FAIRLEA- After two weeks off—two Spartan losses to Beckley and Bluefield—and with a bye week coming up, I thought it would be best to continue ‘The Bake’s Take’ as it just seems like the perfect time to dissect things a little too much and give advice nobody asked for on what to do next.
To be brutally honest right now, the Spartans are struggling, and I must wonder if their mental state is in a good place. Two weeks ago, the team suffered a tragic 42-40 loss to Bluefield in the final seconds. After leading by 19 points in the fourth quarter, things completely derailed for Greenbrier East and Bluefield scored 21 consecutive points and had some freak things happen in their favor as well that led up to it.
Then, this past week, the Spartans lost in the most complete opposite way they could have. They went to Covington to face a good Alleghany team, and the Cougars proved their worth and jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead before eventually sealing the deal with a 42-7 victory. The clock never stopped in the second half until it was inside the 2-minute mark because of the deficit. Many fans questioned whether the loss to the Beavers carried over to the loss to Alleghany. Well, probably yes, and no.
Here are some observations from the defeat at Boodie Albert Stadium to Alleghany.
The Spartans First Two Possessions Set the Tone in the Wrong Way:
East took the ball first with an opportunity to make a statement that they came to play and were going to be a thorn in the side of the Cougars. However, they fumbled on their first series which Alleghany recovered. But the Cougars wrapped a gift in pigskin and fumbled the ball right back to East that Nate Suttle returned 28 yards. But a 7-yard loss on the ensuing drive’s second play eventually led to a punt for East. The snap rolled to Donavin Penn, who had to run and get the ball, and when he finally tracked it down and kicked it away with defenders all over him, it went about 10 yards, where the Cougars took over at the Spartan 20-yard line.
And as I stated in the game recap– Game, set, match.
Failing to convert the Alleghany fumble into something positive, in my opinion, ended that game as Alleghany could sense something not right with the Spartans. As it turns out, they were right. The Cougars scored on their next four possessions and got their fifth score on a pick-6 late in the first half immediately after their fourth offensive touchdown. So, technically, they put points on the board in five straight series.
Brody Hamric Was Under Pressure from the First Snap Until the Last:
I do not know for a fact, but it seemed like Spartan quarterback Brody Hamric was uncomfortable all night. Many times, he would take the shotgun snap and immediately have to take off running to avoid a sack or some type of lost yardage. The few times he was given time to throw, he threw it well, but when a QB has no choice but to have happy feet, it is never a good thing. I give credit to Hamric though. He continued to get back up off the natural grass field and he kept battling. A week before, he threw for 336 yards and five touchdowns. Against Alleghany, those numbers dropped to 105 yards and two interceptions. Moral of the story? Give him time to throw and he will oblige with positive results.
Alleghany Just Reloaded from Last Year’s 9-2 Team:
Not many people know that I also distantly cover the Alleghany Cougars. I’m not their main reporter, but I do have to keep tabs on them and edit stories about them and their players, and from time-to-time, must give my two cents about their program, which we all know means absolutely nothing (my two cents, that is). They beat the Spartans 49-10 last year in Fairlea and won the first “Battle of the Border” ABK trophy. Then, this year, they came to battle without Purcel Turner, Caleb Walden, Neeko Jeter, Hunter DePriest, and more, all who graduated.
Somehow, this year, they may be even better.
Their quarterback Des Jordan had four total touchdowns Friday, they run about four or five running backs that all produce when called upon, Xzavier Hayslett may be one of the best all-around players in their area, and guys like Hunter and Hayden Knighton, Jay Godfrey, Sarge Persinger, and Gavin Via have improved year-by-year. There is no shame in losing to the Cougars if you’re Greenbrier East. That program is on one of those rolls every school hopes to experience occasionally. East can keep their heads high and learn from this game as there may not be another team on their schedule the rest of the way as good as Alleghany other than Princeton.
Bye Weeks are for Improving, Getting Healthy, and Resetting:
The Spartans are getting a bye week at the perfect time so they can readjust their minds and work on their game plans without having to play an actual game. And at 1-3, that’s where they will put their focus. It seems like a long time ago when they beat Riverside in heroic fashion to open the season, but it was just a mere three weeks ago. If they can find that fire again, the Spartans can still accomplish some preseason goals. Also, if they would have held on to defeat Bluefield, we are all having a completely different discussion right now about this team, and in fact, we may even be discussing Class AAA playoff chances. That is how much one game can mean to a team, positive or negative. How East moves forward from right now will determine the rest of the season.
I still believe that East can right the ship. The schedule lightens up a little bit, but still has a couple tough road trips left and a big challenge with Princeton at home. Still, this team has talented players. They’ve proven it in the past, as little as two weeks ago. My hope and the community’s hope are that they keep their heads held high and strive for greatness the rest of the way. Four games do not make a season. They have six more opportunities to impress.
Time to move on to Shady Spring in two weeks.
