Beavers bask in state glory
Saturday, December 5, 2009
By JED LOCKETT- The Bluefield Daily Telegraph
A single look at the scoreboard did not tell the story. A single look at the final stat sheet definitely did not tell the story. Both helped, but to truly understand the event that was Friday night’s West Virginia Class AA State championship game, one needs to ask a select group of people the players and coaches who were part of it.
The gridiron stars of Bluefield High School were only happy to talk following their 27-7 win over Wayne at Wheeling Island Stadium. It was the Beavers’ 10th state championship in school history, but the victory’s true significance was to the players who will remember those two-and-a-half hours for the rest of their lives.
"It feels awesome as a senior to come out with a win," said senior Marcus Patterson, who delivered the game’s defining moment and was named Bluefield’s Most Outstanding Player of the game. "I can’t explain it. That’s how good it feels."
"We had two losses early in the season, came back, seeded sixth in the state and beat (seeds) 3, 2 and 1 — all undefeated — and went out big," said senior Jake Lilly, who led the Beavers in rushing Friday night with 50 yards on nine carries and had a game-high 15 total tackles.
"I’m proud of this team. We stepped it up big this game. We were on turf. That’s our home. We played good."
"People talk about it. The seniors this year talked about it their sophomore year," said sophomore Brad Fox, for whom the experience was much more than he imagined. "But once it happens for you it’s amazing. You can’t explain it. You’ll never feel nothing like this in your life again."
Bluefield head coach Fred Simon is used to winning state championships. But this one was just as emotional.
"It’s been a great, great experience," he said. "Just the way our season’s been, it’s been a great experience for me because I’ve never had a season like this before and it’s just unique when you stay in it year-in and year-out, things are never the same and that’s what I love about this game and the players that you inherit, that it’s always something different and never the same and that’s why you never forget the relationships that you have off each team."
The game was a collection of big plays that led to scores. In the first half, the biggest plays were on special teams. A 19-yard punt by Wayne’s Seth Merritt led to Lilly’s 15-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Bluefield lead. A punt block by Wayne’s Justin Ruggles led to Corey Damron’s 3-yard touchdown run and a tie score at the end of the first quarter.
The Beavers made the next game-braking play on the first play of the second quarter when Matthew Riggs blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt by Allen Bryant. This may have changed Wayne coach Tom Harmon’s thinking — and changed the course of the game.
"Everybody knows we’re not exactly a big field goal team," Harmon said. "We had to take a scoring opportunity there when we had a chance and there’s a lot of things that happened when we had the ball down there in the red zone and I’m sure when we go back and look at it maybe some of it we would change."
Bluefield followed the field goal block with another big special teams play. Wayne punt returner Austin Mills fumbled on his own 17. Bluefield recovered and Lilly scored on an 8-yard run that gave the Beavers a 14-7 advantage.
"Anytime you get in the playoffs and championship games, special teams mean a lot," Simon said. "We got that fumble off the punt and of course they blocked one on us, so it can change."
Wayne found offensive consistency on their final drive of the first half. By employing quick traps up the middle, they shoved the ball down Bluefield’s throat.
They also ran out of time. Unwilling to settle for a field goal and needing to throw, they came away empty.
Wayne’s first drive of the second half was a carbon copy of their last from the first half, as they advanced the ball freely using power running. But the drive stalled on the Bluefield 16. On fourth-and-11, Adam Frazier’s pass was intercepted by Patterson and returned for a 98-yard touchdown that was the game‘s biggest momentum swing.
"That takes some steam out of the football team when they’re close to scoring and you don’t have to run any offensive plays, you return it all the way," Simon said.
Wayne kept moving the ball deep but failed to score. Their next three possessions ended in a fumble, Patterson’s Super Six record-tying second interception and a turnover on downs.
Bluefield’s offense never got going in the second half. They ran nine plays for eight yards in the final 24 minutes and were outgained in total offense by Wayne 270-94. The Pioneers also had 17 first downs to just four for the Beavers.
"We just didn’t get the ball much the second half," Simon said. "They’d get the ball in decent field position, a couple of first downs. We got the ball in terrible field position, so we had to be very conservative with our play call because we didn’t want to turn it over. I thought we did well there."
Patterson fumbled on his own 40 and the Pioneers recovered with 5:11 left in the contest. One final offensive push got the ball down to the Beavers’ 4. But their final flurry ended in frustration. Fox stripped the ball from Mills after the junior had caught a pass from Frazier. Then the sophomore — who had only previously dreamed of playing for a state championship — raced down the field for the game-clinching 94-yard touchdown.
"I never even reckoned that I would be playing in a game like this," Fox said.
Even though Wayne set a school record by running the ball 66 times and even though Bluefield tied a Super Six record with six punts and set another one for fewest first downs with four, the Beavers found themselves with 27 points on the scoreboard to seven for the Pioneers — primarily because of defense.
"I made a mistake by fumbling and my defense stepped up and coach Simon preached, ‘Defense, defense, defense,’" Patterson said. "And that what stepped up for us, our defense."
"I’m very proud of the defense for keeping them out of the end zone and very pleased with everything," Simon said. "I really am."
The performance of the Beavers’ defense when it mattered most meant Fox could realize a dream for himself that he saw his current teammates accomplish two years earlier.
"This means everything to me," Fox said. "I can cherish this for the rest of my life and nobody can take this away from us. It’s amazing."
It meant Lilly could end his Bluefield football career on the highest note possible.
"It’s better for me because I’m a senior going out big," Lilly said. "It’s my last time I’ll play for Bluefield High School and I’ll always remember this game."
It meant Patterson could give an easy and honest answer to the question, "Is this game the greatest memory of your high school career?"
"Yes, sir it is," Patterson said. "It feels awesome."
