Maroons sends Bears to hibernation in playoff rout
Bland County (12) vs. George Wythe (56)
Written: Nov 20, 2015
By TOM BONE
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
WYTHEVILLE, Va. — The size and power of the George Wythe High School football team left the Bland County Bears marooned in their second playoff round on Friday night.
The Maroons (11-1) ran off from the Bears (8-4) after a sluggish first quarter to a 56-12 win in the Region 1A West quarterfinals at Pendleton Field on a near-freezing evening.
Bland County, after gaining its first playoff victory in 19 years last weekend, rang up 247 hard-earned yards but gave up 530 to their hosts.
Senior fullback Tyler Hardin ran for 215 yards on 11 carries and Rashad Wells Jr. scored three times in the second period for George Wythe.
Quarterback Deacon Beamer, a sophomore who’s thrown for more than 1,000 yards, issued only nine passes on Friday, completing five of them to four different receivers for 129 yards.
Bland County’s Isaiah Boyd, in his final prep football game, ran 12 times for 77 yards. Dylan Jackson handled the Bears’ inside running game until leaving with a right lower leg injury early in the third quarter.
The Bears engineered a seven-play drive to start the game but the ball went over on downs. Punts ended the combatants’ next three possessions.
Hardin sped downfield on a 69-yard run with about a minute to go in the first quarter but was hauled down a yard short of the goal line by hustling freshman Jake Watters. Hardin scored on the next snap.
George Wythe then covered an onside kick and on the next play, Beamer tossed a textbook-like 42-yard scoring strike to Walker Nowers. In less than 20 seconds of time on the game clock, the Maroons led 15-0.
Watters fumbled the ball away on Bland County’s next series and George Wythe scored on all four of its second quarter possessions for a 43-0 halftime lead. A running clock shortened the second half.
The Maroons also scored on their two possessions in the third quarter and sent substitutes onto the field.
Bland County tallied the game’s last two touchdowns. Boyd ran the ball in from 19 yards out on the final play of the third period, and Ethan Cook snagged the ensuing onside kick to put the Bears’ offense back on the field.
Cook was one of three freshmen who figured in the Bears’ final football score of the year.
An eight-play drive followed, featuring a 17-yard gain by Watters on a fourth-down play, and Cook’s 10-yard rush for another first down. David Ritter ran for a two-yard touchdown to finish the game’s scoring with 6:34 on the clock.
The Bears incurred just three penalties in the contest while George Wythe was flagged seven times.
Bland County head coach Harris Hart said that part of the story of the game was George Wythe’s “big, strong, physical offense and defensive line.”
“Until the end of the first quarter, defensively we were playing really well, and getting to the ball. Offensively, I thought we were not controlling, but at least maintaining the line of scrimmage.
“Over time, I think we just got worn down with that. They were just so much bigger and stronger than us.”
But he noted, “We certainly were physically beat, but we kept playing, and had a good attitude. I think we did the best we could in a difficult situation.”
George Wythe head coach Brandon Harner said, “I was very proud of our team, the way we played in the first half. They didn’t take their foot off the gas.”
He said his quarterback has grown to provide a complement to the running of Hardin and Wells.
“Deacon’s 6-2; he can see a lot of things,” Harner said. “He has a great offensive line in front of him, that really gives him time. ... Deacon’s phenomenal, at his age, with the arm he has, being able to scope the field, see those (open) kids. ... I can’t be more proud of him.”
Boyd said his Bland County team proved it’s “got a lot of heart. ... We came back strong (in) the second half.” He said the Maroons are “a pretty good team. They’re strong, they come off the ball quick. Good overall.”
Hart said, “We’ve got a good group of seniors. They’ve played hard, and certainly had a great year, and a good four years. We’re going to miss them, but we’ve got some young kids that are really playing a lot, and hopefully they’ll work hard, and get better.”
Boyd said being in two playoff games in his senior year “meant a lot.” He said about the Bears’ season, “I just loved it — and senior year, I got to go to the playoffs.”
Senior lineman Alex Treadway said, “It’s been incredible. I’ve been lovin’, playing with these boys that we have. We have a young group that’s really good, these freshmen. If they hit the weight room, sky’s the limit.”
“It feels good. We’ve never made it here before, and I’m just happy we made it this far.”
— Contact Tom Bone at
tbone@bdtonline.com
At Pendleton Field
Bland County.............0 0 6 6 — 12
George Wythe..........15 18 13 0 — 56
First Quarter
GW — Tyler Hardin 1 run (Rashad Wells Jr. pass from Deacon Beamer), 0:54.1
GW — Walker Nowers 42 pass from Beamer (Malaki Russell kick), 0:38.7
Second Quarter
GW — Wells 19 run (Russell kick), 11:09
GW — Wells 25 run (kick failed), 6:58
GW — Hardin 5 run (Wells run), 1:50
GW — Wells 62 pass from Beamer (Russell kickO), 0:11.2
Third Quarter
GW — Holden Tolley 17 run (kick failed), 9:04
GW — Jordan Harber 4 run (Russell kick), 2:32
BC — Isaiah Boyd 19 run (kick failed), 0:00
Fourth Quarter
BC — David Ritter 2 run (kick failed), 6:34
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — BC, Isaiah Boyd 12-77, Brian Arnold 13-33, Dylan Jackson 9-21, Jake Watters 5-20, Ethan Cook 5-21, David Ritter 4-13, Team 1-(–2). GW, Tyler Hardin 11-215, Rashad Wells Jr. 5-66, Holden Tolley 4-26, Deacon Beamer 2-13, Kane Owens 1-40, Jordan Harber 2-4, Caleb Wilson 2-33, Isaiah Sawyers 1-12, Khorey Hull 2-(–8).
PASSING — BC, Jake Watters 3-10-64-0 TD-1 intc. GW, Deacon Beamer 5-9-129-2 TD-0 intc.
RECEIVING — BC, Brian Arnold 2-38, David Ritter 1-26. GW, Tyler Hardin 1-1, Walker Nowers 1-42, Rashad Wells Jr. 2-64, Jordan Harber 1-22.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: BC 12, GW 15. Rushes-Yards: BC 49-183, GW 27-401. Passing yards: BC 64, GW 129. Pass Comp-Att-Intc.: BC 3-10-1, GW 5-9-0. Penalties-Yards: BC 3-21, GW 7-50. Fumbles-Lost: BC 1-1, GW 2-1.
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