MORGANTOWN — A lot of the talk heading into Friday’s Mohawk Bowl between No. 5 University and No. 14 Morgantown was the Hawks’ vaunted passing attack with quarterback Chase Edwards and trio of wideouts, Jaeden Hammack, Sage Clawges and Elija Jackson.
They didn’t waste any time, either, with Hammack hauling in a 65-yard touchdown from Edwards on the first play on a seam route. On its next possession, it took just two plays following a long Daminn Cunningham punt return for Colin McBee to put the Hawks up 14-0.
From there, it was University’s defense that won the day as it went on to win 49-14, claiming its first Mohawk Bowl since 2017.
“Unbelievable, just unbelievable,” UHS head coach John Kelley said. “Coach (Justin) Hensley and coach (Rich) Braham had this thing schooled and the kids bought into it big time. We stopped every time with the exception of one play.”
That one play was a 79-yard touchdown run by MHS’s Peyton Johnson, which at the time, felt like a major momentum shift in favor of the Mohigans. With UHS (9-0) leading 21-0 at halftime, Bobby Powell took the second half kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-7, then Johnson’s run made it 21-14 early in the third quarter.
That was it for the Mohigans (4-5) the rest of the game as the Hawks settled in to pitch a shutout the rest of the way. MHS finished with 172 yard total, all on the ground, and 113 of those came on just two Johnson runs.
“We’re just practicing hard and trusting what our coaches tell us, it’s really that simple,” UHS defensive back Corbin Cross said.
Kelley, dating back to going up against the powerhouse teams at MHS under Glen McNew and John Bowers in the 1990s and 2000s, has gone up against the Wing-T, the same offense current Mohigans coach Sean Biser runs.
Kelley knew there were three things the Hawks had to do to stop it. “The quarterback was the main thing, the outside threat was another and then their power game. We took all of that away. I think they got frustrated and went to straight T and tried to concede.
“That was the difference with our defensive line and linebackers and what coach Hensley put in. It was beautiful, the kids executed — it was amazing.”
Running back Colin McBee ran for three touchdowns for the Hawks and also returned a fumble for a score in the fourth quarter to begin the mercy running clock.
Quarterback Chase Edwards threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns, but was knocked out of the game on a big hit from Powell in the third quarter. Kelley said after the game it was just precautionary to keep him out the rest of the game.
The other UHS touchdowns were scored by Jackson on a pass from Edwards and a sneak by Kolton Burns.
The Mohigans beat the Hawks 69-15 a year ago and were on a three-game winning streak heading into Friday’s game. For UHS senior Daniel Henderson, it’s about time.
“I haven’t been able to beat these guys for three years and we finally got it done my senior year,” he said.
UHS will host Oak Hill in the regular season finale next Friday, while the Mohigans, fighting for their playoff lives, will travel to the Eastern Panhandle to take on Spring Mills.
Morgantown 0 0 14 0 – 14
University 14 7 14 14 – 49
SCORING SUMMARY
UHS – Hammack 65 pass from Edwards (Coleman kick)
UHS – McBee 2 run (Coleman kick)
UHS – McBee 2 run (Coleman kick)
MHS – Powell 85 kickoff return (Gruchecky kick)
MHS – Johnson 79 run (Gruchecky kick)
UHS – Jackson 41 pass from Edwards (Coleman kick)
UHS – McBee 2 run (Coleman kick)
UHS – Burns 1 run (Coleman kick)
UHS – McBee 26 fumble return (Coleman kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – MHS: Lawrence 17-33; Hoskins 4-(-3); Powell 1-0; Johnson 11-114 TD; Mallett 2-18; Nutter 6-10. Totals: 41-172 TD. UHS: McBee 22-96 3TD; Cunningham 2-(-7); Edwards 3-9; Hammack 1-4; Burns 1-1 TD; Cross 1-3. Totals: 30-106 4TD.
PASSING – MHS: Lawrence 0-1. UHS: Edwards 8-16 177 2TD; Hudson 2-4 22.
RECEIVING – UHS: Hammack 3-77 TD; Brandel 2-44; Jackson 3-55 TD; McBee 1-18; Clawges 1-5.
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