All season, St. Anne’s-Belfield’s linebackers have most often been the headliners, but Friday night belonged to the cornerbacks. STAB’s two undersized, seemingly outmatched defensive backs — Fernando Gaston and Pierce Woodsmall — came up with big play after big play in the passing game and on run support to lift the Saints past archrival Blue Ridge, 34-21.
The win gave STAB the Old Dominion Football Conference championship and the No.1-seed in the state playoffs set to start next week.
Woodsmall had a pair of interceptions while Gaston locked up Blue Ridge’s 6-foot-8 downfield threat Cameron Anderson, helping hold him to just two total catches on the night as Blue Ridge continued to test Woodsmall.
“Pierce played out of his mind tonight but he’s a great athlete,” said STAB coach John Blake. “He played technique better than we’ve seen in awhile here. And I’ve got to give it up for Fernando. He got matched up on a kid that was a foot taller than him—the fades that they were throwing to him Fernando was just working him out of bounds and never gave him the opportunity.”
Woodsmall’s first interception in the early stages of the second quarter and the ensuing weaving, down-the-sideline touchdown return capped a major momentum shift. With the score, the Saints finally asserted control of the game after an electric, back-and-forth first quarter.
“The ball just went right over the receivers hands and fell right in my lap,” Woodsmall said. “And I’m really glad it did because I was a little out of position on the play — it worked our well.”
He was far from out of position on his second pick, where he made a leaping interception along the sideline in front of Blue Ridge’s Darryl Smith. That pick came at the end of a series of wild turnovers near the end of the third quarter. The two teams combined for four turnovers — three interceptions and a fumble — in six plays, with Woodsmall’s grab ending the run. Blue Ridge’s Garrett Scarborough had a fumble recovery and Shane Palmateer had an interception during the back-and-forth exchange.
Of course that series of turnovers paled in comparison to the exciting first quarter. Blue Ridge got a quick start, employing a Wildcat-adapted look with Lance Grey at quarterback and usual starter Andre Roberts at slot wideout. Grey hit Smith with a big-time 38-yard reception to kickstart the opening drive, then Mayn Francisco ripped off runs of 13 and 15 yards, with the second run putting the Barons up 7-0.
“We came out of the gate hot,” said Blue Ridge coach Del Smith. “We talked all week about what we needed not to do though—not get beat deep and not turn the ball over—and that’s what we did.”
STAB answered on the ensuing drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass by Charlie Murray to Nicco Freeo. Blue Ridge broke back with a 39-yard sprint off a solid cutback and a two-point conversion gave the Barons a 15-7 advantage. Just three plays later, Branford Rogers, back from an injury that held him out for two weeks, uncorked a halfback pass on a fake sweep to the right, finding big-play specialist Freeo again, this time for a 63-yard catch and run.
“We run that throw like almost every other play (in practice), we run that play a lot,” Rogers said. “What was successful is this time I actually sold the fake. It was an ugly ball but it got there and (Freeo) did his job when it got there.”
It’s the second time this year that Rogers has thrown the option pass for a touchdown, with the other coming in the season opener against Bishop Sullivan.
After that, Blue Ridge started to unravel. Palmateer pounced on a fumbled snap, and STAB wasted no time trying to draw blood, with Murray unleashing a toss to a streaking Andrew Crockett. What Crockett did after the catch seemed to change the complexion of the game as the tough wideout shook off an easy tackle on the sideline, shoving the Blue Ridge defender to the ground with a forearm shiver and racing the rest of the way for the 53-yard touchdown.
“That was nasty, I must admit,” Gaston said. “He really came through for us and swung the momentum our way.”
Woodsmall’s interception return for a touchdown three plays later put the Saints in control. Both teams settled in for a largely defensive struggle after that.
Blue Ridge’s year ends with the loss while STAB is set to take on John Paul the Great in the VISAA Division II semifinals Friday, most likely at 7 p.m.
