On a dark and stormy Halloween night in Upper Glade, scary mud monsters were seen fighting a battle next to Webster County High School. The monsters were big, brown, nasty-looking creatures that likely crawled out of a cave along the Williams River.
Or was it just another Mud Bowl between the Pocahontas County Warriors and the Webster County Highlanders? The Webster County game is the last game on the Warriors’ football schedule. Being the latest in the season means the contest in Upper Glade is usually played in adverse weather conditions.
Friday night’s contest was no exception and a cold, steady rain fell throughout the game. By midway through the second quarter, the field was a muddy quagmire – especially the zone between the 40-yard lines. But football is an all-weather sport and the Warriors and Highlanders gave it their all, as they always do. Both teams had several fumbles and turnovers, including eight in the slippy-sloppy second half.
The Warriors had a noticeable size advantage over the Highlanders, but the Webster squad showed great speed, especially on defense. The atrocious conditions favored the defense and just two offensive TDs were scored in the game.
With five minutes left in the first quarter, PCHS senior Dalton Irvine found some traction on the muddy field and raced for a 63-yard touchdown. Irvine also fought his way in for a two-pointer. On the ensuing Highlander possession, the tough Pocahontas defense forced a punt. PCHS senior lineman Chad Burns provided a clip for the highlight reel when he blocked the Webster punt, picked up the ball and rumbled 67 yards for a score. Irvine added another two-pointer to give the Warriors a 16-0 advantage. Irvine scored a two-yard rushing TD in the second half and ran in another two-pointer to give Pocahontas a 24-0 advantage, which was the final.
During the game, Dalton Irvine surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season. The Warriors ended their season their season at 5-5 – a nice accomplishment for a young team.
