LEWISBURG (WVDN) – This past Friday, the Greenbrier East Spartans lost to the number one ranked team in the state, the Parkersburg South Patriots 49-16 in a game the Spartans actually competed well, especially early on in the contest.
East’s luck ran out as the game wore on, but they never quit and showed resiliency throughout. With just two more games left before the 2022 campaign comes to a close, East will look to play their best and even their record by the end of the year.
Here is what happened against the top ranked Patriots.
1. East Played a Great First Quarter
The Spartans got going early with a 45-yard kickoff return from Lucas McCallister and a 15-yard facemask by Parkersburg South got them even further down the field. The drive stalled after a missed field goal, but it still helped East get points on the scoreboard. After the missed kick, the Patriots took over, but a couple penalties backed them up to their own 1-yard line. From there, East got a safety when they stopped star Patriots quarterback Robert Shockey in the end zone and took a 2-0 lead. South would lead 7-2 at the end of the quarter, but considering their past first quarter success, the opening period was a positive thing for the Spartans.
2. Hoping for a Non-Serious Injury for Monquelle Davis
Davis has been a highly successful four-year player for the Spartans and will be placed in Spartan football history lore when this season ends. Unfortunately, the senior went down in the second quarter and had to be helped off the field by trainers and was not putting much weight on what looked to be a lower body injury. Official word has not been released, but the hope is Davis is able to compete in his final two games as a Spartan. He has had too good of a career for it to end on an injury, but if that is the case, he went down diving for extra yardage which exemplifies the team player that Davis has been for his tenure with the program.
3. PSHS’s Robert Shockey Was Tough to Stop
The hype was out on Shockey who has played well all season, but rarely plays any fourth quarters due to his Patriots typically leading by a lot late in games. Shockey played until the middle of the fourth quarter and it was pretty apparent as to why he is on his way to all-state honors.
He threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns and added 157 more yards on the ground and two more scores. What was amazing in his performance was that he did everything so effortlessly and without a lot of flash. His numbers did not seem like they would be that impressive, but he accounted for 491 yards and five touchdowns. The team had 601 total. Shockey has been, arguably, the best opponent player that has been to Spartan Stadium this year.
4. Ten Seniors Graced the Home Sideline for the Last Time
Senior night is always a bittersweet experience for players and their families. On one hand, celebration is deserving for making it through another year and graduation becoming closer to being a reality.
On the other hand, the player will never play on their home field again, and sadness can set in because once again, graduation is becoming closer to being a reality.
Coach Ray Lee has set the bar high for his student athletes and this year was no different. As sad as it will be to see the seniors go, it is a proud moment for them, their families and the coaching staff as well. Those 10 seniors are Monquelle Davis, Lucas McCallister, Chris Jacobs, James Foular, Chris Sinclair, Noah Dotson, Cody Jenkins, Jonathan Viney, Luke Carola and Luke Fogus.
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