COVINGTON- With homecoming festivities the talk of the town, the Greenbrier East Spartans had an opportunity to play spoiler when they headed to Casey Field inside Boodie Albert Stadium in Covington on Friday night, Sept. 20 to meet the Alleghany Cougars in the “Battle for the Border.”
However, after two quick possessions ended in turnovers, it was clear that Greenbrier East was not up to that challenge and the upset fans hoped for was just not in the cards.
Alleghany used a balanced offense, a swarming defense and a rowdy home crowd to roll to an easy 42-7 victory in a game that saw the game clock run continuously the entire second half.
The Spartans got the ball first and many wondered how the heartbreaking Bluefield loss a week before would affect them moving forward, if it all. And even if it wasn’t that crazy comeback by the Beavers that shellshocked them, it was definitely the play of the Cougars. On the first possession, East fumbled a pitch play that the Cougars’ Sarge Persinger pounced on to give the ball to his Alleghany offense.
But the Cougars returned the favor.
Carter Nicely fumbled the ball back to East after what would have been a 9-yard gain and East’s Nate Suttle scooped it up and returned it the other way for 28 yards and some Spartan momentum.
However, a quick three-and-out forced the Spartans to punt, but a low snap to punter Donavin Penn was tough for Penn to handle and he had to chase it down and he tried to kick it away, but just got it 10 yards up the field for Will Palella to field it and give Alleghany great field position.
And truthfully, after that sequence, it was game, set, match in favor of Alleghany.
Xzavier Hayslett caught a 6-yard screen pass on the following series for a score to give the Cougars a 7-0 with 7:48 left in the first quarter.
Then, after a quick Greenbrier East three-and-out, the Cougars went into attack mode again.
Nicely had an 18-yard run on the drive’s second play, then rumbled for eight more. Two plays later, Hayslett hauled in a 14-yard reception and Nicely picked up 11 more on the ground. The drive was capped with a Des Jordan 10-yard touchdown pass to Sarge Persinger and the Cougars extended their lead to 14-0 with 3:26 left in quarter number one.
Joe Rogers sacked Hamric to stall the ensuing East possession, and their offense was back at it. Early in the second quarter, Jordan called his own number and danced around then hit a hole up the middle for an 8-yard TD run and after Mason Hale’s third extra point, Alleghany led 21-0.
Just three-minutes-and-five seconds later, the Cougars found paydirt again that was, yet again, set up by a big play. Hayslett caught a 37-yard pass, and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jordan to Hunter Knighton followed, and Alleghany led 28-0 with 6:53 left until halftime.
The Spartans then put together their best drive of the half and used the passing game to do it. Suttle caught a quick pass for 16 yards then snagged another for 11 more. Two plays later, after a sack from Jay Godfrey, Grant Burdette caught a 19-yard pass for a spartan first down. However, after getting the ball inside the Cougars 30-yard line, Godfrey intercepted Hamric and returned it 79 yards for a pick-6 and a commanding 35-0 lead for the Cougars.
That score stayed the same at halftime.
In the second half, the clock rolled due to the score. It only stopped in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. The Cougars eventually got some reserves in the game, but before they did that, Hu. Knighton scored his second TD of the game, this time on a 4-yard run that put the score at 42-0.
The Spartans avoided the shutout late in the fourth when Alleghany transfer Brady May scored on a 1-yard run.
Fireworks filled the air at the conclusion of the game as Alleghany posed with the A.B.K. trophy and as the Spartans came out of their locker room with a look of confusion on their collective faces.
The Spartans managed just 132 total yards of offense. Suttle led the team with six catches for 39 yards.
Nicely had 12 carries for 66 yards as the Cougars ran for 173 on the night. Jordan completed 9-out-of 14 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns. He added 31 rushing yards with a score as well. Hayslett caught five passes for 74 yards and a score and had a pick on defense. Hu. Knighton got 46 total yards and two TDs.
East will have two weeks to get some things figured out as they have a bye week next Friday night. They will return to the field on Oct. 4 when they travel to Shady Spring to take on the Tigers.
