MAN – For the second straight season, the Man Hillbillies did everything they could to give Greenbrier West opportunities to steal a victory. The Cavaliers capitalized on five Hillbilly turnovers last season to secure a 19-12 win. Friday night at William “Tootie” Cater Field at George A. Queen Stadium, the hosts were equally as generous with the football.
Man fumbled four times, losing three, muffed two punts, and relinquished an onside kick to the visitors from Charmco. This time, West came up empty converting them into points and suffered a 20-0 setback in what could be a severe blow to their playoff chances.
After pinning the Cavaliers deep in their own territory on the opening kickoff, Man allowed only one first down before forcing a West punt. The subsequent starting field position was the Greenbrier West 45-yard line. The Hillbillies’ ground game found the endzone in only four plays. Josh Spriggs carried three times for 40 yards of the scoring drive, including 28 yards for the game’s first touchdown. Emory Sanford blocked Guile Perez’s extra point attempt, but Man led 6-0 with 7:43 remaining in the opening quarter.
Shane Plogger did his best top give West good starting field position on the next kick, returning the ball to the Hillbilly 45-yard line. The Cavaliers could generate no offensive push, however, and turned the ball over on downs after losing a yard on the drive. Man immediately attacked the edge but found it tough to get around the perimeter of the Cavalier defense. Kaleb Mullins ripped up the middle of the West defense and converted a third down that seemed to spark the Hillbilly offense. A second Mullins run and an errant personal foul call on Greenbrier West moved the football to the 24-yard line. Two plays later, Mullins spun out of Logan Berry’s grasp in the backfield and raced for the corner. Mullins was turned backward to the goal line but drove his way into the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown. Mullins took an option pitch in for the two-point conversion and the ‘Billies led 14-0 with 2:25 to go in the first quarter.
A three-and-out possession was not what the Cavaliers needed at this point, but West was simply stifled offensively and had to punt the football away.
The seemingly unstoppable Hillbilly offense stepped back on the field with the opportunity to put the game out of reach early. Instead, the ‘Billies finally hit a snag. On first down, Mullins carried the ball into the interior of the Cavalier defensive line. Shane Plogger raced in from the outside and ripped the ball away from Mullins, recovering the fumble himself at the Cavalier 44-yard line.
The Cavaliers wouldn’t be able to take advantage of their best starting field position, though, and were forced to punt after yet another three-and-out. Scott McClung’s punt set the Hillbillies back to their own 18-yard line. Man promptly marched into West territory, seemingly on another march to the endzone. Cracks began show, however, as John John Akers forced another Spriggs fumble. Guille Perez quickly covered up the loose ball but four plays later, Akers again forced Spriggs to cough up the football. This time, Emory Sanford recovered for the Cavaliers.
The West drive went nowhere fast, though, when a high snap on second down had to be chased down and recovered for a 20-yard loss by Cavalier signal caller Colton Dunbar. The Hillbillies sniffed a Cavalier middle screen on third down and forced yet another West punt. This time, Spriggs closed in to catch the football and muffed the catch. Kameron Parker swooped in to recover, and the Cavaliers had new life, this time at the 43-yard line.
On first down, Dunbar spun and bootlegged to his right. Emory Sanford slipped through the ‘Billies defense and had positioned himself eight yards behind the nearest defender. Dunbar got pressure in his face as he released the pass, causing him to put more air under the ball. Sanford pulled down the reception but had to wait for the ball as he careened to the turf. The 23-yard reception was West’s best play of the night and moved the ball to the Man 34-yard line. A pair of West penalties backed the ball up to the 49-yard line before Dunbar was able to connect with Scott McClung across the middle for a 26-yard completion. Four plays later, a fourth-down Dunbar run to the Hillbilly six-yard line was negated by a holding call, forcing the Cavaliers into a fourth and eleven situation. Dunbar was sacked at the 33-yard line, killing the drive and ending the half with Man leading 14-0.
Greenbrier West began the second half with yet another change of possession-type of play. Kamden Sams, limited to kicking duties, executed a perfect chip-shot style onside kick. The ball popped off the chest of a Man blocker and into the arms of Mason Ward at the Hillbilly 48-yard line. Two running plays produced only three yards. On third down, McClung was unable to handle a Dunbar pass in the right flat. On fourth down, Kameron Parker streaked down the left sideline and got behind the Hillbilly defense. Dunbar rolled to his left and lofted a deep ball in Parker’s direction, but the throw was just out of reach and fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.
The letdown was palpable.
It took Man only four plays to navigate the 56 yards needed to score. Mullins took the football off left tackle untouched and into the endzone from 20 yards out for his second score of the evening. Mullins tried to run the conversion in but was stopped shy of the goal line, but Man had a commanding 20-0 lead with 9:26 to go in the third quarter.
Greenbrier West managed to drive into Man territory on its next possession, and Dunbar narrowly missed connecting with Parker in the endzone, but the drive stalled, and West turned the ball over on downs. Man marched the football back up the field and escaped disaster when Vaxton Vaughan forced Jacob Toler to fumble on an end around that was recovered by a “Billie lineman.
Now in the fourth quarter, Man was on the doorstep of the Cavalier endzone. In fact, two separate Hillbilly touchdowns were called back on holding penalties before Man coughed up the football once again, this time recovered by Shane Plogger. Greenbrier West returned the turnover favor on first down when Scott McClung’s heave to midfield was picked off by Jacob Toler.
The game turned even more sloppy as the clock wound down. Man punted and West muffed a punt but was able to maintain possession. The drive ended in a Cavalier punt that Spriggs, once again, muffed and was recovered by Colton Chrisman. Greenbrier West was forced into a throwing situation on virtually every down for the remainder of the contest. Dunbar was blitzed unmercifully and did as well as could be expected under the onslaught of pressure.
Dunbar went 11-22 for 111 yards passing on the night. The senior did throw his first interception of the season before the two teams traded possessions to end the game.
Man’s senior tailback Mullins carried 21 times for 141 yards and two scores. Spriggs added 10 carries for 72 yards. Overall, the Hillbillies rushed 48 times for 276 yards. Greenbrier West, 2-3, goes on the road to Ohio this Friday to take on the Fort Frye Cadets (4-1). Due to the length of the trip, kickoff will take place at 6 P.M. Man hosts the Sherman Tide Friday night.
