October 30, 2010

By Mark Sawyer

Special to The Winchester Star

LEESBURG- The James Wood High School football team's run toward the playoffs took another big step Friday night with an impressive 42-7 non-district win at first-year Tuscarora.

Now the Colonels' attention shifts to next week's game against Handley, when they can play for a share of their first district title since 1980.

"We're just excited for the opportunity," James Wood coach Mike Bolin said. "We had this opportunity two years ago, and we didn't come out and play very well. We've got a lot of work to do. They're a great football team, they're the top dog, and the district championship runs through Winchester."

With the Judges on the horizon, it would have been easy to overlook Tuscarora (4-5), a team with no seniors on the squad.

But heading into this weekend the Colonels (6-3) held the very last playoff spot in Region II Division 4, and an upset would have been devastating.

As has been the case the last two weeks, the Colonels dominated the game on the ground. Wood out-rushed the Huskies 285-35 and had four runs of more than 30 yards, including two touchdown runs of over 50.

Senior fullback Cory Schrock led the way with 96 yards on just eight carries. He scored three touchdowns, including two in the second half to blow the game open.

The Colonels also welcomed back Chris Skinner who missed last weeks game with an injury. He carried seven times for 73 yards, including a 44-yard run in the second half.

"We just thought about it as another game," Schrock said. "We needed to beat them to make the playoffs. It's just a game we got under our belt, and we need to come out next week fired up. Our team stepped up all at once, and we played as a team."
James Wood didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard following a gutsy call.

The Huskies faked a punt from their own 33-yard line at the end of their first possession, and an incomplete pass on the play gave the Colonels great field position.

Wood immediately capitalized with a five-play drive that took only 1:45. Schrock capped it off with a three-yard plunge up the middle.

Tuscarora responded with an impressive 12-play, 68-yard drive in which they converted two fourth downs, including a 21-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Dietrich to Chris Holoman to tie the game just over two minutes left in the first quarter.

From there, though, it was all James Wood. The Colonels defense made some necessary adjustments, and their experience took over.

On the first play of the second quarter, facing a 3rd-and-6 from the Huskies' 49, Wood quarterback Matt Copley found Chad Potter wide open in the middle of the field. Potter shook off one tackler and was off to the races for a 14-7 lead.

Wood's next drive stalled at the Tuscarora 10, when the Colonels lost a fumble. But their defense stiffened and forced another punt, giving the offense great field position at their own 46.

On the first play of the drive, Joel McGreevy raced untouched up the middle for a 54-yard score and a comfortable 14-point lead.

The Colonels got in the end zone one more time before the half following an interception by Mark Bean. Bean's pick gave the offense the ball at the Tuscarora 28, and three plays later T.J. Bruce made a spectacular grab on a 28-yard pass from Copley in the back corner of the end zone.

Schrock added scoring runs of 52 and 13 yards in the third quarter to help push the lead to 35 points.

"We just had much more experience then them, and I think that's what gave us the edge," Bolin said. "We played well, but we didn't play at a high tempo like we want to play."

Wood didn't have to throw it much, but the Colonels were effective when they did. Copley hit 5 of 8 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Bruce hauled in three of those passes for 44 yards and a score.