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Woodberry falls in overtime

WOODBERRY — There’s no beating around the bush. To lose in overtime is twice as painful as losing in regulation, and when the loss snaps an unbeaten streak dating back to last October, it’s that much more agonizing.

It looked as though Woodberry Forest had things under control at home against a rugged, tough Landon team as the Tigers were up by seven points with five minutes to play. However, something clicked for the Bears offense a little more than midway through the fourth quarter, and Landon was able to tie the game up on a long drive, score on their possession in overtime, and force a turnover on downs during Woodberry’s possession to win on Saturday afternoon, 28-21.

“In my years here with this school, I told my kids, I don’t remember a win as exciting as this one,” said Landon coach Rob Bordley. “We haven’t scored a lot of points this year and so for us to score 21 in regulation and the 7 in overtime, it felt pretty good.”

No team ever led by more than seven points and both teams entered the second half in a tie, but Woodberry found a way to break the deadlock after making a huge play on special teams. On the opening kickoff of the second half Bears return man Delonte Wellington looked like he was going to take the kick all the way for a touchdown when out of nowhere Tyler Houston showed up and managed to strip the ball loose and swing the momentum back in his team’s favor.

“I thought Tyler Houston made the biggest play of our season right there,” said Tigers coach Clint Alexander. “To run down there and strip that ball – (Wellington) returned one last week and he’s a big, huge runningback — that was such a big play. Unbelievable.”

The Tigers were all about the big play on offense. Save for their second touchdown which came on a lengthy drive capped by a Robert Spillman 1-run yard late in the third quater, it was a heavy dose of Ade Oyalowo. The senior playmaker didn’t carry the ball often on offense, but managed to post two long touchdown runs of 89-yards and 66-yards.

Landon runningback Andrew Wells tied the game up on a 12-yard run with 1:54 play to force overtime. In overtime, it was Wellington who wound up finding the back of the endzone on a 4-yard run on third down. Woodberry struggled to move the ball in the extended period, and on the one play that looked like Woodberry might score, a sweep to the left side of  the field, the Tigers wound up fumbling and falling down on the ball for a loss. Woodberry was unable to complete a pass into the endzone on fourth down and that wrapped the win up for the Bears (5-1).

While the loss was difficult for players to wrap their heads around, there is still plenty of football left to be played according to Alexander.

”I still love these kids the same as before the game,” Alexander said. “With the opponents we play there is no margin for error. Last year we were the only team to beat Landon and we knew they were a tough team coming in and they had an offense to stop. I told (the team after the game) to get back on dorm and continue to be the great men they’ve been all year. They’ve been great, they do everything we ask, and we’ll rally.”

It is the first time Woodberry (4-1) has lost since they fell on the road to Fork Union last year, also in overtime. The Tigers will get a chance to bounce back from their first loss of the season on Saturday when the travel to Benedictine at 2 p.m.

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