With his team trailing 10-0, at halftime, at home, on Homecoming weekend, after turning the ball over three times in the first two quarters, you might think Woodward Academy head coach John Hunt ripped into his team in the locker room.
But he didn’t. Instead, he took the opposite approach.
“I told them to calm down, settle down,” Hunt said. “Not like their coach.”
The War Eagles (5-0), ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA, did just that. The offense put up 20 points in the second half, and didn’t turn the ball over again, while the defense remained stout and pitched a shutout to lead Woodward to a 20-10 win over a gutsy squad from Eagle’s Landing Christian (3-3), ranked No. 3 in Class A.
Midway through the second quarter after a 17-yard run by Woodward’s Kobe Sandel was negated by a holding call, Hunt called timeout, called the officials to the sideline and let them have it. He said it was not a ploy to fire his team up.
“No, I was really upset. I had had enough at that point,” said Hunt, who saw a 56-yard touchdown pass called back for an illegal shift, earlier in the second quarter. “We have to do something about this officiating organization. I wouldn’t say it’s inconsistency because the calls always seem to go against us.”
Still, Hunt took the blame for his team’s inability to score in the first half.
“I put my quarterback in some bad situations,” Hunt said of junior Ryan Glover. “This is his first year starting and I put too much pressure on him.”
In the second half, Woodward went with more power sets and it paid off, but not before ELCA’s defense stoned the War Eagles on three downs inside the Chargers’ 2-yard line early in the third quarter.
But the goal line stand just delayed the inevitable as Woodward’s defense forced a three-and-out, and took over at the ELCA 35-yard line after a short punt. Six plays into the ensuing drive, Glover hooked up with fullback Stephen Witmer on a middle screen, and the senior barreled into the end zone to cut the Charger lead to 10-7, after Martin Rodriguez’s point after kick, at the end of the third quarter.
ELCA pinned the War Eagles inside their 10-yard line on the next possession, but on the second play from scrimmage Glover lofted a perfect deep ball to Jacob Robertson down the near sideline for an 89-yard pitch and catch. Rodriguez missed the PAT but the War Eagles had claimed the lead for good.
After forcing the Chargers to punt on the ensuing possession, Woodward took over at its 31-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Sandel broke off tackle on the right side of the line, stepped out of the grasp of an ELCA defender and raced 69-yards for the final points of the night. Woodward’s defense punctuated the win by matching ELCA’s goal line stand late in the fourth quarter, when the War Eagle defense stuffed Charger ball carriers on four attempts from inside the 3-yard line.
Early in the first half, Woodward moved the ball well, mixing zone read runs by Glover and quick passes to receivers Josh Johnson and Antone Williams. The War Eagles drove inside the ELCA 10-yard line with just seconds left to play in the first quarter. On third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, sophomore defensive back Tre Douglas stepped in front of a quick out intended for Johnson and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Alex Usry point after kick gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead.
ELCA took advantage of another Woodward miscue to pad their lead, midway through the second quarter. A bad snap to Rodriguez, and his subsequent failed pass attempt resulted in an intentional grounding penalty that gave the Chargers possession on the Woodward 18-yard line. But the War Eagle defense stiffened and ELCA settled for a 39-yard field goal by Usry for a 10-0 lead.
The War Eagles were able to flip the field late in the quarter and took possession on the ELCA 40-yard line after the Chargers were forced to punt out of their end zone. But on the first play from scrimmage senior Dalton Hardeman pulled off the defensive trifecta – a sack, strip and fumble recovery at the ELCA 42-yard line, keeping Woodward scoreless for the first half.
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy 7 3 0 0 10
Woodward Academy 0 0 7 13 20
ELCA – Tre Douglas 99 interception return (Alex Usry kick)
ELCA – Usry 39 fg
WA – Stephen Witmer 10 pass from Ryan Glover (Martin Rodriquez kick)
WA – Jacob Robertson 89 pass from Glover (kick failed)
WA – Kobe Sandel 69 run (Rodruquez kick)
