Wash High holds off McGuffey in season opener
By Dave Whipkey
For The Observer-Reporter
CLAYSVILLE – New McGuffey head coach Nate Parry faced a daunting task in his first game piloting the Highlanders’ football team.
Not only was he replacing longtime coach Ed Dalton, who remains as McGuffey’s athletic director, his team was facing neighborhood rival Washington in what is now a non-conference affair in Week 0.
Even though the Highlanders played on even terms with their rivals, they could not overcome three turnovers, several costly penalties and two Tristan Reed touchdown throws as the Prexies (1-0) took home a hard-fought 14-7 win Friday night.
“We really got things rolling in the second half with our ground game,” Parry noted. “It all boiled down to we made more mistakes than they did. Our guys played their butts off. They played with enough effort to win. But overall, kind of a similar time the last few times we’ve played them.”
Washington defeated McGuffey twice last year, once to clinch a share of the Century Conference title and a second time in the WPIAL postseason.
Prexies coach echoed the sentiment that he believed his squad also made multiple mistakes and will need to improve as the season goes on.
“We obviously have a lot to work on, but I’m proud of the guys of how hard they fought and they got the job done.”
McGuffey came out in the second half by establishing their proud and potent ground attack. O’Dell carried 10 times on the 76 yard march for 63 yards. Malachi Ealy ended the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to pull the Highlanders within a touchdown with 5:15 left in the third.
After forcing a Washington punt, the Highlanders seemed poised to tie the game thanks to some more punishing runs by O’Dell, who finished with 112 yards on 14 carries in the quarter alone. O’Dell dragged the Highlanders to the Washington 15-yard line as the period ended.
“I think he has a chance to be one of the best fullbacks we ever had,” Parry said referring to O’Dell. “He’s big, he’s fast, he’s physical. We really got him rolling in the second half.
O’Dell finished the game with 168 yards on 31 carries.
Washington was able to stop the drive when Nyah Dudley recovered an O’Dell fumble, which put momentum back on the side of the Prexies on the first play of the final quarter.
After an exchange of possessions, Washington was able to drain some clock and move to the McGuffey 48, where they punted on fourth down with 2:39 remaining.
McGuffey took over on their own 28, but could not get into position to score. Logan Carlisle’s desperation pass was intercepted by Ameer Nelson with less than a minute remaining, sealing the win for the Prexies.
Washington’s offense was limited in the second half, but was able to hang on.
“We have to do a better job running the football and getting physical,” Bosnic added. “But we made enough plays to win in the end.
Reed finished with 127 yards passing and most importantly, did not turn it over.
Washington began the scoring on its opening drive when they marched 85 yards in six plays. Reed capped the march with a 12 yard touchdown strike to Caleb Patton. Tyler Crawford stroked home the extra point to give Washington a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the contest.
McGuffey looked to answer the early Prexie salvo with a score of their own on their ensuing drive. They were able to move from their own 28 to the Washington 35 where they faced a fourth and 6. Carlislie’s pass however fell incomplete, ending the threat and giving the ball back to Washington.
The Prexies then drove from their own 35 to the Highlander 32 where they faced a fourth and 11. Reed’s swing pass to Eddie Lewis was snuffed out by the McGuffey defense as they held the ballcarrier to a four-yard loss.
Washington was set up in McGuffey territory when McGuffey’s punter Wyatt Fisher fielded a low snap with his knee on the turf, giving the ball to the Prexies on the Highlander 30 midway through the second frame. But the McGuffey defense held strong and forced another Washington turnover on downs four plays later.
The two squads exchanged fruitless possessions until Reed uncorked a pass from deep in his own real estate that was gathered in by Patton near midfield. The junior receiver then outraced the Highlander secondary for an 85 yard touchdown that gave the Prexies a 14-0 advantage late in the second quarter.
McGuffey appeared to be set up to cut into the Prexies’ lead after a personal foul added 15 yards onto a kickoff return that was brought back to the Highlander 49. But the Prexies defense again slammed the door shut when Carlisle was rushed by Trenton Grooms and forced into throwing an interception to Jahvon Woods that for all intents and purposes ended the first half and left the Prexies with their two score lead as the two teams headed into the locker room at halftime.