The Greenbrier East Spartans finally got on the stat sheet in the most important column, the win column.
East defeated Ripley 39-23 on Friday and got the winless monkey off their back, so to speak.
The Spartans jumped out to a 33-7 halftime lead and proved that even though they were 0-6 heading into the game, they were still going to fight and claw their way through the rest of this 2023 season.
So now with East sitting at 1-6, here is how they got there and how they keep it going over the final three games of the year.
Nate Suttle had his breakout game:
Sophomore running back Nate Suttle missed all of last year with an injury and was late to the party as far as being able to acclimate himself to practices, workouts, and Friday nights. Suttle has had a good year this season and always gives 110 percent effort, but he had yet to have that game where he really stood out among the proverbial crowd.
Well, that theory is over.
Suttle scored four first half touchdowns and had them in different ways. He ran three in from his running back spot and also returned a kickoff 91 yards to pay dirt. He was one of the main reasons the Spartans got off to such a quick start and a 26-point halftime lead. Suttle finished with 121 yards rushing and had a couple catches. For one night, the Spartans were reminded of Ian Cline, the former running back now playing in Charlotte. We have likely not seen the last of big games from Suttle and it will be fun watching him continue to develop over the next couple of years.
Brody Hamric was back to looking comfortable:
Brody Hamric has been through the ringer this year. The quarterback has experienced the typical ups and downs of a sophomore signal caller, but the play of Hamric has always been viewed with confidence. He has stepped into some hostile territory this year such as Princeton and Point Pleasant and held his own. Against Ripley, he had arguably his best game of his career.
Hamric threw for 152 yards and ran for 83 more including a 38-yard TD run and a 2-yard run. The Spartans have been using the “young team” lingo all year, but in a couple years, if the team sticks together, there may be fireworks again in Fairlea, and Hamric will be right there as the one leading that mix and will be excelling at a high level at the point in his career.
Do-it-all, Mr. Hamilton:
Senior linebacker/running back Carter Hamilton did not jump off the stat sheet against the Vikings, but he was as key as anyone in the victory. Hamilton, intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble, and single-handedly ran the ball down the field on one of the final drives where he carried Viking defenders on his back to the tune of nine Carrie’s and over 50 yards just on that one series. He wore the Ripley defense down and ended any hopes they had to come back with his power running as Ripley defenders were worn out on the drive.
Hamilton is another player that always plays hard and never stops until the final whistle. He has been a big asset to the Spartan program this season.
It’s always nice when a team doesn’t quit:
The Spartans could have very easily just gone through the motions Friday and through the next three games of the season. But against Ripley, it was easy to see that the games still mattered to them and how important it was to get that first victory of the season. With East eliminated from the playoffs, the game was a testament to coach Ray Lee and the whole coaching staff that his players will play hard and be resilient until the clock strikes zero in game number 10.
I expect you will see that effort and passion over the next three games as well, regardless of the score in any of them. The future is bright at Greenbrier East.
FRIDAY NIGHT QUOTE TO LIVE BY: “Life is ten percent what happens to you, and ninety percent how you respond to it.” –Former Notre Dame and South Carolina head coach and native West Virginian, Lou Holtz.
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