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By LARRY HYPES Bluefield Daily Telegraph
TAZEWELL, Va. — Move over, Homer Hickam.
Wythe County’s Rocket Boys showed up Friday, as the George Wythe Maroons opened the game with three possessions in Tazewell territory, scored three times and took a 21-0 lead en route to a 63-3 non-district romp over the Bulldogs in the season opener.
Tazewell’s highlight was a school-record 52-yard field goal by Andrew Murray in the second stanza.
Paced by sizzling quarterback Alex Willis, who fired three passes — all for touchdowns — to Jonathan Lester (27 yards), Isaac Baltazar (26 yards), and Nick Hagy (20 yards) the Hogoheegee powerhouse started like a house on fire and the flames never died down.
“I can’t say much — George Wythe (1-0, 0-0) is not a good team — they are a great team,” noted THS coach Brandon Tate, making his first start as Bulldog (0-1, 0-0) head coach after accepting the position in July.
The win was GW’s fifth in seven games since the teams began opening the season against each other.
Coach H.S. Ingo’s team, a pre-season favorite by many to reach the Single-A championship game, did not disappoint. Led by Baltazar (95 yards rushing) and Willis, the Maroons piled up 416 yards in total offense including 29 carries for 309 on the ground.
Tazewell’s Mikal Moore led the Bulldogs with 69 yards on 15 carries and Cody McCann completed five passes for 47 yards.
Isaac Young opened the scoring for GW with a 13 run at the 9:27 mark of the opening stanza before Mikel Hawks booted the first of his 8 PATs.
Wendell Esqueff recovered a fumble for the Maroons on Tazewell’s 28 on the next possession before Willis tossed his first TD pass and George Wythe simply never looked back.
Kyle Sheets, who starred for the Tazewell defense with 13 tackles, sparked a brief turnaround when he recovered a fumble near the end of the first quarter.
Moore’s first down run with 1:24 left on the opening period was the first play of the game in George Wythe territory. The Maroons did not punt until the 8:40 mark of the fourth period.
Murray drilled his field goal with 11:37 remaining in the first half from the right hash mark, getting a good spot from holder Moore to split the uprights.
Hagy had a 90-yard kickoff return to begin the second half for George Wythe as the deep and talented Maroons with a dozen seniors and 19 juniors, displayed a scoring touch from all points of the field.
Dominque Crockett concluded the onslaught with a 27-yard in the fourth quarter for George Wythe as the Maroons used a host of players in the second half with the issue no longer in doubt.
George Wythe led 16-7 in first downs. The Maroons had 3 penalties for 35 yards and Tazewell was penalized four times for 38 yards.
The Bulldogs travel to Mitchell Stadium on Sept. 2 to play the Graham G-Men in a non-district contest.
At Bulldog Stadium/Witten Field
George Wythe...................28 14 14 7 — 63
Tazewell..............................0 3 0 0 — 3
First Quarter
GW – Young, 13-yd. run (Hawks kick)
GW –Lester, 28-yard pass from Willis (Hawks kick)
GW – Baltazar, 26-yard pass from Willis (Hawks kick)
GW – Young, 41-yard run (Hawks kick)
Second Quarter
T – Murray, 52-yard field goal
GW – Turpin, 18-yard run (Hawks kick)
GW – Hagy, 20-yard pass from Willis (Hawks kick)
Third Quarter
GW – Hagy, 90-yard kick return (Hawks kick)
GW – Young, 30-yard run (Hawks kick)
Fourth Quarter
GW – Crockett, 27-yard run (Hawks kick)