Like Woodberry Forest needed more to stoke its emotional fires this year. The same program that dealt with quarterback Jacob Rainey’s devastating preseason injury got more bad news this week when they found out captain and defensive engine Rogers Clark was out for the season with a knee injury.
“It was another emotional week just like out first game against Benedictine because we heard that Rogers was going to be out for the season,” said Woodberry’s Nate Ripper. “That’s just another crushing blow, that’s another one of my best friends out.”
Throw in some reported web-based trash talking in an already intense Prep League rivalry, and Woodberry was practically boiling over going into the clash with 7-1 St. Christopher’s.
“We’re all playing with a lot of passion,” Ripper said. “We really just wanted to go after someone and take out all those feelings that we had and that really showed today.”
Ripper and the rest of the Tigers played with reckless abandon and rolled 26-13 over the Saints. The senior came up with a big-time second half punt block, as well as a critical fourth down stuff where the Tigers’ outside linebacker swept in from the edge and yanked down St. Chris quarterback Giles Thompson on a quarterback sneak in the first half.
“I saw that opportunity and I just had to jump on it,” Ripper said.
Ripper also had a critical third down sack in the first half.
Another Tigers linebacker, Greer Martini, made a leaping interception inside the St. Christopher’s 10-yardline to setup a second quarter touchdown run.
Ripper, Martini and the other linebackers benefited from inspired play up front by Cameron Wooster, Walker Smithson and John C. Williams, who had to elevate their game with Rogers’ injury.
“There were seven seniors in that group and we lost two to injury, so now we’re down to five seniors on the defensive line,” said Woodberry coach Clint Alexander. “But they’ve all worked hard and they’ve all got great technique and we feel like we can slide them in and keep it going.”
St. Christopher’s struggled to move the ball until the fourth quarter, where the Saints piled up most of their yards through the air on two drives of 80 and 63 yards. Until that point, Woodberry’s defense dominated. On the night, St. Christopher’s had more rushing attempts than yards, clocking in with 21 yards on 32 carries.
The return of Carlson Milikin from a nagging hamstring injury helped spur the defensive performance as Milikin locked up against Blair Farinholt, a rivalry built on the lacrosse field between the two All-State midfielders. Farinholt, who was a second team all-state wideout in 2010 as a junior, finished with a single catch for 13 yards.
“I definitely voiced my opinion, that I wanted to guard him the whole game and Alexander let me do that,” Milikin said. “My hammy felt great and so it kind of just let me do my thing.”
Milikin also made a big play behind the line in the third quarter when he read a St. Chris run play because of motion by the wideout he’d lined up against. Milikin promptly flew in and stuffed the tailback on a dive immediately after a handoff.
Woodberry’s offense got the job done with an efficient effort. The ground game piled up 171 yards and three touchdowns split between four ball carriers. McMath had 59 total yards with the majority coming on a slick zone read keeper where he ripped off a 37-yard sprint up the sideline four a back-breaking fourth quarter touchdown immediately after St. Chris got going with the 80-yard drive.
“He actually called that quarterback ride and read himself,” said Woodberry coach Clint Alexander. “He said ‘it’s there, they’re really crashing inside, I know if I pull it I’ll get there’. He did it three times and obviously the last time for a touchdown.”
Jack Sewell set up that McMath score with the heavy lifting early on that short drive. Sewell had six carries for 26 yards on the march and finished with 49 yards on the night.
C.J. Prosise got the scoring started for the Tigers with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown, his fifth total return touchdown on the year.
Woodberry has a pair of games left on the schedule. They’ll host Fork Union Friday at 3 p.m. before the November 12 clash with archrival Episcopal.
