Lockhart, Colonels cruise past Tigers

By Ben Brooks -- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WINCHESTER -- Before they could even begin thinking about next week's Northwestern District football showdown with Frederick County rival Sherando, the unbeaten James Wood Colonels had to take care of business Friday night.

They did that with a 33-2 non-district victory over Brentsville on Homecoming Night at Kelican Stadium.

Senior running back Brock Lockhart surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and scored three touchdowns in a four-minute span, including one on a 27-yard interception return on defense.

Lockhart, who is on pace to eclipse Wood's single-season rushing record, passed the 1,000-yard plateau on his first score of the game, a 33-yard run with 4:50 left in the opening quarter.

"Sure, it's in the back of your mind," Lockhart said of the first of what could be a couple of individual milestones this season. "But winning is the priority. As long as we keep winning, I'm happy." Lockhart finished with 150 yards on just 15 carries, giving him 1,112 on the season. Like much of James Wood's first-team offense, he saw little action in the second half.

The Colonels (5-0), who have outscored their opponents by 131 points, gained 301 of their 344 total yards in the first half en route to a 33-0 halftime lead over the winless Tigers. In addition to Lockhart's three scores, Wood got a 19-yard touchdown run from Brandon Shiley and a 30-yard scoring pass from quarterback Trae Tinsman to Zach Lloyd down the left sideline.

"We knew they could throw the ball," Brentsville coach Dean Reedy said. "They've got good-size receivers and he put it right where it needed to be. It would have helped if we could have gotten a little pressure on him. We were throwing off our heels, and he was standing back throwing off his toes."

Tinsman, who like Lockhart didn't see much second-half action, completed 6-of-12 passes for 139 yards. The senior said the Colonels have done a good job this season of focusing on each week's opponent and not looking ahead.

"We go into each game thinking about that team," Tinsman said. "We don't think about Sherando or whoever else is next because we've got to win that game to keep us rolling. Each game is so important. You've got to go in with intensity and keep your head on straight."

The only question after halftime was whether the Colonels would get their second shutout of the season. Three times, Brentsville (0-5) got inside Wood's 20-yard line in the second half and came away empty. The Colonels held on downs twice and recovered a fumble. The Tigers' only score came on a safety after the Colonels snapped the ball out of the end zone in punt formation.

"Things like that happen," Colonels coach Mike Bolin said. "We did a lot of things right tonight. I don't think we've done that before in the six years I've been here. Hopefully we'll go another six years before we do it again."

Now the Colonels can turn their attention to district play, which for the first time for them begins with Sherando. The Warriors (4-1) were idle Friday.

"Anytime you play Sherando, whether it's week six or 10 it's a big game," Bolin said. "They're fundamentally sound and they bring it. I'm sure they got a good look at us tonight. We've got a lot of work to do this week."