ERHS Falls, 41-13
Posted: October 6, 2012
FISHERSVILLE – Instead of running out the clock deep in its own territory at the end of the first half, Wilson Memorial High School tried to pick up points, and got caught when their quarterback Mack Cullen threw a pick-six.
While that strategy may not have worked out, Wilson did it for a reason, and it’s one of the same reasons the Hornets were able to beat East Rockingham 41-13 on Friday – rendering that play a mere blip in otherwise dominating effort.
“We’re aggressive and we want to get after it,” Major said, noting he would “absolutely” make the same play call over again. “That’s just we do.”
Not only are they aggressive, but they’re pretty talented too. Wilson ended East Rock’s five-game winning streak by pounding the Eagles in all phases of the game.
“Those guys have a heck of a football team,” ERHS coach Donnie Coleman said of Wilson. “I think they’re a little bit unsung on defense. Their defense is very good. Very good. They were definitely the better football team tonight.”
East Rockingham’s primary weapons – senior running back Sharif Price and senior wide receiver John Wright – were limited to 91 total yards of offense. Before a late, meaningless touchdown drive in the fourth quarter – East Rock’s only offensive touchdown all night – the Eagle offense had 141 total yards.
“We knew we had to shut them [Wright and Price] down in order to be successful tonight and have an opportunity to win,” Major said.
WMHS, meanwhile, churned out gobs of yardage on offense and special-teams. A 69-yard kick return by senior Jacob Walker to open the second half set up a 1-yard TD by senior Malik Rucks, who finished with a game-high 118 rushing yards.
That made the score 21-7, and the Hornets just kept piling it on an Eagles team that had won all of its first five games by double digits.
“We were beat in all three phases,” Coleman said. “There’s no phase left out. We’re going to regroup, the sun will come up, and we’ll go back to work.”
Rucks wasn’t the only Eagle killer. Juh-Kwquan McCauley ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns, Connor Chapman had 51 rushing yards and a score, and Cullen’s only other pass besides his interception was a 13-yard strike to senior tight end Joey Digorga.
East Rock junior QB Hunter Harman struggled, completing 9 of 19 passes for 80 yards. He missed on all of his last six passes, including several of his patented bombs to Wright that had worked against just about every other team on the schedule.
“They’re the most athletic team we’ve played so far,” Wright said.
As good as Wilson was, it was easy to overlook the Hornets’ unconventional call-gone-wrong at the end of the second quarter.
East Rock senior Ryan Shepard intercepted Cullen’s pass on a second-and-4 at Wilson’s own 16-yard-line following an ERHS timeout. Wilson could have just burned the remaining 24 seconds with a kneel or a running play.
Instead, WMHS coach Jeremiah Major called a play-action pass, and Cullen scrambled and threw off the wrong foot to the far side of the field. Shepard picked it off at the 32-yard line and dove inside the pylon with 5 seconds remaining, and the extra point cut the Hornets’ halftime lead to 14-7.
The Eagles would get no closer.
East Rockingham 0 7 0 6 — 13
Wilson Memorial 7 7 13 14 — 41
First Quarter
WM—McCauley 1 run (Mcbee kick), 2:14.
Second Quarter
WM—Digorga 13 pass from Cullen (Mcbee kick), 2:31.
ERHS—Shepard 32 interception return (Bullis kick), :05.
Third Quarter
WM—Rucks 1 run (Mcbee kick), 11:06.
WM—McCauley 1 run (kick failed), 3:02.
Fourth Quarter
WM—Chapman 6 run (Mcbee kick), 11:10.
WM—Walker 58 run (Mcbee kick), 5:43.
ERHS—Marshburn 11 run (run failed), 2:47.
———
ERHS WM
First Downs 7 16
Rushes-Yards 19-140 59-358
Passing Yards 80 13
Total Yards 220 371
Comp-Att-Int 9-19-1 1-2-1
Punts 6-31.2 1-47
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 9-59.5 7-45
———
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—East Rockingham, Price 7-51, Monger 4-69, Marshburn 2-11, Wood 5-9, Wright 1-1, TEAM 1-(minus-1). Wilson Memorial, Rucks 20-118, McCauley 15-57, Chapman 11-51, Walker 3-70, Poff 3-29, Cullen 3-19, Crawford 1-10, Carr 1-3, Swift 1-2, Harig 1-(minus-1).
PASSING—East Rockingham, Harman 9-19-1-80. Wilson Memorial, Cullen 1-2-1-13.
RECEIVING—East Rockingham, Wright 7-39, Dean 2-41. Wilson Memorial, Digorga 1-13.
While that strategy may not have worked out, Wilson did it for a reason, and it’s one of the same reasons the Hornets were able to beat East Rockingham 41-13 on Friday – rendering that play a mere blip in otherwise dominating effort.
“We’re aggressive and we want to get after it,” Major said, noting he would “absolutely” make the same play call over again. “That’s just we do.”
Not only are they aggressive, but they’re pretty talented too. Wilson ended East Rock’s five-game winning streak by pounding the Eagles in all phases of the game.
“Those guys have a heck of a football team,” ERHS coach Donnie Coleman said of Wilson. “I think they’re a little bit unsung on defense. Their defense is very good. Very good. They were definitely the better football team tonight.”
East Rockingham’s primary weapons – senior running back Sharif Price and senior wide receiver John Wright – were limited to 91 total yards of offense. Before a late, meaningless touchdown drive in the fourth quarter – East Rock’s only offensive touchdown all night – the Eagle offense had 141 total yards.
“We knew we had to shut them [Wright and Price] down in order to be successful tonight and have an opportunity to win,” Major said.
WMHS, meanwhile, churned out gobs of yardage on offense and special-teams. A 69-yard kick return by senior Jacob Walker to open the second half set up a 1-yard TD by senior Malik Rucks, who finished with a game-high 118 rushing yards.
That made the score 21-7, and the Hornets just kept piling it on an Eagles team that had won all of its first five games by double digits.
“We were beat in all three phases,” Coleman said. “There’s no phase left out. We’re going to regroup, the sun will come up, and we’ll go back to work.”
Rucks wasn’t the only Eagle killer. Juh-Kwquan McCauley ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns, Connor Chapman had 51 rushing yards and a score, and Cullen’s only other pass besides his interception was a 13-yard strike to senior tight end Joey Digorga.
East Rock junior QB Hunter Harman struggled, completing 9 of 19 passes for 80 yards. He missed on all of his last six passes, including several of his patented bombs to Wright that had worked against just about every other team on the schedule.
“They’re the most athletic team we’ve played so far,” Wright said.
As good as Wilson was, it was easy to overlook the Hornets’ unconventional call-gone-wrong at the end of the second quarter.
East Rock senior Ryan Shepard intercepted Cullen’s pass on a second-and-4 at Wilson’s own 16-yard-line following an ERHS timeout. Wilson could have just burned the remaining 24 seconds with a kneel or a running play.
Instead, WMHS coach Jeremiah Major called a play-action pass, and Cullen scrambled and threw off the wrong foot to the far side of the field. Shepard picked it off at the 32-yard line and dove inside the pylon with 5 seconds remaining, and the extra point cut the Hornets’ halftime lead to 14-7.
The Eagles would get no closer.
East Rockingham 0 7 0 6 — 13
Wilson Memorial 7 7 13 14 — 41
First Quarter
WM—McCauley 1 run (Mcbee kick), 2:14.
Second Quarter
WM—Digorga 13 pass from Cullen (Mcbee kick), 2:31.
ERHS—Shepard 32 interception return (Bullis kick), :05.
Third Quarter
WM—Rucks 1 run (Mcbee kick), 11:06.
WM—McCauley 1 run (kick failed), 3:02.
Fourth Quarter
WM—Chapman 6 run (Mcbee kick), 11:10.
WM—Walker 58 run (Mcbee kick), 5:43.
ERHS—Marshburn 11 run (run failed), 2:47.
———
ERHS WM
First Downs 7 16
Rushes-Yards 19-140 59-358
Passing Yards 80 13
Total Yards 220 371
Comp-Att-Int 9-19-1 1-2-1
Punts 6-31.2 1-47
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 9-59.5 7-45
———
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—East Rockingham, Price 7-51, Monger 4-69, Marshburn 2-11, Wood 5-9, Wright 1-1, TEAM 1-(minus-1). Wilson Memorial, Rucks 20-118, McCauley 15-57, Chapman 11-51, Walker 3-70, Poff 3-29, Cullen 3-19, Crawford 1-10, Carr 1-3, Swift 1-2, Harig 1-(minus-1).
PASSING—East Rockingham, Harman 9-19-1-80. Wilson Memorial, Cullen 1-2-1-13.
RECEIVING—East Rockingham, Wright 7-39, Dean 2-41. Wilson Memorial, Digorga 1-13.