Oct 11, 2014 5 min read

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Washington’s 56-21 win last night was not an indictment against New Brighton. The Lions have a very strong football team that will likely get out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Payton Fath is a steady quarterback and Scott Florence has nice speed at running back. New Brighton also has a fairly strong offensive line and playmakers on the outside.

The Prexies (7-0) were just better. Plain and simple. The Lions scored on their first two possessions before Wash High forced a critical three-and-out. The offense took advantage when Malik Wells ran for a nine-yard score.

New Brighton took the lead on a touchdown run by Fath on the following drive, but Wash High answered once again with a nine play, 61-yard touchdown drive that senior quarterback Jonathan Spina capped with a four-yard touchdown run.

Wash High held the lead at halftime and with the Prexies getting the ball to start the second half. They went three-and-ouot on the openingd rive after a 54-yard kick return by wide receiver DeQuay Isbell and there was a feeling that the Lions could make the game interesting.

Just when everyone thought it would happen, Wash High’s defense came up with a critical stop. The pass defense was shaky Friday night and allowed Fath to put New Brighton in position to tie the game, but Florence was stopped for a one-yard loss on first down, a false start penalty put the Lions back to the Prexies’ 14-yard line, a run by Fath put the ball on the seven-yard line for fourth-and-goal, but his pass fell incomplete.

Wash High took over and four plays later, Isbell took a wide receiver reverse 57 yards for a touchdown. It was all Prexies from there. Spina intercepted Fath’s first pass of the next drive then found tight end Nate Swart for a five-yard score, running back Kurt Adkins scored on a 19-yard run and Lyle Webb added a 16-yard touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.

It was the statement win Wash High wanted. New Brighton came back to defeat Beaver Area in Week 4, which beat Beaver Falls 35 points. The Lions could match the Prexies’ speed, but they didn’t stand a chance up front.

“We felt physically, we were dominating up front,” Wash High head coach Mike Bosnic said. “I’m really proud of our offensive line. They dominated the football game. We wanted them to continue to do that. We knew (New Brighton) would make some adjustments at halftime. We made a few. We told the kids to come out and reassert our physical dominance and they did that.”

Running the ball was too easy. Wells finished with 146 yards on 16 carries, Adkins came close to 100 yards on five carries, Isbell had 55 yards on two carries and West had 56 yards on five carries.

New Brighton was so preoccupied keying on the inside run that they got gashed on the outside. It helped having the offensive line looking strong and athletic. Wells took several toss plays and gained yards after contact.

West may not have put up big yards, but his impact cannot be understated. With him lining up at fullback, the Lions had to account for the inside run. West is strong enough in pass protection to play the position and brings speed as a fullback that most teams have trouble defending. Wells and West complement each other perfectly.

West’s 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter pulled Wash High to within one point after the two-point conversion failed. It’s going to be too tough for teams to defend the Prexies. Isbell added a new dimension to the offense this season. Not only does he have speed downfield, but he has become a polished receiver.

Bosnic and his staff have found new ways to get him involved, which throws teams off. Spina has been extremely effective at quarterback. If the defense improves, look out for Wash High.

Here are a few other notes on Wash High’s win:

•The pass defense has to be a concern. Wash High is simply allowing too many big plays. In the second quarter, Isbell bit on a play-action fake and Fath hit wide receiver Blaine Williams for a 26-yard touchdown to take the lead.

Defense is still a work in progress for Isbell and he will only improve. His impact on special teams and offense is impeccable. I also like the addition of Spina at the other corner spot. He made a few nice tackles and came up with the critical third-quarter interception.

•Wells continues to state his case as a legitimate Division I prospect. Not only is he gaining chunks of yards on the ground with a downhill running style, but his play on defense has been solid.

He’s great in pass coverage and has been a big part of Wash High’s stout run defense.

“Malik Wells continues to play great for us on offense and defense,” Bosnic said. “He made some terrific runs and even when he doesn’t have the best holes to run through, he continues to run extremely hard and make things happen.”

•The Prexies have Southmoreland next week, followed up by a road game against McGuffey. The schedule set Wash High up nicely this season. There weren’t any long stretches of easy games and the non-conference game was a nice test.

The Scotties have a solid offensive line and a talented running back. We all know how big the Week 9 game against the Highlanders is going to be. McGuffey badly wants that win. The Highlanders have been hearing all about Wash High since midget football. Spoiling a perfect regular season would give them bragging rights and respect from the seeding committee.

That’s the game of the week to finish the regular season.