win by a margin that none of us saw coming.
The major factor was SD's complete inability to stop Zac Smiley. After smoking Buffalo Gap for six touchdowns last week, the junior (yes folks he will be back next year!) almost topped that performance tonight with 5 touchdowns and a two-point conversion. According to the stats I have heard, he had 28 carries for around 230 yards and that kind of ball-control offense gave the Cougars precious few opportunities to showcase their more high-powered game. If they keep time of possession stats in high school ball, and you rarely hear it if they do, I would guess that the Big Red had the ball tonight for at least 30 of the 48 minutes.
To begin my report, the atmosphere was everything you expected as the stands were full and the fence crowd was at least 5-6 deep in places. In fact you could not tell where one side ended and the other began but I would not be afraid to suggest that the Gladiators just might have outnumbered the home fans.
Things got off to a great start for RHS as they kept two very impressive strings alive.......they received the opening kickoff for the 9th time out of 10 games and more importantly, they scored on their first possession for the 10th time in those 10 games. It will be interesting to see if they can extend that string.
The opening drive consumed almost exactly half the first quarter as the Big Red marched about 65 yards all on the ground to take a lead they would not relinquish. Smiley swept left end from about 12 yards out, hurdling a defender (with no flag this time I might add!) and Peyton Skillman's PAT made it 7-0.
But it took the Cougars only about 30 seconds to score the equalizer as Henry Cooke found Jo'el Howard streaking down the right sideline and he took it to the house from about 55 yards out. Lingenfelter's PAT tied things up at 7-7.
Moments later RHS created its first break of the game when Braeson Fulton laid his entire body on the line and partially blocked a Cougar punt to give the Big Red the ball around the 25. On the first play of the second quarter, Smiley scored from about 20 yards out to put RHS ahead 14-7. I believe that TD was scored on fourth down.
An action-packed second quarter continued with Smiley scoring his longest TD of the night and maybe one of his most impressive of the season as he started out with a simple sweep to the left. He was met after only about a five yard gain, but just like he has done many times this season, he somehow eluded half a dozen tackles and motored up the Gladiator sideline for an explosive 75 yard score to make it 20-7. A Cougar defender used an angle to block the extra point, drawing howls from some of the Gladiator faithful who thought he was offsides but Riverheads would soon have the last laugh on that issue.
But first the Cougars had something else in mind. With Riverheads still clinging to its 20-7 advantage, they marched into Gladiator territory. Facing a fourth and long from the 37, Cooke found Freddie Watkins at the six and he hauled in a beautiful catch to keep the drive alive. The same combination worked for the touchdown moments later to trim the lead to 20-14.
The Gladiators then drove for what might arguably have been the most important score of the night, as they ate up the rest of the second quarter clock before Smiley's fourth TD made it 26-14, setting the stage for a satisfying two-point PAT. The Gladiators first lined up for the routine kick and the same Cougar got the same jump. However this time he WAS flagged for being offsides, and RHS took advantage as Smiley sliced in from the two to make it 28-14. The Big Red had managed the clock so well that the Cougars had less than 30 seconds to work with.
They failed in that attempt and everyone in the stadium knew that SD's opening possession of the third quarter was either going to get them back in the game or probably give Riverheads the momentum to put the game away. The home team got the first break when targeting was called on Riverheads, a rarity in high school ball. That enabled SD to eventually get as far as the 17 yard line. But the drive stalled on four incompletions and as it would turn out, the Cougars never threatened again.
Riverheads went to its bag of tricks to grab a 3 TD lead when back-up quarterback Cy Cox, also one of the Gladiators' more dependable running backs, started off on a toss-sweep right from around the Draft 45. All of a sudden he pulled up and fired a halfback option pass to Fulton who hauled it in around the five and sidestepped a defender to put RHS firmly in control at 35-14.
At that moment, no one was even thinking we could possibly get to a running clock situation, but Smiley's fifth TD of the night made it 42-14 early in the fourth and then with just over 5 minutes left, second-string back Aiden Miller broke the initial line of containment and put on an awesome spin move to break himself free for a 34 yard TD to wrap up the scoring. The elusive sophomore has two more years to show his stuff, much to the delight of Gladiator fans.
To each team's credit, tonight's cold weather did not seem to be a factor. I say that because if there was a single lost fumble I don't recall it. I also don't think either team threw an interception.
If you like this sort of stat, tonight's win puts RHS ahead in the overall series 26-25 and when they meet at Riverheads next November the Gladiators will have a shot to make it a two-game lead. Chances are that date has already been circled on at least one county calendar!
But first let's see how far they each can go in their respective playoff games. Each retains its number one seed and home field advantage. Unofficially the Big Red will be entertaining Rappahannock County next Friday and Buffalo Gap is being mentioned as a likely opponent for the Cougars. If that one comes to pass, it might be a rather interesting 1 vs. 8 match-up. The key will be whether SD can lick its wounds from tonight and be ready for what might be a pretty confident Bison team.
wow what a 3 game stretch for smiley, he is putting up major fantasy football stats, all year he has put up great numbers, but the last 3 stand out, 14 tds, and close to 700 yards, the jr is a well oiled machine, keep it rolling into the playoffs, and keep the winning streak alive, we are now at 21, we want to break to gaps augusta countys 26 game winning streak, we can hopefully tie it this year and get it next year, if we tie it this year, that means we will have a 4 peat, GO BIG RED
To correct one error in my game recap......on Riverheads' opening drive, they did have to convert one fourth down play by going to the air, with Elijah Dunlap connecting with Fulton to move the chains. If they had not completed that pass, the streak of always scoring on their first possession would have ended.
Another one is the blocked punt was returned to 15 not 25.
Obviously Smiley was the player of game, but Skillmans kickoffs were VERY impressive, even though SD had good field position on almost all of them. Almost all of them looked as if they would head OOB, but just died. That is a skill, not luck
