STUARTS DRAFT, Va. (WVDN) – The Greenbrier East Spartans could not keep their positive momentum going this past Friday when they lost a hard fought 14-3 contest at Stuarts Draft in Virginia.
East had a chance to even their record at 2-2 but could not muster up any big plays to overcome the Cougars stellar defensive effort.
Here’s what went wrong and what went right:
The Spartan defense struggled to contain the run again
After completely dominating Robert C. Byrd last weekend in all phases, the Spartans fell back into the trap of having to stop the outside run game against Stuarts Draft.
Point Pleasant and Woodrow Wilson used a lot of the same philosophies to run against an East defense that has not contained the edge all season.
Cougar running Da’shea Smith ran for 237 yards and two scores and set the tone with 176 of those yards in the first half. It appears that runners that can get outside and hit the second level is the Spartans Achilles heel right now.
The offense never got going
East put up just 159 yards of offense after racking up 535 the week before, including 355 on the ground. The Cougars game plan was simple: Contain Monquelle Davis and Ian Cline, then control the clock when they had the ball, and that is exactly what they did.
The Spartans started to look deflated midway through the first half because they just could not get anything going. It was surprising considering the momentum they gained after their first victory, but it looked like a “one step forward, two steps back” situation in this case.
Noah Dotson’s 38-yard field goal
Kicker Noah Dotson has had a consistent career and he etched his name in the Spartan record books with his 38-yard field goal in the second quarter. It is now the fourth longest kick in Spartan history and with how hard Dotson works, it is not surprising his name will be remembered in the kicking section of the books for years to come. Coach Ray Lee always describes Dotson as one of the hardest workers he has coached, and it continues to pay off for the senior kicker. Dotson has the potential to be a difference maker if the Spartans play in close games the rest of the year.
Where to go now with a bye week
East will be off this coming weekend, and it could not come at a better time. The Spartans can regroup and get back on the practice field and work on the little things that can help them get back on the winning track. The roster has talent, but it has not clicked the way it has the past few years, but there is a lot of youth on both lines and in some key spots on the field.
They will have a good opportunity to right the ship when they take the field against the Hampshire Trojans on September 30. Hampshire is 2-2 right now but has played a much weaker schedule than East has. The Spartans need to just keep grinding and get better every day, and that is the goal right now within the program.
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