Reversal of fortunes for Bulldogs
Tazewell (37) vs. Virginia High (22)
Written: Aug 30, 2014
By LARRY HYPES
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
TAZEWELL, Va. — What a difference a year made.
After a 41-point loss in Bristol a season ago, Tazewell’s resilient Bulldogs reversed the numbers and rallied for a 37-22 Southwest District season-opening win over Virginia High Friday.
Pling up 419 total yards, led by Malik Davis with 148 rushing and 125 passing, Tazewell (1-0) earned its first season-opening victory since 2008 in its first home opener in three years. The Dogs were tied once but never trailed.
Virginia High (0-1) battled gamely, coming back from a 22-7 deficit with 10:17 remaining to tie the score at 22-all. The Bulldogs then tacked on the final 15 points including a clinching touchdown by Chris Hall with the second-team backfield playing due to leg cramp issues for the starters.
Corey Brewster had the game’s most spectacular play with an 84-yard second quarter touchdown reception, showcasing sprinter speed for Tazewell.
A dramatic one-handed catch from Juwan Jordan kept alive a key second half drive as Tazewell refused to lose in front of a standing-room only crowd at Bulldog Stadium/Witten Field.
Brett Rodgers led Virginia High with 75 yards rushing and Ivan Moore passed for 99 more including a 36-yard strike to Jordan Sewell.
The Bearcats drove inside Tazewell’s 15-yard line three times in their first four possessions, but got just one score, a one-yard plunge from Caleb Stone. The Bearcats missed a 24-yard field goal attempt in the opening stanza and another drive was stalled when the Bulldogs’ Jesse Mountain recovered a fumble in the second period.
Mountain got the Bulldogs rolling as he grabbed a one-yard scoring pass from Davis and then hauled in a two-point conversion pass to power Tazewell to an early 8-0 advantage.
Caleb Stone’s touchdown and Harr’s kick pulled Virginia to within one, at 8-7 with 7:23 left in the half.
Each team got a third period score and the Bulldogs put up two six-pointers in the final stanza.
“This was a team win,” grinned Davis, who passed for two scores, two two-point conversions and ran for another six-pointer. “Late in the game when I had to go out TJ (Kitts) came in and led us. He’s a great quarterback. No one player on this team is going to do it all we all help each other. I was proud of everybody.”
Davis scored what proved to be the game-winner on a seven-yard scamper with 5:28 left and then threw 18 yards to Jordan for a conversion following a penalty on the first conversion try.
Nick Blankenship endured a hobbling evening but still ripped through for 145 yards, a touchdown and a two-point run. At the end of the game, he could barely walk and watched the second team put the decision on ice.
“I still can’t walk very well,” he said after the game, “but it was sweet to look up at the scoreboard and see 37 points up there.
Hall, a senior, made two crucial second half. He knocked down a fourth-down pass to virtually end Virginia High’s last-quarter comeback attempt and then bolted up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown run with :59 left that sealed the deal.
“Give this one (win) to Coach (Shane) Allen,” said Hall. “He is the best coach I’ve seen at Tazewell. He got us prepared not just tonight but in the off-season and we were ready to play. He’s the man.
Virginia High’s Wes Callahan made a dandy defensive steal for the Bearcats, intercepting a Davis aerial and dashing 33 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Evan Harr’s kick with 10:17 to go tied the score at that point at 22-22.
Unlike a year ago, there was no hesitation. Tazewell, with Jordan making his big one-handed catch on third down to preserve the drive, drove 80 yards in 10 plays to take the lead for good before adding the closing score later.
Allen, who took an ice bucket bath before the final buzzer, was satisfied.
"We blocked well and I thought when we got stopped, we stopped ourselves a couple of times. Our guys stepped up and I thought the turning point was when they tied us at 22-all,” Allen said. “I said to myself, ‘This will determine a lot about our season. We’ll either give it up like we did last year too many times or we’ll show that we are a veteran team that knows what to do.’
“I think the scoreboard shows that we stepped it up.”
Tazewell led in rushing yards, 294-161, and passing yards, 125-99. The Dogs held a 20-15 edge in first downs.
The Bulldogs entertain the Graham G-Men next Friday.
At Bulldog Stadium/Witten Field
Virginia High..............0 7 8 7 — 22
Tazewell..................8 6 8 15 — 37
First Quarter
T—Mountain, 1-yd pass from Davis (Mountain 2-pt. pass from Davis)
Second Quarter
T—Brewster, 84-yard pass from Davis (conversion failed)
V—Stone, 1-yd. run (Harr kick)
Third Quarter
T—Blankenship, 7-yd. run (Blankenship 2-pt. run)
V—Rodgers, 1-yd. run (Stone 2-pt. run)
Fourth Quarter
V—Callahan, 22-yd. int. return ( Harr kick)
T—Davis, 7-yd. run (Jordan 2-pt. catch)
T—Hall, 11-yd. run (C. Honaker kick)⁂
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