Beavers have that Wheeling feeling

Beavers have that Wheeling feeling
Posted: Saturday, Nov 26, 2005 - 09:10:57 pm EST
By TOM BONE
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Miracle catch...In the three-picture sequence at left and above, Bluefield's Ansel Ponder (10) battles with teammate Maurice Jordan and James Monroe's Heath Mullins for the football in the end zone with 1:41 left in the half to give the Beavers a 21-7 lead at the break. Ponder's phenomenal snag of an Eric McClanahan pass on a 4th-and-6 play sparked the Beavers to the 24-14 win and the school's fourth straight trip to the Class AA state championship game. (Staff photos by Eric DiNovo)

LINDSIDE - Is it too early to call the Bluefield Beavers football program a dynasty?

After a rough road through the regular season, the Beavers advanced on Saturday afternoon to the Class AA championship game for the fourth straight year, beating the previously undefeated James Monroe Mavericks 24-14 in Monroe County.

Bluefield began the playoffs ranked 11th and JMHS had earned a No. 2 ranking.

Ryan Albert, a BHS linebacker and lineman, said, “We've kind of had our backs against the wall all season long. Last year was a heck of a season, 14-0. We knew this team couldn't top that, but if we came together as a team, which we have, then we could be back in Wheeling again, defending the state championship title.”

Bluefield executed a well-crafted game plan which used its depth at running back and a swarming defense. They also got some big breaks along the way.

The Beavers charged 68 and 74 yards on their first two possessions to claim a 14-0 lead on two Shawn Brooks touchdowns in less than eight minutes of game time.

Brooks said, “They blocked for me all the way, and I just did the rest.”

James Monroe coach David Witt said, “We kind of dug ourselves a little bit of a hole there in the first quarter, and it was a little bit more than we could climb out of today.

“It took our kids a quarter to get their feet under themselves. After that, we battled them dead even. Really, after that, we beat them, but you've got to play all four quarters.”

James Monroe used a 13-play drive, aided by two face-mask penalties, to score early in the second quarter when senior Ben Preston hauled in a pass from Jason Jackson and dove to the end-zone pylon.

It was Jackson's last completion. Of his last eight passes, six were incomplete and two were picked off by J.T. Powell and Albert. Jackson was 3-for-14 for 46 yards.

Senior back Jonathan Payne said, “Our defense played a tremendous game. We stopped them from running. We forced them to pass. That was big. We forced them to get out of what they wanted to do.”

With 1:50 left before the half, Bluefield called time with a fourth-and-six-yards looming. Eric McClanahan arced a ball to the end zone, where it was smacked by a Maverick defender.

As it dropped to the ground, Bluefield sophomore Ansel Ponder reached down and cradled the ball with his right hand to restore a two-touchdown lead.

The teams kept to their running games in the third period. Preston partially blocked a Bluefield punt to set up a quick 35-yard drive ending with Andrew Robertson's final high school touchdown, an impressive 11-yard ramble. Dalton Pritt's kick made the score 21-14.

Sean Cornelius converted a 19-yard field goal for BHS to conclude the scoring with 4:02 left. Cornelius was also 3-for-3 in extra-point tries.

Fred Simon, the Beavers' coach, was asked to compare Saturday's playoff with a 17-14 loss to the Mavericks on Oct. 28.

“The last time we played them, they ran all over us. They outplayed us in Bluefield,” Simon said. “I was just hoping we'd improve; I didn't know if we would or not, but our players have worked hard ever since that loss and we've gotten a little better.

“We just played better this time.”

Simon was gracious to his opponents. “I've never played them, ever, where they ever gave up,” Simon said. They've got a great attitude down here. I feel very fortunate for us to win this game.”

Powell ran for 114 of Bluefield's 297 rushing yards. McClanahan completed 4-of-8 passes for 73 yards. James Monroe got 90 yards from Robertson and 55 from Jackson, ending with 206 yards on the ground and 46 through the air.

Albert said the plan was simply to “stop the run. That was the game plan. And be balanced on offense.”

Witt said, “They got some breaks. The ball bounced their way a couple of times. (With) two teams that are evenly matched, that's usually what comes up making the difference.”

The field of 41 Class AA, or “mid-sized,” high schools was winnowed down to two championship contenders Saturday in separate corners of the state. Weir upset No. 1-ranked Wayne 22-7.

The Class AA championship game takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Wheeling Island Stadium.

- Contact Tom Bone at

tbone@bdtonline.com

At H.E. Comer Jr. Sports Complex

Bluefield (8-4)....................14 7 0 3 - 24

James Monroe (12-1)............0 7 7 0 - 14

First Quarter

BHS-Shawn Brooks 3 run (Sean Cornelius kick), 7:40

BHS-Brooks 16 run (Cornelius kick), 4:08

Second Quarter

JMHS-Ben Preston 15 pass from Jason Jackson (Dalton Pritt kick), 11:14

BHS-Ansel Ponder 22 pass from Eric McClanahan (Cornelius kick), 1:41

Third Quarter

JMHS-Andrew Robertson 11 run (Pritt kick), 0:38

Fourth Quarter

BHS-Cornelius 19 FG, 4:02