September 18, 2010

By Robert Niedzwiecki

The Winchester Star

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va.- With just over a minute to go, James Wood High School cornerback Tripp Lewis held the ball out to an official, pleading with him to reverse his call and give Lewis an interception.

It was the second time the Colonels were denied on a play that they initially thought would lead them to victory. And with Hedgesville (W.Va.) freshman quarterback Troy Markley given another chance, James Wood wasn't able to celebrate an actual victory when the final whistle blew.

Markley's nine-yard touchdown pass to Jason Mayles with 34 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a 20-16 win over James Wood Friday night at Mumaw Stadium.

The play capped a 50-yard, six-play drive that took only 45 seconds. In their attempt to regain the lead, the Colonels (2-1) managed to get to the Eagles' 30 as time expired, but Hedgesville's final touchdown proved to be the final dagger in a frustrating night for James Wood.

"I just told the guys, 'Sometimes, you don't win games you think you're supposed to win,'" Colonels coach Mike Bolin said. "Losing [stinks], but this will make us a better team."

On two occasions, it appeared that the Colonels were going to walk out with a win. The first came on 4th-and-inches from the 50, when Bolin ordered his offense to go for a first down.

After quarterback Matt Copley tried his second straight keeper, James Wood thought it had enough of a gain to move the chains with 1:19 to go. But the Colonels actually lost a few inches, turning the ball over to Hedgesville (2-2) and giving a vocal Eagles crowd something to cheer about.

"I rolled the dice, but if we get that, we win the game," Bolin said. "It all came down to six inches, and we couldn't get it.

"I had confidence we could get it, but [Hedgesville] stuffed it up. They did a good job and made the play they needed to make. I thought we had it, but I guess we didn't."

Just a few seconds later, though, the Colonels were rejoicing. On 1st-and-10, Markley (11 of 26 for 167 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions) threw a pass behind his intended target, Michael Walters, and Lewis dove for the ball.

Lewis celebrated as if he caught it, and everyone on the James Wood sideline - including Bolin - seemed to think he had made a clean interception. But the officials ruled otherwise, and Hedgesville was still in business. "I had it the whole time," Lewis said. "The ref said I caught if off the ground, but I disagree."

Markley hit Walters for an eight-yard screen pass on the next play, and 15 yards were tacked on to the end of it for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the end of the play.

A 15-yard pass to Mayles and a four-yard run from Markley set up the game-winning touchdown. Markley found Mayles over the middle at the 5, and he took it in the rest of the way.

Markley didn't move a whole lot on that play, but his ability to go sideline-to-sideline for throws and runs (he added 50 yards on the ground) made him difficult to defend.

"He bought himself a lot of time, and it made our job a lot harder," Lewis said. "He's a good athlete."

Trailing 13-7 after being outgained 207-99 in the first half, James Wood was reeling, but the second half was an impressive test of the Colonels' fortitude.

Copley (10 of 16 for 144 yards passing; 24 yards and one touchdown rushing) played with bruised rubs suffered late in the first half, and two-way lineman Chase Tyler left the game in an ambulance with breathing problems with 8:46 left.

But, shortly after that, Peyton Hottel's 34-yard field goal put the Colonels ahead 16-13 with 6:39 remaining.

On the final possession, two Copley completions got James Wood to the Eagle 35, but under pressure on the final play, the quarterback could only manage a five-yard dump-off.

It wasn't enough, and in a game between two teams close in talent, Bolin said the Colonels needed to execute to the fullest.

"We made too many mistakes tonight to use the [refs] as an excuse," Bolin said. "That guy made one mistake [on the interception]. We made 21 mistakes."