Photography courtesy of Tina Quesenberry
Max Meadows… What started out being delayed by an hour then an hour an a half because of lightning, finished up as a Maroon storm. The George Wythe Maroons pounded the Fort Chiswell Pioneers 61-20.
The Pioneers started the game with their own thunder going up 14-0 in the first six minutes of the game. Quarterback Warren Moore scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper. Then Tanner Bailey hit Zach Grimm with a two-point conversion pass for an 8-0 lead. After a Maroon turnover, the Pioneers duo of Bailey to Grimm hooked up on a 33 yard touchdown pass, but the kick was blocked for a 14-0 Pioneer lead.
George Wythe would get on the board as Tyler Harden intercepted a Moore pass and scored from 22 yards out. Clay Sweat’s kick cut the Fort Chiswell lead in half after the opening quarter. The second quarter would see things turn bad for the Pioneers as the Maroons scored four touchdowns in the last 6:41 of the half. Running back Rashad Wells scampered in from 45 yards out. Quarterback Deacon Beamer ran in from two and 10 yards out. Holden Tolley capped the Maroon scoring storm as he caught an eight yard pass from Beamer for a 34-14 halftime lead.
The Maroons would score again at the 9:44 mark in the third on a Harden 44 yard dash and again after holding the Pioneers to three and out, would cross the end zone on a Wells 25 jaunt for a 48-14 lead.
Fort Chiswell’s Davin Odum ran in from 22 yards out, but again the kick failed to cut the Maroon lead with the score now 48-20. The Pioneers were dropping like flies. Third and fourth players were now out due to injuries in the game.
George Wythe wasn’t done. On the ensuing kickoff, the Maroons, Markell Moss picked the ball up at his 15 and faked going up the middle and broke off to his left and down the Maroon sideline on a 85 yard touchdown. Their last score came with 2:46 remaining when back up tailback, Ben Bishop went 16 yards off a tackle for a 61-20 score.
Pioneer head coach, Todd Tiller remarked after the game, “We couldn’t run the ball. Three of our starting linemen got hurt, and we turned the ball over. We finished up taking three kids to the hospital tonight. We got five or six kids hurt plus we were already missing four players.” Coach Tiller then joked and said, “I think our “gator” that hauls the water and sideline equipment is even hurt.”
“George Wythe (1-1) moved the ball, and we didn’t stop them,” said Tiller. George Wythe finished with 422 yards of offense to the Pioneers 192. Running back Rashad Wells had eight carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Harden had 11 rushes for 96 yards and scored twice.
Fort Chiswell’s Davin Odum lead the Pioneers with 12 carries for 50 yards. Zach Grimm caught four passes for 96 yards and a score.
The Pioneers season doesn’t get any easier as they host the Radford Bobcats next Friday. Kickoff is slated for 7 pm.