WHO: Woodrow Wilson (1-0) at Greenbrier East (0-1)
WHEN: Friday, September 4 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Spartan Stadium in Fairlea
LAST MEETING: Greenbrier East defeated Beckley 28-14 in Beckley
It’s Woodrow week.
Greenbrier East will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking season-opening loss when the Spartans welcome the Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles to Spartan Stadium Friday night.
East (0-1) dropped a 19-13 overtime decision at James Monroe in week one, while Woodrow Wilson (1-0) opened its season in explosive fashion with a 55-26 road victory over Washington. The performance helped move the Flying Eagles from No. 10 to No. 8 in this week’s MetroNews Class AAAA Power Rankings. On the flip side, the Spartans went from 13th to not showing up in the receiving votes category in the AAA index.
Despite the loss, Greenbrier East found success on the ground behind sophomore running back Austin Whitt who carried the ball 35 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. At times, he was the Spartans only offensive threat for stretches. Quarterback Sam Gabbert completed 11-of-22 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Braylen Godfrey three times for 28 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown that helped East erase a 13-point deficit in the third quarter.
DP Seams led the Spartans with four receptions for 38 yards, while Jet Whitworth made an impact in multiple phases. The speedster had a 47-yard kickoff return and intercepted a pass defensively– he scored on a pick-6, but it got called back due to penalty which has fans still scratching their head–giving East another playmaker to watch against an explosive Woodrow squad.
The Flying Eagles showed just how dangerous they can be in their opener.
Gage Burdette rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown while also returning two kickoffs for touchdowns. Javontae Wynes needed only five carries to gain 68 yards, and score twice and also caught a 46-yard touchdown pass. Quarterback Gage Price added a 35-yard touchdown pass to Maddox Morris, while Madden Taylor also found the end zone on the ground.
Special teams could be one of the biggest areas to watch Friday. Burdette’s two kickoff-return touchdowns against Washington demonstrate Woodrow’s ability to change a game without its offense taking the field, while Whitworth’s explosive return prowess showed East possesses some explosiveness of its own.
Another key will be whether East can continue to establish Whitt and its running game while keeping Woodrow’s quick-strike offense off the field. Whitt averaged 4.1 yards per carry despite handling the ball 35 times in Week 1. Meanwhile, Wynes averaged a staggering 13.6 yards per carry on his five attempts against Washington.
Friday will also give the Spartans an opportunity to rebound against one of the state’s early ranked teams. Woodrow enters at 1-0 after scoring 55 points in its opener, while East will try to turn several encouraging performances from Week 1 into its first victory of the season.
Prediction:
It was no secret the Spartans offense struggled at times against James Monroe, but they found their footing in the second half. I think Whitt will have another 25-30 totes in this one as the Spartans will try to keep the Flying Eagles offense on the sideline as long as they can. Beckley, as mentioned, can strike quick, so it will be imperative for Greenbrier East to not fall behind by multiple scores early. Beckley is a better team than James Monroe, but the Spartans will have the rowdy home crowd behind them. Linebacker Keshawn Bland will have to be HUGE in this one. This would be the perfect game for the students and fans to join in on those catchy cheerleader chants. Unfortunately, however, I don’t see this going the Spartans way. I’ve been wrong many times before–my wife would tell you every time I open my mouth— and here’s to hoping I am again.
Woodrow Wilson- 38
Greenbrier East- 15
Confidence Meter 1-10:7
(Last week’s prediction: GE 20, JM 19–Actual Score JM 19, GE 13)
