RAVENSWOOD-No. 13 (Class AAA) Point Pleasant scored on its final possession of the first half and all, but once in the second 24 minutes to blow open a close, 10-7, game against arch rival Ravenswood and hand the host Red Devils a 45-7 setback Friday night at Flinn Field.
The Big Blacks, now 5-2 on the season, got on the scoreboard first on a 54-yard touchdown run by senior Marquez Griffin and a 22-yard field goal by junior Collin Peal. But, Ravenswood (2-5) pulled back to within three points, 10-7, on a Devon Crews 12-yard run and Mason Carte PAT with 4:01 left until the intermission.
It appeared as is those would be the final points of the first 24 minutes until a short punt gave the visitors a first-and-10 at their own 49 with 1:11 showing on the clock. Sophomore quarterback Aden Yates, who completed 13-of-17 attempts for 200 yards and a pair of scores, drove the Big Blacks down the field, hitting Griffin on a 23-yard scoring strike with just 10.5 ticks left on the clock. Peal's second PAT of the game made it 17-7 and the Red Devils never recovered.
Article Photos
Photo by Jeff Baughan
Ravenswood's Rhys Jelich, Brad Titus, Dylan Radabaugh and Connor Jelich, top to bottom, tackle Point Pleasant's Marquez Griffin for negative yardage during the Red Devils' 45-7 loss Friday.
The primary reason, however, was the Point offense, which put together a five-play, 65-yard scoring drive the first time it touched the ball in the third quarter, a 13-play, 55-yard scoring drive on its second possession and two more touchdowns 13 seconds apart in the fourth quarter.
Yates and Griffin were the primary weapons for the visitors in Point's first possession as the quarterback connected with Chase Walton on a 38-yard pass on the first play of the third quarter and then found a wide open Andrew Willamson with a 20-yard scoring strike to end the drive with 9:34 left on the clock.
A three-and-out by the Red Devils and a 30-yard punt gave the Big Blacks a first-and-10 on their own 45.
This time the Mason Countians went to the ground with senior Tylun Campbell rushing the ball five times for 24 yards while Griffin carried the ball three more times for seven. Point Pleasant's second touchdown of the quarter came with 33.8 seconds left in the third when Yates connected with Walton from 6-yards out.
Ravenswood, which will look to end a five-game losing skid at Clay County next Friday night, put together a 13-play drive on its next possession and appeared ready to add its second touchdown of the night when it reached the Point 14. However, a third-and-10 pass from the Red Devils' Heath Burgess was picked off at the 1-yard line by the Big Blacks' Griffin, who returned it to the Ravenswood 1 before being hauled down by Burgess.
Two plays later junior Teran Barnitz bullied his way over from the 1 and then 13 seconds later Campbell added a 14-yard touchdown run for the final score of the game.
