South wins a thriller vs. Capital
Patriots hang on in a 29-28 Monday showdown
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PARKERSBURG --Although Week 1 was on hold for Parkersburg South and Capital, that didn't stop the two teams from having a flare for the dramatic on Monday. The crowd at the Erickson All-Sports Facility saw the Patriots win in a 29-28 shootout. When South was on the ropes, the defense stood tall on multiple occasions. In a play that ultimately played a large role in the outcome, South's pass rush crashed on Capital quarterback Jacqai Long at the CHS 8. With 3:47 left in the 3rd quarter, Long was forced to throw the ball out of harm's way. However, he fired a pass from his end zone that only managed to strike one of his linemen. After the referees deliberated, Long was called for intentional grounding, which resulted in a safety and a 23-14 South edge. One Aiden Cooke rushing score later made it 29-14 with 10:16 left, but a furious Capital comeback pressed the PSHS defense into action one last time.
Shawn James (5 catches, 147 yards and a pair of touchdown catches) came up big with a 38-yard TD grab from Long, and a successful two-point conversion cut the South advantage to 29-22. Following South's next possession, Capital had the ball at its own 14 with just a single timeout. Having to go 86 yards for the potential tie, Capital delivered.
The visiting Cougars drove the ball down to the South 38 when Long hit Nadir Price, who caught the pass off a tip and scored. With the game hanging in the balance, Capital decided to go for the win, and the timely South defense made the biggest play of this early season. The vaunted pass rush forced Long to scramble, and he fired a pass over the head of the closest receiver. One onside kick recovery and knee later, South made it official.
That wasn't the only time the Patriots stood tall in the face of adversity, as Cyrus Traugh was all over the field in the win. He already scored off a 53-yard screen pass from starter Robert Shockey to give South a 6-0 lead just a couple minutes into the game, but he capitalized on defense, as well.
With Capital driving, the defense was faced with a 4th and goal from the 3. That's when Long threw a pass across his body into the waiting arms of Traugh. Combined with pressure from Gage Wright that led to a key interception from Turner Garretson in the 3rd (which then led to a 3-yard Garretson rushing score on the ensuing South possession), Traugh and the defense had a big night.
"With our game plan, we didn't really have one particular thing in mind. We've just been training all summer, and I thought we deserved it," Traugh said following a performance which saw him snag ten passes for 149 yards and the game's first score. "It wasn't one of our best. We could play a lot better. We had a lot of mistakes, like at the end. It was kind of a fluke play, but I thought it was a good game though. I think we're capable of a lot more."
In his first career start, Shockey showed he was capable. Going 12-for-19 for 192 yards, two touchdowns and a lone interception, he moved the ball efficiently. On the ground, he led the way with 128 yards. His all-around performance was also fueled with contributions by Cooke (94 yards on the ground and a touchdown) and Tyson Maze, who snagged a 26 yard score from him, midway through the second quarter. It's all a part of the maturation process, according to head coach Nate Tanner. His 1-0 team is on a short week, as Friday's contest at University awaits.
"It was a super-tight, super-intense game," Tanner said after his offense outgained Capital 412-402. "It was back and forth. There were a lot of back-breaking plays from each squad. I'm very proud of our kids for pulling it out. We're pretty good up front, right now. I was pretty pleased with how we ran the football. Our receivers run good routes and have good hands. I was really pleased with how many of our kids made big plays."
Contact Josh Hughes at jhughes@newsandsentinel.com