Yellow Jackets look to go 3-0 against Pike Co Central

Senior Corey Shelton catches a touchdown pass in Saturday’s game with the South Laurel Cardinals.

The Williamsburg Yellow Jackets moved to 2-0 on the season Saturday evening when they dominated game one of the 2014 Cumberland Valley Bank Bowl against the South Laurel Cardinals (0-1), winning by a final score of 44-7.

A fumble on South Laurel’s first possession of the game was recovered by the Jackets and converted into points when senior quarterback Skyler Griffith threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Chase Lowrie on first down. After Brently Patrick added on the extra point, Williamsburg had taken a 7-0 lead.

That lead was extended to 14-0 with 7:25 left in the first quarter after another Cardinal fumble was recovered by the Jackets, this time on the South Laurel 12-yard-line. Senior running back Fred Massey then carried the ball into the end zone on first down, and Patrick added on another kick.

The Williamsburg defensive unit continued their stellar play, forcing a turnover on downs on the net South Laurel possession, and when the Jackets got the ball back it took three plays before they were back in the end zone, this time via a Griffith pass to freshman tight end Darrell White, who went 30 yards to pay dirt. Patrick’s extra point made it 21-0 with 2:33 left in the first quarter.

Griffith hooked up with senior wide receiver Corey Shelton at the 5:49 mark in the second quarter with a 21-yard touchdown pass. Patrick was good again with the kick, and Williamsburg had taken the 28-0 lead.

Massey crossed the goal line again from three yards out with 14 seconds left in the half, and after one more Patrick kick the Yellow Jackets had taken a 35-0 lead, all but ending the game before the third quarter had even begun.

They still were not done, however, with Griffith finding Shelton for another score in the third, plus another Patrick extra point. The Jackets defense also recorded a safety. South did score once before the final whistle sounded, but by then it was far too little and far too late as the Jackets went on to win by a final score of 44-7.

Williamsburg now looks ahead to Friday night, when they will host Pike County Central (1-0) at Rose-Stanfill Stadium. Head Coach Jerry Herron and company traveled to Pike Central last year and won by a score of 48-26, but he is expecting a tough test when the Hawks come to town this week.

In a postgame interview after the game against South Laurel, Herron said, “Pike Central is a good team. They just beat Somerset 45-34, so they’re looking pretty strong. They like to spread the field and throw the ball a lot, so it’s good that we were able to get some work in against that type of an offense here against South tonight.”

Kickoff for the game between the Yellow Jackets and the Hawks is set for 7:30 at Williamsburg High School.

Williamsburg 44, South Laurel – 7

WB – 21  14   9   0  –  44

SL –   0    0    0   7  –    7

WB – Chase Lowrie 32 pass from Skyler Griffith (Brently Patrick kick)

WB – Fred Massey 12 run (Patrick kick)

WB – Darrell White 30 pass from Griffith (Patrick kick)

WB – Corey Shelton 21 pass from Griffith (Patrick kick)

WB – Massey 3 run (Patrick kick)

WB – Shelton pass from Griffith (Patrick kick)

WB – Safety

SL – Jared Grubb pass from Jonathan Jenkins (Jenkins kick)

Quarterback Skyler Griffith runs over some Cardinal defenders on his way for a big gain.

Photos by TREVOR SHERMAN