VARDAMAN - Fans have to go all the way back to 2006 to find the last time that a Vardaman team was able to knock off East Webster, but the Rams had the Wolverines on their heels on Thursday night.
After jumping out to a 21-7 lead relatively late in the second quarter, the Rams had all the momentum. But the Wolverines got back on track.
Thanks to a touchdown drive right before the half, EWHS reset things and dominated the second half on the way to a 31-21 victory on the road. It was a proud moment for coach Ron Price to see his young team find a way.
“Being able to go down and score right before the half was the biggest thing,” Price said. “Nobody panicked. To be able to answer on the drive right before the half and to come out after the half was huge for our football team. Just very impressed with our team. Vardaman is such an improved football team, and I know those guys wanted to win this football game so bad. But I’m proud of our team to find a win.”
It took some time, but the Wolverine offense settled in and was too much for Vardaman’s defense to handle. Kaleb Warnock began to wear down the Vardaman front seven as he rushed 25 times for 145 yards and had two touchdown runs.
Warnock also threw for 77 yards on 5-of-8 with an interception.
That interception came in the second quarter of a 7-7 ball game deep in Wolverine territory, and the Rams would score quickly after it to get the 14-7 lead with 8:05 left. With EWHS showing signs of production on offense on the next possession as it began to move the chains, a fumble would end that threat and Vardaman would score again on a 5-yard run suddenly putting the Wolverines’ backs against the wall at 21-7.
That would be a crossroads moment for the Wolverines after that second touchdown. EWHS had to come out and get points right before the end of the half as they would get the ball back after halftime.
“We just had to come together. Everybody was trying to do it all by themselves, so we had to become one,” Warnock said. “We’ve had a lot of growing in the last few weeks. We’re settling down, learning the plays and getting better week by week.”
The young offense started to drive down the field after a nice return from Briceton Johnson on the kickoff. Warnock drove them into the red zone and Johnson finished it off with his second touchdown of the day from a yard out to make it 14-7 at the break.
The drive out of halftime was a killer for the Rams. EWHS sustained an 8-minute drive that was capped by Warnock’s 1-yard run to tie the game up at 21-all. Following Aldavion Hoskin’s interception on the next defensive drive, EWHS got the game-winning field goal from the toe of Gabe Brown on a 42 yarder with under 7 minutes left.
EWHS got a turnover on downs on the next possession, and the nail was put in the coffin on the following drive with Warnock’s second touchdown on a 5-yard run.
Johnson had nine carries for 35 yards and four catches for 56 yards as well as a couple of nice returns to help the Wolverines to a win. Cade Morrow had the only other catch, and it was a big one on a 21-yard reception to keep the game-winning drive going.
The defense was the unsung hero for the Wolverines. After giving up three touchdown drives in the first half, the unit had an interception and two turnovers on downs in the three drives in the second half.
Thomas Gregg led the team with seven tackles and a pass deflection. Montavis Moore and Britain Burleson had five tackles, and Moore had a sack. Hoskin had the interception and also a 61-yard punt return to set up the team’s first touchdown.
The victory has gotten the young Wolverine team off to a 3-0 start, and it’s allowed Price to teach through wins. The big challenge now comes next Friday when the Wolverines will take on a talented Baldwyn team who is one of the favorites in 2A North.
“We’ve tried to tell them that if you play as hard as you can, you’ll be in the right spot at the right time. So far, that’s been the key to our success,” Price said. “We needed a game like this just to show our guys there’s so much we can still improve on. We’re going to enjoy this win like crazy until Monday at 2 o’clock, and then we have a huge game next week to find out how far we’ve come.”
