NITRO- The Class AAA #8 Greenbrier East Spartans concluded their 2025 regular season on Friday night, November 7 at Nitro in a game that was moved up an hour due to severe weather conditions that were threatening the area.
Well, the time change didn’t really matter much as halftime was delayed over an hour as heavy rain fell and made playing conditions hazardous during the Spartans 23-6 loss to the Class AAA fifth ranked Wildcats.
Nitro fumbled on their first possession when Chris Radcliffe dropped the ball at the 2-yard line when it looked like he was going in for a touchdown. East recovered and took over.
The Spartans did pick up a first down on the ensuing possession but eventually had to punt the ball back to the Wildcats.
This time, Nitro answered.
Radcliffe ripped off 45 yards on the drive’s first four plays and eventually capped it with a screen pass to Malachi Thompson, a WVU commit, and Thompson slithered his way 35 yards for a score for a 7-0 Nitro lead with 4:11 left in the first quarter.
Wyatt Sowards then quickly got the ball back for his offense when he intercepted Brody Hamric and the Wildcats were back at it again.
It took just a couple plays for Richardson to find the end zone from 17 yards away, and just like that, Nitro had taken a 14-0 lead with 3:46 left in the quarter.
Oddly enough, that would be the only scoring the rest of the first half although the Spartans had a good chance after a 50-yard completion to Nate Suttle, but the drive was stopped when Hamric got stuffed on 4th-and-inches at the goal line.
Halftime then came and greeted everyone with perpetual downpours and resets of the time clock.
And lightning struck on the field, metaphorically, when Hamric found Suttle with a 65-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. That cut the score to 14-6.
A Connor Strickland 27-yard field goal and a Takye Porter touchdown run sealed the deal for the Wildcats as Greenbrier East could not crack the scoreboard again.
Tempers flared a little late in the game as both teams seemed visually frustrated with the other.
There were no official stats available immediately following the game.
The Spartans also played without stellar running back AJ Godfrey.
East’s Gage Blevins was named the McDonald’s player of the game and Suttle had over 100 yards receiving and a TD.
The Spartans are a lock for the state playoffs and will now await who they will play, where they will play them, and when they will play them.
The WVDN will post that info when it becomes public knowledge. Please follow our Facebook page for updates.
