Warrior football team wins first district contest
Staff writer
District play opened for the PBHS Warriors at home Friday. The team claimed victory over the Chase County Bulldogs, 48-16. Now 5-2, the PBHS squad travels to Yates Center for the second game of district competition.
The Warriors opened the game kicking off to the Bulldogs. Brandon Pickens stopped the return man at the Chase County 15. PBHS defensive stops by Adam Benson, Trevor Hamm, Nathan Bishop, Ben Eldridge, and Derrick Simmonds forced a Bulldog punt. Simmonds blocked the punt and Warrior offense took the field at the Chase County 43.
Run by Todd Woodruff and Hamm combined for a new first down. On first and 10 from the Bulldog 34, Woodruff took to the right side covering 34 yards for the Warrior score. Will Pratt added the PAT and the PBHS team took the early lead 7-0 with a 8:17 on the clock.
Coverage on the kick-off stopped the Bulldogs at their own 21. Jason Unruh, Sean Corona, and Bishop were in on the stop. Warrior defense held off the Bulldogs with tackles by Pickens, Benson, and Simmonds and a sack by Pratt to force a punt on fourth and 24.
Warrior offense started at their own 13-yard line. Simmonds, Bishop, and Woodruff all ran the ball, but the Warriors offense stalled on fourth and three at the 20. Pratt faked the punt and advanced the ball to the Warrior 46. Bishop wove his way through the Bulldog defense to earn a new set of downs. Woodruff scored on the next play on a run from the Bulldog 26. Pratt added the extra point and with 2:21 left in the first quarter, the Warrior lead was 14-0.
The Bulldog air game and Warrior penalties aided Chase County to their first score of the game. At the 10 minute mark of the second quarter, Chase County added a touchdown and a two point conversion to cut the Warrior lead to 14-8.
The next Warrior score came with less than seven minutes left in the half. Hamm followed tough PBHS blocking 26 yards to set up first and 10 at the Chase County 36. A false start penalty put the Warriors back at the 41. Woodruff blazed a trail through middle of the Bulldog defense. After the assessment of a Chase County face mask penalty, PBHS set up for first and goal at the two. Simmonds took the snap and earned the touchdown on a QB sneak. Pratt added the PAT and the Warrior lead increased, 21-8.
Woodruff, Jordon Foth, and Unruh stopped the Bulldogs at their own 25 on the kick-off. Hamm, Eric Dutton, and Bishop recorded tackles. Simmonds came up with a third down interception and ran the ball 51 years on the return to the end zone for the score. Pratt added the extra point. The Warrior lead was 28-8 with 4:43 left in the half.
Warrior defense held the Bulldogs for the reminder of the half. Stops by Anthony Jones, Dutton, Andrew Loucks, Benson, Eldridge, and Hamm kept Chase County out of the end zone.
The opening kick-off of the second half gave the special team highlights with blocking that allowed Woodruff to return the ball all the way to the end zone. The kick was unsuccessful and the Warrior lead was 34-8 just seconds into the second half.
Chase County moved the ball on the next series. Big stops by Woodruff, Simmonds, Benson, Eldridge, Nick Abramowich, Cole Welsh, Bishop, Pratt, and Hamm forced the Bulldogs to turnover the ball on downs deep in Warrior territory.
Starting at their own 13-yard line, the Warriors again ran the ball. Hamm, Bishop, and Woodruff moved the ball to the Warrior 42. Woodruff took off on the next play for the end zone. Pratt added the extra point. The Warrior lead grew to 41-8 with 2:11 left in the third.
Within a minute, a Chase County fumble, recovered by Bishop at the Bulldog 24, set up the next Warrior score. Hamm scampered to the right of the line for the touchdown. Pratt added one and the PBHS lead was 48-8 late in the third quarter.
With the big lead, the Warrior line-up changed and the reserves put in a quality fourth quarter. Tackles were recorded by Pickens, Christopher Brooks, Henry Hammann, Jacob Simmonds, and Thomas McGee
The Bulldogs added two fourth quarter scores to the total. The final favored the Warriors, 48-22.
Woodruff had nine carried for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Hamm was seven for 70 yards and one touchdown. Bishop had nine carries for 38 yards. Pratt had one run for 26 yards. Pickens was three for 12. Simmonds was four for five and one touchdown.
Benson had one interception. Simmonds had one interception for a touchdown and seven tackles. Other tackles includes: Pratt 11, Dutton 8, Pickens and Simmonds 7, Bishop and Corona 6, Woodruff 5, Eldridge 6, Brooks and Benson 5, Hamm and Abramowish 3, Hammann and J. Simmonds 2, Jones, Foth, Welsh, McGee and Loucks 1.
