Victory, title make undefeated Washington team of Century
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington’s Caleb Jackson breaks past McGuffey’s Thomas Sells and advances a punt return 30 yards at the end of the first period in Friday’s game at McGuffey.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey’s Nate Yagle is met at the line by a Washington defender in last year’s Century Conference game. Yagle is one of many returning starters for McGuffey, who will open the season tonight at home against Washington.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Prexies quarterback Zack Swartz keeps the ball and slips past McGuffey’s Dylan McCuen for a first down in the first quarter of Friday night’s game at McGuffey.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Caleb Jackson is lifted in celebration after opening the scoring for Washington in Friday’s game against McGuffey.
CLAYSVILLE – Two weeks ago, McGuffey head football coach Ed Dalton said his team controlled its own fate in regards to the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs.
At the time, the Highlanders were undefeated and in the driver’s seat as far as both the Century Conference race and playoff seeding.
Now, Dalton has to find a way to retool and refocus his team after consecutive losses to end the regular season, one to undefeated Avonworth and one Friday night to visiting Washington, when the Prexies clinched the Century Conference title with a 36-14 victory.
“I think we were kind of playing with house money,” said Dalton. “I mean, we were playing for a championship. It was a five-, six-play swing. Give them credit. That’s why their banner is full.”
And this one might be tough to overcome. McGuffey trailed 14-0 at halftime, but battled back to tie the score in the first six minutes of the third quarter before Washington stepped back on the gas pedal over the last 13 minutes to pull away for the victory.
In a way, it was business as usual for Washington, which finished yet another undefeated regular season, its 15th in school history, and won its sixth-straight conference championship, and a great deal of this one was thanks to senior wide receiver Caleb Jackson.
“I didn’t really think about six straight,” said Washington coach Mike Bosnic. “It’s a great feeling. We’re proud of that.”
Jackson starred in the first half, hauling in five catches for 105 yards with two touchdowns. Entering the game, he had only 16 catches for 304 yards and five touchdowns on the season, with four receptions in one game being his season high.
“He saw me open and threw it,” Jackson said.
Jackson later threw a touchdown pass of 28 yards to Zahmere Robinson on a reverse option play to put the game away. It was a play Jackson said they’ve been practicing all season.
“I was a little nervous at first throwing it, but it all went good,” said Jackson. “I was excited.”
“Just a real nice athlete,” Bosnic added. “He’s stepped up and got even better. Terrific football player for us.”
But it wasn’t all glory for Washington (7-0, 10-0). A pair of turnovers, a misplay on the opening kickoff that allowed McGuffey to take possession, and perhaps most importantly, an injury to starting center Gerald Comedy that resulted in a slew of bad snaps are all problems Bosnic will need to fix before the playoffs begin next week.
“We’ve got to clean some things up,” he said. “We put the defense in a bad spot a couple of times, but did a really great job of stopping them.”
There was no word on the severity of Comedy’s injury.
It was a bad snap that helped the Highlanders (6-1, 8-2) tie the score. After driving for its first touchdown to begin the third quarter, McGuffey took possession at the Washington 15-yard line after a poor snap on a fourth-down punt attempt by the Prexies. Marshall Whipkey threw a jump ball that CJ Cole, who threw a touchdown earlier in the game, came down with, and the score was knotted up at 14-14.
Then Washington survived some adversity. Facing a third and 10, the Prexies converted a 35-yard pass play to Brandon Patterson. Two plays later, an odd call went against Washington as Zack Swartz, after yet another bad snap, threw a pass at the feet of running back Chance Cohen, but after some discussion, the officials ruled it intentional grounding.
Bosnic said the officials determined it was thrown to an offensive lineman, not an eligible receiver.
That made it third and 28, but Swartz (180 yards passing) responded with a 40-yard strike to Robinson. Four plays later, Cohen scored from five yards and the Prexies went ahead to stay.
“It was 14-all, third and 29,” Dalton said. “My God. Tie ball, they get it. Tie ball, they get it. We recover a fumble and go the wrong way on a couple plays because we were a little edged up.”
An interception two plays from scrimmage later for Washington, and Cohen scored again, this time from 17 yards. Later came Jackson’s touchdown pass, and it was too much for McGuffey to overcome.
“We made physical errors, but we made too many mental errors to compete with a team like that,” Dalton said. “But we’re in a 16-team tournament starting next week, and we’ve got to win three games to get to the finals, and we’ve got a home one to start.”