Blazers Fall Just Short on Senior Night, 17-13
The Walt Whitman High School football team needed to win Friday night at Montgomery Blair and get some help to earn a playoff berth.
The Vikings did their part, but just barely.
Whitman built a 17-7 halftime lead and then watched the Blazers come within four yards of possibly pulling off an upset before a fumble and clock killing drive sealed a 17-13 win.
The Vikings won their fourth straight to improve to 7-3, but were eliminated when Clarksburg defeated Richard Montgomery.
“We had to do what we needed to do, which was win tonight,” Whitman coach Jim Kuhn said. “We did that. I’m very proud of our guys. We’ve had an outstanding season. Any time you get seven wins, that’s an excellent season.”
Running back Zac Morton led the Vikings offense with 107 yards on 30 carries.
The Blazers (5-5) ended by dropping a heartbreaker on senior night, but increased their win total from two last year and zero the year before.
“It was a good year. Our seniors really, really deserved success. While we didn’t get some of the wins we probably could have and should have gotten, I’m very excited for them,” coach Andrew Fields said. “We’re on the way up and they’re the foundation of whatever comes in the future.”
After failing to generate much offense beyond a fake punt in the first half, Blair was nearly unstoppable after halftime.
Following a punt, the Blazers drove 74 yards in nine plays, mixing passes and runs to spread out a Whitman defense that stymied their running game early on.
After quarterback Raymond Burtnick (13-of-21 for 104 yards) passed to Hasan Ali for nine yards to the 5, Darron Cumberbatch went up the middle for the touchdown, but the extra point was blocked.
Trailing 17-13 with 11 minutes 7 seconds left, Blair tried an onside kick. The ball bounced off a Whitman player up front and the Blazers came out up with it at midfield.
After three straight completions, they had a first down at the 32. Three runs by Yonis Blanco and a bootleg and Burtnick made it first-and-goal from the 4.
On the next play, however, the ball came loose as Burtnick was handing to Blanco and Whitman recovered at the 7 with 8:07 left.
“The quarterback said the running back closed his hands a little bit early,” Fields said. “The ball hit the front of his arm instead of his belly.”
Whitman drove to the Blair 16, running out the clock.
“The nice thing is that we got the ball back and we were able to not let their offense come back on the field,” Kuhn said. “Because we were having a hard time, we were back on our heels definitely.”
The key play came on third-and-9 from the 19 with 5:15 left when quarterback Evan Smith found Nolan Hanessian for 17-yard gain.
“We felt like when we ran that jet motion with our guy, their adjustment to it was to bring their safety down hard. And they brought him down hard and we hit that slant right behind his ear,” Kuhn said
“Evan made a huge throw and Nolan made a huge catch. That was really a difference maker in the game. That kept their offense off the field.”
Smith said, “I didn’t have a really good grip on the ball, I just needed to get it out of my hands.”
Blair miscues were the story in the first half. Whitman’s Morton returned an interception 34 yards to the 6, setting up a 1-yard score by Jacob Pittsenberger.
Whitman then blocked a punt which led to a Zach Snyder field goal late in the first quarter.
“We started off rough and we ended up rough,” Fields said. “Everything else in between we were able to do exactly what we wanted to do.”
The Blazers’ best offensive play of the half came on fourth-and-7, as Blanco — the punter — ran left and sprinted 37 yards to the Whitman 21. Five plays later Burtnick scored.
The Vikings answered back going 71 yards, mostly on the ground, with Morton scoring from two yards out.
The Vikings did their part, but just barely.
Whitman built a 17-7 halftime lead and then watched the Blazers come within four yards of possibly pulling off an upset before a fumble and clock killing drive sealed a 17-13 win.
The Vikings won their fourth straight to improve to 7-3, but were eliminated when Clarksburg defeated Richard Montgomery.
“We had to do what we needed to do, which was win tonight,” Whitman coach Jim Kuhn said. “We did that. I’m very proud of our guys. We’ve had an outstanding season. Any time you get seven wins, that’s an excellent season.”
Running back Zac Morton led the Vikings offense with 107 yards on 30 carries.
The Blazers (5-5) ended by dropping a heartbreaker on senior night, but increased their win total from two last year and zero the year before.
“It was a good year. Our seniors really, really deserved success. While we didn’t get some of the wins we probably could have and should have gotten, I’m very excited for them,” coach Andrew Fields said. “We’re on the way up and they’re the foundation of whatever comes in the future.”
After failing to generate much offense beyond a fake punt in the first half, Blair was nearly unstoppable after halftime.
Following a punt, the Blazers drove 74 yards in nine plays, mixing passes and runs to spread out a Whitman defense that stymied their running game early on.
After quarterback Raymond Burtnick (13-of-21 for 104 yards) passed to Hasan Ali for nine yards to the 5, Darron Cumberbatch went up the middle for the touchdown, but the extra point was blocked.
Trailing 17-13 with 11 minutes 7 seconds left, Blair tried an onside kick. The ball bounced off a Whitman player up front and the Blazers came out up with it at midfield.
After three straight completions, they had a first down at the 32. Three runs by Yonis Blanco and a bootleg and Burtnick made it first-and-goal from the 4.
On the next play, however, the ball came loose as Burtnick was handing to Blanco and Whitman recovered at the 7 with 8:07 left.
“The quarterback said the running back closed his hands a little bit early,” Fields said. “The ball hit the front of his arm instead of his belly.”
Whitman drove to the Blair 16, running out the clock.
“The nice thing is that we got the ball back and we were able to not let their offense come back on the field,” Kuhn said. “Because we were having a hard time, we were back on our heels definitely.”
The key play came on third-and-9 from the 19 with 5:15 left when quarterback Evan Smith found Nolan Hanessian for 17-yard gain.
“We felt like when we ran that jet motion with our guy, their adjustment to it was to bring their safety down hard. And they brought him down hard and we hit that slant right behind his ear,” Kuhn said
“Evan made a huge throw and Nolan made a huge catch. That was really a difference maker in the game. That kept their offense off the field.”
Smith said, “I didn’t have a really good grip on the ball, I just needed to get it out of my hands.”
Blair miscues were the story in the first half. Whitman’s Morton returned an interception 34 yards to the 6, setting up a 1-yard score by Jacob Pittsenberger.
Whitman then blocked a punt which led to a Zach Snyder field goal late in the first quarter.
“We started off rough and we ended up rough,” Fields said. “Everything else in between we were able to do exactly what we wanted to do.”
The Blazers’ best offensive play of the half came on fourth-and-7, as Blanco — the punter — ran left and sprinted 37 yards to the Whitman 21. Five plays later Burtnick scored.
The Vikings answered back going 71 yards, mostly on the ground, with Morton scoring from two yards out.