Knights' defense proves difference

HUNTINGTON -- The 10th Battle for The Shield may just go down as the best so far.

Cabell Midland built an early 12-0 lead on Friday, but Huntington High mounted an exciting fourth-quarter comeback and was within a two-point conversion of playing for overtime. But former Huntington High cornerback Zack Deal, playing the same position for the rival Knights, broke up a catch by junior Michael Taylor to preserve a 15-13 Cabell Midland lead with 1:42 to play. Another former Highlander, junior Christian Edwards, erased any doubt two plays later by rumbling 39 yards for the final score and a 22-13 Knights victory.
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"Every year against Huntington it is such a rivalry game, and the coaches feel the pressure too," said Cabell Midland coach Chip McMillian. "I told the defense that's the first time this year we've stepped up when we had to."

The Knights now own a 6-4 advantage in the Battle for The Shield and a 6-5 lead in the all-time series. Huntington High has one playoff victory in the series.

"We played with them, there ain't no doubt about it," said Huntington coach Richard Williams. "We had a lot of people that doubted us ... but if two or three plays go the other way we are leaving with a W or maybe still out there in overtime. I'm sure with the momentum we had they didn't want to go to overtime with us.

"It's as tight as it can be, a good hard-fought game by both teams."

In a series dominated by defensive efforts the last 10 years, neither team scored in the first 23 minutes of play on Friday before Edwards bulled in from 1 yard out to give the Knights a 6-0 lead with 1:40 left in the first half. The Brad Bledsoe extra point kick was blocked.

The Knights rushing attack, which averaged more than 230 yards per game, was held to only 68 yards in the first half, but Josh Turley and Wade Midkiff got the run game moving early in the second half. Turley rushed three times for 19 yards and Midkiff took three carries for 44 yards, including a 13-yard TD with 9:13 left in the third quarter, in a seven-play scoring drive to open the half.

The Knights led 12-0 and had their offense moving, but Huntington responded with a quick drive that was halted by a Brian Dilcher interception of a Heath Thomas pass. It was one of several Huntington drives that stalled in Midland territory, but the Highlanders finally cashed in on their first drive of the fourth quarter. Adam Fuller rushed for 36 yards and Thomas passed for 19 yards in an eight-play, 50-yard scoring drive capped by a Thomas 1-yard TD run. An Aaron Burns kick narrowed the score to 12-7 with 7:27 to play.

A 27-yard field goal by Midland's Brad Bledsoe gave the Knights an eight-point lead with three minutes to play, but the lead was not safe with Thomas scrambling, passing and leading the Highlanders downfield. He finally was able to strike deep on a post pattern to Taylor with 1:42 to play. He bought time, rolled left and unleashed a 35-yard dart to the junior receiver.

"That was vintage Heath," McMillian said. "If you watch him on film every week he scrambles around and makes plays. And it was just a great catch by Michael."

For Taylor it was a big catch. The talented athlete also dropped eight passes.

"It was one of the last plays of the game and we never quit until the end of the game," Taylor said. "Heath found me coming through a seam in the middle of the field and I just caught it when I had to. I was rushing it a little bit early on, but in the second half I just kept playing hard and never gave up."

But the next pass intended for Taylor was the biggest non-catch of the game. It wasn't a drop -- Deal jarred the ball loose.

"I had it in my hands, but Zack Deal made a heck of a play on the ball and I bobbled it up and dropped it," Taylor said, dejected and humble. "But that's part of life and part of football."

Deal and twin brother, Mark, transferred to Cabell Midland this summer after three seasons at Huntington High.

"I'm glad this game is over," Zack Deal said. "I can finally quit thinking about it and just play football."

But it will be hard to soon forget this clash for The Shield.

CABELL MIDLAND 0 6 6 10 -- 22
HUNTINGTON 0 0 0 13 -- 13
CM-Edwards 1 run (kick blocked)
CM-Midkiff 13 run (run failed)
H-Thomas 1 run (Burns kick)
CM-Bledsoe 27 field goal
H-Taylor 35 pass from Thomas (pass failed)
CM-Edwards 39 run (Bledsoe kick)

CM H
First downs 12 21
Total Net Yards 228 330
Rushes-yards 46-225 22-93
Passing-yards 3 237
Comp-Att-Int 1-4-1 18-43-1
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 0-0 3-30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- Cabell Midland: Edwards 25-132, 2 TD; Midkiff 11-58, TD; Turley 5-38; Fetty 2-minus 2; Z. Deal 2-minus 1; Morabito 1-0. Huntington: Thomas 11-43, TD; Fuller 8-50; Taylor 3-0.
PASSING -- Cabell Midland: Fetty 1-4-1, 3 yards. Huntington: Thomas 18-43-1, 237 yards, TD.
RECEIVING -- Cabell Midland: Cole 1-3. Huntington: Taylor 7-111, TD; Young 4-45; Worland 3-28; Fuller 2-36; Maynard 2-17.