Woodberry Forest has been intent on winning a Prep League Championship from day one this year. Even parents in the stands were chanting “Restore the Order”, the squad’s rallying cry all year that referred to the 2012 season where Fork Union beat the Tigers for the title.
Against the Blue Devils Friday, the Tigers left little to chance, rolling 51-10 over FUMA in a game that three straight special teams and defensive touchdowns in a span of 46 seconds blew wide open.
“The fake punt (that Greer Martini executed for a 31-yard pickup) and the punt return were huge plays and then the situational awareness to not stop because they didn’t hear a whistle — and not just tackle him but strip it and score was big,” said Woodberry coach Clint Alexander. “It was certainly a big tipping point because (FUMA) has some special players who can score on any play.”
With the Tigers leading 7-3 after a FUMA field goal and a Zack Roderick touchdown catch from Hunter Etheridge, Nathaniel Tyrell got that critical stretch going with a 45-yard punt return for a touchdown. Then, on the next play, Duke Sherrell picked up a stripped ball that Fork Union clearly though was being ruled an incomplete swing pass. Sherrell sprinted in from 18 yards out to end the first quarter.
Then to cap the 21-point run, Isaiah Brown struck with a fumble recovery for a touchdown of his own.
“(FUMA’s quarterback) was handing it off on the option and reading me so at the last second he decided I wasn’t going to bite and tried to hand it off,” Brown said. “The ball just fell, (and it was) scoop and score.”
The Tigers’ offense looked to control the clock from there, and power back James Hewell pounded a score in from nine yards out as Woodberry started to settle in, but after a Fork Union touchdown toss from Sam Allen to Juwan Miller-Rollins just before halftime for 52 yards, the Tigers opened things back up for a play as Etheridge hit Christian Asher in stride for a 53-yard touchdown pass as time expired. The toss capped a 24-point second quarter from the Tigers and gave them a 45-10 lead at the break.
The Tigers’ defense held the Fork Union run game in check, limiting the Blue Devils to 104 yards on 35 carries. Rashon Torrence had 100 yards on 13 carries, but he had to fight for nearly every single one of those.
“We just knew their quarterback (Sam Allen) was really elusive we knew their running back (Torrence) when he got in the open space he was really dangerous,” Brown said. “We just had to come together and play the same defense we’ve been playing all year, plain and simple.”
The Tigers’ offense didn’t have to do too much, leaning on the run game to eat clock throughout. H.T. Minor had 69 yards on 14 carries and Hewell finished with 58 yards on seven touches. Etheridge went 3 for 8 for 79 yards and the two touchdowns.
The first leg of the journey is now complete for the Tigers as they regain the Prep League title they lost last season. But Woodberry’s other one-game season looms now as they get ready this week to face archrival Episcopal on the road in Alexandria.
“I’ve given up trying to (downplay the Episcopal game),” Alexander said. “We’ve just got to make that we keep them focused and keep them improving because they’re a whole different challenge. They throw the ball very well, very athletic on defense, very big and fast up front and great backs. That’ll be a handful.”
The Tigers and Maroon lock up in Alexandria at 2 p.m. Saturday.
