Woodward Academy is providing, perhaps, the best illustration of blessings sometimes coming in disguise.
When star running back Elijah Holyfield went down two games into a 2-0 season, no one knew how an offense led by a first-time starter at quarterback, junior Ryan Glover, would respond. Ten games and 10 wins later, everyone knows now.
Glover once again led an impressive offensive effort by the War Eagles (12-0), and the defense bowed its neck when it had to against an explosive outfit from Spalding (10-2), as Woodward moved into the Class AAAA quarterfinals with a 48-21 win, Friday at Colquitt Stadium in College Park. Woodward, the No. 1 seed from Region 5, will host Marist (10-2), the No. 2 seed from Region 6, on Black Friday. Marist advanced by going on the road and defeating Mary Persons (11-1, No. 1 seed from Region 2) in Forsyth, 45-21.
Glover ran for a touchdown and threw for three more scores, two to speedy junior Joshua Johnson and one to senior Jacob Robertson. Holyfield, who appears to be back to near 100 percent, scored two touchdowns on runs of five and 15 yards.
As the UGA-commit sat out five games early in the season, more of the onus to produce points was placed on Glover’s shoulders.
“I hate that happened to Elijah, but it did make our quarterback have to grow up a little quicker,” said Woodward head coach John Hunt. “It made us work on other ways to score points.”
Glover agreed, noting that the War Eagle passing game improved immensely during Holyfield’s absence.
“Without a big time threat like Elijah, it helped motivate us to get better in the passing game, and we’ve become a lot more confident in it,” Glover said.
That confidence was evident from the outset, as Woodward moved the ball downfield on the first possession of the game, utilizing Holyfield and a short passing game. Holyfield would eventually skip around the right side from the five-yard line for a touchdown, but Cole Schreiner’s point after attempt banged off the right upright to keep the score 6-0.
Spalding took over at its 20 yard line after a touchback, and proceeded to drive the length of the field as well, as junior quarterback Naricuss Driver Jr. led the Jaguars’ zone-read spread attack. But the War Eagle defense stiffened and on third-and-goal from the six-yard line, Driver fumbled a high shotgun snap and Woodward senior linebacker Max Richardson busted through the middle of the line, scooped up the ball and rumbled 95 yards for a touchdown to make the score 13-0.
Spaulding went right back to work as Deaundre Alford returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Woodward 49-yard line. Again the Jaguars moved inside the War Eagle five-yard line, and again came away with nothing. This time, Woodward’s defense – led led by Richardson, junior linebacker Terry Myrick, junior safety Darien Wiggins and sophomore linebacker KJ Phillips – shut the door on four consecutive running plays to turn the ball over on downs.
Glover then led the War Eagles on a 99-yard march, capping it with a one-yard touchdown run to push the Woodward lead to 20-0 midway through the second quarter.
Spalding flexed its quick strike capability on its next possession when Driver Jr. pulled a zone read handoff and instead hit Deaundre Alford in stride on a quick slant and the senior raced 69 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 20-7 at halftime.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Spalding on the way the kept converting on third down,” Hunt said. “I think the only time we stopped them on third down was when they got down inside our 10 yard line. But I’m proud of the way we didn’t panic down there.”
“The missed opportunities killed us,” said Spalding head coach Nick Davis. “The way we moved the ball we felt like we should have been up 21-7 at halftime. But we gave up big plays, fumbled the ball away. Woodward made the plays and we didn’t.”
The Jaguars gave up another big play early in the third quarter when on the second play of Woodward’s first possession, Glover hit junior Joshua Johnson with a dart on a skinny post down the near seam for a 36-yard touchdown to push the War Eagle lead to 27-7.
But Spaulding wouldn’t go quietly. On the second play of the Jaguars’ ensuing possession Driver Jr. took advantage of a busted coverage when he scrambled to his right and found Nautica Watson streaking alone down the near sideline for a 79-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 27-14. The Jaguars then recovered an onside kick at the Woodward 42-yard line. Eight plays later, Driver Jr. pulled a read option handoff and darted around the left side for a seven-yard touchdown to pull Spalding to within a touchdown at 27-21 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter.
But that’s as close as the Jaguars would get. Spalding failed to recover a second consecutive onside kick, and two plays into Woodward ensuing drive, Glover again found Johnson on a seam route, and he outran the Spalding secondary into the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown and a 34-21 lead.
The War Eagle would tack on two fourth quarter touchdowns, aided by interceptions by junior safety JR Price and senior cornerback Antone Williams, to finally put the game away.
While the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Spalding, ending the Jaguars’ best season since 2003, Davis said he was proud of his team, particularly the 14 seniors who suffered through a combined record of 3-16-1 in their first two seasons under Davis’ leadership. Now, they have tipped the balance of high school football power in Spalding County away from Griffin, Davis’s alma mater, after defeating the Bears for the first time in history earlier this season.
“I can’t say enough about those guys,” Davis said. “They stuck with us and never wavered and you saw the kind of fight and leadership they provided tonight. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
Now Woodward will prepare for Marist’s vaunted triple option ground attack, which will seek to sustain long drives and keep Holyfield, Glover and company on the sideline.
“They and St. Pius are the best there is at running that offense,” Hunt said. The War Eagles defeated St. Pius, 36-29 in double overtime, in the second game of the season. Holyfield injured his foot in the win. “Hopefully, the fact that we face St. Pius on a pretty regular basis will help us prepare.”
Spaulding 0 7 14 0 21
Woodward Academy 13 7 14 14 48
W – Elijah Holyfield 5 run (kick failed)
W – Max Richardson 95 fumble return (Cole Schreiner kick)
W – Ryan Glover 1 run (Schreiner kick)
S – Deaundre Alford 69 pass from Naricuss Driver Jr. (Trey Gregory kick)
W – Joshua Johnson 36 pass from Glover (Schreiner kick)
S – Nautica Watson 79 pass from Driver Jr. (Gregory kick)
S – Driver Jr. 7 run (Gregory kick)
W – Johnson 48 pass from Glover (Schreiner kick)
W – Holyfield 15 run (Schreiner kick)
W – Jacob Robertson 17 pass from Glover (Schreiner kick)
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