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Patriots pummel Princeton

South evens record with 37-0 triumph over Princeton

Photo by Steve Hemmelgarn Parkersburg South’s Brayden Mooney (12) carries the ball during a high school football game against Princeton Friday night at Erickson All-Sports Facility.

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg South got off to a quick start with three touchdowns in the host Patriots’ first three possessions Friday night and they went on to shut out Princeton 37-0 to square the season at 2-2 at the Erickson All-Sports Facility.

South next plays at Class AAA top-ranked John Marshall at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.

Still winless, Princeton is now 0-3.

The Patriots drove down the field on possession 1 to tally a TD when quarterback Brayden Mooney went eight yards up the middle to score just 3:54 into the game.

Then Mooney on defense picked off a Tiger aerial and dashed 29 stripes to paydirt at the 7:15 mark of the opening period to give his team a fast 14-0 lead.

And with 56.3 seconds left in the initial eight minutes, Mooney connected with Nick Yoho through the air for a 13-yard TD pass, followed by Ben Haught’s third PAT for a commanding 21-0 advantage with still three full quarters to play.

Yoho tacked on another six points at 3:51 of the second stanza, banging eight yards through the middle into the end zone to up the lead to 27-0.

But Princeton completed a 38-yard pass to the South 47 and with only 24.2 seconds remaining in the first half reached the Patriot 20 and then to the 14 as time ran out on the Tigers.

Princeton started the second half like it ended the first, with three first downs to get to the South 32 before the Patriot “D” sent everybody on 3rd-and 15 for a minus-4 loss to end the Tigers’ scoring threat.

In the fourth frame, South’s Brandon Penn recovered a fumble on a punt catch at the Princeton 11 at 10:25 with Devin Gaines going three yards for a TD at 9:11, before Dylan Day intercepted and returned to the Tiger 32 with Haught booting the game’s final points on a 28-yard field goal at 6:35.

Princeton’s last gasp of the night to try and score from the Patriot 27 saw a pass knocked away at the front corner of the end zone by South with just 4.4 seconds to go.

“Our kids were ready to play tonight,” said South head coach Mike Eddy. “It wasn’t the best week of practice, but was better than we’ve had in the last two weeks. I thought our guys came out much more focused and more prepared, and I think that showed early. We were in the right place at the right time doing the right things.”

Nevertheless, “we still have a lot of things to clean up yet,” Eddy added as South now has to prepare to tackle No. 1 John Marshall on the road.

Parkersburg South 37, Princeton 0

Princeton (0-3) 0 0 0 0 — 0

South (2-2) 21 6 0 10 — 37

PS: Brayden Mooney 8 run (Ben Haught kick), 8:06, 1st

PS: Mooney 29 interception return (Haught kick), 7:15, 12st

PS: Nick Yoho 13 pass from Mooney (Haught kick), 56.3 seconds, 1st

PS: Yoho 8 run (pass failed), 3:51, 2nd

PS: Devin Gaines 3 run (Haught kick), 9:11, 4th

PS: Haught 28 FG, 6:35, 4th

Team stats

Prin. South

Rushing yards 55 182

Passing yards 114 128

Total yards 169 310

Penalty yards 71 37

Individual stats

South rushing: Mooney 59 yards, Yoho 58 yards; passing: Mooney 15-27, 128 yards; receiving: Yoho 4-41

Next games: South at John Marshall 7:30 p.m. Friday; Princeton at Musselman 7 p.m. Friday

Parkersburg Catholic 38, Wirt County 8

PCHS (4-0) 0 22 8 8 — 38

WCHS (1-3) 0 0 8 0 — 8

P: Ty Sturm 55 run, Sturm run, 2nd

P: Sturn 1 run, conversion failed, 2nd

P: Jeb Boice 17 pass from Ty Sturm, Sturm run, 2nd

P: Sturm 16 run, Sturm run, 3rd

W: Tyler Evans pass from Dylan Lowe, pass good, 3rd

P: Aidan Stotts 4 run, Stotts run, 4th

Team stats

PCHS WCHS

First downs 17 7

Rushes-yards 50-326 31-6

Passing yards 51 158

Total yards 377 164

Comp/att/int 4-8-1 12-19-2

Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-1

Penalties-yards 8-52 10-79

Individual stats

Rushing: P: Sturm 22-232; Boice 17-61; Stotts 6-26; Nick Stricker 2-7; Xavier Collie 3-0; W: Logan Powell 10-19 Passing: P: Collie 1-3-0, 27 yards; Sturm 3-4-0, 24 yards; Boice 0-1-1, 0 yards; W: Lowe 9-14-2, 156 yards Receiving: P: Boice 3-46; Stotts 1-5; W: Nathan Murray 5-123; Evans 4-33

Next games: Catholic at Gilmer, 7 p.m. Friday; Wirt County at Tyler, 7 p.m. Friday

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