PARKERSBURG -After being its own worst enemy for more than a quarter, Parkersburg South played football like its been taught and recovered from a 10-point deficit to defeat Parkersburg 28-18 Friday night at Stadium Field.
"This is definitely a great way to go out for our senior year," South's Logan Cox said after intercepting two passes, including one which resulted in a 35-yard touchdown return.
The Patriots, who improved to 4-3 after winning for the second straight year against their city rival, turned the ball over on two of their first four offensive drives and had a 68-yard touchdown run by running back Jordan Quiocho called back because of an illegal substitution penalty.
Article Photos
JEFF BAUGHAN Special to The Times
Parkersburg High’s Chandler Hamilton is gang-tackled by Parkersburg South defenders at Stadium Field Friday night.
"In the first quarter, our emotions were going too high," Cox continued. "But in the last three quarters, we really stuck together and played as a team."
PHS, which lost for the first time in three weeks and slipped to 4-3, took advantage of South's miscues and took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Matt Santer's 3-yard touchdown run and a Cody Roney 24-yard field goal.
From that point, sustained drives were hard to come by as the Big Reds managed just 190 total yards on offense.
Fact Box
At Stadium Field
Parkersburg South 28, Parkersburg 18
South (4-3) 0 7 14 7 - 28
PHS (4-3) 10 0 8 0 - 18
PHS: Matt Santer 3 run (Cody Roney kick), 7:05, 1st
PHS: Roney 24 field goal, 1:33, 1st
South: Tyler Bolen 1 run (Isaac Boles kick), 4:51, 2nd
South: Braxton Johnson 41 run (Boles kick), 4:03, 3rd
South: Logan Cox 35 interception return (Boles kick), 3:00, 3rd
PHS: Chandler Hamilton 5 run (Corey Burdette pass from Aaron Roberts), 1:55, 3rd
South: Jordan Quioccho 44 run (Boles kick), 3:45, 4th
Team stats
South: First downs: 14. Rushes-yards: 34-310. Passing yards: 47. Total yards: 357. Passing: 5-15-1. Fumbles-lost: 2-1. Punts-avg: 5-40.4. Penalties-yards: 8-76.
PHS: First downs: 10. Rushes-yards: 32-100. Passing yards: 90. Total yards: 190. Passing: 10-24-2. Fumbles-lost: 1-0. Punts-avg: 7-37.9. Penalties-yards: 4-20.
Individual leaders
South: Rushing: Jordan Quiocho 13-161, Logan Cox 6-60, Braxton Johnson 5-49, Tyler Bolen 7-21, Cody Hively 3-19. Passing: Tyler Bolen 5-15-1, 47 yards. Receiving: Wes Mitchem 2-24, Tyler Rouse 2-24, Logan Cox 1-(minus-1).
PHS: Rushing: Adam Lindamood 20-100, Chandler Hamilton 5-17, Matt Santer 1-3, Kwante Johnson 1-(minus-1), Aaron Roberts 5-(minus-19). Passing: Aaron Roberts 10-24-2, 90 yards. Receiving: Kwante Johnson 4-77, Matt Santer 2-9, Chandler Hamilton 2-(minus-8), Cameron McCoy 1-15, Matt Lindamood 1-(minus-3).
Next game: Brooke at Parkersburg South, Friday; Parkersburg at Woodrow Wilson, Friday
"This is a game that some people look forward to all the time, but we don't like losing to anybody - especially against a crosstown rival," PHS coach Don Reeves said after the Big Reds lost to South for the fourth time in the past five meetings. "South made some mistakes and we took advantage of it - the only problem was that in the second half, we just didn't turn around and make the plays when we had the opportunities."
South's comeback started midway in the second quarter after taking over at its own 25. On the ninth play of the series and the Patriots facing first-and-goal from the PHS 1, quarterback Tyler Bolen took the snap and wedged his way into the end zone. The first of four perfect extra point attempts by placekicker Isaac Boles cut the deficit to 10-7 at the 4:51 mark of the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the two schools combined for 22 points in a span of 2:08.
After the Big Reds' opening drive of the second half stalled at the South 41, the Patriots started the ensuing drive on its own 9 following the punt. Six plays later, Braxton Johnson took the handoff and scampered 41 yards for the touchdown.
Moments later with PHS facing second-and-11 from its own 30, Cox stepped in front of the intended receiver on a pass attempt from Big Reds quarterback Aaron Roberts. The pick-six extended the Patriots' lead to 21-10 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
PHS made short work of its next opportunity thanks to a 65-yard gain by running back Adam Lindamood on the first play from scrimmage which put the Big Reds in the red zone. Two plays later, Chandler Hamilton took the pitch as the deep back out of the I-formation and reached the end zone from 5 yards out.
On the two-point conversion, Roberts executed the play-action to perfection and found Corey Burdette open in the end zone. With 1:55 remaining before the start of the fourth quarter, South's advantage was sliced to 21-18.
Both teams were forced to punt on their next offensive series before South scored the final touchdown of the night on Quiocho's 44-yard run with 3:45 remaining in the game. The clinching blow occurred when Cox recorded his second interception as the Big Reds tried to convert a fourth-and-18 from their own 45.
"In the first quarter, I think we were caught up in all the hype," Johnson said. "But we settled down and got things going, and got the victory."
South finished with 357 yards of total offense, including 310 yards on the ground. Quiocho finished with a game-high 161 yards rushing on 13 carries.
"South is pretty big up front and we just couldn't control them," Reeves said. "They were a little bit more physical than we were, and that made us throw the ball a little bit more than we wanted to."
Lindamood led PHS with 100 yards rushing on 20 carries.
"After the game, we told our kids we have to get ready for next week and get ready for (Woodrow Wilson)," Reeves said.
