By Rick Kozlowski
SPRING MILLS — Max Anderson missed being driven around the track Friday night at Spring Mills’ Cardinal Stadium as a member of the homecoming court.
He was in the halftime locker room at the time.
No matter.
The senior quarterback — who was selected as the homecoming king — did enough driving in the first half to make up for his absence in one of the vehicles.,
The second-rated Cardinals, coming off their first loss of the season to undefeated Martinsburg a week earlier, scored on their five first-half possessions on the way to a 37-0 victory over No. 9 Parkersburg South.
Anderson drove the Cardinals (8-1) to four of the touchdowns and emerged in time for part of the halftime celebration.
“But I did get out for the picture with the homecoming queen (Addie Salfia),” Anderson said.
Then, sans uniform, he watched the second half of the game from the sidelines.
“We knew what we were going against,” Anderson said. “I’d play a little, and they’d get me out.”
He threw a pair of touchdown passes and had a near third TD toss, but the receiver had the ball knocked free, and Hope Bokwe fell on the ball in the end zone.
“It’s all good,” Anderson said. “We still got in the end zone.”
Anderson tossed a swing pass that Blake Sanders turned into a 16-yard touchdown for the first score.
Then came the fumble recovery score after Chase Shipley lost the ball about a yard before the goal line after he caught a pass and was turning upfield.
“I’m proud of Hope,” Spring Mills coach Marcus Law said. “He started last year for us, but there’s been some other guys. He can play in the slot or outside.”
Sanders, who joined Spring Mills from the transfer portal this season, ran 12 yards for a touchdown, making the score 20-0 with 9:58 left in the second quarter after Loakkhae Uth-Smith had his extra-point try blocked.
Tyree Ramey hauled in a 9-yard scoring pass from Anderson with 1:58 to play in the first half.
Ramey was one of eight different receivers to catch a pass in the first half.
The Cardinals added one more touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half after the wind turned back a punt by the Patriots, making it look like a boomerang and only travel six yards.
Ryland Swartz, who replaced Anderson, ran a quarterback sneak 1 yard for a touchdown.
The lone score in the second half came on the first career field goal by Uth-Smith, a basketball standout who came out for football for the first time as a senior.
The Cardinals posted their seventh shutout of the season.
They got lucky at one point and were on point the second time.
Quarterback Collin Hayes overshot wide open Devon Forshey in the end zone on fourth down and then was intercepted by Isaiah Wang at the goal line after the Patriots took over deep in Spring Mills territory after a bad snap.
“We joked about his hands, getting a hand on the ball but not intercepting the ball,” Law said.
The defensive back, wearing Superman receiving gloves, proved super in saving the shutout. Wang intercepted another pass earlier.
“It was important for us coming off a loss,” Wang said. “We had to come back like we knew we could come back.
“We didn’t want to leave them any openings.”
Running back Eli Bartley topped 100 yards for the Patriots (5-4).
“He’s a tough kid,” Law said. “They did a wonderful job with their scheme.”
The overall play by the Cardinals, who virtually emptied their bench in the second half, pleased Law.
He was anxious to see how his team would respond after a loss. He noted that the squad was sluggish after its bye week and saw its season-opening shutout string end at six as the Cardinals gave up a pair of field goals to University.
“The atmosphere for that game was unbelievable,” Law said.”It took something out of us.
“But it was important for me to see what they would do when they came back. We told them that we can’t let it be one, two, three losses.”
Anderson got Spring Mills started early, driving the team for its first touchdown in 1:55.
He kept them going until leaving the game.
He was on the field for the arrival of a helicopter at midfield to deliver a commemorative game ball.
Much like missing the vehicle parade at halftime, Anderson didn’t get to ride in the chopper, either.
