PARKERSBURG — University senior Logan Holgorsen proved to be one problem that Parkersburg South couldn’t find a solution for.
The Bowling Green commit accounted for all but 32 yards of the UHS offense at Erickson All-Sports Complex Friday, as the Hawks topped the Patriots 24-7.
“Forty-four years coaching and that’s the best job of field generalship I’ve ever seen,” UHS coach John Kelly said. “To do the things he did tonight, it was magnificent and nothing short of it.”
Holgorsen went 25-of-33 through the air for 339 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 86 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
“I have a lot of a good players around me and a great coaching staff. They put me in those good situations, and I’m just really blessed to have those guys around me for me to be able to do it,” Holgorsen said. “These guys love playing football, the line gave me time, the receivers catch the ball, and that’s all I can ask for.”
His scrambling ability turned numerous near-sacks into double-digit gains.
“He was magnificent; he knew when to get down, he knew when to pick up the first down and slide,” Kelley said. “For all those naysayers that say he’s not a Division I quarterback, they’re idiots. What he did tonight were not designed runs. It was him being forced out of the pocket and saying I’m going to pick up the first down and get down.”
The Hawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead riding a 277-yard first-half performance, but a Holgorsen interception and long touchdown bomb from Patriot Brayden Mooney brought the game within one possession in the third quarter.
That’s when Holgorsen and senior running back Ben Gribble — filling in for an injured Logan Raber — stepped up as leaders, wearing down the South defense on a pair of possessions that drained the clock and put South in a corner.
“What Ben Gribble and Logan Holgorsen did managing the clock, picking up first downs — it made the difference in the game. It ate the clock in the fourth quarter,” Kelley said.
The Hawks also appeared rejuvenated on defense, holding the Patriots to one score and 310 yards.
“They’re a good offense. [Nicholas] Yoho is one heck of a back and Mooney has been at quarterback for a while. The big thing was keeping them out of the end zone,” Kelley said. “Giving up yardage is something that they get excited about there, but the bottom line is that we held them to seven points.”
The win erases a two-game losing streak for the Hawks, dating back to last season’s playoffs.
“There was no abrupt fall from grace. You can see we’re pretty good football team,” Kelley said. “We’re not dead. We lost a game to a very good John Marshall team that’s now 2-0, and then we came down tonight and beat a team with an outstanding running back and shut them down.”
University 0 14 0 10 — 24
Parkersburg South 0 0 7 0 — 7
SCORING SUMMARY
U: Holgerson 16 run (Phares kick good)
U: Parow 71 pass from Holgorsen (Phares kick good)
PS: Yoho 61 pass from Mooney (kick good)
U: D. Richardson 19 pass from Holgerson (Phares kick good)
U: Phares field goal good
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING: University—Holgorsen 25-33 339 2 TD.
RUSHING: University—Raber 4- (-1), Holgorsen 12-86 TD, A. Richardson 1-6, Gribble 11-27.
RECEIVING: University—Gribble 3-21, A. Richardson 5-116, Parow 8-116 TD, Cotrell 6-44, D. Richardson 3-42 TD
