BY ERIC HERTER
MORGANTOWN — Football coaches always preach about the three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams.
The problem is many high-school football players let that third phase, special teams, fall on deaf ears.
Not at University High though, where coach John Kelley learned his Hawks (2-0) were listening to that sermon, as they rode a strong special teams performance on their way to a 62-33 win over visiting Parkersburg South.
“I thought that was the difference in the game,” Kelley said. “They got a couple of fluke touchdowns. All of sudden we are down, and they were beating us up good for a little while. I thought once we got going and got the momentum and scored a defensive touchdown — that was the back breaker.”
That third-quarter 29-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Elija Jackson was the nail in a coffin that saw the Hawks score 27 unanswered points in the third quarter. But it was Daminn Cunningham’s 87-yard kickoff return in a high-scoring first quarter that got the momentum going for UHS.
“It just opened up,” Cunningham said of the kickoff return that put the Hawks ahead 14-13 after a PAT by John Coleman. “We got to the sideline (before the return) and coach (Donnie) Gilbert was like we got to win this game on special teams, and I was like, ‘I got you.”
Cunningham also sees work as the Hawks punter, something he just started doing this year, and he came up big in that phase as well with a 50-yard punt that pinned the Patriots (1-1) at their own 1-yard line just before halftime. UHS also was able to block two punts and Jackson was 6-for-6 on PAT attempts.
“We worked on that (punt block) all week,” Kelley said “We spent some extra time up here this week — we had a late practice one night because of the rain — and we spent probably 45 minutes past the time when we were supposed to go home working on that. When it paid off one time, I was ecstatic and when it paid off twice, I was a little disappointed because we had three or four opportunities before the half on their side and got zero points. When I got in at halftime, I wasn’t very jovial about that — I let them know.”
Even after Cunningham’s kickoff return heroics, the Patriots grabbed the lead one more time as quarterback Robert Shockey scored from one yard out with 1:15 left in the first quarter. But by then, the Hawks still had the momentum going from their special team unit and its play.
UHS quarterback Chase Edwards connected with Jackson on a 9-yard pass with 16 seconds left in the first quarter and the Hawks never looked back.
Jackson finished with four catches for 61 yards with two touchdowns. He also added the interception return for a score in the third quarter.
“He’s special,” Kelley said. “Same thing with Sage Clawges and same thing with Jaeden Hammack. They are just tough to catch on this carpet.”
The Hawks also took advantage of 13 penalties from the Patriots that resulted in 121 yards.
“The story of the game tonight for us was just penalties and lack of execution,” Parkersburg South coach Nathan Tanner said. “There in the third quarter we just kind of self-imploded a little bit. We just have to have a short memory from here on out.”
UHS offense did get rolling in the third quarter and Edwards finished the night with 155 yards on 11 of 22 passing with four touchdowns. Noah Braham scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Edwards, Clawges reeled in a 26-yard scoring strike while Jackson had the other two. Colin McBee had a solid game on the ground for UHS with 67 yards on 18 carries two touchdowns. Corban Cross tacked on a 35-yard touchdown run to close the scoring for UHS.
Parkersburg South was led offensively by quarterback Robert Shockey as he threw for 157 yards on 9 of 16 passing and also had 70 yards rushing including a 59-yard touchdown run.
University returns to action on Friday when it travels to Brooke.
Parkersburg South 19 0 0 14 33
University 20 8 27 14 62
SCORING SUMMARY
UHS – McBee 1 run (Coleman kick)
PS – Traugh 5 fumble return (kick fail)
PS – Sikorski 20 run (Smith kick)
UHS – Cunningham 87 kick return (Coleman kick)
PS – Shockey 1 run (kick fail)
UHS – Jackson 9 pass from Edwards (run fail)
UHS – Clawges 26 pass from Edwards (McBee run)
UHS – Jackson 30 pass from Edwards (Coleman kick)
UHS – Jackson 29 interception return (Coleman kick)
UHS – McBee 22 run (run fail)
UHS – Braham 30 pass (Coleman kick)
PS – Shockey 59 run (run fail)
UHS – Cross 35 run (Coleman kick)
PS – Traugh (Maze run)
RUSHING
PSHS – Shockey 15-70, Sikorski 2-22, Cooke 10-69, Fleak 1-2, Whipkey 1-1, Smith 1-1. UHS – McBee 18-67, Edwards 3-1, Cunningham 2-3, Cross 2-45, Burns 2-8, Hudson 1-(-9).
PASSING
PSHS – Shockey 9-16-1 157, Garretson 4-4-0 66. UHS – Edwards 11-22-2 155.
RECEIVING
PSHS – Whipkey 2-73, Wright 3-41, Traugh 6-89, Cooke 1-10. UHS – Clawges 3-64, Hammack 3-15, Jackson 4-61, McBee 1-21, Braham 1-6.
