By Stephen Smoot
Pendleton County last Friday night posted 61 points to Pocahontas County’s 28.
Both quarterbacks, Colton Roberson the starter and Mason Miller in relief, combined for 22 of 39 for 460 yards and six touchdowns.
The offense enjoyed a stellar four fourth down conversions in four tries.
As the season evolves from very good into potentially something very special, Zac Smith, head coach, mostly sees more work to do.
Pendleton County struck first, seizing a 7-0 advantage early. The defense shut down the next Warrior drive, giving the Wildcats an opportunity to go up 14.
As Smith described, “Then they got back into it with a long run.” He stated that overall “they moved the ball on us well.” Though Pocahontas County ground out a lot of yards on the ground, the Warriors also gave up the ball in turnovers four times. That said, Smith stated that “defensively, we still have a lot of work to do.” He stated that will focus on the defensive line and linebackers, saying “I’m not pleased with our ‘box,’” meaning those players defending on or near the line of scrimmage.
The offense poured on the points in the second quarter, building a commanding 35-14 halftime advantage.
Once the teams exited the locker room and commenced the third quarter, “things got opened up in the third.” The Wildcats outpaced the Warriors 19-7 in the quarter.
“We had control of the game, but defensively, I wasn’t as happy.” Smith said. “We did not play as well as we could’ve. We’re trying to get better every week.”
This week’s opponent, Stonewall Jackson, will come into Franklin today due to a shortage of game officials. In recent weeks the Generals have played better. They defeated Hancock (Maryland) 20-8 in their sole victory of the season two weeks ago. They also narrowly lost to three win Park View their last game out.
That said, Pendleton County opponent Bath County blanked the Generals 36-0 in the season opener.
Smith discussed Stonewall Jackson’s approach, which relies heavily on variations of the I formation. He said, “They will run a pro I, a spread I, and try to run the ball.”
Last year, the Wildcats beat the Generals handily on the road.
More worrisome is the Halloween matchup against rival Moorefield in Hardy County. The Yellow Jackets struggled to win all season until they came to life two weeks ago and shocked Tucker County. Smith related that “Moorefield will try to run the ball in two weeks.”
In the win, Moorefield passed four times and completed two for 28 total yards. They ran the ball 55 times for 345 yards on a tough Mountain Lion defense.
The past two seasons, the rivals have competed in games with thrilling plays, big momentum changes, and dramatic endings. Pendleton County prevailed both times, leaving Moorefield hungry for revenge and with no hopes for a postseason of their own.
The Yellow Jackets, however, face a grueling test this coming week against a strong opponent in Keyser that the Wildcats defeated in week one. Last week, East Hardy beat their cross-county rivals 30-18.
Notably, Moorefield is Class AA and Stonewall Jackson a class AA equivalent, giving Class A Pendleton County credit for playing bigger schools in playoff rankings.
To close out the season on Nov. 7, the Wildcats will travel to Wetzel County to face Class A power Cameron. Last week they lost to Monroe Central in Ohio, a small school that would be Class A in West Virginia.
Smith explained that part of the team’s success has come from its depth. “We’ve got more depth this year compared to what we’ve had in years,” he said. When players have gone down to injury, the bench players who step into the role demonstrate little, if any, drop off from the starter.
“We’re a little bit banged up, but it gives the younger guys some opportunities,” he added. Despite the consistent execution and success, Smith also notes that “we’re still a young team” that relies heavily on juniors and sophomores to perform and produce.
