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Big Reds keep hope of playoffs alive

Parkersburg’s Karson Snyder slips behind Warren defensive backs Tyler Schafer (3) and Ethan Schumer (19) to haul in a long pass from quarterback Bradley Craig during the Big Reds’ 55-26 win over the Warriors Friday night at Stadium Field. Snyder finished the night with 5 catches for 96 yards and hauled in touchdown passes of 3 and 42 yards. Photo by Joe Albright.

PARKERSBURG — Only the first-half clock kept Parkersburg from scoring on each of its first six possessions here Friday night at Stadium Field as the Big Reds rolled up 584 total yards in a dominating 55-26 rout of Warren.

PHS head coach Don Reeves’ squad, which improved to 3-5 with a road game set for 7 p.m. next Friday at Riverside, kept their Class AAA playoff hopes alive after bolting to a 35-0 cushion at intermission versus the Warriors (2-7).

First-year Warren head coach Tim Carver tried a reverse with Bishop Ford on the opening play of the game, but a potential huge gain was thwarted by a Tyler Moler tackle.

Following a three-and-out, the PHS offense got going with a 5-yard lateral to Karson Snyder from Bradley Craig, who was playing quarterback in place of injured Ethan Airhart. A 14-yard pass to Chance Rawson along with a 28-yard Craig keeper set up Easton Martin’s first score — a 10-yard touchdown run. Christian Axman’s extra point gave the hosts a 7-0 lead with 7:43 left in the opening stanza.

Snyder had a big 40-yard seam route grab on the Big Reds’ next series, which was capped with a 15-yard TD toss from Craig to Brenton Strange, who finished with six catches for 91 yards.

Despite picking up a first down via a Nick Fish third-and-1 plunge and then having it first-and-10 at the PHS 42 after Ronnie Hill’s 12-yard reception from signal-caller Casey Adams, the Big Red defense held and forced a punt.

Martin, who finished with 14 carries for 221 yards, broke loose for a 60-yard gain and eventually bulled his way in from the 1 to make it 21-0 with 5:37 left before the break.

Big Red Max Turner promptly ended the Warriors’ next drive when he sniffed out a middle screen and picked off Adams. Snyder, who finished with five catches for 96 stripes, got the drive started with a 17-yard gain. Snyder eventually caught a 3-yard fade route and Axman was true again on the PAT for a 28-0 bulge with the clock showing 2:46.

After another Warrior punt, PHS had 68 seconds to work with from its own 16. That didn’t prove problematic as Craig hit Strange on a 42-yard gain and then found Snyder open for a 42-yard touchdown.

Axman made the extra point for the 35-0 lead with 44.9 ticks remaining in the half, but he was roughed on the play and PHS opted for an onsides kick, which was recovered by Shane Miller.

A 9-yard run by Craig, who hit 14 of 19 passes for 223 yards while adding 57 yards rushing on eight totes, along with a 12-yard pass to Martin allowed the red and white to spike the ball with 4.5 seconds left on first-and-10 from the Warrior 14. However, Craig’s pass in the flat to Tyler Lawrentz on the final play went for 10 yards.

Warren’s defense stood tall to open the second half as Michael Smith picked off a Craig aerial and returned it 31 yards, which led to an Adams 5-yard TD toss to Hill. Landon Wigal added the PAT to cut the deficit to four scores at the 8:18 mark.

On the first play of the Big Reds’ ensuing drive, Martin went untouched and raced 73 yards to paydirt. Cole Riffle, who rushed 17 times for 90 yards, fumbled on the Warriors’ next play and Jake Johnson recovered it just before it went out of bounds to give PHS the pigskin at the WHS 36. From there, it was the Shane Miller show as the sophomore had three straight runs and then finished the drive with an 8-yard score. A bad snap on the extra point left PHS ahead 48-7 with 5:18 remaining in the third.

The Warriors didn’t quit and Ford hauled in a 60-yard slant over the middle for a touchdown, but Miller blocked the extra point. Craig proceeded to return the kickoff 45 yards and Miller then raced to the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown just before the quarter ended to make it 55-13.

Warren put the final points on the scoreboard with two more touchdown pases from Adams, who finished 11 of 18 for 190 yards. His first was an 8-yard strike to Hill and the last scoring toss went for 5 yards to Ford.

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