Wood whips Brentsville 33-2

By David Selig
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — James Wood was leading 33-0 when the Colonels snapped a ball out of their own end zone for a safety on a fourth-quarter punt Friday night.

All it meant was that the game wouldn’t end as a shutout, but that was enough to have Wood coach Mike Bolin pacing on the sideline and kicking the air in front of him.

In other words, if Bolin and the Colonels were looking ahead to their showdown against rival Sherando next week, it sure didn’t look like it.

Brock Lockhart rushed for two touchdowns and returned an interception for another score — all in the first quarter — as Wood whipped visiting Brentsville 33-2 in a non-district game at Kelican Stadium.

“You know, that happens,” a much calmer Bolin said of the safety after the game. “We did a lot of things right tonight, that was just a mistake. It’s not the end of the world.”

It isn’t the end of the world, just a sign of how high the standards have become for the 5-0 Colonels. They were missing starting long snapper/wide receiver/safety Harlan Robinson, who injured a finger in practice Thursday but is expected to return to the lineup next week.

Robinson’s absence put a bit more pressure on Wood’s secondary, but the Colonel pass rushers countered with plenty of pressure of their own.

After Lockhart gave Wood a 6-0 lead with a 33-yard jaunt with 4:50 remaining in the first, Brentsville (0-5) faced a 3rd-and-15 from its own 15.

Senior defensive end Cody Vorous came bursting off the edge on the snap, nailing quarterback Blake Alexander right at his release.

Lockhart had dropped back in coverage from his outside linebacker spot and the ball fell right into his hands. He had clear space ahead for a 27-yard touchdown return as Vorous got up and laid a block for good measure.

“The guys up front did such a good job pressuring the ball,” Lockhart said. “Almost every time they hit the quarterback. ... It really helped the secondary out.”

Lockhart rushed 15 times for 150 yards, raising his total to 1,112 yards through five games. He’s now 214 yards shy of Clayton Hartman’s single-season school rushing record.

Lockhart’s second touchdown Friday night gave the Colonels a 19-0 lead 59 seconds before the end of the opening quarter.

Brandon Shiley added a 19-yard rushing touchdown, and Trae Tinsman (6 of 12 for 139 yards) hit Zach Lloyd for a 30-yard scoring connection with 4:19 left in the first half.

The offense made sure the game was out of reach early, and the Colonels’ defense kept the Tigers off the scoreboard until that fourth quarter.

Tackling was a point of emphasis after Wood struggled a bit in the first half last week at Warren County, and the Colonels responded with several big hits.

Brentsville completed just five of its 24 pass attempts in the game, which could largely be credited to Wood’s pressure at the line.

“We were throwing off our heels all night, while in turn [Tinsman] was on his toes,” Tigers coach Dean Reedy said. “So, that’s a different thing.”

Vorous was one of the players who stood out in that area, and he’s also a prime example of one of the first-year Colonel starters rounding into form through half a season.

Bolin said Vorous, a linebacker last year, was shaky in the team’s two scrimmages and far from a lock to earn a starting role.

Yet he’s improved every week thus far to solidify his position.

“He’s been a bright spot for us this season,” Bolin said. “Coming into the season, he was a wild card. We weren’t sure. ...

“These guys that didn’t have any experience at all on defense at the beginning of the season have a half season under their belt now. So, it’s an expectation that they start to play their responsibilities better. And I think they did tonight. They played really well.”

Vorous said fighting for a job is just part of what comes with the territory.

“Nothing is handed to you,” he said. “Everybody earns their spot. So, when you get in, it’s rewarding to do something to help your team out.”

Many of Wood’s younger players made the most of their time in the second half.

The Colonels forced two turnovers on downs after the break and also recovered a fumble on a bad option pitch.

Now the attention turns toward Sherando (4-1), which visits Kelican Stadium on Friday coming off a bye.

Lockhart smirked when asked if it was hard to ignore that fact in preparing for Brentsville this week. With that game out of the way, Bolin didn’t try to hide his excitement for the first Northwestern District game of the season.

“Any time we play Sherando — whether it’s Week 6, Week 10 — it’s going to be a big game,” Bolin said. “It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be a packed house here — probably one of the biggest crowds we’ve every had. ... I can’t wait.”

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