Blazers Rally Past Waynesboro

PENN LAIRD — It may have taken an injured teammate to motivate the Spotswood High School football team Friday night.

With the Trailblazers trailing winless Waynesboro 14-7 with 4:11 before halftime, SHS fullback Daniel Frum took an inside handoff for six yards and was met by a defender. For more than 20 minutes, Frum lay on the ground as team trainers and paramedics tended to him.

Spotswood, which started lethargically, played inspired football the rest of the way. Junior tailback Matt Slater carried the Blazers to 21 unanswered points and a 28-14 victory, giving SHS its first district win of the season.

“We might have been wrapped up in the homecoming hype and overlooking these guys a little bit,” Spotswood coach Chris Dodson said of his team’s slow start. “The defensive staff did a great job at the break. We switched option responsibilities and it worked out for us.”

The defense posted a shutout in the second half, but it was Slater who stole the show. He carried the ball 28 times for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for 10 or more yards on 11 plays.

“I want to give all the thanks to my offensive line,” Slater said. “They did a great job, especially in the second half. They pushed Waynesboro’s line back.”

Dodson was also complimentary of the guys up front, as well as the team’s fullback, Costas Melendez.

“Costas, who’s been injured, came in and threw some hellacious blocks,” Dodson said. “And hats off to [offensive line coach Chris] Grefe; that line was putting people on the ground and then going to the next level and doing it again.”

Spotswood snapped a four-game losing skid, earning its first win since a 62-20 drubbing of William Monroe in Week 2.

“It definitely gives us momentum,” Slater said. It shows us we can win if we play our game.”

Their game consists of ground and pound. Six Blazers had carries and Spotswood rolled up 326 rushing yards as a team. Spotswood also mixed in the passing game effectively. Sophomore quarterback Matthew Weston was 8-for-11 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown to speedy receiver Khalil Davis.

“We feel we are as good as anybody in the league at times,” Dodson said. “But we have to figure out how to be as good as anybody in the league for 48 minutes.”

The Blazers will be tested in their final three games with road trips to Harrisonburg and R.E. Lee before hosting Broadway in the regular-season finale.

Waynesboro suffered its smallest margin of defeat this season. Their previous low was a 24-point loss to Wilson Memorial in Week 1.

NOTE: Frum, who was carried off on a stretcher as a pre-cautionary measure, was released from the hospital Friday night and was doing “just fine,” according to Dodson.