'Weir' No. 1
Saturday, December 3, 2005
By JOSH STROPE - The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

For Weir, it trailed at halftime in the previous two playoff games before blowing away the competition in the second half.

Friday at Wheeling Island Stadium, the Red Riders only led 6-0 at the intermission before coming away with 34 unanswered points to defeat Bluefield 40-0 and win their first W.Va. Class AA title since 1998.

Bluefield got possession on the game's first drive and drove down to the Red Rider 24-yard line. Weir's defense came up with a huge stop on fourth down to keep the contest scoreless.

Weir went three-and-out and was forced to punt the ball back to the Beavers.

Bluefield drove down the field once again, but a fumble by Shawn Brooks gave the No. 4 seed the ball back - but not for long.

Weir's Corey Lyons fumbled on the ensuing handoff, giving the Beavers another shot deep in Weir territory.

The Red Rider defense came up big once more as Dawand Smith broke up a pass intended for Bluefield's Jonathan Payne on another fourth down play.

"We only ran five plays in the first quarter and it got us out of our game a little bit," Weir coach Eric Meek said.

Weir didn't waste this opportunity as Josh Smith had two big runs, one of 36 yards, followed up by a 26-yard scamper into the end zone for the game's first score.

The conversion attempt failed as the Red Riders faked a field goal, but the Brandon Sperlazza pass was knocked down. Weir was playing without its placekicker Ryan Dennis due to injury.

The Beavers couldn't get anything going, but before the half ended, Weir made one last gasp effort to get into the end zone.

Three big catches by Jason Gatto for 59 yard put the Red Riders in business at the Bluefield 5-yard line.

Sperlazza tried forcing a pass into the end zone for Gatto, but the play was broken up by Payne.

On the final play of the first half, Sperlazza hit Jordan Taflan in the hands, but the junior wide receiver dropped the ball and Red Riders went into the break with just a 6-0 lead.

All season, only one team had outscored Weir in the second half, and the Red Riders weren't about to let that happen again in the biggest game of their high school careers.

A 32-yard run by Smith set up Corey Lyons from 11 yards out to give the Red Riders a 12-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

Bluefield's J.T. Powell started the second half under center and was welcomed by Weir sack leader Michael Buffo, who jarred the ball loose. Dustin Smith fell on the ball and the Red Riders once again found themselves deep in Beaver territory.

On a fourth down play from the Bluefield 7-yard line, Sperlazza rolled to his right and found a wide-open Smith in the corner of the end zone for the 18-0 lead.

Weir went into the fourth quarter with a three touchdown lead, but were far from done.

Three plays into the fourth quarter, Smith found a hole and dashed 77 yards to seal the title for the Red Riders.

"I couldn't do any of this if it wasn't for my fullback blocking for me, my offensive line opening up holes, and the help of Corey Lyons, the best running back I've ever seen," Smith said.

Smith finished the day with 215 yards on the ground, and was named the Samuel A. Mumley Player of the Game.

Jeremy Hurt won the award for Bluefield.

While the Red Rider offense was having their fun, the defense decided to get in on the action, too.

Chaz Davidson picked off an Eric McClanahan pass and rumbled 25 yards, but the ball was knocked out at the goal line, and recovered by Jason Larch in the end zone.

On the next possession, Lyons recovered another fumble and raced 28 yards for the 40-0 lead.

The Red Riders claim a championship in the first year under Meek, who got the traditional shower at the game's conclusion.

"It's cold but I'll be wet like this any time if that's what it takes to win," Meek said.

As for the game Smith had, Meek wasn't surprised one bit.

"Nothing these kids do surprise me," he said. "These are a good group of kids that do everything the right way, and it's great that they end the season with a championship."

Weir beat Bluefield for the first time in three tries after losing to the Beavers in each of the previous two playoffs.

"It's all been hard work and we finally had the right mix of talent," Smith said. "I guess third time's the charm."