Saturday, November 21, 2009
Football playoffs: Bobcats' defense too tough for Eagles
varsity.roanoke.com
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HAYMARKET -- The trip Franklin County's football team made to Liberty-Bealeton last Saturday ended with a sweet feeling -- the first playoff victory in school history.
Another trip to Northern Virginia one week later did not go as well.
The Eagles had few answers for a determined Battlefield defense and were eliminated from the Northwest Region Division 6 playoffs thanks to a 33-7 defeat Friday.
Franklin County (9-3) was held scoreless until quarterback T.J. Shaw, who threw for 118 yards, found Shane Preston for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 4:26 remaining.
Running back Tae Gilbert, who accounted for more than 250 yards in last Saturday's win over Colonial Forge, was held to 61 yards on 17 carries.
"They had 11 guys on defense playing [Gilbert]," Franklin County coach Chris Jones said. "They did a good job scheming us."
Battlefield ended two years of postseason frustration as it advanced past the regional semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time in school history.
"Everybody's asking, 'How are you going to get through the [semifinal] round?' " Battlefield coach Mark Cox said. "It never was a thought. The kids kept playing hard. They're tired of hearing it too. They came out wanting to prove a point."
The Bobcats had a first-round bye thanks to earning the region's top seed.
And from its first series, Battlefield played like a top seed.
Quarterback Bo Revell connected with wide receiver Blaine Mason for a 79-yard touchdown pass.
Battlefield relied on running back Nagee Jackson, who scored his team's second touchdown on a 4-yard run and totaled 120 yards on 23 carries.
"They do a great job on offense," Jones said.
Revell added his team's third touchdown on a 1-yard run that gave Battlefield a 20-0 second-quarter lead. The score was set up by a 32-yard completion to Jaimie Robinson at the Franklin County 1-yard line.
One week after scoring 37 points against Colonial Forge, Franklin County struggled to move the ball. Its offense had four first-half drives of three plays or less. Another drive stalled at the 50 after Gilbert was dropped for a 5-yard loss.
Gilbert's struggles continued late in the third. As the Eagles were mounting an efficient drive, Gilbert's rush near midfield was halted when Bobcats linebacker Andrew Smith stripped him of the ball and ran 43 yards for a score.
The touchdown came on the final play of the third quarter and gave Battlefield a 27-0 lead.
"I thought I was down," Gilbert said. "But the dude hit my elbow and it came out."
Smith came through again in the fourth with an interception of Shaw. The ball was intended for Franklin County's Thad Basham, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver.
Shaw threw the ball into double coverage. Smith, who is 5-8, came over to make a play. He arrived just as the ball came close to Basham's hands. But the four players involved on the play crashed to the ground and Smith ended up with it.
"We're always outsized by everybody and our defense takes it as a challenge," Cox said.
Cedric Agyeman's 80-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 33-0.
Franklin County 0 0 0 7-- 7
Battlefield 7 13 7 6--33
B -- Mason 79 pass from Revell (Martin kick)
B -- Jackson 4 run (kick failed)
B - Revell 1 run (Martin kick)
B -- Smith 43 fumble return (Hopeker kick)
B -- Agyeman 80 run (kick failed)
FC -- Preston 9 pass from Shaw (Boone kick)
FC B
First downs 10 10
Yards rushing 72 244
Passes C-A-I 8-24-1 6-14-0
Yards passing 118 148
Penalties-yards 4-38 6-60
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Punts-average 4-36 2-24
Individual statistics
RUSHING -- Franklin County, Gilbert 17-61, Jones 3-9, Shaw 3-3, Spencer 1-4, Basham 1-2, Hughes 1-minus-7, ; Battlefield, Jackson 23-120, Revell 6-25, Drzal 6-21, Agyeman 1-80, Beathard 1-minus-2.
PASSING -- Franklin County, Shaw 8-24-1 118; Battlefield, Revell 6-14-0 148.
RECEIVING -- Franklin County, Preston 4-45, Didlake 3-44, Basham 1-19; Battlefield, Robinson 3-57, Mason 1-79, Jackson 1-7, Beathard 1-5.
