FAIRLEA- The Class AAA 4th ranked Greenbrier East Spartans started early, kept it up in the middle, and finished it off late when they put together their most impressive performance of the season on Friday, September 26 when they deflated the 7th ranked Class AAAA Oak Hill Red Devils 45-7 at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans put their bye week to good use last week and came out in this one and got the ball first and went right down the field to set the tone early.
Nate Suttle caught a 14-yard pass for a first down and three plays later, Grant Burdette got nine more. Jy Green, who had his best game of the year, hauled in a 16-yarder and two plays after that, Brody Hamric scrambled for a 25-yard run down the sideline. The drive concluded with Hamric finding Burdette for a 19-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Spartan lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter.
The defense got started early as well when East’s Zyir Lee picked off Red Devil quarterback Luke Ednicott and returned it all the way back to the Oak Hill 14-yard line. From there, the Spartans AJ Godfrey rumbled 14 yards into the end zone as the Spartans jumped ahead 13-0 with 4:52 left in the opening quarter.
Following another Oak Hill three-and-out, East (3-1) went right back to work and refused to let their feet off the gas pedal. Burdette converted a critical fourth-and-4 and then just two plays later, Suttle got wide open in the middle of the field and caught a 51-yard touchdown from Hamric, and it was clear that East was going to roll on this night. That made the score 19-0 near the end of the first.
Harrison Smith then jumped on a fumble on Oak Hill’s next possession and East’s offense trotted right back on the field.
And right on cue, it was Burdette again on a 30-yard hookup with Hamric and the Spartans took a commanding 25-0 lead early in the second quarter.
That score remained at the break, but another Smith fumble recovery and a skirmish on the sideline following a late hit on Hamric by the Red Devil’s top player Carson Treadway, which resulted in his ejection from the game, provided end of the half entertainment.
As the second half began, East started with the same momentum and energy. With Oak Hill driving, the Spartans’ Kaden Stone picked up a fumble and returned it 46 yards for a score as Greenbrier East kept receiving gifts and could do no wrong all evening.
The Red Devils (3-2) finally got on the board on Cade Compton’s 20-yard TD run, but they would not come close again thanks in part to an attacking East defense that was relentless the entire contest.
On East’s first offensive series, Jink Brown, grandfather of the Spartans Brayden Brown, was named honorary offensive coordinator and got to call the entire first possession’s plays. All he did was help direct a 10-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a Godfrey 5-yard touchdown run that put the score at 38-7. Jink won that opportunity during the Spartans annual elimination dinner event last weekend.
Godfrey would cap the scoring with his third TD of the evening, an 8-yard scamper, as the Spartans cruised with a running clock in the final minutes.
East rushed for 164 yards and threw for 262 more for a total of 426 yards. They held Oak Hill to just 172.
Hamric went 19-for-24 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Suttle caught five passes for 95 yards and a score. Burdette hauled in six receptions for 86 yards and two scores. Green had six catches for 60 yards and Godfrey carried the ball 18 times for 97 yards and three TDs.
Compton led Oak Hill with 25 rushes and 142 yards and a score.
The Spartans will be back home next Friday night, Oct. 3 for a homecoming battle with the Shady Spring Tigers. Kickoff is set for 7:30.
Stats courtesy of 103.1, WRON.
