Gallery by Steph Redden
CHARMCO – There isn’t any mystery when teams line up across from Greenbrier West on the gridiron. The Cavaliers’ mission is to run the ball right at the opposing defenses and grind them into submission.
Friday night that mentality was on full display when Greenbrier West (2-1) welcomed Pocahontas County (1-1) to Charmco.
Averaging over six yards per carry on the ground, the home team had its way with the visitors in a 32-0 shutout win.
“I think we played pretty well tonight. Offensively we made a couple of mistakes, but we did what we planned to do, so we are pleased,” Greenbrier West head coach Toby Harris said. “We thought we could take the ball, run at them and play sound football. That was what we did tonight.”
Leading the way for the Cavaliers with his bruising running style was Ty Nickell who tallied 155 yards on 22 carries. Nickell was the primary ball carrier on three long scoring drives that beat the Warriors into submission.
“Knowing that I am that type of player and that my team has that type of trust in me is a great feeling,” Nickell said. “Hitting people is kind of my mentality and I love doing it.”
“Ty ran really hard tonight,” Harris said. “We have been really pleased with the way he has been running the ball this year.”
Greenbrier West established its physical tone from the opening series of the game on both side of the ball.
After forcing a punt, the Cavaliers marched 64 yards in 11 plays to take 6-0 lead. They made the lead 14-0 on the next offensive series going 87 yards in 15 plays which include two fourth down conversions.
“Greenbrier West is always a good football team. They are always the measuring stick and typically at the top of single-A football,” Pocahontas County head coach Doug Burns said. “They like to smash-mouth it. They will spread it, but they are still coming right at you. We didn’t have anything for them tonight.”
Quarterback Cole Vandall scored the first touchdown from six-yards out before Jayden Robinson crashed in from two yards out.
Facing its third consecutive punt of the game, Pocahontas County gambled on fourth-and-10 from its own 35-yard line.
Daniel Burdette faked the rugby style kick and eluded the West defenders for a 25-yard gain and what looked to be a possible momentum changing first down.
The Greenbrier West defense did not waiver and immediately squelched the Warriors’ momentum.
“It just seemed like we kept shooting ourselves in the foot and making mistakes. But, all of the credit goes to Greenbrier West,” Burns said. “They are physical, and they made plays. Unfortunately, we just didn’t tonight. Hats off to them. We just have to regroup, get healed up and get ready for next week.”
A huge sack from Reney Cordial and a delay of game call pushed the Warriors back and forced another punt.
“Our defense has done that for two weeks now. They bend a little bit, but they don’t break. They stiffened up and we stopped them. That was important to get the ball back right there,” Harris said. “Reney is a really good football player, and he loves to play. He goes 100 percent all the time and he is a real force to have out there. The other kids rally around him because he makes some nice plays.”
“We have been playing together since we are young,” Nickell said. “We just know how to work with each other and talk to each other about where the ball is going. We just get after it.”
With the Warriors playing the run, Greenbrier West tripped them up by going to the air.
Vandall’s first pass found senior Chase McClung for a 43-yard gain to move the ball deep into enemy territory. After finding McClung for another 13-yard gain, Vandall hit Roy Loudermilk for a 15-yard touchdown pass for a 20-0 lead.
“Chase knows how to run a really good routes and he has some speed on him,” Vandall said. “I just throw it up to him.”
Playing his first year of high school football, McClung has given the Cavaliers a much-needed threat on the outside.
“The coaches have really helped me a lot and the players have chipped in where they all know I am new, but is has been a blast,” McClung said.
“Chase had a big play at Summers County last week and he has played really well for a senior that has never been out on the football field. He is a solid football player for us,” Harris said.
After burning Pocahontas County through the air, Vandall had one more back-breaking play up his sleeve on the next Warriors possession.
Pocahontas moved the ball towards midfield with back-to-back passes as the clock ticked inside two minutes to play in the first half, but it all went south on the next play.
Vandall gave West a 26-0 halftime lead when he grabbed an errant pass and raced 48 yards for a score.
“That did change things. When you get that kind of a lead, it is hard for the other team to come back,” Harris said. “We were a little stagnate there in the third quarter, but we came back and played well in the fourth quarter.”
“We played a good game tonight and we all seemed to work well together,” Vandall said. “My coach kept telling me to scoot up. I came up and I went after the ball. Then I saw the end zone and I headed for the hills.”
The final score of the game came early in the fourth quarter after McClung gathered a picked off a pass and returned the ball to the Warriors’ 28-yard line.
Three runs from Robinson, the last of which came from two yards out, gave West the final margin of victory.
Riding a two-game winning streak, West will look for another win Friday when it hosts Webster County.
“We still have a lot to improve on. There are a lot of doubters out there and we still have a lot to prove,” McClung said. “But, I think we are coming along great and the chemistry on this team is great also.”
PC: 0 0 0 0 – 0
GW: 6 20 0 6 – 32
First quarter
GW: Cole Vandall 6 run (pass failed)
Second Quarter
GW: Jayden Robinson 2 run (Ty Nickell rush)
GW: Roy Loudermilk 15 pass from Vandall (rush failed)
GW: Vandall 48 INT return (rush failed)
Fourth Quarter
GW: Robinson 2 run (pass failed)
Team stats
Rushing: (PC) Evan Hamrick 6-(-1), Braedan Hayhurst 5-(-15), Frankie Burgess 3-2, Daniel Burdette 2-37, Nacota Smith 9-37, Connor Taylor 3-3; (GW) Nickell 22-155, Vandall 13-63, Robinson 5-36, Adkins 2-6.
Passing: (PC) Hayhurst 9-16-92-0-2; (GW) Vandall 5-7-80-1-1
Receiving: (PC) Burdette 5-80, Tucker McGhee 1-8, Hamrick 2-0, Brycen Carrol 1-4; (GW) McClung 3-65, Loudermilk 1-15-1.
Takeaways: (GW) Vandall (INT), McClung (INT)
