Dawn Workman
Contributing Writer
The Pocahontas County High School Warriors put on a great performance under the lights Friday night for the 47th PCHS Homecoming. The festivities began with a Homecoming Parade onto Warrior field with several PCHS alumni involved and present for the big game.
The Bulldogs won the coin toss and chose to receive.
Kicker Drake Warder once again put the ball deep into the opposing team’s territory. Defense was awesome and forced the Dogs to punt on their first offensive drive.
The Warriors scored on first possession with some short passes from QB Wyatt Workman to WR Michael Morrison and powerful runs by RB Morgan Mason. Mason landed in the end zone with only minutes off the clock in the first quarter. Conversion was no good, and the score was 6-0 Warriors.
Just when it seemed the Bulldogs were starting to move the ball, Safety Workman intercepted a pass and went back to work on offense.
Starting at the Bulldogs’ 38 yard-line, Morrison and Mason pushed the ball into the red zone and with a short QB run, the Warriors were on the board again. The two-point conversion – a pass to WR Jacob Jones – was good, bringing the score to 14-0.
The Warrior defense would force a turnover on downs and take over deep in their own territory, but it didn’t take long for them to see the end zone again.
A 13-yard pass from Workman to WR Morgan Baldwin and a couple of first down runs from Mason and Workman, set up a 15-yard TD run for Mason. The conversion was no good – the score at the end of the first quarter was 20-0, Warriors.
The Bulldogs would score early in the second quarter, but the Warriors were beginning to pull away, with three more scores of their own – Workman on an eight-yard run, conversion run by Mason was good; Workman on a 12-yard run, conversion pass to Jacob Jones good; and a 16-yard pass from Workman to Briar Wilfong, with first-time kicker, freshman Dillon Shinaberry adding the extra point.
The score at the half – Warriors 43, Bulldogs 8.
After the half-time Homecoming celebration, the Warriors were ready to go back to work on the field, where they scored three more times in the third quarter with a five-yard run and a 45-yard run by RB Morrison and three-yard run by Wilfong. Shinaberry would go four-for-four kicking extra points for the Warriors that night. Pretty good for first time kicking in a high school game.
The Bulldogs didn’t quit, putting a TD on the board in the third and fourth quarters, but they never caught up with the Warriors.
The final score – Warriors 64, Bulldogs 24.
The Warrior offense had a total of 601 yards, with the defense holding Tygarts Valley to 217 for the night.
Leading in tackles were Junior Briar Wilfong with eight, followed by Senior Keith Harrah with seven and sophomore Jacob Jones with five. The defense had four sacks by Jacob Jones, Brady Jones and Drake Warder. They also forced the Bulldogs to punt on five occasions.
Senior Workman led in rushing yards with 206, followed by Junior Morrison with 164 and Senior Mason with 83.
Workman had 58 yards passing, Jones 18, Wilfong 16, Baldwin 13 and Morrison 11.
The Warriors hit the road this Friday night, traveling to Summers County to take on the Bobcats.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Summers County High School.
