Colonels stressing the basics for game against Eagles

September 16, 2011
By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER- During the preseason, the James Wood football team stressed starting off the season stronger than it did last year, and it emphasized that it was bigger, stronger and better up front.

But a lackluster start last week against Musselman (W.Va.) helped lead the Colonels to their downfall, and for the first time James Wood ran into an opponent that dictated play on the line of scrimmage to them.

So in hopes of taking a step forward against a Hedgesville (W.Va.) team that beat them last year, the Colonels (2-1) are taking a step back.

"We've just got to get back to fundamentals," said James Wood football coach Mike Bolin, whose team fell behind 23-6 before rallying with two touchdowns in the last 13 minutes in a 23-20 loss to the Applemen. "We've got to be fundamentally sound. We've got to block better and tackle better. Those are the two things that could make a big difference."

James Wood couldn't have been much better in the running game the first two weeks, averaging 223.5 yards per game while limiting opponents to 74 yards.

But the Applemen flipped the script. James Wood managed just 105 yards on 37 carries, and it permitted Musselman's Josh Ferguson to pile up 161 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

On offense in particular, senior running back Aaron Clark (287 yards and four touchdowns for the year) said the Colonels just didn't match the Applemen's intensity.

"They were more high-tempo than we were at the beginning, and they were a lot more fired up than we were," said Clark, who recorded 74 yards and two touchdowns against the Applemen but did most of his damage late. "If we had came out the same way, it might have been a different story. Who knows."

James Wood doesn't plan on leaving any doubt again, and against Hedgesville (1-2), the Colonels really can't afford to.

Though the Eagles have lost their last two games - including a 36-19 loss to a Heritage team that James Wood defeated 24-21 in its season opener - Hedgesville has played well at times.

The Eagles routed Washington (W.Va.) in their opener 38-6. That's the same Patriots squad that rolled up more than 400 yards of offense against Sherando in a 55-33 loss.

And Hedgesville seemed to be on the verge of taking control of its game against Mountain Ridge (Md.) last week. But with a 12-7 lead and heading for a score in the third quarter, sophomore quarterback Troy Markley fumbled the ball and the Miners returned it 99 yards for a touchdown to send them on their way to a 26-12 win.

On defense, the Eagles operate primarily out of the 3-3-5 stack. So while Hedgesville might not be as big as Musselman, Bolin said the Eagles make up for that with athleticism.

"They are fast, aggressive and very well-coached," Bolin said. "Their schemes are about as air-tight as you can get. We're going to have our hands full."

If James Wood can gets its running game established, the Colonels hope quarterback Jake Lewin (19 of 36 for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) can make plays through the air.

James Wood's defense is well aware of how difficult it can be to keep Markley away from the end zone. Though he only completed 11 passes against the Colonels last year (for 126 yards), three of them went for touchdowns, including the 9-yarder to Jason Mayles with 34 seconds left that gave Hedgesville a 20-16 win.

Markley, who is backed by senior running back Casey Horn in the backfield, directs the Eagles out of the option-based veer offense.

"Discipline. Absolute discipline," said Bolin when asked about the key to defending the veer. "That's the thing we've been preaching all week. You've got to be disciplined on your reads.

"As soon as you become undisciplined and you start thinking on your own and you don't just react to what you see, guys are going to break big plays. We've got to read our keys, defend our zones and the rest will take care of itself."

For James Wood, a victory tonight would definitely help.

A year ago, the Colonels finished as the No. 8 seed in Region II Division 4 after starting 2-2, and a win over a Group AAA school would definitely help their positioning with their entire Northwestern District schedule and difficult non-district opponents Warren County and Fauquier to come.

James Wood linebacker and fullback Mark Bean said the Colonels are definitely aware of what Heritage did to Hedgesville. But the Colonels - who pulled out their win against the Pride late - have just got to focus on being the best they can be from now on.

"We didn't play to our potential last week," Bean said. "We've just got to play our football."

NOTE:Junior running back/linebacker Joey Eubank is out for the season after suffering a leg injury in the fourth quarter of the Musselman game. He broke his tibia and fibula, but because the break was fairly clean, Bolin said the injury did not require surgery. Eubank is expected to fully recover.

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