Morgan’s Kole Searls hauls in a completion from River’s Kabel Isaly during Ohio’s 9-7 win against West Virginia in the 29th Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Classic played Friday night at Bill Hanlin Stadium in St. Marys. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
STREET. MARYS – The 29th annual Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Classic was dominated by defenses here Friday night inside Bill Hanlin Stadium in St. Marys, but in the end Ohio denied West back-to-back series wins Virginia as the Buckeyes secured a 9-7 victory for East head coach Jason Jackson.
W.Va. head Matt Kimes of the Parkersburg High team had 10 offensive possessions in the game, but half of them were deep in his own territory. The Mountaineers, who still lead the all-time series 16-13, had drives that started at their own 20, 17, 5 and twice at their own 2.
The Buckeyes, who were led by River High’s one-two combination of running back Finn Bowers and quarterback/punter Kabel Isaly had to make one last defensive stand to earn the win.
Ohio’s late fourth-quarter rally was thwarted thanks to a tackle for loss by Wirt County’s Channing Lowe and a sack by Doddridge County’s Kale Hart.
After the punt, Tyler Consolidated’s Sean Winfrey had a 16-yard gain, putting W.Va. at the Buckeye 28 with a first down. Wahama signal-caller Sawyer VanMatre proceeded to gain 8 yards on first down, but Gallia Academy’s Steven Davis stopped Winfrey for a 1-yard loss. Following a 2-yard gain by VanMatre, the Mountaineers faced a fourth-and-1 at the 19, but VanMatre’s drive fell short after the chain team was called.
West Virginia quarterback Ian Crookshanks of East Fairmont attempts a pass during the Mountaineers’ 9-7 loss to Ohio in the 29th Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Classic played Friday night at Bill Hanlin Stadium in St. Marys. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
“West Virginia played great defense,” Coach Jackson admitted. “We played great defense, especially at the end. Gallia Academy’s Steven Davis made a great stop there on a losing inning and I think that was the difference.
“Of course, the fourth down was huge too. I definitely love all of these guys, great kids, great programs and their coaches, amazing football in Southeast Ohio. “Those River boys were a big part of the victory.”
Before the game, Coach Jackson wanted his defense to score a touchdown.
Although that didn’t happen, the first points of the affair came at 5:29 of the first when a bad cross by W.Va. It bounced toward St. Marys’ Josiah DeMoss, who had to bend down to grab it. His knee was still on the turf when he finally corralled the pigskin as Ohio led for good.
“You know coming into a game like this, field position, turnovers and mistakes is probably what’s going to decide it because you have two teams of stars and talent on both sides,” Coach Kimes admitted. “As a head coach, all you can ask is for your kids to play very hard and they did. They competed to the death. Multiple opportunities. That game could have very easily gone the other way.
West Virginia running back Sean Winfrey of Tyler Consolidated scores the Mountaineers’ only six points during a 9-7 setback to Ohio in the 29th Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis Football Classic played Friday night at Bill Hanlin Stadium in St. Marys. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
“Other than our mistake on the punt, it’s a close game. Congratulations to Jason and the Ohio team. They deserved it. They did a good job. Like I told the guys, there are no losers tonight. They just won on the scoreboard. Proud of all of our kids and their commitment to the team this week and going out and representing their families and communities very well.”
On the free throw that followed the safety, Trimble’s Brandon Burdette returned the ball 19 yards to the Buckeyes’ 49. Morgan’s Kole Searl had a key 35-yard grab from Isaly, giving Ohio a first down at W.Va. 12. Bowers ran 7 yards and then made his way into the end zone from 5 yards out to make the score 8-0. New Lexington’s Chase Dumoit converted the extra point as Ohio led 9-0 with 1:49 left in the first.
West Virginia responded immediately with an 80-yard drive. The duo of East Fairmont quarterback Ian Crookshanks and wide receiver Avery Brown had back-to-back connections of 8 and 13 yards. Winfrey grabbed a pass in the flat and gained 11 yards before ripping off a 13-yard gain to get the ball to the Ohio 37-yard line. Another Brown grab, this one from 13 yards, took the hosts into the red zone. Tyler Consolidated tight end Tristen Tuttle had a 9-yard reception and two plays later Winfrey came in from the 1. St. Marys’ Sam Miller scored the extra point to set up what turned out to be the final score with 8 minutes left in the game. half.
The Mountaineers’ next drive ended when VanMatre was intercepted by Searl, who was able to beat St. Marys’ Ashton Boron.
Parkersburg South’s Turner Garretson had back-to-back sacks to help force Ohio into a four-and-out.
Despite taking control at the Buckeyes’ 37, the Mountaineers went up four. On fourth-and-3 from the 30, Eastern’s Kam Smith knocked down a Crookshanks aerial off the intended receiver.
Although Isaly connected with Marietta’s Elyjah Lieras-Kelley on a 46-yard bomb to move the ball into the red zone in the 18th minute, time expired in the first half of the clock before the Tiger left the field.
“Obviously, we’ve been working all week in practice and this is really important to a lot of people,” Kelley said. “While it’s nice to get a ‘W,’ it was also nice to be able to participate in something like this and help the cause.
“One more second is all we needed. The coach even said that those two points were going to mean everything. He called it out and said it at the beginning of the game and it ended up being the difference between a win and a loss.”
West Virginia appeared to be in great shape to open the second half when Greenbrier West’s Ethan Holliday returned the opening kickoff 61 yards to the Ohio 29. However, the Buckeyes forced a turnover when W.Va. He also got hurt with a false start penalty. .
Isaly had a 53-yard punt as the Mountaineers took control with 7:39 left on third at their own 5-yard line. Two plays later, Trimble’s Cole Wright recovered a fumble.
Despite having the ball at the 6, the Buckeyes were unable to produce any points as Roane County’s Brandon Richardson made a big hit on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to take down Bowers, who ran for a team-high 50 yards. , in 15 total. , out of bounds in 2.
The hosts’ next drive, which began at their own 38, turned into a disaster after a 15-yard gallop by VanMatre when his pass was deflected and intercepted by Dumoit.
A tackle for loss by Holloway helped the Mountaineers force a punt, but they took over at their own 17-yard line.
Crookshanks and Brown returned to work and had consecutive connections of 9 and 48 yards, respectively, giving Coach Kimes’ team the ball on first and 10 at the Ohio 23-yard line. Four plays later, which included an intentional ground play, W. Virginia turned it around.
“I didn’t know anyone on the team,” admitted Holliday, who had his graduation ceremony before kickoff. “I’ve played against a couple of them, but I have a hotel here for this week of practice and I got to make some new brothers this week, so it was awesome. It was difficult. I hate losing and especially losing like that.
“He’s a tough man, but our defense stayed solid and our offense did what it could. Ohio is a tough team. It was a good game. It’s for a great cause and he would give up graduation any day of the week to play football one more time. Great coaching staff and great players. “It was a great week of football.”
Winfrey finished with a game-high 14 carries for 75 yards. Crookshanks was 8 of 17 for 118 yards and Brown caught five passes for 91 streaks.
Isaly contributed 22 yards rushing as the Buckeyes’ only first down of the second half came when Bowers made an 11-yard gain before entering the victory formation.
“Security will do it,” Coach Jackson joked. “I said it at halftime, those two points are much more important than you think. In a game like this, especially with what was going on in West Virginia, I said those two points will come back at the end and really help us.
“I thought there would be more points scored in the second half, especially we turned it on right at the end against Marietta’s Elyjah Lieras-Kelley and we just couldn’t get the time.”
The lowest-scoring game in the BACF series came in 2019, when the Buckeyes won 7-0. The second-lowest scoring game came during the Mountaineers’ 14-0 win in 2011.
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