MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A young group of University High football players thrust into action early this season now has a face with freshman quarterback Chase Edwards.
He is far from being the only man in that boat, though.
Edwards accounted for 195 yards — 150 passing and 45 rushing — and combined for three touchdowns Friday in a 53-6 victory against Buckhannon-Upshur, but the Hawks (3-5) had several freshmen make plays.
On the offensive line were freshmen Gavin Powroznik and Jacob Stevens, who helped pave the way for 297 yards rushing and 7.8 yards per carry against the Buccaneers (1-6).
“Our linemen, you may see three bad things before you see something good, but I really like how they’ve stuck with it,” University High head coach John Kelley said. “They’ve begun to understand better what we’re trying to do offensively. The good things they do are really good, but you also have to live with the mistakes, too.”
Jaeden Hammack came up with an interception and also caught a 26-yard pass on a halfback-pass play that ended just 4-yards shy of another touchdown.
Freshman receiver/defensive back Sage Clawges has also worked his way into more playing time and running back Owen Hall capped off the game with a 65-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter when both teams had their reserves in the game.
“Jaeden and Sage are both going to have great careers here,” Kelley said. “They’re both very athletic and have some ability. They just need to continue to work and mature, but they’re going to have a bigger impact in the future.”
Kelley was the first to point out his younger players will continue to struggle against better competition, but he also sees a much bigger picture with his younger players.
“It’s a painful process at times, but when you see a game like last night, it’s also fun watching them take another step in their development,” he said. “They’ve rejuvenated me. There was a time when I was thinking maybe it was time for me, but now I would really love to stick it out with this class and see them through the process.”
MHS continues to show signs of improvement
The final numbers weren’t pretty for the Morgantown defense following Friday’s 35-28 loss to Parkersburg South, but it played well when the Mohigans (1-7) needed it most.
It just wasn’t enough to knock off the unbeaten Patriots.
Parkersburg South (7-0) scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and another in the second, but coming out of the locker room at halftime, MHS buckled down defensively, allowing just one score in the second half at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“We made a few adjustments and the guys rallied to the football — they played excellent,” head coach Matt Lacy said. “We can’t ask for anything more than that. We just have to clean up some of those mistakes there in the first half and not allow all those big plays.”
The Patriots have a formidable offensive trio in quarterback Brandon Penn, running back Devin Gaines and receiver Dylan Day. Gaines had a monster game, finishing with 214 yards and four touchdowns, but was held to just 42 yards in the second half.
Penn only had one completion in the second half, though it was on a critical 3rd and long late in the fourth quarter to Day. The defense eventually got the stop, but the Patriots were able
“I give these guys a lot of credit, they’ve got a ton of guts to come out here and keep playing as hard as they have under the circumstances,” Lacy said.
