Gallery by Heather Belcher
Charleston – Cameron’s best defense was an offense that kept Wahama’s high-powered scoring offense on the sideline. The Dragons executed that strategy well, possessing the ball for nine more minutes than the White Falcons.
But that approach couldn’t slow Wahama enough.
Wahama scored touchdowns on four of its seven drives, riding explosive plays to a 29-22 victory over the Dragons Friday afternoon in the Class A state title game at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in Charleston.
The title is the first for Wahama since beating Madonna 43-42 in overtime in the 2012 Class A title game at Wheeling.
“I’m so thankful to be part of this team,” Wahama head coach James Toth said. “These kids did a great job. I’m telling you, man, you talk about the heart of a champion. Those kids over here they haven’t (played) a single game this year, none of them were really close in the second half.”
The White Falcons struck first, needing two plays on offense to score, reaching the end zone on a 36-yard rushing score by Trace Simpkins.
After a middling first drive, the Dragons hit their stride, answering with a six-play, 57-yard drive that ended when quarterback Kason Angel hit Wes Starcher for a 14-yard scoring strike. Angel converted on the two-point attempt with a run, giving the Dragons an 8-7 lead.
His impressive outing wasn’t limited to the offensive side of the ball as he intercepted Simpkins on Wahama’s following drive, setting the Dragons up at their own 15. The turnover was the prelude for a 16-play 85-yard drive that consumed 11:19 of game time, ending in a 1-yard touchdown run by Angel.
From there it was all Wahama.
A 10-play, 64-yard drive with 1:30 to go in the half tied the game but not without controversy. A fourth-down run by Wyatt Harris was ruled a touchdown, drawing a Cameron challenge. The call on the field was upheld after video replay, tying the game at 14.
That was the beginning of a rough stretch for the Dragons as the White Falcons added a pair of Connor Lambert touchdown runs in the third quarter to build a 29-14 advantage.
“Obviously those are instrumental in a tight game,” Toth said. “ We felt like we needed to score and we were lucky enough and I didn’t know if he got in or not. I came over and ask him when he came off, I said ‘Did you get in?’ He said, ‘Yeah, but it’s close coach.’ Luckily we got the ball in the second half and I felt like in the third quarter we really took it to them. We talked about a winning the line of scrimmage at halftime. I’m not sure we did that the first half, but I think we did the second half.”
Cameron put together a nine-play 75-yard scoring drive in the final minutes of the contest but Wahama secured a pair of first downs in the final 2:30 of the game to secure the title.
Lambert secured MVP honors ors for Wahama with 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 18 carries, adding three receptions for 20 yards.
Angel won the same honors for Cameron, finishing 7 of 15 passing for 114 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 100 yards rushing on 22 attempts along with an interception on defense.
