DUNMORE – Greenbrier West improved to 3-1 on the season Friday night with a 37-0 shutout win over the Pocahontas County Warriors. It was the fifth consecutive season that the West defensive unit held the Warriors scoreless. The victory also gave Greenbrier West their 37th win in the series, the second-most wins that the Cavaliers have over any opponent.
The Cavalier offense wasted no time setting the tone on West’s initial drive of the game. Isaac Agee carried the ball four times, advancing the ball from the 19-yard line to the 39. One the fifth play of the drive, the Warriors took the bait when Agee broke left, faking the sweep. Senior fullback Brandon Poticher slipped through the blocks of Peyton Ford and Trey Franklin and raced 61 yards for the game’s first score. Agee punched in the conversion run for an 8-0 lead with 9:52 left in the first quarter.
Pocahontas County narrowly avoided giving up a 74-yard pick six on their first drive when Evan Vandall picked off a Gavin Delair pass and returned it for an apparent score. An erroneous block in the back call negated the touchdown but gave West the ball at their own 41-yard line. The Warriors would not escape unscathed after the turnover, but neither would Greenbrier West. Agee quickly pushed the ball inside the Warrior 25-yard line on four consecutive carries, but his night would end on only his eighth carry when the senior tailback suffered what appeared to be a hyperextended knee. Six more Cavalier runs resulted in freshman tailback Ben Butler poking the ball in the endzone for his first career touchdown. Trey Franklin’s PAT was wide-right making the lead 14-0 Greenbrier West with 1:41 to go in the first quarter.
Both teams traded possessions throughout the second quarter until Greenbrier West got the ball back with just over three minutes left in the first half. From his own 47-yard line, Vandall powered his way up the gut for a gain of four yards. On second down, Vandall rifled a pass to Asher Barclay on the right side, and Barclay muscled his way through two tacklers to the Warrior 39-yard line. Showing fantastic balance, the Cavaliers turned to Poticher on the next play, and he delivered with a bounce to the left edge that carried West to the Pocahontas County fifteen-year line. Vandall did the damage on the next play, bouncing an inside carry to the right perimeter for a fifteen-yard touchdown. Franklin’s PAT was good for a 21-0 advantage with 1:01 left in the half.
Pocahontas County was having problems moving the football effectively, and the Cavaliers were causing the Warrior offense to remain off balance. Pressure from edge players like Joevun Robinson and Poticher kept Delair from getting comfortable in the pocket on obvious throwing downs. Logan Berry anchored the Cavalier defensive line along with Ford and Franklin, swallowing up the running lanes and forcing Delair to the air. The smothering defense ended the Warrior threat as the first half ended and on the first drive of the second half.
Greenbrier West didn’t fare any better on their first possession after a series of short gains. Griffin Taylor picked off a Vandall throw intended for Butler at the Warrior 42-yard line. Pocahontas
County tried their luck through the air following the turnover, and they were able to draw a pass interference call for their longest gain of the drive. Delair came dangerously close to being picked off by both Kamden Sams and Barclay, though, and the drive ended on downs at the Cavalier 31-yard line.
Greenbrier West went back to their all-hands-on-deck approach. Vandall carried for a short gain up the middle followed by a Poticher burst off the left side. C.W. Sturgell provided the key perimeter block to spring Poticher for a 15-yard gain. Poticher followed that carry with a seven-yard sweep to the right, and Vandall hit the middle for a gain of 11 yards. Vandall faked a toss to Poticher on the left side and lofted a pass to Sams who was streaking down the seam. Sams hauled in the slightly off-line throw and landed at the six-yard line. With a first and goal situation, West called Vandall’s number three consecutive plays. The first was a four-yard loss to the right after Vandall bobbled a snap. The second came up the gut for a gain of four. The third ended up being a five-yard touchdown carry over the left side with Vandall barreling over Warrior defensive back Austin Price at the goal line. Franklin added the extra point for a 28-0 lead with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter.
Pocahontas County had their best shot at ending the Cavaliers four-year shutout streak on their next possession. Senior wide receiver Devon Burgess, on his only carry of the night, took an inside handoff, bounced to his left, and raced into the open field. A handful of West defenders gave chase, and senior linebacker Randy Keener shoved Burgess to the grass at the Cavalier fifteen-yard line. Pocahontas County would come no closer to a score, as the Greenbrier West defense tightened up and turned the Warriors over on downs.
The Cavaliers were unable to generate a first down of their own. Needing a fill-in for their regular punter Agee, West turned to the senior Sturgell as a replacement. Sturgell flipped the field with a 48-yard boot that pushed Pocahontas back to their 32-yard line.
The Cavaliers got the break they were looking for on second down. Sturgell surged up the middle and applied pressure to Delair. Delair heaved a ball to his left in the direction of Morgan Beverage. The pass was too high for Beverage and Sams made an adjustment to haul in the interception at the Warrior 40-yard line, his second of the season. Sams outraced Austin Price to the corner for a pick six. Franklin’s point after increased the West lead to 35-0 with 8:55 to go. It also engaged a continuous clock.
The swarming Cavalier defense ended the scoring on Pocahontas County’s next drive. A combination of penalties pushed the Warriors back to their own ten-yard line. The battle of attrition had gotten the better of the Warrior roster, and the combination of a backup center and a backup quarterback spelled disaster when the snap sailed through Logan Keatley’s hands. Keatley and price gave chase in the Warrior endzone. So did the Cavalier defensive front. Price picked up the loose ball and started to his left. A diving attempt by Joevun Robinson led Price directly into the arms of Logan Berry who bearhugged the ballcarrier into the endzone for a West safety. Greenbrier West’s lead stood at 37-0 with 7:36 remaining on a running clock.
Greenbrier West, 3-1, will host the #14, 2-2 Man Hillbillies this Friday night at 7 P.M. It will be the first time in 35 years the two tradition-rich programs will meet on the gridiron. Pocahontas County, 0-4, travels to 0-3 Richwood.
