UPPERGLADE (WVDN) – If this were a record store in the early eighties, somebody would be trying to kick these kids out!
Greenbrier West has opened the season on a torrid pace, smashing records along the way. The Cavaliers shut out Webster County 61-0 Friday night, their fourth consecutive shutout to open the season. That feat hadn’t been accomplished in Charmco since 1983. In fact, only the 1981 and ‘83 Cavaliers had ever opened a season the same way. The 61-0 score was the largest shutout win for a Greenbrier West team, ever. Let that sink in. This was the 109th time West had held an opponent scoreless, but never had they lit the scoreboard this many times themselves in a shutout win.
If those feats weren’t enough, a couple of Cavaliers went one better. Ty Nickell, a first team All-State running back in 2021, added his name to Cavalier lore. Nickell rushed for five touchdowns, all in the first half, to break a record shared by a veritable who’s who of Greenbrier West running backs. Marvin Moore, Rick Cline, Trent Walker, Brian Gray, and Noah Brown all shared the previous record of four touchdowns in a half. Heady company, indeed. First-year placekicker Hayden Ridgeway joined Mark Smith and Kaiden Pack for the most successful PAT’s. Incidentally, all three kickers went 7-8 while setting or tying that mark.
In four games, the Cavaliers have scored 174 points. Only the 1991, 2010, and 2020 West teams have scored more through their first four games. The ‘91 team was the Class AA runner-up, the ‘10 team was a Class AA semifinalist, and the ‘20 team a Class A quarterfinalist.
To quote Maximus from the blockbuster film Gladiator, “are you not impressed?” Read on.
The Cavaliers opened the game with a three-play scoring drive. Evan Vandall provided excellent field position with a 31-yard kickoff return to position West at midfield. Going right to work, Dalton Heath pulled down a 23-yard pass from Cole Vandall on the first play. Nickell did the damage from there, carrying over the left side for seven yards followed by a 21-yard touchdown to the left. Ridgeway nailed a line drive over the crossbar for a 7-0 lead 1:07 into the game.
After a three-and-out stop by the Greenbrier West defense, it looked as if the Cavaliers would add to the lead quickly. Nickell split the Highlander defense for a 47-yard gain to the Webster County 10-yard line. A first-and-goal carry from Nickell put the ball at the one-yard line, but a muffed exchange between Tucker Lilly and Nickell on the next play would be recovered by the Highlander’s Noah Clutter. Webster County dodged a bullet, momentarily at least.
Trying to work out of the shadow of their own endzone, the Highlanders tested the middle of West’s defense on first down to no avail. Webster quarterback Isaac Snyder rolled to his right on second down with Reney Cordial in pursuit. Cordial strung Snyder out to the endzone sideline before Snyder attempted to dump a pass over both Marcus Adkins and Heath. Unfortunately for Webster County, the pass was too high for the intended receiver Bryson Lee. Lee tipped the ball, but it fell into the hands of Ethan Holliday. Holliday stayed in bounds, wheeled around to his left in almost a complete circle, and navigated through the would-be West blockers and the scrambling Highlander tacklers for an apparent 15-yard touchdown. Flags flew, though, erasing the pick six but giving the Cavaliers excellent field position.
It would take the Cavaliers only three plays to score from their own 23-yard line. Nickell carried the ball on all three plays. This time from the one-yard line, the handoff was clean and Nickell walked into the endzone untouched. Ridgeways kick was low but would be his only blemish of the night. West led 13-0 with 6:54 remaining in the opening quarter.
The opportunistic Cavaliers wouldn’t wait long to get the ball back. On Webster County’s second play, Snyder rolled right but got immediate pressure from Holliday who had blitzed off the backside. With Holliday dragging him to the ground, Snyder lofted another ill-advised pass. This time it was Cole Vandall who leapt into the air and plucked the ball away before it could find its way to the receiver. Vandall returned the ball to the Webster 25-yardline and a pair of penalties, one for each team, were assessed giving the Cavaliers the football at the Webster 20-yard line.
After a first down incompletion in the endzone, Greenbrier West went to their workhorse. Nickell carried for a gain of eleven yards before scoring on a nine-yard run with a nice cutback to find clear sailing. The Cavaliers had scored in just three plays for a third time. Ridgeway’s kick sailed high through the uprights for a 20-0 lead with 5:39 to play in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers held the Highlanders to a three-and-out on the next series but a roughing call against West on the punt advanced Webster County to their own 37-yard line. That would only buy them one more play. A muffed handoff was covered up by Reney Cordial giving West the football back in excellent field position.
Lilly had to scramble out of the pocket on first down and dump the ball out of bounds. Nickell went right to left for a gain of fifteen yards followed by an apparent 21-yard touchdown run. Three plays, right? Wrong this time. A holding call went against the Cavaliers moving the ball back to the 31-yard line. Undaunted, the Cavaliers went to the air on second down and Cole Vandall connected with a sliding Kaden Parker at the three-yard line. Vandall would get the carry from there, going in for the touchdown. Ridgeway’s PAT made it 27-0 with 2:34 to go in the opening quarter.
Webster County went three-and-out to end the quarter and punted the ball back to Greenbrier West. It would take, you guessed it, three plays for the Cavaliers to light up the scoreboard again. Lilly rifled a tunnel pass to Heath who rumbled 14-yards to the Highlander 47-yard line. Nickell was stuffed for a loss on the next down, but the Highlanders chose to accept a holding call that backed the Cavaliers to their own 40-line. Vandall dropped back to pass on the second down replay but was pressured off the edge and ended up losing a yard on the sack. Holliday took a handoff on a counter and started up the left hash. As Holliday hit his stride in the open field, he had a defender on each flank and the safety ahead of him. Holliday started to lean in toward the safety as he outraced his flankers and suddenly, made a lane change to his left that caused the safety to slide down his leg and both his flankers to breeze by on his right. The subtleness of the moves at full-speed was superb and catapulted Holliday in for a 61-yard touchdown run. Ridgeway tacked on the extra point to put the Cavaliers up 34-0 with 10:22 left in the first half.
Greenbrier West’s defensive dominance continued in the next series. Marcus Adkins just missed an interception on first down. Brandon Poticher swallowed up Snyder after a bobbled snap for a loss of five yards. The Cavaliers corralled Snyder on third down and ran him out of bounds on third down forcing yet another Highlander punt.
The Cavaliers’ next drive wasn’t crisp, but Vandall did make a nice throw on the run to Lilly for a first down in West territory. Then, facing a fourth-and-ten at the Webster 45-yard line, Vandall connected with Lilly for a catch and run resulting in a 32-yard gain. Nickell navigated his way through the heart of the Highlander defense for a 13-yard touchdown run. Ridgeway’s PAT made it 40-0 with 4:24 left in the first half.
Webster County’s fortunes wouldn’t change on their next drive. Facing a third-and-ten at their own 43-yard line, the Highlanders opted for a quarterback sneak. Holliday wrapped Snyder up at the line of scrimmage and ripped the football away as he torqued through the tackle and made the recovery. Holliday’s forced turnover gave the Cavaliers the ball at the Highlander 45-yard line.
Holliday wasn’t finished putting on a show. Coming in motion from right to left, Holliday took a pitch and was met at the line of scrimmage by two Highlander defenders. Holliday writhed away from the potential tacklers and burst down the Cavalier sideline for the apparent touchdown. Officials dropped flags back near the line of scrimmage, wiping the score off and setting the Cavaliers back to their own 45-yard line. It didn’t keep West out of the endzone for long. Nickell took a handoff up the middle and, as he rumbled up the field, stiff-armed Highlander Isaac Cutlip at the Webster 40-yard line. The well-timed stiff-arm provided Nickell with the separation he needed to outrun Cutlip and three other Highlander defenders for a 55-yard score, his record-breaking fifth first-half rushing touchdown. Ridgeway’s PAT made it 48-0 with 2:01 remaining in the second quarter.
The second half would see the teams play eight-minute, running-clock quarters. Roy Loudermilk would score on a 36-yard run for the Cavaliers in the third quarter. Isaac Agee would punch in the final score from 10 yards out in the fourth quarter.
Nickell was selected the McDonald’s Player of the Game by the Rock 95 Cavalier Radio crew. It’s Nickell’s second selection in the first four games. The Cavaliers had a plethora of worthy candidates. Holliday had 17 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, four tackles for loss, and a 61-yard rushing touchdown. Holliday also had a pick-six that was called back for a personal foul behind the play. Cole Vandall went 5-5 for 99 yards in the passing department, had a 3-yard touchdown run, an interception and a fumble recovery. Roy Loudermilk burst on the scene with a 36-yard touchdown run and an interception.
Greenbrier West returns home this Friday to host Meadow Bridge for Homecoming 2022. Webster County hosts Wahama.
Greenbrier West 27 21 6 7 – 61
Webster County 0 0 0 0 – 0
1st – (10:53) Ty Nickell 21-yard rush (Hayden Ridgeway PAT)
1st – (6:54) Ty Nickell 1-yard rush (Kick failed)
1st – (5:39) Ty Nickell 9-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT)
1st – (2:34) Cole Vandall 3-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT)
2nd – (10:22) Ethan Holliday 61-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT)
2nd – (4:24) Ty Nickell 13-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT)
2nd – (2:01) Ty Nickell 55-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT)
3rd – (2:25) Roy Loudermilk 36-yard rush (Run failed)
4th – (2:35) Isaac Agee 10-yard rush (Ridgeway PAT
Rushing: GW (33-362yds, 9TD) Nickell 16-191 5TD (21,1,9,13,55), Holliday 2-66 TD (61), Loudermilk 1-36 TD (36), Hodge 2-(-2), C. Vandall 4-(-3); WC (26-13yds) Snyder 13-21, Lee 4-(-4), Triplett 3-(-4), Cutlip 1-(-5), Rivera 3-(-4), McCourt 1-2, Cochran 1-(-1)
Passing: GW (6-8, 111yds) C. Vandall 5-5, 99; Lilly 1-3, 15; WC (1-11, 5yds, 3 INT) Snyder 1-11, 5, 3 INT
Receiving: GW (8-111yds) Heath 3-45; Lilly 2-36; Parker 1-30; WC (1-5yds) Triplett 1-5
Turnovers: C. Vandall INT, FUM; Holliday INT, FUM; Cordial FUM; Loudermilk INT
CUTLINE
Ty Nickell rumbles through the Webster County defense for the Cavaliers’ first score. Nickell set a Cavalier record with five first-half rushing touchdowns in the 61-0 win. Photo courtesy Stephanie Robinson Redden.
