Saturday, September 19, 2009
Turnovers taunt Titans
Photos by MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times
Brookville's Michael Leeman (left) stuffs Hidden Valley's David Williams (8) at the line of scrimmage as Michael Simonic (11) looks on.
Brookville's Alec Thompson (10) intercepts a pass intended for Hidden Valley's Josh Kite (left) from quarterback Michael Simonic.
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In its first three games, Brookville had trouble capitalizing on turnovers.
That wasn't a problem Friday night when the Bees rolled into Dwight Bogle Stadium to face Hidden Valley.
The Titans (3-1) turned the ball over early and often and the Bees took advantage, scoring after four early first-half miscues to get rolling on their way to a 34-7 win.
"We made some simple, basic football mistakes tonight that up to this point in the season, we hadn't been making," said Titans coach Scott Weaver, whose team had six turnovers.
Brookville coach Jeff Woody was encouraged to see his team respond to the early opportunities.
"In the first couple of games we were given some gifts and we weren't able to take advantage," said Woody, whose team was the Group AA Division 3 runner-up last year.
In addition to pressuring the Titans' sophomore quarterback Michael Simonic all night, the Bees defensive line and linebackers also bottled up star running back David Williams.
Having rushed for 826 yards in his first three games, Williams was held to just 65 yards on 21 carries.
Forced to punt on their first possession, Brookville pinned the Titans on their own 3-yard line after Titans return man Drayton Reynolds fielded Shane Wood's kick near the goal line.
Simonic fumbled on the next play and Brookville recovered. Three plays later Zack Burns dove in from the 1 .
On its next possession Hidden Valley turned to Williams, whose first five carries moved the Titans from their 24 to their 48.
But then Williams lost 4 yards on 4th and 1 and the Bees took over.
Then came traded turnovers, with Brookville tailback Ben Simmons losing a fumble, then Simonic being picked off by safety Alec Thompson, also the Bees starting quarterback.
After forcing Brookville to punt, Hidden Valley got the ball back at its 20 after Wood punted into the end zone.
Josh Kite fumbled two plays later and Brookville's Dustin Manor recovered at the 22, from where Deshon Foxx scored on a reverse on the next play. The point after made it 14-0.
"Momentum is huge in high school football," Woody said.
And every time the Titans seemed to get a little, the Bees would snuff it out.
On Hidden Valley's next possession, the Titans had moved the ball from their 20 to the 42 when Simonic dropped back to pass on third and 9. Virginia Tech signee Zack McCray hit Simonic and the ball fluttered to Thompson, who returned the ball to the Hidden Valley 42.
Three plays later Thompson hit Holton Walker with a perfect spiral for a 38-yard touchdown. The ball floated just over the outstretched hands of McCray, whose route had taken him into the same area.
"I'd like to say I was throwing to Walker," Thompson said, smiling. "But I was throwing it to Zack."
Kite dropped a pitch on the next Titan possession, and Burns recovered at the Hidden Valley 32.
Five plays later Burns ran it in from the 13 and after the missed point after it was 27-0 at the half.
Weaver wasn't critical of his defense, which held Brookville to just 157 total yards of offense.
"Our defense played pretty tough," he said. "They were put in some pretty difficult situations early on."
On its first possession of the second half Brookville had a nine-play, 57-yard touchdown drive capped by Ben Simmons' 10-yard run.
Hidden Valley's only score came on its next possession, when Simonic scored on a 63-yard keeper.
Weaver said the team would take advantage of its upcoming week off to get back to focusing on football fundamentals.
"I just hope tonight was one of those bad nights," he said.
Brookville 14 13 7 0--34
Hidden Valley 0 0 7 0--7
B -- Burns 1 run (Wood kick)
B -- Foxx 22 run (Wood kick)
B -- Walker 38 pass from Thompson (Wood kick)
B -- Burns 13 run (kick failed)
B -- Simmons 10 run (Boehner kick)
H -- Simonic 63 run (Radford kick)
BO HV
First downs 10 10
Yards rushing 116 145
Passes C-A-I 2-4-0 9-17-3
Yards passing 41 54
Penalties-yards 6-46 5-46
Fumbles-lost 1-1 4-3
Punts-average 5-40 2-34
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- Brookville -- Simmons 13-41, Thompson 9-21, Burns 5-26, Foxx 6-22, Pitts 2-7, Walker 1-5, Carwile 2-(minus-1), Harding 1-(minus-2). Hidden Valley -- Simonic 17-77, Williams 21-60, Bredburg 4-10, Kite 2-(minus-2).
PASSING -- Brookville -- Thompson 2-4-0-41. Hidden Valley -- Simonic 9-17-3-54.
RECEIVING -- Brookville -- Walker 1-38, McKensie 1-3. Hidden Valley -- Reynolds 5-32, Fletcher 1-8, Brand 1-8, Kite 1-8, Bredburg 1-(minus-3).
