A wig, elbows, and football! Oh my! Friday night in Cumberland, all three were thrown as what many were anticipating as the Chargers and Wolverines have taken their long-standing rivalry from 2A to 3A, and the Highway 15 Bowl was a sight.
Head coach Dillon Mitchell walked away with a district win under his belt and a 1-0 on the board against Webster County, part one – East Webster.
“Very proud of the effort we played with, we flew to the ball, and I thought we limited the inside run game. East Webster had a great plan and hit us with a few things, but we got some big stops and held them in some big situations,” Mitchell said.
The Chargers have battled themselves with penalties, from a clean game offensively against the Panthers to the Chargers shooting themselves in the foot a little against the Wolverines, but the improvements that are being made can be seen.
Mitchell said they have to keep focusing on the day-to-day, one game at a time.
“It’s just a lack of focus for us. We’ve got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. All we can do is focus on the little details on a day-to-day basis, and hopefully, we are able to keep them to a minimum moving forward.”
Cumberland was your destination Friday night if this was the back-and-forth battle you were looking for. With fans shoulder-to-shoulder, even driving up on lawnmowers, the Chargers struck on the board first with a KJ Cork connection to Tayshawn King. The Chargers followed with a two-point conversion from King to make the score 8-0.
The Wolverines attempted to answer back, but the Charger defense pushed them out after a fourth down attempt to convert yardage. The Chargers regained possession of the ball, but a fumble recovery by East Webster stripped the Chargers of that chance.
And this time, the Wolverines took advantage of the possession, getting on the board 7-8.
But it wouldn’t be long before the Chargers answered back.
After a successful drive, Cork connected with Jeramiah Miller, and with Jae’Din Thames adding a PAT, the score became 7-15.
The County Boys went for another drive to the red zone but was just short near the 37-yard line and turned the ball over to the Wolverines. County Boys' defense applied pressure to East Webster, and the Chargers were able to get the ball back after a big block that shifted momentum back in the County Boys' favor. With under a minute to go, the Chargers were able to score before getting out of the half, making the score 23-7.
The Wolverines opened the third quarter with a drive leading to another touchdown, making the score 13-23. The Wolverines would then attempt a two-point conversion, which was no good.
County Boys regained possession, utilizing it well with another successful drive. A Cork keeper would take the score, and a PAT by Thames would make the score 13-30.
But, the Wolverines would answer again, this time, it was the last time they would answer back, and the Chargers were able to pull away and keep control of the game and the lead.
Wolverines caught another good drive, making the score 20-30, and it was all Chargers after that.
So, how is a wig thrown during a football game? Well, the game between the two was delayed for several minutes because of a fight between East Webster fans that led to several being escorted out by local law enforcement. But, the distraction by the fans didn’t rattle the County Boys as they came up big with an interception by Jalon James that would be the nail in the coffin for the Wolverines as County Boys added more points on the board with two Cork to Woodard and Cork to King connections.
“Offensively, I thought we did what we had to do. I was proud of the way we were able to run the ball and we also hit some big plays late to pull away. Still a lot of things we’ve got to get better at, but I am pleased with our guys.”
The County Boys walked away with a 44-20 win, and Mitchell walked away with his first win in the Webster County battle against the Wolverines.
This week’s game
The County Boys are back at the Dale as they take on the Aberdeen Bulldogs. Before moving from 3A to 2A, the Chargers and the Bulldogs battled, and Friday welcomes the Chargers back as they meet an old foe. “I’m anticipating them to have a lot of speed and athleticism. We’re going to have to handle business and play clean to win.”
Player of the Week
This week’s player of the week is Sophomore quarterback Kenyauta “KJ” Cork. Cork threw for 11 of 17, for 176 yards and four touchdowns.
