#1 Big Reds Blank #3 Red Dragons 31-0 For 10-0 Regular Season Record

Charlie Taylor sloshed, slammed and sped his way to 221 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns to lead PHS to a 31-0 victory over host St. Albans on a wet and sloppy night at Crawford Field.

When high scoring, 1,000 yard rusher Matt Lindamood injured himself on the first play of the game, Taylor took it upon his broad shoulders to run over, around and away from the Red Dragon defense en route to a career-high rushing night. The 230 pound senior co-captain had touchdown runs of two and 80 yards and was named Metronews Player of the Week for his efforts.

Lindamood injured himself on the first play of the game but hung around long enough to score an early touchdown before calling it a night. The talented junior halfback is expected to be ready two play in two weeks when the playoffs begin.

Meanwhile, the PHS defense finally got its first shutout of the season after holding every opponent to one touchdown, or less, throughout the first nine games. Led by junior all-stater Josh Jenkins, the Big Red defensive unit held St. Albans to only five first downs (two of them by penalty), 15 yards rushing and only 22 yards passing. PHS came up with three fumble recoveries and one interception while 10 times forcing the Dragons into plays which lost a total of 43 yards.

The victory for the number one ranked Big Reds helped them achieve several notable accomplishments. In addition to ensuring they would be Mountain State Athletic Conference champions, it assured them of being the top ranked team in the final Class AAA ratings, thus giving them a home field throughout the playoffs until the finals. It was just the 11th perfect regular season in the 101 year history of the Big Reds' football program and only the eighth time a PHS team has went 10-0 (or better) during the regular season. They will find out who they play in the first round of the playoffs during a playoff meeting set for Nov. 5 at the WVSSAC office. It was also the first undefeated season for coach Bernie Buttrey.

"To be undefeated in this conference and the schedule we play is a credit to these kids,’’ said Buttrey, whose team secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. “It’s a credit to how hard they work and it’s a credit to how much it matters to them. I’m just so proud of them.

“We ended this season and now we’re starting all over. It’s like we’re back in August again. I keep telling them I’ve never been 8-0, I’ve never been 10-0 and now I’ve never been 11-0. That’s our goal, to run the table in the playoffs. It’s an unbelievable opportunity for these guys.’’

The loss was the second in a row for St. Albans after seven straight wins. The Red Dragons host Huntington next Friday.

PHS went to work quickly against the Red Dragons, who were playing without star running back Jeremy James, a 1,000 yard rusher who was injured in the third quarter of last week's loss to Hurricane and who will also miss the regular season finale. After forcing a three and out on the first series of the game, the Big Reds started from the St. Albans 37 and took just five plays to score. Taylor ran the first four time to take the ball to the one yard line and then led the blocking for Lindamood on his only carry of the night for the touchdown with 8:05 left in the first quarter. Tyler Warner kicked the extra point.

St. Albans had another three-and-out series, leaving the Dragons with minus 15 yards on six plays and PHS started once again from inside St. Albans territory after a six yard punt return by Mason Roberts to the Dragon 48. The Big Reds moved to the 38 but a quarterback sack forced a punt by Andy Thomas which pinned the Dragons on their own six yard line.

Like the first two series, St. Albans went three-and-out (netting one yard this time with Matt Littleton picking up his third tackle for a loss). This time PHS started from the St. Albans 44 and seven plays found Taylor plunging into the end zone from two yards away with 8:47 left in the half. The extra point kick was blocked but Taylor already had 77 yards rushing and he was just getting warmed up.

St. Albans managed a first down on its next series (on a roughing the passing penalty) and then actually reached the Parkersburg side of the field with an 11 yard pass completion. But a big hit by Jenkins and two incomplete passes brought the St. Albans punter onto the field for the fourth time. His kick rolled to the Big Red 20 yard line.

While St. Albans coaches, players and fans thought they had finally evened up the field position war, Taylor had other thoughts as the Big Red senior broke over the right side and turned on his speed on the sloppy turf, outrunning the Red Dragon secondary all the way to the goal line to complete an 80 yard scoring journey with 5:14 on the clock. Roberts ran for the two point conversion and PHS had a 21-0 lead.

After a sack by Matt Winans, St. Albans picked up another penalty first down (on a pass interference penalty) only to fumble the ball away with Justin Adkins recovering on the St. Albans 20 yard line. PHS tried to score just before the half but Thomas' fourth down pass into the end zone intended for Sean Chichester fell incomplete. The Dragons then earned their second on the final play of the half on a 21 yard run by Marcus Fox, who would finish the game with 41 yards on 14 carries. In the first half the Red Dragons had minus three yards on the ground.

The second half saw the play get sloppier along with the field conditions. PHS stopped a fake punt attempt by St. Albans when Zach Nolan dropped the Red Dragon ball carrier for only a six yard gain. Starting from the St. Albans 43, PHS drove to a first and goal at the six yard line. Two runs netted three yards and an incomplete pass brought Warner on to kick a 20 yard field goal, his sixth of the season. The junior kicker came into the game tied for the state lead in field goals with five.

An interception and 13 yard return by Nathan Conley gave PHS the ball back 24 seconds later on the St. Albans 40 yard line. With Taylor and Zach Duncan leading the way, the Big Reds moved the ball in for their fourth touchdown. The seven play drive culminated with Thomas taking it in from five yards out with 8:38 left in the game.

The fourth quarter saw three lost fumbles in the span of eight plays at one stretch with P.J. Polsley and Winans recovering bobbles by the Dragons while Anthony Thorpe let the ball get away from him on a fourth down play for PHS.

"In a muddy mess like this it’s the most physical team [that wins] and we’ve proven that every Friday night,’’ Buttrey said.

"They just dominated us,’’ said SA coach Derek Christian of Parkersburg. “We didn’t get a chance to do anything.’’

Scoring

Parkersburg (10-0)         7       14     3       7       -        31

St. Albans (7-2)               0       0       0       0       -        0

^{Scoring Plays}

P – Matt Lindamood 1 run (Tyler Warner kick) 8:05 1^st

P – Charlie Taylor 2 run (kick blocked) 8:47 2^nd

P – Taylor 80 run (Mason Roberts run) 5:14 2^nd

P – Warner 20 field goal, :30.3 3^rd

P – Andy Thomas 5 run (Warner kick) 8:38 4th

Individual Statistics