For the last few years, the annual installment of the Woodberry/Episcopal rivalry has looked like a mismatch. This year was no exception as Woodberry had soundly beaten the two squads’ common opponents while Episcopal lost to both, but any football coach worth his salt knows to beware apparent mismatches in rivalry games.
Saturday though, Woodberry Forest left nothing to chance and never looked back, exploding for 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to build a 42-7 halftime lead that became a 56-13 victory in the 113th playing of The Game.
H.T. Minor ripped off a 41-yard touchdown, one of a slew of long scoring runs for the junior this year, less than two minutes into the contest. Episcopal answered to even the score at 7-7 on a Will Hollister touchdown pass, but from there it was all Tigers. Nate Ingram had a 52-yard catch for a touchdown from Hunter Etheridge near the end of the first quarter and the Tigers poured it on from there with Minor rushing for a 20-yard touchdown, Etheridge plunging in from a yard out, Trent Ragland catching a touchdown pass from Lindell Stone and Spencer Bibb scooping and scoring from 16-yards out for a fourth second quarter touchdown.
David Cornett added another fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the Woodberry defense while in the third Christian Asher hauled in a 60-yard touchdown catch from Etheridge that proved to be the final pass of his high school career. He went 7 for 7 in his prep finale for 162 yards and the two scoring tosses.
Minor finished with 95 yards and two touchdowns on just eight touches to lead the rushing attack. Five different receivers had catches, with Asher’s three receptions for 77 yards leading the way for the corps.
Woodberry’s seniors have never lost to Episcopal, a rare feat in a close, nip-and-tuck rivalry. It also ends their careers with a varsity program record of 31-7 in their four-year span at the school.
