Gobbler Power
HHS Loses QB, Game
Posted: October 6, 2012
Broadway tailback Trevor Bostic scores a touchdown during the Gobblers’ win over Harrisonburg at HHS on Friday night. (Photos by Stephen Mitchell / DN-R)
Broadway’s Tristan Hogan (44) hits Harrisonburg’s Jordan Dove.
Though senior wide receiver Weylin Holmes filled in admirably under center for the entire second half, the Blue Streaks’ big-play passing offense never got going as junior starting quarterback Ryan Nixon suffered a broken leg during the first half – it wasn’t clear which play – and was noticeably hobbling by the start of the second quarter.
Broadway’s defense was a force for four quarters.
The Gobblers gave up only a touchdown on the game’s opening drive – a 57-yard march on five straight runs by Jordan Dove – and BHS senior running back Trevor Bostic ran through and over defenders for 124 yards and three touchdowns in a 19-14 comeback win over Harrisonburg Friday night.
“It was great to see the young kids starting to grow up,” said Bostic, who surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season. “They see what they need to do to be successful. They’re starting to put in all the work necessary and they’re realizing it.”
Friday was a step forward for the Gobblers (4-2 overall, 2-0 in the Valley District) and a leap backwards for the Blue Streaks (3-3, 1-2), who are planning to rely on Holmes at quarterback going forward.
Nixon isn’t expected to return this season. Backup senior quarterback Kasaan Fields did not dress for the second week after undergoing hand surgery. Freshman QB Ranon Barber – on crutches outside the HHS locker room after the game – was injured in the fourth quarter of the junior varsity game on Thursday. That leaves Holmes, a wide receiver and arguably Harrisonburg’s most talented playmaker.
“It was the backup to the backup to the backup,” HHS coach Chris Thurman said, estimating that Holmes had handled six or seven snaps at quarterback in practice this season. “… He had one play [at quarterback] in a game on a sweep. He did great, considering.”
“We were making things up on the fly,” Thurman added.
The game began in abnormal fashion, too.
After the visiting Gobblers charged through their spirit banner, they kicked off and appeared to come up with the football. But an inadvertent whistle by an official led to a re-kick. Two minutes and seven seconds later, Dove took a pitch to the edge for a 13-yard touchdown.
Then, Holmes eventually answered a 9-yard Bostic touchdown run with a 40-yard interception runback off BHS senior quarterback Dane Spitzer – who was forcefully hit as he threw the ball. That made it 14-6 Blue Streaks with 7:22 left in the opening half.
That’s when Harrisonburg’s penalty woes began.
“Every time, there was something that put us behind on the chains,” Thurman said. “And, you know, we’re not good enough right now to be behind on the chains. We didn’t play smart. It’s not that we’re not a good football team. We just don’t play very smart.”
Spitzer kept the ensuing drive alive with a 16-yard screen pass to Bostic on third-and-12 and was later helped along by a pair of flags on the Streaks – a personal foul and a defensive offside penalty on fourth-and-2 at the HHS 18.
With a minute left until halftime, Bostic cashed in with a 3-yard score to cut the deficit to 14-12.
In the second half, the Streaks were limited to just three fruitless possessions. Down 19-14 at its own 12 with 6:30 to go, HHS moved the ball 30 yards on 13 plays. Holmes had a 22-yard scamper backed up 10 yards on a holding penalty, converted on fourth-and-1 and then broke off a 10-yard scramble on another fourth down.
But he needed 14 yards.
“I just tried my hardest. That’s all I tried to do,” said Holmes, who hadn’t played quarterback since rec league. “[Penalties] hurt us a lot. … It was a hard loss. But we’re going to get better. We’re going to practice, and we’re going to get better.”
Holmes finished with 45 yards on 12 carries and completed 2 of 5 passes for 15 yards.
Dove led HHS with 96 yards and a score on 21 carries.
Broadway’s final defensive stand all but ended the game, and the Gobblers took advantage of another HHS defensive lineman jumping offside on fourth-and-1 before kneeling out the clock. Picking up their first road win of the season, BHS remains unbeaten in the Valley and remains just behind R.E. Lee (5-1, 3-0). The Gobblers travel to Staunton to play the first-place Leemen next Friday.
History says Broadway has put itself in prime position. Over the past nine years, the winner of Broadway-Harrisonburg has gone on to win a district championship.
“I’m proud of the way our kids responded,” BHS coach Brad Lutz said. “We’ll enjoy this tonight and get back to work on Monday. But right now, this feels really good.”
Broadway 6 6 7 0 — 19
Harrisonburg 7 7 0 0 — 14
First Quarter
H—Dove 13 run (Kile kick), 9:53.
B—Bostic 9 run (kick failed), 3:06.
Second Quarter
H—Holmes 40 interception return (Kile kick), 7:22.
B—Bostic 3 run (run failed), 1:00.
Third Quarter
B—Bostic 5 run (Uribe kick), 3:50.
———
BHS HHS
First Downs 12 11
Rushes-Yards 37-130 37-135
Passing Yards 74 26
Total Yards 204 161
Comp-Att-Int 5-9-1 6-14-0
Punts 3-27.3 1-11.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-Yards 3-30 8-64
———
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—BHS, Bostic 27-124, Spitzer 6-1, Delawder 2-5, Karalevicz 1-0, TEAM 1-0. HHS, Dove 21-96, Holmes 12-45, Johnson 1-8, Nixon 1-0, Jordan 1-0, TEAM 1-(minus 14).
PASSING—BHS, Spitzer 5-9-1-74. HHS, Nixon 4-9-0-11, Holmes 2-5-0-15.
RECEIVING—BHS, Bostic 2-20, Balderas 1-33, Moyers 1-16, Hooven 1-5. HHS, Rutherford 3-30, Holmes 1-3, Shifflett 1-(minus 3), Dove 1-(minus 4).