HICO (WVDN) – Greenbrier West notched their eighth win of the season Friday night, Oct. 28, with a 21-7 victory over Midland Trail. The win keeps the Cavaliers in the hunt for a home playoff game with one week left in the regular season. Midland Trail was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, ending a streak of five straight playoff appearances.
The Cavaliers got off to an inauspicious start. After grinding out only one first down, West faced an early third and seven at their own 48-yard line. Tucker Lilly started to his right on an option but was forced to pitch early when Patriot defensive end T.C. Perry pressured him, flattening Lilly in the process. The errant pitch sailed behind Ty Nickell, but Nickell recovered and retreated as four Trail defenders converged on him. Nickell released a pass in the direction of Cole Vandall but the ball fell incomplete. It was a great save of valuable field position, at least momentarily. Officials incorrectly flagged West for intentional grounding, setting the Cavaliers back to their own 26-yard line. To add insult, a low snap bounced into Isaac Agee’s hands and forced a rushed punt. The result was great field position for the Patriots at the West 45-yard line.
Despite a 24-yard gain on their first play, the Patriots couldn’t do anything else with the possession. Head coach Jeremy Moore made the decision to try a 32-yard field goal when faced with a fourth and six at the Cavalier15-yard line. An offsides call on the Cavaliers changed Moore’s mind, and he sent the offense back on the field to go for the first down needing only a yard. The drive ended with a stuff of running back River Barnhouse by Nickell, Kadin Parker, and Dalton Heath.
The sledding didn’t get any easier for West during their second drive. Nickell carved out a three-yard gain on first down, but Ethan Holliday was smothered for a four-yard loss on second down. The Cavaliers went to the air on third down, but a dropped pass cost the Cavaliers what would have been a first down. The cost would become higher on fourth down.
As Terry Treadway sent the snap back in Agee’s direction, a Trail lineman scraped off his block and barreled toward the backfield. Left virtually untouched, the defender blocked the punt in the direction of the Cavalier goal line. Barnhouse covered up the ball and gave Midland Trail excellent field position at the Cavalier 11-yard line.
It would only take the Patriots four plays to find the endzone. Will McGraw punched it in from the one-yard line. Talon Shockey’s extra point staked Midland Trail out to a 7-0 lead with 5:14 to go in the first quarter.
The Patriot score seemed to spark the Cavalier offense. Vandall carried for 24 yards on a quarterback keep, moving West near midfield. Nickell followed with a 14-yard burst to the Trail 37-yard line for another first down. Nickell was swarmed for a loss on the next play, but West was on a mission. Facing a second and 13 from the Patriot 41-yard line, Lilly took a shotgun snap and looked to his right. Holliday streaked up the field from the slot and made a spiraling catch at the 20-yard line. Holliday spun once more as he landed, clearing himself of Patriot safety Cody Harrell, and sprinted into the endzone. Midland Trail jumped offsides on the PAT, giving the Cavaliers a half-the-distance penalty from the three-yard line. The Cavaliers decided to forego a kick and try a two-point conversion. Nickell’s momentum was stopped short, but West was back in the game, trailing 7-6 with 2:46 left in the first quarter.
Momentum is fickle; it can change on a dime. The Patriots wrestled it back on their next drive, driving from their own 32-yard line to the Cavalier 16 in seven plays. Two negative plays and a penalty backed Trail up to the West 36, but a third down completion of ten yards salvaged enough yardage to attempt a 36-yard field goal.
It was the Cavaliers’ turn for momentum to return. Holliday burst off the right corner, leaping over a Patriot wingman who tried to take his knees out. Holliday bounded again, extending both arms to block Talon Shockey’s kick, then maneuvered to his left and scooped the football up on the bounce. Holliday returned the ball to the Trail 35-yard line.
West’s momentum would only last five plays before turning the ball over on downs, a disappointing result after Holliday’s blocked kick return. They wouldn’t wait long to grab it again.
Mired on their own side of midfield, the Patriots would make the next mistake. Gladwell set up in the shotgun on a third and nine from the Trail 45. Gladwell rolled to his right, not sensing Nickell’s backside pursuit. As Gladwell raised his arm to throw, Nickell applied a leaping sack that dislodged the football. Trent Parker raced to the ball and covered it at the Trail 27-yard line.
West’s offense sputtered at the start. Nickell was stuffed for a three-yard loss, followed by a Lilly incompletion on a deep ball. Vandall and Holliday failed to connect on third down, and the Cavaliers were faced with a fourth and 14 with under a minute to go in the half. With the short time remaining in the half, West elected to go for a first down. This time, Vandall would connect with Holliday on a crossing pattern. Holliday’s run after the catch earned West a first down at the Patriot 15. Lilly slid back over to quarterback and scrambled out of bounds for a five-yard gain. Lilly zipped a slant to Holliday at the three-yard line for a first and goal. The Cavaliers rushed to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock. Nickell burst into the endzone for the go-ahead score with 16 seconds left in the half. Holliday tossed a conversion pass to Lilly and the Cavaliers had a 14-7 lead they’d take into halftime.
The two teams would play a scoreless third quarter, with Greenbrier West getting the ball back just as the quarter ended. Nickell and Vandall carried on first and second down, respectively, followed by Lilly connecting with Vandall for a West first down at the Trail 36-yard line. Nickell bulled forward for a gain of one, setting up the pivotal play of the drive. Vandal and Nickell started to their left on a speed option. Vandall leaned toward Nickell as if to pitch, enticing the Trail defender to flare in Nickell’s direction. Faking the pitch, Vandall swept to the inside of the defender and found open field for a 24-yard gain.
The Midland Trail defense tried to muster enough for one more stop. Vandall was dropped for a seven-yard loss on first down but carried up the gut for 15-yard gain on second down. Trail’s defense rallied to stuff Nickell for a one-yard loss on third down, setting up a fourth and two from the Trail five-yard line. The Cavaliers pulled out a staple of the Toby Harris offense of the seventies on fourth down, rolling Lilly right on a waggle pass. Lilly had drifted beyond the hash marks when he lobbed a pass to Vandall for the touchdown. Ridgeway belted his 36th PAT of the season through the uprights for a 21-7 lead with 9:13 remaining in the game.
The two teams would trade possessions before Trail would put together one last gasp attempt. Gladwell dropped back to lob long passes in the direction of Harrell, but the front seven of the Cavalier defense pinned their ears back and pressured Gladwell. His only completion was a short tunnel to Harrell for no gain when Holliday wrestled him to the ground. The Cavaliers took the turnover on downs and took two knees to end the game.
Greenbrier West improved the 8-1 on the season, solidifying their chances of hosting a first-round playoff game. Midland Trail dropped to 5-4, eliminating the Patriots from playoff contention and ending their streak of five straight postseason appearances. The Cavaliers host Moorefield at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4. Midland Trail heads to Pocahontas County to complete both team’s seasons.
Cole Vandall was selected as the Rock 95 McDonald’s Player of the Game.
