Millbrook, James Wood Head Into Rivalry Game With Plenty At Stake

Posted: October 24, 2014
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — In losing each of their past two games, the James Wood and Millbrook football teams haven’t been playing their best of late.

But there’s nothing like the prospect of a big rivalry game to get one focused and energized.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” said Millbrook senior linebacker Dylan Lee (team-high 74 tackles) when asked if the Pioneers were thinking about last year’s 13-6 loss to James Wood, which snapped the Colonels’ 17-game losing streak. “We’re not taking James Wood lightly. They’re a good team, and it’s going to be a good game.”

It kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight at Millbrook, and it’s one both need if they hope to earn a spot in the 16-team 4A North Region playoffs, an achievement that eluded both teams last year. James Wood (3-5, 0-2 Northwestern) sits 20th in the VHSL power ratings, while Millbrook (3-4, 0-1) is 19th.

Of all the local rivalries, the game between James Wood and Millbrook is usually the hardest to predict. Neither team has won more than two straight in a series that James Wood leads 6-5, and eight of the past nine meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.

“We’re not letting [the last two] losses bother us too much,” said James Wood quarterback and safety Brady Hepner (37 of 75 for 654 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions) during Thursday’s practice. “James Wood and Millbrook is always exciting, and we’re cruising around out here.”

Millbrook will be plenty amped to take the field tonight, particularly since it was on a bye last week and hasn’t played since a 26-17 loss to Jefferson (W.Va.) two weeks ago. Down three midway through the fourth quarter, Millbrook had a legitimate chance to win that game and the one before that, a 7-3 loss to Skyline when the Hawks threw a touchdown pass with 1:19 left.

Millbrook senior wide receiver Ryan Hartigan (12 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns) said he likes how the Pioneers have responded over the past two weeks.

“We hung with Jefferson, but it was really rough losing to them, especially since it was our Homecoming,” he said. “But [the loss] pushed us more as a team, and we’ve been practicing a lot harder and coming together more as a team.”

James Wood, on the other hand, hasn’t given itself a chance to win its past two games because of rough starts in both. Two weeks ago Sherando led 42-0 at the half en route to a 44-7 win, and last week Skyline led 28-0 at the half en route to a 42-14 win.

James Wood senior linebacker and running back Landon Rutherford (62 tackles) said the Colonels are focusing on being better with their run defense (449 yards allowed the last two weeks) and finishing drives. The Colonels had a solid 316 yards of offense last week but could only manage 14 points, and had a turnover on downs after a first-and-goal from the 5 against Skyline.

James Wood coach Mark McHale added during Thursday’s practice that ball security can’t be preached enough this week after the Colonels fumbled the ball four times against Skyline, including twice on kickoffs.

Though the Hawks only converted one of those fumbles into a touchdown, James Wood’s two first-quarter fumbles — including one on the opening kickoff — hurt them in terms of rhythm and field position.

The Millbrook team that James Wood will face could have a couple notable differences from the one that took the field against Jefferson.

Senior Chris Oates (17-29, 219 yards, two TDs, 3 INTs against Jefferson) played quarterback against the Cougars in place of Mark Paxton (27-64, 518 yards, 8 TDs, 4 INTs for season), who started the first five games. Millbrook coach Josh Haymore would only say the two are “competing” when asked who might be starting this week.

Millbrook might also have sophomore running back and defensive back P.K. Kier, who was dressed to practice Tuesday, available tonight.

Kier rushed for 222 yards and scored six total touchdowns in the Pioneers’ first two games, but he’s only rushed for 61 yards and one touchdown since and has missed three of Millbrook’s last four games.

Regardless of Kier’s presence, Millbrook will look to spread the field and run outside with junior Nazeeh Johnson (46 carries for 341 yards and two touchdowns).

“We’ve got to keep them contained, don’t let them get the edge, keep them inside,” Rutherford said.

Millbrook will look to slow down a Colonels running attack averaging 152.8 yards per game that is led by Tyler Bishop (89 carries for 606 yards and 5 TDs).

“Their offense, I know they run a lot of tricky stuff,” said Lee of a James Wood attack that also features the read-option. “They send a lot of people in motion to throw people off, so we just need to pick up on stuff like that and need to talk as a defense.”

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