Colonels bounce back 34-6

By Robert Stocks
The Winchester Star

Front Royal — When Mike Bolin huddled with his team on a rain-soaked field at Skyline High School Friday night, the second-year James Wood coach’s voice was full of emotion.

“There’s a difference between want and desire and you guys really showed us something,” Bolin shouted at his team following a 34-6 victory over the Hawks.

Bolin, his staff and his players had every reason to be pleased after an opportunistic and efficient effort on offense combined with a near-shutdown performance by the Colonels’ defense.

Bolin mentioned that a handful of his players were suffering from flu-like symptoms leading up to the game, but he admitted afterwards that nearly 30 percent of his players had been sick.

“We were nervous about this week because we had 20 guys out with the flu [at practice during the week],” Bolin said. “The kids really wanted to win and they were determined to bounce back.”

James Wood (6-1, 1-1 Northwestern District) put last week’s disappointing 21-17 loss to Sherando behind, and quickly took control of Friday’s game against Sklyine (5-2, 1-1).

Wood senior running back Brock Lockhart rushed for 127 yards (on 22 carries) and two first-half touchdowns. His 127 yards gives him 1,342 for the season, eclipsing James Wood’s single-season record of 1,326 set by Clayton Hartman in 1977. Lockhart’s first touchdown came after Harlan Robinson intercepted Skyline quarterback Josiah Patrick at the Colonel 15-yard line, returning it 18 yards to the 33 to end a promising opening drive.

James Wood senior quarterback Trae Tinsman — who completed 6 of 9 attempts for 79 yards — connected with Zach Lloyd for 15 yards, and Lockhart did the rest. He carried the ball six times, including a 1-yard score to cap the nine-play, 67-yard drive.

With a 7-0 lead, Skyline muffed the ensuing kickoff, and Robinson pounced on it to give the Colonels the ball at the Hawk 22.

Three plays later, Tinsman connected with wideout Matt Copley, hitting the junior in stride for an over-the-shoulder 20-yard touchdown.

Robinson credited the Colonels’ pass rush for his interception and chalked his fumble recovery up to luck.

“I just happened to be in the right spots,” he said. “On the kickoff, it was wet out there they just dropped it and I just happened to get it. When you go up 14-0 on the team that quick, that’s big.”

Skyline rushed for 279 yards on 42 carries, but most of those yards came between the 20s. The Hawks turned the ball over three times, and the Colonels converted two of those turnovers into 14 points in the opening quarter.

Skyline coach Heath Gilbert said his team moved the ball on the Colonels but made too many costly turnovers.

“We get the ball first and moved it all the way down the field and get an interception,” Gilbert said. “The ball got a little high [from Patrick]. You have to give their kids credit for making plays.”

James Wood’s offense scored on its first three possessions of the first half, and on its first two drives to start the second.

Lockhart added an 18-yard score to give James Wood a 20-6 advantage at the half.

“We definitely wanted to come out fired up and we wanted to bounce back,” said Lockhart, who now has 14 rushing touchdowns on the season. “It was a tough loss to Sherando, but we bounced back with a big win tonight.”

James Wood senior running back Brandon Shiley added 91 yards, including a 31-yard score in the third quarter. Shiley carried just six times, averaging 15.2 yards per carry. His 41-yard run — the Colonels’ longest of the night — set up the team’s final score.

Junior fullback Cory Schrock scored from one yard out to put James Wood ahead 34-6 with 1:17 left in the third.

Robinson said the Colonels basically approached the game as a must-win after losing last week’s district opener to Sherando.

“It means a lot,” said Robinson. “We knew if we started out 0-2 in the district we’d have no chance.”

A steady rain in the first half that slowly tapered off in the second didn’t help Skyline. The Hawks fumbled seven times, recovering six of those. While the fumbles didn’t turn into turnovers, the miscues stalled drives and kept the Hawks from gaining momentum.

The Hawks’ only score came after Gilbert called a fake punt on fourth-and-three at the Skyline 49 and Rodney Custer took the direct snap as the up-back and raced 26 yards for a first down at the Colonels’ 25. Two plays later, Cliff Woodard (163 rushing yards) scored from 17 yards away to cut James Wood’s lead to 14-6 with 1:03 left in the opening quarter.

From there, however, the Colonels responded with 20-unanswered points to even their district record heading into next week’s matchup against rival Millbrook.

Bolin credited his staff and players for bouncing back from last week’s emotional loss to Sherando.

“Me and my assistant coaches took last week’s loss to heart,” Bolin said. “We got outcoached last week by Sherando, but they really stepped up this week. We executed well.”

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