Gallery by Heather Belcher
New Richmond – Judah Price made good on his usual donut delivery Friday night after another 200-yard rushing performance.
This time however, he delivered an even bigger prize.
Rushing for 226 yards on ten carries, Price scored six times to smash the W.Va. single season football scoring record in a 66-0 win over Wyoming East.
“My mind is going 100 miles an hour right now. I can’t even wrap my mind around it,” Price said holding the record scoring football in his arm. “People are telling me I don’t even know what this means and I guess I really don’t yet. It’s kind of crazy right now.”
While he is still absorbing the gravity of the accomplishment this season, Price did know he came to Wyoming East with one goal in mind – score touchdowns.
“I have been kind of in that zone all day. I was ready to score some points today. In the beginning of the season I was a little timid back there. When we had (Kennedy Award winner) Atticus (Goodson) back there, nobody really wanted to hit him because he was huge,” Price said. “People want to hit me (because I am smaller) and I realized that, so I knew I had to make some moves. Around the Bluefield game I started getting back in the groove. I played a little running back last year, but before that I hadn’t played running back since eighth grade. It is a natural position for me, but it took me a little bit to get back into it.”
Needing 19 points to break the record set by Ethan Payne from Poca in 2019, Price wasted no time in his quest.
After a two-yard loss on the his first carry, Price went to work riding the gaps created by Grogg’s Hoggs up front and popped through for a 65-yard touchdown run.
A 14-yard jaunt on the next possession along with two conversion runs, placed Price just three points shy of the record.
Three possessions and three scores for Price.
The Independence senior ran into the history books on the third Indy possession with an 11-yard run that set off a team celebration as well as fireworks from the hill overlooking the War Zone.
Here’s @judah_price’s record-breaking TD. Price is now holds the record for most points scored in a single regular season in the state of West Virginia. Video by Heather Belcher.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/bz8T5828yF
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) October 29, 2022
“This is crazy. I have never felt anything like this. We have done some special stuff over our careers, but breaking that (scoring) record was special stuff,” all-state lineman Logan Isom said. “We couldn’t have done it without the rest of my line and Judah running the ball so hard. It was a team effort and a great accomplishment.”
Before the quarter was over, Indy had a 32-0 lead and Price had his fourth scoring run on a nine-yard scamper into the end zone.
“After so many years of coaching, I have never been one to chase records too much, but I felt like this one was very special to our team,” Independence head coach John H. Lilly said. “At the beginning of the year, a lot of people said we were not going to be very good without Atticus. Everybody in the (locker) room knew we were going to be pretty good. So the record was special to the team and special to us. He ended up with 300 points and that is a big honor.”
Lost at times in the scoring storm and the vaunted Patriots defense has been the work of Tyler Linkswiler who has given the Patriots a nice complimentary back to Price. The hard running junior showed his ability in the second period with two scoring runs.
In between Linkswiler’s scoring runs was another explosive burst from Price who scored on his second 65-yard run of the night.
When the halftime horn sounded, the Patriots were in firm control, again, leading 52-0.
“It was good win and we did what we wanted to do tonight. We wanted to come down here and play good, hard ball and try to get our varsity four quarters in, especially on defense to stay in condition,” Lilly said. “We rotated our No. 1’s and No. 2’s starting in the second quarter.”
Price scored his sixth and final touchdown on a 22-yard run in the third quarter, which was shortened to a five-minute continuous clock. He also added his third two-point conversion before heading to the bench.
Silas Nelson capped the scoring for Independence with a 10-yard run, closing out the Patriots second consecutive undefeated regular season.
“We haven’t lost a regular season game in the last two years. We kind of knew it was going to happen because we built this thing from the bottom up and we are going to continue to build. Our middle school was 6-2 and I think they will continue where we left off. I am just glad to be a part of all of this,” Price said.
Independence is off next Friday and will learn its playoff opponent officially the next day.
Coach Lilly emphasized after the game that season one is now in the books, starting next week, season two begins in earnest.
“It is a different game now. The real game begins and it is something that we have looked forward too since we walked off that field in Wheeling (after the championship game loss to Fairmont Senior). All I care about is wins now,” Price said. “It is hard going through weeks like this when you know you are probably going to win the game, but we have future goals and those are the goals we have pushed for. It is going to take hard work, dedication and the will to win.”
Isom summed it up best with a short statement about the playoffs.
“When we come back, it is all business. We have to put our suits on and go to work,” Isom said.
I: 32 20 8 6 – 66
WE: 0 0 0 0 – 0
I: Price 65 run (Price rush)
I: Price 14 run (Price rush)
I: Price 11 yd run (Tyler Linkswiler rush)
I: Price 9 run (Cyrus Goodson from Trey Bowers)
Second quarter
I: Linkswiler 5 run (rush failed)
I: Price 65 run (Linkswiler from Bowers)
I: Linkswiler 3 run (rush failed)
Third quarter
I: Price 22 run (Price rush)
Fourth quarter
I: Silas Nelson 10 run (kick no good)
Team Stats
Rushing: (I) Price 10-226-6, Linkswiler 9-96-2,Trey Bowers 2-18, Nelson 1-10-1: (WE) Jackson Danielson 8-12, Devan Wall 8-6, Dustin Belcher 1-(-2), Braxton Morgan 1-(-3).
Passing: (I) 4-7-96; (WE) 3-15-16-1
Receiving: (I) Cyrus Goodson 1-31, Colten Caron 1-33, Nelson 1-30, Dalton Adkins 1-2; (WE) Cole Laxton 1-7, Chase Adkins 2-14Kaiden Walker 1-(-5)
