MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — On Friday night at Mylan Pharmaceutical Stadium, two struggling football teams, University and Mountain Ridge (Md.), hoped to get back into the win column. And while only 25 Miners made the trek across Interstate 68 from Frostburg, those in uniform were plenty big, strong and talented, especially 6-foot-3, 292-pound University of Maryland commit Tre Smith, as they dominated the line of scrimmage on their way to a solid 27-15 victory over the young Hawks.
It took Mountain Ridge (3-3) just five plays on its opening possession to drive 58 yards and score on hard-running Jeff McKenzie’s 18-yard burst up the middle. Kicker Ashton Shimko missed the extra point, but continuously placed kickoffs into the endzone to leave University (2-5) with poor field position most of the night. After a UHS punt, another MRHS score was erased on a penalty, and Shimko’s 46-yard field goal attempt just missed.
Still down just 6-0, Hawks freshman quarterback Chase Edwards, making his first varsity start, was hit just as he delivered a pass, and McKenzie picked it off, leading to a quick Miners touchdown drive capped by quarterback Bryce Snyder’s 2-yard dive. The try was good, and UHS trailed 14-0 late in the first quarter.
University coach John Kelley turned to his team leader, running back/linebacker Logan Raber, to keep the game close, and the power driving senior pounded through holes and carried defenders on several strong runs before finishing off the 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Lizzie Edwards drilled the PAT to halve the lead, and the Hawks got the ball back immediately with an onside kick, but they went 3-and-out.
Later in the half, another bruising Miners runner, fullback Jay Miller, broke several tackles on his way to a 32-yard touchdown to regain the Mountain Ridge two-touchdown lead at the break.
The second half was once again controlled up front on both sides of the ball by the burly Miners senior line, which averaged a whopping 267 pounds. Running back Devin Lissau scooted in from the five late in the third quarter to make it 27-7. The Hawks finally connected on a big play midway through the final quarter when Edwards fired a perfect strike to junior wide receiver Andrew Myers for a 49-yard gain.
When Raber pounded in from the 1 shortly after, then skipped in on a left sweep for the two-point conversion, UHS pulled closer, 27-15. But the onside kicked failed, and even though the defense forced a punt with 3:50 left, a fumble erased the Hawks’ last-gasp chance, and the Miners ran out the clock for the win.
After the game, a decidedly upbeat Kelley was quick to praise the visitors old-school style and precise execution.
“That was some old-fashioned football,” he said. “They’re big and experienced, and we’re young and still growing. So even though we weren’t surprised by what they did, they were good enough to still be successful. Two running backs over 100 yards is tough to overcome, but I liked the way we battled back.”
Just as quickly, Kelley was easily able to identify both a great game by Raber, who led all rushers with 130 yards on 15 carries, as well as the positives displayed by Edwards in his first start.
“Logan was tremendous for us,” he said, “running hard and making tackles all over the field. And I thought Seth made good decisions running the offense. He’s a heady kid, and he did a lot of good things out there. He just needs more reps and it’s clear that he’s our future.
“I’ve been around for a long time,” he said, “and I know our day is coming. It’s always difficult to lose, but we’ll get better the rest of the year, plus we have some winnable games left on our schedule, and we certainly want to finish up strong.”
The Hawks travel to Buckhannon-Upshur next Friday, with the kickoff set for 7 p.m.
