Saturday, September 04, 2010
Glenvar forges dramatic comeback against James River
Corey Bolden helps the Highlanders rally from a 34-14 deficit and win. | Glenvar 41, James River 34
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Glenvar's football team used every ounce of energy it could muster to give head coach Kevin Clifford the greatest comeback victory of his career Friday night.
At least the Highlanders were able to forego the Gatorade bath that is traditionally reserved for the winning coach, as relief appeared in a most unexpected form.
Mother Nature supplied the moisture as a brief but intense rain shower allowed the Highlanders to celebrate a 41-34 season-opening win over James River in style.
"We could have broke, we could have laid down," said Clifford.
But no. Trailing 34-14 midway through the third quarter, the Highlanders scored four touchdowns in an 18-minute spurt, pulling ahead for good with 1:38 remaining.
Highlander running back Corey Bolden bulled across the goal line on a 7-yard run for the decisive score. It was Bolden's fourth rushing TD of the game, and along with kicking five extra points, the 235-pound senior scored 29 points in the game.
Bolden admitted he was tired at the game's end, and acknowledged that changing shoes before attempting the extra-point kicks added another challenge. Bolden's only kicking miss came when the score was tied at 34 with 10:32 to play. The snap, hold and kick were not clean and the Knights were able to deflect the kick.
After holding River on downs on its next possession, Glenvar marched 64 yards in 12 plays for the winning score.
The Highlanders' running game gradually wore down the visiting team, as Bolden, Tim Woods and Jacob Mabry combined to rush for 396 yards and six touchdowns on 49 carries.
The Highlanders only attempted three passes and had no completions.
It was quite different on the other side, as Knights quarterback Jordan Talbott threw for 268 yards -- 179 of them in the first half.
At one point, Talbott was 12-of-20, but he was intercepted twice and was just 5-of-12 during Glenvar's comeback.
When the Highlanders took the opening kickoff and put together a 14-play, 68-yard drive that consumed almost eight minutes, it appeared the game might be low scoring.
But James River responded with quick strikes, pulling ahead 28-14 by halftime. The Knights were bolstered by an 81-yard kickoff return for a score by Chris Moore in the second quarter.
James River nearly scored a fifth touchdown in the first half, but when Chris Ware was tackled at the 2-yard-line following a 17-yard pass reception, he fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback.
"We came up a little short," said Knights coach Philip King. "Am I mad? No, I'm disappointed. We're a good football team, and so are they."
Glenvar 7 7 14 13 -- 41
James River 7 21 6 0 -- 34
G Bolden 6 run (Bolden kick)
JR Garrett 2 run (Ewen kick)
JR Garrett 3 run (Ewen kick)
G Woods 62 run (Bolden kick)
JR Moore 81 KO return (Ewen kick)
JR K.W. King 29 pass from Talbott (Ewen kick)
JR Talbott 1 run (kick blocked)
G Bolden 1run (Bolden kick)
G Woods 1 run (Bolden kick)
G Bolden 6 run (kick blocked)
G Bolden 7 run (Bolden kick)
G JR
First downs 24 18
Yards rushing 396 56
Yards passing 0 268
Penalties-yards 7-43 2-6
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-0
Punts-avg. 1-29.0 1-29.0 Individual statistics
RUSHING Glenvar, Woods 20-182, Bolden 28-155, Mabry 8-56, Tarpley 1-3. James River, Garrett 11-38, Talbott 7-8, Moore 3-10.
PASSING Glenvar, Mabry 0-2-1 0, Bolden 0-1-0 0. James River, Talbott 17-32-2 268.
RECEIVING Glenvar, none. James River, Ware 7-68, K.W. King 6-102, Garrett 2-13, Kyle King 1-70, Falls 1-15.
