RICHMOND — It’s next to ridiculous to think that Woodberry’s defense was on the field almost the entire second half, twice pinned against the wall early in the third quarter and somehow it did not bend, would not break. When it needed turnovers, it forced them. Sacks and tackles for a loss piled up. During a pair of stretches in the fourth quarter, the defense was like an offense as it simply moved Benedictine back from the original line of scrimmage further and further each play.
“We knew we had veteran defense coming in,” said Tigers coach Clint Alexander. “We knew that if the game came down to them that they could rise up and get it done. That being said, I’m amazed that they did because Benedictine is so fast, so physical.”
In light of a horrific injury that made for an emotional week after quarterback Jacob Rainey shredded his leg so severely it forced him to an intensive care unit in a Fairfax hospital, Friday’s gritty 16-13 win on the road was exactly what Alexander’s team needed. After a week of adversity and now a win in 48 minutes of adversity, the Tigers know what they’re made of awfully early in the year.
“After that scrimmage when Jacob went down, nobody could move, nobody could think,” said linebacker Nate Ripper, Rainey’s close friend who was awardeded the fallen quarterback’s number nine jersey to wear this week. “It was the worst thing in the world so this week the focus was nine keys to success. I think we completed them all and we all just rallied.”
Trailing 13-8 at halftime, things looked their most bleak for the Tigers early in the third quarter after a muffed punt set up the Cadets in the redzone to start. It was at this point that Woodberry’s defense rose to a different level. Having surrendered two first half touchdowns, the Tigers refused to give up an inch out of the break as lacrosse standout David Little came away with a crucial interception in the endzone on a pass intended for Virginia Tech-bound Nigel Williams.
Williams, who provided the opening score on a 19-yard catch in the first quarter, was a menace on defense and immediately following the pick the senior was able to recover a Woodberry fumble to again put Benedictine in the redzone to start a drive.
Yet despite having just come off the field, the Tigers were responsive and every bit as tough again on defense. The unit forced another turnover, this time a fumble recovered by Cameron Wooster. From that moment forward, it was all Woodberry for the rest of the game.
“That play on the fumble, I think everyone on the field made a hit before it,” said Woodberry’s Rogers Clark. “It was a team effort. We don’t have that 300-pound lineman. We’ve got a good team that can beat a big team.”
Down by five late in the third quarter, sophomore Christian Asher sparked the offense by taking a carry off tackle and rounding the corner for a 48-yard run. A first down reception followed by a late hit penalty set the Tigers up at the 15-yard line where Hunter Faulconer was able to provide the go ahead score on a run to the right sideline.
Before Faulconer’s touchdown, Woodberry’s only big offensive moment had come on special teams. Senior return man and Notre Dame-bound senior C.J. Prosise fielded a Benedictine punt in the middle of the second quarter and spun out of a pile of Cadets to break lose and fly down the field for a 57-yard touchdown.
“I felt myself go down and I kind of caught myself,” Prosise said of the move that wound up leading him to a gaping hole in Benedictine’s coverage. “I saw open field after that so I went for it.”
In the fourth quarter the Tigers weren’t able to finish off the Cadets with an insurance score, but Woodberry’s defensive front didn’t need more than the 3-point lead it had. Behind Clark, the visitors kept Benedictine backed up in its own end until late in the fourth when Corey Downey came up with a 22-yard first down reception on third and 10 to put his team at midfield. But four plays later, the Cadets turned the ball over on downs with 2:09 on the clock.
Faulconer came up with a big first down on first down that allowed Woodberry to run out the clock as Benedictine held just one timeout.
Outside of Williams’ TD catch, the only time Woodberry’s defense gave up a truly big play was late in the second half when Deshawn Wells caught a 53-yard touchdown pass.
On both of Woodberry’s touchdowns Alexander opted to attempt a 2-point conversion. The Tigers succeeded both times, first on a fake, and then again out of the spread.
“On the first I just wanted to show that we’re a team that can do more than just kick the extra point,” Alexander said. “On the second, I thought it was smarter to try and go up three rather than kick it and be up just two.”
Offensively, Asher had seven carries for 76 yards. Faulconer and Jack Sewell had respective attempts of nine and eight for 34 and 35 yards. Quarterback Heys McMath was 9 for 16 passing with 76 yards and hit Gibson Montgomery for that all-important second 2-point convert.
Woodberry (1-0) will travel to Blairstown (New Jersey) next Saturday at 1 p.m. to take on Blair Academy and Rainey’s jersey will be awarded to different player as voted by the team’s leadership committee.
