STUARTS DRAFT, Va., (WVDN) – After an impressive performance on all three sides of the ball just one week ago, the Greenbrier East Spartans suffered a defensive minded, hard fought 14-3 loss on Friday, Sept. 16 to the Stuarts Draft, Va., Cougars.
The Spartan offense was bottled up all night as the Cougars knew what they wanted to do on defense and executed it to perfection.
Stuarts Draft running back Da’shea Smith broke a scoreless tie when he took a handoff and raced 61 yards for a score with 5:00 left in the opening quarter. A muffed snap on the extra point attempt kept the score at 6-0, Cougars.
That was the score to begin the second quarter as well, and the first play of the quarter set the tone for the rest of the night.
Smith scored on a 3-yard TD run and Troy Thompson added the 2-point conversion for a 14-0 Stuart Draft lead.
The Spartans had a drive going midway through the second but Isaac Wood’s interception of Monquelle Davis stalled it and allowed the Cougars to regain the momentum.
East would steal it back a couple of possessions later after Jake Pate recovered a bad snap fumble and brought it back to the Cougars 15-yard line.
However, the offense could not punch it the end zone and they instead settled for a 38-yard field goal from Noah Dotson. That kick was the fourth longest in school history, and it cut the Stuarts Draft lead to 14-3 at the half.
And that was it from both offenses.
The Cougars (3-0) still ran the ball exceptionally well in the second half and their plan to limit the Spartans opportunities worked. They ran the clock and completed one of the fastest moving games in recent memory.
The Spartans (1-3) managed just 159 yards of total offense and Ian Cline was held to just 36 yards on 16 carries.
Smith led the Cougars attack with 23 carries, 237 yards and two TD’s. Thompson added 18 rushes for 115. Those two accounted for all but two yards of the Cougars offense.
Dotson was named the McDonald’s player of the game for East. His 38-yard field goal is now printed in the East record books.
East will have this week off before coming back home on Sept. 30 to host the Hampshire Trojans.
Stats courtesy of 103.1, WRON.