@WiseCentralFTBL @WiseCentral Falcons use giant defensive effort to soar to a 13-7 win over Warriors

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Game Photos, Gameday Hub

David Burnworth | March 7, 2021

For the Abingdon roster, I am using the roster from Hudl.com (and my own notes) and the Central roster is from coalfieldsports.com

On Friday I rushed from my job in Hebron, Ohio back home to Buckeye Lake, Ohio to throw a bag together and then rushed off to Norton, Va to watch the battle between Central high school and Abingdon, who I also watched last week. Abingdon won this game last season 42-19 (Source fourseasonsfootball.com). This season, the game would turn out to be much closer and a defensive slugfest. , making my five-hour plus drive well worth it.

Just two minutes in we got a glimpse of how this game would play out when Martin Lucas got to Central ball carrier Matthew Boggs for a three-yard loss. Later in the opening quarter, Central faced a fourth and one and they elected to go for it, but before the play could get off a flag was thrown on Warriors for delay of game. Without hesitation, the offense lined back up to go for it a pass was broken up by #7 ( Jake Puckett) to give the ball back to the Falcons. The last big play of the quarter came when the Warriors Maddox Reynolds coughed up the ball the Warriors recovered the ball losing five-yards in the process.

The scoreboard read 11:39 left in the half when Ethan Mullins found Ben Brickey for a thirty-five-yard touchdown, #6 Ricardo Onate easily nailed the point after giving Central the 7-0 lead. The Falcons run-heavy offense would go to the air with 10:27 left in the half with Cole Lambert finding Peyton McClanahan for a big thirty-six-yard gain. The drive would fizzle out just like the 2021 Ohio State basketball season when Eli Ratcliff coughed the ball up and the Warriors Andrew Crabtree pounced on it. The Warriors wing-T offense would try to go to the air again with 9:11 left in the half and if not for a great play by the Falcons #24 (NOT ON THE ROSTER) who knocked the ball away from Brickey saving a touchdown. The drive got a big shot in the arm with the Warriors facing second and sixteen CJ Crabtree galloped to a fifteen-yard gain. Uncle Mo would show on the Falcons side when #2 Haynes Carter dove on a Warriors fumble just six seconds later. Abingdon would tie things up on a Lambert to McClanahan one-yard touchdown pass with Timmy Jessee nailing the P.A.T. Jessessie had a fifty-five-yard punt to change field position before this drive that was set up by a ten-yard Warriors punt.

#2 Haynes Carter pulled in a big catch for close to twenty-yards with 8:37 left in the third quarter but the drive ended when several Warriors stopped #40 (NOT ON THE ROSTER) on fourth and one. The Falcons defense would stand tall throughout the quarter and the offense repaid them with McClanahan pulling a thirty-five-yard catch that helped set up a his own thirteen-yard touchdown catch when the Falcons faced fourth and ten on the Warriors thirteen. The P.A.T. kick was blocked by #12 Maddox Reynold to keep this a 13-7 game.

The fourth quarter would see nothing but good defense by both teams. The two plays that stuck out to me was a sack by the Falcons #25 (There are two on the roster) but he was called for a face mask to wipe away the sack and then with 2:44

left Jake Johnson was able to secure the win when he easily picked off a pass thrown by Mullins. Martin Lucas the William & Mary signee, who was injured early in the game finally came back on the field and picked up three big first downs on the final drive to lock the gate on the win.

UNOFFICIAL STATS

Falcons

55 Plays

202 yards

Passing 9-16 2 TD’S

Warriors

57 plays

147 Yards

Passing 2-10 1 INT

Photo Gallery

For more, and larger, photos from this game, click HERE.

The rest of the pics can be found here
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10222543634934041&type=3

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