Wood has Hall of Fame showing

By Robert Stocks
The Winchester Star

Winchester — James Wood High School honored eight new inductees to the P. Wendell Dick Athletic Hall of Fame at halftime of Friday night’s non-district football game against Hedgesville (W.Va).

The way they’re playing, Wood’s Hall might need to make room for some of these current Colonels in a few years.

Senior running back Brock Lockhart rushed for 220 yards and a touchdown, and senior quarterback Trae Tinsman threw for 97 yards and two scores, as James Wood rolled to a 43-0 victory in its home opener at Kelican Stadium.

“I’m so happy with the way we’ve played the first three games,” Colonels coach Mike Bolin said. “We’ve scored 16 touchdowns and haven’t turned the ball over yet, so that’s a pretty good job.”

The Colonels (3-0) have been getting the job done on both sides of the ball.

Lockhart had 151 yards at the half, and he rushed for more than 200 yards for the second time this season.

“It’s all the line,” Lockhart said. “Cory Schrock has stepped up [at fullback]. They’re just phenomenal. The line works so hard it’s ridiculous.”

And so are Lockhart’s rushing numbers. The Colonels’ 6-1, 180-pound standout has gained 709 yards (on 77 carries) through three games. With Lockhart averaging 9.2 yards per carry, Wood’s ground game has outshined the Colonels’ passing attack simply because they haven’t had to air it out.

But Bolin’s team showed good balance Friday night against the Eagles (1-3).

Tinsman completed 7 of 13 attempts, including a touchdown on the opening drive when he connected with Harlan Robinson on a 14-yard slant.

James Wood added to its lead after Tripp Lewis blocked a Hedgesville punt and the loose ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety with 38 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Getting the ball back, James Wood wasted little time scoring again.

Lockhart, who had a 39-yard run that set up the first touchdown, gashed Hedgesville for a 46-yard scoring run as time expired in the opening quarter.

Hedgesville turned the ball over on downs on its first drive, and then had a 17-play, 7:12 drive end when Lockhart intercepted Zack Layhew’s pass on third-and-six at the Colonel 26. Lockhart returned the interception 14 yards to the Wood 40.

Lockhart’s interception ended Hedgesville’s most promising drive of the night, and the Eagles failed to move the chains for a first down in the third quarter.

James Wood couldn’t capitalize after Lockhart’s interception, but the Colonels didn’t miss another opportunity after Robinson recovered a Hedgesville fumble at the Colonel 34.

Lockhart had two carries for 30 yards, and Tinsman connected with Matt Copley for 14 yards and then Zach Lloyd for 23 more to set up the Colonels with a 1st-and-goal at the Eagles’ 1.

On the next play, Tinsman scored on a keeper from a yard out to give James Wood a commanding 22-0 lead at the half.

Through the air, Tinsman’s favorite target was 6-foot-5, 208-pound junior tight end David Alaniz.

Alaniz had five receptions for 50 yards, including a pair of second half touchdowns. Tinsman connected with Alaniz on an eight-yard scoring play with 8:08 left in the third quarter.

Colonels backup quarterback Matt Copley also hooked up with Alaniz for a four-yard touchdown with 9:45 remaining in the game.

“Our offensive line was doing a heck of job on both passing and the run,” said Alaniz, who took over the position full-time when senior Brandon Sinecoff was forced to move to tackle because of injuries. “We had some good throws.”

Bolin said Alaniz has had a growth spurt in the last year, becoming a valuable target for the team’s passing game.

“He’s gone from 6-3, 175 pounds to 6-5, 215-220 in seven-eight months and with the softest hands you can imagine,” Bolin said. “He’s been a big help for us.”

Colonels senior running back Brandon Shiley added 36 yards on four carries, and scored a touchdown.

James Wood’s defense limited Hedgesville to 186 yards. The Colonels’ defense has allowed just 33 points through three games.

“We’re real satisfied with the way we’ve played so far,” Bolin said. “The defense played really well tonight with a shutout. They got some yards on us, but we’re still learning on defense. They’ve got to get game-speed reps, but they keep getting better every week.”

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