LEWISBURG (WVDN) – The number one team in the state invaded Spartan Stadium on Friday, Oct. 21, in what was a big opportunity for Greenbrier East to make a statement to the state of West Virginia.
What started out as a pretty decent senior night with a solid performance in the first quarter, did not end as positive as the Spartans suffered a 49-16 defeat to the Parkersburg South Patriots.
The Spartans took the opening kickoff and got a 45-yard return from Lucas McCallister and a face mask on the Patriots tacked on 15 more yards to the end of the run. The drive ended with a Noah Dotson field goal attempt that missed wide right as the Spartans let a chance to score slip through their fingers.
A penalty-filled Parkersburg South drive put them at the goal line and East’s Sam Wright sacked South quarterback Robert Shockey for a safety. After that play, the Spartans led 2-0 with 9:34 left in the opening quarter, and the energy in the Stadium was high, and the crowd was engaged.
Unfortunately for East, that would be the last negative play that would involve Shockey.
He scrambled for 17 yards on the subsequent possession, hit Gage Wright for 20 yards then found Braden Hamilton for 17 more on a fourth-and 11 to keep the drive going. It was capped with Shockey’s 4-yard touchdown run and a 7-2 South lead with 2:33 remaining in the first.
East quarterback Monquelle Davis had a big 19-yard run on the following series, but three plays later got hit and stayed down with an injury. He was helped off the field and never returned, and that never helped the Spartans chances.
Early in the second, McCallister had an interception on the goal line, so the Spartans set up with a long field to go. But Gavin Bennett scrambled under pressure and stepped on the line in the back of the end zone for a safety and a 9-2 Patriots lead.
That lead extended to 16-2 when Wright found the end zone from two yards away with 8:20 left in the first half.
Shockey added a 9-yard scoring run before halftime as Parkersburg South led 23-2 at the break.
The Spartans stayed resilient and never quit as evidenced by Ian Cline’s 43-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. That run answered Cyrus Traugh’s 18-yard touchdown catch and following both scores, it was the Patriots with a 29-9 advantage.
Cline then finished East’s scoring late in the game with an 11-yard scamper for a TD.
South proved their number one ranking was legit by racking up 601 yards of total offense, including 348 passing. Shockey threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 157 more and two more touchdowns.
Cline, the McDonald’s player of the game, led East with 178 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also blocked three kicks on special teams, which may be a state-record, but that has not been confirmed yet. The Spartans had just 192 yards and Cline had all but 14 of them.
The seniors on the team posed for some pictures before and after the game as they have stepped foot on their home field for the final time of their careers.
East will travel to Princeton this Friday, Oct. 28. They have two games remaining this season and the Tigers are on a roll at the moment.
Stats courtesy of 103.1, WRON.
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