Mitchell B. Koerber
Student Sports Journalist
On September 4, Pocahontas County Middle School Football had their first game against Tygarts Valley, which resulted in a 42 – 0 loss. This score may seem like one tragedy of a game opener for the Warriors, but it is the complete opposite. Last year’s opener for the Warriors was a 56 – 0 loss to Petersburg. And though that may not seem to be a very dramatic change, this is an undeniable solid start for the Middle School team, and an overall promising step towards absolute improvement, and, possibly, a season in which the young Warriors go positive.
The enticing game’s team captains were none other than Levi Hill, Payden Kerr and James Smith. The young Warriors started on defense and were led by three consecutive tackles from Payden Kerr. Unfortunately, the next play resulted in a touchdown from the Bulldogs, ending the first quarter with a score of 8 – 0.
After the second quarter, Waylon Burdette made an incredible tackle that most definitely could have cost the Warriors 6 points. The Bulldogs, however, relied on a reverse pass play, back to the quarterback, that caught the Warriors off guard three different times for a touchdown. Leading into the final quarter of the game, Joey McClure made an outstanding tackle which was so intense and impressive, the whole Bulldogs fans crowd went silent, while the Warriors’ fans cheered as loud as volcanoes.
Unfortunately, obviously, and acceptingly, the young Warriors did not win the game.
“The scoreboard doesn’t reflect the whole story,” Coach Kyle Graae said. “We had a lot of bright spots in the game. We learned a lot about our team. The boys continued fighting until the very end. They definitely embodied the Warrior spirit.”
From here on out, the young Pocahontas County Warriors vowed to make this day their declaration of improvement. The team is dedicated to rebounding as they face the Tucker County Mountain Lions Wednesday, September 11, at Pocahontas County High School.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
