FAIRLEA, WV- Sometimes, in football, there are so many penalties, so many scores and so many timeouts that the game can feel like it takes two days to play.
Other times, the game can literally take two days to play.
That was the case in the Greenbrier East Spartans 34-19 loss to the Bluefield Beavers in week three of the high school football season. The contest started on Friday, Sept. 8 and finished on Monday evening, Sept. 11. Lightning halted play on Friday as the game was an hour and ten minutes late kicking off, and with 9:02 left in the third quarter, lightning struck again, followed by a heavy rainstorm and the game was eventually postponed.
So, on Friday, the Spartans and Beavers did provide some excitement while they were able to play.
On East’s first possession, quarterback Brody Hamric hit Nate Suttle with a 10-yard pass. Then, Hamric scrambled for six more. On the ensuing play, the two hooked up again with Suttle catching a 54-yard touchdown pass as the Spartans took a 6-0 lead just :36 into the game.
Landon Vanfosson recovered a Bluefield fumble on the Beavers first series immediately after that score. East then got the ball back with momentum on their side and a golden opportunity for their offense already in Bluefield territory.
Suttle had a 13-yard run and a couple plays later, Abram Wickline caught a short pass but a horse collar penalty on the Beavers put the Spartans at first-and-goal. Hamric capped the drive off with a 2-yard TD run. The 2-point pass failed, however, and the Spartans led 12-0 with 6:53 left in the opening quarter.
That is when the Beavers (1-2) buckled down and put together a nice drive. Quarterback Sencere Fields scrambled for a 25-yard gain on a fourth-down play that would have given East the ball back. A pass interference call on the Spartans put the Beavers to the East 12-yard line, and three plays later, Fields scored on a 5-yard run as the Beavers cut the score to 12-6 with just 2:14 remaining in the opening quarter.
However, the resilient Spartans took that as a challenge. Suttle picked his way around the edge for 19 yards on the first play and on the third play, Hamric raced 16 yards up the field for another first down. On the first play of the second quarter, Hamric found Kaden Stone wide open for a 32-yard touchdown, and as the crowd went wild, East (0-3) took a 19-6 lead with 11:52 left in the first half.
But, on the subsequent kickoff is where the momentum swung for good. Sophomore Josiah Campbell picked the ball up at the 25-yard line and proceeded to go 75 yards for a score and the Beavers were back in the game again, trailing just 19-12 with 11:38 left in the half.
A couple of possessions later, and with the Spartans driving, Hamric threw an interception that Fields snatched out of the air. That play was followed by a Fields to talented receiver RJ Hairston 74-yard TD catch where Hairston turned around and hauled in the catch and raced down the sideline. Fields ran in the 2-point play and the Beavers went ahead 20-19.
That score was where play resumed on Monday evening, though the Spartans were without Suttle who got injured in the Friday session.
The Spartans first snap of the evening came on a 3rd-and-16 at the Beavers 17-yard line, but they turned it over on downs and gave the Beavers the ball back.
Unfortunately for East, Bluefield came back to Spartan Stadium ready to play. The Fields-to-Hairston duo connected again on the Beavers following series, this time for a 44-yard strike as the Beavers took a 27-19 lead with 5:56 left in the third.
The Spartans spent a lot of time in Beaver territory and even in the red zone on several occasions, but Hamric slightly overthrew Stone on two different plays where the ball hit his fingertips, but he just could not reel it in. Both plays would have gone for big yardage.
Fields sealed the deal with his second interception of the game which set up his final score of the night, a 1-yard run. That score was preceded by Hairston’s acrobatic catch where he was on his back and the deflected ball bounced right in his chest at the 1-yard line.
It was just that kind of night for Greenbrier East.
Bluefield celebrated and then caught their team bus back to Mercer County for the second time in three days.
The Beavers totaled 323 yards of offense. Fields threw for 155 yards and two scores and rushed for 75 more and two TDs. Hairston hauled in five catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
East put up 231 yards as a team. Hamric completed 13-of-20 throws for 170 yards with two TDs and two INTs. Before his injury, Suttle had 95 total yards and a touchdown. Stone (3-35) and Burdette (3-52) each caught three passes, and Stone had a score.
The McDonald’s player of the game was Abram Wickline who played well on all three sides of the ball. He had four catches for 18 yards, a 26-yard kickoff return, and an interception return for 45 yards.
East will stay home this Friday and host the Alleghany (VA) Cougars who are off to a 3-0 start in Virginia. The game is critical for the Spartans as it gives them a chance to salvage their young season.
Stats courtesy of 103.1, WRON.
Scoring Plays:
First Quarter:
TD: 11:24 Suttle 54-yd reception
TD: 6:53 Hamric 2-yd run
TD: 2:14 Fields 5-yd run
Second Quarter:
TD: 11:52 Stone 32-yd reception
TD: 11:38 Campbell 75-yd kickoff return
TD: 2:33 Hairston 74-yd reception
Third Quarter:
TD: 5:56 Hairston 44-yd reception
Fourth Quarter:
TD: 3:19 Fields 1-yd run
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