GW beats South, secures MSAC Blue Division title
Parkersburg South’s Kooper Jackson (8) runs with the ball during a high school football game against George Washington at George Washington High School in Charleston. (Photo by Laura Bilson/Gazette-Mail)
Parkersburg South’s Josiah Swiger (10) catches a pass over the defense of George Washington's Derek Valentine (5) during a high school football game at George Washington High School in Charleston. (Photo by Laura Bilson/Gazette-Mail)
Parkersburg South’s Kooper Jackson (8) runs with the ball during a high school football game against George Washington at George Washington High School in Charleston. (Photo by Laura Bilson/Gazette-Mail)
Parkersburg South’s Josiah Swiger (10) catches a pass over the defense of George Washington's Derek Valentine (5) during a high school football game at George Washington High School in Charleston. (Photo by Laura Bilson/Gazette-Mail)
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CHARLESTON — George Washington’s football team established dominance from the first play of the game on Friday, defeating visiting Parkersburg South 63-21 at Steve Edwards Sr. Field.
The host Patriots scored on every offensive drive in the first quarter, plus a punt return, as coach Steve Edwards Jr.'s team took a 35-0 lead through the first 12 minutes of the game and got little resistance in rolling to its ninth win in as many tries.
“We asked the kids to concentrate and asked the kids to keep the standard going and play good team football,” Edwards said. “That’s what we did.”
A screen pass to Derek Valentine went 72 yards on the first play from scrimmage and set up Jaden Black for his first touchdown. Black, a sophomore, scored on an 8-yard run that made it 7-0, tacked on a 1-yard TD run before the end of the first quarter and added another in the second period.
Edwards took his standout rusher out at 10:18 of the second quarter after Black’s third rushing TD - a 3-yarder - to finish his day with 164 yards on 14 attempts.
GW (9-0) scored in all three phases of the game, too. In addition to Davon Brockman's 62-yard punt return with 1:09 to play in the first quarter, Kase Kearns picked off a pass from Parkersburg South (1-8) for a 10-yard return that made it a 56-0 score.
De’Sean Isabell also accounted for four GW scores. A pair of 36-yard scoring tosses to Brockman in the first quarter, a 23-yard pass to Valentine for six more in the second and a 17-yard pass to Henry Davis for the final points of the first half set the score to 63-0 at the break.
“We know we’re going to have to keep the intensity,” Edwards said. “We’re going to have to keep playing, and we want people to know that we’re gonna keep playing and keep playing, no matter what.”
Parkersburg South's scoring chances were few in the first half, but the shutout through two quarters was locked in after a fumble in the red zone that GW recovered at its own 18.
Parkersburg South ended the shutout when Konnor Jackson scored on a 72-yard TD run at the 6:05 mark of the third quarter. A running clock was in effect by that time, along with the final two periods reduced to eight minutes each.
Parkersburg South added one more score with 5:13 to play, with backups for both teams in the game.
“G-Dub is a monumental program this year,” Parkersburg South coach Larry Thompson said. “That being said, we knew this was gonna be a tough battle. We knew that they were gonna be very physical, and we knew Jaden Black was one of the best players in the state, so I’m proud of our kids for not giving up.”
The Mountain State Athletic Conference Blue Division contest was also a matchup of two teams that could be Class AAAA postseason squads, as Parkersburg South came into South Hills at No. 17 in the WVSSAC's playoff ratings.
Parkersburg South’s chances of securing one of the top 16 spots took a hit with its third straight defeat. It has one remaining chance at Cabell Midland next Friday.
No. 1 GW will seek home-field advantage through the semifinals with a road win at Woodrow Wilson next Friday.
The victory secured the MSAC Blue Division championship for GW. League commissioner Jim Hamric presented the trophy to Edwards and his players at the 50-yard-line following the conclusion of the game.
It was the Patriots’ first league or division title since 2011.
“That’s one of the goals you’re looking for,” Edwards said. “Hard to do, man.”
George Washington 63, Parkersburg South 21
PS 0 0 7 14 — 21
GW 35 28 7 0 — 63
GW: Black 8 run (Smith kick).
GW: Brockman 36 pass from Isabell (Smith kick).
GW: Brockman 36 pass from Isabell (Smith kick).
GW: Black 1 run (Smith kick).
GW: Brockman 62 punt return (Smith kick).
GW: Black 3 run (Smith kick).
GW: Valentine 3-pass from Isabell (Smith kick).
GW: Kearns 10 INT return (Smith kick).
GW: Davis 17 pass from Isabell (Smith kick).
PS: Jackson 72 run (Bartley kick).
PS: Jackson 21 run (Bartley kick).
PS: Jackson 7 run (Bartley kick).
Team stats
South: First downs: 10; Rushes-yards: 23-164; Passing yards: 131; Total yards: 295; Passing: 13-22-1; Fumbles-lost: 3-3; Penalties-yards: 8-83
GW: First downs: 19; Rushes-yards: 22-192; Passing yards: 223; Total yards: 415; Passing: 8-10-0; Fumbles-lost: 4-1; Penalties-yards: 4-55
Individual stats
Rushing: (PS) Jackson 20-164, Arnold 1-0, Brown 1-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 6); (GW) Black 14-164, Woods 2-15, Isabell 2-13, Kortz 2-5, Team 1-(minus 1), Ford 1-(minus 4). Passing: (PS) Arnold 13-22-1, 131 yards; (GW) Isabell 8-10-0, 223 yards. Receiving: (PS) Swiger 5-60, Corwin 2-52, Baruwa 2-13, Brown 3-11, Jackson 1-(minus 5); (GW) Valentine 2-95, Brockman 2-72, Kearns 2-21, Ford 1-18, Davis 1-17.
Next game: Parkersburg South at Cabell Midland