CHARMCO – In the music world, a one hit wonder is a singer’s once in a lifetime hit song that rises to the top of the charts. It brings the artist a ton of attention even if they never find that same chart-topper again in their career. In the baseball world, one hit wonders are those rare players that ended their MLB career with one plate appearance and one hit. There have been 154 instances of position players with only one plate appearance. Of those, only 16 tallied a hit.
In Charmco, a one hit wonder means something entirely different. These are the players that perform admirably but sometimes in obscurity because they don’t always get their names in the paper for scoring plays or flashy stats. Deserving of accolades, these players have been given the opportunity to taste a moment of personal glory themselves. Since the return of former head coach Toby Harris in 2019 and through the two-year tenure of current head coach Kelly Vaughan, the offensive unit has put itself in a position to give these players their moment in the sun. Let’s hear it for West’s one hit wonders!
Leading Sherman 34-12 in the fourth quarter last Friday night, Greenbrier West was clearly in control of the game. The ball was at the Sherman 49-yard line when Brandon Poticher took a handoff over the right side, hit the Tide sideline, and raced toward the endzone. Even though Poticher had a clear path to the endzone, he stutter-stepped his way out of bounds inside the one-yard line. Selflessly recognizing the efforts of senior teammate Payton Ford, Poticher wanted Ford to have an opportunity to score a touchdown. You see, the Monday following Greenbrier West’s loss in the Class A State Championship game last December, Ford and Poticher were in the weight room preparing for the 2024 season together. Family means a lot in Charmco.
On first and goal, Ford lined up at fullback. Carrying over the right side, Ford owned the moment. 1 carry, 1 yard, 1 touchdown. It was exhilarating for Ford as well the excited teammates who swarmed him immediately. It was also a situation that had been repeated many times over the course of several seasons.
In 2023, Greenbrier West had two players that completed basic training before football training camp began in August. Roy Loudermilk and Austin Baker were senior Cavaliers that, although not linemen, didn’t see many opportunities to get offensive touches. Loudermilk had his share of scores over a three-year span. Baker would get his shot in week seven against Petersburg. With West leading 34-0 in the fourth quarter, Baker’s number was called. Lining up as the tailback in a power-I set, Baker crashed into the endzone for a 4-yard score. His career stat line reads 1 carry, 4 yards, 1 touchdown.
In 2022, Greenbrier West was leading Meadow Bridge 21-0 in the first quarter when the Wildcats lined up to punt. A high snap from the 21-yard line was knocked out of bounds at the Meadow Bridge four-yard line, setting up the Cavaliers. West once again lined up in a power-I and handed the ball to senior tackle Reney Cordial. Cordial dragged a Wildcat defender into the endzone for the score, then sprinted
wildly to the Cavalier sideline and onto the fence in front of the home crowd to celebrate with the fans. Cordial’s final stat line was 1 carry, 4 yards, 1 touchdown.
In 2021, two Cavaliers got their solo scoring opportunity, both against Webster County. Greenbrier West led the Highlanders 26-0 as the second quarter got underway. Colby Winnings lined up at split end on the left side and ran a simple slant pattern to the inside. Cole Vandall connected with Winnings for a four-yard touchdown to go up 32-0. Winnings career stat line reads 1 catch, 4 yards, 1 touchdown.
Chase Franklin was a young man that knew how to handle the football, just not the way that gets a lot of press. Franklin had played center for most of his career, so he’d handled the ball on virtually every Greenbrier West offensive play. With West up 38-0 on Webster County, Cole Vandall broke into the open field for an apparent 22-yard score. Much like Poticher this past Friday night, Vandall abruptly stopped inside the one, setting up his senior snapper. Franklin ran with the opportunity, bulldozing his way over the right side for the one-yard touchdown. Franklin’s final line stands at 1 carry, 1 yard, 1 touchdown.
The 2020 Webster County game was a record-breaking event for the Cavaliers. Defeating the Highlanders 73-6, West set a program record for the most points ever scored in a game. One of those scores was of the one hit wonder variety, but it wasn’t typical of the plays we’ve already broken down. West led 48-0 at halftime. Zack McClung had already scored the Cavaliers’ third touchdown of the game in the first half, but it had come on a four-yard interception return. Offensively, McClung hadn’t touched the football all season. On the first play of the second half with West backed up to their own 31-yard line, the staff decided to give McClung a shot carrying the football. McClung made the carry count, galloping 69 yards for a touchdown. His career offensive numbers read 1 carry, 69 yards, 1 touchdown.
Mt. View was the 2019 opponent that succumbed to a first–time Cavalier ball carrier. Already leading 44-12 early in the fourth quarter, West found itself with a first and goal at the Golden Knight eight-yard line. Lining up at fullback in the power-I was senior tackle Isaac Brown. Brown followed the lead block of Cole McClung for his only career touchdown. Brown’s line in the record books reads 1 carry, 8 yards, 1 touchdown.
You’ve got to go all the way back to the 2011 season to find another one hit wonder in the West record books. Josh Bridges was a junior wide receiver that entered the offensive lineup with the Cavaliers leading Independence 42-0. Bridges set up as a wideout on the left side of the formation at the Patriot 29-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Mikey Goddard lofted a pass out in front of Bridges, enabling the split end to run under the ball for his only career touchdown. It was West’s only completion of the night, and incidentally, Goddard’s first career completion and first career touchdown pass. Bridges’ final stat line was 1 catch, 29 yards, 1 touchdown.
One is not a lonely number for the Cavaliers that lived that singular, magical moment in their careers. One was an opportunity to do something wonderful.
