October 2, 2010

By Mark Sawyer

Special to The Winchester Star

NOKESVILLE- Things have been tough for the James Wood High School football team the past two weeks. A pair of disappointing losses were combined with a handful of injuries, including starting quarterback Matt Copley, who didn't play in last week's loss to Warren County.

However, that pales in comparison to the week that the Brentsville football team, and community, have been through.

On Monday morning the students and staff at Brentsville arrived at school to the news that senior running back/linebacker Austin Trenum had been found dead at his home earlier Monday morning by his parents. Prince William County police have ruled the death a suicide.

The viewing was earlier Friday before the Tigers took the field, and the funeral is scheduled for later this morning.

Brentsville rode its emotions to an early 7-0 lead, but that's all the somber home crowd had to cheer about. James Wood responded with 40 unanswered points and rolled to a 40-7 win, breaking its two-game losing streak and setting up a matchup next Friday night with undefeated rival Sherando. "You feel for them," James Wood coach Mike Bolin said. "It breaks my heart a kid losing his a life. I can't imagine what they're going through. We just tried to keep our kids focused this week, and we didn't really talk about it."

Brentsville (1-4) opened the game with only 10 players on the field with no one in backfield at Austin Trenum's position. The Tigers ran a play that would have been to Trenum with quarterback K.C. Willard pretending to hand to Trenum before taking a knee to end the play.

The Colonels watched the play from one knee out of respect.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers got the scoring started after capitalizing on an interception that gave them the ball at the Wood 38-yard line.

Will Bullock capped a nine-play drive with a three-yard scoring run that gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead and a few moments of joy in an otherwise painful week.

James Wood answered on its next possession with an eight-play, 69-yard drive and Chris Skinner's 17-yard run made it 7-6 with 5:56 left in the half.

After a three-and-out, Wood got the ball in great field position at the Tigers' 48 and marched it down the field into the end zone 11 plays later to take the lead for good on a five-yard touchdown pass from Matt Copley to tight end Mel Savarese that made it 13-7 with just 41 seconds left in the half.

Copley, returning to the field after not playing last week, was 6 for 9 for 137 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran six times for 33 yards.

"Coach let me run some with the first-string offense this week," Copley said. "[I] felt good through the week so I got the start. [I] feel fine right now.

"Brentsville definitely proved us wrong at the beginning of the game. They were a lot better than we thought. But we're not one to give up. They definitely had a big tragedy this week, and we knew they were mourning. We just wanted to be respectful, but we wanted to come out and get a win."

On the first drive of the second half, the usually predictable Colonels pulled a trick play out of their bag that changed the momentum and the complexion of the game. Facing a fourth-and-3 from their own 46, Wood lined up for a punt but instead snapped the ball to up-back Tanner Rutherford. Rutherford broke through the line and went down the field 30 yards, setting up a first down at the Tigers' 25.

Six plays later, Skinner scored from 11 yards out to make it 19-7.

"It opened up wide open when the line hit their blocks," Rutherford said. "There wasn't anyone until I got to the return guy."

Wood's next possession produced the big play of the night. A two-play drive ended when Copley found T.J. Bruce streaking down the far sideline. Bruce's defender slipped and fell, and Copley hit him in stride for a 78-yard touchdown and a 26-7 lead.

The Colonels scored on their next two drives as well to blow the game wide open.

A 31-yard run by Aaron Clark made it 33-7, and backup quarterback Jake Lewin put the finishing touches on with a 1-yard plunge.