45 yards of excitement
Like a heavy weight champion up against the ropes, the Wheelersburg Pirate football team fought back in one of the most exciting high school matchups ever witnessed, and it came from 45 yards away.
The Ashland Tomcats walked confidently into Ed Miller stadium with a 3-0 record and a Kentucky state ranking. Their offense was putting up video game numbers while throttling their opponents on the defensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, the Pirates were trying to heal up players and figure out ways to get the offense going after starting out 0-2, something of rare sorts in Burg football.
Early in the game it looked as if the team and the fans were going to suffer through a long season after QB Aaron Masters threw a tough pass into coverage. The pass was intercepted the length of the field for Ashland’s second touchdown of the night, taking a commanding lead 13-0.
That’s when the headset came flying off of Coach Woodward and a little heart to heart happened on the sideline. One could tell by the fire in his eyes and his body language that he had a message to get across, a urgent one.
Whatever he said was well received because the gloves came off, and it was on. The Pirates finished the half out-scoring the Tomcats 14-0 to take a halftime lead. Makaya Matthews’ return to the lineup this week proved to be crucial as he showed off his skill set by taking a quick inside passing route from Aaron Masters 70 yards for the first score, and then LJ Payton caught a fade just inside the goal line for the second. Also during the come back, the Pirates became more aggressive on defense shutting down the speed backs of Ashland. Junior cornerback Ian Fannin was setting the tone as he made several nice downhill tackles, and Junior Blake Richardson was a man among boys in the trenches as he was shedding blocks and smothering up the inside runs.
After halftime, Burg punted to Ashland, which the Tomcat returner muffed. Seth Denney recovered for the Pirates in the end zone for a 21-13 touchdown lead. After Braxton Sammons put in a 25 yard chip shot, it looked as if Burg was on it’s way to a comfortable win, but a weather delay would stop the momentum. Ashland used the delay to their advantage, and with some nice coaching adjustments, their offense started moving the ball again. Ashland would score and cut into burg’s lead, making it 24-19. The Pirates tried to run out the game but couldn’t, and Ashland was back on the move. With 44 seconds left in regulation, on 4th and 17, Ashland’s QB threw a perfect timed pass on a seam route down the middle that set up a Tomcat go ahead touch down. The Pirate fans were deflated but the team was still focused.
The next 44 seconds of the game would make or break the Pirates’ season. They had to somehow get in field goal range to have a chance for a tie and force overtime. Ashland’s defense played their best defense of the evening as they forced the Pirates into a long 4th down. Senior Makaya Matthews was not going to be denied the first down as he snagged a beautiful ball by Aaron Masters and then had the experience to know to get out of bounds by dragging two defenders with him. Ashland again defended Burg into a fourth and long last play type of situation. So in desperation, Masters tried to hit LJ Payton on a sticks out-route but a Ashland player made a mistake and interfered with the receiver with 1.5 seconds left. The pass interference call moved the ball 15 yards to set up one of the most memorable field goals in school history.
Sophomore Braxton Sammons had been training for this moment for a long time. He’d been to several kicking camps in the off season, working on his craft. He was just waiting for his chance, and boy did he capitalize on it. Braxton boomed the ball right down Bonniecamp from holder Casey Doerr for the tying field goal. The place erupted but it wasn’t over. There was still more business for the Pirates to take care of.
In overtime, Ashland moved the ball twenty yards out to score first but the coach elected to go for two, a decision that would eventually cost him the game. Coach Kaskey dialed up the perfect play as he sent Makaya Matthews out to pick up three yards on a fourth and three. Makaya did more than that as he went the distance to even up the score, but this was Braxton’s night, as he put the icing on the cake. Sammons tacked on the extra point to win the game and turned the ship in the right direction.
Go Pirates!
The Ashland Tomcats walked confidently into Ed Miller stadium with a 3-0 record and a Kentucky state ranking. Their offense was putting up video game numbers while throttling their opponents on the defensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, the Pirates were trying to heal up players and figure out ways to get the offense going after starting out 0-2, something of rare sorts in Burg football.
Early in the game it looked as if the team and the fans were going to suffer through a long season after QB Aaron Masters threw a tough pass into coverage. The pass was intercepted the length of the field for Ashland’s second touchdown of the night, taking a commanding lead 13-0.
That’s when the headset came flying off of Coach Woodward and a little heart to heart happened on the sideline. One could tell by the fire in his eyes and his body language that he had a message to get across, a urgent one.
Whatever he said was well received because the gloves came off, and it was on. The Pirates finished the half out-scoring the Tomcats 14-0 to take a halftime lead. Makaya Matthews’ return to the lineup this week proved to be crucial as he showed off his skill set by taking a quick inside passing route from Aaron Masters 70 yards for the first score, and then LJ Payton caught a fade just inside the goal line for the second. Also during the come back, the Pirates became more aggressive on defense shutting down the speed backs of Ashland. Junior cornerback Ian Fannin was setting the tone as he made several nice downhill tackles, and Junior Blake Richardson was a man among boys in the trenches as he was shedding blocks and smothering up the inside runs.
After halftime, Burg punted to Ashland, which the Tomcat returner muffed. Seth Denney recovered for the Pirates in the end zone for a 21-13 touchdown lead. After Braxton Sammons put in a 25 yard chip shot, it looked as if Burg was on it’s way to a comfortable win, but a weather delay would stop the momentum. Ashland used the delay to their advantage, and with some nice coaching adjustments, their offense started moving the ball again. Ashland would score and cut into burg’s lead, making it 24-19. The Pirates tried to run out the game but couldn’t, and Ashland was back on the move. With 44 seconds left in regulation, on 4th and 17, Ashland’s QB threw a perfect timed pass on a seam route down the middle that set up a Tomcat go ahead touch down. The Pirate fans were deflated but the team was still focused.
The next 44 seconds of the game would make or break the Pirates’ season. They had to somehow get in field goal range to have a chance for a tie and force overtime. Ashland’s defense played their best defense of the evening as they forced the Pirates into a long 4th down. Senior Makaya Matthews was not going to be denied the first down as he snagged a beautiful ball by Aaron Masters and then had the experience to know to get out of bounds by dragging two defenders with him. Ashland again defended Burg into a fourth and long last play type of situation. So in desperation, Masters tried to hit LJ Payton on a sticks out-route but a Ashland player made a mistake and interfered with the receiver with 1.5 seconds left. The pass interference call moved the ball 15 yards to set up one of the most memorable field goals in school history.
Sophomore Braxton Sammons had been training for this moment for a long time. He’d been to several kicking camps in the off season, working on his craft. He was just waiting for his chance, and boy did he capitalize on it. Braxton boomed the ball right down Bonniecamp from holder Casey Doerr for the tying field goal. The place erupted but it wasn’t over. There was still more business for the Pirates to take care of.
In overtime, Ashland moved the ball twenty yards out to score first but the coach elected to go for two, a decision that would eventually cost him the game. Coach Kaskey dialed up the perfect play as he sent Makaya Matthews out to pick up three yards on a fourth and three. Makaya did more than that as he went the distance to even up the score, but this was Braxton’s night, as he put the icing on the cake. Sammons tacked on the extra point to win the game and turned the ship in the right direction.
Go Pirates!
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