BECKLEY- Two down. Eight to go.
The Greenbrier East Spartans had a major opportunity awaiting them on Friday night as they headed to Beckley to face the Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles, their biggest and most hated rival in the school’s history. With a win, the Spartans could get to 2-0 and cement themselves as a legit state playoff hopeful and beat the Eagles for the first time in four years in the process.
East checked both of those boxes and got a huge 28-14 victory in a game where Beckley coach Street Sarrett tried to extend the game at the end even though the outcome was already decided.
Ironically, the last time Greenbrier East defeated Woodrow in 2021, it was the exact same score.
The Spartans (2-0) kind of quietly set the tone early when three of their first four plays went for seven yards. They picked up three first downs on the series but eventually had to punt the ball away and pinned Beckley inside their own 10-yard line.
Beckley returned the favor and punted from their own end zone following an excellent first defensive series from East and Kaden Stone returned the kick 20 yards to set the Spartans up in great field position. It took just two plays for Brody Hamric to hit a streaking Stone over the middle for a nice 20-yard score, and Greenbrier East went up 6-0 with 3:14 left in the first quarter.
That score remained after one.
After both teams each punted on their next possessions–which included a school-record 69-yard boot from Hamric– it was Woodrow who would find paydirt next. J.W. Wynes caught a 36-yard pass to start the drive and four plays later, on third down, AJ Thomas then hauled in a catch for 27 more. Gage Burdette then gained 19 yards on his next two carries, the latter going for a 6-yard TD run, and the Eagles jumped ahead 7-6 with 8:02 left in the first half.
East stalled out on their subsequent possession with two bad snaps that resulted in 24 lost yards and Hamric would have to punt the ball back to Woodrow.
The Eagles (1-1) started the drive at the Spartan 34-yard line and on a third-and-eight, Price found for Burdette for 26 yards. Three plays later, Thomas caught a 22-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone, and the Eagles went up 14-6 with 3:51 left.
But on the following kickoff, the Eagles were hit with a penalty that gave the Spartans the ball at Beckley’s 40. On a third-and-long play, Hamric found a seam and scrambled for 34 yards to keep the possession going. The drive ended with just :02 on the clock when Hamric hooked up with Stone on a 3-yard pass, Stone’s second score of the half. Godfrey ran in the 2-point try and just like that, the game was tied at 14-all at the break.
On Woodrow’s first drive of the second half, they moved the ball and were aided by a fake punt that gained them 18 yards. They eventually took the ball deep in East territory, but the game turned on a whim in the Spartans favor. Price dropped back to throw into the end zone, but the Spartans’ Nate Suttle picked the pass off, raced down the right sideline and took it to the house on a school-record 100-yard pick six. Stone kicked the extra point through the uprights and East took the lead back at 21-14.
Brayden Brown recovered an Eagles fumble on their very next offensive play and although East did not capitalize, Woodrow’s confidence was shot. The game was decided over the next several sequences. With Beckley driving and inside the Spartans 30-yard line, Price threw his second interception of the game right to Spartan linebacker Logan Vanfosson who corralled it for East.
Godfrey then ruled the following series which resulted in nine carries for the senior and a 3-yard touchdown to boot. That made the score 28-14, and if Beckley had any hopes of coming back, those hopes were gashed with Suttle’s second interception of the game.
After the officials gave Beckley four timeouts inexplicably, each of which Woodrow used while the Spartans were in victory formation, the clock finally struck all zeroes, and East celebrated their road victory. It was head coach Ray Lee’s birthday as well and his gift couldn’t have been any sweeter.
The Spartans only gained 185 yards but 119 were on the ground. Godfrey finished with 25 carries for 101 yards with the offensive line deserving major credit for those numbers. Stone had two catches, 29 yards, and two TDs.
Beckley had just 246 yards and just 38 rushing on 21 carries. Price was 16-of-26 for 208 yards and a TD, but three interceptions. In total, the Spartans forced four turnovers, and Suttle was named the McDonald’s Player of the Game.
Greenbrier East will welcome Alleghany (VA) to Spartan Stadium for the home opener next Friday, Sept. 12. The game is played for the ABK Trophy and is titled the Battle-of-the-Border. The Cougars beat Brookeville (VA) 27-26 on Friday in come-from-behind fashion.
Stats courtesy of 103.1, The Bear-WRON.
