Defense delivers shutout for Wash High
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington running back Eddie Lewis takes the second play from scrimmage for a 56-yard touchdown run against Clairton.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington running back Eddie Lewis breaks away from a pack of Clairton defenders for a 39-yard second-quarter carry.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Eddie Lewis finds running room in the first half.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Running back Ruben Gordon lines up a two-point conversion pass to Tristan Reed in the second quarter.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Jahvon Woods (20) scoops up a Clairton fumble and sprints to the end zone to put Wasington up 20-0 over the Bears in the fourth quarter.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Ruben Gordon dives to the 28-yard line in a fourth quarter.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's De'Ondre Daugherty (55) recovers a Clairton fumble and and advances upfield.
The best football coaches, be it at the NFL, college or high school level, never coach to the score. It’s a lesson that Nick Saban and Bill Belicheck have taught their players for years.
It’s also a lesson that Washington’s Mike Bosnic was imparting on his young Prexies Friday evening as he addressed the squad following a 26-0 win over Clairton at Wash High Stadium. Though Washington won the game by four scores, Bosnic made it known that these Prexies have a way to go before they consider themselves contenders in Class 2A.
“For whatever reason, we were flat in the pregame and we didn’t have a good week of practice. We had some guys who, for whatever reason, weren’t focused,” Bosnic noted. “But we have some guys that are inexperienced and playing that are making some mistakes. But if we can learn from that and get better, we’ll be OK.”
Washington (2-0) dropped three potential interceptions that could have resulted in touchdowns. They also turned the ball over once in their own end that could have cost them points against and were turned away on a goal-to-go situation in the first half. They also had issues at times wrapping up Clairton ball carriers such as Drahcir Jones, who finished with 95 yards on 14 carries. The Bears moved the ball inside the Washington 20-yard line four times but came away empty as the Prexies’ defense hung tough and notched their first shutout of the season.
Clairton moved to the Prexies’ 19 on their first drive of the second half, but turned it over on fourth down when Donte Wright was snuffed out in the backfield for a six-yard loss on fourth down.
An Eddie Lewis fumble that was covered by Bears defensive back Martin Lawrence set up Clairton on the Prexies’ 24. The Bears moved to the Washington eight when Michael Lewis was sacked after a misplayed snap and fumbled. De’Ondre Daugherty scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the Prexies’ 46 midway through the third quarter.
Washington missed a chance to put the game away late in the third and turned it over on downs at the Clairton 36. The Prexies’ defense again forced a punt that was returned 32 yards to the Bears’ 35 by Zxavian Willis. Again the Prexies were turned away and were forced to turn it over on downs on the Clairton 17.
The defense then decided enough was enough and engulfed Wright three plays later, who fumbled the ball. Jahvon Woods scooped up the loose ball and raced home for a 23-yard score and a 20-0 lead that turned out the lights on the Bears.
“We did some good things defensively,” Bosnic noted. “Our defensive coaches put our guys in great position. But there were even times that we just didn’t wrap up and tackle.”
Washington took advantage of another short field via a Clairton turnover on downs as Willis rumbled in from 25 yards with 3:40 left in the game.
Washington lit up the scoreboard on their second offensive snap when Lewis found a crease on the right side of the Clairton defense and raced 56 yards to a touchdown to give the Prexies a 6-0 lead less than a minute into the contest.
Lewis finished with 90 yards on eight carries while Willis chipped in with 58 yards on seven carries. Ruben Gordon rushed for 32 yards on eight carries.
Clairton started their ensuing drive from their own 34 and moved to the Washington 10 on the strength of Jones’ legs. But the Prexies defense held firm on two inside runs and forced two incomplete passes to fend off the Bears scoring threat.
Both squads exchanged punts to close out the opening quarter. Washington looked to extend their lead early in the second quarter when they marched to inside the Bears 9. The catalyst of the drive was a Lewis 39-yard run to the Clairton 10. But Clairton’s defense rose up and forced an incomplete Tristan Reed pass to Ruben Gordon in the end zone on fourth down.
Clairton’s slumbering offense seemed to get a jolt from the goal-line stand as they moved from their own 10 to midfield. Two negative plays forced Clairton into a third and 13 from their own 45. Wright was then hit on his pass attempt, which forced a flutter ball into the air that Joe Wilson intercepted for the Prexies. Wilson’s return and subsequent dead ball foul on Clairton put the ball on the Bears 13.
Wilson was part of a defensive front that applied pressure all evening and spent much of the night in the Clairton backfield.
“Last year as a freshman, I thought it was pretty remarkable that he would be voted by the coaches as an all-conference player,” Bosnic said in reference to Wilson. “He has only continued to get better and has tremendous potential.”
It appeared again that Clairton’s defense would hold on fourth down on the Bears’ 9, but a pass interference play along with an encroachment foul gave Washington first-and-goal at the Bears’ 2 with 10 seconds remaining in the first half. Woods found a crack in the defense and plowed into the end zone for the score. Washington got the two-point conversion when Gordon took a pitch out and threw it back to a wide open Trista Reed for the two, extending Washington’s lead to 14-0 at the half.