CHARMCO — For very different reasons, Fayetteville and Greenbrier West now play the waiting game.
Class A No. 9 Fayetteville held on for dear life, defeating Greenbrier West 24-22 Friday night in both teams’ regular season finales. The Pirates won despite being shut out and shut down in the second half.
Fayetteville (8-2) is on the cusp of hosting a first-round playoff game. West (6-4), meanwhile, was 16th in Class AA and suffered a blow to its postseason hopes.
“It looks gloomy now, but we’re not giving up hope,” Cavaliers coach Lewis McClung said. “There are four or five things we need to happen.”
The Pirates dominated the first half behind a strong running game and a passing attack that came up with two big plays. Chris Hill scored on a 3-yard run, one play after a 42-yard gain by Drew Weis.
Weis, who finished with 132 yards, added a 1-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, senior quarterback MichaelAngelo Hernandez hooked up with his brother Hunter Hernandez for touchdowns of 19 and 80 yards. The 80-yard TD came on third-and-13.
Hunter took a screen pass and got away from three tackles to score.
The second half was a different story.
The Pirates couldn’t get anything going on offense after halftime. They managed just 70 total yards, and MichaelAngelo Hernandez threw six straight incompletions.
“Offensively we just could not move the ball in the second half,” Fayetteville coach Frank Spangler said. “We couldn’t get our passing game going. We had some drops and we were a little off in our timing.”
A fumble recovery by the Cavs’ Brandon Smith set up Dylan Trout’s 53-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Janeek Wiggan’s two-point conversion made it 24-22 with 9:35 to play in the quarter.
The Cavaliers changed things up in the second half after finding success with the option attack in the first. Jabez Fleming and Trout got the bulk of the carries.
“We went to more of a power attack,” McClung said.
“Greenbrier West is a very good football team,” Spangler said. “They whipped our tails on the line of scrimmage.”
Fayetteville made two big plays in the second half. An interception by Brent Conley at the Fayetteville 18 killed a Greenbrier West drive. The Pirates also stopped the Cavaliers on fourth-and-11 with 1:15 to play to preserve the win.
Both teams now have a week off before the playoffs begin Nov. 13-14.
“We’re not going to worry about (hosting a game),” Spangler said. “If it happens it happens, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t.”
— E-mail: gfauber@
register-herald.com
Fayetteville 24, Greenbrier West 22
F (8-2) 12 12 0 0 — 24
GW (6-4) 6 8 8 0 — 22
First Quarter
F: Hunter Hernandez 19 pass from MichaelAngelo Hernandez (kick blocked), 5:27.
GW: Janeek Wiggan 11 run (kick failed), 2:37.
F: Chris Hill 3 run (pass failed), :47.
Second Quarter
F: H. Hernandez 80 pass from M. Hernandez (run failed), 9:13.
GW: Wiggan 23 pass from Chase Fitzwater (Cameron McQuain pass from Fitzwater), 2:55.
F: Drew Weis 1 run (pass failed), 1:03.
Third Quarter
GW: Dylan Trout 53 run (Wiggan run), 9:35.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — F: Weis 18-132, Caleb O’Neal 7-46, Hill 5-19, M. Hernandez 1-5. GW: Trout 14-116, Jabez Fleming 11-83, Fitzwater 12-36, Wiggan 5-18, Nolan O’Neil 3-14.
PASSING — F: M. Hernandez 7-15-0-144-2. GW: Fitzwater 3-9-1-50-1.
RECEIVING — F: H. Hernandez 3-98, Hill 2-33, O’Neal 1-9, Weis 1-9. GW: Wiggan 2-30, McQuain 1-20.
TURNOVERS — F: Weis (FR), Brent Conley (INT). GW: Brandon Smith (FR).
Sports
Fayetteville edges past Greenbrier West 24-22
- Sports
-
-
Woodrow holds off Huntington
It took Woodrow Wilson’s boys basketball team nearly three quarters to figure out that the backside lob was open in Huntington High’s zone.
-
MSU hosts Rio Grande
For the first time since 1995, Mountain State stands a little past the half-way point at the season with five losses.
-
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WVU to join Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012. The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.
-
Friday update: Big East notified WVU leaving for Big 12
The Big East says it has been notified that West Virginia is leaving the conference and joining the Big 12.
-
Cardinals force Game 7 in World Series
After one of the greatest games in baseball history, a 10-9, 11-inning victory over Texas in Game 6 in which the Cardinals were twice within one strike of elimination.
-
Schiano sings WVU’s praises
It hasn’t been the year that Rutgers coach Greg Schiano envisioned.
Not close. -
BNI will usher in mat season
This time around, the Beckley Newspapers Invitational will have a decidedly more local flavor.
-
Huggs likes looks of young Noreen
Perhaps it was the season. Whatever it was, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins went straight to the pie.
Well, the figurative pie.
Huggins had just watched his team beat Virginia Military Institute 82-66 in front of 12,367 fans at the Charleston Civic Center Saturday. -
Oak Hill places 3 on AA
Whether it was opposing defenses or illness, nothing stopped Charleston Catholic’s Tom Trupo for long.
-
Spartans open with victory
Turnovers produce points and the Greenbrier East girls basketball team collected plenty of each en route to an 81-43 season-opening victory against Bluefield on Tuesday night.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Woodrow holds off Huntington







