When you’ve won a rivalry game six times in a row, losing in that matchup can really only register as one emotion.
“It’s really hard…it’s just kind of a shock at the moment,” said Woodberry Forest senior Nathaniel Tyrell. “I guess we didn’t come out as strong…they deserved to win, they shut us out on offense.”
Episcopal put together a tremendous defensive performance to beat Woodberry 28-17 and end six years of disappointment at the hands of the Tigers in the 114th edition of The Game. The Maroon had to overcome a 10-0 deficit at halftime to pull off the win, scoring four touchdowns in the second half.
“I don’t think there was ever any doubt in our kids’ minds,” said Episcopal coach Panos Voulgaris. “Their confidence was through the roof and we knew defensively we could do some things and they made plays.”
The Maroon put together a fantastic defensive effort, limiting Woodberry’s offense 57 rushing yards as an uncharacteristically rough season on the ground, caused in part by an injury to star tailback H.T. Minor, finally caught up to the Tigers. Minor returned for this game, but was held to 20 yards on seven carries.
“We had a hard time with the fact that they’re just bigger than us,” said Woodberry coach Clint Alexander. “I think we were starting to get worn down (in the second half) and it just started to take its toll on us. That’s how this rivalry goes, you’re not going to beat these guys forever.”
On the flip side, the Tigers struggled to stop the run on defense, stumbling against Episcopal’s mauling offensive line, slippery quarterback Seth Agwunobi and tailback Eric Smith. That tandem made one key play after another in second half, whether it was Agwunobi picking up a first down on a keeper or hitting Timmy Phillips for a touchdown or a key gain or Smith bursting through the heart of the Woodberry defense for big yardage.
Agwunobi, a freshman, didn’t seem at all rattled by the intensity of the environment that’s standard issue for “The Game.”
“He doesn’t play like a freshman, he’s pretty special,” Voulgaris said. “He doesn’t play like he’s nervous, he’s got poise.”
Phillips was huge for the Maroon too, converting a fake punt and scoring a touchdown for Episcopal in the second half.
“He’s tremendous, both sides of the ball and special teams, he does it all,” Voulgaris said.
Woodberry couldn’t seem to find a rhythm in the second half after a fumble in the opening seconds of the third quarter set the stage for a quick Episcopal touchdown. Only Nathaniel Tyrell’s 90-yard kickoff return, his second return of the game for a score after he took a punt 83 yards to the house in the first half, served to put the Tigers on the scoreboard as Episcopal rang up all 28 of their points after the break.
“Suddenly they started having some success and we needed to get some first downs and get (the defense) off the field a little bit and that stuff adds up when you’re giving up 100 pounds,” Alexander said.
The backbreaker came when Agwunobi hit Brian Chase for a 58-yard touchdown on a double move down the seam with 7:49 to play.
Hardin Lucas had a solid game at outside linebacker for the Tigers, disrupting a number of plays in the backfield by the Maroon. On offense, senior Nate Ingram finished with five catches for 82 yards and junior Zach Roderick went for 44 yards on six receptions.
Woodberry finishes the season at 7-1 and as the Prep League champions, their second-straight league title. But that title and campaign are just a little bittersweet now.
“I think they’d wish to lose any other game than this one and obviously you watch them storm the field it means a lot for them to finally get us again,” Alexander said. “The one thing you didn’t want to do is let them start believing they could win and once they did it made it a little tougher on us.”
