EVHS wins a close one

By Jeff Say

Published: September 19, 2008

BERRYVILLE — Eastern View employed the “bend, don’t break” philosophy against Clarke County Friday night.

The Cyclones gave up 289 yards on the ground but only gave up one touchdown en route to a 12-7 victory against the Eagles (2-2).

“The object of the game is to score more than your opponent and keep them off the scoreboard,” EVHS head coach Greg Hatfield said.

The Cyclones (2-1) faced a two-headed running monster in sophomore quarterback Grant Shaw and junior running back Sam Shiley, but they only needed one back to do their damage – senior Stevie Strother.

Strother rushed for 182 yards on 20 carries, including a twisting, tackle-breaking 64-yard jaunt for a touchdown that was the difference in the game. EVHS trailed 7-6 to open the second half, but it only took the Cyclones and Strother two plays to take the lead.

Strother broke off left tackle and saw daylight, scampering 55 yards deep into Eagle territory. Just when he thought he was home free, he was caught from behind by Shaw. But Strother shrugged off the tackle and scored.

“Our offensive line was blocking great all night,” Strother said. “I figured I ran so far, I might as well score.”

From there, Eastern View’s defense stepped up. After giving up 164 yards in the first half, the front line hunkered down and only allowed one run more than 10 yards in the second half.

“I thought our defense got better as the game went on,” Hatfield said.

The secondary did their part as well, even if their role was limited. Shaw threw only four passes all night. One was completed, two were picked off.
EVHS’s only Achilles’ heel Friday was the penalty bug. The Cyclones set the tone by having three penalties in the first 10 seconds of their first offensive possession, and finished with 11 penalties for 95 yards.

“We need to come out and do a better job of fighting in the first quarter,” Hatfield said.

The victory marked EVHS’s first road win of the season, and it came against a team that is traditionally a powerhouse.

“You can’t get caught up in what classification someone is in,” Hatfield said. “That’s a good football team.”

Jeff Say can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 115 or at .